Caray, Caray!

deb posted this earlier today and I didn't want it getting lost in the shuffle:

Bajo

What?

"TELEMUNDO today announced a ground-breaking new campaign in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. to drive awareness for Type 2 Diabetes through storyline integrations in the original production, “Bajo el Mismo Cielo,” that will begin Wednesday, August 26."

"Storyline integrations will follow Andrés Cabrera (the lawyer), a character suffering from Type 2 Diabetes, as he manages his disease."

http://www.nbcumv.com/news/telemundo-teams-boehringer-ingelheim-raise-awareness-type-2-diabetes-original-production-‘bajo?network=33144
 

Bajo. The expression on the warden's face while Rodrigo appeals his case to the parole board--priceless!
 

Bajo. Also--Laura's alcoholism has finally caught up with her--which is actually a very realistic touch. But how are they going to handle the medical treatments? As undocumented residents, they wouldn't be eligible for medicaid.
 

BAJO – LUNES – Part 1

Carlos brakes before running over Adela. Her mother notices that they know each other. Laura pulls Adela away and tells her she cannot go inside the prison. Carlos is there about Rodrigo, but his ears perk up when he hears Adela wants to visit someone.

Fire’s lawyer tells him marrying Gracie won’t prevent what Fire calls retacho. [ I looked this up and retacher is to bounce, interesting slang I think for being deported.] The lawyer says he still isn’t married and the child still isn’t born. And, worst of all, he’s always going to have a criminal record.

So SpanProf’s and my speculation that Willy would rape Felicia didn’t happen. He does steal her undies and puts them in a drawer with a rather large collection. [If these are all Felicia’s, why hasn’t she noticed? I would have!]

Carlos tells Adela how hurt he was when she left without a word. Laura bitterly tells him that her daughter may think he’s a good person, but the best thing is that they don’t ever see each other again. After spitting this out, Laura faints. Carlos insists on taking them to the hospital. Long story short…cirrhosis of the liver. The doctor tells Adela that her mother has to stop drinking.

We get another of those oh-so-common telenovela heart-to-heart talks in a hospital waiting room. Adela tells Carlos she was going to see a leader of the gang, to ask him to leave her mother alone. She’s fed up with running. He puts his arm around and comforts her. She then asks him if he’s re-made his life; i.e., back with Felicia.

Said Felicia is again giving marital advice to Maria; ergo, it’s all about the sex. She asks if he’s tired from working or…lets her forefinger droop down suggestively.

We then see Rodolfo having dinner in Hermosilla with Chabela and their child. [At one point she calls him “our” boy; so I guess he is the father.] She joyfully announces she’ll be coming back to LA with him, along with the boy. Whoops! [And, even though this novela is about immigration, you can’t just get on a plane and move to the US from Mexico. You need a visa.]

Adela asks Carlos what he feels for Felicia. He says gratitude. She presses on, though. Did they… He doesn’t have to say because just then the doctor comes out with the diagnosis.

Chabela makes a scene in the restaurant when Rodolfo says he can’t bring her. She gets up, struts her stuff a bit and asks the men in the restaurant if they don’t think she’s a queen. Whistles ensue.

At the prison, Rod’s lawyer says he can’t be in the room during the parole hearing. But the warden gets to stand there with a sour face and rolling her eyes. Rod does a really good job presenting his case. He says he hasn’t committed any infractions in prison, describes looking after Gracie, and working in the library.

He goes on to say that he got hurt because other prisoners thought he’d rat them out for having contraband drugs in the library [!!] He neatly turns the tables on the warden after she pipes up that he only got arrested so as to be close to the gang leaders. He tells the parole board that, no matter how hard he tries, she has something personal against him. He says he repents of what he did and wants to make a new life.
 

BAJO – LUNES – Part 2

Laura is quite the piece of work. She has taken against Carlos. She says it’s because he’s Fire’s father, but I think it may partly be because she wants her daughter in the same man-hating boat.

Jacob and Deborah Sanders get ready to leave for Paris. After they leave Susy tells Ramona to take some time off. She’s fine spending the night alone.

Luis hits Feli up again for the car, saying he’s going to a party with some rich kids and doesn’t want to look bad. She asks him since when has he had amigos fresas (preppies, snooty rich kids). She also asks him where he got the money for the clothes she lied to Carlos about. He says something about a loan. She ends up giving him the car, of course. [I get a kick out of the way he always asks if there’s plenty of gas in it!]

Willy and the Stooges rob a delivery truck of some cell phones. Willy says that, even though Luis refused to come along, they’re going to use his house as a bodega (warehouse) for the stolen goods. The guy unloading is knocked down, but he manages to pull a knife and stab Willy in the leg. Willy shoots him in the stomach and apparently doesn’t think it’s a fatal wound because he says he’s giving him something to remember him by.

The doctor tells Adela and Carlos that Laura has to stay in the hospital. He says something about parasintesis. [ I did not find this word in my online dictionary. At first I thought it meant dialysis, but the word is almost the same in Spanish.]

Carlos calls Feli. She offers to cook and give him his favorite “dessert”. He explains that he has to stay at the prison until they find out the parole board’s decision. Feli: ¡Estúpido Rodrigo! Más te vale que no metas en mi camino. She says if Rod knows what’s good for him, he’d better not interfere in her plans for Carlos. [I suspect that Rodrigo won’t be fooled by her for an instant, unlike the fairly innocent Luis.]

Of course, Rod gets the green light from the parole board. But I guess you don’t get out instantly. Rod reminds his father and Maria that he’ll be deported. Carlos again says he won’t let him go through the desert alone; he’ll come with. Maria is aghast. But Rod reminds him that he promised to take care of Gracie.

When Gracie is glad about the parole and says that Rod’s crime wasn’t so bad, her boss says that he’s killed more than one prisoner after he got here.

Carlos tells Luis he’s absolutely going to visit his brother. He tells him about the deportation when Rod sets foot outside, and this is their last chance to hug him.

Nick insists on coming to Susy’s party with Luis.

When Adela comes to the hotel room, Juana tells her she’s found a cheap apartment for them [Hope it’s not in Lancaster!].

Willy cries like a baby when his sister is treating his wound. She insists they have to go to the hospital or he might lose a leg.

Loco is released from solitary and Fire tells him that he’s promoted. While Fire puts things in order on the outside, Loco will be the leader inside. Later on, the guard unlocks the door. Fire is asleep. The guard gives Loco what looks like a shoelace with some metal on one end. The guard shoos some of the prisoners out, but lets a really tough looking guy stay. Loco tells that guy he was given this job by El Colmillo and the two of them begin to beat up Fire. He’s giving as good as he got until Loco wraps that shoelace thing around his neck and starts choking him.

Carlos has come back to the hospital. Adela says she told him not to come back. He says she may be atrabancada pero él es terco (clumsy, slow moving while he’s stubborn).

Just then Willy and Sharon arrive and see Carlos and Adela in the waiting room. Willy takes a step back. He says “Mati” returned to hell. [Not sure what this means. They said a while ago that Willy’s not in the gang, so I don’t know why he thinks she's coming back to hell.]
 

Bajo

terrific recap novelera !!!

...........................
"paracentesis is a procedure during which fluid from the abdomen is removed through a needle."

"Liver disease
All the blood flowing through the intestines passes through the liver on its way back to the heart. When progressive disease such as alcohol damage or hepatitis destroys enough liver tissue, the scarring that results shrinks the liver and constricts the blood flow. Such scarring of the liver is called cirrhosis. Pressure builds up in the intestinal circulation, slowing flow and pushing fluid into the tissues. Slowly the fluid accumulates in areas with the lowest pressure and greatest capacity. The free space around abdominal organs receives most of it."

ref: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/paracentesis
...............................

Greicy Lamb, the urban dictionary defines lamb as a "passive person, usually a woman, who unreflectively acquiesces at ones request."

