Caray, Caray!

Gracias, Cynderella.

Love your Godfather II reference; I saw the film on Sunday evening in a double feature with the original (BTW, I don't really recommend doing this; it's exhausting). The young Al Pacino could have been a great novela star had he been a little taller.

I have to say that in comparing these two dramatic situations I can't decide which betrayal is worse, that of a brother or a son. Despite that his life wasn't in danger (at least for the moment) Arturo would have the most angst because he has some responsibility for Erick being what he is. No, he doesn't meet our current standard for effective parenthood but neither does Nina, who made Erick into the selfish monster that he is. Not only selfish but sufficiently devious that Arturo didn't see this in any way all this time.

Erick never really apologized to Regina; he skirted the issue and the announcement of Consuelo's pregnancy was a distraction. Nina rolled her eyes at this behind Arturo's back.
Also loved how Daniela teased Nina about being a grandmother. But Nina's answer is a major signpost in its coldness and her willingness to accuse Consuelo of stepping out on Erick. How is that possible when Consuelo barely leaves the house? This is narcissistic projection.

More later.
 

Cyn- You had me laughing from your first sentence with your definitions. I don't blame Art. I felt like tearing my own hair out as Erick and Nina tried to justify Erick betraying his family, committing fraud, costing them millions, costing people jobs, and trying to pin the crime on his little sister. How were neither of them begging on their knees in tears, saying I'm sorry over and over again? Seriously, Nina thinks she can pull out the you were a bad father card to cover for Erick-- a grown, married man, with a kid on the way, who has been working in the company for years? Erick is lucky he had two women's skirts to hide behind.

I'm glad that David and Gina decided that their fathers' stupid feud is no reason for them to give up on their budding romance. Have fun, kids. And good luck keeping it a secret from your crazy parents and backstabbing siblings.
 

How can anyone justify Nina is out of me. The woman is a terrible, horrible mother that thinks that her children can do whatever they want just because they are rich. Arturo has his part of blame because he didn't understand in time what kind of woman he married and how much she spoiled their children. But, come on, Nina always does things behind his back, she tells him only what's convenient for her, manipulates the reality. Arturo can't be 24/7 in the house, trusting his wife is his only real mistake that he's paying heavily now. I hope he finally opens his eyes on his sex doll and understands that what Miguel told him is the truth: yes, he was depressed for everything had happened to him when he met Nina, he was probably too young to understand what kind of mistake he was making, but it's never too late to adjust things. His children need a father and he can't trust his wife.
I must say that I'm enjoying this conflict in the Montenegro family, this chapter was really intense
 

thanks, Cynderella, for another hilarious recap. You take no prisoners.

And so...the moral of this story is : Dumb is dangerous.

You can see how frustrating it is for Nina now that she can longer control Art with her...charms. #leopardfailure
 

Is it just me or does anyone else think the entrada looks and sounds Satanic? The music is mostly in a minor key, has a chorus we can't understand, the images bleed red and flames, and almost all the male faces are angry.

Nina is the sort of woman who should never have children. What actually has me scratching my head is there doesn't appear to have been a nanny in the house although Arturo can clearly afford one and Nina seems the type to not want to deal with the drudgery of raising children. She spends all her daytime in beauty parlors, nail salons, expensive restaurants with "friends" (who are more likely to be frenemies), and the health club. With shopping in between. You'd think she'd see a nanny as a status symbol.
 

Cynderella, you managed to pull this depressing episode out of the fire. Your usual wit and savvy style was on fine display with gems like "Augustin is to cancel his credit cards and check book and Art also calls him a dumbass (Ok, I called him a dumbass, but I'm sure that Art was thinking it too)". Absolutely.

Arturo's pain seemed raw and real. But I agree with the comments today and previously that Art has reaped what he is primarily responsible for sowing. He has screwed things up all the way around. He loved Julia, yet cheated on her. He had a wonderful son that he not only allowed to become a second class citizen in his own home, but allowed him to be called a "bastard" and treated with scorn and contempt. He indulged his selfish wife and other children rotten. Although Regina was mature enough to handle it, Dani and Erick were the recipients of being spoiled rotten by Nina. Arturo never had his priorities straight. And now, he's been betrayed. What did he expect? Unwavering loyalty? Foolish, delusional man.

"Art tells him that he should have defended him from that them a long time ago". Yes. Absolutely.

"Art tells the idiot that the only thing that matters is the betrayal, not who he betrayed him with". Hmmm, perhaps initially. But that reality will surely sink in quickly after the initial shock wears off.

When Nina slapped him, there was a notable change in his facial expression and countenance. I think this may be the final nail in the coffin of their relationship. We can only hope.

