Caray, Caray!

Thanks for getting us started, Jean. I've been looking forward to "Celia" – will definitely give it a try!
 

BAJO – LUNES – Parte 1

Baseball is competing with recapping! I’ve been a big fan since the age of 8. Anyway, here’s something:

Jay has heard Adela’s voice, but Juana insists she was the only one to speak. Luis tells him “That’s enough” and Jay starts to assert himself when Sharon tells him whose brother Luis is.

What’s with the plaid shirts buttoned at the top button? Rod wears them and another of the guys later. Is this a gang thing?

Jay calls Rod, nervous about his behavior around Luis. When Jay asks him where he is he says he’s on the trail of Adela Morales. We see him watching a look-alike homeless woman.

Deborah and Adela have a confrontation. Deborah says “you all” are criminals and calls Carlos the gardener. Adela says she knew his name quite well, and his address, when she turned him into immigration. She goes on to say that ICE let him go and he has a right to work for himself. D tells her to shut up and raises her arm to strike Adela. Adela grabs the arm and says she’s not like Ramona who let herself be burned with an iron. Deborah spitefully says she’s going to make sure neither Mati or Carlos set foot in the house again.

We see the homeless woman steal some guy’s shoes. Rod offers her food and drugs if she comes with him. Her name is Vanessa, and she says he’s like a prince and gets into the car with him after Rod persuades her.

Jacob tells Carlos about Luis having wanted to meet Susy in secret. He drops the bomb. No further contact between their children.

After listening to Jacob’s impassioned reasons for protecting his daughter, Carlos says that he’s right. And he’d do the same to protect his daughter. He says he’ll speak with Luis.

Gracie talks with Feli. She’s going to come back to work at the bar. [This makes absolutely no sense. I thought she was supposed to be on bed rest because she almost miscarried. And now she wants to spend time with drug dealers and murderers.]

Rod has taken Vanessa to what looks like the same cellar and steps leading down that they used in Dueños del Paraíso. After snorting some coke she tells Rod that she has an enlarged heart, arrhythmia, and not long to live. What she really wants is to inject heroin so she can die quickly. [Isn’t this convenient!]

Carlos tells Adela about having agreed with Jacob about the danger to Susy. He’s worried this will cause Luis to hate Rodrigo.
 

BAJO – LUNES – Parte 2

Deborah tries to get Jacob to fire Carlos and Mati, but he refuses.

Vanessa is passed out from the drugs. Rod tattoos her wrist and then brands her stomach. [Won’t the gang notice these are new?]

When Vanessa wakes up she’s chained in the cellar. Rod tells her not to scream. She’s within a chain’s reach of a bathroom and some water.

Adela gives Jacob what Carlos wrote about the detention center. We hear his voice giving a sort of undocumented manifesto about how people just want to make an honest living. He finishes up with: There are two countries on the frontier, but we all live bajo el mismo cielo. Jacob begins his article with that title.

We see double scenes of both Susy and Luis getting the news about being forbidden to see each other. Luis begs to see her one more time and Carlos’ eyes well up. Susy desperately asks Mati to tell her parents what a good person Luis is.

At the gang HQ Colmillo has treated Gacho like dirt about his wanting to see his wife and children. He’s drinking heavily and, when Rod comes in, calls EC a miserable rat. Gacho regrets betraying Rod and doing EC’s bidding in prison. Rod has come with a paper bag of money – the drug proceeds. He takes a wad of it and tells Gacho to get it to his family somehow.

Feli shows up at Carlos’ house, not asking, but telling Carlos he has to come to a doctor’s appointment with her.

Juana comes over to the Sanders house and shows Adela the chocolates Alan gave her for doing such a good job [!] Ramona doesn’t want any chocolates and appears suspicious of Juana getting something like that.

Carlos tells Maria the whole story and that Luis is in the bathroom and not coming out. Later Maria discovers that he’s gone. She hears someone knock, and it’s Rodolfo, saying he’s come to see his kids.

Rod ends up drinking heavily with Gacho, something he almost never does. He tells Gacho he fell in love with the only woman in the whole world that he should not love.
 

Yes, thank you Jean for this week's headliner. It's much appreciated. Don't know if I'll have time for Celia, but I would love to hear the music.

AVENIDA BRASIL--Oy Oy Oy, It all over. I'm not clapping with joy, not even when Divino won the championship....and fade out. It was sad, to be sure, but I didn't mind the end at all. It was touching to see Jorgito and Nina come to see Carminha in the tiradero with baby Jorgito Tifon III and there was a tentative reconciliation.

PERLA--Ok, now. More tomorrow, but David disappointed me by acting like a typical telenovela male jealous JERK. I'll be ok with it, if the writers have something in mind OTHER THAN Aurora and David breaking up over what wasn't even a lie.

There sure was a lot of kissing and coupling by so many of our couples in Monday's episode. I guess I'll just have to watch it again, and again.
 

AVENIDA

Here is what I posted last May about what was cut from the final episode of AB:


Thanks for the link and the info, Miguel. If you watch the second half of the last episode:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyugdf_avenida-brasil-cap-179-p2_shortfilms
(only in Portuguese), you can see that a lot was cut.
There is the wedding of Carlitos and his 3 women where Pilar catches all 3 bouquets and has her eye on Diógenes.

There is the usual Tifón-family-playing-cards scene before Nina and Jorge come in to announce that Nina is pregnant.

There is a scene where a player on the Divino team gets injured followed by a scene in Silas' bar where it is clear that Ivana and Silas are a couple and that she is working in the bar. Diógenes comes in and laments the injury to the player and Olenka suggests that Adauto could play. I gathered that everyone says that Adauto can't play based on some incident in the past. Olenka goes and finds a guy at the market who tells her about the incident where Adauto gets discovered with his pacifier.

Finally, there is a big family meal scene at Tifón's with another child present, whose child it is was may have been revealed by the dialog. All the family and their ex's are there including Tessalia and Darkson and Olenka and Adauto. Silas is there with Ivana. Finally, Nina and Jorgito come in with their child.

Then there is the final scene of the game.

I'm sure there was more if I could have understood the dialog. I could only get occasional words.

Agata was conspicuously absent from the final episode probably because she would have to have been played by a different actress since a kid her age would have changed a lot in 5 years.

I guess Nina and Jorgito didn't adopt Picolé and Minusa since they don't show up with them anywhere.

So Lucio got away with stealing Nina's inheritance? That doesn't seem right.
 

Bajo

Tks Novelera

Rod is really showing his (softer) side, getting Vanessa all drugged up before tattooing, branding & leading her to slaughter. Oh well, she was going to die anyway----. Hope she is really drugged up when she meets Fang. Really creepy when Rod was stalking her & we all knew why.

Celia
starts tonight
 

BAJO


Thanks, Novelera,


I'm not a fan of Rod's wardrobe. I suppose if we want to justify Rod's actions, we will consider it a mercy killing. How convenient. Was thinking the same as you about the newly placed scars.

Perhaps when the victim is found, the wounds will have settled in and appear somewhat old.

Like the way this action moves along -- with the exception of Chabela's
same old song and dance.


Thanks for your loyalty and dedication in reporting this fascinating TN.

ALL THE BEST,



 

Bajo

thanks ever so much novelera !!!

still no captions, so... (not sure on doing any recaps)

I thought Rod was going to kill her right there, but I guess he's leaving that for someone else, or is he going to let her OD, then come back for her?

I didn't know everyone knew about the Mati Tattoo, since they were looking for the C brand, but I guess they would, except for Willy.

I'm not seeing much of Colmillo's military training at work, it looks more like greed fed anarchy with Colmillo threatening to kill everyone's families.

 

Bajo. Excellent recap, novelera! And what about those Cubs! I liked your remark on the plaid shirts. I too thought that gangsters had more of a sense of style. Rodrigo seems to be trying to keep Vanessa alive long enough for the tattoo and burn scar to heal a bit. I agree that it's all very creepy, and the writers'attempt to soften things because Vanessa is dying anyway falls flat. I hope Luis doesn't do anything too stupid in his grief over having to break up with Susy. As I said before, if the Sanders had just allowed nature to take its course, they probably would have broken up eventually--the restaurant scene last week was a fairly clear sign.
 

AVENIDA BRASIL
Anita and Jean: I will need to rewatch the final episode, since I had many interruptions, while viewing it.

Thanks, Jean, for the link and a recap to the scenes that were cut on Telemundo. I look forward to checking it out, too.

PERLA
I will have to rewatch that episode,too, since I was interrupted several times, while trying to watch. I did see the part, however, where Aurora left David stuck in the middle of the street.

I'm watching Perla right now and I am shocked at an unexpected surprise in the storyline. Can't wait to read what y'all think about it.


Have a good Tuesday, everyone! :-)

 

Bajo

So this is what the internet says about the plaid shirts:

"Another example of stylized gang clothing is plaid Pendleton shirts which can be worn loose or un-tucked. The Pendleton shirts become a form of gang uniform. A gang may even choose a certain color."
 

BAJO

Novelera, good detective work re the shirts.
But wouldn't it be rather obvious to track all these guys to their hideout by their clothing?


 

PERLA--

Paz, what an episode today (Tuesday). Wow is all I can say. In a way I wish they hadn't resolved the over the "cliff hanger" so quickly, then I remembered we are seeing double episodes. In one-hour episodes, we would have been left to speculate for 24 hours.

The Gertie-Manfred-Ernest Christmas scene, reminded me a bit of Carminha right at the end of AVENIDA B. Except for the fact that Manfred is over the "cliff" of his own making, Ernest is getting a taste of what it was like to live under the same roof with a despot.

Monday's recap follows. Sorry to be so slow, but I had other obligations today.
 

Celia was tremenda! Me encanto!
 

PERLA—
Mon, Oct 12 Part I

The police are chasing a getaway vehicle, although they aren’t sure what the occupants have done. A car blocks them and they lose the car with Benito and his Thugs. Benito wonders who called the police. The thugs abandon the car and scatter. Benito is left to face Manfred. He knows Manfred will be furious.

Meanwhile, the commotion continues at the Cabaret dance and Arlindo has to step in and kindly ask Manfred to leave. If he doesn’t, he’ll have to be kicked out. Manfred choses to leave. He wears a malicious grin on the way out. Franz once again has to persuade Amelia to stay and not let Manfred spoil their evening. Odilon starts to sing again.

David sighting—David thinks he and Aurora have had enough dancing (poor lad, his arms must be tired). He wants to move on to a more serious activity. He wants to be alone with Aurora and suggests going back to her rooms at the hotel. *Now* he’s speaking her language. Aurora is 100% ok with that suggestion, as Odilon croons on in French.

Yoyo and Mundo are enjoying the last of their private evening completely undisturbed.

Viktor and Silvia get ready to leave the hospital without waiting to be discharged. The nurse brings the baby for a feeding, then sees the luggage and Silvia out of bed. The nurse immediately calls the Houser House of Horrors. Ernest swears no one will separate him from his grandson. The nurse tries to stop them from leaving. There is some confusion with phones ringing, but in those moments of hesitation, Ernest arrives to block them. In a surprise move, Viktor pushes his father out of the way and onto a couch. Viktor says, “Adios, papá,” and they make good their escape.

Benito tells Manfred his side of the plan-gone-wrong. He tells Benito he’ll think of something else to have done with Franz and will let him know.

Franz and Amelia continue their night out, but at home with a dance and champagne. They toast to their love. Then he utters those favorite anvil-magnet words, “Nothing and no one will ever separate us again.” But for now, there is much loving and kissing. [ed. If these two aren’t in love in real life, they sure are the best actors to depict the genuine thing in a long time.]

The next morning Hilda wakes from a nightmare in which she begs Toni not to leave her for Gaia. Hilda says she knows Gaia still loves him they have a child which is a tie that binds. Toni says the two of them can fix that right away and pulls her down underneath him. [ed. My but he’s a big guy—no wonder his comrades call him Gigante—and Hilda is a little slip of a thing.]

Gertrudis goes to meet Cicero in a church. Salvador has been watching for an opportunity to talk to Josué alone. In the end Joe tells him where Silvia *was,* but it seems she fled the hospital with her baby. He suggests Sal talk to her husband, Franz. Meanwhile Cicero is telling Gertie he’s sure Zampari’s daughter is Silvia, from the description Sal gave when he met her. He’s afraid Sal is about to spill the marbles when he finds her.
 

