Caray, Caray!

Thank you NovelaMaven.

Dropping by to say, that I loved the Señor Acero 2 pic and caption.

BTW if anyone is interested Señor Acero Season 1 is now available on Netflix.
 

You're welcome, Mauricio. And thanks for the tip about Sra Acero Season 1 on Netflix.

Speaking of Netflix, I got hooked on two of their novelas from Spain:

Velvet takes place in the late 50's and early 60's in a fashionable department store, a sort of offspring of Mr. Selfridge and Mad Men. I loved this one!

Los Internados is about an exclusive boarding school that turns out to be an authentic house of horrors. It's probably aimed at teens and tweens, but what can I say? It really got to me.

These shows are so good that they finally got me past my VosotrosPhobia! (¡En serio!)
 

NovelaMaven--Thank you for giving Preciosa Perla a plug. It deserves a wider audience than I suspect it has on Caray.
 

O.M.G. (as Tracy would say) NM--I just read the caption on Senora Acero. That was a very loud belly guffaw I just sent your way.

El Tal is still up there as my Number ####1 piece of tn porkeria, but such fun to follow the recaps and the comments. Ah, those summer days in Fresno, relaxing on Renato's borrowed yacht, watching Lucrecia and Tony the Ant's hijinx.
 

Thank you NovelaMaven for the info on "Velvet" and "El Internado". I had seen those two shows available to stream when looking for something to watch on Netflix, but didn't know what they were about. They sound interesting. I'm glad that Netflix has added a whole bunch of Spanish-language programs. Hopefully, they'll keep on adding more.
 

BAJO

Lazy Labor Day. Feel the need to do SOMETHING useful, so I'll do a recap of tonight's show. I'm assuming Telemundo will follow the usual pattern of not preempting novelas for gringo holidays, and we'll resume with our Spanish language "It Happened One Night". Except there's no blanket suspended between Adela and Carlos and I don't think they'll be able to resist.
 

Bajo. Gosh, NovelaMaven, thank you! I never expected front-page acknowledgement. You, novelera and deb do all the heavy lifting around here. :)
 

Bajo. And of course in 1934 audiences were more prudish and birth control less reliable. :) I'm presuming people are using birth control in Bajo!--except for Felicia who wants to have a baby no matter what.
 

General

SpanProf, I'm flattered, but Jean (my partner in crime) has probably done more than anyone to keep our little boat afloat, even if she isn't watching anything right now. We all sort of float in and out, according to what interests us on the Telemundo slate.

Mauricio, I'd try "Velvet" first, if I were you. Let me know what you think. I agree that Netflix has really stepped up the Spanish language offerings lately (other languages too!).

Yes, Anita. Ah, Fresno. Those were the days.

BAJO
Novelera, thanks for volunteering to recap tonight. My tv shows the usual programming for the evening.
 

BAJO

Accents --

Listen to Freddy Flórez, the actor playing Santiago. Not Mexican, right? It turns out the actor is from Colombia.
 

Bajo. Things are getting very messy for everyone. And where is Laura? Love how Cristobal is bonding with little Alex.
 

BAJO – LUNES - PARTE 1

Of course Carlos and Adela did NOT do an “It Happened One Night” with a blanket between them like Gable and Colbert. In fact it DID happen. Meanwhile we see Felicia remembering her miserable sex act with Willy.

Adela murmured to Carlos in bed: “If only we could stay this way forever.” Viewerville agrees with a sigh, but we know this won’t happen until the last week, maybe the last day!

Gracie, a bit of a doormat as always, is sweeping the kitchen floor at Carlos. She has cooked breakfast. Luis is very sweet to her. Fire gets up and snarks about his father not having come home last night.

Yep. Santiago reveals he’s not a real Mexican when he addresses Juana as vos. He and Juana do one of the classic sidekicks scenes fussing about what the protagonists are doing. Santi thinks Laura is off on a bender.

Felicia shows up to pressure Willy about killing “Mati” now that she’s done the deed with him. He tells her he expected a change of attitude on her part considering the amazing lover he is [not]. When she’s pretty nasty to him he tells her he used her just like she used him.

Fire and Gracie show up about renting the apartment in Adela’s building. Juana and Santiago try to tell them about what a bad neighborhood it is. Adela arrives and sees Fire. “What are you doing here?”, she says, obviously upset to see him there.

Feli tells Willy every minute in bed with him was a torture. Sharon who, of course, overhears everything Felicia says every time she arrives, bursts out and tells Feli that she cannot get her brother to kill someone. Before that happens, she’ll turn her in. She can’t get Willy to kill a woman like she did her husband. Whoops! Feli looks at Sharon like a snake looks at a mouse. Sharon: ¿Quiere sangre? ¡Que vaya y metase sus proprias manos, vieja asquerosa! (If you want blood, go dip your own hands in it, disgusting woman!) Good on ya, Sharon!

Fire, in smart aleck mode, tells Gracie to say hello to her suegrastra. Then he asks why Adela is so feisty with him. He hints that he’s discovered something about her. She gets very nervous, but he goes on to say he won’t tell anyone what she gets up to behind Felicia’s back. Adela tells him he can’t move into this building and, of course, he immediately says that’s where they’re going to live.

Adela looks into the closet and finds Laura’s clothes. [How’d she get so many? She fled the house with almost nothing.] Adela jumps to the conclusion that Fire has her mother. She tells Juana it’s too much of a coincidence that her mother disappeared the same day that Fire returned from Mexico. She says she’s going to follow him.
 

BAJO – LUNES - PARTE 2

Gracie and Fire argue. [They do quite a bit of that for the few days they've been together.] Gracie doesn’t want to move into this apartment complex. She says it would be awkward when Carlos brought Felicia there. She finally comes out with the real reason. He didn’t want to live there until he found out Adela was living there. She’s jealous. He looks at her astonished. ¿La neta, tú puedes pensar que yo podría pedalearle la bicicleta de me jeje? [This is a new one. Pedal the same bicycle as my father, I assume means get in bed with the same woman as my father.]

Willy tells Sharon he’s going to the house where Mati and Carlos works. He says that Carlos is going to have an accident, not that he’s going to kill him. He’s beside himself with jealousy of Carlos.

As if things weren’t complicated enough at the apartment building, Carlos drives up.

Adela and Fire meet on the stairs. He seems to know she was looking for him. ¿Pa’ que soy bueno? [This is an expression I’ve heard a lot. Literally “What am I good for?” and meaning what can I help you with.] She says she wants to ask him a couple of questions. “How did he find this place” He’s pretty intuitive. He senses that she’s hiding something and that she has something against him. She says it’s because of how he made his father suffer. Fire: “What I don’t understand is why my father tan ruco (such an old fart) can be going around with una mamazote como tú, tan rica, tan brava? How’d he manage that?

He goes on to say his pop is a good man, too good, he’d say, casi raya la baboso (he almost appears to be a fool). “We have to be honest. In this life, people like that don’t get anywhere. They fail.” Adela: “How can you say that? He doesn’t give up on anything. He brought up your brother alone. He killed himself working to get you a lawyer to get you out of jail. And you come to me and criticize him?” He says he’s just telling the truth. He just wonders how his father can get una mamazota tan sabrosa. He says he’s a bit worried about her being a bad influence on Luis. She laughs. “You! The leader of La Colonia talk about me being a bad influence!” He grabs her arms and asks her what she knows. She covers this well by saying that everyone knows it. He narrows his eyes and asks if Carlos sent her to ask about him. Does his father not trust him?

Felicia shows up at the church, bustling around. Father Domingo is suspicious. He tells her she never wanted to help before with his anti-gang work, and here she is crossing herself every 5 minutes and offering him money.

Adela tells Fire not to every put his hands on her and calls him imbécil – imbécil de quinta categoría. [Imbecile in Spanish, to me, is different than it is in English. It’s an insult, but not necessarily implying a very low IQ. She’s not only calling him an idiot but a 5th class one.] He gives her a menacing look and tells her she doesn’t know who she’s messing with when his father shows up. Carlos clearly sees something is wrong, but they both lie.
 

BAJO – LUNES - PARTE 3

Chabela paints her toenails in front of Cristóbal, while he tries to pretend he isn’t looking at her legs. Rodolfo shows up and lights into her for showing up at his wife’s workplace.

Adela and Carlos talk some about Fire. Carlos swears his son isn’t in La Colonia any more. He asks her to take things at face value. Si el río no suena es que no lleva agua. [If you can’t hear the river, then there isn’t any water.] Adela: “And what if I asked you to follow Rodrigo because he could know where my mother is?” Carlos looks at her aghast. “You think Rodrigo took your mother?” He swears again that his son promised him he’s done with the gang life for his sake and for the sake of his child.

Chabela convinces Cristóbal to take Alex with him so she and Rodolfo can work things out.

Meanwhile, one of the waitresses tells María that a woman came looking for Rodolfo at the restaurant.

Willy and the Stooges are waiting outside the Sanders home for Adela and Carlos to show up.

Adela and Carlos go to the hospital to speak with the doctor who was treating Laura. He’s completely rude to them and shows some wound on his hand that the gang gave him. He even calls security.

Juana shows up to tell Jacob that Mati cannot come to work because Laura is missing.

Fire shows up at the hangout and chews the guys out for not handling something. He’s especially nasty to Jay, who was blinded trying to do his bidding. He comes out of another room asking for ice for his hand. He grouses that he’s doing this because the rest of them are useless. I suppose we are to assume he’s been beating Laura.

He then walks around remembering what El Colmillo said about killing his family, about what his father said to him, about what Adela said to him. He knocks on Adela’s door. She opens it: ¿Mamá?
 

Bajo

I love your recaps novelera!
and the way you weave in the spanish, icing on the cake.

and once again the Rodrigo comedy show, was that another joke Greicy asks, Luis thought so or maybe not, Rodrigo adds, I don't know why this cracks me up,

and when they have had enough hassling with the Santiago/Juana apartment doom sayers, Rodrigo tells Greicy to say good bye, and he takes her hand and waves good bye, Ha!

I love Cristóbal when he is having fun, Chabela sure is twisting him around, when he was off to work, oh could you take Alex, and what about dinner, there are some 'legs' in the fridge Cristóbal says, ahh,,, chicken legs.

ok, so Rudi and Cristóbal are cousins, isn't he Felicia's brother ??

so I guess Laura is in a back room at the club house, (and why are they are not showing her, I hope all is well with Rosalinda Rodríguez) and Rodrigo comes back with sore knuckles and leaves, and Jay wants to know "did it work", and everyone laughs.

 

Bajo. Great recap, novelera! Extremely complete and insightful. I loved the expression on Rodrigo's face when Greicy told him she was worried that he was attracted to Mati. It was sort of like "Geez! What are you thinking?" Rudolfo is Felicia's brother. That's one of the reasons he hangs around La Frontera Bar so much and gets gigs there. Interesting how they're not showing explicitly if Laura is in the back room at the gang's headquarters and what they're doing to her. More suspenseful and probably more powerful that way. I wonder if she'll escape on her own or if Adela or Carlos will free her? Should be interesting! I'd root for Cristóbal and Chabela, but she really is using him as a manny, and not even being subtle about it. And now Mr. Jacob knows that Laura is missing. I wonder if he'll try to do something about it.
 

BAJO

Novelera, thanks so much for the terrific recap. I agree that the sprinkling of Spanish makes it even more fun to read.

It's fun that you don't say 'piernas' de pollo, you say 'patas' de pollo – unless a very bold and shapely woman is waving those appendages in your face and confusing you!

So Rodrigo kind of does a George Burns impression for us, huh? Say goodnight, Gracie!

Felicia seemed sort of hypomanic in the church. The padre recognizes it as her guilt response. Hah.

If Luis goes along with Willy and the stooges and hands over Mr. Jacob's keys to them, I'm going to be very disappointed.