Thanks again.

Diana
 

Haven't seen this yet, but certainly enjoyed your "take no prisoners" (thanks Susanlynn) account of the current nefarious Montenegro doins'. Agree totally with your calling Erick a dumbass, and loved your account of Arturo's neglect of Miguel as treating him like "a red-headed stepchild". That phrase has a long and interesting cultural history.

Well, let me go on record as saying that Erick's dumbassery is not environmental--it's genetic. Arturo is Dumbass Incarnate. Getting another woman pregnant while engaged. Choosing Nina as a stepmother for resulting infant. Bringing an obvious idiot like Erick into the business.

Dumb, dumb and dumber. Call 911 and get us a new galan, we need one right away!

UA....I too get a very creepy vibe from the Entrada to this novela. Satanic, demonic, or just very very dark...whatever...it's disturbing.

Thanks Cynderella. To tell you the truth, I'm still chuckling over Preach!...Amen!...Let the choir sing!...Pass the collection plate.
Tthink of it at random odd moments and laugh all over again. Dementia here I come.
 

Great Cyn, so funny!

Did someone say dysfunctional? is anyone in this TN functional? Are there any real good guys?

Good grief!
 

Arturo was holding himself back on that statement. Whether the opponent is Eladio or anyone else, this is a monumental betrayal and it's over something very stupid.

Arturo is probably channeling his own guilt over his infidelity to Julia, but Erick's infidelity is worse from a legal and social perspective. And Arturo didn't betray his father or embezzle from the family business. What Erick did was so monumentally stupid that it can and likely will have a domino effect to the tune of $41MM US. That's probably more money in Mexico than it is here.

More later. Working on tonight's.
 

Thanks Cynderella I loved your body language glossary. MOR

"He tells her that she'd better not ever knock some sense into him again"

Still think Art the biggest idiot of the show and feel no sympathy the crows came home to roost. Within weeks of his marriage to Julia he cheats and a year later he buries one woman, married another, throws a child at her and is MIA for 25 years. I don't blame Nina, Art asked her to be his wife and mother and she hung in there. The only time he paid attention to Nina was when he was feeling randy so why not maintain what kept him so.

The second biggest idiot of the show is Connie. Art was winning the argument between he, Erick and Nina and Connie blew it up. Actually, much as I hate him, Erick won't go down easy and will stand toe to toe with anyone, so I give him props.

 

Wow Cynderella...your references to last night's explosions were awesome.

UA, the more I hear the theme and credit music, the more I enjoy it. It's original, I checked since it reminded me so much of a particular classical piece I like. It definitely has echos of the type of themes we hear with Games of Thrones and I like that it's almost medieval vibe of war/betrayal/retribution church themes is used against a modern tale of the same ( minus any church reference.) I close my eyes and I can almost see Artie and Eladio in medieval garb a la the Medici's.

So Artie is no saint, but last night looks like the tipping point for him to see the light on what a mess he made, but also what a disaster Nina is. His incredulous look at Nina as she tried to actually justify Erick betraying the company and costing them millions being because his credit cards were cut had to be the nail in the coffin for him. (Hello sweetie--cut backs and lost millions were put a serious damper in your clothes and makeup budget too!!) Now we know where Erick gets his "smarts". Woman, they name is clueless. Conniving, but clueless.

Anyone else totally chuckle that lame brain Franco is letting the chick sit on his lap and is making out with her while sitting in a glass office with employees right outside the door? If that was my office, that whole scene would have spread through the office and Eladio would have heard all the laughing at his latest visit to the men's room. Unreal.

Rooting for Gina and David. Glad David saw the light and realized being in Dad's pocket wasn't what it looked to be. I want more Augustin...and I really want him to make Erick's life miserable. You know, make him actually stay in the office and work kind of miserable.

Daisynjay


 

Nina knew exactly what she was doing. She was taking him for his money and did not live up to his expectations either. She was nasty to Miguel and managed to hide it from Arturo. I'm not saying he wasn't wrong in having cheated on Julia, but his depression kept him from not jumping into the fire. Had he been able to see Nina more clearly he would have had a good nanny for Miguel, thrown himself into his work, and his depression would have dissipated somewhat.

But we all know nobody sees shrinks in these stories anyway.

I do agree that Erick won't go down easily because Eladio is likely to use him in some other way against Arturo. That won't necessarily be tomorrow or next week, but somewhere down the road.
 

Connie doesn't need to leave the house to step out on Erick.

Think about it, because Nina has.

Again, Erick is stoopid for stealing from himself. Montenegro Inc. was going to be HIS business. It's not even a situation of Eladio working for Montenegro and embezzling from them; Erick was embezzling from himself. He was the heir apparent!

