Caray, Caray!

Bajo. Back from the conference and caught up on episodes. I can hardly wait for the confrontation between Rodolfo's 2 wives. That jerk may be about to get what he deserves! You could really see the contempt in Cristobal's eyes when R. was talking about the different way he disrespects the 2 women--Maria because as a mother of 2 she's not sexy enough, and Chabela because as the mistress she's way too sexy and not worthy of anything else.
 

PERLA--
A full recap of Friday's exciting episode of Perla will be up shortly at the end of last week's Telemundo page. Note: there's lots of kissing going on and a couple of David sightings. Not sure what I'll do about this week.
 

BAJO – LUNES – PARTE 1

Rodolfo tries to throw Chabela under the bus (assuming those bosoms would fit) and convince Maria that Chabela is lying about their relationship. Maria isn’t buying it, and brings up the money he sent to Mexico and all those trips there. When she brings up his having erased all his calls from his cell, he has the cojones to upbraid her for looking at his phone. She yells at him that even dogs don’t deny their own blood.

Carlos meets with Andrés preparing for his audience.

Rodrigo is obviously trying to control his feelings for Adela. Carlos has borrowed Andrés’ cell and has called her. It’s clearly hard on him when she tells Carlos how much she loves him. She tells Carlos that they found a body that could be her mother. She also tells him that Rod knows who she really is and even saved her life from a trap the gang set for her. Carlos speaks to him and thanks him for what he did. But Rodrigo still doesn’t respond much to his father’s warmth.

Rodolfo tries to get Chabela to leave so that he can work some mojo on Maria. She sobs that she doesn’t have anywhere to go because he didn’t pay the hotel bill.

Rod has taken the phone in to Luis to speak to his father and discovers him kissing Susy. Luis doesn’t want Adela to know Susy is there. [Because Adela might tell Jacob she’s in the barrio; not sure what his reasons are.] Rodrigo keeps the secret.

Adela tells Rodrigo that she doesn’t want Luis or Carlos to know that he was the one who ordered Matías’ death. She rightly senses that this would hurt them too much.

In the middle of the showdown between Maria, Chabela and Rodolfo, the kids and the babysitter come back from the park. Maria sends the kids back to the park, except for Alex and leaves the house herself. She tells Rodolfo that this, pointing at Chabela and Alex, is his family.

Rod smiles and asks Luis from what fairy story he got such a princess. Susy smiles back and tells him that her dad is Jacob, and Carlos works for him as his gardener. Rod introduces himself, smiling some more. He then gives them some money for dinner and a movie.

Andrés has realized that Carlos was talking to his elder son. Carlos tells him that Rod is changing and that he is realizing that his father, brother, and Mati are his real family.

Adela and Rod talk. She says that his father is pleased he’s changed. He looks at her intently saying that a person might need a reason to straighten up. She says his reason is his father, that he’s protecting her because she’s his father’s woman. Viewerville is pretty sure that’s not what he means at all; but, after a pause, he agrees.

The gang tells El Colmillo that Adela never showed up at the morgue. Fang figures out that, if she didn’t show up, it’s because someone warned her. He says there’s a traitor in the gang. [El Colmillo seems exactly like a gang name; but when they announced his escape on the TV news, they referred to José Colmillo. So I guess that’s his real surname.]
 

BAJO – LUNES – PARTE 2

Cristóbal comes to tell Adela that the DNA showed that the body they found is that of Laura Morales. Adela faints and is caught by Rod. She goes to her room sobbing piteously. She’s talking to her dead mother lamenting the fact that she died just when things could have been good for them. She goes on to say that the most important brand on her isn’t what the gang put there, but rather her navel where she had been joined to her mother [It sounds better in Spanish!] She comes out of the bedroom and throws herself into Rod’s arms. He comforts her, smelling her hair a little bit.

At the detention facility Cardona tells Carlos that he’s going to write up some bad reports about his conduct to give to the judge. He’s very resentful of Carlos’ “influence”.

Maria shows up at Carlos’ house telling Rod she needs to stay there with her kids because of a dispute with Rodolfo.

I guess Rod didn’t give Luis that much money judging by the expression on his face when he sees the prices on the menu at Susy’s favorite restaurant. Susy figures this out and offers to pay. Luis gets all offended and then says it was a bad idea to come to this place. He says he can’t stop thinking about his father who is being detained because of her mother. Susy looks hurt and says that what her mother did was bad, but she’s not the same as her mother. Luis really blows it, telling her to go home to her mansion and he’ll take the bus.

Gracie is in Felicia’s office at La Frontera. Gracie, just shut up! You bring out the itch in my fast forward finger every time you appear. While she’s there, one of the gang Trenzas (braids) brings in a bag containing a diamond necklace. I guess the drug business is good because that looks like $200,000 worth of diamond necklace.

We get a look at Fang in his den. He’s not interested in the prostitute who’s trying to get him to have sex.

Rod arrives at the bar. Felicia gets Gracie to leave the room and asks for Rod’s help in protecting her from E.C. She says he should do it for his brother or sister. His solution is to bring Willy to watch over her!

Rodolfo comes to Carlos’ house and bangs on the door, but Maria doesn’t open up.

Carlos borrows a phone from the kindly guard, and Adela tells him that they’re burying her mother today.

Maria comes home. Rodolfo is on the sofa, apparently having drunk himself to sleep. She says she only came for the kids’ school uniforms. She finds Chabela and Alex asleep in her bed!

Rodrigo takes Adela to the discreet graveside service Cristóbal has arranged for Laura. Padre Domingo is there to officiate. Adela is sobbing by the coffin. Santiago arrives with lots and lots of flowers and a note from Carlos. He writes that he could not be there, but his mind, his soul and his heart are with her. Adela reads part of the note out loud. Rod has a sort of blank look like maybe he realizes he can’t compare with his father when it comes to this woman.
 

Bajo

thank you so much novelera !!!
(I didn't have captions tonight, so not much to add)

but love your insight,

"Rod has a sort of blank look like maybe he realizes he can’t compare with his father when it comes to this woman."

seems like Rod always has a blank look (interesting that we are starting to see behind the mask), and the times when an emotion might escape, he turns away and rubs his hand across his face.

Rodrigo's role sort of parallels Tony Dalton's in Flor Salvaje (same writer) the really bad guy who gets eclipsed by an even more evil guy, EC (Evil Colmillo), and we never quite know which way he is going to turn.

 

BAJO

Luis and Susy don't really know each other. I was surprised by that restaurant scene because I thought that Rod would have given them plenty of money for a night out.
Susy is accustomed to fine dining while Luis is more of a tacos and pizza guy -- like most young guys. He had more confidence in the beginning of their relationship. Now, he is starting to feel inferior, and he took it out on Susy -- whereas before he had been magnanimous about her mother's phone call to ICE. He was ULTRA RUDE and insensitive to leave her stranded. Of course the fact that Susy asked what his brother did for a living didn't help matters.

It is time for Greicy to get that dynamic makeover from Felicia. I am not upset with her because she is DEAD RIGHT about Rod's feelings for Adela. As she gets larger, she feels more unattractive, and Rod all but completely ignores her. She is kept in the dark about so many things. She is very vulnerable, and she knows that what she has is not a good marriage.


Thanks, NOVELERA, for a terrifically detailed recap of a chapter that covered quite a bit of ground.

All the best,
 

Bajo. Excellent recap, novelera! El Colmillo becomes ever more fascinating. He's evidently quite intelligent and cultured and obviously missed his calling as a military dictator. I wonder what derailed his military career? I had expected María and Chabela to ally against Rodolfo more than they did. I wonder if that's coming.
 

Bajo

SpanProf, I also had expected some sort of alliance between Chabela and Maria, at least for the welfare of the children. But they seem to be leaning toward Chabela looking out for Chabela. She said something to Alex when they were alone about now he's getting the home he deserves. She's certainly angry at Rodolfo, but she seems to be about getting a comfortable life at whatever cost.

I wouldn't go so far as to call Colmillo cultured. They made a big point of his tucking his napkin into his collar at the "candlelit dinner" he arranged. He also tried to pretend sophistication with the wine tasting ritual, even though the one pouring was a gangbanger.

He was probably drummed out of the military. From the internet is a description of how people are let go by the military :

One type is the Other Than Honorable Conditions. Some examples of actions that could lead to an Other Than Honorable Discharge include security violations, use of violence, conviction by a civilian court with a sentence including prison time, or being found guilty of adultery in a divorce hearing (this list is not a definitive list; these are only examples). In most cases, veterans who receive an Other Than Honorable Discharge cannot re-enlist in the Armed Forces or reserves, except under very rare circumstances. Veteran’s benefits are not usually available to those discharged through this type of discharge.