And if Rodrigo doesn't kill Adela, Colmillo will take out his family. Only it turns out that his 'suegrastra' happens to be Adela. What's a gangster to do?

I'd be surprised if we ever see Laura again. What I don't understand is why they don't just get her drunk. Sure, it might kill her, but what do they care? Alcohol loosens the tongue – exactly what they want.
 

BAJO

Muchísimas gracias, novelera, for your superb recap. Ance again, I'm especially grateful that you included those Spanish phrases, most of which I didn't catch when I watched the episode.

I too was surprised at the amount of clothing in Laura's closet (and also how neat it seemed).

I wouldn't describe Feli as "bustling about" in the church. She was positively off her rocker. She's been having increasing numbers of these manic episodes.

Speaking of Feli, I'm half expecting that she will become pregnant by Willy and will try to convince Carlos that the baby is his, and that they should therefore get married pronto.

If I were a life insurance company, I wouldn't sell a policy to Sharon, not after she let Feli know that she knew not only that Feli had asked Willy to kill Mati but also that Feli had Willy kill her husband.

Question: in the novela's theme song, we see the Padre, Greicy, Cristóbal, and someone that looks like Colmillo. Is it possible that Colmillo gets released? And is it significant that we don't see Rodrigo?
 

Bajo. Hi, Juanita! In the theme song scene, generally after the first segment and after the first commercial, it looks to me more as if it's a cast party, maybe filmed after filming was mostly wrapped up? With the exception of Rodrigo, all the actors, good guys, bad guys, bit players, etc., seem to be dancing together very happily, no matter how they treated each other in the tn. Maybe the actor playing Rodrigo already had another acting job somewhere else?
 

Bajo

I think Fire IS attracted to Adela. He kind of leered at her when he first met her at La Frontera. And he may love Gracie, but probably the same way Rodolfo loves Maria, as the Madonna figure. But the things this mamazota says to him are truths he finds intolerable. Plus he doesn't appear to want any kind of independent opinions from women, judging from the way he treats Gracie's objections to living in that apartment. He lies to her constantly and with not a shred of conscience. For example, by telling her he had a phone call about a job he'd applied for when it was a call from the gang and later telling her he didn't get that job when she tries to convince him not to live at that apartment building.

That's an interesting thought, NovelaMaven, that we might not see Laura again. I've also thought that, considering her weakness from liver disease, she could die never telling them where to find Adela Morales. I hope we're continuing to be spared the sight of her being beaten.
 

Bajo

yes, I too see that Rodrigo is intrigued with Mati, maybe because she stands up to him, and that's quite a mix of emotions when they come together, he demands respect, compliance, she's scared, uncertain, wants to kill him, but she is not a killer, yet, but it's not her nature to back down, it's good someone keeps breaking them up before they start clawing. I'm waiting to see Rodrigo's face when he discovers it's Adela, he's asleep on this one, maybe because she is in this other world he knows as family.

 

Bajo. I could see a dying Laura telling Carlos what his son has been up to--not that that will necessarily happen.
 

Bajo

At first, I thought Rodrigo had let Laura go, but it seems the gang has her captive. Rodrigo is trying to live in both worlds and is constantly lying. Adela knows the truth that Rodrigo is not a good person. Greicy has been pushed around by Rodrigo lately. She will eventually get sick of being a push over. She is going to value her child over a man who still needs to grow up.

Who would have thought Greicy, Rodrigo , and Adela as neighbors ( good plot Twist) ? If Greicy would have continued working as a nurse, they both could be living in a better situation. I understand she is pregnant, but did she really have to serve drinks at La Frontera Bar. She could have gotten a disease from the man that kissed her.
 

PERLA--
I give up and leave the page to Bajo. Deb, WeePerla, it would have been great to gather in a few more voices to enjoy this. Anyway, for those who might care, here is a description of THE WEDDING and THE RECEPTION from Thursday's episode:

The Wedding and the Reception
A few days later we are treated to a lovely traditional, for 1935, wedding ceremony. Apparently Franz and Manfred have made up, because he is an invited guest.

Amelia is dressed in a soft pink high-waisted dress with a veil held close to her head with a semi-wreath of flowers. Franz is all in white. They make a gorgeous couple. No one would ever suspect the social chasm between them.

Everything is going smoothly until Ernest shows up at the back of the church. The novios see him and glare at him, the guests all turn and glare at him. He turns and disappears. The ceremony continues uninterrupted, but their unbridled joy has been dampened. As they emerge from the church, they are pelted with rice and the new husband and wife make the rounds accepting everyone’s good wishes. Only Arlindinho, the piano player at his dad's cabaret, is not really happy for them—he’s losing Amelia (though she didn’t know he was sweet on her).

Franz asks Mundo when will he gain his trust. Mundo replies, only time and Amelia can say. The wedding party travels in a decorated, open truck to the cabaret where the reception is to take place. They are greeted by more merrymakers. Ernest followed and is watching from his car. Ernesto comes inside to the reception, unseen.

The bride and groom cut the cake while the noisy guests watch. Amelia throws the bouquet, then Arlindo insists on starting the bride and groom’s dance. [ed. note—this is one of the most romantic bride and groom dances I’ve ever seen on the screen.] In the soft light of the hall, Franz at first takes Amelia stiffly in his arms, properly positioned for a formal dance. The music begins (I think it was from the Nutcracker). The camera follows them flawlessly, continuously, as they dance slowly and soon, the stiffness leaves them and they are holding each other closely, her head resting high on his shoulder. Her arms then reach around his neck and he is holding her tight. They look at each other often, kissing with sweet kisses. Manfred watches silently.

Ernest enters the hall and stands by Manfred briefly, then sees Perla being held by a granny-nanny guest. Ernest approaches her and starts up a conversation. Not knowing who he is, granny-nanny asks him to hold her while she goes to fetch a forgotten pacifier. Amelia sees Perla in his arms and freaks out, grabbing Perla and asking him to leave.

Ernest says he only wanted to talk to his son, in private. Franz goes, only at Amy’s urging. They go Franz & Amelia’s shabby little apartment. Ernest is horrified by the conditions Franz is living in and wants him to come back to the mansion. Franz refuses as he now has a wife and child. Ernest says the offer includes them, so they can all live together. Franz doesn’t believe him—after all he did to separate them. And what about having disinherited him? Ernie says he would never have followed through with it. Ernie urges they clean the slate of the past and start over. He wants the child to grow up in proper surroundings. Franz answers he wants her to grow up around people who love her and respect her mother. Ernest, sounding very Earnest, says he regrets what he did and repents. Franz says, touching his father’s shoulders, good, it’s good for his soul, but he won’t accept the offer.

Does anyone want more? I know this is from last week, but I can add more.

 

PERLA--
Here is a list of the characters we've been introduced to so far:

Franz’s “Family”
Ernesto Hauser, patriarch and head of a metal foundry company and jewelry fabrication
Catarina Hauser, Ernesto’s dead wife, whose death was blamed on Heitor Zampari
Gertrude, head housekeeper for the Hausers, Manfred’s mother (who had a fling with Ernesto)
Manfred Ducke, lives in the Hauser mansion and works for Ernesto; Franz considers him a “brother,” and is indeed a half-brother, though Franz doesn’t know it, but Manfred does.
Franz Hauser, oldest Hauser son, being groomed to take over the company (until he falls in love with Amelia and rebels)
Hilda Hauser, Franz’ sister; wants to be a singer
Viktor Hauser, Franz’ brother, wants to be a painter
Eurico Passos, Franz’ best friend and son of Valter (he dies in the avalanche in the first episode)
Cicero, the family chauffeur
Heitor Zampari, rival for Catarina’s love and Ernesto’s company (we only see him prone in bed, very ill, then dies off stage)
Sílvia Zampari, daughter of Heitor, who was ruined by Ernesto
Valter Passos, Ernesto’s best friend and confidant & Eurico’s father (he mentions a son Deccio, from whom he is estranged)

Amelia’s “Family”
(Rai)Mundo Fonseca, foundry worker, Amélia’s brother, workers’ rights supporter (a bit of a hot head)
Amélia Fonseca, sweet cafeteria worker, falls in love with Franz
Apolônio Fonseca, Mundo and Amélia’s godfather (padrino) who raised them after parents died
Iolanda, Mundo’s girlfriend
Venceslau, Iolanda’s father
Gaia, Amelia’s best friend, just got married to Toni and is now pregnant

PERLA will be played by 4 characters
Mel Maia – Pérola Fonseca Hauser, or Perla, Amélia and Franz’ daughter (seen first dancing around the elephant)
Maria Eduarda Wendling – Pérola Fonseca Hauser (1ª fase)
Nicole Gomes – Pérola Fonseca Hauser (3ª Fase)*
Glória Menezes – Pérola Fonseca Hauser (4ª Fase)
*Not sure why 2nd phase is missing

The Cabaret Denizens
Arlindo, owns or runs the cabaret, Pacheco Leal (seems to always wear dark glasses)
Doña Miquelina, works or owns the bar
Arlindinho, must be Arlindo’s son—the piano player, he’s sweet on Amelia
Lola, bleached blonde cabaret singer (kind-hearted floozie who thinks she is Manfred’s girlfriend)

Foundry & CafeteriaWorkers
Antonio (Toni), Gaia’s husband, just married in 1st epi, works in the foundry
Fabrício, Communist agitator
Lindinha, cafeteria worker
Porfirio (??), the guy at the gate
Benito, the guy taking Mundo’s place when he left, also a bit of an agitator
Matilde, could be cabaret or cafeteria

Buddhist Temple Monks
(Original Lama) Ananda Rinpoche, who is reincarnated
(Lama) Sonan Gyatso, charged with finding Ananda’s reincarnation and caring for him as he grows (but doesn’t know it’s going to be a she)
Tenpa Ningpo
Jampa Yonten
Rigpa

 

BAJO

SpanProf, interesting thought about the theme song segment. I'm not sure I agree, however, since usually that segment shows small excerpts from the novela. It's hard to imagine that assortment of people dancing together happily in the novela. Also, if it were a cast party, I don't recall seeing many of the major characters in the dance: Carlos, Adela, and Laura, for example.

Also, one small correction about something you said in an earlier message: Felicia's brother is Cristóbal, not Rudolfo, though slimeball Rudolfo would make more sense as her brother than the straight-arrow, good-hearted policía Cristóbal.
 

Preciosa Perla

the monks have set their sights on Brasil, but so far away, and how to pay for the trip, and Hitler has invaded Poland.

Ernest is all for Hitler, Victor and Hilda are taking German lessons, wait, he is sneaking off to learn drawing and her singing.

we also see Victor has a crush on Silvia, this works for her.

Ernest has talked Valter into adopting a boy.

Yolanda's dad has stumbled upon Manfred and Silvia skimming money from the business, and now gets half.

1945

Mel Maia is now playing wee Perla, so cute.

the president has declared amnesty for all political prisoners, so Amelia and Toni are free (after 10 years), Ernest has managed to detain Mundo, to keep him away from Yolanda, but not for long, and Yolanda finds him, they sleep together.

as Franz rushes to meet Amelia, Silvia takes a roll down the stairs to stop him, (she is so evil) but it only delays him to Manfred's disappointment, who I think has a thing for Amelia.

Franz and Amelia end up in the shop where he bought the radio for Ananda, Perla turns on on and it plays the same music as before, and they dance after a wink from Perla to Franz, and hear the War is over, and later when they kiss, Perla is so happy.

everyone celebrates! (except for Ernest and friends)

and the monks are finally off on their long trip, in the midst of the celebrations Perla says, my friends are coming.

Mundo and Ernest meet on the street, they fight anew, but Perla steps in, enough, the war is over she says.

Toni has had no word on his wife who was deported or his son that may be in an orphanage.

