Caray, Caray!

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Hey, peeps! Commenters and silent partakers all! I love all a y'all! Not the most exciting episode but I got the hug for Eman that I wanted! Gotta eat now, will come back later and do clean up. Hope some of y'all will stop by this evening!

Have at it!
 

Lila, thank you for the recap ! This was great and I will post more tomorrow after I watch the episode.

I'm so glad Eman got and accepted a hug. He is not out of the woods and I will be devastated if something bad happens to him.

Pru can burn in hades forever, for harming Silvia. Too bad she didn't fall down the stairs. Dying is too soft an anvil for her. I want her to suffer for a very long time.

If Mari had not stolen that money from Irma's store, Irma might not be behind on her payment.

I would like to see Tomas be inspired to get his act together and go to law school so he can prosecute the Prudencias of the world. The boy is redeemable.
 

Lila, your raw emotion and excitement was evident in every distinguished word. Clearly, you write from the heart: "Padre leaves and Eman struggles but gives in to racking sobs" evoked sadness and sympathy. Your words never fail to evoke emotions that run the gamut from sadness to sympathy to pure joy.

"pitiful (meaning disgusting) display", "They lie with their mouths but their faces don’t cooperate" and "Eman remains a tortured ball of confusion" were all wonderful.

“She’s a wonderful woman and I am an idiot!” At last some wise words from our galan in waiting. Renato is finally ruminating and agonizing over what he has done and what he has not done. He may well rue the reality that he has been blinded by who his destiny is. What a high price Sylvia is paying for such a late awakening.

This small awakening did not lessen the evil that abounded tonight I fear. Prudencia's cruelty and treachery made her sink to a place where souls are lost and hope is abandoned, where Sev and Cande reside.

Eman has been crushed and is still trying to absorb what has happened and who he is. Bless the Padre for saying he is God's child. So true...Eman needs time and patience from all those who love him. I hope they go gently. Waves of love and support will sustain him shortly.

I fear for both Irma and Sylvia, two of the most loving, supportive and strong characters this has to offer.

May the writers be merciful to both, who deserve so much better than the hands they have been dealt.

doris, love your suggestion Tomas go to law school. I do think this tragedy will propel him in an upward spiral.

Diana
 

Thank you for the recap, Lila! It's like virtually screaming at the TV together :D

Go Padre J! Dropping the spiritual wisdom! I can think of at least one other person on this show who needs to hear that "before God, none of us have a last name"...only she won't find it nearly as comforting.

I don't think I can cope with Silvia's situation. I may have to go into denial for the weekend. I'll just be over here curled up on the other bed in Em's room. I get that Renato and Pato don't want Tomas running off half-cocked, but I'm surprised neither of them had a suggestion for what *to* do. They didn't even take him to the police to tell them that Pru made a threat.

Speaking of Eman...I'm feeling a lot more optimistic about his recovery. Vero was really awesome with the non-jealousy. And I'm far less worried about him now that he's staying with the Padre.

On the one hand, the whole thing with Irma and the loan shark came out of nowhere...but once she talked about buying inventory and paying for Lardo's stuff it seemed totally plausible.

"She sits her arse on the living room floor popping pills like M & M’s, even making pill-liquor floats and slurping them down while she babbles on about the good thing Hum is losing or some such." *snicker* Oh, yeah, Pru, he's sooooo missing out. Please, Juana! Take that phone to the cops!

"A monumental scream to the top of your lungs and scare your cat scene," is an accurate description. Can Sev and Val just do it already so they can get busted and put an end to that farce already! (Uh, I think I just made myself sick.)

"Maybe I want it to be so but it appears the Chief is finally beginning to see the light. . . .or the dark shadow that is Sev!" It really did look that way! I'm hoping the look on his face doesn't change on Monday.
 

Doris! Thank you! I'm happy if I filled you in somewhat til you see the real thing. Wait until you actually see Eman. The by is killing me I tell ya! See you tomorrow!


Diana, my dear, you are the one with such heartfelt expressions of appreciation! Thou makest a recapper's heart (and head) to swell!

You speak eloquent truth, sister: Renato is finally ruminating and agonizing over what he has done and what he has not done. He may well rue the reality that he has been blinded by who his destiny is. What a high price Sylvia is paying for such a late awakening.

Yes, Pru is certainly hell bound and I want her to pay in blood and tears but not escape via death! ITA with you about Irma and Silvia. It WAS an emotional episode, wasn't it, Diana! Thank you and we look forward to more of your insightful and beautifully expressed observations!


The Diva! Hey, my fearless leader! It's like virtually screaming at the TV together :D Then I've done my job!

Yeah, WTF with Rennie and The Duck Man not even letting him go to the police with his suspicion. Que?

That Val is a case, isn't she? They so almost got busted. It's got to be just a matter of time now! AAAAND I do think the chief cop is onto Sev. He'd better be or he needs to be canned! We'll see on Monday and I hope we see Tomas go to the Police and we know they will eventually get the phone from Juana.

Three action-packed weeks, kids!
 

Lila- Maybe no major stuff happened this episode, but major emotional stuff happened, and you were the perfect recapper to capture and convey all those emotions.

I think the key to Irma's debts was paying off Lardo's debts, and I bet she was downplaying that. Why would she ever help him out of his stupid gambling debts?!

For those concerned about the communication between characters, Don Tonio said Al was the one who called him and told him where Eman was. Vero was the perfect person to go see him. Not connected enough to the drama for him to have a negative reaction, but a loving and positive presence. Loved the hug.

Silvia has to make a full recovery. No way would the writers leave her blinded. But this whole thing seems to have opened Renato's eyes, which is wonderful. It was nice seeing Silvia's three galanes united to support her.
 

Gosh, I wish we could have gotten a glimpse of what was going on in Juana's mind as she watched Pru. Hope she realizes what's on that phone and gives it to the cops.
 

Thank you for your kind words Lila. You always make all of us feel appreciated and valued.

Kat, yes, you are so right in that the lesser lawyers should have thought to advise the police about the threat ASAP. I think they were both so shocked and Renato in so much grief, they simply weren't thinking straight. Hopefully, their wheels will start turning after the shock wears off and wiser, cooler heads will prevail.

Vivi, I am saddened more trouble has found Irma. She SO does not deserve this. I hope this financial disaster is able to be solved. More heartbreak is just around the bend from her nasty daughter.

Speaking of Mari, was anyone else uneasy with the matter of fact manner in which she told Irma and Lola that Silvia had been attacked?? I realize Sylvia is not her favorite person (by not letting her get away with shenanigans at work), but there was no compassion in her tone. Whatsoever.

Diana
 

Lila, Sweet recap. After all this is over Em's gonna be a very happy big brother or little bro. I think I'll finish this tomorrow its after midnight. Happy August people. Hahaha:-D
 

Vivi and doris, Mari stole from Irma, Lardo stole from her, and she gave him money to deal with his debts. She's being done in by the both of them and Lardo isn't even around anymore! :(

Diana, "May the writers be merciful to both, who deserve so much better than the hands they have been dealt." From your lips to their ears! Irma and Silvia don't deserve this crap.

Lila, the guy at the town square even said he had called the cops, so why weren't they there? I understand it would have been pointless to interview Silvia, but what about the cafe guy, Renato, Pato, Tomas? *sigh* Incompetente had better redeem himself on Monday. By turning down Sev's bribery at the very least. For bonus points, he can agree to the bribery just to draw Sev in and have proof before he busts him. I think that would be way too much to ask.

Diana, I'm pretty sure now that Mari didn't have anything to do with it, but she didn't seem even remotely concerned. All three bosses are at the hospital because one of them got attacked and she's just acting like "Cool, I got to leave work early."
 

Great work, Lila.

Pru isn't going anywhere; a slight delay on calling the police won't matter. She's three or more sheets to the wind and will pass out long enough for the maid to check out that cell phone. We hope.

Maybe Tomas will become a cop.

As to the chief of police he's overdue to do something. I don't see him accepting the bribe except as bait. If he does he will probably tell someone right away. However, that could put him in a questionable position that could bite him on the tuchas.

Emanuel needs help. He should not be left alone. Padre J's words were a good start, but Emanuel needs to know that he did nothing to deserve the mess others made of his life.

I can't wait to see how the others at Las Animas react when they find out that Sev was abusing his own son all this time.
 

Um, um, um, I swanee girl you give me the feels, thank you Lila

"They lie with their mouths but their faces don’t cooperate"

After coming up with ridiculous junior high crap for months to drive two people apart, it takes the late arrival of Veronica to treat Emanuel with the kindness, love and support that should have come from Lola. Followed by an out of place pitch on Lola's behalf from Aldonza. I refuse to eat it the way it has been prepared.

Lot of time wasted on reuniting Flavia and Joaquin and flat don't get the point. Flavia didn't bang the poolboy once in a moment of passion and spitefulness but ran off taking, then abandoning, her son for a ne'er do well. Big difference.

Really, what is the point of Cris asking daddy again to come clean? Is he that much in need of something to do to while away his time?

No, Renato, Silvia is not some needy broad. She committed to her friends and saw the mess of things you and Pato can make alone. It is she that holds you boys up by the scruff of your neck.

 

Like Tofie, I loved the phrase "they lie with their mouths, but their faces don't cooperate." Maddening scene. I wanted to pop both of them, but especially Adelina. There's nothing about her I find remotely lovable at this point.

On the other hand, like you Ms. Lila, I was grateful that our dear Emmanuel felt moved to fling his shirt off. Lord have mercy, even that man's feet are beautiful! He was just a picture yesterday.