Realistically, the person Arturo SHOULD be grooming to take over Montenegro Inc. is REGINA, but she's a girl, so...

If Arturo is smart, he will ask Regina to come work for Montenegro Inc. at some point and groom her to take over the business.

Connie is stupid for standing up for Erick because a man who will cheat & screw over his own father, who gives him the lifestyle they are both accustomed to, will have no problem cheating and screwing over her. She knows Erick is a low down dog who is laying it low and spreading it wide with Rat...why is she still there?

Arturo will support Connie & the baby whether she stays with Erick or not. She needs to get a clue and toss Erick out (before he tosses her and the baby out).

I can see David & Regina starting their own company together, if not merging Montenegro & Gomez Luna Associates in the end.
 

Now would not be the time for Arturo to groom Regina to take over the company. I don't think he has an issue with her being female in that context; he's happy she is responsible, got her degree, and is en route to a career. She also seems to want the same professional independence that Miguel has and Arturo's ego isn't one that demands they work for him. If Eladio had more children he would be emitting more venom than ever if any single one of them refused to work for him. It wouldn't be enough for him to have one or two in the office; he'd insist it be all if it were three or ten.

That way he could run their lives the way he has been running Julia's.

Consuelo is paranoid that she will end up alone. The Montenegros are the only family she knows. However, she is deluding herself about her husband. He is nothing like his father. He has no sense of loyalty or honor. He's just a punk who had the good fortune to grow up rich.
 

Thanks, Cynderella! Well done!

I didn't like the musical theme at first, but it's growing on me. And I agree that the somber tones and the accompanying visuals, flames and all, are a bit um, hellish.

So Miguel finally confronts his father: You've always rejected me – did you blame me for my mother's death?

And daddy reassures him by saying: Don't worry, son – I never loved your mommy anyway.

Poor Miguel, burdened by the writers with this inappropriate revelation of his daddy's love life, just so the Patio can get the scoop. [Next time, writers, consider the tried and try thought-bubble. Or the flashback.]
 

Cynderella---you're absolutely amazing. You somehow manage to bring several chuckles and laughing moments into a very serious and dark episode. I don't know how you do it but reading your recaps are always a blast---a big blast that is.

Erick doesn't want to go to the big house because he's too pretty.

Gisela is wearing her gang doo-rag.

What planet is Nina on? Erick only sold out his family because you Art, reduced Erick's credit limit---he just needed some extra money.

Nina is soooo disgusting. Consuelo is pregnant. Maybe she has been sleeping around.

Cynderella---I do disagree with you in one area though. I find the WTH family to be a welcome relief from all that has been going on. The little girl is sure having fun on the playa.

Are Miguel and Art opening/beginning a new closer chapter together?

must see tv
the gringo
 

Thank you Cynderella for a stellar recap filled with such funny nuggets! I especially loved the Godfather II reference and Nina’s “Mama’s baby, Papa’s maybe”!

Many thanks to all the recappers, commenters and to Blog Mom Melinama for creating this wonderful corner of cyberspace for so many of us to indulge in our love of telenovelas, the Spanish language and Mexican culture. I’ve been a lurker for almost ten months now and I’m finally able to follow a show at the same time as you guys to be able to participate in the forum. Due to personal circumstances that are keeping me home most of the day, I decided about a year a go to put my free time to good use and started watching telenovelas to improve my Spanish. I’d been trying to learn the language for over 15 years, on and off, but had been unable to keep all the conjugation and grammar rules straight in my head and just couldn’t seem to remember all the vocabulary I came across, so I figured I wouldn’t lose anything by trying something other than Spanish textbooks.
I began this learning endeavor with abridged versions of “Maria la del Barrio” starring Thalía and my “number one telenovio” Fernando Colunga and of “Esmeralda” starring Leticia Calderón and once again, Fernando Colunga. I had seen these TNs dubbed in French and Arabic when I was a teenager, so I figured since I knew the stories already, I would be able to keep up. I went from 20% comprehension to near fluency in one year. I took extensive notes and would painstakingly research definitions, idiomatic expressions and proverbs when I watch and since I discovered this blog, I get a kick out of reading recaps and comments, which are always so clever and witty. I feel like I’d come to know so many of you here through your participation in Caray Caray! and I’m so glad to finally be able to interact with all the familiar voices like Vivi, Susanlynn, JudyB, Carlos, La Paloma, Urban Anthropologist, NovelaMaven, Tofie, DaisynJay, Variopinta, Gringo and Mauricio to name but a few.

Sorry for the long introduction. I’ll post my impressions on this capítulo in a separate post.

Much love and light to all from (not so) sunny Morocco!