PERLA--
Mon, Oct 12 Part II

Franz and Amelia wake up in bed together, loving every moment of being together. In a most romantic proposal, he in his undershirt and she covered by a sheet, he takes her hand and asks her to marry him again. She accepts his proposal amidst more and more kisses. Later on they tell Perla, who was staying overnight at Toni’s place. Everyone is happy and Odilon breaks into song again, and everybody starts singing, “Perfume de Gardenia.”

Viktor and Silvia have gone to his art studio/hotel room to hide out. He knows it’s not appropriate for a newborn, but it’s temporary and his father doesn’t know about it. (He’s forgotten Manfred and Franz both know about this hideaway.) They get into another argument when Sil tells Vik they can’t live together. The argument escalates until she finally lets it out that she is Hector Zampari’s daughter. Vik can’t believe he’s been played for a fool all this time, as she tells him the whole story. He doesn’t believe her when she says she loves him. For a few moments it looks like he’s hurt and angry enough to leave, but he doesn’t. He listens to her. He begins to believe her when she recounts all she’s found out about the Catalina-Hector-Ernest affair. The only proof Catalina and Hector loved each other would be in their letters. Vik dimly recalls him mother hiding some letters in a bureau drawer with a false bottom in her room. Sil also tells him Salvador, the gardener has been looking for her. He knows *who* killed Catalina and she thinks he’s ready to talk.

Vik volunteers to go find the letters at the mansion. He is discovered by Gertie on his way out with suitcases full of clothes, but Juliet helps him get away. When he gets back to the studio, he and Silvia spread the letters out on the bed and read them out loud to each other. He now believes her. Silvia, cuddling the baby between them, says something like, Hector and Catalina couldn’t be together in life, but their children can, and this baby is the proof of their love.

Josefeu comes to tell Franz and Amelia about the plot she overheard the night before outside the cabaret. They finally believe her and beyond that are convinced Manfred’s hands are deep into the doodoo. Franz and Sefu head for the police station. They get nowhere with the police chief. There’s no connection between Manfred and the conspiracy Zefe heard.

Ernest gives Manfred orders to find Viktor and Silvia. Then he’s off to the police station to report the flight of his son Viktor with that adulteress and his grandson. He wants some quick action. After questioning why Viktor would help Silvia escape with his nephew, Ernest has to admit the baby is Viktor’s child. Based on what he’s been told, the police chief declares Silvia is not an adulterer, she and Viktor are the baby’s parents and are free to make decisions for their child.

Salvador has come to the bookstore looking for Franz. When they finally meet, Franz offers to take him to see Silvia after the bookstore closes.

David sighting—We don’t get to see this couple wake up in bed together. It’s too late in the morning. Aurora is dressed and off to rehearse a new piece at the cabaret. David wants to come watch. Aurora says she wants to go solo. He protests—he’s now a bother to her? It would bother her to have someone watching, that’s all. She stands firm. He accuses her of going to be with another man. She says not so. She only has eyes for him. She’s totally and completely in love with David. They leave it at that. They kiss and she’s off. [ed. David is showing all the signs of a jealous telenovela lover, even though he looks gorgeous doing it.]
 

PERLA--
Mon, Oct 12 Part III

Yoyo and Laura meet for lunch. Laura is certain Gertie was the one who got baby Otavio from the orphanage. Yoyo informs her that neither Gertie, nor Cicero would probably be willing to talk to her, but she knows someone who will. It’s Cicero’s daughter, Linda, and she’s sure she will help find out where Otavio came from.

David sighting--Back to the solo rehearsal at the cabaret. Aurora is trying out some new steps when Odilon happens by. He makes some suggestions which she is willing to try and he gets up on stage to show her what he means. It’s getting a tad sensual up there when David chooses that precise moment to show up. There’s a flare up between the two lovers and Odilon tries to blend in with the curtains. David does not listen to explanations and rolls out of the cabaret in a terrible funk. Aurora follows him out, but he gets stuck on the streetcar tracks. She won’t help him. He got himself into this, he can jolly well get out of it himself. She turns her back on him and goes back into the cabaret. [ed. Can I call him a jerk right about here?] Artur is first to reach him. Odilon and Arlindito run out of the cabaret and with the three of them helping, David is lifted off the tracks.

Hilda bids Toni goodbye while he and Gaia start their search for Giuseppe. She’ll mind the store. The search wears her out and Toni takes Gaia back to the party headquarters and yep, you guessed it, Gaia gets him in to a compromising position with a kiss, just as Hilda makes an inauspicious entrance. She runs home, with Toni right behind her. She gets home first and starts flinging things into a suitcase. Toni asks the other members of the household to stay away while he and Hilda talk in their room. She’s not talking, she’s packing. She thought she would be strong enough to deal with Gaia being around him, but she’s not. She has to get away from him. He tells her Gaia kissed him. Hilda says she saw what she saw. He admits he shouldn’t have been in a position to let that happen, but he convinces her he loves Hilda and only Hilda. Hilda is embraced by this giant of a man and tells him she loves him, too.

Manfred makes an unfortunate visit to the lovebirds hideaway. Viktor doesn’t like what he’s learning about the relationship between him and Silvia. Ni modo, Silvia is able to get rid of Manfred by reminding him she knows a lot about Manfred that would be of interest to the press. Silvia tells Viktor she doesn’t want to stay there a minute longer. Vik promises to register their son and then….they’re going to get married. Her relief is obvious. Manfred gets ahold of Benito and tells him he has another job for him. Silvia has some incriminating documents (the letters). He’s to get the documents and then get rid of her.

[There’s some really sweet stuff going on here with the monks, Lama Sonan, Matilde and Perla’s dream of the two of them in a former life. Tenpa tries to enlighten L.S.]

Ernest returns home from the police station bothered by what he was told, when Gertie tells him there is a strong possibility that his DIL, Silvia, is the daughter of Hector Zampari. He thinks it’s not possible, until she gets to the part where she is described as being in the last stages of pregnancy. Now he believes her and is he ever pithed. He’s going to stop Salvador from talking.
 

PERLA--
Mon, Oct 12 Part IV

Viktor and Silvia decide together to name the baby Hector Zampari after his grandfather. He leaves to go register the baby. Benito sees the opportunity to go after Silvia but he has to duck into a doorway when he sees Franz coming towards him in the company of another man. Silvia lets them in. Franz felt as though he were being watched and goes down to check things out. He sees Benito acting suspiciously and when Benito takes off, Franz follows. He actually catches Benito, but unfortunately, he turns away for an instant and Benito hits him on the back of the head. Franz falls unconscious.

As soon as Franz left, Sal opens the floodgates of his pent up shame. Here’s the story and how it went down. Ernest killed Catalina, of that he is sure.
1) Catalina and Ernest fought all the time, in loud voices that could be heard outside.
2) She got sick and had no energy to fight or raise her voice.
3) The very day she was murdered, Ernest was getting ready to go on a business trip. Cicero already had the suitcases in the car.
4) Catalina came running out of the house, with Ernest right behind her, crying that she was leaving him, the house, everything. She hated him.
5) Ernest grabbed her and forced her back into the house saying she would do not such thing as leave.
6) The shouting stopped. That’s the last time anyone saw Catalina alive. Sal was going to follow them into the house, but Cicero stopped him.
7) A few minutes later, Ernest came out, calm, but rushed and told Cicero to take him to the station.
8) Salvador waited until they were gone and did go into the house. There he saw Catalina with his own eyes, sprawled on the floor with blood running down her temple, and Gertrudis cradling her head.
9) Gertie saw him in the doorway and told him to get out. Catalina was probably already dead. Sal left the house, but stayed hidden behind the gate and watched.
10) It was quite a while later before Hector arrived calling Catalina’s name out loud and went in the mansion.
11) Salvador watched as Hector carried Catalina’s lifeless body outside to the courtyard. Gertie came out right behind him.
12) Gertie started yelling murderer, murderer as the police arrived.
13) The police took Hector into custody.
14) Gertie much later, came to him and Cicero with an offer of money. They only had to swear Don Ernest was traveling long before Don Hector arrived and Salvador was to say he saw Hector kill Catalina.

Sal tells Sil he’s ashamed he didn’t tell the truth. He needed the money to pay for his granddaughters treatments, but now he’s ready to tell the truth. Sil asks Sal to write down everything he’s just told her. He agrees. He even agrees to talk to a journalist. It’s too late for it to be a police matter, but the public needs to know what kind of man Ernest Hauser is.

Ernest turns up at the hospital to threaten Salvador through his granddaughter Marta. He tells her to make sure her grandfather keeps his mouth shut and he’d better go into hiding if he values his life.

Franz returns to Amelia’s place where she treats his head injury. He tells Mundo he’s seen that guy before. He used to hang out with the men in the party and worked in the foundry. Mundo can’t believe one of them would attempt this.

Benito reports to Manfred how the operation failed, because of Franz. He offers Manfred Franz’ wallet he lifted from him when he conked him on the head. Benito has new marching orders: get those documents, get rid of the girl and disappear for awhile.
 

PERLA
Anita: Thank you for all your work, especially when you had a busy day. And yes, WOW to Tuesday's episode. WOW!!!!!! Good wow! Unexpected on both accounts!

I think you're right: The actors who play Franz and Amelia DO have some real chemistry. Actually, all the couples seem to have some kind of chemistry -- David and Aurora... :-))

Yes, Toni is a big guy. :-)))

Yes, David was a jerk. Big one and he got what he deserved when Aurora left him to get out of the mess he found himself in the middle of the street. Good for her. :-)

Ummm... Didn't anyone teach Franz that you never turn your back on a bad guy... on someone you just had a physical fight? Come on!

Mundo BETTER believe what Franz told him about the guy being a part of the group.

Thanks for the details of Sal's story/confession to Silvia. They spoke so fast and I missed most of it. So it WAS Ernest who killed Catalina. *shakes head* You weren't kidding when you called that home "the Hauser House of Horrors". LOL! No joke at all. :-)


 

BAJO

Rodrigo continues to suffer pangs of remorse for all of the horror that he has brought to his family.
 

Bajo

Felicia keeps on keeping on. She's determined to come between Carlos and Adela. The nerve of her answering his phone! And Carlos didn't seem to register or be that angry that she did so.

Now there's some other gang besides La Colonia and Los Alacranes. EC organized a meeting at, of all places, Noemi's grave.

Looks like Susy just wanted to say goodbye, but Luis thinks she's going to continue to fool her parents.

The scene between Rodrigo and Luis was well acted by both of them.

And it looked a bit like Maria was weakening when Rodolfo was pleading his case. At least for now she isn't letting the rat back in her life. Despicable the way he tried to get the kids to urge their mother back into a toxic relationship. She really had him when she told him about dressing in sexy nighties and his rejecting her. Only an idiot would have done that.
 

Telemundo...

"Los Herederos del Monte" will air monday, 26 oct 15, replacing "Aurora".

 

Celia

according to wiki, this began in Colombia 5 oct 15.

Aida Bossa, who plays Celia's sister Noris sure looks and acts like Valentina Acosta who plays Miriam on "Senora Acero".

Carolina Gaitan who plays the singer Lola, did a wonderful job as Alicia the druggy on "Flor Salvaje".

Jonathan Islas, the whimpy friend to Pedro, was also the bad guy on "Flor Salvaje".

 

Celia

I liked it. Salsa is one of my favorite types of music. The plot is a bit contrived, with the overacting of the guy playing Celia's father. So, she has a wicked step-sister. From what I gathered, Celia is the legitimate daughter of her parents, while Nor...(can't remember the rest of her name) is from his woman on the side.

It would be nice if we had some recaps, if only very brief to spur comments. I can't commit to any as I'm doing Bajo ones.

I struggle with the Cuban accents. Interestingly enough my Mexican, native speaker co-worker had a hard time understanding them as well!

And they established that Pedro Knight was a first-class womanizer.

The elder of the two women Knight was canoodling (the mother) looked so familiar to me. Anyone recognize what novelas she might have appeared in?
 

Celia

I saw this a week or two ago, so trying to remember. novelera- Yes, the father is over the top. But I really enjoyed the portrayal of Celia's mother. I'm loving the music.

I find it interesting Celia's father's concern over music and singing in public turning Celia into a loose woman. He doesn't seem to have any concerns about her sister gallivanting all over the place and doing what she wants. I wondered if this had anything to do with Celia being more Black looking, and if she had to be held to a higher moral standard because it was assumed she would have lower moral standards.

I loved when that music scout in the train station was at first taken with Celia's very White looking, pretty sister, with the passable voice, and then blown away by Celia's powerful, unique voice and obvious love for the music.
 