Franz has left Perla with her mother, but Ernest arrives and takes her away, on the way to the car she sees the monks on the trolley, and gives us a very warm smile.

 

Bajo. Juanita: Sorry, I meant that Rudolfo is the cousin ofr both Cristóbal and Felicia who are brother and sister.
 

BAJO


Deb and Novelera, Thank you both for your terrific recaps. I had to play catchup because my family was visiting me for the weekend, and I had to stop watching half way through Thursday's episode...finally got up to date late last night.

I definitely see that Rod is attracted to Mati/Adela. She is a sharp contrast to Greicy, and after his later conversation with Mati, he told G. in no uncertain terms
that they would be living there even though he knew she wanted to leave.

Does this mean that we now have 4 men involved with 2 women?

Novelera -- loved the Spanish phrases. I will write them down. I must find a way to use them in my daily life. We'll see .....................

Novela Maven et al, thanks for pointing out, "Say Goodnite, Gracie"; that is hilarious. I must go back and watch again.

Thanks to all commenters. This novela is riveting.

 

BAJO

SpanProf and Juanita, about the theme song/cast party scene: We had a similar conversation about the opening music video scene for Reina de Corazones. The thing is that in these shows, the filming is usually still in progress at the time the opening sequences are recorded. What seemed likely in Reina de Corazones (and maybe here too), is that as much of the cast as possible took part, even a few we hadn't yet met in the early stages of the story, but not every single actor in the show happened to be available when the sequence was filmed.

About Rodrigo: He is less enigmatic these days as the writers give us the stereotypical glimpses of his thoughts and his memories.

About Sharon: The more likeable and sympathic she becomes, the more I worry about her. It was so much easier to despise her. :D
 

PERLA--
deb-I can't thank you enough for bringing us the next two-hr episode. I have to hurry and finish Friday's episode, but at least we know Franz and Amelia came back together and Perla is no longer a baby. I hope she is as smart as weeRita was and can figure out how to get back to her mother.
 

Bajo or maybe General

NovelaMaven noticed his accent, and I noticed the vos Santiago uses speaking to Juana. Those of us who are veterans of narconovelas taking place at least partly in Colombia will notice extensive use of the voseo form in verb usage.

So, in googling whether Mexico uses the voseo at all, I came across this interesting reference about which countries use that verb form and to which persons:

http://spanish.stackexchange.com/questions/25/vos-vs-t%C3%BA-usage-by-country
 

Bajo

I thought of something else. Gracie is fairly dead set against Adela being a good person because the minute Felicia got her alone, when she moved her into her house, she told her "Mati" was a criminal, a gang member, etc., etc. This was part of her campaign to unite her "family", and push Adela to one side. This is the real reason she offered Gracie a place to stay.
 

PERLA
Deb and Anita-I have only seen the first 40 minutes of episode one (based on Anita's recommendation.) It is gorgeous and I want to watch. I would love to discuss, but I will be behind....all the time. :-(

Thank you both for all the information you have provided so far. Wish I could participate more.
 

Bajo. Maybe they have a character like Santiago with his vos (used in Colombia, Argentina, and parts of Central America, I believe)to show that not all undocumented immigrants are from Mexico. Some are refugees from political violence in Central America or drug violence in Colombia.
 

Bajo

so far, no captions tonight, errr...
so I won't be able to do a recap.

 

Perla

Anita- loved your post as well,
mine was just some high points over the last two days,
I can't wait to see more.

sara- I think you'll love this one, it has all the ingredients for success, but there is something else, in the production, it's not just a story made long, but seems to evolve, each day is a new day.

 

Perla
I'm still watching the first episode. I should probably just jump in and go back and read the information you and Anita have provided, but I want to actually watch the story unfold. I kind of hate that Telemundo is doing two hour episodes. That's difficult to manage every day.
 

Bajo

SpanProf, re Santiago and "vos," it was said in the summary originally provided on this page [by deb?] that Santiago is Honduran, and that his character is intended to represent Central Americans in the story, "who live even more marginally than Mexicans."

Clara
 

PERLA
Oi Oi Oi--Oi, wrong novela, but speaking of Avenida Brasil--who on earth in this day and age cashes in a fortune of an inheritance (millions) in cash and walks out of the bank with the money in a backpack. Have these girls never heard of bank transfers?????

Silvia wears too much lipstick. Friday's episode showed us just what she really thinks of Perla and Franz. I hated her seduction of Franz even as he kept telling her he still loves Amelia. The two of them went off to Montevideo, Uruguay (my home town, so to speak) to get married. Did not understand why there wasn't a big to do in Rio--Ernest is a big Pooh-Bah there. What about Franz & Amelia's church marriage. Did the Church sort of hand out annulments when you become a political prisoner?

Sara--No, don't jump in, the character development is important. But do keep on keepin' on, you won't regret it.

Deb--I'll be away all next week--that means 10 hours of marathon watching to catch up--AGAIN. It's impossible not to peek at your recaps even if I haven't seen the episode. It's better than a page-turner novel and I'm dying to know what happens next. A big thank you.
 

BAJO - Part 1

Since deb has said she won't be able to do a recap of last night's episode, I thought I'd try to provide one, though it will be very incomplete and lack deb's wonderful style. But I guess something is better than nothing. Maybe.

We pick up where the previous episode left off, with Mati rushing to answer a knock at the door. She opens it saying "Mama," but alas it's not Mama but Rodrigo. He's amused, and he quickly picks up on the fact that she's upset, and that her mother is in danger. He claims he knows this from the look on her face. She tells him this is none of his business, it's a private matter, and tries to get rid of him, but he comes in, closes the door, and tells her to sit down (as if it were his place rather than hers).

The scene then shifts to Cristóbal's office, where Carlos has come to see him to ask his help in finding Laura, whom Carlos describes as the mother of an amiga in the barrio. He gives Cristóbal a photo. Cristóbal tells him her name sounds familiar, but it's too soon to launch an official investigation. However, he'll try to help privately, not officially. Carlos thanks him and asks that he not say a word to anyone, and especially not to Felicia.

We now move to Greicy. I suspect she must be at Carlos' house, since Flag is there. At any rate, Maria comes by with her kids. The kids go off to play with Flag, and Maria asks Greicy about the woman who came by the bar a few days ago asking about Maria's husband. Greicy says she doesn't know who she was, and she's not able to provide a description when Maria asks for one. Maria and Greicy continue to talk, and Maria expresses her surprise that Greicy doesn't seem more happy that Rodrigo and she have found an apartment. Greicy admits that the problem is that the apartment is located very near where Mati is, and Greicy also admits her fear that Rodrigo is attracted to Mati. Maria tells her her fears are unfounded, and that what's most important in life is one's husband and children. Hmmm....

The scene shifts again, and we see Willy and his thug friends in their jeep outside the Sanders' house. Luis comes up to them, and once Willy sees that Luis knows Susy, he tells Luis that he should make a copy of the house key and give it to Willy so they can rob the house. I almost let out a cheer when Luis said No. Luis explains that the owner is a well-known journalist with lots of contacts, and he could have them all thrown into prison. My cheer proved to be a bit premature, however, since Luis goes on to say (I think) that he's still interested in doing other business with Willy.

Having seen once again that Greicy is jealous and worried about Rodrigo's attraction to Mati, we now see Greicy and Maria come upon Rodrigo and Mati talking. For Greicy, this is proof positive that her fears are well founded. There ensues a scene in the apartment between Rodrigo and Greicy with a good deal of arguing. Rodrigo tells Greicy that Maria left because of Greicy's bitter look. He also tells her he hates it when people try to control him. She tells him (yet again) that she's afraid and jealous, and she's terrified that he'll leave her for someone better looking as her belly grows big and ugly. He tells her he won't leave her, and her belly excites him. They make up, at least for now.

I don't know how long each segment of a recap can be, so I'm breaking this off here and will start Part II.
 

BAJO - Part II

The scene shifts back to the Sanders. Susi sneaks up on Luis and hugs him. She asks about his "friends" (Willy et al) and he tells her they're not friends, just people he knows. He and Susy start to kiss, but The Witch (aka Debora) arrives, and Susi quickly disappears. It seemed as if Debora was going to catch Susi and Luis together, but instead she goes directly into the house, where we have today's PSA #1 about how (not) to treat los indocumentados. Debora is unhappy that Jacob's clothing isn't well pressed. Jacob explains that Mati wasn't able to be here today because of a problem with her mother. Debora is not at all sympathetic and says she will dock Mati's pay for the day. She announces, "Mi casa no es un hogar de caridad" (My house is not a charity home). Jacob lets Debora know that he's appalled at her lack of compassion.

Juana, meanwhile, has a rather different experience with her employer. He lets her use his cell phone to call her family in Mexico. He tells her to talk as much as she needs to. I'm still not sure what to make of him, though, especially since he stands just outside the room listening as she talks to her mother.

Juana ends the call with her mother because another phone rings. It's Mati, calling from Lancaster, where she's still looking for her mother. Juana is worried. "You're in Lancaster? They know you there." Mati ends by telling Juana "Don't tell anyone where I am." Juana's boss is apparently still listening to her end of the conversation. Hmmm....

Carlos had asked Cristóbal not to tell anyone about the search for Laura, but Cristóbal enlists two friends/colleagues to help, tells them to make copies of the photo of Laura and search. I think Cristóbal's intentions were good, but....

Willy comes to the bar where Feli works and tells her he couldn't kill Mati because Luis arrived. Feli tells him that Mati has to disappear, no matter what.

We now get and extended PSA #2 about the problems of los indocumentados and also example #276 of what a witch Debora is. Debora is angry about Mati, whom Carlos had recommended, and so she takes her anger out on Carlos. She tells him she needs him to put up some tiles that are missing from the roof. He says he'll be happy to do it tomorrow, but she says she needs him to do it today. Luis tells her his father is a gardener, not a handyman/workman, and that asking him to do this is against the law. She retorts, What do you care about laws, you illegals. You're a plaga (plague). Now even Carlos gets upset enough to demand respect. Then she decides that she has changed her mind. Instead of replacing the missing tiles, Carlos should clean the roof's gutters, "uness you're afraid of ladders." Carlos manages not to be harmed, but when Luis goes up the ladder, something gives and Luis falls to the ground. The fall looked pretty dramatic, but apparently Luis suffered only relatively minor injuries. Still, Carlos is worried and wants to take him to the hospital. Debora says No, but then says "Do what you want."

Oops, I've been told this is too long. So I guess there will be a short Part III.
 

BAJO - Part III

Susi and her mother argue about what an absent mother Debora has been to Susi, and how she treats both Susi and Jacob as mere accessories. Susi also berates Debora for her attitude toward everyone who isn't like her. Debora says that Luis is just an employee, to which Susi replies, "An employee that you mistreat, as you do others behind my father's back. You're not only abusive, you're a hypocrite"(Lo cual no solo te hace abusiva, también hipócrita.) Debora slaps her. At one point, Debora says there are things she can't tell Susi. Susi asks her to tell her, and Debora, distraught, says she can't. This is probably the Great Secret that we will learn by and by.

Carlos prepares to take Luis to the hospital, but Ramona comes outside to ask him not to do that. She explains that at the hospital, they'll ask how and where the accident occurred, and they'll note that Luis is a minor. They'll find out that the Sanders family employs indocumentados, which is illegal. This will get Mr. Jacob into trouble. Also, though Carlos will probably be able to find other employment, who will hire someone of Ramona's age? Carlos agrees not to take Luis to the hospital. He and Luis start to drive home, not realizing that Susi has hidden herself in the back of their truck.
 

BAJO

Juanita, just want you to know that I appreciate your dedication to this well written recap. I had to scan it very quickly, as I am rushing out the door. I'll read it again later and then enjoy comments as well.