Silvia's screams, both after the attack and in the hospital, were so disturbing and so real. Unbearable to witness such pain. On the other hand, the portrayal of Pru is unsettling. For most of the time, her role has been a comic one, interspersed with acts of cruelty. But then we go back to the jaunty music and the funny drunk antics. A very odd mixture I find.

But, in spite of the inconsistencies of this episode, you covered it with passion and flair, Lila. Terrific job. Thanks as always.
 

Oh yes. Forgot to mention last night that I really appreciated the shirtless Eman scene. Can we get a screen shot one of these days when Eman whips off his shirt again? Purely for academic reasons. I think we should do a detailed study of how a galan can be perfectly muscled, without looking like he's on steroids, and send our results to Televisa.
 

Oh my goodness, tofie, I have not heard or read "I swanee" in decades!!! What a great old Southernism!

Well I have a ton of yard work to do this a.m. and my reward will be sitting down to watch this episode. Yay!
 

Lila, last night's events were wonderfully laid out in your very capable hands. What a night! On the surface, not much big action, but a lot of emotions and characters moving to their respective dooms. (Hey, looking at you Pru). Love the migraine quip. HEEHEE!

And I admit too, there was a glimmer of "Praise be" as E-man ripped off his shirt but then I teared up as again in trying to go for air it seemed, he just collapsed within himself. Now as for Allie...good God woman, the man is in the darkest of places and she's making a pitch for him to get back with Lola. Might be me, but it came off that way. Sorry, I know it's set up because after giving us the sweetest moment with Vero and Eman and showing her courage to go there for him and how they connect, the writers needed to ram it home that for him. And why aren't we getting Cris in there?If anyone can talk to this poor guy what it is like to have Sev as your father...Hello???

And of course holy h***, again, where ARE the scissors when you need them, we get how many scenes and wasted minutes with setting up a Flavia and Joaquin rematch. Do I look like I care--and they really want to go there and let us think these two really belong together?? I'll say it again, who does this actress know?

Ok, so Cynthia acted the living daylights out of her scenes, but the character needs to be locked away in a cell and have the key lost forever for setting up that horrendous attack on Silvia. So glad that Tomas has some pretty smart deduction abilities and knew it was her. The cell phone lives another day. I would say for being treated like scum for years, be a nice touch for Pru's maid to blow the lid on her finding what's on that phone. Treats on the patio for her if she does.

I give chops to Renato--he fessed up his mistakes and is cognizant of his screw up. Next?

And yes, as Sev walked into Val's room I just knew what would happen, and poor Kitty, the one night she stays and curls up on my lap and I had to curse with a "H*** No!!" You know, cats have the ability to truly give you an evil stare that can reach to your soul. Speaking of treats, she was properly rewarded. We're friends again.

Wow-- random evil over Irma. OK...guess they had to do something in the final weeks. Hope this ropes Mari in knowing the impact she did with stealing the cash.

Off to our town's art festival this morning. Closes down the main street with vendors, music, food the whole day. Sun is shining and going to go have me some relaxing fun. Check in later.

Daisynjay

 

So not sure where the sentence went, it was there when I hit the button, but meant to say on Eman--the writers have to ram it home that his destiny is Lola. And we all know how happy that makes me...NOT.

Daisynjay
 

Good Morning, Peeps! Lost the last comment. Blogger said I tried to post at the same time as someone else. Anyway, got a call from the Offspring, see y'all soon! Always enjoy y'alls discussion!
 

LILA, What an episode, what a great recap! I agree with whoever said the ep was over the top with the emotional action, and you captured it all with great style. Thank you!

"Is it wrong that my pulse races slightly at what little I can see of his finely chisled abs, back and ripped arms?" No, I was cheering! Oops, in a grave, concerned way of course.

JUDYB, I totally agree about the split personality they have given Pru, starting way back to when she was abusive to Eman and then later smacked Aldonza with a rock. In between times she is a hoot. Makes it hard to know how you really feel about the character.

I want to know what kind of phone Sylvia has. It survives unscathed after flying through the air and landing on pavement. Mine went belly up after doing a soft landing on fluffy carpet. However, glad it ended up in Juana's pocke, yay!

Must run for now, looking forward to flopping down on the patio later.

J in Oregon


 

Doris, though I grew up in the south, my parents first generation immigrants from asia. It was from Mr. tofie's grandmother I heard it and first thought it was her attempt to greet me in Thai. Mr. tofie straighted that out for me but always purred when she would see me and exclaim, I swanee aren't you the smartest, prettiest little thing.
 

Thank you Lila, I was exercising my VPC-Viewer Privilege Card by ffwding though the same scenes.
i just don't care about them. And clearly, if Adelina is still willing to forego Joaquin, then she's really just not that into him. And that's ok.

Someone please tell me, what was the point of Pru recording Sylvia's attack, and what's the point of doing it on Sylvia's phone? It will only throw her in jail if it gets discovered.
 

Mornin',Vivi and thank you, hon! Thanks to Diva and you for emphasizing that Irma was paying off Lardo's gambling debts as part of the reason she fell behind with the sharks! Also, how much was the money that the wretched Mari stole!?

Yes, let us hold hands at all tables and pray for the full recovery of Silvia's sight! I don't know, though, everything Renato said in his confession of guilt is true, how do y'all feel about Silvia ending up with him. . .or is a redeemed Tomas better?


Yes, Diana, it was so cold the way Mari matter of factly told Lola about the attack. She clearly didn't give a damn.


Thanks, Nina! See you later today!

Diva! Thank you about the waiter dude saying he called the cops! Yah, incompetent seems not to be harsh enough to describe Santa Lucia's (NOT) finest! Forget about acceptance of the bribe as a trap.


Mornin', Urban! and thanks! I can't wait to see how the others at Las Animas react when they find out that Sev was abusing his own son all this time. Yep!

ToFIE!! Thanks, kid!! Amen to this:

After coming up with ridiculous junior high crap for months to drive two people apart, it takes the late arrival of Veronica to treat Emanuel with the kindness, love and support that should have come from Lola. Followed by an out of place pitch on Lola's behalf from Aldonza. I refuse to eat it the way it has been prepared.

ITA with your assessment of the place of Silvia in Renato and Pato's professional life, go back and read it guys, last paragraph, Tofie@7:41! BAM!


Thank you, JudyB I feel vindicated in my unvarnished lust after Eman, tortured though he was with grief, though you said it better: Lord have mercy, even that man's feet are beautiful! Vivi and all (you're too young to be a cougar, Vivi) Cougars, go back to that scene and see how he whipped that shirt off. It was startingly sudden and then what he revealed! Aaaaah!

JudyB, Pru has become a horrific and terrifying clown and they had better make her pay dearly for ALL her crimes!
 

Good morning, DaisynJay and I thank you, heartily! Yah, Aldonza's Lola pitch WAS weird now that you mention it. She coulda left that out! And good point about the value of Cris's first hand "son of Sev the Dev" experience. Cris wants to go to him but he is playing very well an understandable discomfort with the raw and searing pain Eman is in. Cris will come in at just the right time when the two can really deal with the reality that their affectionate calling each other hermano is real. That should be a great moment.

The Flavia/Jock thing is such a joke, so out of place and unceccesary in the story, I agree that the actress must be pulling some strings. Hope they're done already. Please don't make us suffer a "love" scene!

So, it WAS a scare the heck out of your cat scene with Sev and Vile? Glad Kitty is ok! That Vile is just a cesspool, isn't she? Enjoy your art festival!


J in Oregon Top o' the morning' to ya and thanks! Yes, finally some eye candy AND a hug! What an episode! See ya later!


Hey, Cathyx! Thank you, girl! Yah, so if Adelina can be so in love with a dead man who didn't even know it until the last weeks of his life and who never returned an iota of that kind of affection to her, she is truly sick and definitely not wife/mother/life companion material. They have turned her into one sick puppy!

Someone please tell me, what was the point of Pru recording Sylvia's attack, and what's the point of doing it on Sylvia's phone? It will only throw her in jail if it gets discovered.

Cathyx, SL finest are so NOT, they need this kind of direct, damning evidence to connect Pru to the crime. Maybe now the testimony of Tomas, cafe dude and other witnesses in the square will mean something.


Okay, off to choreland, please, continue to chew the fat. Catch up with ya later!
 

Lila, at this point, I'm rather Team Tomas.

To me, happiness is laughter and thus far, she has smiled and actually laughed with Tomas. I don't recall seeing any such emotions with Renato.

I think she IS destined to be with Renato but before that occurs, I hope he does some substantial crawling. I would like him to bring some lightness into her life. I just want her to be happy.

If the end result is Renato, I don't want Tomas left in the dust. Whether it is love or a career, he deserves something.

UA, I like your idea of his becoming a policeman. I think he has some "scoop" on the dark side from his personal adventures that would be very useful in such a new career! :)

Diana
 

thanks, Lila, for this snappy retelling of all the happenings. I was not able to watch.

Pru and Vile are headed down a slippery slope. Sev is doomed..yay. I feel sad for Hum who regrets his past bad decisions.

Al seems to have woken up and gotten proactive.

It seems as though Jock and Frizzy are going to get back together for little Ray , and ADe will be left with her dear!y departed memories.
 

Tofie, "I swanee" girl I haven't heard that expression in many many many many many many many years. My dad used to say that. I grew up here in the south and back in the day the old folks used to that when something was shocking going on. Thanks for the memories girl.
Quick question, is there a recap for lo imperdonable? Caues I can't find it. Anybody know?
 

Hola a todos! Lila, fabulous job! You're really getting into it with our beloved characters:
"Eman, he still holds his body close and tight, a self-defensive posture against the onslaught of the past two days."