Chabela's boy with the coke bottle glasses is something else, don't know why Rudi doesn't make a run for it, are we supposed to think he is hanging around because he's a nice guy, or is Chabela just that good.

ah, also from urban dictionary, "Chabela - a Spanish/Mexican nickname for Isabelle"

and Rodrigo, he has all the emotions of a serial killer, don't know why Colmillo said he could go then sends this guy down to beat/kill him, or is this some kind of ritual?

I was surprised Carlos knows who Colmillo is.

Willy is just small time, he was paid to get rid of Mati, and now she's back, plus I think he didn't like how she chased him around the neighborhood., yeah, he talks big.

 

Bajo

I was thinking that perhaps this betrayal by El Colmillo could be the way Rodrigo sours on gang life. But I'm not sure since it seems like the writers would want the suspense of Rod stalking Adela when he gets back across the border, if they even have him deported and cross the border.
 

Bajo. I agree. Wonderful recap, novelera! Rodrigo remains an enigma. Does he still have a core of decency or is he sociopathic, extremely intelligent and just very good at manipulating people? I expect the warden has his number. And since it's doubtful that the writer would get rid of such an excellently complex character like Rodrigo so early, I wonder if the beat-down and the choking is just a reminder from El Colmillo that he had better remain loyal to the gang on the outside. Pretty disgusting about the crooked guard. There are people who have underwear obsessions/fetishes. I remember several times in my life when local news announcers have warned women who had hung their hand-washed dainties outside to dry that there was someone sneaking through backyards stealing them.
 

AVENIDA BRASIL

OIOIOI! Things are getting really interesting. I just wish Telemundo wasn't so *obviously* editing this great show. Highly annoying.
Debora has been more than patient with Jorgito. I hope she ends up with Iran, he's a nice guy.
It's fun to see Carminha son farther and farther out of control, but it makes me nervous. I don't think there's much she wouldn't do to hang on to her money and la familia. Max is coming across as a much more sympathetic character nowadays. Nilo is preposterous and extremely annoying .

What is the deal with Aduato? Did Muricy throw him out then take him back? Looked like he was working for the maid??
~ Wee Rita


 

Avenida

didn't Rita get Carminha to more than double Janaína's pay and benefits, and we see that she now has a maid herself, and even took the plastic off the sofa when Muricy stopped by, but it looked like Aduato was remodeling the kitchen, cutting tile or something, while Lúcio lounged about.

yes, Jorgito is a wild card, interesting watching him hit Max, as we saw much earlier, Max hitting his father Nilo, and amazing how he put together the whole picture by just finding out who his father is, and interesting to watch that everyone's deepest respect for Tifon is keeping a lid on things, for now.

wow, my tv is starting to smoke when this show is on.

oi oi oi...

 

Bajo

@lurkers

If you have a minute, read the Care and Feeding posted in 2010 on this blog.

http://caraycaray.blogspot.com/2010/06/care-and-feeding-of-recapper.html

Anyway, I think Bajo is a well-acted and quite entertaining novela. It would be nice to have more people showing up. You don't have to say much. We don't require pithy or insightful. Just sign on and say hi, ask a question about something that confused you, or point out something no one else mentioned.

We'd love to see more folks on this area of Caray, Caray.
 

BAJO

Thanks for a terrific recap, Novelera!

About Rodrigo – it just occurred to me that we have only observed his behavior, his surface, if you will. In the case of Adela, we hear her agonizing [¿Qué hago? qué hago?]. Carlos's face tells us exactly what he's thinking. Luis is pretty much an open book. But Rodrigo is deliberately written as inscrutable. Not so dumb, these Telemundo writers, huh?
 

Bajo. Excellent drama criticism, NovelaMaven!
 

BAJO

Thanks, SpanProf. I feel as if my GPA just crept up a decimal point or two. :-)
 

BAJO

Muchas gracias, novelera, for your terrific recap. I'm especially happy that you include some of the Spanish. With this novela, between the speed of the dialogue and the street slang, I need all the help I can get.

I too got a kick out of Willy's collection of panties (presumably all sniffed by him before being added to the collection). As far as I could tell, each one was a different color. I wonder if he only takes them if they add a color he doesn't already have.

I too don't know what to make of Rodrigo. I want to believe the best of him, but.... I also don't know what to make of the motivation for the attack in his cell. Almost killing someone (or having someone almost killed) is not a way I'd choose to inspire loyalty. One thing I'm pretty sure of is that the attack won't prove fatal. It's much too early in the novela, and if Rodrigo does die before the novela ends, I suspect his death will serve much more of a purpose in the plot than does the attack in his cell.
 

Bajo

no captions tonight so I won't be able to do a recap,
if someone else wants to give it a go.

 

Bajo. NovelaMaven: Well, if this were a classic Spanish play, and if you were studying it in one of my classes, your grade point would creep up. :)
 

Bajo

I think Carlos (with help from his family and friends) is going to crack that wall Rodrigo has built around himself.

 

Bajo. Looks as if Felicia's plan is working. Carlos thinks she'd be a good step mom for Luis. Also interesting last night to see one of Laura's clients--a middle-aged man who evidently likes to spend time with a lively middle-aged woman. And of course Laura is drinking again. Could anyone be more self-destructive? Now if she were a middle-class American citizen, she'd be off to rehab, rather than trying to handle things on her own.
 

Bajo. Deb: I hope you're right!
 

BAJO

deb and SpanProf, I found myself reacting very strongly to that final 30 seconds when Luis catches up to the window of the bus and Rodrigo pounds on it from inside, trying to make contact with his little brother. For me, it was Rodrigo's very first authentic moment.
 

Bajo. NovelaMaven: Yes, that was very moving. I thought for sure that the writers would resort to the movie cliché of Luis's arriving just seconds too late to even see his brother--good for them that they didn't!
 

BAJO

Well, since deb wasn't able to write her recap for last night's episode, I thought I'd try to provide a bare bones version, though not in strict chronological order.

We start out at Susy's house, with her parents gone for the weekend and her "fiesta" about to begin. Among the guests is her ex-novio Brian, who comes with "Lorena," who was apparently invited. Susy is clearly not happy to see Brian, but she puts on a good face and tells them to enjoy themselves. After Brian and Lorena have gone inside, Susy's friend (whose name I don't remember) comes out and asks why Susy didn't make a fuss, since Brian hadn't been invited. Susy responds that she didn't want him to see that she was bothered.

Another uninvited guest is Luis, who jumps over a fence (his effortless jump makes him seem a cross between a track star and the ladrón Susy had accused him of being at an earlier encounter) and enters Susy's house, presumably not by the front door. They start to talk, he tells her he lives nearby and knew other people invited to the fiesta, and before long he's telling her she was right to call him a ladrón because he wants to rob her--of a kiss. The robbery takes place and takes place and takes place.

The fiesta is well under way in another room, with Brian supplying some alcohol he has brought for the occasion. But Ramona, the housekeeper who has been given the night off, apparently hadn't yet left. She comes downstairs, sees the fiesta in full swing, including the drinking, and steps in to stop it. She's especially upset about the alcohol, since the partygoers are under age and this could be a matter for the police.

Ramona then finds Susy still being happily "robbed" by Luis in the kitchen. Ramona asks her "what are you doing with the gardener's son?"
Susy says she must be mistaken, Ramona insists that she's not, Luis can't offer any explanation, and he leaves, embarrassed and humiliated. As her guests are laughing at Luis, Susy shows how much she's her father's daughter by telling them, "There's a whole world outside Beverly Hills--the Real World." She goes on to accuse several of her guests of being hypocritical and bigotted against undocumented and/or poor people like Luis.

Luis of course doesn't hear her speech, and later that night, he tells Willy that he's ready for the big jobs, he wants to be respected and he needs to have a lot of money. Uh oh.

A day or so later we see Willy and his thuggy friends and Luis planning a robbery. Before saying what happens in this scene, I think I'd better offer some remarks about the rest of the episode. It didn't center only on Luis and Susy.