The Dishonorable Discharge: If the military considers a service members actions to be reprehensible, the general court-martial can determine a dishonorable discharge is in order. Murder and sexual assault are examples of situations which would result in a dishonorable discharge. If someone is dishonorably discharged from the military they are not allowed to own firearms according to US federal law. Military members who receive a Dishonorable Discharge forfeit all military and veterans benefits and may have a difficult time finding work in the civilian sector.

I can see Colmillo fitting nicely into either of those categories.
 

Bajo

I was thinking Luis didn't want Mati to know Susi was there because of Carlos' agreement that Luis would only see Susi at her house, hmm, and there was the part where Susi would never be around Rodrigo.

I was wondering if maybe Luis didn't know what the items were on the menu.

and it's kind of strange Cristobal doesn't know that Rodrigo is wanted for the prison break.
 

BAJO

Great recap, novelera. Many thanks. Loved your remark about Rudolfo throwing Chabela under the bus, etc.

I was a little disappointed but not all that surprised when Luis took out his frustrations on Susy. The gap between Susy and him is quite large, and there are bound to be problems like the one that led to his storming out of the restaurant.

Welcome back, SpanProf. Like you, I had expected that Rudolfo's two women would form an alliance against him. Perhaps I watched Avenida Brasil for too many weeks, where one of the characters (Carlos?/Dudu) has relationships, some even involving marriage, with three different women, and IIRC two or perhaps all three allied themselves against him. [I eventually stopped watching Avenida Brasil, so I may have some of this wrong. But I do think it made me expect that Maria and Chabela would team up against Rudolfo. And they still might.]

We were left hanging last night as to whether or not Carlos will prevail and be released from detention. I try to imagine which possibility would result in a better plot, but I find I'm rooting too strongly for Carlos' release to think dispassionately about the question.

Presumably we'll find out tonight. This will be the last night I'll be able to watch for several weeks. Starting tomorrow, I'll be traveling. I won't have access to Telemundo on TV, and my Internet access will be spotty at best. But whenever I can, I'll try to connect to CarayCaray to keep up with what's happening. Thanks in advance to all the dedicated recappers and commenters.
 

Bajo. Thanks, Juanita! Hi, novelera! Yep, very likely El Colmillo was booted from the military. I also wonder if perhaps he didn't start his drug business while he was still "serving."
 

Thanks so much for the recap. Juanita, in Avenida Brazil, actually the 3 women signed a contract detailing which days Carlos sees each of the wives. Now, they all live under one roof, lol
 

OMG! Thanks, Romy, for updating my account of Avenida Brasil.
 

Bajo

I'll try the recap tonight.

 

Bajo el mismo cielo... Tuesday, epi 47
part 1

Laura is buried, Adela swears she is going to Carlos' hearing, I'm his girlfriend, "It's my duty to be there", but Cris and Rod drop her off at home, she asks Cris for some help, help finding who did that to her mother.

Rod drops a dime and makes an anonymous call giving the police the license number of the car that hit her, "that's the best I can do Mati".

Carlos is worried about his hearing, talks to his cellmate.

Susi gets caught skipping school to go to the hearing, mister Jacob agrees with Deborah, she shouldn't go, but Susi insists because of the shame of her mother, what? and all comes out, she overheard them talking, knows Deborah turned in Carlos, (which saves Ramona from another beating as Deborah thought she had told Susi)

and what did Deborah say in the middle of the arguing, "there are none of us more blind than those who will not look" what?

but as Susi talks about Carlos' family, ut oh, they discover she was there and met Rodrigo, this changes everything, mister Jacob looses Deborah and has a sit down with Susi, explaining gangs and how they go after families.

weaved into the Jacob/Susi talk on Rodrigo is a similar one by Greicy/Felicia, Greicy is totally upset with the suspicious way Rodrigo is acting, and how he is around Mati, he's not in gang anymore, right? is he hiding something? Felicia lets the gang stuff slide but is totally on the anti-Mati bandwagon.

it's a tough day in the court room, appeals denied, people deported, Carmona comes to get Carlos.

Mati calls in sick, Ramona looks to make sure no one is listening then spills, mister Jacob will not be going to the hearing, he found out Susi was at Carlos' place, and met Rodrigo "wait, I was here", Mati says to herself, and is forbidden to see Luis again.

the lawyer pleads Carlos case, he works hard, pays taxes, etc. etc. and is expecting a high risk baby with Felicia, Que??? says Luis.

on his bad conduct being detained, that was just a misunderstanding Carlo explains, and Rodrigo, he doesn't know where he is, he isn't shielding him, and the prosecutor has no evidence on the prison break, they even said 'no report' was filed (ah, that's why Cris doesn't know about that)

at the clubhouse, Evil Colmillo wants to know why the profits are down, Rod looks at the books and sees the figures are wrong, ut oh, and things change fast for the fat guy in-a-suit accountant, yes I took some money, he admits after almost losing some fingers, "but it wasn't much", EC gives Rod the gun, who is dragging his feet (I'm thinking he will come up with something like we should recover the money first) when *Bang*, Willy shoots the guy, (like something he does every day), whoa, and all eyes are on him (did he do this as a favor to Rod, or is he just getting into his new life), oh, didn't know the rules Willy says, but I sure was quick about it, yes you were, and EC drags Rodrigo off, what's with you he asks? Rod runs off his good points, and EC doesn't doubt his smarts, but wants to know whats going on, Rod gives him his usual blank look.

 

Bajo el mismo cielo... Tuesday, epi 47
part 2

the judge wants to know why they are wasting everyone's time detaining Carlos, Carlos asks his lawyer is this good, and later the lady judge paroles him,

Santi swings by to see Juana, as her boss gets home (is it Alan), they meet, Santi doesn't like him and when Juana tells of the money he lent her, no, nothing is for free, don't you trust me Juana asks, yes, but I don't trust him Santi replies.

Carlos is taken back to the detention where he chats with the guys, they all know they don't have lawyers and aren't getting out, but Carlos throws around some hope, he knows the Padre who works with gangs and has lawyers, maybe he can help.

and while waiting for Carlos some one asks the lawyer, is Carlos legal now, nope, he is just on parole and will come before another judge to determine if he can stay, he can't get a work permit for 4 months ?? so he can't work a regular job but since he works for himself, that's ok, but if he is involved in any criminal activity (ut oh) then it's adios. (did I get all of that?)

Mati swings by police headquarters, Cris has the guy that hit her mom, he confesses, plus there was still some traces of blood on the car, Mati is still wrapped up in how he could just leave her lying there dying, (Cris throws in they determined the collision killed her on impact (but she died in Rodrigo's arms)) and then burying her, he tries to explain but Cris jumps on him and has him taken away.

oh happy days, as Carlos is reunited with his family, Luis asks about Felicia's baby, Carlos takes him aside, he says he found out while he was being detained, and he didn't want to tell Adela over the phone, but he will as soon as he sees her.

and of course all is not well at Rudolfo's inn, Marie has left, he's been drinking, Chabela has been crying, and who cares where Alex is, Rudi blames her for breaking up his marriage, and no he will never divorce Maria, and blames her for getting pregnant, and, and, she says it his fault for never saying he was married and, and...

and Maria has their invisible kids.

Carlos arrives home, wants to know whose bag is on his bed, oh it's mine Maria says, long story, but my marriage is over.

Felicia shows up at the church to rag on the Padre about Carlos not inviting her home to celebrate, he's probably with Mati right now, nope, she is here praying (for her mother and brother), the Padre says, and reminds her she is not sure who the father is, and then let's Mati know that Carlos is free, which really lifts her spirits, and as Mati rushes home, oh Felicia, as the Padre cautions her and leaves, Felicia gives her condolences, and btw, I'm pregnant with Carlos' baby...

 

Avenida Brasil

ok, Santiago had an affair with mama Lu, Nilo saw them and disclosed this to his wife, who went crazy and shot and killed their (Nilo/mama Lu) daughter, mama Lu then killed Santiago's wife, nope, she missed, Santiago picked up the gun and killed his wife, and Carminah saw this.

 

Bajo. Great recap, Deb! Totally creepy the way Felicia told Mati about her pregnancy--after Padre Domingo had told her not to! For Felicia, it's always about Felicia. I have a feeling that if Mr. Jacob and Debora had not intervened, Luis and Susy would be well on their way to breaking up. Now they'll probably have to stay together out of rebellion if nothing else.
 