The plot is thickening -- indeed many irons in the fire. Rodrigo is still riveting!
 

Bajo. Well done, Juanita. Very complete and thorough. Excellent observation about Juana's employer. He has to be up to something! Deborah was exceptionally nasty in this episode; she almost seems nuts. What is it with the crazy almost-middle-aged women in this tn? The scene between Susy and Deborah was very poignant; I wish Deborah would just tell Susy what has warped her character that way. It seems to me that Carlos could have taken Luis to the hospital and lied about the accident. He could have said that Luis was working on their house or something, or maybe pruning a tree. I suspect that no good may come of this.
 

BAJO

Thanks, Floridia and SpanProf, for your comments. SpanProf, you make a good point about how Carlos could have brought Luis to the hospital without causing problems for Mr. Jacob, Ramona, etc. But, of course, had he done so, we might not have had more information about how difficult and complicated being an indocumentado can be. I confess that I usually wince at Telemundo's well-meaning PSAs, but I don't feel that way about the ones in Bajo, perhaps because they do increase my awareness.

I hope you're wrong about no good coming of not bringing Luis to the hospital, but your instincts are usually well founded, so I guess I'll add this one to my list of worries. :-)
 

Bajo

Juanita, your recap was terrific!

It makes me very sad that Felicia has poisoned Gracie's mind against Adela. They would be good friends as both are very nice young women around the same age, and they will have Carlos as a connection. Rodrigo, whom I prefer calling Fire because I now despise him, is definitely playing as ambiguous. Sometimes I think he's attracted to Adela and sometimes not. Last night he was picking up on her speech patterns and movements as being "one of ours" I think he said. So he knows a gang girl when he sees one.

More later. I have another ghastly webinar on our new accounting software to endure!
 

Bajo: Hi, Juanita! As far as Luis's injuries are concerned, I think we're supposed to worry whether they turn out to be dangerous or not. Novelera: Best of luck with the accounting software. Sounds dreadful! I've noticed that people in technical fields are sometimes drawn to more creative hobbies, like my daughter the engineer. The highlight of her week is her reading group--they read excellent contemporary novels, and she is way more up on current literary trends than I am.
 

Bajo

thank you so much Juanita for the wonderful recap!

I'm going to try to watch this online, the scenes where Adela tracks down Laura's friend, (and what kind of bar is that?) looked intense as I think she zeros in on Rodrigo being after her mom, I was waiting for that lady to show her where the clubhouse is, but I guess Adela would already know.

 

BAJO

Juanita,
What a wonderful job on the recap! Thank you so much for stepping up.

In this world, people tend to identify themselves as the white hats or the black hats pretty promptly, so I doubt we'll have to wait too long to find out what Juana's boss is up to. It worried me that he now has her mother's number in his phone and that he has more evidence – as if he needed any – of her desperate situation. (Juana's mother apparently begged her to send money right away to take care of Juana's daughter.)

Rodrigo is seeming increasingly predatory, even reptilian. Poor Carlos. Not so much "poor Gracie" though. She makes me want to reach into my screen and give her a big "Snap out of it!"

deb, Adela's passage through hell really was affecting. Yes, she's very close to finding her mother. But what will be left of her when she does?

Clara, thanks for filling in that background on Santiago. That makes a lot of sense. I can't remember his mentioning his homeland, but then I don't always catch stuff. :)
 

BAJO

Yes, thanks Clara. I personally never read the synopsis of the plot and the character descriptions because they often give away too much before I've seen the novela. I do like to be surprised.

Could we just have a large bus run over Willy, like, next episode! They keep toying with Luis going completely bad and something preventing it. Last time it was his tía showing up at the place they were to rob. Luis wants money probably largely for his pursuit of Susy.

I'll do a recap tonight, probably not a very long one.
 

Bajo

and we got to see where Adela was branded, a big C, with some other stuff.
which reminds me, where are the alacráns (scorpions),
and I don't think Carlos has noticed it yet.

yeah, those character descriptions didn't always ring true,
like maybe they were from the original story.

 

Avenida Brasil

Rita and Jorgito's theme song, that was sung in english,


"Set Fire To The Rain"

I let it fall my heart
And as it fell, you rose, to claim it
It was dark, and I was over
Until you kissed my lips and you saved me
My hands they were strong
But my knees were far too weak
To stand in your arms
Without falling to your feet
But there's a side, to you, that I never knew, never knew
All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true
And the games you'd play, you would always win, always win
But I set fire to the rain
Watched it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!
When I lay, with you
I could stay there, close my eyes
Feel you here forever
You and me together, nothing is better!
Cause there's a side, to you, that I never knew, never knew
All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true
And the games you'd play, you would always win, always win
But I set fire to the rain
Watched it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!
I set fire to the rain
And I threw us into the flames
Well, it felt something died
Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time!
Sometimes I wake up by the door
That heart you caught must be waiting for you…
Even now when we're already over
I can't help myself from looking for you
I set fire to the rain
Watched it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!
I set fire to the rain
And I threw us into the flames
Well, it felt something died,
'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time!
Oh oh oh oh oh…
Let it burn…

 

BAJO – Miércoles – Parte 1

Wow, simply wow!! This novela is like a runaway train with all the action.

We again see Susy hidden under the blue tarp in the back of Carlos’ truck.

Fire is at the hangout. One of the gang was shot by one of Los Alacranes gang. Fire again puts his survival in the novela in peril by snarling at the other guys that they need to find out who was the shooter and kill his entire family.

I’m pretty sure Cristóbal isn’t going to end up with Chabela. My money is on Gracie. She’s too frivolous, out shopping and letting him babysit Alex. He tells her next time she’ll have to get someone else to watch her child.

Gracie bores us some more whining about Fire being attracted to Mati. [Hasn’t she heard the new-age theory that you can manifest your own fears?]

While Carlos is driving home, Felicia sends him a “we gotta talk” text and adds how much she adores him. [Boy, I think I learned in grade school that the more you drool over a guy the faster he runs the other way.]

Adela has come home. She tells Juana that she’s sure Fire took the photos and money from the refrigerator in her old house. She also says that Fire is trying to make nice with her. Well, she’s going to play his game and give him enough rope to hang HIM.

Fire comes home and puts on a machismo PSA asking where’s Gracie and his dinner.

At the restaurant Feli and Gracie do a duo about Adela stealing their respective men. Feli says Adela got herself into his head like una sangijuela (leech). Gracie spills the beans about “Mati” living in the same apartment building as she and Fire. Feli demands the address, calls Willy, and tells him to kill her right away.

Meanwhile, said Feli swans around the restaurant, making nice with the customers, setting up her coartada (alibi).

Fire shows up at the restaurant telling Gracie to come home with him. She has a man to support her now. Maria doesn’t like his behavior. It ends up with Gracie suggesting HE work in the restaurant, and I think they’re going with that.

Adela tells Juana that, if Rod killed her mother, she’ll have to cry for her mother and Carlos will have to cry for his son. She says this while suggestively stabbing some peppers.

Carlos leaves to go see Adela and Susy sneaks into the house. She likes their house and Flag. [Our boy Flag is the acid test for females; if he likes ‘em, they’re probably going to end up with the guy.]

Willy and the Stooges arrive at the apartment complex. We hear a knock on Adela’s door and think it might be Willy, but it’s Carlos.

Adela has only begun her “This can never work” spiel when Willy sees them through the window and grins happily. He bursts in saying he’s going to kill two birds with one stone.
 

BAJO – Miércoles – Parte 2

Juana manages to get out the window. Carlos misses the point. He thinks Willy is after him for throwing him out of his house that time. He asks him to let Mati go. Willy starts in gloating early. [He clearly hasn’t watched many telenovelas or he’d know that the male and female protagonists are golden. Nothing can kill them.] He puts the gun on Carlos’ forehead and says he’ll shoot him, then burn up the house with Mati in it.

Luis leans Susy back on the couch, but Nick arrives in time to save us all from a teenage pregnancy. He mentions a party, and Susy is more than up for it.

Gracie and Fire come home. He smirks about his father’s truck being there. Juana has awakened Santiago and is telling him Mati and Carlos are in danger. Fire overhears and rushes over.

Willy is taunting Adela, and she asks who sent them. Thinking they’ll be dead, he probably would have told her, but Felicia stays out of the soup when Carlos lunges for the pipsqueak. One of the stooges is about to shoot Carlos, but said jealous pipsqueak insists he has to kill him himself so Carlos gets another chance. Carlos is being beaten by Willy when Rod breaks in and punches Willy out.

Susy is just terrific at the po’ side of town party, being friendly, dancing, and even singing some karaoke. But we have to put up with Sharon (who hasn’t combed her hair since the first time she appeared) muttering jealously in a corner.

Fire tells Willy to let his jefe and Mati go. Willy realizes that he’s Carlos’ other son. The other Stooge gets a scared look on his face. He tells Willy this is El Fire and probably they’ll have the whole gang on them at any minutes. ¡Ojala!

Willy asks if they think he’s stupid enough to leave witnesses and points his gun at Fire. Carlos lunges and brings him down. He’s beating him so much that Adela screams to stop before he kills him.

Gracie calls Felicia. She asks her to bring Cristóbal – that something happened. Feli smirks. But Gracie goes on to say that “they” have Mati, Rodrigo, and Carlos kidnapped. Feli rushes out.

Deborah is all dolled up in an evening gown for a “gala”. Jacob refuses to go since his daughter is not answering her cell and they don’t know where she is. Mother of the year goes without him.

While Santiago and Juana try to keep Carlos on the bed and he tries to get up because Adela went after Fire, Juana remembers Adela saying she was going to follow Fire to the hideout.

Gracie wants to call the cops. Feli, of course, doesn’t want cops to nap Willy, and makes the stock excuse that Carlos is undocumented. And Fire is on parole.

Susy is ready for the taxi home Luis mentioned earlier [doubtless using his ill-gotten gains hidden in his closet]. But he tells her they won’t come to this neighborhood at this hour. She agrees to stay in his room. Uh oh!

We see several gang members escorting Willy and the Stooges into the La Colonia hideout and Adela looking on from a convenient rooftop nearby.
 

Bajo

terrific recap novelera !!!

(once again I had no captions, so, double terrific)

 

Preciosa Perla... 15/16
part 1

the monks (lama Sonan, Tenpa, Jampa) made it to Rio, Perla sees them (this is interesting, she doesn't know who/what they are but she is curious) and runs to them but Ernest grabs her.

the monks have made it to the beach and unload their stuff, one jumps right in, but can't swim, and while he is being rescued, a thief has gathered up their things and fled, lama Sonan reminds the others it was only material stuff, later they find a place on the street to meditate, and passerby's drop coins for them, and even later while sleeping they are arrested, (no papers, passports, etc.) and end up in jail, but wait the thief is caught doing something else and he still has the monks passports on him, so they are released, and the monks thank him ?? anyway they make it so he isn't guilty and he is released too, oh he is so thankful, he keeps getting on his knees and they keep pulling him up, but he knows the address they seek of Franz Hauser and takes them to the mansion, where they are met by the maid at the gate, friends of Franz, right, and I am a movie star, should I call the cops, no, no, they have had enough cops for the day, and they are off, needing a place to stay, they are directed to the pension Modesta (but honesta) which is where all the girls from the now closed cabaret are staying, and when they explain they are monks and not beggars, and have money, they are welcomed, and yes the girls do know of Franz Hauser.

Perla asks her dad to show her his photo album of the Himalayas, yep, that's them she says.

meanwhile Franz has decided Perla will live with Amelia, Ernest is livid, he calls his lawyer and starts proceedings to gain custody of Perla, Franz is served the papers, and he is now livid, he storms into the Hauser mansion, declaring he is leaving, the house, the business, the... (does this include his wife Silvia who lives there, he doesn't say), Ernest can't bare for him to leave again, he has Manfred call his lawyer and stop the proceedings, but a worried Franz then gets a lawyer and places Perla in sole custody of her mother, Amelia (ut oh) so they will always be together, but Manfred gives Ernest a new plan, showing that Amelia is not a fit mother.