There are several scenes with Laura in the hospital. The doctors have told Mati that Laura needs treatment that she can get only in the hospital, so she needs to stay. There's a scene in Laura's hospital room where Mati and Juana are joined by Carlos. Laura tells Carlos that he should stay far away from Mati. If he doesn't, he and his family will be in danger from La Colonia.I'm not sure whether Laura tells Carlos that Mati is involved with La Colonia--whatever she said, Carlos accuses Mati of having lied to him. He's very upset, says he should never have fallen in love with her, and that she's really what others have claimed she is: una ladrona. Carlos storms out in anger/sorrow. Laura tells Mati that she told Carlos about Noemi so that he will hate Mati--she'd rather people hate Mati than kill her.

Arrgh--I thought I could write this more quickly. I've got to leave for an appointment. I hope other people will fill in what I've not covered, such as Mati and Juana's search for work, Felicia's getting her claws back into Carlos, Gloria's figuring out that Rodrigo is the father of Greicy's baby, and, of course, the great final scene with Luis running after the bus taking Rodrigo and others to be deported.
 

Bajo

Rodrigo awakens to an attack from his cell mates. His cell mates are sending him a message from El Colmillo. Rodrigo doesn't harm his cell mates since they were ordered by the gang leader.

Two days pass, Rodrigo has street clothes on and is being released. He is being fingerprinted and given his belongings. Greicy comes in to say her goodbye. She convinces the guards that she needs to give him a message. Greicy tells Rodrigo that she loves him and that she will wait for him. She wishes to kiss him and hug him but she cannot in front of the employees. She says that Carlos has been very sweet with her by bringing her food- just like a father would. Rodrigo says that although Carlos and him think differently, he is a stand up guy nonetheless. He is a man of his word. Greicy starts to cry and gets excited when speaking. Rodrigo tries to shush her since she is raising her voice. She will name the baby : Teresa after Rodrigo's mom if its a girl. I speculate that it will be a girl since that would soften Rodrigo even more- if his daughter is named after his deceased mother.

Right when the goodbye is about to end, the prison warden surprises Greicy. She is not allowed to be in this area. Greicy says she did not sneak in, but was granted permission (way to through your co-workers under the bus). She wanted to thank the prisoner that had helped her. That the warden herself made her see "el Faier" with different eyes. (Wow- Greicy really wants everyone to know- She and Faier are an item). Greicy's supervisor gets in trouble- she needs to keep a closer watch on the nurses. Greicy boss connects the dots. She figures out that Carlos is El Faier's dad. She always suspected that Greicy had feelings for el Faier since she grew very jeolous over his fan letters and visitors. Greicy started calling him Rodrigo instead of his prison nickname. The nurse noticed the way Greicy looked at him.
Once Rodrigo has completed all the steps to leave the prison, they place him in handcuffs. HE is placed outside with a group of prisoners that are also leaving. The bus he is leaving the prison in says immigration and customs. It seems that he is being deported without even enjoying one moment of freedom. He tells the corrupt prison guard pass along a message to Fang "do to not let anyone else kill Adela- it is my job no ones else". He waves to his father, aunt, and feli. He seems to be looking for his brother Luis according to Carlos and Maria. Luis has a change of heart and runs to the prison from Willy's apartment. He asks for directions along the way. Surprisingly, Luis arrives just in the nick of time, but Rodrigo is already inside the bus. Rodrigo waves goodbye to his family from inside the bus. The window seem to be tinted but Rodrigo starts to bang on the window. He wants to let Luis know that he sees him.
 

Bajo

wow, thanks so much Juanita and Natalie L !!!

my comprehension goes way down without captions and your summaries really filled in a lot of holes for me, thanks again!

ah but one lingering thing, can someone explain what exactly the attack on Rodrigo was about, and what did Colmillo say?

and now that we don't need the lawyer anymore...


 

Bajo

Luis and Carlos run along the bus as if to get the driver to stop. Rodrigo is happy to see his little brother. He truly cares for his little bro and that scene was very emotional.

All the hesitance, he had to see his family while in prison reveals that he wanted to protect them. He must have hated his father when his mother was ill with cancer, but he does still love his family. "La colonia" was an easy way out for his problems and allowed him to be powerful. As a grown man, he has the difficult decision to choose : Greicy, unborn baby, Carlos, Luis,Maria vs La colonia. Since their is a 99.99% chance he is getting deported, this will allow us to have story lines including his grandmother in mexico. Mexico location will add to the narrative. By being deported, he can get off the grid, and return to LA a new person. He will have some time to himself without the influence of la colonia.
 

Bajo

Thanks very much, Juanita and Natalie L!

deb, I thought Colmillo said the attack was a 'recuerdito' - a little something to remember him by.

In the hospital, Laura told Carlos that Luis was nearly killed when he was with Adela. She also told him that Rodrigo had killed her son, which he refused to believe, apparently thinking that Rodrigo couldn't hurt anyone from inside a prison cell.
 

Bajo

thanks NovelaMaven!

oh and Nick wasn't much of a hit at the party, but I was glad he was doing all the driving, something about Luis (who's pretty good at playing a know-it-all teenager) driving around without a license drives me up a wall, as if Carlos doesn't have enough problems.

 

Thanks, Juanita and Natalie,

You did an excellent job with much to report .......and especially at filling me in. I don't use captions, and I had missed some of the conversations. This novela seems to pack in a great deal in one episode.

I used to live in Jupiter, Florida where there is a large population of hard working Guatemalans, many of whom used to stand in one location every morning waiting for someone to offer them work for the day or longer. Several years ago, when I needed help with yard work, I went there. After the second time, I developed a rapport with one of the young men, and I used to pick him up where he was staying. His work was impeccable. Later he introduced me to his three cousins. They also had the same work ethic. They worked for me for several years after the original worker, Mateo, went back home. In turn, they all went back home, had children, and returned to Jupiter again for work. They had regular jobs and did extra work on weekends, and sent most of their earnings home. They were quiet and did not drink alcohol. They stuck together.

Their employers always hired them back when they returned. All of them walked through Mexico by night and eventually hooked up with a Coyote whom they paid to get them across the border. Cell phones must have expedited this process from the old days.

In the meantime, the town of Jupiter built a type of community center called El Sol,
Jupiter's Neighborhood Resource Center. It has been controversial, but on the whole very positive. On the one hand, it was built to get the workers off the street and to protect property values of residents in the area, and on the other hand, it was built to help the workers. There are many activities there. A good lunch is served eveyday, and there are English lessons.


Enjoying this novela and all the comments. Thanks to all recappers - regular and part time.
 

BAJO

Floridia,

"All of them walked through Mexico by night and eventually hooked up with a Coyote whom they paid to get them across the border."
...an ever more terrifying prospect.

I guess every community project has an element of "What's in it for me?"

Thanks. I enjoyed reading your (bittersweet) account.

---------
so guys, Floridia's experience reminds us that:

Adela and Juana set out to find work. They meet a neighbor who seems like a good guy. He's been working as a 'jornalero.' He tells them it's men's work, but since they insist they are up to it, he takes them to the pick-up spot. No one is willing to hire "viejas." Finally, a guy in a pick-up stops and offers a job to the neighbor. He says it's a package deal – all three of them or none of them. The guy hesitates and then tells them to jump in.

At first, they are jubilant. After a while, Adela starts getting nervous. Aren't they going a little too far out of the city? The neighbor reassures the women: sometimes you have to travel a ways to the job.
 

Bajo. Thanks, Juanita, Natalie L., Floridia and Novelamaven! Putting all the pieces together, with each one emphasizing different parts makes a great rcap. The only thing I have to add is that it's hard to see working with Willy in anything as being in the "big leagues!"
 

Bajo

Terrific comments today! Yes, El Colmillo specifically told Loco to tell Fire that, if he forgot his mission, even worse would happen to him. These thugs do NOT want to lose control over gang members.

One thing I thought last night was that maybe, just maybe, Luis won't be involved in any robberies. Didn't Willy say he was done with Luis backing out of his robberies. He backed out of an earlier one, can't remember why. So we'll still have to see Willy's ugly face when he brings stolen goods to Luis' home.

Juanita, Brian didn't supply any alcohol. He took alcohol that belonged to Jacob and Deborah. I loved it when Susy got in his face. She told him she guessed his mother didn't give him enough money to buy any. Nice dig at the spoiled rich kid.