AVENIDA B--
deb--Thanks for clarifying the older couples crimes. It was all so blurry, I couldn't tell who was the shooter and who was the shootee. Santi has gone from sweet Gepetto with a secret to a psychological torturer. However, I felt not one drop of sorry juice for Carminha. She did make her own way in life, just not a good one. She would have made a great CEO of a successful company and then done real charitable works. Still can't figure out what she did with all that money she'd been stealing--and the jewelry she'd been selling off.
 

PERLA--
I'm happy to report that in Monday's episode, David felt something moving while he was kissing her and he and Aurora hurried up and were able to make love, despite his legs still being paralyzed. They both glowed in the aftermath and the next morning he wanted to run off to tell Dr. Rubens right away! Cute scenes with the two of them. Aurora has some great lines of dialog in this novela.

Bad things and sad things are also happening to the rest of our Rio residents, but I'm bowing out of providing daily recaps.

Silvia hasn't owned up to Viktor that she loves him after all. She just gives in to his kisses. Pilar tries to tell her to give up getting back at the family for ruining the life of her father and settle down with Viktor. She can tell she loves him. She won't acknowledge it to her, but she doesn't deny it either. Where does she stand?

Manfred tried twice to rape Amelia in his desire to have her. She saved herself the first time. Franz saved her the second time. She finally tells him of all the times Manfred tried to approach her and accost her, starting with when she was at the farm and Franz was in Paris. He's furious that Manfred knew where she was and never told him.

Decio gets in trouble, deep, deep, trouble for agreeing to help Manfred rob the Hauser jewelry store. Then he makes off with the loot instead of meeting Manfred with it. Manfred catches him as he's about to take off for Paris and has him beat up and he goes home with his tail between his legs. He accidentally hit Tenpa with his dad's red car getting away from the robbery site and Walter sees the damage and connects the dots.

Dalia goes through with her plan of revenge by setting Mundo and Yoyo up to be found together so Ernest can catch them. They are charged with adultery, but get bailed out of jail until the trial.

Gaia is alive and is repatriated to Brazil. That puts Toni in a quandary. Gaia still expected him to wait for her and gets angry that he married someone else. The let down is sad, even though Toni explains it as gently as he can. She stays at party headquarters (or is it Fabricio's place). When he gets home to Hilda, he tells her that yes, the woman was Gaia, but he only loves Hilda. She wants to believe it and he is very sincere about his feelings. We'll see where that goes.

Franz and Viktor both now suspect Manfred of shady dealings.

From victory to ruin, Ernest is on top of the world when he thinks his retribution on Yolanda has succeeded, to finding out he is financially ruined by the robbery. He had neglected to bank huge amounts of cash he had on hand. Worse, some of the gems he had were not paid for.
 

PERLA--

To Paz, thank you for your lovely comments on last week's post. I'm glad someone (besides myself) enjoyed my write-up. Yes, David has won my heart. I look forward to any scene with him and Aurora in it. They are such an unlikely pair. I wonder, though, if he had been an attendee at the cabaret with no disability, or she had met him somewhere else, would she have been interested in him AND vice versa. Their time together has stripped away her veneer of a pushy, arrogant, self-centered dance hall star and shown her true human nature and it has added a layer of genuineness to David to appreciate that human nature and the joys of just being alive.
 

Bajo

Terrific recap, deb! Muchas gracias otra vez.

This will probably be my last comment for the next couple of weeks. I'll be traveling with no access to Telemundo and limited access to the Internet. When I can, I'll try to check back here to keep up with this compelling novela.

Adios, amigas.
 

Bajo

Really enjoyed your recap, Deb. Loved "invisible kids". They sure are!

As soon as Padre Domingo told Felicia that Mati was in the church, I knew what was going to happen. Telenovela writers stay up burning the midnight oil figuring out ways to make the protagonists split up. Maybe they'll surprise me, and she'll believe Carlos when he says he planned to tell her the minute he had her alone. But I don't think so.

They are sort of going over the top with making Colmillo so nasty to Rod. As I said before, I think he senses someone who could run the gang better than he could! His massive ego is threatened by Rod. But, of course, instincts may be involved; and he may sense Rod's desire to get away from that life.

No hay nadie mas ciego que el que no quiere ver is one of those common phrases in novelas, usually offered by the sidekick warning a protagonist that some other character is deceiving them.
 

BAJO


Thanks, Deb, really enjoyed the recap. Please correct me if I am wrong:
Rodrigo is at least indirectly responsible for Laura's death for pointing a gun
at her and forcing her to run out in front of a car. The driver was not at fault unless he was speeding.


I must have missed this part. Did they show Laura dying in Rod's arms.
All I saw was his digging her up much later.

I suppose he is trying to throw suspicion away from himself.

I think Willy may have been showing some heart in protecting Rod from making the kill. He is really a complex character.

Chat later..

All the best to all

 

Bajo

Yes, Floridia, in the episode when they FINALLY showed what happened to Laura, they showed her dying. First they went back to where they left her WEEKS ago when Rod grabs her arm and Jay is slumped over nearby, bleeding from his eyes. First he asks her where her daughter is, she whimpers: no me mates. I think then he points the gun at her, she gets away from him and runs into the street and is struck by the car. Rod rushes over and, like all people in telenovelas, screams into an area with no one around: ¡Ambulancia, ambulancia! Obviously she's still alive. He holds her and tells her not to die, in a panicky tone. She tells him that she's trading (cambiando) her life for that of her daughter. So the implication, at least to me, is that she wanted to die so there'd be no way for them to make her tell her daughter's whereabouts.
 

BAJO

Thanks, Novelera,

I remember that segment now. I remember thinking it strange that it was broad daylight and no one saw anything. But they did not show the actual burial, did they?
Only the excavation? So Rod was responsible for her death, right?
 

Bajo. I can't believe that El Colmillo thought that just by his wearing a business suit that no one would recognize him! Was his purpose to intimidate Greicy? I kind of like the way Adela is trying to be loyal to Carlos, despite Felicia's revelation and her own apprehensions about the effect on Carlos of having a child with Felicia. Kind of enjoyed the way Chabela was slapping Rudolfo around. :)
 

Bajo
I was definitely surprised, and pleased, by their NOT showing Adela stomping out of Carlos’ house because of Felicia telling her she was pregnant. She didn’t automatically assume it was true; and, when Carlos confirmed it, believed it “happened” after she left town. But she did snarl at him about rushing right to Felicia the minute she was gone. That’s kinda true, but it was more Felicia just not giving up on seduction.

I think El Colmillo showing up at Rodrigo’s apartment was not to intimidate Gracie. It was to intimidate Rodrigo. EC kind of dropped in IQ level, in my opinion, for so quickly buying into Willy’s plan to take Rod’s place as second in command. He actually said he was putting Willy in charge of the caja (till, drug earnings). I realize this is a writer’s device to get Rod moved more and more to the good side, but it just seems too sudden. Rod may not be on board with all the murders anymore, but he’s certainly a whiz at the drug trade. Why would EC be stupid enough to lose that business acumen?

Now I’m leaning toward Rodolfo actually ending up with Chabela. I felt sorry for her when she had to leave the hotel and approved of her decision to go to his house. It was time for the game to be over. But now she’s pretty smug trying to maintain her place in that house and even threatening to call ICE to report Carlos to protect her scumbag lover. I wouldn’t wish her on Cristóbal. As an aside, does she even own a stitch of clothing that doesn’t expose 90% of her breasts!

I fully expected Gracie to rush into Felicia’s office ranting about El Colmillo to find EC, Felicia, and Rod in a “staff meeting”. Maybe it will happen tonight. If she does so, she puts herself and her child in grave danger.
 

Bajo

I'll do a recap tonight, probably a short one.
 

Bajo

no shows tonight, music awards!

 

Bajo. And I still think it's weird that with gang headquarters in that freestanding house covered in gang symbols, in the neighborhood where Cristóbal interrogated gang members about Laura Morales'disappearance, no one in authority has noticed that it is the gang clubhouse or showed up to look for El Colmillo. It's almost as if that one-story stucco house were saying, "Look at me! The pandilla La colmena? meets here!"
 

Bajo. Correction. That's La Colonia--though colmena (beehive) would work too. :)

 

Bajo

Deb, thanks for reminding me about the music awards. I knew it earlier in the week, but had forgotten.

I'll do one Friday night then.
 

BAJO,

Novelera,totally agree about Chabela's wardrobe. It would be natural for Cristobal to fantasize about her what with all that flaunting, but he seems like a decent guy, and I hope he ends up with Greicy. She is a fairly innocent type and got in way over her head.