And I think PJ's really rubbing of on the Patio:
"Prudencia. Enter thou the gates of hell!"
“She’s a wonderful woman and I am an idiot!” Amen, Renato!"
"May the writers be merciful to both, who deserve so much better than the hands they have been dealt."
"Yes, let us hold hands at all tables and pray for the full recovery of Silvia's sight!"
"there was a glimmer of "Praise be" as E-man ripped off his shirt"

I understood Eman's initial reaction, but I'm a little surprised by the almost catatonic aftermath. And while his abs, chest and back (hmmm...his back) are delightful, that scene totally confused me. I was worried he was going to jump out of the window or something, but instead he just ripped off his shirt and revealed..all...those beautiful muscles...mmm...

Sorry, distracted.

Anyway, I'm glad Sev went to bribe the detective. Imo, Sev and anything Sev related has been a sore spot with him since Aldie got back into town (and maybe even before) because she keeps accusing him of deliberately protecting Sev from prosecution. But honestly, what does she want him to do with what she brings him, which is screaming accusations and rudeness, most of the time, and nothing else? Now, I will admit, I was kind of surprised that the didn't speculate half as much as the Patio did about whether or not Sev could use the rifle with one hand and they didn't take it into evidence or test it or anything. But I'm still impressed that they investigated Lardo's shooting as far as they did. Aldonza should be glad they don't just arrest people based on what ever some screaming lunatic comes into the station yelling otherwise Pru/Val/Cande would've accused her of some nonsense or the other long ago. Prostitution, most likely.

Pru just earned herself a Sev/Cande sized anvil. Paint and solvent in the eyes?! QTF?! Nah, this lunatic had got to go down. I don't see her as bipolar though. This last action has really explained to me why Val is the way she is. The two of them are just so arrogant and self-obsessed, that they really don't think any rules apply to their behavior. Maybe she wanted Silvia's phone as proof? She defiitley wanted the video to savor her viciousness. We're all lucky Pru is too sloshed most of the time to bother with plotting, because when she decides to, she's a cruel nutcase. I can't decide what's worse: Cande seems more into emotional blackmail and suffering, but Pru goes straight for the physical: stoning, arson, blinding.
 

As much as Flavia, Ade, Gonzalo, and perhaps even the Writers keep trying to sell this idea of him taking Flav back, Joaquin seems to be the only one who didn't get the memo because he has not wavered in his stance that they are never, ever, getting back together.
 

I want big mouth pru to do jail time.
That lady receptionist, she might be better for hum, once he gets it together and away from sev and the queen b****. Did roberta really kill Ray? Cause sev was doing that thought bubble thing and he was shootin the gun. Did anybody else see that besides me?
 

Sev shot the first bullet and Roberta the second. Both their prints would have been on the gun.
 

Urban Anthropologist, "Maybe Tomas will become a cop." Undercover! I also agree Em shouldn't be left alone. They found him passed out drunk in a body of water. Just treat him like he's on suicide watch and be on the safe side.

tofie, "It is she that holds you boys up by the scruff of your neck." Right on! That would be a nice admission for him to make--not all this "It's all my fault," stuff, but "We're screwed without you!"

JudyB, Silvia's screams were riding that edge where they felt uncomfortably real. Almost like the times the've had a small child on a show who's supposed to be scared and you wonder "Did they really freak that kid out to get this shot?!"

Daisynjay, I'm glad the kitty forgave you. I've been the recipient of that look too many times for my comfort!

HellaShelle, I'm with you. Pru's not bipolar. She's entitled and HIGH as a friggin kite! It's too bad all the booze and pills haven't gotten her to the point where she just doesn't care what's going on with anyone else and she leaves them all the hell alone!

Vivi, oh, hell no, Joaquin is DONE with Flavia and none of that is making any sense to me--both the "story" itself and why they're giving it to us.
 

Here's a hypothetical about Lardo, Mari, Irma, and the money: We know the money that Lardo both stole and was given is long gone. We know that Mari also stole some, but we haven't seen her do anything with it. We also know that Mari gave Em her entire life savings in the form of a check, but he never cashed it. Let's say she finds out what's happening with Irma...would giving back both the money she stole AND handing over her savings make a dent in Irma's debt? And if she did, would that be a redemption-worthy act?

For me, I'd say giving back what she stole is the least she could do. I'd love it if she handed over her savings and it totally pulled Irma's bacon out of the fire. I would be ok with all of that eliminating an anvil for her, but I still wouldn't like her and I wouldn't be happy if she were rewarded.
 

Diva - I'm pretty much expecting what you just described. I think the show's been hinting that Mari's not going down the way other villanas are because she's repenting. My opinion? Pfft - fine. My minimum level anvil is for her parents to find out EVERYTHING she did. All should be admitted in front of Pato, Eman and Lola. I don't want her to get the guy, since it's what she's been after from the beginning, and I'm annoyed because I think the show would be capable of hooking her up with Pato, since she's actually been a decent friend to him advice-wise. I think they're even capable of sending her away to school, which would be so puke worthy.

Hey could they at least work in an accident that has her getting her hair chopped off?
 

Edit: "I think we can all agree that the show's been hinting..."
 

Hellashelle, the most, the absolute MOST, that I would accept for Mari is that Irma insists, since Mari just put her whole life savings into the store, that she be a partner, and Mari dedicates her efforts to actually, finally helping her mom. After a few years of that, if she discovers a burning desire to go to business school and meets a nice boy there, fine, but I don't want to see it! No Pato for her.
 

Finally watched this epi. Lila – thank you again for the recap. What an emotional episode.

I just wanted to cry for Eman, who should be on suicide watch IMO, after finding out that Satan is his father and that said “father” knew about it all these years yet treated Eman like yesterday’s garbage all his life. Really, why is he not on suicide watch? I was afraid he would jump out that window!!!

Alex Sirvent better win a Premios et al award for interpreting this role of Emanuel. Punto.

Hopefully the ‘atos LISTENED to Tomas and his claims about Pru being behind the attack on Silvia.

The expression on Ren’s face when Aldonza hugged him, during his grief time over Silvia, just was not sincere enough for me. Looked to me like he was phoning it in and glad to be copping a hug from ‘donza.

I just love Vero. And what a blessing that she and DonAnt offered Eman a chance to leave this godforsaken town and have a new life. They earned their angel wings.

cathyx – The baddies recorded their attack on Silvia as proof to Pru, so that she would pay them.

”That Vile is just a cesspool, isn't she?” --- Lila, please do not insult cesspools. ;-)

Diana – you are so right about Silvia only smiling and laughing with Tomas. Renato does not deserve her. At all. Jamas!

hellashelle – nah, Pru is not bipolar. She is an alcoholic and of the nastiest , most narcissistic variety.
I swanee.

Diva - If Mari gave back the money she stole and added her own to help out her mother, this would be a FIRST STEP toward redemption.
 

It would be nice to see Mari's ponytail chopped off and have to go public with a really. bad. haircut.
 

DIVA what if Mari's "life savings" is actually the money she stole from her mom?
Just thinking back, she doesn't seem like the saving type to me...so if she bailed her mom out with her mom's own money, it wouldn't really have the same redemption value...
J in O
 

J in O -- we can only hope Mari's money is a lifetime accumulation of birthday money.
 

I'm wishing Emanuel will take Veronica up on her suggestion and the three bail and return to their happy life. Emanuel was coming into his own, no thanks to everyone in SL. Sometimes you really cannot go home again.

I think Pru and Roberta more alike than Pru and Cande. Both drunkards, both insecure social climbers, both do not care one iota whom they hurt, both disrespect and cuckhold their husbands (but at least Pru hasn't killed hers yet).
 

The first time the "life savings" came up...and I don't remember who she said this to, and it's Mari, so really, who knows if she was being honest...she said that when they were kids her dad opened savings accounts for her and Lardo. Every time they got money, Lardo always spent his, but Mari saved hers. It was definitely not enough to buy Solitario with, but it was supposed to have been a significant amount. So there's one question--what does a horse like Solitario cost and how much could Mari have been expected to save, given that she was earning money at the store and living at home rent-free. The theft from behind the counter that we saw was really recently, as these things go, right before Aldonza and Lola left to go to the DF to buy that lackluster wedding dress. That was definitely enough that Irma noticed and she wasn't going to be able to cover it. But I have no idea what Mari did with it. She could have spent it or hidden it in her room somewhere, for all we know. I don't know if she would have taken it down to the bank to deposit--that might be too obvious if the same amount Irma is missing goes into Mari's account? Then again, why would they ever look.

The only reason I have a hard time thinking that her savings came from money she stole is that they pulled no punches showing us all the crap Lardo got up to, and all of Mari's other shenanigans, so why wouldn't they have told us this before?
 

Ooh, tofie, but this time, can we get the horse in his name? 'Cause I don't want him to have to go through that again. And even if he insists he doesn't want anything that comes from Aldonza, Cris, or Sev, I think he'd make an exception for Solitario.
 

Ay Yi Yi, Lila--Boy, was this a great recap--taking the time to furnish us with italics and bolds. You handled Eman perfectly. Also the great waste of space taken up by Gonzo and Flavia.

The moment I saw Flavia at Addie's door, the mute got turned on. I figured I'd read it in the recap, but I knew exactly what they were talking about and it seems to me if two people were the most unlikely to get along for long, it would be Jock & Flavia. Boooo Hissss on the writers. Thank you for doing the RCP thing.

Now, on to the comments.

But not before mentioning that teary-eyed Sev with Cris just looked like he was shedding Crocodilo tears to me. The man doesn't have a drop of sympathy for anyone, including himself.
 

...The RPC thing, before anyone asks what RCP is.
 

I think I remember once hearing a figure like $20K US for such a horse, although that wasn't necessarily a quote for Solitario. It would take Emanuel years to get that kind of money.