 

Preciosa Perla... 15/16
part 2

Perla is so happy with her mom, Amelia apologizes about it not being a mansion, Perla shows Amelia her favorite doll, the one Amelia made for her, and Amelia sees Ananda's necklace in her stuff.

one of the girls at the pension, Dalia, has a brother who will be coming home after the war, the other girls drool at his picture, but alas, he was killed, and only his things have come home.

Toni has heard word of Gaia and their son, she was deported to Lithuania, controlled by the Nazi's, and died in a concentration camp, he is totally destroyed, crying in the street, he is helped by Hilda, (Franz's sister) on her way to her singing lesson, they talk, she is moved, he, grateful to have someone to talk to.

Silvia no longer has her perpetual smile as she is losing her grip on Franz with the return of Amelia, now it's only tears, that she turns on at will, and snarky faces when no one is looking, (it would be good to have mirrors around so that you could see her face when your back was turned) she woes that Franz has taken Perla away from her after ten years, but we know that Franz is wise as he tells Amelia, that Silvia does not love Perla, she isn't capable of loving anyone.

but Silvia has Viktor mesmerized.

ok, there are two boys here, the age Toni's son would be, one is Octavio adopted by Valter who doesn't like him, and another, Pellizquito ?? who escaped from like a work farm and is hanging out with Odilon (the thief that took the monks stuff)

oh and Wenceslau (Yolanda's dad) who now has money, has bought a dress for Volpina and takes her to dinner at the club, lobster and champagne, as Ernest finds this suspicious and Manfred tells him to leave, but Volpina stays with Valter, who manages the club.

and an older lady wants to reopen the Cabaret.

and the monks have gone to where Amelia lives to see Franz, but he is not there.

and Perla likes to play futbol...


 

Perla

I think I'm the only one keeping up with this one,
sorry if I'm taking up space with these posts,
this is such an amazing novela, but in such a subtle way.



 

PERLA

Deb- I am keeping up with it very slowly so your recaps are appreciated. I'm just getting to them so late.
 

BAJO

Novelera, your recap was absolutely wonderful! You always do a terrific job, but this one seemed even more terrific. I'm racing to get to a meeting, so I won't say more now. Just muchísimas gracias otra vez.
 

BAJO

What Juanita said! I especially liked the little asides, including this one:

"[He clearly hasn’t watched many telenovelas or he’d know that the male and female protagonists are golden. Nothing can kill them.]"

Thanks so much, Novelera!

What a great dramatic set-up: Rodrigo is able to save Mati and Carlos precisely because he is a monster. Wow.
 

Preciosa Perla

deb, I'm so happy you're posting about this one. It sounds incredible. Keep in mind that there are always a lot more people reading than there are people commenting. Perla absolutely deserves a place at the table!
 

Bajo. Excellent recap as always, novelera! Yep, it gets ever more exciting. I especially liked your remark about Flag as a screen for the Martínez love interests! I think at the very end (I hope not in the preview) Adela overhears Willy confessing that it was Felicia who sent him. No taxi at night in that neighborhood, but Susy couldn't call her dad? Umhummmm. Ah, Willy, Willy! You must be about the most incompetent assassin who ever lived! Assuming you live through your confrontation with Rodrigo, mightn't it be a good time to find a new career?
 

NovelaMaven- could you delete the second Perla 'part 2' post which is a duplicate?
when I posted part 2 it disappeared, and so I posted it again which also disappeared, and then later on they both came back. thank you!

 

BAJO

And speaking of idiotic criminals, SpanProf, how about the would-be murderers' plan to find Mati by knocking on every door in the apartment building? I suppose we should be glad they're morons, right?

PERLA

Deb, I just read your note and was on my way to tidy up the page when I discovered that an unseen hand had already deleted the duplicate post. All is well.
 

PERLA
No, no, deb--I'm definitely watching, but like Sara, always a little behind. I hope you saw my comments to you that I'm so glad you are continuing to do the recaps. I finally watched Wednesday's on Wednesday. Will comment later.

AVENIDA B
Also, I'm glad you gave us the lyrics to J&N new love song. It is by Adele. I got it already from iTunes and have listed to it at least a dozen times. Somehow the words fit and don't fit them, but I love the interpretation.
 

BAJO

Novelera,

Really terrific recap of a truly action-packed episode. El FIRE saves the evening
and much more. I especially liked the part where he put his gun down to try to resolve the matter in a more nonviolent way. He certainly is a take-charge guy. Did you notice his tender side showing when he looked at Adela and asked if she was okay?

It will be interesting to see him acting as a waiter or even a host at the bar.
Or perhaps, he will be a short-order cook.

I liked that Cristobal told off Chabela.

I am upset with Susy for not calling her father who was worried about her.


Thanks again, Novelera

Always enjoy all comments
 

PERLA
deb--Thank you, again and again for your recap--I'm aware you are also following Bajo, so it's a privilege to have you working so hard for us, too. Also, a big thank you for adding new names to the roster of characters.

Silvia is a piece of art isn't she? She and Manfred are still in cahoots trying to separate Franz from Amelia. I think Manfred is worse because he tells Franz to his face that he will always support him and find a way to keep him and Perla together, while plotting with Ernest to do just the opposite. Silvia just whines or gets angry and resentful. Remember how she threw herself down the stairs to keep Franz from going to meet Amelia when she was being let out of jail? The doctor told her she could have killed herself.

I wish they had given us more examples of Silvia mistreating Perla, but Perla doesn't seem to harbor any hard feelings toward her. She calls her Tia Silvia.

Silvia is using Viktor's infatuation with her to ultimately turn the two brothers against each other. It starts with the looks and the kiss and now boo-hooing to make him feel sorry for her, because it's all Franz' fault and Amelia's. No good will come of this, wait and see.

The custody case over Perla was supposed to do the same thing (according to Manfred) with Ernest and Franz. It's sad Perla is even more in harm's way with Amelia having legal custody.

You'd think Ernest would tone down the rhetoric when speaking of Amelia. After all, didn't he get bewitched by a woman from a lower social class and married her--albeit against her will. Talk about a trophy wife--I wonder what they have to talk about when they are alone. Can't he tell how sad she is all the time and how unresponsive she is to him? That kind of hate just simmers below the surface until someday it will explode. Although it will certainly make things worse--I wish she would get pregnant by Mundo, but I guess she knows what's best--and has for many years.
 

PERLA

Comments cont'd

This episode turned the monks into a bit of comic relief. I wish they had been able to keep their dignity and reverence for their mission through this. We don't really need comic relief in this tn, although we get a taste of it at the pension and the cabaret.

Perla wanted to see Franz' photo album so he could tell her more about his stay in the monastery and the friends he made there. She recognized the ones on the tram with the ones in one of Franz' photos. Please, hurry up and get all these people together again. I wonder what Lama Sona will show Perla that belonged to Ananda that she would recognize (while none of the other babies way back when did). Will she go get her turquoise Buddhist prayer beads for them to see?

deb--I would bet some of Venceslau's losings that Valter and his wife were given baby Giuseppe. The timing was too coincidental and Ernest was the go-between and said something about the recently born infant not having any papers. I think it's preying on Valter's conscience about the boy. I'm glad his wife loves and cares for him. What will Pellizquito's role be in all this (I think he's in Avenida Brazil--the boy who got "married" just before Jorgito and Nina got married).

Interesting how the writers have woven in a fairly recent period of history into this story. I was mistaken early on when I surmised that communists weren't as vilified in the 1930s there as they were in the U.S. in the 1950s. I forget this was Brazil, with a large German and English population who would have been wary, if not downright anti-communist. In those days of (non-)democratic rule in Latin America, it was far easier to jail people for political reasons and leave them to rot.

It's nice that just about everyone in a major role has not aged a bit in 10 years, no? Hilda has matured nicely. Gertrudis has a new hairstyle, but that's about it. I think Hilda was far more intrigued by Toni than she let on to her brother, Viktor. Glad Hilda failed to mention her name to Toni while they were sitting in the restaurant (called a bar and Viktor was horrified she would go to a place like that)--otherwise, their future would have ended before it began.

The former communist members from the factory are trying to restart the party--they are sure that they can now be legit. Mundo will rejoin but doesn't want to be the leader.

Toni didn't want anything to do with the party--he was still looking for Gaia and Giuseppe. One of the party members offered to use his connections in Lithuania to find out. He was told they could both have been deported, but if it was only Gaia, his son would have been sent to an orphanage. Regrettably, he's told they were both deported and died in a Nazi concentration camp. That was when he found out they both were lost and Hilda found him crying in the street.

The old dame that showed up at the cabaret is Arlindo's wife's mother's sister. They are seen greeting each other and poking friendly insults at each other. It's been her dream to sing in a cabaret and now she has the money from her husband's estate.

Oh, another Avenida Brazil graduate is Dona Concepcion, who runs the pension. She was Janina the maid.
 

Bajo

Thanks, guys. Remember, a recap is only as good as the writing and acting on display.

A word about Gracie vs Greicy. The Telemundo captions use the second one. But I think her name is Gracie. They have to spell it that way because, if spelled the first way, it would be pronounced Gr-ah-see. I work with a Graciela, and one of our gringo co-workers constantly calls her grace-ee-ella, which grates on my nerves as I know it’s Gr-ah-see-ella. Everyone else pronounces her name correctly, but this guy is tone deaf.

I can hardly wait to see what happens in the La Colonia hangout to Willy and the Stooges. I loathe Willy, so the actor must be doing a good job. The whole point of his life is his obsession with Felicia. And from this stems his hatred of Carlos and, by extension, his wanting to corrupt Luis. Before the ill-fated convenience store robbery, Willy even mentioned that Luis might not survive it.

Regarding no taxis for Susy, I went to a meeting in Southern California once. Flew down for the day and took a taxi to Compton, where the meeting was. When it was time to get back to the airport and fly home to Northern Cali, the staff at that business told me no taxis would come there after dark. Since several people had come from different areas to that meeting and had rental cars, one of them offered to double up with someone else to get to LAX and let me return his rental car. Whew!

I think Fire will end up working at the restaurant. It will give him a cover story for being able to support Gracie, while really getting his money from what the gang does. Is it drug deals? Did I see them packaging some once? Don’t remember for sure. Oh, yes, Fire got all over Jay once, catching him smoking marijuana and grousing about his using the merchandise.
 

BAJO

I want to thank you once again for this wondeful recap. There were some important scenes where I simply didn't understand what was being said, and your recap cleared things up.

I loved your asides and snarky remarks. NovelaMaven has already cited one of my favorites, but some others include "Mother of the Year goes without him," Sharon "(who hasn’t combed her hair since the first time she appeared)," and Rodrigo's machismo PSA.

I agree that Cristóbal is likely to wind up with Greicy. It pains me to say this, but Rodrigo simply has too much baggage to deserve full redemption in this life. I'm just hoping (and, to be honest, expecting) that he'll die in a noble cause.
 

Perla

Anita- ah, so you got caught up, and what great comments too, your posts help me out with the little things I miss.

ah the villains,
Ernest I don't think will ever change (although I think Perla is working on that)
Silvia, likewise, she is much more insidious than trading sex for favors.
Manfred, will we ever know whose side he is on, I think he would be perfectly happy doing Ernest's evil deeds if only Ernest would recognize him as son and heir.

I think the overall plan is that while Franz, Viktor, and Hilda are snoozing, Manfred and Silvia walk away with it all, but if it comes to that I'm guessing only one will walk away.

and I'm really liking the monks, they are like kids, but there is purpose behind what they do.