Re Chabela, she couldn't be too bright if she waited 5 years for Rudolfo to Man Up.
The first thing any girl would think in that situation was that her "lover" was a married man.

SpanProf, it's absurd that gang headquarters is right there, and no one knows where it is. And to top it all off, Carlos peered through broken boards to see and hear most of what was going on. Also, Cristobal prides himself in knowing everything that goes on in his district.

I like the way Adela/Mati understands how important fatherhood is to Carlos.
I would not be at all surprised if she and Carlos end up raising Felicia's baby along with one or more of their own. I suspect that Feli and Willy will both meet their demise in the end.


Rodrigo is ever so deeply entangled in this mess.

I remain riveted.

Chat later,

All the best

 

BAJO

 

BAJO

Susy seems to be maturing a little.

I cannot wait for Maria and Jacob to end up together.

I would like to see Rudolfo hit the road without any woman at all.
He is a completely illogical egoist.
 

Perla
I am not liking Gaia right now. I feel her pain but she seems to be leaning on the bad side. She wants "her" Tony and I think she will play dirty. Manfred is crazy, delusional and obsessive. Oy.
 

TELEMUNDO... rumors

“La Trailera”, written by Valentina Párraga ("La patrona", "Doña Barbara") will star Arap Bethke as galán to Edith González, Jorge Luis Pila being the bad guy.

Arap- "We have a strong cast and a very sweet story"

"will begin filming the middle of this month and will premiere in 2016"

 

Bajo

The recap will be pretty late this evening. I got home late from work, and right now I'm indulging in some playoffs baseball.
 

BAJO – VIERNES – PARTE 1

Carlos has found out from Adela that El Colmillo came to Rod and Gracie’s house (from Juana). Carlos, anguished, says that ICE was right; his son was involved with the escape from prison of EC. And many people were killed in this escape.

At the bar, EC, ensconced at Feli’s desk, gets rid of Willy and Rod so he can speak with Feli. He asks if she liked his little gift. She gives it back to him and says that she can buy things from her own work. She’s not for sale! EC: “The more you say no to me, the more I like you!” He tells her his accountant had to “retire”, and he wants her to take his place.

Meanwhile, at the back of the bar Rod is onto Willy. He sticks a knife at his throat first and later much lower! Rod tells him to back off sucking up to EC or they’ll be saying a rosary for him.

Rodolfo rags on Chabela for her terrible cooking and in front of Alex.

Gracie marches into the bar and through gritted teeth tells Rod that he lied to her. The guy who came to their house was El Colmillo.

Feli refuses to be the accountant for La Colonia. EC looks at her very seriously and says the easiest thing would be to force her; she wouldn’t be the first nor the last. She bravely tells him she had a monster in her life already and now he’s threatening her.

Gracie keeps on blurting out inappropriate things at the bar. Rod tells her that there are gang members all over the place. He says that, if he tries to get out, they’ll kill everyone he loves.

Carlos is hastily getting dressed in his bedroom. He’s ready to go have it out with Rodrigo. [You can see why Adela and Carlos are good for each other. When one of them gets impulsive, the other one works on calming the waters.] She reminds him that ICE has him in their files. If he’s at all associated with La Colonia, he’ll be deported. She asks him to think of Luis, to think of her, to think of the child he’s having with Felicia. She says maybe it’s for the best that Gracie has found out. It’s time the lies stopped between that pair.

Rod tells the still huffy Gracie, if he left the country with her. EC would kill his father and Luis. He tells her they threatened him with killing all of them, including she and the baby.

Willy the banty rooster sees Felicia upset and asks if EC got fresh with her. He tells her he’ll take care of it. She tells him she’s living the same life twice. EC has the same look of an animal as her former husband.

Just as Gracie is stubbornly refusing to leave the bar, saying she’ll stay by Rod’s side, Rodolfo shows up, stinking drunk, with his mariachi band and starts singing to Maria. She completely rejects him. Rod tries to get his uncle to leave, but Rodolfo waves his finger in his face. This results in Rod grasping said finger and bringing him to his knees.

I can’t believe it. EC actually said something funny! He came out of the office and saw the scene with Rodolfo. He asks who is El Charro Pemex? [Pemex is the Mexican national petroleum company; so I guess he called him the Gasoline Cowboy.]
 

BAJO – VIERNES – PARTE 2

Adela tells Carlos still another problem. That Susy came to the barrio to see Luis and met Rodrigo.

Feli covers up the scene with Rodolfo and Maria by saying it was a rehearsal for a show they’re working on. She goes on to make a feminist statement to the women in the bar. EC tells Willie that she has them más puestos than the two of them. [More cojones, I believe he meant.]

Chabela calls Cristóbal to come to comfort Alex, who still calls him papa. Cris is disgusted she moved into Maria’s house. After being very, very good with Alex, Cris, on his way out, asks Chabela if a roof over her head means that much to her; that is, to make Maria and her children and her own child suffer. He turns his back on her and leaves.

In Feli’s office EC is getting drunk. He asks Feli to have a drink with him. He notices she isn’t drinking and didn’t drink any wine that time he arranged the dinner. He asks what she’s hiding. She says she has to be careful because she works in a bar. He tells her about his 10 years in solitary. And that the worst thing of all is that now that he’s out he doesn’t know how to treat a lady like her.

Carlos and Adela are talking in bed. He worries about Luis losing Susy because of his brother. Adela tells him that his putting his children first is why she loves him.

EC tells Feli that he was in the Mexican army 20 years ago, but they wouldn’t promote him, even though he was first in his class. He became disillusioned, deserted, and came across as a “wetback” [he used the English]. He says that he used his military training to become leader of La Colonia. He leans close to her and says he’s going to be a gentleman with her, and then leaves. She leans back and you can see what a toll this has taken on her.

Rod has a dream that he tells Adela he loves her. As he says her name, EC comes up and shoots her. He calls out “Adela” in his sleep. Gracie, of course, has a jealous hissy fit.

Luis calls Susy, but she doesn’t pick up. He leaves a message that he wants them to meet in secret. But Susy is keeping the promise she made her father.

Rodolfo has a fit when he finds out that Alex played his guitar. This seems like the last straw for Chabela. She says she doesn’t want to live with him. But she does want him to sell the house and give she and Alex their part of the money that they deserve.

Luis and Nick are about to leave for school when Sharon walks by arm in arm with Jay. Subtle as always, Sharon announces that she just spent the best night of her life with Jay. She’s trying to bother Luis, but really only bothers Nick.

Deborah sneaks into Susy’s room, reads the message from Luis about meeting in secret. Susy is angry she snooped, but D plays her trump card in front of Jacob, saying Luis is just like his brother. She takes away Susy’s car, her credit card and even her cell phone.

Juana and Adela come out of the house to go to work. Adela isn’t really looking toward the sidewalk and is talking to Juana. Jay looks up and says he recognizes that voice. Uh oh!
 

Bajo. Excellent recap, novelera! I especially liked your remark about Carlos and Adela being good for each other because each can calm the other down from being upset and impulsive. Rudolfo is not just selfish, but pathological. He makes it clear when he compares Chabela's cooking and housekeeping skills to Maria's that he had seen Maria primarily as a servant. I too hope that he ends up with no one. Cristobal is so good with little Alex, that with or without Chabela, he finds a way to truly be his father.
 

that I hope, that is.
 

PERLA--
Romy, you took care of three episodes in just four sentences and an oy. Wednesday's recap will be up shortly. Keep an eye out for it.


AVENIDA B--
Mighty Mouse to the rescue once again, only to get trapped. It all comes to a big (?) expected (?) finish on Monday....who will die, who will survive, whose secrets will be outted, who will live happily ever after? Ay, Carminha, even if you do the right thing, it's too little too late--you had over 100 hours to become a better person!
 

PERLA—
Wed, Oct 7 Part I

Manfred tries to run over Franz with his car. Franz recognizes the car. Gertie finds him cowering under his bathroom sink. She thinks he was crazy to force himself on Amelia. She’s Franz’ woman. He counters that Franz doesn’t love her the way he loves her. Manfred goes all BSC in front of Gertie, swearing Amelia will be his as soon as he gets rid of Franz. Gertie is horrified.

David sighting--Doc Rubens comes to the house and commends him on his progress. He tells the doc that he and Aurora, you know (did it). Doc thinks that’s stupendous. Aurora enters as she hears her name. The doc gives them his medical opinion—chronic love syndrome. Aurora wants to know if David told him about, you know (did it). Doc says yes, it’s clear David is responding to his physical therapy well. Aurora finishes his thought…and to love, too. They have a good laugh over that.