Anyway, I totally agree about Pru. She's a social climber with no class, and a sbstance-abusing narcissist. That's about as bad as it gets. She's on the fast track to hell after what she did to Silvia.
 

It seems more than a few of us were negatively affected by the Flavia-Gonzo stuff. Glad I wasn't alone on the patio.

Irma also had money stolen from her by Lardo. Remember what she went through the first time it happened? Mari and Uriel tried to pin that one on Lola, too.
 

with the constant pillpopping and booze, might Pru accidentally overdose? Vile does not care enough to notice Pru's getting worse.
 

Well Uriel is a banker so I would'nt be surprised if Mari had a solid $10 stashed away, especially since she hasn't started on a degree yet.

Eman's not in jail and I'm sure they think his being with PJ takes care of things. The worse things they've imagined -- his leaving or going on a bender -- are already past.

Pru better not OD! I've just gotten to the point where I accept that Mari won't get the anvil drop she deserved, Pru better not weasel out of hers!
 

Respite from chores and cooking! YAAAY!

Hey, Diana Team Tomas? Thanks! Tomas has sure done a lot for redemption in this episode. Like Pru, he started as a clown but he's doing some growing. Did you see him spontaneously cross himself when Hum said it was possible Sylvia could be left blind? Renato, Aldonza, Cris, everybody seems to have grown in this episode, not like the idiotas from the "luuurve shack" episode!


Susanlynn! Thank you! So glad I was able to fill you in on the details! Jock and Frizzy! That's a hoot! Hope to see you more this weekend!


Hella!, amiga! There you are! Thanks, girl! Yah, I be gettin INto these shows that's why I freak out when they mess with the characters! Despite what the writers are doing, all these folk are Professionals and they are BRINGIN' IT! Yes!

Aldonza should be glad they don't just arrest people based on what ever some screaming lunatic comes into the station yelling. . . Yes, but they DO get arrested based on anonymous phone calls to the police station. . .I've got half a memory on this, somebody please supply the other half: Val called the Police and accused Cris of something and he was arrested. What was that about?

And Pru, yes, she DOES deserve a Sev-sized anvil! That idiot led a lynch mob and admitted to it, she surely thinks that even with the phone in her possession and the witnesses she is untouchable. That's chemical-straight-jacket CRAZY!
 

Diva No. Mari given back the money she stole and her uncashed life savings check is not worthy of redemtion. ONLY if along with that she confessed to Eman (when he's ready) and Lola in front of both her parents that she made up the whole lie about him deflowering her in an act of deceit AND that she pretty much has manipulated him and never cared about him and only did so to stick it to Lola whom she is obsessed with and jealous of. She must explain how the uncashed savings check and stolen money were all part of this manipulation. They don't have to forgive her but at least they'll know the truth.

And then she can go to hell. A hoe!

 

Fabulous job, Lila! I still haven't seen the episode and after reading your masterful summation, I honestly don't care if I do see it. I'm sure it pales in comparison. (I will at least FF to the part where Em strips off his shirt.)

I loved "knick knack shack."

Thank you!
 

Doris! Hey, girl! Yes, wasn't Eman just twanging them heart strings! Lordy! Re Ren and Aldonza, I hope she heard some longing in Renato's guilt-filled outburst and that she leaves Renato alone. Not that I want him with Silvia (only if SHE REALLY REALLY REALLY wants him!) but so she can just stop the b.s. with him. And yah, Vero is a dear, isn't she?

please do not insult cesspools. ;-)! I love it!
 

It shouldn't be Cris that finds Sev & Val together; it has to be Cande--or both at the same time. I can see a Cande-axe splitting Sev's head rather than an anvil squishing him. And, he needs to see it coming.

I know this belongs on the Karmageddon page, but I also thought of Sev losing the other arm--in prison. A prison like the one Julian is in over on YoNo. Sev's crimes have mostly been perpetrated against anyone in his way, in order to protect his liberty, his reputation, status, power, etc., including the rape of Aldonza. Hum was his weak spot--he didn't choose his co-conspirator very carefully.

Pru, on the other hand, directed all her attempts to hurt someone for completely selfish, jealous reasons, up close and personal. She pre-picked her victims. And it hasn't been a boozy haze that made her carry out these attacks. She has been perfectly sober when planning them. Thank goodness she couldn't get Tomas to become her accomplice. She had to resort to paying for the services of a crowd and later, a couple of thugs.

I still don't understand why throwing a rock and hitting someone in the head is not considered assault. Do I not remember correctly that there were plenty of people in the plaza who witnessed it? Maybe it was Aldonza who didn't press charges, but why not?
 

Lila - good point: Val accused Cris of killing Abelardo and he was arrested. In addition to her accusation though, there was the fact that after Lardo whacked Eman on the ranch, Cris was clearly ready to beat him to a pulp and he indicated as much when he went to Lardo's house later and also Lardo claimed Cris beat him up (he actual had his friends slug him).

I love Tomas (never thought I'd say that after he and Lardo shot up Al's house!) and I love him with Silvia. I just wonder what they'd talk about at the breakfast table. That's my default thought when I try to imagine people together. On the other hand, I think Silvia could inspire him to try to expand his academic horizons (he certainly worked like a mad man for that date) and he's good for her soul: he makes her laugh and feel beautiful and wanted.
 

Anita! Amiga mia! Thanks, hon. This cracks me right up: The moment I saw Flavia at Addie's door, the mute got turned on. HA HA HA HA HEE HEE!

Oh, RPC is Recapper's Privelege Card. It is our right as recapper's to drastically shorten or essentially do a written fast forward on distasteful scenes and characters. I didn't make it up but I like it. Also don't use it a lot but if anybody ever deserved it, it's anything having to do with Flavia. . .except cutie pie, Little Ray!
 

Anita - ITA! That's in my Val/Cande submission on the Karmeggedon page!

I went back to check and at the time Aldonza basically didn't want anyone talking more about it. Weird.
 

I almost wish Joaquin had never kissed Addie. It made us all believe there was some hope for this dyed-in-the-wool spinster with klumpy shoes. She hurt Jock a lot, holding out some promise. With her obsession with Ray, maybe she'll forget Jock was the only man to have kissed her. If she does indeed get herself to a nunnery, perhaps the memory of that kiss will haunt her with a ...what if.
 

Sara! My Teamie! Hey, girl! Thanks, hon! Yah, go back and check out that stripping off of the shirt scene. Damn! It was a milisecond, but it was HOT! Please come back and hang later!
 

Hellashella--just got to your comment. I knew you would fail us!

"But I'm still impressed that they investigated Lardo's shooting as far as they did." Wasn't it in this case that it wasn't Sev trying to stop the investigation, rather Uriel going crazy with accusations and grief that forced Popo Incompetente to continue the investigations.

I hope Incompetente doesn't take the bribe--or at least waits and takes it as he tape records Sev. So far, he claims he just wants his gun back, NOW. A little cash always greases hands, so he has nothing to lose. Hopefully, Incopetente realizes he doth protest too much about it only being about an old gun. Inc. did have that cara de "why don't I believe you."
 

Anita,, yes, several people witnessed "the stoning". I have no idea why she didn't press charges. I guess the writers wanted Aldonza to look long suffering or something.


I love Tomas (never thought I'd say that after he and Lardo shot up Al's house!) and I love him with Silvia.

Yes, Hella, that is a well-plaid character rescue and redemption and I take this as a vote for Tomas! Yes, if she truly loved Tomas, if there were mutual love and respect between them and HE was first in line to want to expand his horizons, she could rehab him! Laughing, feeling beautiful and wanted is Goooooood!

Oh, and thanks for being the other half of my brain on why Cris was arrested on an anonymous tip from the skankster.
 

Hellashelle--Of course, I meant I knew you WOULDN'T fail us.
 

Lol, Anita! I take no offense, amiga :)

I actually believe the detective will turn Sev down flat and leave him more nervous than ever now that he's demonstrated that he's a slimy SOB. Yeah, Uriel hooted and hollered and granted he's a man in a man's world and big man at that. But Aldie hoots and hollers and even brings in legal teams, so I don't think that was all there was to it. But I can't remember all of the things they've taken to the popo, so I call for a review. I remember:

1) Rob's accusation about Sev burning la huerta. (True. It was Sev. Proof? A horseshoe.)
2) Al's accusation about the shooting at El Santuario (It was Lardo and Tomas, under Sev's orders. No proof offered. No gun to match with any bullets recovered.)
3) Al's accusation that Sev burned her apartment down (It was Lardo, under Sev's orders. To be fair, the evidence did lead back to him, but he was dead.)
4) Uriel's accusation that Sev was behind Lardo's murder (It was Adriano, under Sev's orders. Case still pending.)
5) Al's accusation that Sev shot her in the shoulder. (It was Val, with Sev's gun, but without Sev's knowledge. Police bungled - Sev's rifle not taken into evidence or tested.)
6) Al's accusation that Sev killed her father (Semi-true. He didn't shoot the fatal bullet, but he was at best an accomplice and helped cover the murder up. Plus, if Ray had lived through the shot, he definitely would have died from the fire. Proof? Two decades old bullets, without chain of custody.)

Drawing blanks now. Should Uriel's accusations be on here?
 

Hellashelle--Yes, it was you who planted the image of an armless Sev in jail. I was just reinforcing the image.

I think you got all of Sev's legal tangles, for which there were formal accusations. Maybe Vivi will recall any omissions.

Too bad they didn't amplify the storyline of the diversion of the water from El Santuario.

Simoneta/V had better come bobb-bobb-bobbin' up soon. That's one crime he's not going to be able to weasel out of easily--there were witnesses to the disposal of the body and lies about her whereabouts.
 