 

PERLA
Deb--I will concede that these three monks are understandably overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of a big city. Where their mountain retreat is isolated, serene, perfect for meditating and being peaceful and gentle, they are learning the rest of the world isn't so.

But, they should have learned *something* along their way to find Ananda's reincarnated soul. We saw how they traced their peregrinations on a map from the Himalayas to London and then by ship to Rio.

It's OK now to me, to show all they went through, but show us through their arrival in Rio what they had experienced.
 

Preciosa Perla... 17/18

Viktor has shown Silvia his secret, a hotel room where he paints, she is off to the club to eat, but Viktor convinces her to eat there, with champagne.

the monks, led by Lola, arrive early at the Hauser mansion gate, and catch Franz as he is leaving for work, Ernest welcomes them into his house, grateful to them for saving Franz's life, he offers them a seat and they sit on the floor.

Manfred drags Lola off, upset that she is meddling, she wants a job at the factory, what? Manfred gives her money for her room.

Hilda hears that the Cabaret is opening, auditioning singers, will she try out?

the monks get alone with Franz and ask about his daughter, Franz spills out the whole story, but asks, why are you here, and they tell their whole story, he will take them to a church where the birth records are kept.

ok, the monks say something like the person reincarnated will not remember everything, but some things, Amelia remembers a drawing Perla made of the monks before she met them.

Manfred's man (who I think is the guy who shot Ernest) has returned (was it a coal mine, same place that boy escaped from) he wants a job in town. (Pellizquito when he later sees him, runs, and is hit by a car driven by Laura, Valter's wife, and taken to the hospital).

a lady named Aurora is coming to Brasil, maybe the same as in the movie Perla went to see.

Valter and Laura's older son comes home, I think Ernest wants him to marry Hilda.

Mundo is being set up to run for a political position, visits a senator at a club where Valter and Ernest's families have met, Yolanda sneaks out to see him when he leaves, Laura sees and stops Ernest from looking for her, says she'll go, and sees them kissing, but covers for Yolanda.

the cabaret is auditioning, they are all terrible, Arlindo throws them out, then Hilda appears, she's the one he thinks, but Hilda thinks back at what her dad said about her singing and she runs out, later overheard by Silvia who encourages her, (anything that causes problems is ok with Silvia)

two ladies come to Rio, to audition, they are late, but get the job, there new stage names are Matilde Meyer and Serena Fox, they move into the same pension, how big is that place.

ok the plan,
Manfred drops off two tickets to the movies for Perla and her abuelo Apolo, and while in line for the movie, a lady vendor gives them chocolate, a special one for Apolo, he gets sick and has to go to the bathroom at a bar across the street, where Manfred's guy conks him on the head, the candy lady talks Perla into her car and drops her off in the woods somewhere and leaves, Silvia is there to monitor the situation, but smiles and leaves also... perra!

 

Bajo

I'll try to do the recap tonight.
Friday is open if anyone is interested,,
and I won't be able to do next Tuesdays.

 

PERLA
deb--wonderful highlights. You picked out the best.

While Silvia is visiting Viktor's "art studio" (in a hotel room, he said), he asks to sketch her. When he's finished she says, "It's almost as if I were looking in a mirror." Yes, it's pretty good, I have to admit, she's quite lovely--in the sketch.
At first when he suggested dinner out, she thought it wouldn't be proper, but then changed her mind when he told her it would be ok, after all, they are BIL and SIL. Then he comes up with the idea of staying in.

They have a little too much champagne and arrive home laughing and definitely tipsy. Ernest is pithed at Franz, who was waiting with daddy-o for dinner (or after dinner drinks) for not controlling his wife better.

Manfred tells Silvia that Ernest's plan to challenge Amelia for custody purportedly because she is a bad mother and the child is living in detestable conditions is OFF. Ernest goes off to visit Perla in the vecindad and finds her up a tree getting a soccer ball down. He goes ballistic because she's all dirty. He surprises Amelia inside but before they can have words, Perla pulls him into her room to show him something.

Anyway we see the aftermath of this little scene because Manfred's plan is back ON. Then we see the movie scene. Manfred has "bought" the candy seller lady and tells her she will be paid well, nothing bad will happen, but she might have to leave the area for awhile. (P.S. I remember those candy --and cigarette-- sellers at the movies, but they were always inside. Never outside. But, whatever. On with the story.)

Lama Sonan has told Franz why they ended up in Brazil. It all had to do with Sonan being Brazilian and Ananda Ripochet called him back from the cave where he was meditating to listen to the soccer game on the radio that Franz had sent. Then, when he was mentally asking for direction out by the lake, he saw the arches and drew them. Then the post card arrived and he recognized the arches of the aqueduct. That's why they think Ananda Ripochet was reincarnated in Brazil.

Franz takes the three monks to the vecindad to meet Perla. She greets them with big hugs. When it is Lama Sonan's turn, she says, "I am so glad you are here." Sonan then recalls those are the same words Ananda used when he was returned from the cave.

During the night Perla has a disturbing dream about a monk who has been left alone in a strange place among the trees. He says something out loud (HELP--I can't remember what he said--was it like why did you leave me out here, or don't leave me here.) Anyway, Amelia calms her down and climbs into bed with her. Of course after the candy seller leaves her out in the same looking woods, she uses the same words the monk did in her dream. Perla did see Silvia's car drive off, but I don't think she knew who was driving. She called after that car, too, not to leave her there.

The Laura-Yolanda alliance is strange. I hope she isn't going to betray Yolanda to Ernest. She seems sincere. Yolanda sadly tells Laura that for Ernest, she and his children are merely property to him.

Decio is a nasty, spoiled twerp. He skedaddled back home because he left Aurora with a bunch of bills (she was the one in the bathtub in Paris). He wishes the Germans had won. He has no love for communists. He said this at the dinner table in the club with Yolanda present and after seeing Mundo come in.

Yes, Ernest has told Valter that Decio and Hilda will marry. It's about time she does. Hilda will have no say in the matter, he's the father, he's the decider.

If I think of anything else juicy, I'll fill in tomorrow.
 

Bajo el mismo cielo... thursday, epi 31
part 1

Mati is outside the club house, Carlos calls her, wants to know where she is, went for a walk she whispers, Carlos isn't buying it, but she ends the call.

Carlos calls Rodrigo, you left with those guys, he asks, yep, says Rodrigo, they still think I'm with that gang, I want to scare them so they don't mess with you or my family any more.

Carlos won't leave till Rodrigo (and especially Mati) come back and he sees they are alright, Felicia won't stop nagging him, and Greicy is just plain worried, as are Juana and Santiago, and nurse Greicy patches Carlos up.

(I guess Juana hurt her foot jumping out the window)

Carlos thinks it's about him kicking Willy out earlier, Felicia swings it to Mati being trouble (with a capital T) and will end up getting his sons killed.

and it's a tough night at the clubhouse, (or maybe just another night, as this looks like business as usual to the regulars),

Rodrigo wants Willy to talk, electro shocks him then puts a gun to his head, Willy tries to convince him he was after Mati, she's dangerous, stole your dad's truck, chased me with a gun, but Rodrigo isn't buying it, who sent you, and Willy finally cracks, it was Felicia, (Adela has snuck in and is listening) she's obsessed with your dad, wants Mati gone, (ah, but did Willy just signed his death sentence by being a snitch), wait, I'm a friend of your family Willy says, he's looking after Luis, who wants fast money, Mati is forcing him to hide stolen goods in his home, Rodrigo likes this that he will keep an eye on Luis, so now I need to know if I can trust you, put two bullets in the head of each of your guys, and hands him the gun, he tries but can't, they are my friends, and hands the gun back (hmm seems to have passed that test), so Rod gives the gun to one of Willy's friends and tells him to kill Willy, your life or his, and when he goes to shoot him (flunked that test) I think someone grabbed the gun away and both of Willy's friends are killed, and so Rodrigo gives a completely defeated Willy the deal, you do every thing I say, do we have a deal, (not much choice here) Willy agrees.

(interesting how Rod is always handing off the job of killing to someone else)

meanwhile Luis and Susy have the house to themselves and Susy always seems ready to try out the bed (are we missing a few chapters of this romance)

Mati has made her way outside looking for her mother, waits for the gang to leave then breaks into the back and finds her mother, nope, but a guy in a cage caught selling Alacranes merc on Colonia turf.

the gang heads out to get rid of the bodies and to drop Rodrigo at home, (in their Big car) Rod leaves Jay in charge, makes sure he has a gun, and after they leave Jay takes off the bandages, and can see some blurry things, like Mati when she comes back in, she distracts him with a noise, and bashes him from behind (and here is the part where she leaves the gun with him, will these novela characters never learn) and after searching all, still no mom, and decides to let the guy out using the keys in Jays back pocket, but Jay is back on his feet and firing, killing the guy from the cage, Mati gets away.

 

Bajo el mismo cielo... thursday, epi 31
part 2

Rodrigo casually strolls into the house, Greicy hugs him, dad wants an explanation, they send the girls off so they can talk, Rod gets impatient with his dad, haven't seem Mati and just scared the guys, Rodrigo goes on, do you really think I'm still in that gang?

Alex has a fever and the half dressed Chabela runs to Cristobal for help, they take him to the hospital, Chabela is calling Rudi who sees the call but doesn't answer, lying in bed with Maria, it turns out that Alex is ok, just a cold, but Cris asks if they will keep him over night for observation.

Deborah is home from the Gala, (nice dress) mister Jacobs sits waiting for word on Susy, she complains that she had to explain all night why he wasn't there, Jacob wants to know what happened with Susy, her car and cell phone are here, and none of her friends know anything, well Susy's just mad, well we had a fight, well I hit her, (Jacob is flipping out) no daughter of mine is going to talk to me like that, and Jacob hears it was over Luis' accident, he calls the cops but gets the usual nothing on missing persons, so he will look for her himself.

Mati arrives home, totally worried about her mom, where could she be?

the beat up Carlos makes it home (I think more to get away from Feli than anything) and walks in on Luis and Susy, demands an explanation, they justify their love, Carlos wants more, he's taking them to mister Jacobs so his son can man up tell him what his intentions are, Carlos will not betray the trust of mister Jacob, no matter how much Susy pleads.

Jay calls Rod with the bad news, (as they drop the dead guy into a wheelbarrow), he thinks the other gang came to get their guy, but the other one got away, what did the other guy look like Rodrigo asks, I'm blind remember, Jay replies, and what should we do with the body, Rod says to drop him where they found him with a note, "get on my turf, and you're dead".

it has become morning, Adela and Juana talk, lets Juana know about Feli being behind Willy, Adela is staying till she finds her mother, Juana is too then, and as they leave for work Rod grabs Mati, let's talk, (this is intriguing, these two feeling each other out without giving anything away), another stalemate.

a defeated Willy sits at home, gets a call, it's el Faier, meet me in an hour, Willy tells Sharon, I'm in deep now, and what about your friends she asks, they're dead, and Felicia won't like this either, what? Sharon asks, how can you be thinking of her?

and the busy Rodrigo swings by to see Felicia, waltzes in, sits down with his feet up, I think I'll take that job at your bar, and here are my conditions, you do what I say,
or we tell everyone you ordered the hit on Mati...

 

Perla
Thank you for the recaps.I decided to join in and start watching. Please pray that Mr. Romy does not divorce me as I hardly have the time for 2 hour episodes of another novela. But, I'll watch what I can and read every day. I appreciated the recaps and who is who.
Bajo
I watch last night for the first time to see the faces that go with the names. I'll just read for now. So, thanks so much for your valuable help.
Romy
 

BAJO

Deb,

Enlightening as always. I may set up captions because I am missing some critical

dialogue.

Wow! Rodrigo the Charmer, Liar, Inveterate Gang Leader, and Torturer is calling all the shots.