Bajo. Oh geez! One of my great aunts used to love wearing Pendleton shirts and jackets! It would be nice if a gang warfare between La Colonia and their allies and the Alacranes wiped out a few of the gang members, particularly El Colmillo. El sr. Alan is finally showing his creepy hand with Juana. And it's very ominous when Ramona says that Sr. Alan's previous maid just "disappeared."
 

Bajo. Could señor Alan be a sex trafficker? Should the police be digging up his back yard?
 

Celia

mother is Zoraida ?? played by Luly Bossa
(Hilda in El Clon, Almudena in Zorro)

daughter is Estela played by Daniela Tapia,
(Ines in Flor Salvaje)
 

Celia

Vivi, so nice to be on the same thread with you again! I think Simon holds Celia to higher standards than Noris (I remembered her name) because Celia is his daughter with his lawful wife. And, thinking about it, maybe Noris is Celia's mother's child and not his bio child at all. I'm not sure which it is. In any case, Noris is, as they used to say, born on the wrong side of the blanket. Simon clearly only has those extremely high standards for Celia, his daughter with his wife. I'm struggling with the Cuban accents and didn't really have time to listen again and again trying to get the details straight.

Anyone who knows the familial relationships in the Cruz family, please chime in!
 

Celia, the First Episode - A quick look

Part One

A mysterious scene:

Cuba, 1925, three months before Celia's birth. Ana's servant comes running and interrupts the music with terrible news: her little daughter is suddenly ill. Ana races the child to the hospital, but the doctors can't save her.

While the mourners hold a vigil around the small casket, an older servant takes Ana aside and says:
Ana, las vidas cortas no se acaban. Dios no permite que los niños se mueran.
(Short lives don't end. God doesn't let children die.)

Ana retorts that her daughter is dead. The servant answers:
"Children come back right away in the skin of another person – and to know where your daughter has returned, you have to make a mark."

Ana reaches down into the casket and twists the pinky finger on the dead child's hand.

Suddenly we are looking at a close-up of a hand with a crooked pinky finger. The hand holds a microphone. The camera pans up to the unmistakable gap-toothed smile...
---------------------------
New York, Summer of 2002
Celia is on stage celebrating the 50th anniversary of her career. The place is packed with adoring fans. Suddenly Celia falls silent. We follow her gaze into the crowd and see a ghostly figure – Celia's mother!
----------------------------------
A train station in Matanzas, Cuba, 1950
We meet the Cruz family – Simón and Ollita and their daughters Noris and Celia. Simón is a railroad man and the boss is offering him a job as station chief in Holguín. Noris is a fair-skinned, flirty young woman whose hip-swaying walk is calculated to attract attention. It is Carnival season.

A man from the radio station is there to drum up interest in the singing contest that will be held on Ash Wednesday in Havana. Even though the contestants have already been selected, Noris cajoles him into listening to her. Celia wants to sing too, but the man tells her she doesn't have the "qualifications." No mulattos are permitted to compete. But when Celia begins to sing back-up to Noris, her voice blows everyone away. Forget what he said before, says the radio man – a glorious voice like hers has no color!

But Simón won't allow his daughter to take part in the contest. He wants his girl to be decent – to be a teacher, not a singer! He argues with Celia's mother, who supports her dreams and asks why he has such high standards for Celia but not for Noris. He says that Noris isn't his daughter – she doesn't have their skin. Celia's mother is hurt. (Is Noris truly not his or is he just making assumptions because of her skin color?)

Later we see Simón with a lover. She's going to be in the singing contest, she says. Why doesn't he tell his daughter to give it a try? He becomes enraged: how dare she compare herself to his daughter! He calls her a whore and throws a fistful of coins at her.
-------------------

We meet Pedro Knight, a lover for all seasons and the trumpet in the group, La Sonora. Currently, he is bedding both the daughter and the wife of an army captain. Pedro's friend Mario boasts about Pedro's legendary swordsmanship to a recent acquaintance, not realizing that the man is that very captain. The captain catches on and rushes home with every intention of killing Pedro. But after an exciting chase, Pedro gets away. The captain does manage to grab Mario, though, and threatens to shoot him unless he gives up his friend.
---------------------
 

Part Two

Simón has decided that the family will move to Holguín on Wednesday, the day Celia hopes to compete in the singing contest. Her mother is sympathetic, though she fears conflict with Simón. But Celia is determined – she is going to compete, even if it means disobeying her father.
----------
We see Celia giving voice lessons to some little girls. After Celia confides her hopes to her own teacher, Rosario Tancudi, Rosario encourages her and helps her prepare for the contest. She takes her to sing with a more experienced vocalist, Lolita. While Lolita and Celia are singing together, an older man looks in and scowls.

Rosario tells Celia to be true to herself. The essence of a singer, she says, is not in her voice or her style or even in her talent: it is in her soul. And Celia has a soul forged in the pueblo and in her roots, in that sangre negra y africana that runs through her whole body.

[Just to give us a running start! Please feel free to add details or offer corrections.]
 

CELIA:

NovelaMaven- This recap was perfect! It brought back everything I remembered watching a few weeks ago.

Yes, that beginning was mysterious. Was Ana Celia's aunt, and the baby who died (and passed on her spirit) Celia's cousin? The woman with Ana in the hospital and funeral was Celia's very pregnant mom. Did the writers completely make this up, or was this a family legend that Celia actually recounted, I wonder?
 

CELIA

Ah, yes, that was Celia's pregnant mom with Ana in the hospital! Thank you, Vivi! – that completely escaped me, but it makes perfect sense!

I sure hope that was based on a family tale and not purely from the imagination of the writers.
 

CELIA

NovelaMaven: Thanks so much for the Celia recap! Very helpful!

I wonder why the man scowled when he saw and heard Celia and Lolita singing.
 

PERLA--
Oh, dear. We've lost Romy, WeeRita, deb and now Paz? I am bereft, but will soldier on for another week.
 

PERLA--
Tue, Oct 14 It’s Christmas Time in the City (of Rio) Part I

Before getting to the WOW in this episode, you will need to insert your own interpretations of the Buddhist philosophies that are meant to help Lama Sonan with his heart/mind issues over Matilde, and Matilde’s feeling for Lama Sonan because there is a…

David sighting—Aurora enters David’s darkened bedroom at the pension and flips on the light. It was hard to tell whether he was sleeping, or thinking about Aurora with his arm over his eyes. If it was slumber, it was a troubled slumber. He wants to know if she came to ask for pardon for leaving him stuck in the middle of the street. Yes, she says, she was stupid, but she also doesn’t like scenes of jealousy where there is no cause. She was just rehearsing and even if her partner had been Clark Gable, David would always be her galán. Will he forgive her? David looks at her with love written all over his face. Well, is she forgiven? Yes, she is. Aurora tells David she loves him and he answers he loves her, too. [ed. But wait a min. shouldn’t he be asking her forgiveness for behaving like a jealous jerk? Maybe that will come while we aren’t privy to the scene. Dang. At least there is a make-up kiss we get to see.]

Franz and Amelia get to spend the night together in his hotel room. He’s preparing a surprise for her and Perla tomorrow. She says she won’t be able to sleep thinking about it. Franz says good, that way they can spend the whole night giving each other besitos. They don’t even finish the meal in their hurry to get past the besitos and into bed.

Viktor and Silvia bill and coo over their baby son and what this very room signifies for their love. It’s where Vik fell in love with Sil, drawing her likeness (over and over again). They talk about starting a new life together far from all this craziness. Then Silvia makes him promise never to doubt her love for him, not for a second, regardless of what happens next. Puzzled, he promises. Then he gives her a brooch his mother always wore. She likes it; it’s lovely. Vik says as lovely as she is.

It is morning. Sil is dressed and leans down to a sleeping Viktor to beg his forgiveness for what she is about to do and slips out, leaving Vik asleep. Sil first stops by the jewelry shop and leaves the original documents with Pilar, while she keeps the copies for the journalist. In case something happens to her, Pilar is to take these documents to the press. Pilar says she can count on her. Sil must leave Vik and her baby to protect them. She’s sure when Ernest finds out what she did, he will come after her to kill her. She thanks Pilar for all her help. As she gets in her car to drive away, another car pulls out and starts to follow her. She is able to lose the car, so whoever was following doesn’t see her pick up Marta and Salvador. (Remember, Ernest wants him to get lost—so this is probably what Silvia is up to, helping them and helping herself.) Marta is cold and Silvia gives her her own black jacket. (Notez bien: pinned to her jacket is the brooch Vik gave her—this does not bode well.) She tells her passengers they are to meet the journalist outside the city, after which they will go much farther away.

Suddenly, Sil is aware the same car is behind her. She speeds up, loses control of the car and goes over a steep embankment. In the car behind her is none other than Manfred, who steps to the edge and witnesses the car bursting into flames, which in turn produces an explosion and conflagration. No emotion is registered on Manfred’s face. When he re-enters the car, Benito is sitting there. Manfred’s only reaction is that the end of Silvia is good for him, Manfred.
 

PERLA--
Tue, Oct 13 (not Oct 14) Part II

The police chief is informed of a deadly accident on the highway to S. Paulo. There appears to be two dead. At the site, everything has turned to cinders, except the frame of the auto. A purse was recovered, possibly thrown clear before the car went downhill. They find Silvia’s documents inside. The chief comes to tell Franz the bad news. (Remember, the chief knows Franz is not longer her husband, but doesn’t know where Vik and the baby are hiding.) Franz is stunned. The only other thing they recovered was a brooch. Oh, and there was a man in the car with her. Of course Franz thinks it could have been his brother.

Vik wakes to find Silvia gone, but baby Hector is still in the bassinet along with a goodbye letter. In it, Sil hopes this separation only lasts a little while, until her father’s name is cleared and it is safe for them to be together again. She had to do this alone to protect him and their child. She loves him. No sooner is he done reading the letter than Franz arrives with the news of Silvia’s accident. Vik can’t believe she is dead. He cries out in pain and desperation. His brother holds him tightly and tries to calm him.

Vik has a truth bomb drop on him. He tells Franz he’s certain Sil was murdered because she is Hector Zampari’s daughter. It takes a moment for it to register with Franz. Vik is still hysterical, but manages to tell Franz the whole story of Hector and Catalina and how much they loved each other. After Vik calms down a bit, the brothers reconstruct the “accident.” They conclude it must have been Sal the gardener in the car, but neither of them knows what he told Silvia, only that he was looking for her. Vik is sure Ernest sent the man Franz ran after and got bonked by to kill Silvia.

Linda is going to help Laura find the name of the orphanage. Her father used to make regular donations to one and that might be it. Linda finds the name and gives it to Yoyo.

With a heavy heart, Franz tells all to Amelia. He tells her Vik is convinced the accident was provoked. Amelia agrees to care for baby Hector for awhile. When they arrive at Vik’s studio, Artur is taking care of Hector and Vik is gone. Franz guesses where he went—to the mansion to confront his father. The police chief gets there first. Ernest listens to the news and only cares about his son’s status. At that moment, Viktor walks in, disheveled. Ernest goes to hug him in relief, but Vik shoves him away forcefully.

Vik accuses his father, in front of the chief, of murder. Vik is raging mad. He says Ernest murdered the woman he loved. Ernest can only shake his head, no. [ed. Ya ya, see how it feels, bruto, to be accused of something you didn’t do.] Vik says Ernest destroys everything he touches. He hates him. Franz arrives and pulls Vik back before he does any more damage. Ernest is visibly shaken. The police chief says an investigation will be opened and they must be available for giving statements. Ernest realizes there won’t be any children or grandchildren to celebrate Christmas at the mansion and has Josué take his present to Perla in the vecindad.

Amelia’s place is filling up with company for Christmas Eve. Baby Hector has fallen asleep in Perla’s arms. The monks are there, talking to Mundo. He tells them Perla doesn’t know about Silvia yet, though Amelia intends to tell her in the morning. After all, it is their first Christmas ever spent together as a family. Franz arrives with his surprise. It is Norbu, the young monk Perla befriended at the monastery (the one who conspired with her to put the frog in Silvia’s bed) and Rigpa, the monk who didn’t travel to Brazil with the other three.
 

PERLA--
Tue, Oct 13 Part III

Manfred is sitting in his car waiting for someone. Pilar gets in. She hands over all the original documents Silvia had given her in safekeeping to Manfred. He grins. She was on Manfred’s payroll the whole time [ed. Yes, but she *did* help Silvia with a lot of information. No excuse, just sayin’.]

Toni and Hilda have gone to see Viktor. Hilda is devastated. She wants Vik to come with them; he shouldn’t be alone tonight. He insists on staying in the studio. Toni & Hilda are off to Toni’s mom’s house, but they stop in to see Franz and the rest of the family. Perla opens abuelo’s gift. It’s a music box. Amelia promises to take her to see Ernest the next day.