Nandicta :)
 

I think Miguel/Arturo are opening a new chapter. Arturo doesn't know who Miguel is at all. He will grow to love and respect Miguel as he gets to know him and vice versa.

Regina shouldn't be brought into the business now, but out of the four children she's the only one who shows an interest in building things, which is part of what Montenegro does. Erick just wants to strut around in suits, having dinners & lunches on the company dime. He's not interested in what he can do for Montenegro, he's only interested in what Montenegro can do for him. That's why it was so easy for him to embezzle/sell out the company because it doesn't mean anything to him...just another credit card.

I think Regina would do well and Miguel could implement/be in charge of systems at Montenegro.

Franco is another one who doesn't really care about what Gomez Luna Associates does, or what he can do for it. He only cares what GLA can do for him. Shame GLA & Eladio are shady because I think David would do a fine job running the company (and he probably will after Eladio dies/goes to jail).

I like the opening credits. Yes, it's dark but so is the story. It's about lost love, rejections and abuse. The only true couples on the show are David/Regina, Maribel/Justino & maybe Clara/Francisco.

After that slap & seeing Erick & Nina blame ARTURO for Erick's swindling of the company, Arturo is finished with Nina. No amount of tight dresses, purple lipsticks or plump booties is going to change that. It's over.

 

I agree UA on Consuelo. I started to get annoyed with her until I remembered her background. Her sense of panic isn't losing Erick, it's losing the only sense of family belonging she's known. She doesn't want to go back to the streets of her youth, forced to live on the streets.And idiot that he is, she wants the mom dad set up for her baby. Now we know Artie wouldn't abandon her and she had a successful career she could go back too, even with baby on board. And in the back of her heart she knows Miguel would fight for her. But growing up as she did it's her knee jerk panic. I think she see all that soon.
Daisynjay
 

Welcome, Nandicta...Wow, Your English is great, and now you are learning Spanish. Do you already speak French and Arabic ?
 

Nandicta, welcome! Wow, you already have so many other languages under your belt. Fantastic. I'm looking forward to "seeing" you more on the Patio.
 

ITA. As pathetic as Consuelo's defense of Erick is, it's all about trying to cling to the only family she has ever had, and her dream of creating a family of her own with a husband and kids. We know that she must have had an incredibly unstable (and dangerous) upbringing in the brothel, and the orphanage likely was only a marginal step up. When Erick fell for her, married her, brought her into his large family, and then wanted to start his own family with her (in the beginning), she must have thought she was dreaming. She isn't ready to accept that her dream has turned into more of a nightmare.
 

Wow, Morocco!

Nandicta, I got very interested in Morocco from watching & reading La Reina del Sur.
So interesting with Gibraltar, Ceuta & Melilla, Spain so close. Where in Morocco do you live?

 

Thanks, Cynderella. Terrific recap.

ITA Consuelo was so annoying butting in for Erick, but I do get that she wants to stay a part of a family. How soon before she realizes she's painted herself in a corner? In obeying Erick, she has no modeling career and no friend except Regina.

On a nanny in the household, Miguel mentioned in the past how Arturo let him be raised by a nanny while Nina was busy being Nina. Maybe the old nanny will visit one day.

Art was wrong of course to cheat on Julia. But I wouldn't be surprised if tampered alcohol and Eladio were involved somehow. At least Art was straight enough to confess to Julia, who was no doubt a virgin.

Funny moment: The look on Gisela's face when Caridad says she's so glad that nasty Gomez Luna never got his mits on her precious Franco.

Welcome, Nandicta!
 

Welcome, Nandicta. We're always encantados when newcomers join us.

We sometimes forget that none of the characters know everything we know.
 

Nandicta...Salut! Y bienvenue!
 

Hello again and thanks for the warm welcome! Susanlynn, Vivi, Variopinta, Niecie, UA and JudyB, I’ve been a big fan of your insightful comments and analyses for so long; I’m delighted to be part of the gang at last! Many thanks indeed for your kind words! Arabic is my mother tongue and in Morocco (I live near Fez), we get to learn French and Arabic simultaneously, since kindergarten. Northern Morocco was colonized by Spain for a few decades at the beginning of the twentieth century so the Spanish influence is significant there still. My introduction to the Spanish language was as an 8-year-old, vacationing in Northern Morocco and having only Spanish TV to watch for one month every year; that’s all our TV aerial would get. (Ah the good old 1990s!)