I'll put up a bare bones tonight. I have a really busy week with some evening activities on top of my working day. And that would be all I could do for the rest of the week.

Welcome, Natalie L, great comments and lots of details on last night's show.

Floridia, I had a similar experience to yours. He was also a Guatemalan, but I was referred by a good friend who was working in an organization helping immigrants. Juan worked for me as a gardener for quite a while. At first I had to drive over and pick him up. We worked on his learning the English words for gardening tools. At first they were my tools because he had no money. I always gave him lunch because I thought he needed it. One time he ate a whole apple, core and all! Anyway, he made such good progress that he started his own business.
 

BAJO

Wow, many thanks to Natalie L, NovelaMaven, deb, Floridia, SpanProf, and novelera for the wonderful assortment of additions, corrections, and other interesting comments.
 

Bajo

I was glad Luis was outed as the gardener's son. I like the way this novela resolves things quickly. In some others I've seen they'd go with him pretending to be rich for WEEKS! It was humiliating for him, but he clearly didn't have enough self-confidence to tell her the truth. And you can't build a relationship on lies.

Wasn't it Luis who wanted Adela to keep quiet about the kidnapping by Noemi? So here we go with the inevitable split-up of the protagonists for however long they choose to continue it.

And Laura's pretty awful. She accused Carlos of doing a rotten job raising his children. She doesn't know a THING about what a good father Carlos truly is. Rodrigo's joining the gang is ALL on him. She and Carlos are mirror images. He's a good father through circumstances beyond his control who produced a criminal. She's the mess who, through circumstances beyond her control, produced a good daughter. And this daughter is caring for her, which is more than she ever did!
 

Bajo. Right-on comments, Novelera! What I like most about Luis being outed as a gardener's son is that it doesn't really seem to matter to Susy. She seems to be delivering one of the show's "messages." (One might even call her a "disguised narrator.":)) I too have hired a hispanic gardener occasionally--though in his case, one who was able to benefit from the Reagan amnesty as a very young man. He went on also to start his own business, employ other immigrants, and the last time I hired him for anything, he told me how well his oldest child was doing in college. That's yet another example of how this country has profited from being a "nation of immigrants."
 

Bajo

great comments all!

I find the quiet Juana an interesting character to watch, she latched on to Adela, the survivor, but Juana always keeps her place just behind her, gets introduced last, and like when Carlos came into the hospital room, she moved to Adela's other side so she wouldn't be between them, and how terrible when she tried to help Laura, and Laura almost wacked her for even being in the room.

 

Bajo

A couple more things. I thought I saw a spark between Juana and the new guy who helped them find the place where day workers are picked up. I'd like that!

The new guy was very sweet. He didn't get into the truck for a day's work and leave them there. He stood up for them.

I hope that ambiguous look in the rear view from the guy who has work for them isn't meaning a bad thing. Don't think they'd go with his trying to take sexual advantage of the girls because the guy (can't remember his name) is there also.

But I remember hearing a PBS news story about Florida where they had some contractors or some such picking up day workers, taking them to a remote site, and just driving off when the day's work is done, no pay and no ride back.

We also have a day workers' service in my area. It's called Obrero, and the minimum you pay is $10 per hour. You go through the agency so they know who YOU are.
 

I too, enjoyed all of the additional comments, all blending in with one another.
Yes, NM,these stories are bittersweet -- especially this one about Mateo.
One time, he was taking English lessons at Jupiter high school, and he developed a crush on a young Nanny who worked for a well-to-do-couple in the area. She was from northern Europe. They planned a little date, but when the couple found out about it, they squelched it completely. Anyway, he was in his 20's and starting to like girls. He had had little experience with them. So, he decided to save up to build a house. In time, he went back to Guatemala and built a nice house for his future wife. Then he came back to Jupiter and saved up for a diamond ring. When the time was ripe, he went back home with the ring and decided to look for a wife at church. While there, he saw a pretty girl named Dominga, whom he had seen a little bit around town. He walked her home and fell in love with her immediately and soon proposed marriage. He went to meet her mother, and he received her blessing. So he and Dominga got engaged and married and went to live in the love nest. Not too long after, Heidi was born. Lucky Dominga! I gather that the ladies who had husbands
working in America were considered fortunate because they had a steady income
coming in. Mateo came back to work for at least 2 years at a stretch before he could
get back to his family. Talk about a good planner and being the epitome of Responsibility. He has been gone 4 years now. I presume he has another child, and I hope he can find enough work to stay with his family. Bittersweet indeed!

I meant to ask about the guy who was in the fight with Willy. Didn't he stab someone a few episodes back?
 

can someone remind me...the Telemudo stories are lumped together in one section by week because there are not enough recappers...right? It's a little ackward to find the section to read and comment.
 

BAJO – Miércoles

This will be brief.

Luis isn’t able to get the bus deporting Rod to stop so he can say goodbye. He dissolves in sobs.

Adela’s suspicious are well founded. The guy driving the truck, a Latino, takes them to what looks like a farm. There are some other mean guys there. They take hold of Adela and Juana and beat poor Santiago. A kindly man stops this and, I think, he takes them to a hospital. [During the beating we get to hear Maria Luisa speak English. She’s pretty good.]

During the whole episode there are multiple times when we see Felicia working incessantly to insert herself into Carlos’ family life.

Gracie’s boss gives her an ultimatum: resign and keep her nursing license or she’ll rat her out to the stone face warden. [I never liked this woman - Gracie's boss.]

Laura finishes off her pint of some alcohol. She gets rid of the guy, telling him he gets one sex act per bottle. She mumbles that she’s sorry (at the absent Adela) but says she’ll die without the booze.

Carlos, Feli and Luis are having dinner together when Carlos mentions Willy and Feli is aghast. Luis later lies saying he only knows him because he’s his ex-girlfriend’s brother.

Said Willy tells Sharon he’s planning a big job with Luis maybe not surviving it. Sharon threatens him with turning him in for killing Felicia’s husband. She tells him she’s known for years about his obsession with Feli.

We see Rod arrive at the border. As soon as he crosses into Tijuana, some La Colonia guys who I guess live there approach and give him a bunch of money. We later see Rod in a nice hotel, just a pig in you-know-what. He’s acquired some silk boxers, orders food, booze, and later a hooker.

Gracie calls Carlos. Feli insists on coming with. She then offers for Gracie to stay at her house. [I wonder if she’s trying to get her hands on the baby?]

Deborah first questions her daughter about what she did while they were gone, but can’t maintain this for long. Instead she waves her diamond around and coos. Later she spies rings on the furniture, figures out the party, blames it all on Ramona, and even slaps her.

Adela, Juana and Santiago are at a hospital (or is it a small clinic?). Anyway, the gringo who helps immigrants, of course, turns out to be Jacob. He wants to interview them, maybe for TV, about the assault.

Luis tells Nick he now understands his brother. His brother has money and respect. And didn’t have to be the son of a gardener.

We see Adela begin to tell Jacob and, as sometimes happens in novelas, they don’t have her say what we already know. He is very sympathetic and offers her her job back at the house!
 

BAJO

Excellent recap, novelera, that helped me understand some parts that went right by me. Many thanks.

I wasn't at all surprised that Santiago and Juana didn't want to talk to Jacob about the beating or more generally about their difficulties. The last thing they'd want to do is call attention to themselves as indocumentados. What did surprise me was Adela's willingness to talk to Jacob. In her case, the danger is not just from the migra but also--and more ominously--from La Colonia. I would think she'd want to stay under the radar.

I wonder what Felicia's motives are for inviting Greicy to stay with her. Does she think she'll win points from Carlos for her generosity? Does she feel uncomfortable ever since her clothes disappeared from her bed and would thus like someone else in the house? Does she want to harm Greicy and perhaps prevent her from completing the pregnancy, seeing it as competition for Carlos' attention and affection? I'm totally at sea. The only thing I feel with some certainty is that her motives are all to benefit her, not to benefit anyone else.