Oh, Anita, now all I can here is the Red, Red, Robin!

Hella, does the false accusation of Cris having murdered Lardo made by Vile that you remembered count? Or are you only counting the things the good guys took to the police?

How about the the turning in of Pru for the lynch mob and attempted arson at ES?

 

Lila--I think Hella was just listing the crimes Sev was officially and publicly accused of having committed or instigated.
 

Oh, ok. Gotcha!
 

Hi, Lila. Thanks so much for this great recap.

I've got the whole family here, and we're heading for Kentucky Lake for several days on a houseboat, and I don't know about internet availability, so wanted to tell you and the other recappers that if I'm not in contact for a while, it's not because I don't appreciate your work.

I am loving the idea of Sev losing his other arm and spending the rest of his days in a Mexican prison.

The CC's were back in synch!

One twisted part of me would like to se Sev convicted of a bunch of things he had nothing to do with, for example shooting Aldonza. Then he could wail about the injustice of it all.

I'm still thinking that Pru will have to be the revealer regarding Lardo Jr.'s lineage.

It seems to me that Val will likely not be investigated for any criminal wrong doing, but will be found out to be one who pays for favors with sex, and trying to foist someone else's baby onto Cris. Thus, she will be shunned by the SL society and will descend into a life of squalor.

Thanks again, Lila. May not be back until late in the week.

David
 

David! Thanks, man and have a great time with your family on the houseboat! Sounds lovely! I LIKE what you say about both Sev and Valeria. Pru has GOT to be the one to out Vile. AND, in addition to being found out to be everything she accuses Aldonza of, I want her to be caught in an unmistakably compromising condition with Sev that they CANNOT fake their way out of as some of our friends here on the patio have suggested! Oh, that would be sooo sweet. People have to learn not to use their inside voices in the house. If they did, they'd turn up all sorts of goodies. . .or baddies.

See ya later, David!


 

Confession time:

I have so lost my interest in this. It's ultimas semanas...what's up with that? Shouldn't I be interested again? I understand when I feel bored during the doldrums, but in the last four weeks? Shouldn't I be on the edge of my seat again?

Is it just me? I feel so jaded. Yet another show that went on too long. I don't even have the energy to try and figure anyone out any more. I know there will be a walk down the aisle at the end of this thing, but not because of any real change on the part of our characters....but because that's the way it works.

It feels like TN writers are just going through the motions these days and maybe I'm feeling it?

Cheer me up, tell me that it's just me and NOT the TNs.
 

Comment bomb.

I fully admit that as I've gotten older, the harder it is for me to stick with something for very long. And I feel like this was just so long with no real reason for the added length.


 

I'm copying and pasting from another, related conversation. I don't always notice a TNs length, unless it's really dragging but...

I still maintain that they could make a long TN, they just have to remember that instead of making up new, dumb stuff to take up time, they should take what they have and actually spend time telling us how the characters would react to them AND WHY. They don't spend the time they should on giving us character depth or development.
 

And you've nailed it for me hellashelle with this:

"They don't spend the time they should on giving us character depth or development."

Amorcito Corazon is a good example to me. It was long, but the characters were so well drawn that I didn't mind a minute of it's length. I'm finding the same is true for La Vecina. It's going to be long, but I love the characters and the actors. They haven't just plopped me in the middle of a story. They are creating it.

The same is true of YNCELH, even if it is a story that makes me want to punch people in the throat.

With Sombra I NEVER felt like they were really trying to tell a story. I always felt like a writer was there saying "Just go with it. They're in love."

There isn't one relationship in this that I really feel like I'm rooting for. I'm lazy to go back and look, but who was saying that most of us don't even WANT the couples they seem to be forcing on us?

I don't want Lola with Em.

I don't care if Cris and Aldonza are together.

I care about two things: Sev suffering and dying and what will happen to Cande. And it's taking waaaay to long to get to that.

Make that three things: I always look forward to a wedding dress. ALWAYS.
 

I've been distracted by a project most of the weekend--working on the episode numbering and stringing the posts together with links to the previous and next recaps. I couldn't help getting distracted by actually reading through the recaps from the beginning, and I don't think it's really going to help me dispute that the writers are just going through the motions. This show did start out really strong, but they ran out of steam. A few characters have changed and showed growth (Tomas); some are basically the same as ever, only more intense(?) (Pru--still a drunk, only now with even more booze, pills, and crazy!); some don't seem to have learned a damn thing (Adelina).

On another note, it's been bothering me that according to Irma, she couldn't get money from Uriel/the bank because Uriel said the store was a bad investment. I wonder if that is actually true, or if she'd be making a respectable profit, if not for having to help Lardo and having both kids steal from her. Maybe Uriel can't see the point in a little store full of craft supplies and tchotchkes, but if I were living in Santa Lucia, I'd be thrilled to have somewhere local where I could get craft supplies instead of having to make a trip to San Miguel.
 

Generally I also care about spelling, punctuation, grammar and mechanics...but you wouldn't know it reading my comments.

The secret passphrase is "the same is true for..."
 

There were a LOT of missed opportunities with this one. For most TNs, actually, especially when it comes to telling a love story. In fact, I'm starting to think that maybe I'm approaching it with the wrong expectations. I usually describe them to friends with normal soap opera themes: drama, mayhem, murder, sex, violence, more comedy than in an English language soap, but at it's core, a LOVE story. I'm really beginning to think that what writers think is a love story and what we think is a love story are two wildly different things. Writers think it means two people are in love and stuff happens to them and the people around them. I (we?) think that it means two people are in love and things happen to describe and develop that love, to demonstrate its strength to the audience. We see why they fell in love, or, as is more likely, why their love at first sight is justified.

These days, none of those ideas apply.
 

Well, I'm glad it doesn't seem like the writers are just going through the motions.

I absolutely remember how much I loved this when it first started (though I've always been lukewarm on the love story part.) "Ran out of steam" may be a better description.

It is possible to have a long TN that holds the attention of the audience, but it can't be easy. I just feel like the shorter TNs require tighter writing and less extraneous stuff.

Cuna de Lobos was 85 episodes and every episode was great.

 

I'm with you on the wedding dress. It's a long time to wait for that and when the dress is disappointing, it can bring down the entire Fin.

I will admit, I did NOT want Silvia and Tomas together under any circumstances, but the actors sold me on it. Maybe they had easier material to work with, no big obstacles to overcome in order to be together. But I think it shows that it's possible for the show to change my mind, at least. It's not like I've just decided that Cris and Aldonza absolutely cannot be together and I refuse to change my mind--they just need to do a better job at showing me that the characters want that to happen. They can't take today's Cris and Aldonza, put them in formalwear, and shove them down the aisle. It doesn't work like that! Except that seems to be exactly how this works.
 

Sara, I feel the same way with most of the TNs we see. There are only a handful of exceptions. So as I get more advanced in my TN viewing, I am more discerning and critical of them. And I get bored faster and start to care less sooner.
 

Your comment came through my inbox while I was typing, hellashelle.

"I (we?) think that it means two people are in love and things happen to describe and develop that love, to demonstrate its strength to the audience. We see why they fell in love, or, as is more likely, why their love at first sight is justified."

YES!!! And that is so much less frustrating to watch. I feel like that is what might be happening on YNCELH and it seems to be happening on La Vecina.

But we seem to get too much of that. If we do, it always seem to be with secondary characters. Silvia and Tomas are turning out to be the well written couple. Totally agree with you on that, Diva

I would even go with love at first sight if they didn't have the couple believing everyone but each other. If it was love at first sight, then let it be trust at first site, too!!

cathyx: Oh, you just made me feel so much better! I refuse to give up my "habit", but I am starting to tire of getting bored.
 

I'm good with midnight confessions by waterfalls and professing undying love after knowing each other for less than five minutes...but they'd better make good on the promises! And I don't buy the excuse that it means we'd have no show. It's not like once they went through with a church wedding and moved in together Cande, Sev, and Val were all going to shrug and leave them alone. Please! There would have been plenty of drama to be had, and they could have dealt with it together.
 

"They can't take today's Cris and Aldonza, put them in formalwear, and shove them down the aisle. It doesn't work like that! Except that seems to be exactly how this works."

Right? I *know* these things are formulaic...but do they have to make them so...formulaic?

Why are we getting remakes 5 years after the last remake (which was the 3rd remake)?

I've actually gotten to where if I'm not recapping a show, I'll skip it for weeks, watch a week or two, then skip weeks again. And when it's all over, I feel like I really liked the show.
 

My beef: the biggest ball they dropped was with the Mis Planes. I would have LOVED to see Aldonza make a huge success of El Santuario and given Sev a run for his money. Oh! and the drought and water shortage???
 

And as it drags on longer, Mis Planes seem less and less like good planes! The livestock are arriving today...um, ok, do you have somewhere to put them in another week when the lease is up? Are you even going to be able to harvest whatever you planted before then? They're supposed to be Aldonza's "Mis Planes" and she should be the expert on the farm side, but she's so busy doing other things that we haven't gotten to see her show off her fancy degree that she earned. With honors, no less!
 

Oh, the water shortage! That was lovely when it came up and everyone was trying to figure out what to do and I was so excited! Because what could possibly be more dramatic than a water shortage when we've got all these farms and ranches? And maybe someone intended for it to turn into a grudging truce? Or a way for Aldonza to screw Sev over because she has All The Water? Joaquin even brought up Raymundo's plans for using the water from El Santuario to supply the house. And maybe at that point somebody said "Uh, guys...she only has a year lease." but then why bring it up in the first place?
 

Was it only so Sev could plan to divert the water then scratch that plan after he dumped S/V's body? If so...why? To create "tension" for 5 minutes?
 