Mundo is spending Christmas Eve with Yoyo in an undisclosed location. He’s been recalling his poor childhood. He doesn’t want those memories for his children. Children? Plural? Yes, he wants lots of kids. Yoyo is happy with that thought as she comes over to sit on his lap.

David sighting—David and Aurora are spending Christmas Eve in her hotel room by themselves. He has given Aurora a beautiful bisque doll with long platinum blonde hair and dressed up elegantly. She never had a doll like this before although she longed for one. Now she gives David his gift. It’s a fancy walking stick. She tells him it is a good omen that soon he’ll be walking all over the place and he will need one at first. They both are happy with their presents, although David finds a current use for the stick by swatting her behind. They laugh with the joy of the season and with each other.

Ernest wants to know where Manfred is. Gertie says he’ll be home soon, he would never miss a Christmas Eve at home. Good, states Ernest, then he and Gertie can have a nice meal. He’s going out. Gertrudis complains humbly and in a subservient manner, that she fixed this lovely meal for their traditional family get-together. Ernest points out there no longer is any family. He wants a taxi, fast. While she’s gone, he calls Dalia and makes a date with her to dine at the club. She accepts. They run into Walter and his family dining unhappily. Laura can’t stand it any longer, seeing Volpina alone at the very next table where Walter can look at her. She gets up and leaves, taking Otavio with her.

Manfred returns to the mansion and finds Gertie sniveling over her uneaten feast. Manfred tells his mother they are going to eat in the dining room, where they belong and heads for the club to get his father. He lets Ernest think the surprise waiting for him at home is Perla to get him to ditch Dalia and go home with Manfred. Instead of Perla, Ernest finds a completely loco Manfred running the show. [ed. I almost felt sorry for Ernest as Manfred gets more and more maniacal, instructing Ernest on how he is to behave from then on, or else the world will find out he killed his wife. But that passed when I thought of how he had run his household for decades—and murdered his wife to keep her from running off with the man she really loved.] Ernest recoils as Manfred kisses him on the cheek and calls him padre.
 

PERLA--
Tue Oct 13 Part IV

There is a gathering in the vecindad courtyard. Even Laura and Otavio attend. Arturo greets Laura warmly, as does everyone else. Gaia sees Otavio and even though Laura says he’s her son, Gaia and Otavio bond [ed. Hmmm, even in Brazil they have la llamada de la sangre.] Odilon has dressed up as Santa Claus and Pellezquito is an elf. There is joy, companionship, singing, dancing and good food. Everyone is enjoying the night’s festivities, in contrast to the Hauser House of Horrors.

Viktor is having a terrible time coping alone—surrounded as he is by all his drawings of his beloved Silvia. He begs her to come back to him. He thinks that for an instant she has when he sees her standing there, but it is only an illusion. Meanwhile, somewhere out in the countryside, a humble elderly couple are praying to the Virgin to help this poor child. It is Silvia, delirious, calling for Viktor, but not at all burnt up.

Manfred gives Gertrudis a beautiful matched set of jewelry. In a perverse sense of diabolical glee, Manfred gives Ernest a box full of Hector’s love letters to Catalina and makes him read one out loud. Ernest gets up to walk out and Manfred says to sit down. From now on, Manfred gives the orders. They will live in this house, Ernest, his mother and himself, a happy family. Otherwise, he goes to the press. What would his children think of the man who killed their mother? And Perla? Would she continue to love her abuelo unconditionally? He smirks.
 

PERLA
Anita: I'm here! I'm here! I commented on previous summary you wrote. Going to read the latest now. :-) With your awesome summaries you won't be able to get rid of me that easily! LOL!
~ Paz
 

PERLA--
Oh, thank you, Paz and Paz be with you!! All is not lost, then. Two of us can be a crowd wherever this novela takes us.
 

LOL! No, all is not lost. Yes, we'll be a crowd until the rest return. xox

P.S. Reading your latest summary and will comment soon. I've been dying to talk about it. :-)
 

PERLA
Anita: Thanks for the recap. I was dying to talk about it!

About Lama Sonan: There is a what!? A what!?
What did Perla say to the sad and weepy Lama Sonan that made him feel better?

Good question: Shouldn't David be apologizing to Aurora? I think so. I do enjoy seeing him and Aurora together though. It's good she's no slouch when it comes to him. She doesn't let him get away with his behavior and that's good for her! And him.

I was SO shocked when Sil's car went over the cliff. I wasn't expecting it. Neither did I expect the car to burst out in flames. Wow #1!

I like the maternal Sil better. She was more vulnerable and human. Also, now, she finally experienced how Amelia felt when Ernest conspired to take Perla away from Amelia.

Also touching to see Vik grieving. That was quite a shove he gave Ernest when his father tried to comfort him.

Wow #2: OMG! Pilar, Pilar, Pilar! Whyyyyy!? Why did she do what she did. Pilar was part of the dark side all this time!

WOW #3: Finding Silvia still alive. I guess she was thrown from the car? No seat belts? I also didn't realize about the pinned jacket given to Marta until you made note of it.

I felt sorry for Ernest for a millisecond. After that, I laughed every time Ernest cringed when Manfred would kiss him. Haha!

So. Manfred has the upper hand. But for how long?

Thanks again for recap. Paz be with you, too. :)

 

PERLA--
Oy Oy Oy! More revelations and truth bombs on Wednesday's episode. Are we in ultimos capitulos, or what!??&$#!!! Just when I think it couldn't get better, it does.

Paz we'll have fun talking tomorrow. Right now I have to go watch Jane the Virgin (saved), then I'll be ready for YoNoCreo (tonight's, also saved).
 

PERLA
Anita: Have fun watching! :-)
 

Celia

The music in this novela is beyond awesome, as I knew it had to be. Celia Cruz was a diva! I loved the first capítulo!

Thank you so much for the recap, Novela Maven. I, too, am struggling with the translation because I don't use subtitles.

The Santeria religion is practiced widely in Cuba and in other parts of the Caribbean. If I'm not mistaken, reincarnation (or some form of it) is a part of their belief system. Maybe the real Celia Cruz's family members were practitioners so they believed that Celia was the reincarnation of her dead infant cousin. I wonder if Celia actually had a crooked left pinky? It just seems to be too bizarre and random to make something like that up and just throw it into a novela. Hopefully they'll address it later. It'll also be interesting to see if and how they address the racism and colorism issues.
 

Bajo. A couple of inconsistencies tonight. First of all, Adela's branding scar seems to have migrated upwards, and El Colmillo, who used to be Jose Gomez, is now Jose Jimenez, at least according to what he told Greicy. Wasn't that a comedian of the 1960s, or at least a character a standup comedian played?
 

@Anita estoy aqui.
Perla
I have been watching and commenting in the forum but not here so much. But please keep doing us this great favor. I can't watch during the week so I read and catch up on weekends. O dropped a few clunkers like LI,and Muchacha so maybe I watch my recording at night.
Romy
 

Here's what I remember from the second episode:

The scowling man turns out to be Lolita's stepfather, a repulsive racist and an abuser. Since Lola's mother died, it has been just the two of them, and he has her under his thumb. He demands sexual favors. She seems unable to stand up to him. (It's not clear why she doesn't just leave, but maybe there aren't so many options for a young woman in that time and place.)

The maestra Rosario would like to work with Celia and Lola privately to prepare both girls for the singing contest. The stepfather says he won't pay for the black girl. Lola herself is perfectly willing to acknowledge that Celia has the better voice and says she wouldn't mind winning second place in the contest.

Alberto has invited Celia to the club where La Sonora is playing. It is Carnaval and tickets are hard to come by. She arranges to meet him outside the club at 5pm. Her mother helps her get ready for the date, urging her to borrow one of Noris's dresses and helping her with hair and make-up. When she's done, Celia is a knockout. Unfortunately, her father comes home unexpectedly and Celia has to conceal her finery under the bedcovers.

Her father gives her another speech about how indecent it is to sing and dance in public. "What about (the famous vocalist) Myrta Silva?" she asks. He tells her there's no comparison: Myrta is white and Celia is dark (prieta); Myrta is Puerto Rican and Celia is Cuban. (So what?)

Her mom hasn't given up. She goes out to buy some sleep-inducing herbs to put in Simón's beer. While she's outside, she runs into her sister Ana [!!!!], who is in town for Carnaval. Ana quickly joins forces with Celia and mami. Among the three, they manage to put papi into a deep sleep. Noris isn't happy about any of this. She grudgingly consents to allowing Celia to wear her dress ("Just don't stretch it out!") and then heads out to party.

Noris meets Alberto outside the club. She tells him to go to the house to pick up Celia since her father is okay with his dating her. So Alberto heads to Celia's house...

Meanwhile, Celia heads to the club, where she meets up with Noris. Noris tells her it looks like Alberto isn't coming. Then she grabs the tickets that Celia has in her hand, and the two sisters enter the club together.

Pedro Knight has managed to hide out and treat his wounded hand at the home of an older man whom the captain calls 'padrino.' The captain tracks him down to his padrino's house, but Pedro eludes him. He makes his way back to the club. He can't play because of his injured hand. He starts sniffing around for a new woman. His first target is onto him and puts him in his place. His eyes then fall on Celia and he asks her to dance. Oh ho!

Rogelio Martínez is the leader of the orchestra. He is furious with Pedro's abuses and is threatening to fire him.

Myrta Silva is the popular vocalist with the group. She tells Rogelio that she is pregnant and will be returning to Puerto Rico. Aha!

Alberto shows up on Celia's doorstep. His arrival wakes up the sleeping Simón. Uh oh.
 

CELIA

You're welcome, Paz. Now we know why the man scowled.

Novela Newbie, great point about Santería and reincarnation. Thanks! Racism and 'colorism' will be running themes in the story, as they were in Celia's life, don't you think?
 

CELIA:

Thanks so much NovelaMaven for the recap of episode 2. I also saw this episode a few weeks ago. The whole scene of them trying to get the father to sleep and Celia covering her dress up under bedclothes was funny.

Yeah, I don't quite get why it's ok for a white woman to sing in public, but not for a black woman. We are missing something culturally here. I looked up the story of Myrta Silva, and they are sticking pretty closely to why she left the band. She was a very well known and powerful singer/composer in her day-- a real example for Celia of a successful woman in that business. And of course Celia took her place in the band, which set her on her eventual path to world success.

Poor Alberto is not only going to get ditched that night by Celia, but I'm sure soon enough Pedro will take his place in Celia's heart.
 

CELIA

Vivi, thanks for the info on Myrta Silva. So maybe we can assume that basic plot points are factual... or not. :-) And yes, the stage has been set for Celia to wow La Sonora and slip right into Myrta's place.

I'm not only loving the music, I'm loving the documentary footage used to establish time and place. This one is just a pleasure to watch.
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

CELIA:

NovelaMaven- They called Myrta "La Gorda de Oro". In real life, she was a little heftier than the actress playing her here. :)
 

Celia:
Rats, everyone’s jumping on board with this one and I have no time to watch it. My DVR is loaded up with unwatched Avenida Brasil and I can barely afford the space to record Celia.

Bajo
I’ll do a recap tonight, but it will probably be brief. Speaking of too much TV, the Dodgers and Mets play tonight. I’m a National League fan so I want to watch at least some. Hating the Dodgers is a kind of sport here in No. California, but at this point I’m just sort of ambivalent about who wins. I want the Cubs to win the pennant, though. I have friends from Chicago and they absolutely deserve it! The other conflict is the Stanford vs UCLA football game. I love Stanford football even though I certainly did not attend this fine university nearby. Are you getting the drift that I’m a sports fan? I had recapping conflicts in the winter when I was watching a lot of Warriors games.

Boy, did I wander off topic! Anyway, last night’s scenes with Carlos and Rodrigo as well as Rodrigo and Luis were heart breaking. I think they’re setting us up for his death. The actor is doing a fine job. I absolutely hated him when he was in prison and when he first got out. Now I like him a lot. The one who really needs to die is the despicable Willy. I wanted to slap that gloating look off his face when EC praised him and said he was part of the inner circle now. This certainly does not speak well to EC’s famous instincts. I’m thinking they’ll go for Willy killing EC to protect Felicia at some point. Maybe a truck will run over Willy.

EC has the most confusing surname. I guess we’re meant to think Jimenez was a lie to Gracie. But the news reports called him José Colmillo as if that were his true name. Surely the prison would have known his real name. Oh well.
 