Back to the craziness that is PyP! I enjoyed seeing Erick being chewed out and reduced to a begging slobbering fool, although I felt sorry for Arturo who looked so angry and wounded I thought he was gonna have a heart attack! He even clutched his chest at one point during the screaming match. However, Arturo had it a long time coming. These are the consequences of his actions and the disastrous choices he’s been making for so many years. Like Tofie, I feel no sympathy for Arturo and I even find myself rooting for Eladio at times. At least that handsome snake knows what he wants and goes for it without hesitation! In this episode I was particularly ticked off at Arturo for what he said to Miguel and which can be roughly summed up as follows: “I don’t resent you because your mom died giving you birth, absolutely not! I just wish the one-night-stand I had with her a few weeks before getting married to ‘the love of my life’ had not resulted in your conception. You weren’t planned nor desired but once the crap hit the fan, I figured ‘ni modo’, you’re here, you’re weird and I might as well get used to it. Now give your Papi an awkward hug and be on your way, hijito!”

Consuelo had me screaming at the TV! Not one reproach, not one frown, not a single verbal or non-verbal clue to indicate that she was hurt by the fact that her sorry-ass hubby was still boinking the Ratt. She has zero dignity and as far as I’m concerned, she deserves whatever humiliation or mistreatment she’s doled out from here on out! I’m not familiar with Altair Jarabo’s work (I just know that she’s always played villanas and this is her first time playing a good girl) but I don’t like the way she’s playing Consuelo. There is a huge difference between being “buena” and being “tonta”!

Wow! Finally! Regina and David made up their mind and succumbed to the irresistible lure of the “impossible fruit”, a passionate love à la “Romeo y Julieta” that they decide to live “a escondidas” (keeping it on the down low), all the while playing tonsil tennis right outside the mansion’s front gate! So much for undercover romance!

Nandicta :)
 

Nina probably went through a series of nannies (that she never called by their real names), so the kids probably didn't get attached to any of them.
 

Agustín, the only truly nice, mature, chivalrous, reasonable and loyal “galán” of this story gets rewarded by having to babysit useless, idiotic, sleazy Erick from here on out! Ain’t this a biatch!

The WTF Family is giving off very strong “senseless filler” vibes! They remind me too much of the grocery store couple from LQNPA who served zero purpose in the TN other than stretching the episodes and were given almost as much airtime as the main couple. I fast forwarded through all their drivel and everything continued to make perfect sense! I’m starting to do the same here with the WTF Family (thanks to whomever came up with this! Genius!). The dying wife with her sniveling voice and permanently glycerin tear-stained face is particularly aggravating! I hope Cynderella’s prediction is right and this lady kicks the bucket in the next couple of episodes! (Yes, dumb filler scenes bring out the worst in me!)



I agree with Daisynjay regarding the “entrada” theme. I too I’m enjoying it very much because it captures perfectly the drama going on. Like Daisynjay rightly pointed out, the theme’s ominous tone does indeed have a medieval quality, reminiscent of the Medicis. The whole instrumental soundtrack used in this TN is spot on and represents the drama, passion, hatred, deceit, despair we are witnessing. To me, it’s the struggle to the death that is going between the Gomez Lunas and the Montenegros as well as the betrayals within each clan, set to music. This is a welcome change because we’ve been seeing so many pop songs used as TN soundtracks for so many years, and they often get played too loud during important scenes, making it difficult to hear the dialogue.

As for Franco and the secretary getting jiggy with it in his glass wall office, I’ve decided to reprogram my beanie to assume from now on that those glass walls are, in fact, a cloak of invisibility. Nothing that goes on inside there can be seen or heard from anyone else.

All in all, really enjoying this TN! Good pacing, few beanie adjustments as long as we go along with the initial (flawed) premise and a nice change from the classic telenovela rosa.

Nandicta :)
 

If any of the children showed an inkling of getting attached to a nanny, Nina fired them. Can't have the kids showing more attention to Nana than Mama, you know.
 

Nandicta- Loved your whole comment. Let it out, girl! LOL! I also was laughing as David and Regina decided to see each other "in secret" as the made out at her family's front gate. Guess Regina knew everyone was busy inside arguing and sniping at each other. :)
 

Cynderella thanks for the hilarious recap. As others have noted, you made an intense episode very funny.

Yes Connie is afraid of being alone and that's real. But her boorish husband will continue to make her life hell.

JudyB and Diana eloquently described how stupid Art has been. The sad part is as it stands now, I think Julia would be well served with some alone time (she needs to find herself and heal from her abusive father and husband). Unfortunately tns never want to give anyone this type of break so she'll be with troubled Artie.

Welcome, Nandicta. So glad you posted and thanks for sharing your story. Hope to see you post more often.
 

Nina probably went through a series of nannies (that she never called by their real names), so the kids probably didn't get attached to any of them.

Vivi, I think that's spot on.

Regarding the music, I also like the exit music. It makes me think of duels in flamenco ballet. That looks like a nightmare of Julia's.