I wonder whether if Adela works in Jacob's house she will eventually be able to make Jacob aware of what a [fill in the blank] his wife is.

The PSA scene between Jacob and the lawyer re diabetes was shorter than I feared it would be. And it was so perfectly in character for Jacob to forgo having sugar in his coffee out of support for the lawyer's need to do without it.
 

Bajo

thanks so much novelera, you are a sweetheart!!
(but hey, the bad guys all spoke english)
I'll post more tomorrow after I watch it again at the library w/ captions.

 

El Señor de los Cielos 3

did I see Maritza Rodríguez (Amparo Rojas) last night?

the yacht Maxwell in Avenida Brasil reminded me of the real yacht Maritza, moored in Miami.

 

GENERAL

Anon 10:24 wrote:

can someone remind me...the Telemudo stories are lumped together in one section by week because there are not enough recappers...right? It's a little ackward to find the section to read and comment.

Jean and I started this weekly page so people enjoying Telemundo (or occasionally, UniMás) shows would have a place to chat. Sometimes we have recaps, sometimes not. It all depends on the community. Although it may seem chaotic at first glance, there is a system in place: Commenters label their posts by the name of the show so readers can quickly skim down the page and read only those comments of interest.

Every now and then, the number of comments swells and a single page isn't quite enough. When that happens, We add a second or even a third page in the week.

We've also occasionally separated out a single show for its own page when that show is particularly popular and generating lots and lots of comments.

If you can't find the conversation you were looking for, consider starting it. We welcome new voices here!
 

BAJO

Thank you so much, Novelera. Great recap! I confess that I somehow tuned out and missed what sounds like a key conversation between Luis and Nick. Ay ay ay, so now Luis is looking to his big brother as a role model.

Juanita, I agree that the diabetes message was a lot less intrusive than it might have been. I just wish it were a true PSA and not the result of Telemundo getting in bed with Boehringer Ingelheim. Oh well. We'll take what we can get.

So why has Feli taken Gracie Lamb into her home? Me, I think she's trying to control the situation. She was certainly not going to let some tender young thing move in with Carlos and Luis – you never know WHAT might come of that. I keep waiting for the moment when Felicia and Gracie are alone and Felicia takes off her mask. I fully expect a Reign of Terror. I wonder how far Gracie will let herself be pushed/intimidated.

Fans of Rodrigo must now realize that their boy has a long long road to redemption. It may be several episodes before we get another glimpse of a soul worth saving.

I loved the way Adela's face softened when Jacob told her what Carlos had said about her, something to the effect that she was the best person he'd ever known. Putting Adela and Carlos in each other's path is the only way to thwart Felicia's hijacking of the Martínez family.

And it occurred to me that Bryan (Susie's odious ex) is a lot like Willy – only with a better zip code. :)
 

BAJO

Novelera,

I meant to tell you yesterday that I particularly liked this comment of yours:

"[Laura] and Carlos are mirror images. He's a good father through circumstances beyond his control who produced a criminal. She's the mess who, through circumstances beyond her control, produced a good daughter."

Beautifully observed.
 

BAJO

Floridia,
Thanks for giving us another glimpse into the immigrant experience and the willingness to keep faith, against all odds, with the ones you love. (Not exactly what Rodrigo is doing, is it?)

I'm not sure what you meant here:

"I meant to ask about the guy who was in the fight with Willy. Didn't he stab someone a few episodes back?"

After Willy was stabbed in the leg in the course of holding up the delivery truck, Willy pulled the knife out of his leg and used it to stab the delivery guy in the gut. It wasn't clear whether he had killed him. Is that what you mean?

BTW, since Willy was wearing a mask during the attack and since he talked about storing the stolen goods at Carlos's house, I thought at the time that Luis was going to end up framed for the attack. So far we haven't had any follow-up.

P.S. Floridia, please remember to label your posts as "BAJO." Unlabeled comments may go unread because the people most interested may pass right by them. And in this case, it would be a shame. ¡Gracias!
 

BAJO

Thanks, Novelera.

Terrific recap!. Not so brief and most informative.

I thought that Jacob asked Adela, Juana, and the wounded new guy to make a
formal complaint with his assistance regarding the attack. The latter two refused to do so out of fear. I believe that Adela is going to do what Jacob asked, but she
said that she would only speak for herself. She did not want to involve the others.
Jacob gave his word to protect their identity.

NovelaMaven,

Thanks for reminding me to post the word BAJO. I realize it is needed.

Also thanks for filling me in about the stabbing of the delivery guy.
There was no follow up. I did not know whether or not he was killed.

Additionally, any chance I get to mention my singing idol José José,
I'm all over it. I forgot to mention my favorite line of the episode two
nights ago. Carlos said when thinking about moving forward without Adela,
As José José says, Lo Pasado Pasado.


Thanks for all comments

 

Bajo. Once again, I second the thanks for a great recap, Novelera! I think it was cool that it was apparently a couple of small children (of the kindly farmer who owned the land?) who saw Adela, Juana and especially Santiago? being abused and ran to get help. Kind of reminds me of some of the socially aware movies of the late 1930s. A bit of a coincidence that Jacob happened to be the journalist the decent farmer called, though very satisfying. I think Adela is willing to cooperate if Jacob doesn't use her name. She's very intelligent and very fed up and may be feeling that it's time for a little justice for her situation--a "witnessing" as we used to say, if nothing else. Brilliant body language when Felicia hugged Greicy. You could just feel her lack of enthusiasm. It was almost as good as the scenes between Felicia and Flag. Also, enjoyed the scenes of Rodrigo living large in Tijuana. Carlos had been anticipating Rodrigo's staying with Carlos's folks, who I assume have a very modest existence, but instead he's living the very decadent life of a drug lord. As NovelaMaven said, a long road to redemption! Also, I hope something happens to get Luis's values on straight before he's in real trouble!
 

Bajo. One more thing. I think Felicia is taking Greicy into her home for the same reason she's being a "stepmom" to Luis--to ingratiate herself into Carlos's family. She's now employing his sister and looking after both his son and his grandson. If I were a cynical person and unfamiliar with the rules of telenovelas, I would say that the best thing that could happen would be that Carlos marries Felicia, gets his green card, Willy kills Felicia, and after a number of other adventures and vicissitudes, Adela outsmarts the gang and marries Carlos.
 

BAJO

"Brilliant body language when Felicia hugged Greicy. You could just feel her lack of enthusiasm. It was almost as good as the scenes between Felicia and Flag."

Nice, SpanProf. If only Gracie were as intuitive as Flag...
 

BAJO

SpanProf –
And if this were airing one hour later, your scenario would be more than plausible!
:D
 

Bajo. Thank you, NovelaMaven! :)
 

Bajo. And the Felicia-Greicy situation works because Greicy is so naive and innocent--more so than Flag, as you say, Novela Maven.
 

Bajo. And I too was impressed with the quality of Adela's English and her ability to serve as interpreter. If only this young woman had her green card, she could do anything!
 

Bajo

so Luis' not-really girlfriend Sharon really does like him, she sure doesn't want Willy to make him into a killer.

I thought Adela would take out one or two of those guys, she reached for something in her backpack but the bad guy grabbed her arm.

I think NovelaMaven's words, "hijacking of the Martínez family" describes Felicia's intensions pretty well, and she is still working on a kid of her own.

wow, it looks like Adela told mister Jacobs everything, including the attack on her mom, or did she, because she didn't tell him her real name.

I think Rodrigo is going down, that it's a question of whether he takes his whole family with him.


 

Bajo. Deb: Maybe going down heroically saving either Greicy and the baby or Carlos, Luis and Adela?
 

Bajo

Yep, ordering a hooker doesn't bode well for a character surviving.
 

Bajo. I can't tell if Luis is feeling guilty because his father thinks he's a hero or if he's being contemptuous.
 