Bajo. Hi, novelera. Yes, the actor playing Luis is doing an excellent job. The character is getting ever more noble (unless he kills that homeless woman), and I think they're setting him up to sacrifice his life for someone else--probably several someone elses. Usually the cubs make me glad I'm from somewhere else, but remembering how some of my students really got their hopes up in 2003, only to have them dashed, I too hope they win the pennant.
 

Bajo

SpanProf, did you mean the actor who plays Rodrigo in your comment? In any case both the Rodrigo and Luis actors are doing fine work.
 

Bajo. Yes, I meant Rodrigo--but the actor playing Luis was quite good too.
 

Bajo. All three of the "Martínezes" were very good at communicating depths of emotion without getting into a lot of exaggerated histrionics.
 

CELIA

hahaha! Thanks for that, Vivi. Of course Celia herself wasn't exactly a sylph. The actress playing her has said she had to put on some weight for the part (though she's still quite slender).
 

Bajo. Btw, Bajo got a mention on NPR news this morning in a segment about how telenovelas are getting more serious and less silly--especially on Telemundo.
 

BAJO

SpanProf, thanks for mentioning the NPR story! Here's a link, in case anyone wants to listen to the feature:

http://www.npr.org/2015/10/15/448840684/grittier-telenovelas-are-ratings-gold-for-telemundo

Interestingly, the reporter and Telemundo's Joshua Mintz conflate "Señor de los Cielos" with "Bajo el mismo cielo," considering them both exemplars of a new "gritty" style that attracts a bigger audience, especially among bilingual latinos in the US.
 

PERLA--
Romy--it's nice to see you butterfluttering by occasionally. Here goes Wednesday's recap.
 

PERLA--
Wed, Oct 14 Part I

Ernest’s worst nightmare continues. Manfred tells him it was Silvia who put all the evidence together against him and was about to take it to the press. Isn’t he lucky she died before she could? Coincidence? Well, Manfred is there to protect him, as he always has. Ernest always put his other children first, but where are they now, huh?

Ernest finds Manfred’s obsequiousness annoying, degrading and repulsive. He has no choice but to submit to his ministrations. He has a flashback to the last minutes of Catalina’s life and wonders, for an instant, if it is worth trading his freedom from Manfred to jail for Catalina’s death. [We viewers see him with Catalina, angry, aggressive, shaking her, yelling, and finally pushing her across the room when she hits her head and dies instantly. He says to himself he didn’t mean for her to die--it was an accident.]

Manfred tells his mother they are moving upstairs tomorrow. He’ll take Franz’ room and Gertie will have Hilda’s. He’s so pleased with himself. He tells himself he’s going to take away everything that belongs to Franz: his room, his father, the company and Amelia. [ed. Dream on bastard, have you seen Franz and Amelia together? They can’t keep their hands off each other.]

Franz and Amelia spend the night together in Mundo’s room. [ed. Luckily this is a telenovela and a newborn baby sleeps peacefully through the night.] Next morning Perla is happy to find her parents in bed together. It’s what she asked Santa Claus for—for the three of them to be together. She asks her father if he’s going to live with them. His answer is YES! To celebrate the occasion and the season, Perla and the monks do some community service hours handing out toys, food and other gifts to the less fortunate they find on the streets. Their rounds complete, Perla wants Franz to take her to see abuelo. Said abuelo is in bed, experiencing more killing with kindness at the hands of Manfred—his version of breakfast in bed.

Meanwhile, in the elderly couple’s shack, the wife is trying to reduce Silvia’s fever. She begins to stir, but doesn’t come out of her coma. They don’t know who she is nor how to find any relatives.

Perla and Franz arrive at the mansion. Ernest is brought downstairs after having been told by Manfred to keep his mouth shut as to what was going on inside the mansion. Ernest hugs Perla tightly and starts blubbering and sobbing. Franz looks on puzzled. Is his father for real? Ernest says he’s just happy to have his granddaughter with him. Perla suspects something and stares at Manfred and holds his gaze. Manfred’s visage reveals nothing. Franz sits there in silence, watching his father and Manfred. Perla goes upstairs to get her dolls, so she hears none of what follows. Ernest is still crying.

Manfred forces Ernest to tell Franz what the real relationship is between him and Ernest. Ernest tells the whole truth. Franz is gob smacked he has a half-brother who has been living in the same house all these years without the siblings knowing it. Ernest admits Catalina knew about Manfred and his fling with Gertie when they first met. Gertie was already living in the house with Manfred, who was about 5 years old at the time, because Ernest’s parents insisted they be provided for. Catalina continued the practice.
 

PERLA--
Wed, Oct 14 Part II

Manfred interrupts, commenting that he is actually Ernest Hauser’s first born child, not Franz. Ernest continues. He claims Manfred is a product of a youthful fling with one of the factory workers. There was no way, at such a young age he would have legally recognized Manfred. Manfred insists Ernest tell the rest of the story, the part where Catalina was not faithful to Ernest, did not and never did love him and was on the point of running away, whereas the faithful one was Gertie who stayed by his side, as did he. Franz can’t stand it any longer and he and Manfred are yelling at each other. They stop abruptly when Perla comes downstairs. Franz is ready to take her away, but she wants to talk to Uncle Manfred first. Perla performs a Vulcan Mind-Meld on his heart. She tells him his heart is in a dark place, an icy place, but she’s going to warm it with her love. Franz and Ernest are moved to tears by Perla. Manfred remains stony-faced, but there is a tear in one eye as Perla backs away. She then whispers to Ernest that everything will be fixed.

Franz has gathered his siblings at Amelia’s place. He tells them of his father’s confession about Manfred’s true origins. They can’t believe it, either, especially Viktor who learned first hand of his nature, skimming profits from the company in collusion with Silvia. It was because of Silvia and her pregnancy that he never said anything. Hilda is incredulous that Manfred knew all along he was an unrecognized Hauser but allowed himself to live in the servants quarters along with his mother. That explains his envy and hatred for the family. Franz tells them he was very worried about their father’s state of mind while he was there with Perla. He cried a lot. Franz thinks there is something very strange going on in that house.

Back at the mansion, a diabolical Manfred is changing family history. He’s cutting out every head shot of Franz in the family photo album and replacing it with his own, because, as he sees it, *he* is the first born in the Hauser family. Gertie watches as he cuts out the portion of a photo of with Catalina and Franz and pastes one of her and Manfred next to Ernest. After he finishes with the album, Manfred tells Ernest the next step in restoring his family to its rightful place is to name Manfred as Ernest’s sole heir. Ernest says that’s absurd. No, it’s not, as Manfred reminds him he has the “love letters.” He claims Ernest owes him. Ernest says no. He gave Manfred a roof over his head and an education. Manfred comes back with thanks to his own hard work, he gave Ernest back a hugely successful business. And while Manfred was growing the companies, where were Ernest’s children? Living lives of indolence and pleasure and throwing his money away. Maniacal Manfred goes BSC. Ernest stands up to him and says he’s not going to follow those orders. Oh, no? Manfred grabs Ernest by the collar and perp walks him up the stairs to his room, where he throws him on the bed. He *might* imprison him in his room until he accedes. [ed. Whew. This is intense. We need to take a break.]

Licenciado Silveira tells Yolanda the judge has set a date for the judgement in her adultery case. [ed. Hmmm, wonder if Ernest will keep the date.]
 

PERLA--
Wed, Oct 14 Part III

A few days later, Ernest capitulates and has Maniacal Manfred set up a meeting at the foundry to include his siblings. Hilda and Viktor have little interest in attending, but concerned about what Franz has said about their father’s state. They meet on the foundry floor.

Imagine their shock, being caught completely off guard, when Ernest makes his announcement from high up on a catwalk overlooking the foundry floor, with Manfred at his side. As of this moment, he announces, he is turning over the 51% of the shares he has left to his *SON* Manfred Hauser. (Remember, Manfred bought the 49% Ernest put up to save the company from bankruptcy.) In addition, Manfred will become the president of this operation and all of the Hauser Group companies. The three legitimate children can’t believe what they are hearing. They race up to the catwalk toward their father, but Manfred blocks them. Franz is the spokesman. He accuses Manfred of manipulating Ernest. Ernest answers of his own accord. He says he was only doing what was just, and repeats the reasons why, as Manfred nods in agreement.

[ed. Sniff, this was a David-free episode, but this episode earns another WOW.]
 

Celia

thank you so much NovelaMaven !!!
I'm still tagging along thanks to your wonderful recaps.

was there a bet going on in the band with Pedro and his women?

let's see, it's 1950 and the Cuban revolution was from 1953 to 1959, wasn't Havana like a playground for rich Americans?

a short history,
http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/havana/fifties.htm

hmm, wiki says this was filmed in Cartagena and Bogotá, by Fox Telecolombia for RCN.

 

Celia

And the Mafia.
 

PERLA

Anita: Thanks for the recap. Things continue to worsen for Ernest. Will he learn a lesson from his experience? Will he change his ways, I wonder.

I'm surprised Manfred didn't melt when Perla spoke to him. Her grandfather and father were practically almost turned to mush from tears.
 

PERLA--
Paz: You asked about Perla and Lama Sonan in your Wed night comment "About Lama Sonan: There is a what!? A what!? What did Perla say to the sad and weepy Lama Sonan that made him feel better?

I rewatched the two scenes where Perla and Lama Sonan are together.

The first is where Perla was sitting on the couch and just received a lesson in folding their prayer banners or whatever they were. They called them cartas (folded 7 times, etc.) Then I watched the scene where they are sitting around the table eating cake (they want the recipe so they can take it back to the monastery).

The first conversation was pretty straight forward--Perla ask him why he is preoccupied. L.S. wonders who told her he was preoccupied. Perla says it was his eyes. She tells him not to trouble himself, everything will be ok (No te descuides; sera todo bien) and then she says lets meditate. She interrupts herself to tell them her dream. She ends by saying you were happy in my dream, Why are you like this now.

The second one was ok until...you'll see--Perla asks did L.S. come to Rio to look for that love in my dream from the olden times? L.S. says you know I came to find you. You are my Rinpoche and that's that, no doubts. Perla says are you sure that's that? I think you have doubts. Then....she quotes Buddha and I could not understand her. Sorry.

Let me know if it was something else. Ok, on to Thursday's recap.
 

PERLA

Anita! That was it! That's what I meant. Makes more sense now. Both LS and the other monk were weepy when Perla spoke to them. Now, I understand why. Thank you!!!
 

PERLA—
Thu, Oct 15 Part I

Manfred returns triumphantly to announce to Gertrudis that he’s just been named the Grand Poohbah of all the Hauser businesses (translated at President). Ernest shuffles in behind him and watches as Gertie congratulates Manfred over and over. She totally ignores Ernest. Manfred then takes the opportunity to tell Ernest his whole empire is back in Hauser hands. Good news? Yes, but how? Well, Manfred was the undisclosed buyer of the 49% Ernest put up for sale. It’s *all* his now, but he’s a Hauser, no? Ernest blows his stack. “You? You? With what? Money you stole from the company?” Manfred pushes him down on a couch and starts to choke him. He had a right, he’s also Ernest’s son. Then he hears his mother’s voice and lets go of his throat.

Ernest’s legitimate issue and having a confab at Amelia’s place to discuss the situation. Franz is convinced Manfred is holding something over Ernest, blackmailing him. Viktor thinks it’s entirely possible; the man knows ever secret in the family. Hilda wants to walk away from the whole mess. Leave them be, they deserve each other. Manfred is the one most like Ernest. Vik agrees. He takes Baby Hector and leaves. Franz wants to go back to the mansion with Perla and asks Amelia’s permission. She agrees to let him.

Linda accosts Dalia on the street. She should be ashamed of what she did to Yolanda. Her court date is approaching. If she goes to prison, it will be all Dalia’s fault, handing Yoyo over to the law on a silver platter. On top of that, the law making adultery a crime is absurd in Brazil these days. Aurora happens to hear the tail end of the conversation and has a suggestion for Linda. Do what the French feminists did. They organized.

In the little shack in the country, Silvia is awake, but not communicating. Baldo, the husband, is going to see if anyone knows anything about the accident. At the same moment, Journalist Guy has returned from a trip and has come to the police with information. He heard about Silvia dying in a car accident. Are they sure it was an accident? He was supposed to have met Silvia to get a scoop on a bombshell of a story but never arrived at their rendezvous point. The chief agrees to go back to re-examine the site and look for witnesses.