The two lovebirds plan to have a romantic dinner to celebrate at the club. Aurora tells a beaming David how happy she is with his progress and she’ll never get tired of celebrating. He jokingly says he hopes she’s not going to ask him to dance. Aurora reaches for his hand and says, “When I am near you, I have other things in mind. Like right now. Let’s go back to my hotel. We have lots to do before we go to bed.” She excuses herself to go to the ladies’ room and gets waylaid by Decio. He hands her the key to his hotel room and promises her a better time than with that cripple. She takes the key and smiles. She plays a prank on him by handing the key to Chico, one of the waiters and tells him a lovely girl is interested in him and wants him to come to her room. Hijinks ensue. Aurora then tells David what she did. David can’t believe she would. Well, he deserved it. David laughs and takes her in his arms for some serious love-making.

In the morning, Aurora brings David back to the pension. They take such a long time kissing each other goodbye it brings out all the denizens of the pension. Aurora leaves. Decio accosts her on the street and scolds her for her prank. He wants to set up another tryst with her. This one without tricks. She agrees. Then, she plays another prank on him by locking him out of her room with him wearing only a lacy woman’s peignoir. He is shamed in public and is arrested for (near) nudity on the street.
 

PERLA--
Wed, Oct 7 Part II

Franz confronts his father about Manfred’s aggression and how Manfred tried to run him over. He warns his father about Manfred’s true feelings toward the Hauser family. Ernest hears about the attempted rape of Amelia. Ernest promises Franz he will take care of things. Franz wonders out loud what their relationship is. Are they accomplices? It’s odd how Manfred always obeys him. Franz leaves. Ernest is mad--at Manfred. He calls Manfred in and gives him another dressing down about his behavior. Ernest says he is willing to kill Manfred if anything happens to Franz, his son and heir. Little Boy Manfred asks, “But what about me? I’m your son, too.” Ernest cuts him off short. He only has three children. He kicks him out of the office with one word—bastard.

Manfred, fuming with fury, heads for Franz hotel room. They yell at each other. He is about to tell Franz he’s his half-brother when Ernest arrives. He takes him home. Then yells at him he is never to go near Franz again. Never dare tell him he is Ernest’s son. If he does, he will kick him and his mother out on the street. He gave Manfred everything he wouldn’t have had—a home, an education, an important post in the company, but he will never acknowledge his paternity. He tells Manfred he was an error; a mistake in his life. Manfred dissolves into tears. Ernest leaves. Gertie comes in to comfort him.

Franz goes immediately to Amelia’s place. He tells her he doesn’t know who Manfred is—he’s full of anger, resentment, envy. Manfred even accused Franz of stealing Amelia from him. Amelia says that is ridiculous. He says how when Ernest showed up, he reverted to the obedient servant he’s always seemed to be. Franz and Amelia hug and kiss. He thinks that for safety’s sake he should move in and start sleeping in the house with her and Perla. Amelia looks at him smiling coyly and wonders if that’s the only reason.

Gaia doesn’t want to meet her old neighbors looking like she does, more bones than skin she tells Lola. There is a very warm welcome for her, especially moving, between her and Amelia and then Yolanda. When she finally goes “home” to Toni’s house, she asks to see Hilda first. Hilda feels awful for her. Gaia feels awful for herself. She tells Hilda the only thing that kept her going through all those years of deprivation was her love for Toni and she wasn’t going to give him up now. She doesn’t want to move in with them, but is anxious to restart her political activities. Toni tells her he is no longer a part of that life. He and Hilda have a business to run. Later that night, Toni continues to reaffirm his love for Hilda. He tells her he has great affection for Gaia, but no longer loves her the way he loves Hilda. She is his woman. Meanwhile Gaia puts a hook into Toni to help her look for their son, Giuseppe.

Ernest is in a financial ruin. No bank will lend him money due to rumors of his impending bankruptcy. The only way out is to sell off part of the shares in the company to raise capital. Manfred is seen arranging to buy 49% of the shares in the company, but no one must know who’s buying the shares. He gloats.
 

PERLA--
Wed, Oct 7 Part III

Josefe is unmasked as the “secretary” who called the social worker and Ernest about Perla being at the cabaret. Of course, she *is* now the secretary to Ernest. Amelia is furious. She and Franz call the social worker, tell her the whole set up and the social worker promises to inform the judge that has their custody case.

Silvia is getting closer to finding out what happened to Catalina and if Ernest had a hand in it. She finds out that Salvador, the gardener comes to Cicero’s bar once a month. She watches from her car on the appointed day and watches as Salvador comes in and Cicero hands him an envelope (presumably a monthly living allowance, from – do we want to guess? do we have to guess?) She engages him as he exits and they go to a restaurant. Salvador doesn’t spill the sopa. Silvia knows she’s running out of time. Pilar tells her Manfred *had* returned to the mansion from boarding school before Catalina died. Pilar is still trying to convince her to give it up and be happy with Viktor. Silvia tells Pilar she’s going to go far away, by herself after her baby is born.

Perla’s instruction in Buddhism with the monks continues. As they leave the vecindad, Tenpa recognizes the red car that plowed into him. He sees the damaged front fender. Walter is driving it.
 

Perla
@Anita, thanks for the recap. I only watch on weekends but I was home Friday so I got all caught up. Manfred will not back off unless he's dead. When Franz heard about the baby he was so relieve, lol. So Ernest thinks he can keep everyone's children? WTH? Gaia is losing my sympathy fast even though I get where she's coming from up to a point.'Bajo, thank you for the recap. Oh uh about Jay recognizing Adela's voice. Why did Carlos call Mati "Adela" while talking with Maria's kids? They're children so they may slip up. I am so stressed about EC finding her, dang it.
 

BAJO


Thanks, Novelera, Another Winner! and after a long day. Hope you enjoyed the baseball playoffs. So far, Felicia holds her own very well with EC. He needs to regroup his womanizing strategies that are not working on Feli. He's bewildered.

Greicy is toughening up and plans to Stand by her Man, no matter what.

I am glad that Susy kept her promise, but Luis' voice message leaves him in very poor
standing with Susy's parents.

I thought the serenading part was hilarious.

Another cliffhanger! We'll see what happens on Monday.

Thanks again.

All the best


 

Bajo
Gracias Novelera

Not only is Adela in trouble but also Rodrigo. The one he is supposed to kill is living with his padre! Maybe Rod has to kill Jay, too bad.

Fang cleans up pretty good, Love the actor. Felicia handled it very well, her life has turned to mierda.

Really, really good novela,

I think Celia starts next Tues at 8PM EST. Jenny Osorio as Celia, she was in Santa Diabla & Porque el amor manda, I like her very much & have been wondering why we haven't seen her.
 

Bajo

thanks ever so much novelera !!!
for another wonderful recap.

once again I had no captions, and wow did I ever miss a lot.
I'll have to watch it again.

ok, some other misc. stuff,

where's Flag?

I guess Rod's idea of fixing up a nice place at the clubhouse for Evil Colmillo was with a prison motif, bars on the doors and all.

the ribbon Susi wears in her hair, is that part of her school uniform, like for everyone?

and Maria talks about her kids uniforms, so they must go to a private school too ??

and Willy's idea of cooling down the drug sells in the bar was probably why things looked a bit normal.

actually Willy doesn't look too bad, when he is not getting his daily beatings, so who would make a better father, Willy or Rudolfo?

and then there is Sharon and Jay, if they have a baby will he have tattoos?

 

PRECIOSA PERLA

Anita: Thanks again for recaps. I'm loving them. I didn't expect Aurora and David to be a couple and certainly didn't expect to like them but I do. I'm not sure whether Aurora would be interested in David if he weren't in the wheelchair. But I think he'd definitely would be interested in her (in or out of the wheelchair). All men seem to be interested in her. I am enjoying watching the relationship grow and so glad that they could do more than kissing (hehehe).

Ernest is so very cruel. I felt a tad bit... Just a tad bit sorry for Manfred. Those were very harsh words Ernest said to Manfred. He treats Manfred worse than a dog. Of course, it is no reason for Manfred to be as horrible as he is but one can see why.

Romy: I agree about Gaia. I felt very sorry for her and was very touched with her return. I understand her plight and the changes she will have to go through now that she's back but she's already acting like she is going to be trouble. Hmmm...

Manfred is seriously sick. His mother and father's behavior don't help him.

AVENIDA BRASIL
Anita: Did you describe Rita/Nina as Mighty Mouse!? ROFLOL!

You're right about it being too late for Carminha. Yes, she did have plenty of time to do good. Not the last day of the novela. :-)

 

PERLA--
Paz and Romy - You are both welcome. This has become a labor of time and love. Every time I sit down I swear I'll make it short and it just doesn't work that way.