Yes? Which is probably the only reason anyone has gone near the water since then. To make us wonder if this is the time, finally, when Simoneta's going to pop back up for air and give someone the scare of their lives!
 

Since this show has dropped so many balls and never picked them up again, my prediction about Aldonza's lack of ability to get sexually intimate will be that Cris and Aldonza get married in the church on the last day of the show and the show just ends right there, or at best, they just have sex and Aldonza miraculously has gotten past her abuse, THE END!!! In other words, they just simply don't address it.
 

By the way, Diva- those links you've added to the recaps are freaking awesome! That's going to make it so much easier for people.
 

I think that's a safe bet. Though, if Padre J insists on pre-marital counseling/classes it ought to come up!
 

Easier...to fall down the rabbit hole :D I'm back at the engagement party episode just marveling at how the hell we got to this point!
 

Cathyx - I have been wondering about the sex thing A LOT. There is no way for them to settle it for me in a satisfactory manner. Miraculous recovery? Nope. Not gonna fly. March down the aisle and final credits roll? Nope. That won't cut it either.

That is the biggest missed opportunity of this whole show- rape recovery.
 

Let me clarify- there is a satisfactory way to do it. Get Aldonza into therapy. But they aren't going to do that.
 

Nope. Talking to Don Antonio might be as close as we ever get. I don't even know if there's a counselor in all of Santa Lucia. Or a psychiatrist attached to the clinic. Someone who comes in on a rotating basis? She might have to go all the way to San Miguel or the DF. Maybe it's Padre J who provides all of this town's mental health services. She's probably not going to want to talk to him about it, if she can avoid it.
 

I think if they were ever to do any kind of counseling for Aldonza, it will come from PJ. But I still don't think this will even get addressed.
 

And as much as I love PJ, I don't feel he's the proper person to do it.
 

Nope. Nor will Pru's drug and alcohol addiction. Or the Lagos' need for family counseling to help them all come to terms with Lardo's death...and presumably the discovery of his child and Mari's two-faced-ness.
 

PJ's fine as far as making sure she knows it wasn't her fault and talking about the importance of communication in a marriage. When it comes to "But I really, really, REALLY want to have sex with Cris...and every time we come close, I think about what happened," I'm not sure he's equipped to deal with that.
 

Oh, and lest I forget...family therapy for Emmanuel, Cris, Aldonza, and whoever else Em wants to involve, so he can process his feelings of abandonment and they can all figure out what their relationships are supposed to look like from now on. 'Cause those feelings of not belonging are certainly not magically going away on their own!
 

No way can PJ help in counseling Aldonza or Pru.
 

Pru needs medically-supervised detox. I'm amazed her one day of sobriety in jail didn't kill her. I'm even more amazed she hasn't managed to OD, or kill off her liver.
 

" I'm even more amazed she hasn't managed to OD, or kill off her liver."
There is still time for that to happen.

This show definitely lost steam. And credibility. Gah.

Mis Planes..... WHAT Planes? Nothing has been happening with that melon patch.

Drought..... WHAT drought? I agree that this could have been a good aspect of the story. But the writers took vacation, Mrs. Martinez's eighth grade class took over the writing *and* directing, so ..... meh.

Maybe a good rain storm will happen, flash flooding, and Simoneta's trunk will wash up on Cande's front lawn.
The Patio can only hope.
 

Plenty of time. And it's definitely going in that direction with the pill-and-booze floats. Makes you wonder just how much Em drank to have ended up down in the water, shirtless and passed out when somehow Pru manages to remain mostly upright.

Is the coffin-table too damning? Do they need to save it for a big finish? I mean, sure, Lola would say she saw the box in the back of Sev's truck, and there's potential DNA evidence of a connection between Simoneta and Sev, and he even admitted to Cris that he was having an affair with her...but would this be the one time the cops don't say "Aw, it's not enough evidence," so they're having to stall on bringing Simoneta back for her curtain call?
 

The Patio is Chatty today. All great comments on on lengths, strengths, character development, storytelling, romance, etc. Here are my 5 cents (inflation, ya know).

Realizing it will sound a lot like my earlier rant--take it for what it's worth, just saying it in a different was.

IF the producers are going to make telenovelas that are extremely long, THENthey have no excuse not to give us great backstories and exciting storytelling without making it feel like we are on a storyline treadmill and introducing a lot of extraneous characters and sidestories midway through. (Sorry Don Antonio and Vero--I like you, but, and there was no reason to have Gonzo and Flavia's little fling boring us.) They should also be able to develop the romantic angle slowly and carefully, even the ones that start at first sight.

IF Univision is going to get these long telenovelas, THEN it has to stop cutting them up when it doesn't know what it's doing. Univision should be able to ask for shorter telenovelas. Granted these stories are made for a Mexican audience/market--but I don't believe so much anymore--the U.S. market is much more profitable. We live in a different world than 30 years ago, or even 20, when it was mostly women watching 3 or 4 of these stories every night for months. Shorter can still work.

OTHO, when Univision does cooperate with a production team, we get such absolutely idiotic novelas like Corazon Apasionado and El Talisman for starters.

It seems my rant has frittered out. Maybe some of my frustration will be back tomorrow. Right now, it's off to watch the rest of Poldark.
 

"these stories are made for a Mexican audience/market"...that doesn't seem to be all that thrilled with them either. So they're failing all around.
 

About Aldie and Cris and Sex. We've heard Aldie repeat several times now that Val is giving Cris the bebe she will NEVER be able to give him. Que, Que, What? She might as well go off to the nunnery herself. Granted Cris said sex wasn't as important to him as his love for her, but really now, are we to believe that they are going to have a platonic relationship after they end up together? If not, we are running out of time for Aldie to be "cured," and not by el cura, either.

Maybe the writers think that Sev dying will take away the whole experience in a flash and she'll be good to go. For Pete's sake! OK, NOW I'm going to go watch Poldark.
 

Right? She can "never" give Cris a baby...but this is not a problem with Renato because...? She'd be perfectly happy to have a sexless relationship with him, but not with Cris? Because Cris gets her motor running the way Renato doesn't?
 

As novelas are going lately this one isn't long; it's about right for the story. What's wrong is it being done by a set of writers who don't know how to deal with deeper human issues.

This mostly male writing team seems to be getting off on Severiano's macho posturing and his sadism. It doesn't seem to care about the long-term effects the rape has had on Aldonza so it therefore has no clue on how to deal with it constructively.

It is also possible -- as I have stated in a previous discussion -- that very few victims in Mexico actually get help for this. If that is the case there should be a message here that this is not a good thing and that victims should get help from a shrink. This is too large a psyche issue for even the best priest and Padre Jeronimo can hardly be impartial about it because Aldonza is his niece. He is the one who can steer her to a shrink.

If there even is one in SL. She needs to go to DF.

It's also ironic that the two most virginal young women in this story are named for iconic whores: Aldonza (Man of La Mancha) and Lola (The Blue Angel) while their peer nasties have names like Maria and Valeria. I'm thinking here that this is about how easy it is to make people believe what they want to believe in certain situations.

Aldonza's earlier failure to report the "stoning" is clearly about how useless it would have been for her to do so. Who is going to believe the (alleged) town slut's accusations against a doctor's wife? How about the witnesses' failure to report it? They either sided with Prudencia, laughed about it, or just didn't care. She also failed to report the rape in the first place which was also about the lack of eyewitnesses.

Talk about a town without pity.
 

I've seen comments from Mexican viewers on other sites that seem to indicate they weren't happy with the extension, either. They felt it wasn't done well.

So while 137 is not long, if it wasn't done well it can feel like torture. Same goes for the 120 episodes of La Gata.

I don't like that after the initial quality of this, they seemed to have trouble with the pacing and continuity.

OK. PJ and Cande are the perfect example. We started this thing thinking that Cande had a crush on PJ but he was never aware of it. Then one day we get some scenes that sound like they actually had a pretty serious relationship. Huh?

Instead of boring me with Mari and Lola or Joaquin and Flavia and Adelina, give me a well written story about PJ and Cande.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't need to have bomb shells dropped all the time to feel like I'm being entertained.
 

Wow! Great discussion! Everybody made excellent points and agree with you all! Sara, I was just wondering this morning what Mexican viewers thought of our little drama. I guess I can't figure out why somebody wouldn't want to use these forums to get real info on what viewers like and don't like and what they really want. Would that be so hard. Isn't that what marketing departments are for. I'm never mad at anybody for wanting to make money, but why not find out what people really want, give it to them in spades and laugh all the way to the bank?! Instead we get what looks like somebody's sick fantasy with the former big draw of the medium, romance, being used like the plastic bunny in dog races! It's unfair and stupid! I would say insulting but I choose not to claim an emotion "they" are not worthy of my feeling. I know we're not the target audience but sheesh!

So. We will all hang in to the end to make sure everyone WE want hanged will be! We'll make it through! Okay. Off to work.
 

I hear ya, Lila! It's got to be hard though because audiences can be fickle. Not stupid. Just fickle. We clamor for original, then don't watch (La Malquerida or Mentir Para Vivir are examples of good shows that didn't seem to get the ratings... though higher than the reading in Mexico are right now.)

And here's something I've noticed and I'm sure it's just me. It's not just the same old story it's also the same old set. We've made jokes about the pear robe, but the magic is lost when you use the same exteriors and set dressing.

Examples - remember the Von Ferdinand house in Lola érase una vez? I've seen it in 3 other TNs.

Las Animas? Just saw it in a promo for the new version of Doña Barbara.

Dr Seuss lamp in La Vecina? Also in YNCELH as is a black and white figurine.