At the accident site, they find a witness. Sr. Clever (clever, no?) tells the chief and his officer what he saw—a car going too fast and another car following right behind. The one Sra. Silvia was driving went over the embankment. Baldo is listening in the background and hears them come to the conclusion this was an attempted murder. He runs back to the shack to tell his wife, Liliana. At least they know her name. Baldo tries to get Silvia to talk about the accident by asking her questions about what she remembers. She just looks at him, but in her mind, remembers the last few seconds of the accident and starts shaking all over. Liliana tells him to stop. Baldo says out loud that someone was trying to kill her. Liliana thinks it would be wiser to keep her hidden until she recovers sufficiently to go to the police.
 

PERLA—
Thu, Oct 15 Part II

Franz and Perla have gone back to visit abuelo at the mansion. Franz observes Ernest carefully. Perla notes he looks very sad and she’s never seen him like that before. He makes excuses. While Perla goes upstairs to get a chess set with Gertie reluctantly accompanying her, Franz tries to get his father to talk while they are alone. Ernest is all buttoned up and luckily, in this case, because Manfred appears on the staircase holding Perla and said he heard his name. Grinning, he pretends to drop Perla over the banister—a silent warning to both men of what he could do. He wants to know what they were talking about. Ernest stammers it was only about the transfer of the presidency. Perla finds out Manfred is a blood uncle, like Vik, but when he tries to kiss her, Perla shrinks away from him. After Franz and Perla leave, Manfred turns into the Hauser Tyrannosaurus Rex and tells Ernest he doesn’t want that little pest in his house again (peste can also mean plague). Ernest gets on his knees, tugging at Manfred, begging him not to keep Perla away. Manfred tells him that she can come only on the condition he never opens his mouth. Ernest promises, anything. Now Manfred sends him up to his room like a bad little boy.

Later, Franz tells Amelia about the visit. He is going to try to see his father outside the house, away from Manfred. He takes Josué into his confidence and Josué will try to get Julieta to cooperate.

Yolanda gives Laura the name of that orphanage Linda’s father made donations to. It might be the one where Otavio came from.

David sighting—Dr. Rubens has come to the pension. This time he gets David up on his feet while holding him tightly. Aurora is with them in the background. He can do it as long as he is holding onto the doc. He can’t stand by himself, though, and flops down in his wheelchair when the doc lets go. He’s discouraged. Aurora encourages. Doc says he’s progressing—he stood up on his feet. Doc leaves. Aurora wants to distract him and reaches for their poetry book using a footstool. She slips and almost falls. David is out of the chair in an instant, but does not actually stand up (but now we know the hips and the knees work, woohoo). The two are eminently pleased. He did it, she says. He did it, he says. There is some canoodling.

Toni and Gaia have finished another round of checking orphanages for Giuseppe. They come back to headquarters and Gaia offers him coffee. She wants to know where that Toni is that she used to know, the activist, revolutionary who wanted to change the world. Here he is now, a bourgeois store-keeper, married to a rich lady. He laughs, but when Gaia starts to speak ill of the daughter of Ernest Hauser, he reacts angrily. When Gaia reminds him of their kiss he pauses pensively and says he loves Hilda and walks out on her.

 

PERLA—
Thu, Oct 15 Part III

Ernest sits at the head of another wretched family meal at the Hauser House of Horrors (and T. rex nest). Gertie roasted some chestnuts. Ernest doesn’t want any. Manfred tells him to eat one. He gives the orders now. Manfred tries to force feed him and Ernest jumps up, breaking some glassware as he does, while Manfred continues to stuff it in his mouth. Julieta has been watching all of this in horror. She’s sent away. When Josué approaches her for help getting Ernest out of the house alone so he and Franz can talk, she readily agrees. But, of course, Manfred overhears them planning.

The day arrives and the plan is executed perfectly—up to the point where Franz brings Ernest to his hotel room. Manfred walks right in. He wants to be part of the conversation. Ernest can’t tell the truth now, but he says it’s the truth—the reason he turned over their patrimony to Manfred is he was totally let down by Franz. All his children abandoned him, but Franz, his favorite child, was being groomed to take over the company business, but he turned him back on everything when he went after that laundress. What he is being accused of, harming Mundo and Amelia, and separating Amelia from Franz and making Franz marry Silvia, was all done for love. Franz says his father has a very distorted view of love; that is not love; having power over people is not love; controlling other peoples’ lives is not love. Ernest says that’s the only way he knows to love. Franz says the businessman Ernest wanted him to be does not describe him; he’s the one who, yes, sells book and loves a laundress. Deflated, Ernest asks Manfred to take him home.

Julieta gets fired for her participation in Ernest’s little escapade. Manfred tells Josué and Laerte, the major domo, this should serve as a warning to traitors.

Manfred and Ernest have a little chat upstairs in Ernest’s bedroom. Ernest remembers Manfred was always a weird little kid, hanging around in corners, watching, not talking. Every time Ernest would see him, it would remind him of his “little mistake” with Gertie. He tells Manfred he can take everything away from him, shut him up in this room, let him die, but he’ll never love him. Manfred is a broken man. He sobs on Ernest’s shoulder and asks him to hug him. He does, reluctantly.

Franz tells Amelia what went down at the hotel room. He tells her, when she asks, he has no regrets at all breaking with his father. His life is here with her and their daughter.

The pension girls organize a movement against the criminal penalty for adultery. Dalia won’t be signing the petition.

Josefineu is demoted to housekeeper at the mansion, taking Julieta’s place.

 

BAJO – JUEVES – Part 1

We see the repeat of the disgusting El Colmillo touching Gracie’s stomach and strongly suggesting that she name the baby José after him.

Adela and Carlos talk about Rodrigo having said the gang would soon stop looking for her. Neither can understand what he said.

Rod has a fit when he finds out EC talked with Gracie.

Maria has given Alex something that brings down his fever. He tells everyone that Rodolfo hit his mother.

Susy makes a plan to cut school to spend the day at the beach with Luis.

Adela comforts Maria as she sobs. She’s torn between the welfare of her own children and putting poor Alex out on the street. Besides, she misses Rodolfo. Gah!

Deborah insists on hosting a dinner for her snobby friends to show that her marriage is OK.

Carlos and Adela have come to a clinic to have her La Colonia brand lasered off.

Rod has asked to speak to EC alone, but he doesn’t mention Gracie as both Gracie and Felicia have implored him not to do. But he does get testy asking that EC tell Jay not to hang out around where his family lives. EC gets on his high horse and says that they aren’t his family; La Colonia is his family. They come to blows. EC tells Rod that he made him. He accuses him of disobedience and slaps him. Rod punches him back.

Susy’s snippy little blonde friend drives her to the beach, and Nick drives Luis.

Rod tells EC he has to respect his father; that he’s now realized that his father tiene más leña que tú. Pressed for time and didn't look this up. I assume it means he’s saying Carlos is a stronger man that EC.

At the beach Luis and Susy’s idyll is interrupted by the idiot Sharon insisting on sitting right beside them with Jay and some other gangbanbers. An ugly scene ensues when Luis tries to leave, and the cops come. Luis takes the blame himself so they don’t haul in Nick (undocumented).

EC lets it slip that Rod is meant to be his son because he can’t have others. He says that if Rod doesn’t bring him Adela Morales, he’ll kill “the gardener” himself.

Deborah’s chef can’t make it and Jacob calls Maria to prepare dinner.

We see the laser removal of the brand. Looks painful.
 

BAJO – JUEVES – Part 2

Desperate now to save his father as well as Adela, Rod brings a rope to strangle the homeless woman (forgot her name). But she pleads for her life and I don’t think he’s going to be able to do it.

Father Domingo is talking with Adela after the procedure. She tells him that Felicia told her about the pregnancy and, yes, lied about approaching her to give sympathy for her mother’s death.

EC gets Willy to get him a fake passport. Willy looks like he’s worried EC plans to leave the country with Felicia.

Jimena tells Feli she wants to leave. Feli won’t give her any money and tells her that she won’t be able to get away from the gang. Jimena tells Felicia that Carlos isn’t going to stop caring for Mati because he’s helping her during her pregnancy.

Luis has a pretty good idea to appeal to Cristóbal when the kids are at the police station. The cops want to call the parents of the underage ones. Luis refuses to tell either his parents names or those of Susy.

Felicia calls Carlos’ land line whining that she doesn’t feel well. And since her pregnancy is such a high risk one, could he come over. Adela is listening to this message on the machine.

Deborah is shocked, shocked that the “chef” is preparing Mexican food. Carlos comes in calling Maria hermana. We don’t get to see the explosion after Deborah determines they’re related.

Feli has put on some a sexy nighty and is waiting for Carlos. She tells the person knocking to come in. But it’s Adela, who laughs when she sees her. But she really gets under Feli’s skin by saying she heard the message and, since Carlos is very busy and she’s his woman, she decided to come help her. ¿Que onda, güera, te llevo al hospital o que? This absolutely delighted me! Instead of just ignoring the call in case there really was a problem, Adela called her bluff.
 

PERLA—
Thu, Oct 15 Part IV

TWO MARRIAGE PROPOSALS IN ONE EPISODE

The first: Manfred is presiding over another family dinner. He tells Gertie and Ernest that the three of them will be attending the New Year’s Eve party at the Club of 100 as a family. Ernest doesn’t really want to go and says so. Manfred insists. He turns his attention to his mother and tells her Ernest will be presenting him to all his friends and colleagues as his son and, wait for it...will use the occasion to ask for Gertie’s hand in marriage. Gertie almost swoons away. She looks at Manfred, only Manfred adoringly and he looks at her, jubilantly. The two are ecstatic. Neither of them pays any attention to Ernest who is sitting there forlorn and depressed and beaten. Congratulations, or something.

The second: Aurora opens her hotel room door to David, who wheels himself in. She’s been missing him dreadfully. He was preparing a little surprise for her. She loves surprises. She sits down at the foot of the bed and he rolls up close to her. He begins by telling her he’s written her a poem. She asks him to read it.
Sometimes I complain too much
Sometimes I’m too much of a pessimist
I know I’m not the man perfect enough you deserve to have
But no one has loved you, nor will love you, as much as I do.
Aurora waxes euphoric. Then she sees the little black box David is holding open toward her. Is that a ring? Is that a piece of jewelry? Yes, he answers, but it is special, it is an engagement ring. He slips it onto her finger. He adds, isn’t this the way princesses get asked to be married? “Aurora Lincoln, will you marry me?” Without missing a beat, she says she accepts, yes, yes, yes she wants to marry him. David leans in with his damn glamorogus smile and says, from now on Aurora is his intended. She holds up the ring to him. It’s perfect. David says she’s perfect. They have a warm exchange of kisses, then she climbs on his lap to cover him with kisses. WOW!
 

PERLA
Anita: A lot went on in Thursday's episode. Like Mother, like son. Gertie is deluded to be so excited about the forced engagement. I prefer David and Aurora's engagement more. LOL! I also forgot to mention that it was hilarious when Manfred cut all the photos and stuck his photos and his mother's in place. So determined to rewrite history. Too funny and demented. I don't blame Vik and Hil for wanting to stay out of Ernest business. They are right: Ernest and Manfred deserve each other. Funny to see Manfred send Ernest running to his room like a little kid. Haha! :-) Thanks for the summary!!!!!
 

CELIA, Episode 3, Thursday
Very good music and very bad men

Pedro's last attempt at seduction may have failed, but he sees Celia as an easy mark, a way to win back what he lost on the last bet with the boys in the band. He puts the moves on her and he gets her to join in his flashy, suggestive dance. At one point, she even bursts into song, and he tells her she has a great voice.

The cheating wife and daughter are only too happy to throw each other under the bus when confronted by the choleric captain. The daughter was on her way to meet Pedro at the club, but now she's grounded.

When the cuckolded officer finally catches up with Pedro, he denies being 'that musician,' though people often make that mistake, he says. He introduces Celia as his girlfriend. Celia goes along with it. The captain, however, is far from satisfied. He spends the rest of the evening trying to prove that his suspicions are correct. Meanwhile Pedro gets his buddies to run interference for him, and in particular, to keep the captain from talking to Rogelio, the bandleader.

Alberto pounds on the door of the Cruz home, awakening Celia's papi Simón, who is astonished to see him there, especially when he says it was Papi who sent for him to ask his permission to take Celia to tonight's party. Celia's mami comes running and makes frantic signals behind her husband's back; Alberto catches on, pretending to be drunk. Simón invites Alberto inside so he can say his goodbyes to Celia because in a few days, she'll be moving to Holguín. But when the sleeping figure under Celia's covers is revealed to be none other than Aunt Ana, Simón explodes. He demands that Alberto take him to his daughter.