Manfred is a most complicated personality. He is so inept with women. He always uses them or abuses them. The only one he didn't treat that way was Aurora and she threw him over for a lad in a wheelchair. No doubt his position in the house has lead directly to his tortured view of power and manipulation. He's had a good role model, but one who doesn't give him any respect, nor attention either, except to use as a flunky.

I wonder what Manfred would have been like if Ernest had *not* given his mother a position in the household, *not* given him a taste of the perks of an upper class family without actually letting him belong to that social class. He might have ended up like Benito anyway, but possibly like Raimundo, fighting against injustices toward the lower classes.

AVE B--Yes--I was referring to Nina/Rita as Mighty Mouse.

Thursday's recap of Perla follows.
 

PERLA—
Thu, Oct 8 Part I

Silvia chases Salvador down on the street, but he’s done with her. She has an early labor pain. Artur takes her home. Silvia gets home ok and goes looking for Gertie. She finds Wenceslau in the kitchen trying to borrow money from Gertie. It’s obvious this isn’t the first time. He wants an advance on next month’s payment. She can’t and hustles him out. Silvia files this tid-bit for later rumination.

Josefeu can avoid being accused by Franz for the set-up with Perla at the cabaret, with possible jail time. All she needs to do is make a sworn statement. The judge who is reviewing the custody case will probably ask her and others to testify. Lic. Silverio has no doubt the judge will find in Amelia’s favor. Once Franz and Amelia are alone, he starts to enumerate all the instances where Manfred had a hand in separating them, beginning with substituting Silvia for himself on the business trip to Paris.

Laura comes to visit Yoyo in her new digs. She can’t understand why Walter behaves so abominably to Otavio. She wonders if he’s actually Walter’s child by another woman. She’s also pretty sure it was Ernest who urged him to adopt the boy.

Yoyo tells Laura how pithed she is at Dalia for helping Ernest catch her and Mundo together so he could charge them with adultery. She catches up with Dalia on the street and they get into a cat fight. Mundo and Fabricio break it up, but Yoyo made her point. They are tended to their wounds in the party office by the two guys.

Tenpa reports to the police chief that he recognized the car that hit him. By the time they investigate all the red cars, Walter has had the front end bunged out and repainted. The police chief figures Tenpa is ignorant about cars and dismisses the idea it was Walter. His aide is not convinced, though. Walter, though, has connected the dots of the red car, the monks, the damage and perhaps even the Hauser jewelry robbery—to Decio. When he tells Laura, she’s shocked.

Salvador comes to the hospital to visit his very ill adult granddaughter, Marta. Now we know where those monthly payments for over ten years have been going. Dr. Rubens doesn’t give him any hope for recovery. Marta urges Salvador to clear his conscience about what is so obviously bothering him—his involvement in the Zampari affair. He demurs discussing it further. Marta continues to urge him. When he talks to Cicero, Cicero begs him not to stir things up by baring his soul to Silvia. What good would it do. Zampari has been dead for ten years. It can’t be fixed. It’s too late. He should just enjoy the time he has left with his granddaughter.
 

PERLA--
Thu, Oct 7 Part II

Gaia has gone to the vecindad to spy on Toni and Hilda. She sees them happily interacting with the children, in love and kissing each other adoringly. She has a flashback to her own wedding to Toni and swears she’ll have Toni back some day. Sometime later Lic. Silveira has good/bad news for Gaia, Toni and Hilda. Because Gaia is alive and has re-established her identity, her marriage to Toni is valid. Hilda is now an un-wife. She flees the room and Toni sends Silveira after her to make sure she gets home ok. Toni stays behind with Gaia.

Gaia is so happy with the news. Toni admits to Gaia she was his first love and taught him much about love. Then came the tragedies which affected their lives. First, his ten years in prison, then when he was told Gaia was dead. Something died in him, too. Then he met Hilda and she made him feel alive again and able to love again. He tells her he’s sorry, but he just doesn’t love Gaia that way anymore. After caressing his face and wanting him to kiss her, she backs away from him and says she’ll give them the separation. She won’t stand in his way of happiness with Hilda. She’s going to concentrate on finding her son, who she feels is still alive. (We want to believe she is sincere, but...and it's a big but.)

Toni returns home to Hilda. He sits in front of her and tells her what he and Gaia spoke about. He pulls himself into her and puts his head in her lap. He loves her. She loves him. They embrace.

Manfred reports to Ernest that someone has purchased all the shares put up for sale. The buyer is not yet known, but at least the House of Hauser is saved.

Viktor comes in to Silvia’s room in the mansion to complain about Ernest. Silvia wants to know what else is new--he’s a cruel, vindictive man. Then her labor pains start in earnest and Viktor is the one who takes her to the hospital. He and Silvia persuade the delivery team to let him be with her during labor and birth, even though Franz is the putative father.

David sighting—Aurora and David have come to the bookstore where Franz works. They buy a big book of poetry, parts of which the two recite in unison. They are delighted. Artur comes in to let Franz know the house called. Silvia is in labor. Aurora congratulates him. Franz looks a little uncomfortable and leaves. David asks Aurora if she’s ever thought about being a mother and having children. She says quite definitively, that she prefers books to babies—then adds—at least for now.

The doc is working on David’s physical therapy. David tells him he wants to marry, have children and grow old--with Aurora. Doc says if that’s the case, they need to get on with his therapy. Meanwhile, Aurora out walking, can’t believe David has put this idea of being a mother in her head. She didn’t think that type of life was for her.

Franz stops by the vecindad to tell Amelia that Silvia is about to give birth. Perla and the monks leave to recite a mantra for the baby. Franz swears this child won’t change anything between them. If the child *is* his, he must go see the child, an innocent being, and receive the baby with love. Amelia lets him go after sharing a loving, but tension-filled embrace, with several “te amos” from Franz.

 

PERLA--
Thu, Oct 8 Part III

Silvia delivers a healthy baby boy. The doc hands him to Viktor. He beams with pride and calls him “mi niño.” He’s beautiful. Viktor hands the baby to his mother and she looks at Viktor and the baby adoringly and calls the baby “nuestro hijo,” just as Franz arrives at the door and hears Silvia say this. He can tell by the looks on their faces anyway. Franz smiles to himself--Viktor, not he is the father. The doc wants to check Silvia. Viktor tells her he’ll be right outside. He tells her he loves her and Silvia tells Viktor she LOVES him (first time she says it)!

Ernest arrives at the hospital and the two brothers continue the farce that Franz is the baby’s father. Franz insists, much to Ernest’s consternation, that Viktor go in with him to see Silvia. Franz approaches the beautiful, peacefully sleeping baby and greets him. Silvia tries to pass the baby off as Franz’ but it no longer works. He says he heard them. This baby should not grow up living a lie. Viktor and Silvia should raise this boy together. With Viktor’s agreement, Franz is going to ask for a blood test to determine paternity. Silvia is not mollified. What about Ernest? On this note, Ernest comes in to meet his new grandson and kicks Viktor out. Ernest pitches a fit when Silvia tells him they are going to name him Hector. Over his dead body, he fumes.

Meanwhile, outside in the waiting room the two brothers reconcile. By some modern medical miracle of 1946, the blood test has already come back. It proves Viktor is the father. Franz and Viktor are both over the moon with the news. Franz wants Vik to be happy with his son and the woman he loves. Franz can’t wait to go home and tell Amelia he has a nephew and not a son. He urges Vik to be done with this farce with Ernest. Later, Viktor arrives with flowers for Silvia. He wants the whole world to know about them and their child. Silvia is so not ok with that. He tells her not to be afraid. He’s not going to leave her alone.

[Matilde and Lama Sonan carry on with their on their non-relationship relationship. He freaks out and tells the monks it’s time to leave and go back to their monastery. Matilde asks him not to. She’ll back off. She doesn’t want to lose a friend.]

Manfred shows up at the vecindad courtyard and tries to talk to Amelia to divert suspicion away from himself in the Perla-Cabaret affair. She no longer believes anything he says. She knows what kind of person he is and only continued giving him the time of day because he and Franz were like brothers. She pushes him away, out of her personal space. He keeps backing up but keeps telling her she’s not being fair to him. The other women come to protect Amelia. Manfred leaves and drives away just as Franz arrives on foot. Amelia is shaken, but says Manfred didn’t do anything to her. They hug each other.

Once inside the apartment, Franz tells Amelia he’s not the father of Silvia’s baby. They are both relieved of the likely burden of having Silvia in their lives. It will be just the two of them, from now on. Amelia wants to know how Vik is. Franz reports he is overjoyed with his son and madly in love with Silvia—and she with him. Franz and Amelia are so happy they are going to “celebrate” in the bedroom.