Bajo

So upset with how things developed with rodrigo post-jail. He seemed to have considered changing his life but the power he receives as a gang leader was too much. He enjoyed the fancy ceesars palace in tijuana and his prostitute. I think he was wasting his cash pretty quickly. He should have not been tipping the service so much, but i guess thats why he joined the colonia- power and money. I will try to be patient with him. I thought the writer would make him spend some time in mexico. He only spent one night and was ready to go back to Usa. I expected him to want to visit his grandmother since he might never get to see her again. But, he was be watched by la colonia so everything he does is under surveillance. He is putting his position in the gang as top priority in order to not be suspicious. He may feel like being a better person ,but if he displays his reformed ways he may lose the perks.

Luis didnt learn his lesson. He continues to want to work with willy knowing he could get arrested. He is lucky feli brother is a cop. Carlos is quickly losing control of his obedient son. Luis cannot handle living humbly as the jardineros son.

It was nice of adela to give juana the address to mr. Sanders. She may be a better fit for the position. Adela would not tolerate the constant abuse from mrs. Sanders.

 

BAJO

Marvybaby11, great comment re Rodrigo. I too was hoping for different behavior from him. But in retrospect, I think my hopes/expectations were unrealistic, too much the stuff of fairy tales. However, I haven't yet given up on him. I think his behavior is very much in character, but there's another side to him, and perhaps in the long run that side will prevail. Ojalá. We're still in the early stages of this novela.

I think Luis' experience with the robbery has knocked some sense into him. Wasn't there a scene where he thinks to himself that he's done something stupid? The trouble is, Cristóbal is a pretty smart guy, and he's putting the pieces together. I wonder what will happen if/when he realizes Luis' role in the robbery. His being Feli's brother could work for Luis or against him, depending on what Feli thinks will most benefit her.
 

Bajo. Hi, Juanita! I couldn't tell if Luis was saying he was stupid or that Carlos was stupid for believing that Luis was a hero. Sorry about the double post last night--slow computer.
 

BAJO

I only had time to fast forward -- mostly to see how Rod was doing.

I suppose it was natural to want to taste the "good life" after being cooped up all those years. He was like a little kid in a toy store. And one must remember, that he grew up too fast in many ways and missed things along the way that a fourteen year old would normally experience, so he is still immature in many ways even though he plays the role of a tough guy. He is not ready to assume duties of fatherhood. He doesn't really know what sacrifice is, but at least he did accept the idea of it readily, and he will learn along the way. Regarding hookers, in time, he will learn the difference between Amar y Querer as popularized in the song interpeted by José José.

If you will recall,the first time he tried to do the deed with Greicy, she told him
that she wanted love, and he basically told her, "That's what this is." She told him no, "This is not love like this." Later, he backed off, and the next time, he actually asked her if she wanted to participate willingly, and she said yes.
That was a little wake up call for him that had never even occurred to him before.

So being both a realist and an optimist, I believe that Rod is learning gradually the difference between Desire and Love, and Sacrifice and Responsibility.

Temptation was too much for him after his release. I still have high hopes for him.


 

Bajo

I think some of you ladies may have a sweet tooth for Rodrigo! It's interesting that he's the main focus of comments this morning. I am certainly not sure of my facts, but I thought the figure of $5K to get such an easy way across the border was very low. Ten years ago I knew of a case where a woman was brought across for her husband, and I think she had to walk. Her husband paid $8K. I suppose he could not have seen his grandmother unless she lived in Tijuana.

I wish I had taken the time to make a list of Carlos' aphorisms. I think Wednesday night he said something about para dolor, pan. I know that's not exactly right but it's one of those down-home things he specializes in.

Maria Elisa was again terrific last night. She told Juana to try for the job with the Sanders because she could not bear to see Carlos. That's exactly how one would feel if they had to break it off with someone they loved so much. Seeing him would keep pulling off the scab. Of course, he showed up last night. And she lit right into her mother. It was so sad when she made the calls about jobs. I don't really understand why she doesn't try for a mechanic's job. For that she does have experience.

Felicia sure is nosy about how Gracie managed to get pregnant.

Luis certainly disappoints me. At first I thought Willy was beating and kicking him because he was blaming him for the way the robbery went. And he was. But I backed up and watched again, and it was Luis who asked to be beaten so his story would be believed. But Cristóbal is onto him.

Oh, Chabela agreed on the phone to Rodolfo's asking her to be patient some more, but she had the bags packed, her visa, and is coming to LA the same day. This should be interesting. I did notice that Rodolfo charged right into that store to protect his wife. When he heard there had been shots there, he said Mi Maria and ran right out.
 

Bajo. Novelera: Well, given that Adela's old boss was the person she sold Carlos's truck to, and then she helped Carlos steal it back from him, he might not be exactly eager to give her a recommendation as a mechanic. Otoh, I would think that for a mechanic's job, if she could demonstrate to a potential employer that she could fix an engine, that would be the most important thing for getting work.
 

Bajo

Novelera yes i admit to having a sweet tooth for rodrigo. His story line is the most captivating for me. Everyone who watches is enjoying the story lines but I can't help enjoy his scenes the most. Therefore, that what I comment on. I am disappointed in his partying ways after his release. He couldn't resist the temptation to enjoy himself. One validating thing is that he is trying to cross immediately to get back. He needs to cross to find Adela and regain Fangs trust. But he also needs to cross in order to be with greicy. Some have speculated that we don't Know anything about Laura husband ( baby daddy) and greicy backgrounds. Did Adela father abandon them, did he die, or did Laura not know who he was(too many to choose from)? Imagine greicy'a father comes back into her life and is more powerful than Rodrigo or fang. I am probably wrong but I love to imagine where the writers are leading U.S. Probably cristobal will be the man that provides her with comfort when el faier is unavailable. I am still speculating what will occur to him that will cause rodrigo to snap out of his old habits. He still holds to a lot of resentment from his past.
I think it's a wonderful idea to get Carlos to get his citizenship through Felicia - but the emotional cost will be very expensive for Carlos.
 

Bajo

Mati has touched another heart with mister Jacobs, who offerred her a job at his place, after telling Carlos earlier he never wanted her to set foot on his property again.

I'm glad she didn't accept because she would never get along with Deborah, who has these little pills to take away the guilt for beating on the help, maybe Juana will never find the place, since she can't read.

and I see Laura is getting cranky, trying to get rid of Juana, so her friend can bring her another bottle.

nice of Jacob to set it up with Mati to get free meds for her mom.

and Luis did call himself an imbecile, I don't think there will be any disagreement with that call.

mister Jacob sat up all night writing his article, handed it to Carlos to read, and he barely found a pause in Carlos' rant to let him know it was about Mati.

I too think Rodrigo is on his way to redemption, after all he did kick out the hooker when he was done,

but it won't be in this lifetime.

 

BAJO

@SpanProf, I went back after reading your comment about whether Luis was calling himself or his father stupid. The Spanish captions said "soy," but sometimes they're wrong. I listened several times, and though I could never quite hear something that was clearly "soy," whatever he said did start with "s" and was very short, so probably the captions were correct. [And now I see that deb too thinks that Luis was talking about himself being stupid.]
 

BAJO

Excellent comments today, guys. Weighing in on the 'estúpido' issue, I have to agree with Juanita. Not only did it sound like Luis was referring to himself, it is hard to believe that he would have used the word to refer to his father. 'Estúpido' is far more scornful than 'stupid' is in English. I can't believe Luis would apply the word to his father.

deb, what can I say? Your prose poems always manage to capture a truth in a handful of words. My fave today:

"I too think Rodrigo is on his way to redemption, after all he did kick out the hooker when he was done,

but it won't be in this lifetime."

And I agree with you, BTW. If we had any doubts before, the hooker sealed the deal.

Hey Novelera, of course, we notice Rodrigo and write about him – aside from his movie star good looks, and his bad-boy sex appeal, he isn't quite as obvious as ALL the other characters, who are wearing their hearts on their sleeves, making faces, thought-bubbling like crazy, and otherwise behaving like the typical telenovela characters who make very few interpretive demands on the viewer.
 

Bajo

it looks like I will have captions tonight,
if so I will do the recap.