I think what we can expect is for Arturo to repent of his errors and correct what he can before it's too late. Eladio will never acknowledge his errors and will continue to make them.
 

Welcome Nandicta!

Karen, amiga, I totally agree with you in that Julia needs time alone to heal. Neither she nor Arturo are ready for a relationship with each other. They have to extract themselves from their current relationships which serve only to hurt and suffocate them. They then need time and distance for clarity and perspective.

Diana
 

In case I don't get a chance to post another comment before I have to leave later for a meeting, I'll just give you guys a heads-up that #24 will post on schedule right after the credits roll in NYC. I've gone overboard with the dialogue again; still finding the right balance.
 

Thanks everyone for your kind comments!

UA: Thanks, I LOVE The Godfather movies too. I think the music is awesome. I wait for it every night and stare at the faces. Some of the pictures move. Art looks stressed when his picture first appears. It's awesome.

Vivi: Thanks. I noticed that the actor points under the chin or he makes a sight fist whenever the character is supposed to be upset. Every time the character gets mad, those are his two indicators. Also he pulls his hair.

Lucy: Nina gets on my nerves, but she's still not god awful in my book. She spoils her kids and makes excuses for them. What mother doesn't? I'm not saying that all mothers do it to the extreme that she does it, but I don't see a horrible crime here. OK, let me back pedal a little bit. She should not have defended Erick for embezzling from the family. However, if my husband all of a sudden quit having S*x with me....I would be concerned too.

Diana: Erick is a dumba$$. I mean really. You ask your father not to insult your mistress. Whatever!

JudyB: My grandmother always made me go to church with her. That's just what they'd yell when the preacher started telling the truth. I miss my grandma.

Variopinta: I think there's good guys, they're all stressed out right now. I like this TN because the character's act the way I would expect someone to respond to stress in real life. The situations are fake, but the characters respond to situations like "real people do". I witnessed a mother defend her son who had s*x with his sister (the sister was mentally challenged). They blamed the sister for letting him. So, Nina is not a stretch for me.

Tofie: I don't think of Connie as an idiot. I think she acts that way to "survive". Erick is a spoiled brat. She's preggers and jobless now. She's got to survive.

More of my lame thoughts later. I've got to go back to work.
 

Cynderella- Great recap. Thanks! I love your sense of humor. Don't have much time to comment today.. just wanted to stop by and say thanks.
 

Cynderella, your recap is good, but a bit kinda confusing. Miguel's mom is the one art cheated with on julia? "art tells Eric the story of his birth, your mom was a booty call, a side piece. He was talkin to migeul, right? You meant miguel right not eric , cuz erick's nina's spawn. Well you said your blogger was Messin up.
Anyhoo, "he tells her she'd better not ever knock some sense into him again. Thats a strange thing to say after gettin slapped when you didn't deserve the slap. he has every right to be pissed.
"I can't believe you did this for a rat tail. don't insult the woman I love". He wasn't talking about connie, he was talking about his mistress and he said that to his father? this man is screwed up. (Erick). Arturo brought this on himself and if he wasn't so horny he could have stayed with Julia but he had to cheat on her so this is the family he got stuck with.
Eladio continues to be raving luntic.
Interesting recap. Good though, thanks again Cindy. :-)
 

Thanks Vivi! Can you tell I've spent the last two weeks catching up on PyP and dying to get my two cents in? I was feeling like the kid stuck indoors doing homework and hearing squeals of joy and laughter from the other children having fun in the Patio! Glad to be finally able to run outside and scream my head off! :D

Indeed, UA, Arturo gets to be the protagonist solely because he is potentially redeemable and as the story unfolds he'll be given the chance to earn forgiveness for his many flaws. Eladio on the other hand is relishing his wickedness but - despite his past being mostly shrouded in mystery - the few glimpses of his backstory that were revealed show us a complex character with humble beginnings, a questionable social ascent, a controlling explosive temper that shows great insecurity and a desperate need to possess as a misguided attempt to compensate for a woman's love he could never have and a son's respect and admiration he could never earn.

Thanks Karen and Diana for your warm welcome! I totally agree with you that Julia ought to have some alone time to heal, reassess her life and create an identity that is not reliant on a man; because so far she’s gone through life being Humberto’s daughter, Arturo’s (ex-)fiancée, Eladio’s wife and David’s mother. She needs to find out where she stands if she puts aside these labels. However, in Telenoveland this is not bound to happen. Instead, we’ll get the traditional happily-ever-after of Julia in the arms of her designated galán (all signs so far point to Arturo) and all her traumas, emotional baggage and insecurity will be magically gone in that instant as the word “Fin” is diplayed on our screen in fancy cursive lettering!