Manfred is back home wrecking his bathroom. He’s seething. Amelia should not have said those terrible things to him, about him, in front of all those women. It’s all Franz’ fault. With him out of the way permanently, he’ll have Amelia. Manfred says to himself he won’t be happy until Franz is dead. He contracts with Benito to kill Franz. There’s going to be a dance at the cabaret that very night. He’s to find out if Franz will be attending. It will be an ideal location.
 

Bajo. Hi, Deb! Maria's kids may go to a Catholic elementary school and wear uniforms. Also, more and more urban school districts are having children wear uniforms. You can generally see a school uniform section in department stores of good-sized cities.
 

Bajo

Good point, SpanProf, about Maria's kids going to Catholic school. I assume they require unis as they did in the past.

Yes, the actor portraying El Colmillo is good. One of the things I've noticed about him is his dominance moves. He always gets too close and invades the personal space of whoever he's talking to. He did that with Feli when he moved away from behind the desk and got right next to her when proposing she become his "accountant". He does it to Rodrigo every time he rags on him for not finding Adela Morales. He also does it to the other gang members.

It's been interesting seeing EC as slightly vulnerable. He seems to be falling for Felicia as more than just a sexual conquest because she's beautiful. He actually imagines having a relationship with her. Shrewd as always, he recognized Friday that trying to force her into bed with him wasn't going to achieve what he wants: a woman who cares for him. So he backed off the threats and said something about learning to be a gentleman for her. Interesting. Actually Felicia and EC would make a good couple! Neither is long in the ethics department.
 

Bajo. Excellent observations about EC and Felicia, novelera! And what woman doesn't want to "tame her outlaw!"
 

PRECIOSA PERLA:
Thanks for the summary, Anita!

I was very happy for Franz and Amelia When he discovered that the baby is not his. I didn't now they could do blood tests to determine paternity, back in the day, but that's good they did.

Matilde and Lama Sonan's "non relationship relationship"? ROFLOL! That description killed me, just like the "Mighty Mouse" description, which is a perfect description for Rita on Avenida Brasil.

Manfred is certified. *shakes head*


 

PERLA—
Fri, Oct 9 Part I

David sighting—Dr. Rubens is just leaving as Aurora arrives at his pension, resplendent in a gold lamé dress that offsets her other assets. She’s there to invite David to the Cabaret dance that evening. He points out that he can’t even walk, how does she expect him to dance. He’s thinks she’s crazy. She shushes him as she sits down in his wheel chair, “Here a girl asks you to a dance and you answer her like that?” She does a couple of high kicks from the chair and gets him smiling again. They’ll show everyone how they can dance.

Dr. Rubens asks Matilde to the dance (well, sort of, Serena offers her). Lama Sonan overhears this. It’s possible he feels a little jealous—just look at his face. Amelia has brought Perla to the pension. Zefeu is there. Amelia is quite cool towards her. Zefe swears she has learned her lesson. Amelia thinks it’s odd she still has her job at Hauser’s.

Viktor is back at the hospital to watch over Silvia and his son. This is the only place he wants to be and greets her with kisses. Vik and Sil discuss a name for the baby. Sil explains Ernest nixed the name Hector. She forgot he was involved with the death of Vik’s mother. She tries to start a conversation regarding Zampari and how strange he would be accused of murder when he and Ernest were supposedly best friends. Vik says it was a crime of passion and he doesn’t want to talk about it. He wants to talk about them, their “pimpollo” [ed. = endearment for beautiful young child] and her.

Despite Cicero’s pleas, Salvador has decided to spill the frijoles (at last) to Silvia. Now he just has to find her. He and Cicero figure out she’s Ernest Hauser’s daughter-in-law, who has just had a baby.

Amelia knows about the dance. She tells Perla she feels more like the Cinders in Cinderella than the princess part; she has no dress to wear to the dance - - well, until there’s a knock at the door and Franz has sent her a dress and a set of jewelry that belonged to his mother. When she’s ready, Franz arrives to pick her up. He’s bedazzled. She looks beautiful in a two-toned blue dress with a widely flared skirt and an embroidered strapless top. Manfred watches their exit from somewhere near the gates of the vecindad and tells Franz, inaudibly, to enjoy his last moments of happiness.

The guests for the dance start arriving. Apparently it is by invitation only. Aurora, David and Dalia take a table. Aurora excuses herself to go greet Odilon in his dressing room before he goes on stage. Lola foils Joel’s plot (he suffers from jealousy a lot) to drug Odilon as she switches the tainted tea cup so it’s Joel who drinks it and passes out on the floor.
 

PERLA--
Fri, Oct 9 Part II

The surprise Mundo planned for Yoyo with Arlindo works out perfectly. Yolanda thinks she’s going to stay with Santita because she wasn’t feeling well, but she’s fine. Yoyo finds Mundo in Arlindo’s apartment. Since they couldn’t go to the dance together, he’s brought the dance to her—and a dinner he prepared himself, lots of smooching and tender, loving words and then the dance.

Ernest is going to the club to celebrate his new grandson. He’s bothered that Franz won’t be joining him. It was odd that he didn’t seem very overjoyed. He asks Gertrudis where Viktor is. Maybe he would come instead. Gertie says Vik is probably at the hospital with Silvia. Ernest thinks that is odd, he acts as though he….Ernest has a thought bomb and asks Gertie to leave him alone. He thinks back to a particular instance when Silvia and Viktor were not acting very in-law-y. Just before Ernest leaves for the club, he asks Gertie if she ever noticed any inappropriate behavior between Vik and Sil. Yes, and proceeds to tell Ernest what she saw. At the club, Ernest is distracted and dashes off to take care of something and leaves Walter in the lurch.

At the hospital, Viktor is hovering over Silvia who is lying down again, and kissing her. He’s the happiest man in the world. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world. He says proudly, he always knew that baby was his - - ever since she got back from the Himalayas talking about her pregnancy. Silvia teases him, it could have been Franz’. No, it couldn’t. She wants to know how he could tell. [ed. What follows is a bit of telenovela logic, but it’s sweet and if Viktor believes it, we will, too.] Vik tells her she was married to Franz for ten years and never got pregnant. It was because they didn’t love each other, unlike Viktor who loves her and he knows she loves him, too. This tender scene is ruined by the arrival of Ernest who is wondering what the h*** is going on here.

Silvia freaks out. Viktor stands firm and lets Ernest have it straight off his chest. He and Silvia have been involved in a romantic relationship and this beautiful child who was just born is his. Ernest tells Vik to shut his mouth and calls Silvia a loose woman (close to whore, but not quite) and an adulterer. He’s going to runtelldat to Franz. They both tell him Franz already knows and he’s quite relieved because Franz and Silvia never loved each other. Franz loves Amelia and Ernest very well knows that.

Ernest tells Vik to come with him and leave this “mujer suela” here. Vik says Ernest is not to talk to Sil like that. Ernest, looking directly at Silvia tells her she’s no longer a part of the Hauser family and to get lost. Vik says if she leaves the house, he leaves with her. Fine, says Ernest, leave and he’ll be disinherited. Vik says so be it. But—Ernest has the last word. He’s keeping the child to be raised by him as a Hauser. If they try anything he’ll sic the police on them. He leaves.

On his way out, Ernest pays a night nurse to snitch on them if they try to leave the hospital, which is exactly what they decide to do, at Silvia’s hysterical urging. She’s afraid Ernest will follow through with his threat and take her baby. Look what happened to Franz and Amelia. Vik tries to calm her, holding her. They make preparations to register the baby and flee.
 

PERLA--
Fri, Oct 9 Part III

Back to the cabaret dance. Now Manfred has arrived. He tells Benito to scram, they are not to be seen together. He sits down with Decio at a table next to Franz and Amelia’s. A few minutes later, Manfred has the gall to interrupt Franz and Amelia while they are canoodling and speaks directly to Amelia, telling her how lovely she looks, asks if he can sit with them, then asks sweetly (as if he could) if Amelia would allow him a dance. Franz is up on his feet and so is Amelia; they look at him as though he were crazy. They both tell him no and to leave. He says he will, only because Amelia asked him to. Amelia wants to go home. Franz urges her to not let that vulgar so-and-so ruin their evening, so they stay.

Odilon is a hit and everyone gets up to dance while he sings “Perfume de Gardenia.” [ed. – this YouTube version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_f8p0itXFw is sung by the legendary Javier Solis. The lyrics are copied in Part IV of the recap.]