 

Bajo. Thanks for clarifying, guys! At least Luis has some self-realization. Kind of enjoyed Felicia's beat-down of Willy. Was there ever a more incompetent bad guy? And Chabela is now in town, looking for Rudolfo, just as Maria and Rudolfo are completely reconciling. Can hardly wait for that confrontation! Adela fixed a neighbor's car. I know she's finally going to work for the Sanders, but setting herself up as a car mechanic might be a better bet. Maybe after a few months as a maid she could afford to buy her own tools? And is that man who helped Juana out and has offered her a housekeeping job a decent, charitable guy, or some kind of villain? And poor Juana, who is evidently completely illiterate. At least the house where she's working is close to the Sanders' where Adela will presumably be working. And more complexity to Rodrigo--saving the life of that little boy in the desert, but then full-speed ahead to find and kill Adela! And of course Felicia jumped to the wrong conclusions when she saw Carlos and Adela together at the Sanders house. This telenovela does have a few too many obvious coincidences!
 

BAJO

NovelaMaven, I loved your description of most of the characters in Bajo "wearing their hearts on their sleeves, making faces, thought-bubbling like crazy, and otherwise behaving like the typical telenovela characters who make very few interpretive demands on the viewer." Perfect! And yes, Rodrigo sure does stand out as intriguingly different.
 

Bajo el mismo cielo... Friday, epi 23
part 1

what did Carlos tell Adela earlier, that she would never be alone again, or something,
and so he appears at her door, wanting to help.

mister Jacob gave him her address, she's convinced he's back with Felicia and she can not forget what they had together, he wants her to take the Sanders' job, she thinks they should each do their own thing, and leaves Carlos standing there, as she goes back inside, when will she stop rebelling Carlos says to himself.

Cristóbal talks to Felicia about Luis and the robbery, she tries to throw him off the scent, as Greicy comes out, and you are, Greicy almost spills the truth about herself but Felicia keeps throwing out bones, they met through Padre Domingo, etc. etc. (I don't know why Cristóbal would believe a word Feli says, didn't they grow up together?)

Rodrigo is escorted through a tunnel (novela tunnels are always big enough to drive a car through) under the border, they seem to have come out on the side of a mountain, but have a ways to go avoiding the migra, but come across a small boy sitting in front of a dangerous snake, (this is just too weird) I keep waiting for someone to offer him some water but no one does, Rodrigo insists on taking him with them, telling his guide, who doesn't like snakes, or I will hunt down all of your family.

the boy Isaac says his mother sent him across with his cousin who fell off the train, he just wants to go home, and you should be with her Rodrigo says, do you have her number, as he leaves him so the migra will find him.

Greicy (who now wears dresses and whose glasses are getting smaller) begs Feli for a job, well ok, Feli reluctantly says.

Willy shows up at Luis', tells him how this business works is that people that get in the way, get killed, and your getting in my way, but leaves his stolen stuff and pays Luis anyway, stalker Felicia is outside watching.

Rudolfo and Maria bond over surviving the robbery, each say they can not live without the other, end up in bed, Chabela is on the way, leaving her place in the care of a friend, but only has a matchbook with the name La Frontera (Felici's bar)

Felicia follows Willy home, threatens him about messing with Carlo/Luis, wants to know where Mati is, but Willy doesn't know, what's important, Willy tells her, is that Carlos was with her and "kept it from you", so find her Felicia tells him, but Willy is tired of being used, decides to use her instead and jumps her on the couch, Feli bites his lip and jumps up, as he comes at her he gets a knee between the legs, and as he is groaning Feli tells him he is not man enough for a real woman, and leaves, a shocked Sharon has been watching the whole time, (and if she doesn't know what her brother is like, she does now)

 

Bajo el mismo cielo... Friday, epi 23
part 2

Chabela arrives at La Frontera with son Alex, but Greicy doesn't know Rudolfo, and the other waitress is suspicious, not wanting to say much, Chabela gets disgusted and leaves. (Maria took the day off)

Adela spends the day looking for work until she runs out of minutes on her phone, degrees, references, skills, doesn't wanting to work count at all? she asks, (I guess if Carlos gave her a job way back when they first met we would have been out of a story)

Juana wanders around all day getting so lost she doesn't know how to get back home, she can't read and is now in a neighborhood where people don't speak spanish, knocks on a door, a kindly older looking guy lets her in to use the phone, Adela straightens her out, but when leaving the older guy offers her a job (is this a good thing?), and she accepts. (Juana is so innocent it's scary watching her out in the world alone)

Rodrigo calls Carlos on his ride to L.A., tells him he is still in Tijuana, won't be able to go see Carlos' mom, but to let Greicy know he's coming soon, later shows up at Jay's, he's all business, and gets him out of bed and kicks the girl out, reminds him to sell the merc, not use it, and gets him to show him around...
"the hunt for that bitch is on"

Adela fixed a car for a neighbor and was paid in food, Juana arrives, and they sit down down to eat, Juana tells of her good fortune, so Adela can now take the Sanders' job, and Laura looks happy to finally get them both out of the house.

Jay and Rod arrive at Laura's old place, no one has cleaned it up, Rod wants to search again for something of Adelas.

Carlos stops by to let Greicy know Rod made it to Mexico all right and is thinking about her, Greicy is all smiles.

Rodrigo checks in with his prison replacement to let Colmillo know he is on the job.

next day, Adela and Juana ride the bus together to work, ah, Juana's new job is just down the street from the Sanders, they will be neighbors.

and so Adela reluctantly walks up the driveway to the Sanders' house, as Carlos pulls in to start the days work, and stalker Felicia watches from afar...

 

Bajo

loved your short summary/comments SpanProf !!!

hope it's ok to post a longer one,
I was so happy to have captions again.

 

Bajo. Thanks, Deb. Mine are just random impressions. Your summary was thorough, complete and excellent! I think those tunnels are the ones used by drug smugglers.
 

Thanks deb for the recap. I find it interesting how Feli thinks her red Toyota is the perfect vehicle to spy on people. Everyone can see you.
I am surprised how simple it was cross the border. What is somewhat shocking is that Rodrigo's family is going to think he is in Mexico while he living comfortably in Lancaster. I am assuming he will show up when either someone spots him or when Greicy gives birth or has a complication (novela cliché).
The ultimate showdown will be when Rodrigo finds Adela in LA. That confrontation will be amazing. Two people fighting for their lives-> Rodrigo needs to do it to remain in the good graces of Fang & Adela has been fighting to free herself for a long time. Since he will be nearby his family, someone will likely see him.

Rodrigo can continue to communicate with his family through his cell phone, but that will probably will be limited to his "free time" when he is not around the colonia. His family thinks he is stuck in Mexico, but Carlos probably suspicious since Rodrigo doesn't accept any money.

I wonder if the prison will ever find out about Greicy's pregnancy. It seems too simple for her to quit and everything is forgotten. Some gossip must reach the warden and she will begin to dig around.
 

BAJO

Many thanks, deb, for your very helpful recap. It has made me see (yet again) how much I missed when I watched the episode.

I always enjoy your commentary. This time, my favorite was "I don't know why Cristóbal would believe a word Feli says, didn't they grow up together?" And speaking of Cristóbal, there was clearly considerable interest on both Cristóbal's and Greicy's part when they met. I think perhaps I should take this as a sign that you're right that Rodrigo may find redemption but not in this world.

I was a bit surprised when you said that no one offered the Mexican boy water. Rodrigo did, and I think he may also have offered him something to eat. In both cases, he was remembering back to his own experience crossing the border with his family as a similarly young boy. The writers really piled on the "plus" points for Rodrigo in this part of the episode: his concern for the boy, his offering him water and food, his taking some risk to get rid of the poisonous snake, his picking the boy up and carrying him, and his telling the boy that he'd be best off with his mother and that he should return to Mexico, and Rodrigo's leaving his jacket and something else to catch the eye of the patrollers so they'll be sure to see the boy and take him back across the border to Mexico. This, followed by Rodrigo's phone call to his father asking him to tell Greicy he's thinking of her (or something like that) made me wonder whether we were in the process of seeing a miraculous transformation, but no, we soon see the other Rodrigo point a pistol at a fellow member of La Colonia and we see R's determination to find and kill Adela. I'm not sure whether I'd describe R's portrayal as complex--perhaps schizophrenic would be closer.