Nandicta :)
 

Since this is from the same producer of La Malquerida, I'm hoping they give the mature protags a similar ending as they gave the mature protags in LM. In LM, Cristina decided NOT to jump into a relationship with her old flame, after finding out her current husband actually killed her first husband and seduced her daughter. Her old flame gave her open-ended tickets to come visit him in Italy when she was ready. In the meantime, she was going to concentrate on herself and her art. I liked that. There was hope of something in the future, but it was realistic that she had a lot to get through before she could jump into a new romance (if ever).
 

Nina is a full-blown narcissist. Women like that should never have children.

I was just thinking about the long string of nannies Vivi speculated on and the names Nina would change on them. That teaches her children that these people do not exist as people but as robots to serve them. Erick and Daniela have learned that from her. Of her three children only Regina treats other people with respect, starting with their father.

Whom Nina treats as a wallet with a sex drive. Now that Arturo isn't all that interested in sex with her she's going to wonder how to keep that cashflow.

If it had been Regina who leaked this info (which would have been by accident) she would have ripped out her hair and thrown her out. Regina does not exist for her anymore now that she is a self-determined young woman who is nothing like her. Narcissists take this as the ultimate rejection. Nina will use any chance to destroy her because she has the nerve to not be like her. She sees her as her own failure and therefore her property to destroy.

Regina needs to get out of there.
 

Thanks for yet another of your unique hilarious and slightly naughty recaps, Cynderela. Always a refreshing treat.

Welcome Nandicta. How nifty it is having you join us here on The Patio. You will of course want to join our little crowd here at the Nina Table. Plum lipstick is encouraged but not required.

I'm glad to see that a few others here share my thoughts that Nina isn't quite the monster that some of our group insist on portraying her. As ever, we must ask ourselves what exactly are her crimes? Sure, she's a bit self-centered and as Cynderela points out:

"She spoils her kids and makes excuses for them. What mother doesn't?"

but as I mentioned again last night, she appears to be faithful to her unappreciative jerk of a husband. Meanwhile, Julia is busy mooning over a former love.

Carlos
 

Urban- Even though David has refused to use Regina and pump her for info, I keep worrying that something will slip from her and then accidental slip from David. Or that Eladio (or Franco) will make it look like some info came from Regina and was shared with him by David on purpose to: 1) Ruin David's relationship with her; and 2) Ruin her relationship with her father.
 

Carlos and Cyn- Nina's biggest crime in my eyes was being emotional abusive and cruel to a child that SHE accepted as her stepchild. And encouraging her bio-children to continue the cruelty. Miguel is a grown man now, and even told Art he can protect himself now. But that doesn't negate the fact that this woman, who called herself an adult, made it her mission to pick on a kid she was supposed to care for and love, and encouraged others to follow suit. Art is guilty of neglected Miguel, and Nina is guilty of abusing him.
 

whew you guys went at it today and welcome Nandicta :) love your story and input especially where we agree, like bad boy Eladio, I root for him too at times. He knows big boy pants got a zipper in the front.

Cynderella I take back Connie is an idiot. To let Erick take a crap on her daily when she knows he's gonna do it and then take the position again the next day is, uh, stupid. Yeah, she's stupid.

I think Miguel's father is really David Byrne of the Talking Heads
 

Vivi: I can't speak for Carlos, but when I say that she's done nothing wrong. I am talking about how her husband is treating her. We are omniscient, Art is not. He began treating her badly because he is pining over another man's wife. Art admitted it. She had done nothing out of the ordinary. Now that he knows how Miguel feels, if he does nothing to stop it, he will be an even bigger jerk.

Anon 207: You have to admit that Connie does spend an unusual amount of time "talking" to Miguel. As a mother-in-law, I would also find that a little suspect.

Novela Maven: Yeah, that's what he said. You mom was nobody special to me. In this case, a little white lie would have been OK.

Gringo: If I knew the purpose of the WTFamily story line, I could tolerate them. For now she's just walking around crying and getting on my nerves! OMG, I just had an epiphany! Gisela needs a fake Franco for Caridad. What if she lies and says that Justino is actually Franco? Otherwise, I don't know what they are there for. I'm sick of looking at Maribel.

Nandicta: Hi! Thank you for choosing my recap to "come out" on. That's awesome!

Karen: Erick is a jerk, I totally agree. Connie's trying to keep the peace and her marriage. I can see that. She's dumb. I agree, but she has a low self-esteem.

Daisynjay: You feel me about Connie. I feel kind of bad for her. I'd be desperate for a family too.

Susanlynn: The preps in this TN are awful; however, they do wear a lot of dresses so I'm still hopeful.