Aurora tries to get David to dance, but he won’t. At least not until Decio asks her to dance and she accepts. With his dander up, David rolls onto the floor and says now he wants to dance with his novia. Decio scoff and asks how. Like this, David says, and pulls Aurora onto his lap. Of course, that is just where she wanted to be.

Arturo asks Gaia to dance. Toni and Hilda are dancing and dance too close to them. Gaia asks to switch partners. Hilda concedes, not too happily. Toni doesn’t seem to enjoy dancing with Gaia as much as she is enjoying dancing with him.

Franz and Amelia finally get up to dance. As they are dancing cheek-to-cheek, Miquelina’s daughter gives Franz a message his car is blocking someone and he must move it. Of course it’s just a ruse to get Franz outside where Benito and his Thugs [nice name for a band] are waiting.

Franz is puzzled, but turns to leave, asking Amelia to please wait for him. In his hurry to get to Amelia, Manfred’s timing is off and when he makes Amelia get up to dance with him, Franz is not yet out of the hall.

Josephin-u can’t find her invitation to the dance and finally decides to crash the party. Luckily for our hero, she decided to do this. She is just getting to the cabaret by herself when she sees the four conspirators talking about their plan to snatch Franz and what they are going to do to him. Somehow Josefu gets by them, but can’t get by Santita, who demands the invitation. Josefe pulls a fainting spell and in the uproar, she grabs Franz and tells him not to leave the hall for any reason, then goes quickly off to find the police chief. He doesn’t want to follow her but she upscales the threat by telling him there are masked men outside ready to invade the cabaret.

Perla, Pellizquito and Caetano are putting on a mini-cabaret for Doña Francesca (Toni’s mom). Suddenly, Perla feels a stabbing pain in her chest. She cries out that someone is going to hurt her father. They try to tell her it can’t be true, he’s loved by all and he’s in a very public place. This does not help Perla, but they don’t know what else to do to calm her down. She begins to calm herself down.

Franz decides to leave anyway but hears Amelia’s voice and turns to see her slap Manfred. Franz rushes to her side and Manfred just stands there like a zombie.
 

PERLA--
Fri, Oct 9 Part IV

Lyrics to Perfume de Gardenia
Music and lyrics composed by Rafael Hernández Marin
(b. Puerto Rico, 1892)

Perfume de gardenia tiene tu boca
bellísimos destellos de luz en tu mirar.
Tu risa es una rima de alegres notas
se mueven tus cabellos cuál ondas en el mar.

Tu cuerpo es una copia de Venus de Citeres
que envidian las mujeres cuando te ven pasar.
Y llevas en tu alma la virginal pureza,
por eso es tu belleza de un místico candor.

Perfume de gardenia tiene tu boca
perfume de gardenia, perfume del amor.

Tu cuerpo es una copia de Venus de Citeres
que envidian las mujeres cuando te ven pasar.
Y llevas en tu alma la virginal pureza,
por eso es tu belleza de un místico candor.

Perfume de gardenia tiene tu boca
perfume de gardenia, perfume del amor.

 

PRECIOSA PERLA

Anita: xoxoxx Thank you!

Ernest has horrible relationships with his kids but he has nerve to want to take the grand kids away from them.

Thanks for link and to Javier Solis' rendition. Never heard of it before and don't know singer. I enjoyed listening to the singer and the song. Will go back and listen to more of his music. And thanks for posting the lyrics. I love the lyrics. Made me appreciate and enjoy the song even more. Happy Monday!


 

PERLA--

Paz--Could Ernest be admitting he failed to establish *his* moral values on his three children? They have certainly gone in opposite directions from ones he approved of. Now he thinks he will do better with the next generation. Perla, however, has already shown some very mature independence of her own and I predict el pimpollo de Vik and Sil will have more of his mother's character. I'm terrified of the outcome when Vik finds out everything Silvia did against his family. But maybe the truth will out. She did say to herself that her biggest crime was to fall in love with the son of the man who murdered her father. So she has some internal changes to make as well.

It was a Crime of Passion, says Viktor. That's what he was told, but he was a child at the time. But, as an educated man, he should know that more often than not, the crime is committed against the rival, not the object of his love. Well, maybe I'll take that back a couple of notches. In novels and telenovelas, how many times have we seen the "If I can't have her/him, then nobody can" syndrome play out.

Manfred is a perfect example of what I meant before. He is a deluded man about to commit a crime of passion in the twisted fantasy that once Franz, his rival, is out of the way, Amelia will run to him. He's already been rejected by her several times, but each time he blames Franz and never himself.
 

PERLA--

One more thought before signing off. In the Ernest-Catalina-Hector triangle, Ernest could very well have killed Catalina for betraying him with Hector. He speaks of killing people quite easily, including Manfred (if he so much as touched Franz ever again). In his calculated rage, he did not think how her death would affect his children (or maybe he did). The kids are probably marred--having only Gertrudis as a substitute mother. Ernest was all about maintaining his position in his social circle and head of an important company with lots of influence, so scandal was out of the question. Catalina was not going to be allowed to leave with Hector.

I'm not sure how the kids (namely Franz and Viktor) rationalized it, but Silvia certainly put the idea in Vik's head that perhaps the two were in love again and going to run away together.
 

PRECIOSA PERLA

Anita: Hmm.... You bring up some good points, but I don't think Ernest would ever admit he failed at anything. He's so egotistical and maniacal. He would just blame his failure on his kids (not himself) but still want to take his grandchildren away from them so that he can start all over again, the right way in his mind. It's a miracle that Perla has turned out the way she has but I suppose Amelia and her genes has something to do about it. Not just Franz. Cuz Franz is a weak one. :-)

I hope a miracle for el pimpollo de Vik and Sil (hehehe love that description). I think your prediction about him having more of his mother's character will come true.

I think you're right that Ernest's kids have rationalized whatever happened to their mother, according to what they were told by Gertrudis and their father. Of course, Gertrudis would tell them anything to make Ernest happy. Growing up in the household of Ernest, I'm surprised they have turned out as well as they have.

About Vik and Sil: I'm afraid they're going to have a challenge ahead of them because Silvia hasn't told him the truth. I wish she would have once they declared their love for each other and banded together against Ernest. Vik is going to be so dumbstruck and hurt when he finds out that Sil lied to him. What's he going to do? The same thing as his older brother. Run back home to Ernest's home and probably work to take his child with him (away from Sil). Anyways... We shall see what happens...

Yes, Ernest could have very well killed Catalina but I also think that Gertrudis could have done it, too, without hesitation... Coming to think about it, I think that definitely Ernest killed his wife and Gertrudis lied for him by accusing Hector. Because of that Ernest let Gertrudis live in his home with her son. What do you think? Hmm...

Oh and yes to what you wrote about Manfred. Crime of Passion in a very sick and twisted way.


 

PERLA--
Oh, Paz, and anyone else. Do check the composer of "Perfume de Gardenia" Rafael Hernández Marin on Wikipedia. What an mazing life for one who started out as a cigar maker in Puerto Rico when he was still a boy. He died in 1965, back in San Juan and is buried there.
 

PERLA
Thanks, Anita! I love tidbits like this! I will definitely look him up when I get a chance.
~ Paz
 

PERLA--
Paz-I was being rhetorical, rather than asking a real question, but you are absolutely correct that Ernest would never admit to failing in anything.

I went back to check on a few things. Pilar told Silvia that Ernest could not have killed Catalina because he was away on a business trip. Later she admits she only knows what happened from the newspaper reports. They were not allowed to discuss the "tragedy" in the office. So *anything* goes. It would have been easy for Gertrudis and Ernest to make up the whole business trip thing.

After Pilar mentioned to Silvia that Manfred *was* back from boarding school, it made me wonder. He would have still been a very young boy, but helping Ernest kill or somehow dispatch Catalina would go a long way to explain his loyalty to Ernest. It may not be loyalty as much as fear of being implicated if he opens his mouth--something Ernest regularly uses even now. We also know that besides Salvador the gardener, Cicero knows too much about the killing. Maybe that's how he got a stake from Ernest to start his bar--money to keep his mouth shut.

I'm not sure Gertrudis would actually have pushed Catalina over the balcony, but she surely would have gone along with lying to protect Ernest (and hope he would choose her as his replacement wife). But we won't know for awhile yet.
 

PERLA
Anita: I should have known you were being rhetorical but I'm a bit (OK a lot) dense most of the time. :-/

I wouldn't leave Manfred out of the equation. I wouldn't be surprised if it came out that he was the one to push Catalina -- even as a kid. I could see him doing it. I'm just saying....