The patio in Susana's house (YNCELH)? Also the patio of Vanessa's engagement party humiliation in LQNPA.

And the Daniel's house in YNCELH has also been used before.

AcT may not be the highest quality, but at least I'm seeing new surroundings.

It really breaks the spell for me when the same settings are used repeatedly. I understand cost cutting, but it's starting to get ridiculous.
 

Uf. Should read "though higher than the ratings in Mexico right now..."
 

I'd love for Televisa to be reading this site. They could learn so much from us although I would have to wonder if our comments would be dismissed because many of us are gringas.
 

A new version of Dona Barbara? Who's in it?
 

I know the timing of some of this must be a factor as well. The shows are broadcast in Mexico first, so maybe they are taking initial intel from those audiences and working accordingly. Also, since these aren't US soaps, they're finite. Even if a show does poorly in Mexico, they're not going to reshoot it for the US audience; they can only really remake it several years later. Maybe that's why we're getting so many remakes in the first place. And maybe Televisa isn't working cohesively on it's productions, maybe it's one project at a time, so that lessons learned from one TN are only learned by one production team, assembled for one show, rather than taken to the whole company and applied to future productions? Plus, if productions are driven my a few people, egos, big names and individual style can hinder progress. After all, once Lartilleux struck gold with CI, who was going to turn her down for TSTSNBN?
 

Aracely Arambula is in the new Doña Barbara. I don't think it will air until late this year or even next year.

If anyone had interest in this site, it would be Univision, not Televisa. But Univision has FB and twitter and you can also sign up to be an Univisionista and they send periodic polls about their programming.

I tend to think they are not working very cohesively and it's a show by show, producer by producer thing. And yes, once you've hit gold with CI and then TSTSNBN, then you get the green light for any future productions.

I think someone once mentioned that Televisa was the biggest game in town. I'm sure they are now having to adjust because of the advent of the Internet and other forms of entertainment being available. I'm sure they will find their way again.
 

I think soaps all over the world are having to adjust to rapidly changing populations: women who aren't in the house as much, the technology gap, self-educated/internet educated generations, "lost" migrant generations, internet product leakage.

Where do you all get your viewship information?
 

And my problems are more with Univision than with Televisa. I kvetch and moan, but I'm not going to stop watching telenovelas.

I get angry that Univision won't air them like they do in Mexico. They edit and try to squeeze in as much advertising time as possible. And if the ratings are low, the US audience doesn't get to see the whole thing like the Mexican audience does.
 

Yes hellashelle which is why I don't understand all the remakes with little or no updating....especially the roles of women.
 

Arecely Arambula? Thanks for the warning. They should know better after Telemundo had Edith Gonzales for the last version... which was only 7 years ago. You'd think they would have learned their lesson from CS 09.
 

And as for female producers- we've got Giselle Gonzalez and Rosy Ocampo doing good things and then Latoodle doing whatever it is she's doing. I love Lucero Suarez, but DQTQTQ sort of dropped the attempted rape ball.

I say let Giselle and Rosy take over for a while.
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

Urban- I grow very concerned at how quickly they are beginning to do remakes.
 

I agree, Sara.

When remakes across countries and networks happen it bothers me less than when the same network remakes something in less than 10 years. Especially now that everything is shot in HD and looks so much better. Tech improvement was the initial reason for remaking stuff such as when TV went from B&W to Color and when it went from low to high definition.

Televisa should do its own Zorro. Starring Diego Olivera.

The subject of remakes should be its own weekend topic again. Maybe the upcoming one. And Televisa should check out my film noir idea.
 

I remember Blog Mom applauding the Amar Sin Limites crew for sticking with what seemed an endless show. It was about 125 episodes..

A "shrink"? Do you mean a psychiatrist? I'm not sure that would be exactly correct in either Mexico or the US. On TNs I'm most used to hearing "psychologist" as the person you go to for talk therapy, which always trips me out because in the US a psychologist usually does research rather than providing treatment. I guess a "psychologist" in Mexico is what I'm used to hearing called a "counselor" or "therapist" in the US. Psychiatrists in the US have medical degrees and are primarily prescribing medication and following up to check that it's still working appropriately. They don't usually engage in therapy. It seems like this is the same in Mexico, so I wouldn't say that's who's best qualified to provide therapeutic services for a rape victim on an ongoing basis. Maybe they'd be part of the treatment team, if a survivor needed medication to help with sleeplessness or anxiety or depression associated with the trauma, but they aren't as likely to be engaged in counseling/therapy beyond follow-ups for the purposes of adjusting or changing a prescription.
 

I can understand the remake push because I think it's the same with Hollywood movies: the first was profitable, so it feels like a proven entity and since they are in a rapidly evolving environment, that feels like the safest route.

What they seem to fail to understand is that updating with fresh faces is all well and good, but the core of the story must remain solid. A coat of pretty paint without primer on a shoddy surface is only going to look nice for a little while, then it's going to look even worse. If they don't work on character development and pacing, people will look elsewhere or download illegally.

I think it's ridiculous that they cut all that they Vivi told us about with the last edited episode, yet gave us no growth in Aldie or Cris despite them spiriting themselves away for two and a half solid episodes in which they apparently had barely half of the same repeated conversation they'd been having for months: QUE?! Y POR QUE?! Foolishness!
 

It seems to me that remakes are cheaper because they already own the story and don't have to pay for the rights to a new one. Does that make sense?

Diva: I'm now wondering about language, because you are right. People here would say "she needs to see a therapist to help with the trauma." or "She needs counseling." Yet, I've mainly heard "psicólogo" on the TNs.
 

Yeah, forgot something else...

hellashelle-you've given a perfect example of why Univision can exasperate me. The stuff that Vivi said was cut seemed really important.
 

I didn't think the term was weird. I hear it used that way all the time, usually to put an emphasis on non-medicated mental health therapy. I get more of a strong feeling from the word "terapia" which seems to have more of a context of physical therapy in spanish that plain "therapy" does in english.

Also, sara, your comment about remakes being cheaper makes total sense to me. You buy the rights to something, you want to use it as fully as possible. There are some I don't think are really necessary, but that's probably just due to my own biases. For example, I loved CME. I've tuned into LI, and it just doesn't capture me the way CME did. But then again, I LOVE Silvia Navarro and I'm not a huge fan of Ana Brenda, so I'm probably in a minority. And, of course, for everything that did't see the original (La Mentira) or the CME remake, I'm sure LI is great. I've heard that ENDA was a much longer remake of some other TN that many people didn't like , but I think it's one of the best TNs I've ever seen, so to each his own. Who am I to bregrudge a newbie's seeing a TN that captures their imagination?
 

And I consider myself a newbie and now there are TWO remakes of shows that were on since I started watching: Lo Imperdonable and Dona Barbara!

Soy tu dueña was a remake and I liked that one and I've never seen the original.

TdA was a remake and I've tried watching the original and I can't. But that probably has more to do with kind of knowing what's going to happen.

I never think it's a good idea to remake anything which stared a beloved actor/actress. I think El Manantial should probably have been left alone because who is going to fill Adela Noriega's shoes?
 

I think when the Uni people who make decisions about edits watch the episodes, they don't watch for plot development and character growth. They watch for sex/salty language/boobs (even in art). And when the network tells them they need to end the show by a certain date-- just chop up a couple of episodes and make it work.
 

I really don't know why Telemundo is redoing Dona Barabara when the Edith Gonzalez version is so fresh. Pretty much all of the actors in that one could reprise their roles today and it would be believable. I didn't see its first run, but they re-ran it a few years ago during the day and I recorded it.

I agree it must be cheaper to go with a story you already have the rights to and that has been a proven success. And like you say Sara, it's not like networks have seen some huge payoff when they green light a new/original story.
 

It's such a shame that shows like La Malquerida and Cachtio de Cielo didn't do better.

I think even the cast of the previous Dona Barbara was gobsmacked. Some of them took to twitter lamenting the remake.

(Yeah, yeah. I liked Cachito.)
 

Sara- I only saw bits and pieces a couple of times of Cachito. I really don't know much about it, except it's the only tn where I have seen Maite P dressed like a normal, grown, self-sufficient, career woman, and also acting as such. Must have been so refreshing for her.
 

And she was! She kept her career through the WHOLE thing. It's why I have high hopes for her new one.

I wish they could have done the same here with Sombra. I really wanted to see Aldonza in an office working with distributors and then going out to the fields and talking ag stuff and being all smart and "I'll show Sev and make my momma proud!"
 

On it's face many of the plots are meaty enough to deep dive the relationships for 120+ episodes. We've discussed before but just the relationship between PJ and Cande fodder for 20. It isn't a thunderbolt requited love at first sight but more complex than to have been disclosed with an unchaste kiss with an unconscious PJ.

While infatuation illogical, sexual desire biology and romantic love a mystery certainly it can be portrayed with more finesse than a brawl between rivals, a well timed unsolicited kiss, an alcohol induced pregnancy trap, a half dozen trips to the ER and/or jail. If the anointed couple were immature teens I would expect no less but we have adult men and women with pretty faces, immaculately dressed, coiffed and rocking bodies.
 

"On it's face many of the plots are meaty enough to deep dive the relationships for 120+ episodes."

Right? Why aren't they writing better?! Why are they using mad libs and bad tropes?
 

The first thing we ever heard about this great love of Cande's, when she was crying about having married Sev, who didn't live up to her expectations as a trophy husband, was when Dominga said he was someone who "would have married [Cande] if he could." I can only assume that was supposed to be Padre J...but that statement doesn't seem to have any connection to the story we got later.

Making it up as they go along? Or changed their minds about what the story was going to be?

Either way, what happened to having a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end?
 