What a kettle of fish for Willy & Felicia. I am delighted that Rod will be

controlling Felicia.


It was cute how Santiago was sweet talking Juana -- suggesting how one day there

might be walks in the park, riding bicycles or even going to the mountains after her

foot injury heals. I meant to mention the other day, how frightened and queasy

Santiago looked when Rod made him hold a gun during the skirmish.


Couldn't figure out what the hospital incident was all about.


Thanks, again, Deb

Chat later...............................




 

BAJO

Deb, that was one fabulous recap!

I was also thinking that Fire doesn't ever kill anyone himself. Are the writers planning on a redemption. But ordering someone else to do it certainly doesn't get you off with the justice system.

Felicia is nuts! Can't she see how much she annoys the crap out of Carlos with her incessant ragging on "Mati".

I feel bad about my reaction to Willy's being shocked with the funny looking cord. I loved it! But the miserable rat managed to get in one last evil deed -- telling Fire that Adela was the one stealing and having Luis hide the goods. Of course, if Fire confronts his brother with this, Luis won't say it was Adela.

Fire sure is glib. He always has a very quick answer, as when his father was looking very severe about his disappearing with Willy and the Stooges.

He told Felicia his job at the restaurant was going to be una fachada (façade, cover story), which is what I thought all along. The twist is that he can come and go as he pleases because he has Felicia right where he wants her. Of course, his Tía Maria might be wondering about the work hours he puts in.

Wow, that scene with Jacob and Deborah was impressive. I'm now doubting she'll reform. When she first slapped her daughter, she was very remorseful. But now she's convinced herself she was justified because her daughter said things she didn't like. Re Deborah and Jacob, anybody remember the ancient Ladies Home Journal articles: "Can This Marriage be Saved?" I doubt it. The scales have fallen off Jacob's eyes. I hope he soon investigates the pay scale of his household workers.
 

Bajo. Wonderful recap, Deb! And where is Laura? Now we know why we never saw that back room. She isn't there! A dungeon somewhere perhaps? I'm not that surprised about Rodrigo working everything to his advantage. Remember how the warden commented more than once on his astronomically high i.q.? Novelera: I remember the Can This Marriage be Saved? feature of LHJ. (though I read it as a child; probably warped me for life :)) It was usually on the order of "If John changes a little and Marsha changes a lot" then maybe. However, unless Deborah gets some kind of psychological help, I see Mr. Jacob not putting up with her much longer--though he has always seemed to realize she was a bit cold-hearted. I wonder what terrible trauma he knows about. I was a bit impressed with Willy. He may be incompetent and a criminal but he does know how to be loyal. Unfortunately, even though that saved his life, it also got him a place in the gang. Felicia seems to be undermining herself more than ever with Carlos, and Carlos finally seems to be getting suspicious of Rodrigo.
 

BAJO

Loved the recap, deb. Thanks so much! I've been willing to go along with everything, no matter how unlikely. But a doctor letting a kid with a cold stay overnight in the hospital "for observation"? On what planet? [Unless he suspects child abuse or neglect, which would not be a stretch here!]

Fans of Rodrigo might be interested in seeing him in something else. There's a little film on Netflix, No sé si cortarme las venas o dejármelas largas (I don't know whether to slit my wrists or leave them long) in which the actor Luis Ernesto Franco stars alongside a cast of very familiar players including Ludwika Paleta, Raúl Méndez (Chacorta in El Señor de los cielos) and Zuria Vega. Marimar Vega, Erick Elias and Livia Brito are also featured.

It's a comedy about people living a small apartment building in the city. They live in singles and couples in their own neurotic misery, each apartment isolated from the others. Then Félix (Luis Franco) moves in and shakes things up. If you watch online, you can opt in or out of captions, in English or Spanish.

To me, it wasn't exactly a laugh riot, but it was fun seeing these players in roles I wouldn't have expected of them.

[The Spanish title is a play on words: cortarse las venas vs cortarse el pelo/las uñas. But when you translate "cortarse las venas" as "slit my wrists," you lose the echo of "cut my hair." A translation for the real world – the marquee on a movie theatre – would have to come up with a new title.]
 

Bajo. Then again, maybe Laura is dead, but La Colonia hasn't left her body lying around because they know that if Adela thinks Laura is alive she won't leave town. Otoh, I doubt that the writers would be able to resist some kind of dramatic death scene for Laura.
 

Bajo

SpanProf, before I posted my comment including "Can this marriage.." I googled it because I didn't remember which magazine it was in. I also read it as a child or perhaps a teenager. I remember being fascinated by reading the articles. If you google it now and look at a site describing it, there are some awful examples of the advice to women to shape up and please their husbands.

NovelaMaven, that movie sounds great. I don't stream movies, but I'll see if I can get a CD. And that IS a clever play on words in the title.

They sure aren't shy about killing off a number of gang members, accomplices, and thieves. They're almost rising to narconovela levels at times.

SpanProf, yep, where in blazes is Laura? The last we saw of her was Fire taking hold of her arm just when we thought she'd blinded Jay and got away clean. I'm quite sure he hasn't let her go. If this part of the novela is there because Rosalinda Rodríguez became ill or something, maybe they'll go with her having died from liver failure without saying a word. Who knows?

Carlos doesn't like to lie. If he doesn't tell Jacob about how Susy spent her night, then how's he going to explain bringing her home in the morning? She ran away to their house? She didn't even know where they lived.

Floridia and NovelaMaven, I also scoffed aloud when the doctor said the kid could stay overnight with a childhood elevated temperature from a cold.
 

Bajo. Hi, Novelera! The "Can This Marriage" that I remember most is one in which the husband was going back to school and wouldn't be finished with his BA and MA until they were both 28, and the wife thought that was a little late to be starting a family. Now given that my mother was nearly 30 when I was born, and then had 5 more children, all while going to school to get her BSN (she already had an RN), even back then I thought that was pretty weird. I expect between the 2 of them Carlos and Susy will come up with something. Carlos may not like to lie, but he seems to have a talent for it, as does Susy. I don't find Luis's lies quite as convincing.
 

Avenida Brasil

"Set Fire to the Rain" rita/jorgito song,

"I set fire to the rain
and I threw us into the flames"

yep, that's rita,


if you haven't heard the whole song,
it is so much different than reading the words,
I found a simple site to listen/download it...

http://mp3.gisher.org/songs/2496

 

Bajo

thanks guys !!!

I'm particularly fascinated by how well the writers are introducing us to the whole gang mind set, how they are recruited and how they are controlled, and how it feeds on itself, and even Rodrigo is in the mix, being controlled by Colmillo, or does he think he is too smart to get caught up in it.

I was going to push the fact that Rodrigo doesn't kill anyone, but there is the guy he beat to death, so I'm thinking he has others do the killing as a way to control them.

 

BAJO

Deb, I don't have much to add to what others have said, but I did want to thank you for another splendid recap.

I very much appreciated your aside "(are we missing a few chapters of this romance)" re Susi and Luis. I too was surprised at how quickly/readily Susi went to bed with Luis. In fact, I think even Luis was surprised.

I don't understand Rodrigo's treatment of Jay, and I especially don't understand why he would leave the blind Jay in charge and with a gun.
 

Preciosa perla... 19/20
part 1

that bitch !!!

Silvia arrives crying, Perla was not there, I don't know where she is, Ernest flips, Manfred says nothing could have gone wrong, and it is pouring down rain, mixing with Perla's tears.

Franz brings a boy to the monks who was born at the right time, they ask that he relax and choose from a collection of similar things which he likes best, but he chooses wrong and his mother is quick to get this over with and get out of there,

Perla remembers her Ananda/Sonan dream, hopes the monk will find her.

Manfred checks Amelia's place, no Perla, goes to the candy lady, she swears on doing what was planned, he arrives home and jumps on Silvia, of course I left her, she means everything to the old man and we want him to suffer.

Amelia arrives to tell Franz about Perla, they go to the police, Ernest arrives.

Aurora Lincoln is off to Brasil, she is going to make Decio pay for what he has done, and his big inheritance, she will get it all.

the monks pray for Perla, surrounded by the girls of the pension doing their best imitations, Dalia cries for the loss of her brother, but a monk comforts her by explaining how his story is not yet finished, and Sona has a vision of Perla walking in the rain.

Manfred's man (Benito) tracks down Pellizquito in the hospital, who figures he will now have to run again, remembering the harsh work he was forced to do in Ernest's coal mine, which isn't doing so well since Germany was there main customer, a delirious man is brought in, a war casualty, who keeps asking for his sister Dalia.

Hilda goes back to the cabaret, but there is only a job for a vestidora, she takes it, as word arrives, that Perla has disappeared.

the rain has stopped and the clouds begin to break, lama Sonan sees a beam of sunshine, a sign he says, and we see the desolate Perla who has fallen, sitting in that beam of sunshine, Sonan finds her, and carries her home.

the doc checks out Perla, she has a bad cold and Fever, Ernest arrives wants to take her back the mansion, no Amelia says, but Franz agrees with his dad, until they talk, then Franz agrees to let Perla stay there, later at the mansion as Ernest argues with Franz, he says he will reopen the case to gain custody.

 

Preciosa perla... 19/20
part 2

Lola goes to the cabaret with news of Perla, or was it to work her way into a job, Hilda is there, and they agree not to not disclose her real name, and on the way home she meets Toni on the tranvia, he lives near the cabaret, they will meet for coffee sometime, later she thanks Silvia for encouraging her.

Decio gets a letter from Aurora, she's coming after him.

Franz packs and leaves the mansion, Silvia has enough drama for all, Yolanda leaves to accompany Laura to the hospital to see Pellizquito, Dalia leaves the pension with Sonan to see this patient that is calling her name, but is met by Mundo who will accompany her, if Sonan will go see Perla, wow, everytime Yolanda and Mundo meet, the whole world stops, and it is Dalia's brother.

lama Sonan sees the yapa mala on Perla's bed, did Ananda tell him that this has stayed with him over a number of reincarnations, he kisses it, has tears in his eyes, they talk, he tells Perla she is special, she puts her forehead on his and tells him he is special, later having tea with Amelia, she tells of Perlas attachment to the necklace and shows her some of Perla's drawings, the monks, the temple, the lake, lama Sonan is amazed, shows the drawings to the other monks.

Manfred puts his man (Benito) to work at the foundry where Toni now works thanks to Franz, they don't trust him, he says he has been hiding all these years so he didn't end up in prison like Toni.

Viktor spends the day with Silvia, to take her mind off Franz leaving, she is reeling him him, later she poses for him (clothed).

Yolanda is jealous of Mundo being with Dalia, he hates her being married to Ernest, it's your fault she says, you didn't want to marry and have kids, true he says, because it would have been like Toni and Gaia, forgive me, he says, it was never because I didn't love you.

Wenceslau's assistant keeps finding irregularities in the books, so Wenceslau fires him, he gets no help from Manfred either, but catches Ernest on his way home, who listens to what he has to say.

a social worker comes to Amelia's see how Perla lives, not good, later Franz is there with a lawyer who in the end says these cases work out better in the mother and father are together.

hmm, the monks continue there search for Ananda, but we see only boys they are interviewing, but in his meditation lama Sonan has a vision of Ananda, twirling into Perla, ahha!

 

Bajo. Whew! At last someone on this show finally talks about birth control--Adela advising Susy to use some kind of protection in the future and to involve Luis in it too. Hope it's not too late. And Deborah has now definitely crossed a line. Imagine burning an elderly woman! She really should be locked up.
 

BAJO

Yes, SpanProf, Debora has really crossed the line. I thought it was interesting that parts of the scene with Debora abusing and then burning Ramona were interspersed with parts of the "baptism" of Willy into La Colonia, making both scenes equally ugly and violent.