Last night's episode made me realize that Rodrigo isn't the only character I haven't figured out: I don't know what to make of Rudolfo, either. Is there something "raro" about characters with names that start with R? Anyway, I'd been assuming that he was just a two-timing slimeball, but his racing out to save Maria when he thought she was in danger, and what seemed to be his love for her afterward, has made me look at him differently. Can't wait to see the confrontation when Chabela arrives at his doorstep!
 

Telemundo...

current capitulos,

Avenida Brasil, 101
Bajo el mismo cielo, 23
El senor de los cielos 3, 87

El Senor, I believe is still in ultimas semanas and I noticed Maritza Rodriguez has come on board.

El Clon is gone, replaced Monday by "Preciosa Perla" (Joia Rara) another Brazilian novela.
("fue ganadora en los Premios Emmy a Mejor Telenovela en 2014")

Mel Maia (young rita in Avenida Brasil) is young Preciosa Perla.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preciosa_perla

 

Bajo
tks so much deb, super recap.
How many people has Rodrigo killed, we saw him kill the guy that attacked Greicy & he is determined to kill Adela, no redemption for him, maybe a glorious exit though. He is not all bad.

El senor, who is the character Maritza Rodriguez is portraying? I get the feeling that it is a relative of Matilde, sister maybe?

 

Bajo. Natalie: I think the worst that could have happened to Greicy if she had revealed her pregnancy to the warden, and that Rodrigo is the father, is that she would be fired, and she has already quit. If it had been known, it could have blocked Rodrigo's parole, but he's now beyond the prison's reach (apparently), so there wouldn't be any more reason to pursue things. I love the interest this telenovela is generating. It does tackle some very important issues--with some of the more annoying tn cliches kept to a minimum. Also very perceptive comments on the part of the people recapping and adding observations to the recaps!
 

I did some light research: I discovered that in 2013 an inmate got 4 prison guards pregnant. Greicy could be charged with rape if anyone finds out.
The woman was arrested Wednesday and charged with felony third-degree rape and official misconduct. The rape charge stems from the fact that an inmate cannot legally consent to sex, according to the New York Post.

 

Bajo. But what would California law be on that one? That guy must have been even more manipulative than Rodrigo!
 

BAJO

"and so Adela reluctantly walks up the driveway to the Sanders' house, as Carlos pulls in to start the days work, and stalker Felicia watches from afar..."

And so deb once again deftly summarizes an episode with wit and insight and sets the scene for Monday. Thanks so much, deb! And I appreciate the info on chapter numbers on the other shows too.

Juanita, I'm glad you added the details about Rodrigo and the boy. I would say that the word for Rodrigo is "compartmentalized," rather than schizophrenic. There are plenty of people who can be absolute bastards in business but soppy sentimentalists when it comes to a small circle of intimates – perhaps a wife, a mother, a beloved child. It turns out to be quite adaptive.

Juana's plight really got to me. I felt for her bewilderment, her shame, her vulnerability. The situation with her new patrón could swing either way.

Hate to be a harbinger of doom, but it seems to me that Laura is on her way out, given her diagnosis and her response to it. Which means that Adela is about to suffer another gut-wrenching loss. Ay Ay Ay!
 

BAJO

Thanks, Deb...


Fully enjoyed your recap and learned from it as I am learning from others' comments.
Didn't get to watch until late Saturday night.

Yes, Rodrigo is a fascinating character: The Good and The Bad....along with an enigmatic, handsome face and a perfectly shaped torso. The scene with the little boy was touching.

If Laura dies, not empathetically speaking, it will free up Adela and be more difficult to track her without an albatross of sorts dragging her down.

Best to all

 

BAJO

NovelaMaven, thanks very much for "compartmentalized." I agree that it's a much better term than "schizophrenic," which I used with some reluctance. I realized it wasn't accurate, but I couldn't come up with a better word as I was writing.

I agree that things don't look good for Laura and that her death will probably be very difficult for Adela, but/and I also think Floridia may be right when she points out that Laura's death may also free up Adela and make it more difficult for people to track her.
 

Bajo. And I'm thinking that Laura wouldn't be a good candidate for rehab, even if she could afford it, because she really doesn't seem to want to get well. Rodrigo seems to be compartmentalized (good term, NovelaMaven)in the way some of the characters in old gangster movies were.
 

BAJO

No doubt that NovelaMaven is the finest of Wordsmiths. I have observed it for a few years. I even suggested that she write an article on telenovelas for The New Yorker magazine, but she rejected the idea.

All recappers, however, do have a way with words and are willing to use their skills to enlighten us....for which I am most appreciative.


The Godfather types were compartmentalized -- at least originally. They cherished their loved ones and kept them out of the family business. Things changed a bit later.

Chat later,

 

BAJO

Aw, shucks, Floridia. What I like about this place – and especially this page – is that everyone, commenters and recappers alike – gets a chance to shine.
 

Bajo. Good point Floridia. The original Little Caesar (a thinly disguised Al Capone?) and some of the much later gangsters, like a few of the Robert DiNiro roles, were pure evil. But in between there were a lot of ruthless crooks for whom ruthless crookedness was just a job, and family was something completely separate.
 

Bajo. I think my favorite was an Edward G. Robinson comedy from the 40s. He plays a recently -released gangster who claims he's going straight, but purchases a small suitcase and leather goods business that just happens to be next-door to a bank. Naturally he and his cohorts are planning to tunnel into the bank, but his very nice daughter and son-in-law are so eager to see him make a go of his business that they keep sending customers his way. He gets so busy and the business becomes so profitable, that by the end of the movie he has dropped his plans to rob the bank and has become a solid citizen.
 

Preciosa perla...

wow, a period piece, (1930's and '40's) model T's, and stockings, and cabarets, and dirty factories.

the story starts high in the Himalayas, Franz and friends have summitted, and while rappelling down Manfred has cut the rope, Franz falls but ends up on a ledge, Manfred ?? is chosen to go after him, and in doing so is swept away with an avalanche,

Franza survives and makes his way down far enough to be recovered by some Tibetan monks, and taken to the monastery, while recovering, the top monk (Ananda Rinpoche) talks to him about reincarnation and destiny, and later about futbol.

cute scenes where Franz teaches the monks to play futbol.

Manfred also survives and returns to Brasil and takes Franz's place as head of the factory.

the monks later find the other two bodies, Eurico Passos (Franz's best friend who talked of his love for Amelia) and their guide, Franz returns with his ashes.

Franz's father (who was Nilo in "Avaenida Brasil") hears that Franz is alive, Manfred's world crashes, and on a rainy night Franz and Amelia (a worker at the factory) meet and look into each others eyes, bling!!! and they later become good friends.

Lama Sonan, who has been meditating in a cave, (now covered with hair) is recovered by Ananda (bathed and shaved) to listen to Brasil play in the world cup on a radio sent to them by Franz, what? goaalll and all the monks yell, but wait it's the other team, oh, and Brasil loses, and somewhere along the way Ananda has become still, Lama Sonan realizes why he was called back.

Amelia and Franz continue to bond, Manfred continues to scheme.

Franz tries not to go to far, Eurico was his friend, Amelia confesses he was only a friend to her, she loves Franz, he loves her, they get a room, (sizzle, is it hot in here) this is love, para siempre.

the consciousness of Ananda leaves his body, where Sonan remembers Ananda gave him the job to care for him as a young person in the next life.

and in the after glow, Amelia dreams, she is met by a small dancing asian girl with an elephant, and as she dances she disappears and the elephant hands Amelia a basket with an oyster, inside a pearl.

Sonan digs through the ashes of Ananda's cremation and pulls out a pearl, just like the one in Amelia's dream.

a month later,

Franz asks Amelia to marry him, but is seen by her brother Mundo who knows that going with the son of the owner can come to NO good, punches Franz and drags off Amelia...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joia_Rara