Lola, in bra and panties, dances around her bedroom to Radio Progreso's cha cha cha as she dresses for her date that evening. Her mood is shattered when the vile stepfather Eleazar enters her bedroom and tells her graphically that she hasn't done enough to earn the right to go out. (Eso fue apenas un abreboca) He leads her to the bed.

A little later, he has dozed off, so Lola slips out of bed, dresses, and joins her friend Marcos at a bar where he is the guitarist in a combo. When Marcos surprises Lola by introducing her to the crowd as "the girl with the golden voice," she gamely takes the stage and wows everyone with her song (and her dance moves).

Then Lola invites Marcos to the club to hear La Sonora. But when they get there, they run into the stepfather, who explodes in fury at Marcos ("If you touch her, I'll kill you!") and drags Lola away.

Meanwhile Simón has learned that Celia is at the club and he goes there to hunt her down. First he finds Noris. She, of course, eggs him on, trying to spin the story of the evening in her favor.

Ollita, Ana and Alberto follow, but they can't get inside.

Simón spots Celia just as Pedro is about to kiss her. His reaction is an apoplectic, strangled cry. Noris rushes to him, but Celia is oblivious to the drama. Simón is carried out, an ambulance is summoned and he is taken to the hospital. Mami tells them Simón may be dying and he just keeps repeating Celia's name. Noris sits alone and cries. Is she feeling guilty?

Alfredo and his friend sneak into the club. He's afraid that if Simón dies, Celia will blame him and hate him forever.

Meanwhile Celia confides to Pedro that music is her whole life. As the two move close to the bandstand to watch Myrta Silva, she tells him that some day – as unattractive and graceless as she is – she wants to be the singer for La Sonora.

Now Alberto spots Celia and Pedro together, Pedro's arm draped easily around her shoulders.
 

CELIA:

Thanks so much, NovelaMaven! Now we have gotten to episodes I have not seen yet. Looking forward to watching this episode. I think I'll always be a day behind watching this now though, because it's on at the same time as Antes Muerta que Lichita, which I am also enjoying.

I kind of hope Simon dies. I know that's awful. But he's such a road block to Celia's career, and he's the reason the family has to leave Havana.
 

Celia

thank you, thank you, thank you, NovelaMaven !!!

loving the music, the dress (feathers for fancy occasions), and the atmosphere of old Havana.

Jeirmarie Osorio (young Celia) is fantastic as an emerging young lady, shall we say.


it's interesting that,

"Racism and racial discrimination were never as deep or widespread in Cuba as they were in the United States. For centuries, black Cubans had played a recognized role in the struggle for independence. As one Cuban scholar put it, “The term Cubano in its very inception was a multiracial term.”

"segregation came to Cuba in 1898 with the occupying (and segregated) armed forces of the United States. “With the U.S. domination of Cuba,” Fidel said in 1975, “race discrimination, should have been wiped out forever by the blood shed in common on the field of battle"

"We are a mixed race from Africa and Spain. No one should consider themselves a pure race, much less a superior race."

http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/racism.htm

 

TELEMUNDO... rumors

"La Trailera" began filming in Miami this week.
(ah, but still no cast list)

and is said to be a 100% "original" story by Valentina Párraga ("La Patrona", "Doña Bárbara").

set to premiere in prime time early next year.

 

Bajo

thanks so much for another great recap novelera !!!

Nick and Susi's friend, when they were left alone in the dust after everyone else was hauled away, looked pretty compatible, although miles apart socially.

 

Perla

Anita- yep, I got left in the dust when the captions disappeared, but I have been recording and if I get back to watching, I'll know where there are some fine recaps.

btw, there is some chatting on this at TW,
if you are not already familiar with this forum.
http://foro.telenovela-world.com/n4/bydate.php?f=1423

 

BAJO

Novelera,

Yes, that last scene was very funny. Actually, as disgusting as El Colmillo is,
he is comic at times. I was certain that Rod was going to make a quick kill, but now it seems his conscience may be bothering him.

Wow! Problems mount on all fronts for everyone.

Thanks for a terrific recap as always.

Chat later,















 

Excellent recap, novelera! I was amazed that El Colmillo let Rodrigo live after he punched him. Maybe at some level he realizes he needs R.'s brains--or possibly isn't lying about thinking of him as a son. EC's alias is Saúl Quijano--interesting that Don Quijote's "real" name was Alonso Quijano.
 

Perla: Ernest is reaping what he sows. He wants everyone's children now he gets a son. But it was hard to watch as Manfred gets nuttier than a squirrel.
Bajo: I'll catch up this weekend but I am happy with the way Adela is dealing with Felicia. It's very mature of her. I hate Sharon, uff.
Celia: The stepfather is disgusting abusing Lola like he is doing. Yuck. By the way, to those who have not figured it out Noris is Celia's mom child not Simon's. What a little shrew. I am enjoying the music.
Romy
 

CELIA
NovelaMaven: Thanks so much for the summary. I'm also enjoying the music, very much.

Deb: Thanks for the quotes and links re the subject of race/racism in Cuba.

Romy: Thanks for clarifying the parentage of Noris.

PERLA
Deb: Can't wait for you to start watching again. You have to see some of the characters' actions like Manfred hugging and kissing Ernest and demanding the same behavior in return. :)

 

CELIA

Hi Steve: I agree with your description of the step father and his behavior towards Lola. Very sickening, indeed. I wonder what will happen in the rest of the storyline. How will it end for the two of them?
 

Celia

I got to watch thursday's show at the library with captions, and I noticed the songs were being captioned too, one by Myrta Silva went,

Buche y pluma
eres tu

so I googled that and one person said,

it refers to a person who all he does is talk and promise and not fulfill anything he says, or in other words "Shit and feathers" (as the nest of the pigeons).

any way here it's being sung for real by her
(I guess they didn't have high definition in the '50s)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwtzYrabbCM

also on thursday's show, I guess Celia isn't allowed to sing in the contest (because of her color) and Lola was working on her boyfriend to change that.

what exactly did Pedro do to his hand, I know it happened when he was escaping the capitan, love the way he almost passes out in pain shaking hands with people, I see why the girls like him.

 

PERLA—
Fri, Oct 16 Part I

A TASTE OF DISTASTE
Don Ernest is getting a taste (well, actually a mouthful) of how Yolanda felt when being forced to marry him—unless, of course, Ernest is so dense he doesn’t recognize the irony of being forced to marry Gertie against his will.
+++++
Ernest thinks it’s absurd Manfred’s ordering Ernest to marry his mother. First of all, he’s still legally married to Yolanda. Manfred tells him not to worry about that, Yolanda is going to jail tomorrow for sure and he’ll get a separation from her (a.k.a. a divorce in this telenovela) and be free to marry Gertie. Manfred has a malicious grin on his face as he makes Ernest join in a toast to the happy couple. Ernest has been subjugated.

Mundo tries his best to cheer Yoyo up when they are together, the day before the decision is made in the adultery charge. He’s sure the rally the women are planning will help the judge make up his mind. After all, these are trumped up charges to begin with and that law is obsolete, even though it’s still on the books as a crime. Yoyo isn’t 100% convinced even as Mundo stretches her out on the bed and lowers himself on top of her--just a few layers of clothing away from being in flagrante delicto--which neither Ernest nor we see.

The next day, the entire vecindad, cabaret folks, party members, Aurora, Dr. Rubens and even Laura have gathered in front of the courthouse in a peaceful protest. They cheer Yoyo when she arrives and boo Ernest when he arrives. Hilda gives a little pep talk about who is really being tried today. It’s every woman who has been kept as “property” by their fathers or husbands.

Inside the courthouse, the two sides are giving their testimony. Mundo tells the truth. He and Yolanda did have a romantic relationship before Yolanda was forced to marry Ernest. When they were caught in flagrante by Ernest and Chief Cavalcante (yay, he has a name), they were together only because each had been sent notes to meet the other. It turned out to be a ruse concocted by Dalia to hurt Mundo after he broke up with her. Fabricio has proof from the kid who delivered the notes.

That isn’t enough to implicate Ernest, though, until Dalia takes the stand. She tells the truth about Ernest at first rejecting the plan thinking Yolanda would come back to him. When she didn’t he told Dalia to put the plan in motion. When it was all set up she called him, he called Cavalcante and they went to the hotel room. Ernest interrupts her testimony constantly to say she’s lying, who would believe someone like her, she’s been bought by Mundo (and this is the same woman he had just invited out to dine at the club a few days before).

Dalia had been prepared to denounce Yolanda, but her conscience pricked her after recalling the talk she had with the monk Tenpa as she was headed for court. He said that holding onto that hatred for Mundo and Yolanda would not make Mundo love her.
 

PERLA--
Fri, Oct 17 Part II

Earlier, Manfred is sitting in Ernest’s office at the factory. He’s not on factory business, though. He’s called Decio in to take on another little job. Decio is hesitant to get involved, after the calamity he suffered subsequent to the Hauser jewelry store robbery. Manfred assures him it’s nothing dangerous, only to collect a few anti-communists and start a counter-demonstration at the courthouse. Decio points out that those demonstrators are mostly women behaving peacefully. Manfred doesn’t care. His goal is to make sure Yolanda is found guilty and goes to prison. Decio must have accepted because he talks some guys into doing what Manfred ordered. Decio, however, isn’t going to personally take part. He watches, chuckling, standing by his car. The confrontation between the agitators and the peaceful demonstrators begins with just a little noise, ripping up placards and shoving. Then a punch is thrown. Suddenly, it’s a free-for-all. Decio sees his mother in the middle of the mêlée and dives in to rescue her, as does Artur. Into the middle of the fray appears Lama Sonan carrying Perla. She insisted on coming. It’s time for her to put into practice some of Buddha’s teaching. No one is seriously injured. Only Lama Sonan was pushed down and scraped his arm. Matilde was there to help him up and takes him home.

Perla grabs Aurora’s megaphone and climbs the steps. She calms everyone down. She urges them to stop fighting. Conflict only begets conflict. What brought them together this day was love, liberty, respect, and happiness. Franz and Amelia look on proudly at their wise child.

Cavalcante and the judge have a spot of coffee and talk about the rumble outside. It seems it has been provoked by the same fellows who created that ruckus at the cabaret the night Mundo kicked off his campaign. The judge is apparently aware these ruffians are partisans allied to Ernest Hauser. He’s ready to hand down his decision.

Yolanda leaves the courthouse and slowly comes down the steps to be greeted by Mundo. She tells him she’s free. They embrace to cheers. Dalia emerges. The crowd is restless. Fabricio calms them and says she told the truth. The crowd cheers. Her brother David takes her hand and kisses it. Ernest emerges and everyone goes quiet. He makes some disparaging remarks to the crowd. Perla hears him and wants to speak to him. Ernest is pleased to see her and tells her these people are saying terrible things about him. He’s not a bad man. Perla says, “Stop fighting against people. Let Yolanda and Uncle Mundo be happy. They love each other. If you let other people be happy, you will be happy.”

When they get back to the pension, Matilde and Lama Sonan are sitting on the couch, where she’s been cleaning and disinfecting his scraped arm. Perla runs over to them, hops up on the couch in between them and puts their hands together in her lap.

Ernest goes home, madder than a wet hornet and blames Manfred for everything going wrong. [ed. I guess he didn’t really hear what Perla was saying.] For an instant, he reverts back to his jolly old despotic self and calls Manfred useless. Manfred says he was only trying to help. He makes Ernest ask to be forgiven for those remarks. When he does, Manfred hugs him. Ernest can hardly stand it. He sends Ernest up to change clothes. They are going out.

Manfred is taking his mother and Ernest out shopping for engagement and wedding rings and a wedding dress. [ed. Did you all see that dreadful, frumpy, two-piece, belted, dirt-brown outfit with the glittery appliquéd lace yoke Manfred approved of? Now Silvia, she could have made it to a fancy dinner in that and look smashing…sorry, I digress.] Ernest did not have a good time.
 

CELIA
Deb: Thanks for the link to the song and explanation. I enjoyed listening to it and appreciated it more after your explanation. :-) I don't remember what exactly happened to Pedro's hand. I just assumed that he'd injured it when he was trying to get away from that little soldier.

PERLA
Anita: Thanks so much! Even in a one-hour show, a lot happened. I thought Ernest would have been more humble, especially with matters concerning Yolanda but obviously now.

Funny how Decio was having fun watching the melee begin at the protest, until he saw his mother. I'm glad he cares about his mother. There may be hope for him after all.

Interesting about Perla, a rare joy, indeed. How old is she? She was able to calm the crowd with a few words of wisdom.