I wonder whether Willy will really be admitted to membership in La Colonia. Rodrigo had warned Willy not to lie to him, and Willy did lie that Mati was responsible for the illegal goods being hidden in Luis' room. Rodrigo asked Luis about this, and Luis swore "en la memoria de mi jefa" that Mati had nothing to do with any of this. It's not clear to me whether Rodrigo intends to have Willy join anyway in order to be able to use him as another of Rod's pawns, or whether he simply uses the "bautizo" as a way to have the others beat Willy up.

One more thing I was happy to see: after Felicia refuses to swear in the church that she had nothing to do with Willy's attack on Carlos and Mati, Carlos finally tells Felicia that it's over between them (i.e., between Carlos and Felicia).
 

Bajo

wow, this was like the gran final of a psycho thriller,
so many reveals,
it was cracking me up the way Deborah kept hitting the steam button on the iron,
(and where are Mati's tattoos, her arms looked clean).

I think we have moved into a new etapa.

 

BAJO

Though not a recap, here are some things about last night's episode that haven't yet been mentioned.

Rodrigo tells Felicia that unless she lets him use her bar for whatever he wants, he'll tell the world that she ordered Willy's attempted hit on Mati. When Felicia refuses ("I'm a decent woman"), he says "You think I'd say this without proof?" and trots out Willy, who has been waiting outside. Willy reluctantly admits that Felicia ordered him to kill Mati. Felicia agrees to Rodrigo's demands.

Felicia then offers Ximena a pay increase if she'll keep watch over Rodrigo and report to Felicia (and only to Felicia) about everything he does. Felicia also gives Ximena money to buy extra security cameras to install, so there will be evidence of Rodrigo's doubtlessly illegal activities. Ximena agrees.

Mati makes two major revelations to Carlos after Carlos pleads with her to tell him the truth. One is that Rodrigo is still involved with the gang. She knows because she saw hm and other gang members taking Willy and his stooges to the gang's hangout. The other revelation is that Felicia ordered Willy to kill Mati. Carlos doesn't believe her, but Mati tells him that she overheard Willy confess this to Rodrigo. This is what prompts Carlos to confront Felicia and, when she refuses at the church altar to deny her involvement, he tells her that their relationship is over.

There was also an impassioned scene involving Rodrigo and Luis. When Luis comes home and finds the various stolen goods laid out in plain sight, a furious Rodrigo confronts him. I think he says that he's the older brother and that he promised their mother that he'd look after Luis. He throws in Luis' face the fact that their parents made sacrifices for him and this is how he rewards their efforts. Luis heatedly replies that he wants the respect that comes with having money. Rodrigo tells him if he wants respect, he should study hard, go to college, and get a good job. He insists that Luis have nothing more to do with illegal activities. Rodrigo gets physically violent with Luis as he's saying this; it almost seems as if he's choking him. It's clear that Rodrigo is determined that Luis not follow his example.

There was also an interesting scene between Maria and Greicy. Maria is astonished to learn that Greicy hasn't told her mother that she's pregnant. She insists that Greicy call her. Greicy does, but she gets the response she feared: her mother is appalled that she's involved with someone like Rodrigo and wants nothig more to do with her. Maria assures Greicy that this will change and that she went through something very similar when she told her parents she was going to marry Rudolfo. They thought he was bad news and that she shouldn't marry him. (Hmmm...parents sometimes get it right, don't they!) They turned their back on her, but they eventually came round. So will Greicy's mother, Maria says, when she holds her nieto in her arms.

Needless to say, in this same episode were several scenes involving Rudolfo with Chabela. She demands that he give her a proper house, and Cristóbal, who is fed up with Rudolfo, tells him he's got two days to comply.

One more thing: Mati increasingly seems to be the person who knows most about what is going on. She knows about Rodrigo, she knows about Willy, she knows about Felicia, and she knows that Debora has burned Ramona with an iron. Alas, this also means that increasing numbers of people will probably want to get rid of her.
 

Bajo. Wonderful recap, Juanita. You hit all the high points. Of course, even with all the people wanting to get rid of Adela, my money would be on her even if she weren't a telenovela heroine. She's smarter, stronger and more moral than practically anyone else in Bajo. She'll not only find happiness but resolve a lot of other people's problems. Interesting that the advice Rodrigo gave Luis was essentially the same thing Nick had already told him about education. And Luis has one huge advantage neither of them does--he's a citizen by birth. But he seems to be wasting that huge advantage.
 

BAJO

Thanks, Juanita, for the NON RECAP -- although it might well have been one.
Last night was the first night that I tried using captions. I have to get used to them. It seems that in my fast forwarding, I completely missed the scene between
Maria and Greicy, so I will go back to see that one and review some others.

After Carlos broke off with Felicia, she told him that one day he would be on his knees begging her to come back to him. I wonder if that is foreshadowing for when Carlos is later convinced that Mati betrayed him or his family for one reason or another. This severance was almost too good to be true.

Felicia denies dealing with Willy, claiming she barely knows him. Willy is really in the soup now because Rodrigo made it very clear to him how the gang operates if someone betrays them. They not only take it out on you, but on your whole family.
"You have a sister, don't you, Willy?"

I am still furious at Susy for not calling her father on her night out. She knows how much he cares about her and that he would be frantic with worry. Then she laughs it all off after she tells some more lies. She and Luis are really immature--but that can be typical of the age. They are egocentric, thinking only of their big romance. I hope Luis obeys Rod about school. For all his swagger, Rod knows he's trapped in an endless nightmare.

Yes, Mati gets around. She is like the omniscient narrator.

Thanks to all contributors. I enjoy reading all of your comments.

We'll see what next week brings.

 

BAJO

Great comments, SpanProf and Floridia! SpanProf, my money too would be on Mati for all the reasons you said, even if she weren't the protagonista. Good point too about Luis having a big advantage--citizenship--that neither Rodrigo nor Nick has.
I also cheered your earlier comment about the novela at last raising the issue of birth control. It did feel like a PSA, but a rather realistic and much needed one. It was interesting that at least a bit of the blame got placed on Debora, who apparently accompanied Susi to the doctor's office, and because her unsympathetic mother was there, Susi was too scared to take the doctor up on his offer of a prescription for birth control pills.

Floridia, I'm impressed that you'd been trying to watch without captions. I couldn't do that. The problem is that with this telenovela, the characters sometimes speak so quickly that even the captions go by too fast for me to read them. As a result, this novela has been a huge challenge for me from day one. Fortunately, it's so compelling that I'm not willing to throw in the towel.

You're right about both Susi and Luis being immature. Susi may be even more so than Luis. I couldn't believe that after she'd been chewed out by both parents, as soon as they left her alone out came her smirky smile, and she fell back onto the bed in seeming triumph.

Loved your remark about Mati as the omniscient narrator.
 

Bajo

wow, great comments all,

and thanks for filling in Juanita!

I especially liked how Floridia described Rodrigo's situation,
"For all his swagger, Rod knows he's trapped in an endless nightmare."

Carlos sure got derailed when he brought Susi back, with her lie and Mati's, (not calling Mati out was about the only thing that would have stopped him) but I was hoping Susi would get her dad alone and tell him, but no, she just seems to be wrapped up in her big Love.

it was interesting that Rod hauled off all the stolen goods, but gave Luis a wad of cash to pay off who ever they belonged to, and later Luis online with Susi, he seemed to have a plan to get his big bucks and win the girl, leave it to me, he tells her. Carlos really has his work cut out for him to get everyone to focus on what is important in life, and lucky for us he has Adela, who has learned life's lessons the hard way.

so Felicia is going to try to get the goods on Rodrigo, this should be interesting, and she gave Ximena a raise (which was in cash) to help and told her Rod would be selling drugs, hmm, Rod sure is a take control kind of guy, his dad is the only one he backs down on, and he has a problem doing that.

 

Bajo

I don't watch with captions, thought I was missing stuff by reading, you can usually catch the drift just by watching. Telemundo is great, you can watch there WITH captions.
I do that when I really want to understand what happened.
Mainly I rely on our fantastic recappers & commenters to clear things up for me.

I don't recall Mati having tattoos, just that brand that sooner or later Rodrigo is going to see.
 

Bajo

Thanks so much, Juanita. You have a gift for recapping, and this novela is SO entertaining that it makes it fun to do so.

I am just loving Maria Elisa as Adela/Mati. I've liked her in everything I've seen her in: En Otra Piel y Flor Salvaje and I saw some of Porque El Amor Manda which I watched to see Colunga once more, but didn't like it that much. She was very funny in PEAM. And when we saw her as the feisty poor girl in En Otra Piel, you could see she was better at that than in playing the wealthy older woman who miraculously entered a young body.

Yep, I can't believe it's over for Carlos and Felicia. I was amazed she actually gave up. And He told her, pain on his face, that you can't order your heart to love someone.

Wow, Rodolfo has the brass cojones to accuse Cristóbal of being after his woman! He dares to expect fidelity from Chabela while he's tucked up in bed every night with his wife.

The scene with Rodrigo and Luis was amazing. Both actors were exceptional. My fingers are crossed that Luis is "scared straight".

I love the way this novela gets its secrets out in the open so quickly. At least now Carlos believes that Felicia DID order the hit out of jealousy. And I doubt Willy will dare to get Luis involved in any more criminal activity. He's going to be too busy obeying Rodrigo's orders to go back to his old robberies. Not to mention that both Stooges are history!

Rodrigo (I've given up on calling him Fire all the time) always plays his cards close to the vest. It seems he may know, or suspect, that Willy was the one who corrupted his little brother.

Another example of the truth getting out more quickly than I expected was Adela telling Carlos that she overheard Willy say it was Felicia who ordered her killed. At first he didn't want to believe it, but he loves Adela and doesn't believe she'd lie about something like that. As soon as Carlos said he wanted to take Feli to see someone, I knew he'd take her to the church. But I thought she'd lie right there and she didn't.

I love that Willy was forced to admit he'd ratted out Felicia, right in front of her.

So Deborah is in the soup now. Adela saw what she did to Ramona. And Susy came running and will also see. I certainly hope one of them tells Jacob what she did. Another surprise in this novela, a departure from how others write scheming mothers, is that we're spared the sight of the jerk Brian trying to win back Susy.

Variopinta, Adela has a tattoo of "Mati" short for her brother on either the inside of her wrist or her forearm, can't remember which. Since it's on the inside of the arm, it may not show up in a lot of scenes.
 

BAJO

Juanita, let me join the chorus of your admirers for the non-recap recap! Just wonderful! And thanks to everyone for your observations. Watching this with all of you is great fun.

Here's my tiny bit: I was glad to see Jacob recognize and reject Susy's attempt to play 'daddy's little girl' when she first blamed her mother and then tried to flatter her father into overlooking her behavior.

Also, I don't believe for a minute that Felicia has accepted defeat. She has no intention of giving up on Carlos; she just has to regroup and reconsider her strategy.
 

Right, I remember the Mati tattoo, which she used to prove she wasn't Adela.
 

Bajo. Of course we haven't seen the last of Felicia. I'm almost certain (but don't hold me to it) that there's still a pregnant by Willy/trying to pass the baby off as Carlos's scenario to get through.
 

Bajo

SpanProf, I'm totally in agreement about Felicia's possible pregnancy via Willy. Indeed, I think I too suggested this possibility a few days ago. If anything, Carlos' explicit "it's over" message will make this more more likely, even if it means Feli will have to do the deed again (and again) with Willy. Yuck!
 

Bajo. Juanita. Yep, I remember the suggestion--and after all, the writers made a big deal about Felicia's being on fertility treatments. Willy and Felicia together again--yuck indeed!And one shudders to think what their offspring might be like. :) Though that's probably unfair to an innocent baby, who, if it survives, will probably be raised by one of the nicer characters, either with or without Felicia.