Simply because what we are watching isn't really art but entertainment and a catalyst for star making. Art we feel with every fiber, entertainment with our nerve endings.

Oh, I don't like Lo Imperdonable, though watching, may never make the end
 

It's not art, but just because I want to be entertained doesn't mean you have to insult my intelligence. I feel like that sometimes. The writers can't even take the time to double check what they've said/done. Do they think we don't remember? WE DO!!
 

A beginning, middle or end cannot be built around fluff. Nothing much is good with a fluffy center, other than a bonbon.
 

Don't get me wrong, I really like to be entertained, even don't care if it mindless but what we are seeing is a waste of good plots and many good actors. Hell, I love cartoons and that is what these have become.
 

Exactly, tofie! I lament the sad state of this TN because I know that when a good TN is firing on all cylinders, it can be fantastic entertainment...not just something to mock.
 

I like bonbons....

OK, so, beginning: boy and girl meet
End: boy and girl get married
Middle: boy and girl are kept apart by various shenanigans carried out by any or all of the following...

-his family
-her family
-one or more scheming exes
-one or more people driven mad by the scent of eau de protagonista or cologne de protagonista which may include "friends" or not
-some large project that needs to be completed before the couple can even consider marriage

OK, fine, the middle is going to drag on forever and pretty much suck. But the end is going to come eventually, so quit throwing up obstacles that you have no way whatsoever to resolve.
 

Your comment is scary, Diva. This is what I mean by the writers going through the motions. It's like no one is in the writers' meeting saying "But wait, why would ___ do ____? We need to think about that because the audience will."

Thinking back, I think it all went south with that kiss Valeria planted on Cris at just the right moment so Aldonza could see it. After that it starting making me bitter.
 

They need to do a better job updating old TNs. We have cellphones, internet, and way more advanced medical testing and knowledge. This modernization needs to be held to a higher standard when they redo shows.
 

Amen, cathyx! Or suck it up and pay to do a historical novel.

You know it's sad when you are watching a TN and there's a video conference call and you start asking yourself "Hey, Is this the first time I've ever seen this?" and you actually squee out loud because...technology!
 

How many times have we said just text him, call him, take a picture or video of it? And how about this whole DNA crap that they totally blew?
 

Something that I noticed, when we're talking about doing reboots/updates/remakes...sometimes the onscreen cable guide doesn't update the descriptions, either. I've seen them refer to characters by their names in the previous version, use the names of the actors from a previous version. Maybe this is because that info comes from the cable company and not the network, or maybe somebody says "It's a remake of what? Oh, just pull that description. No sense doing more work."

And those descriptions are TOTALLY Mad libs...The story of ____ and ____ whose love is threatened by _________.
 

Funny cathyx you mentioning updating with technology but I was having dinner with my gf from Venezuela Saturday night and of course discussing TN's (she only watches Brazilian now and swore off Mexican). She said technology has destroyed TN's, making is very easy to copypaste and plagiarize, convincing those with no imagination they are creating something new. Sound familiar educators?
 

There's still time for them to make it up to me with the DNA on Valeria's baby. I understand not wanting to run the risk of amnio, but once the baby is born, they're taking blood for a whole lot of other testing. It should be no trouble at all for Cris to ask for a paternity test and give a sample of his own. All he's got to do is not mention it to Val or Humberto.
 

In the real world I imagine Cris's parents would demand proof of paternity before passing on their world of wealth and taste and if they didn't that would alert Cris to something possibly amiss.
 

Diva at 11:34, you nailed the formula! What is especially maddening to me is if the main couple have chemistry but one or both has twice or three times as much face time with the divisive ex as they do with the so-called love of their lives! What the hell is that all about? It's frustrating is what it is! I know I keep making the same comment with different words, I just don't understand why they want to frustrate the hell out of the audience and surely they must know it does!

Lila

 

Unappealing as that is to me as well Lila, I almost prefer that to one of the destined partners gets to abuse the other and at the end, get a pass cause somebody lied.
 

I am really amazed that out of all the things they've done to try and pressure Cris into accepting Valeria's child as his, they haven't faked a DNA test. Well, Cande would say it's insulting and she doesn't know the truth, but Sev? Does Valeria even know what Lardo's blood type is to try and gauge whether they'll ever have a problem if the kid needs blood at some point? That's usually the giveaway--types not matching. I would think she'd try to be prepared for that and how she's going to spin it.

I think they think the wedding at the end will make it all ok. If it was 5-10 episodes of shenanigans, maybe, but this is more like 50-60 episodes of shenanigans! I'm gonna need a little more than a wedding.
 

You know what I just realized? We had three marriages in TSTSNBN and we also got a fast forward to years later and the not happily every after.

And it was still not done well.
 

I think the news about babylardo will come out the old fashioned way. Someone will overhear Val or Pru, or Sev tells someone.
 

I think Pru will be more likely to slip since she's rarely all there.

I have to admit, all the grumbling has made me sort of look forward to tonight's episode.
 

Why yes, bitching has the same effect on me, its cathartic
 

*sniff, sniff* Who catharted?

(Ever since someone told that joke in class, I could never resist. Because I'm 12.)
 

Oh that's too sofisticated for twelve. Maybe 16?
 

Maaaaaybe. I've also got

How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb?

Just one, but the light bulb has to want to change.

Thank you, folks, I'll be here all week. Enjoy your dinner and please remember to tip your waitstaff!

I'm ambivalent about tonight. I want to know what's going to happen, but I'm anxious about what's going to happen with Silvia. I may need someone to hold me.
 

I still look like I'm 12, well cept for the age spots
 

I hear 'ya. I'm too young to play "middle-aged" but if they offered me a Mari role, I'd be like "Seriously?! Who's going to believe that?" The camera, apparently. 'Cause my mirror keeps telling me I've got grey hair and wrinkles. Oh, but to the camera it's just a reflection of the light. Ohkaaaaaay.
 

Y'all are kerazy! Here's a virtual hug from the Patio ((((((((((Diva))))))))))

I understand your trepidation about tonight, Diva. I don't want to see Silvia hurt and I don't want to have to go into full-on fuss mode over it, either! Remember, we're all holding hands a praying/sending positive vibes that our Silvia isn't permanently injured!
 

Amen!
 

My guess is going to be that Sylvia doesn't stay blinded. And I'm not saying that because I've seen the end of this, I haven't, I'm saying that because whether she goes blind or not, Pru won't feel bad at all about what she's done, so I think that they won't be so cruel as to making Sylvia end up blind. Does that make sense? What I'm trying to say, it's not like Sylvia going blind will make Pru see the light, (no pun intended) and turn herself around after doing such a bad thing.
 

I'm gonna be pissed if they do that. It will feel like the smart career girl is being punished.
 

I hope you're right, Cathyx! If they were to blind her it would go on the list of the most cruel and unnecessary treatments ever meted out to a novela character!
 

Well Silvia is expendable since she has had sex before. Decent woman, smart, good looking and desirable but not one of the bitches, it's ok to maim. Watch out Veronica
 

Tofie--That's a naughty thought, but oh so telenovela-true. The writers just didn't realize that she's the one running the law firm. We've invested a lot of emotional $$$ in her and don't want permanent harm to come to her. I bet she could still run that law office blind, better than those other two.
 

Of course she could. Can you imagine had Mis Planes been her Mis Planes, Severiano would be pushing up daisies already and the party at Silvia's this weekend.
 

Hi...I need a novela with a real hero's journey. I need a hero with courage, honor, and broad shoulders (literally and figuratively.) I need a historical novela. Please.
 

I so miss those novelas de epoca.

As to the DNA issue hanging over our characters' heads, Cristobal has a common blood type. They would need to do an actual analysis as they did with Sev's and Aldonza's DNA x episodes ago. That is possible but risky at the moment and much easier after the birth.

We'll see if we get to that particular fast-forward anytime soon. Right now I see Sev about to ratchet up the evil yet again because we have 14 episodes left.
 

Sorry I've been off the Patio guys.

Well, you all know where I stand: No real romance? Then you better work 2 or 3 times as hard to sell me on the rest of it.

No freakin' way they keep Silvia blind! No freakin' way! If they keep Silvia blind, I'm going to have to picket an Univision station!

But this ties into a Karmageddon type post I want to make about Mari:

I think I've finally figured out why she bugs me so much. I think it's because I know that she knows what she does is wrong and she does it anyway. Without caring about people's jobs or their community's respect. This isn't like Val or Pru where they're so F***ed up in the head, they'll never truly learn. This is a person who's been taught all the right values, and is still a b****. And she's going to get away with it. Oh, not in the sense that she won't get outed, but in the sense that I truly don't think they'll let her feel the full impact of the anvil because of repentence and it pisses me off. It's like a child that's told not to play with the microwave, then sticks foil in it, starts a fire and end up getting an ice cream cone because she cried so hard when caught.
 

That's Mari, all right, Hella! Graphic and funny analogy! Sad but true. She also may not be totally outed, all for the sake of Irma and Uriel. We shall see.

Got quiet for a bit but turned out to be a stimulating. . .and cathartic. . .discussion this weekend!

:D
 

It actually helped me enjoy the show tonight!
 

That's way cool, Sara! This is one of the cool things about The Patio: it's a place we can come and get stuff off our collective chests so we can return, renewed, to the story and I hope people who are NOT feeling frustrated with the story and the characters don't just dismiss us as a bunch of fusscats, but dare to share a different point of view. I know that's been helpful to me sometimes to reframe what's happening and allow me to look at it from a different angle.

Can't wait to discuss last night's ep!

Lila
 

That's so true!!! I'm just complainy by nature. I do like "hearing" other points of view. It makes the viewing experience so much more fun!