I'm glad Dalia finally told the truth. Do you happen to remember what Mundo told her afterwards. No big deal if you don't.

Too funny, the scene with Ernest and his new beloved family, ring shopping and then clothes shopping for Gertie. LOL! He was miserable but he knew how to keep his mouth shut. The look on his face, however, was priceless. Heh heh heh!






 

PERLA--

Paz, for you, I'll do a rewind to Dalia and Mundo, but later.

Perla has to be 10 years old + a few months. Remember she was born and was an infant when Amelia was sent to prison and gave her up to Franz (and later Silvia). Amelia spent 10 years in prison before being released. It's been at least 9 months (Silvia's baby to be conceived and born) since then. I would say she's pretty close to 11.

Mel Maia was 9 when this was filmed. I checked Wikipedia--she was born in 2004. PP was produced in 2013.

 

Bajo. Interesting conversation between El Colmillo (in his alias identity as Saul Quijano) and Carlos. El C. was talking about owning the bar while "marking his territory" in the men's bathroom. Btw, if Greicy saw El Colmillo's picture on the tv news, wouldn't it be likely that Carlos had as well?
 

CELIA

Thanks so much for your comments, Vivi, Deb and Paz.

Vivi, now we know that Celia is going to have to deal with Simón for a while longer.

Deb, thanks so much for the extra info, especially the comment about Celia being blocked from the contest. I still don't quite get how that happened after the radio man said her color would be no obstacle, given her wonderful voice. I guess Eleazar is to blame, but I missed seeing what he did to get in Celia's way.

I'm posting some highlights of Friday's episode below because I wanted to have at least the first week covered. I don't intend to continue doing this daily (though maybe from time to time). I was kind of hoping a few other people would be interesting in writing about this one. What do you say, guys?
 

Celia, Episode 4, Friday
Highlights in no particular order

Simón survives. It turns out he was an undiagnosed diabetic, so in a way, Celia saved his life if she truly provoked this trip to the hospital.

When Simón tells Celia she is no longer his daughter, she is so guilt-stricken that she is willing to give up her music and obey his every command. But Aunt Ana intercedes and invites Celia to stay with her for a few days. Meanwhile Noris can look after Simón.

Celia asks Aunt Ana why she stopped singing. She says she stopped after her daughter died, but she didn't have the drive that Celia has. It is Celia who has the real gift and must use it.

Pedro turns out to have a wife (common-law or legal?) and kids. He quarrels with his wife and says he's leaving her.

He sees the captain snoozing in his car where he has waited all night for Pedro to show up. He plays some kind of trick on him involving a banana in the exhaust pipe and he puts the car in gear so it rolls down the hill and hits another car (I think. I'm sure this was very funny if you understood what was going on.)

Pedro follows Celia to the hospital – his interest in her is already more than casual – where he bumps into Noris. It turns out she is another notch on his bedpost. He finds out that Celia is her sister. Pedro pretends he is there to have his injured hand treated.

Politics intrude:
A man dressed as a soldier is admitted with a serious belly wound. He needs AB negative blood. The soldier's comrade overhears Alberto telling Celia's cousin that he has that type of blood. Before he has any time to think about it, Alberto is rolling up his sleeves. It turns out that these men are part of the Anti-Batista revolutionary movement. Is Fidel one of them?

We learn that Marcos is actually Eleazar's brother, and therefore Lola's "uncle" (though not by blood).

When Celia is frantically trying to reach the hospital, Lola, who has been snatched up by Eleazar, offers her a ride. But Eleazar refuses to allow the "negra" in his car so Celia must find a taxi.

Lola keeps advocating for Celia and her participation in the singing contest. (Does Eleazar have the clout to block this after the radio guy said she could compete?)

Lola's relationship with Eleazar is more complicated than it seemed at first. Was it consensual at some point? Is Lola as old as Celia? (Celia is 25.)

So what have I left out or misunderstood?
 

CELIA

The show seems to have debuted with a satisfying splash:

http://www.mediamoves.com/2015/10/premiere-of-telemundos-celia-reaches-over-2-3-million.html

Let's hope it continues to shine in the ratings!
 

Celia,

wow, thanks again NovelaMaven !!!

hmm, I was thinking it was just the rules that are blocking Celia from the contest, even though the radio guy asked her to come, but even he ignored her until he heard her sing.

the banana trick, (I've heard of using a potato) if the bad air can't go out the exhaust, clean air can't come in, the gas won't burn, and the engine won't start and run, so he can't just drive away, (and wow, his car had a rumble seat that opens in the back like an upside down trunk)

(I've heard that in Cuba after the revolution, they could no longer get american cars so they just kept all the old ones running even till today, which made me wonder if they filmed this there, but no, I guess it would be complicated talking about the revolution and all)

Pedro's wife is played by Indhira Serrano which I haven't seen since Flor Salvaje.

 

Bajo. And when afterwards, Colmillo told Rodrigo something on the order of Carlos's being more impressive or manly (or slang words to that effect), was he just referring to character or to physical "attributes?"
 

Celia

Thank you so much for the great recaps, NovelaMaven!! I can't stress enough how helpful they are. My Spanish is fair, but I'm challenged with this novela. Even the Spanish subtitles (which I try not to use) go by too fast for me to read, understand, and watch at the same time. My solution will probably be to focus and get as much as I can, read your recaps, then try watching the episodes again over the course of the weekend to get into the rhythm of the Spanish. I don't mind because it's the only novela I'm watching and I'm enjoying it immensely. I look forward to it every evening.

The characters are interesting and it's entertaining watching their development.

The actress playing young Celia is quite good. In fact, just about everyone is. It looks like Simón will be a thorn in the side of her dreams for a while longer. I can't wait until Celia is able to take the mic and finally show what's she's got on stage.

I wonder if Pedro's comedic antics will be a running thread throughout the series. I also wonder how his relationship with his wife and children will eventually effect the one with Celia? I'm not sure if they ever had children together. Was he shot in his hand by the little captain when he was fleeing the scene of his tryst with the dude's wife? I'll check it out when I rewatch.

Lola's interactions with the bigoted Eleazar are cringe-worthy and creepy. Was it consensual in the beginning or did it start as stauatory rape? Rape situations are hard to take. (How fitting it is that auto correct wanted to change his name to "sleazy" as I was typing - lol) I hope Lola gets away from him permanently. She seems like a good person.

@deb - thanks for the explanation and link regarding "Buche y pluma." Love it! I've found a new favorite term to use when calling BS on people and situations - hahaha.
 

Celia

Here's an interesting interview from HuffPost:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/celia-cruz-series-to-shine-a-light-on-the-darker-moments-of-the-legends-life_561eb88fe4b028dd7ea6693c
 

CELIA:

Thanks so much NovelaMaven! I haven't caught up, but plan to tomorrow.

Rats! Simon lives. I guess that's good, since Celia would have felt super guilty had he died.

I wonder if the Lola character is based on someone real. From the first episode I saw, she has a spectacular voice too, and she and Celia sang really well together. Her situation with Sleazy (thanks, NovelaNewbie) is so creepy and sad. I hope she can escape him soon.

Celia and Pedro never had their own kids in real life. I am sure his ex will cause problems.
 

CELIA:

Thank you for that article, NovelaNewbie. And I'm glad it did so well in ratings it's first week.
 

CELIA

NovelaNewbie, thanks for the HuffPost link. Nice article.

Sleazy Eleazar is right! And thanks for reminding us of Deb's detective work on "Buche y pluma." I agree that's a phrase apt to come in handy.

Vivi, my pleasure! I wonder if Simón latched right on and started taking credit for his daughter's talent as soon as it became clear that Celia was going to be a success.

I agree that the Lola character is a terrific performer. It would be nice to think she was a real-life friend and ally of Celia's.

deb, thanks for clarifying potato bombs :-)
 

Celia
Pedro injured his hands when he jumped from the roof as bullets flew from the captain and landed in the yard of padrino of the captain. Lola is a nice person but it's ironic that she's involved with both brothers even if it seems to be involuntary with the stepfather. I wonder why tia Ana and the fam never mention Celia crooked pinky? You know from tia's dead baby.
Romy
 

AVENIDA BRASIL and pretty much All the Tns discussed on Caray

So, this is sort of OT, because of reading Jean's wrap up and Vivi's and others' comments on AB when it was originally broadcast. (SEE: May 12, 2014 for Madelaine's Gran Final)

When characters motives are so thoroughly dissected and interpreted by the Caray community, night after night for months, I wonder if the writers themselves put this much time and effort into the creation of the characters. Whether they have or not, they all seem to have been awake when they took Psych 101, Soc 101, Literature (storytelling and script writing) and Home Ec (the international cuisine version).

This seems so clear to me as I re-read the recaps and comments for Un Refugio Para el Amor and now as I follow Yo No Creo en Los Hombres.

Hmm. I think I'll post this on YoNo, too.

 

@Anita, I wonder if we are not better at dissecting characters psyches and motives than the writers themselves.
 

PERLA
Anita: Thanks for considering rewinding to Dalia and Mundo's scene on the court steps. No stress/no worries if you're unable. Thanks, too, for Perla's age. Makes sense.

CELIA
Novela Maven: Thanks for starting us off with the first week of Celia summaries. It's been very helpful for me because my Spanish is very weak. Otherwise, I'd readily volunteer to help out with Celia summaries.

Novela Newbie: Thanks for the article link!

 

GENERAL--
@ Romy: Of course we are! We probably have more time to reflect after the episodes. The writers have to see the whole plot in order to weave the cloth as tightly as they do. We benefit from that as well. We get those AHA! moments they meant us to have.
 

Bajo

as long as Deb is at the police station, couldn't they just lock her up too, if not for her assualt on a minor (Luis), maybe for that metal array she has in her hair.

since my favorite comedian Jay is out of action after his tiff with Faier jr., I guess I have to go with evil Colmillo, did he address Greicy as, you with the face of a rabbit?

and the other day he called willy, Willy Mays.

and I can't believe how they decorated EC's room at the clubhouse to look like a prison cell.

yeah, yeah, Saul Colmillo isn't laundering money, it's his savings.

I thought for sure Carlos would leak out Felicia's pregnancy but he has an interesting way of protecting the people around him.(and nice twist that got Willy out of the Frontera before Carlos arrived)

 

PERLA--

Paz: Here you go. I'm going to back up a bit to start inside the court in the lobby.

When Dalia arrives inside, Mundo asks if she was called by Ernest's side to testify. She says, no, it's for the defense, but she doesn't understand why. Mundo says, "Maybe it's because you know the truth regarding the flagrante scheme you cooked up with Don Ernest. That's what you have to tell the judge."

Afterwards, Dalia comes down the steps of the courthouse and Fabricio announces to the restless crowd that she told the truth. Lola steps forward to give her a hug. Someone in the crowd says she did the right thing (Hizo bien, or was it Hiciste bien.) She stops when she sees Mundo. Mundo says, "I just knew that sooner or later you would regret (arrepentir) the error you had committed. You have always been a good woman, [and] honest." Dalia just looks at him and moves past him.

I noticed doing the rewind that Mundo and Yoyo actually did start to make love in the hotel room when they realized it could have been a set-up (montaje) to catch them. They knew they were not supposed to be seeing each other (in public at least) and had been complying with Silveira's warnings. They hurriedly started to dress as Ernest bursts through the door. They have most of their clothes on, that's why Mundo was able to say in court that they knew they'd been duped (even though that *was* the hotel room where they regularly met to be together).
 

Bajo. Deb: Yes, El Colmillo did call Greicy "Rabbit face." Funny because true--and on more than one level--appearance and character. :)
 

PERLA

Anita: Much, much appreciated! Good that Mundo didn't chastise her but she still felt sloppy for her behavior, which is why she had nothing to say to him after he spoke to her on the court steps. Thanks for clearing things up for me. xox
 

PERLA--
but mainly OT
deb: you gave us a website to check out the chat on PP. Thank you. I did. It's certainly time-consuming, but there is also a lot of other stuff on PP in general on the website.

I've also watched some interviews with stars from Avenida Brasil on YouTube (I started with Mel Maia). I was amazed at how close the dubbed voices came to the actors' real voices. Mel Maia was adorable (if I'd been able to understand even 25% of the Portuguese). I was disappointed one YouTube clip showed her performing in her own fashion show. She performs perfectly as an adult runway model would, sexy and provocative--I only watched her walk out once and stopped it. That's one type of exploitation I just don't approve of.
 

Hi Vivi, Celia actually recounted this story herself in a few interviews I saw some years ago. Very interesting and very true.