Nina: Thanks for pointing out my mistakes. I couldn't correct anything because blogger kept booting me out. It was midnight and I have to get up for work. The Art getting the sense slap into him is a joke. I know that he didn't deserve the slap, but he was ranting and she popped him hard. So hard that he STFU. He came to his senses momentarily.

Carlos: If we don't defend the defenseless, who else will? Yes, they are bad, but I always look for the underlying reason.
 

Cyn- True. Art's reasons for going "off" Nina in the first place are not above board/the most noble-- boredom with Nina, and pining Julia. But Nina's reaction to him taking their lazy, selfish kids to task, and seeing/hearing how she treats his eldest child, has just reinforced the new realization that this woman is all wrong for him. She's not helping her case. She better start acting like Mother Teresa, and kissing Miguel's butt, not trying to get in Art's pants. That's obviously not working anymore. It was a good 25 year run, but even the most lucrative businesses know when the have to shift and reboot their strategy to keep making profits.
 

Pining for Julia...
 

Thank you for extending me an invitation to the Nina table, Carlos! I shall definitely take you up on that. I'll even break out the brand new plum lip rouge that's been gathering dust in my makeup case for years. (Don't know what I was thinking buying that shade)

I agree that Nina is a narcissistic, self-absorbed, conniving and manipulative trophy wife. She spoilt Erick and Dani rotten, she's been mean to Regina in the way some mothers feel their little ugly ducklings could blossom into graceful swans if only they're given "tough love / constructive denigration". She also actively tried to sideline Miguel from the family - the way many stepmothers tend to do, unfortunately - in order to favor her own children and make sure they get a leg up when Arturo divvies up the family inheritance.

I'm not excusing her behavior, just saying that as unacceptable as it is, it doesn't seem so out of the ordinary or far-fetched considering the family context and social standing of the Montenegros. More importantly, I feel that Arturo is on an equal footing with Nina, because his actions - or lack thereof - make him an active accomplice of all her sins. What's more, he is now pining for an ex he lost because of his own cheating, he's trying to steal said ex from her husband and he has been treating his wife like dirt ever since he bumped into his ex at the hospital. Until proof of the contrary, Nina has been a faithful and attentive spouse to him. She's done this in exchange for favors obviously, but she's kept him very happy, playing the compliant and satisfactory companion in the bedroom and in the social/business events they attend / host.

In "Capítulo 18", Agustin told Arturo what many of us at the Nina table thought, regarding the sudden repulsion Art felt towards Nina, making him reject and humiliate her, sometimes even in front of their children:

"A ver, ahora sí le ves todos los defectos a Nina que antes no le veias? Pues te recuerdo que sigue siendo igualita a cuando te casaste con ella!"
(Let's see, now you do see in Nina all the faults that you were not seeing in her before? Well let me remind you that she continues to be the same person as when you married her!)

In my humble opinion, the way the story is progressing so far, Nina does not get to be the principal "villana" while Arturo gets a free pass! She has an unfortunate fashion sense, some would even say criminal! She has a tendency to wear unflattering lip colors and cabaret hair accessories but I refuse to classify her as the villana (so far!). I have to say that I'm really liking Marlene Favela's interpretation of Nina (never seen this actress before and I'm impressed). I also think she looks spectacular, even in these horrendous getups the wardrobe department has been throwing at her.

Nandicta :)

 

Done with work and so glad I jumped in to see comments. Great conversation today. Hello Nandicta!!!

In the world of TN'S, when we get the requisite glamourous rich woman who is self centered, demeaning of those beneath her and who has a habit of treating certain other characters with contempt that haven't earned it, we're being telegraphed either villainess or possible redeemable character depending on the story. I think this is Nina's moment. Her husband lost millions because of his spoiled son, and that may mean a change to HER lifestyle and it certainly isn't playing well with her marriage right now.
So either she sees she needs to change or adjust, or she goes full out, "Oh hell no" and we start to see her maneuvering, hurting, and possibly worst behind the scene. I admit, I don't want to sit at her table. I'm not one to admire that type of glitz and overdone glamour, and her blatant favoring of certain children is something I can't take with any parent. But I'll wait to cast her as a villain until we see how her reaction to events plays out.

For the record, I'm not really a "fan" of Julia either. She admits that her crap of a father abused her mother and yet she stayed with Eladio to give that idiot the best of care, bail out his debts and live the good life most likely until he got old and sick. And she's still riding the fence for lord knows what reason. She is making my hurt and confusing her own son.

Daisynjay
 

Cynderella...Yeah...I noticed the dresses..no capris or slacks...but there is an absence of prepositions. I am not sure that I am even interested in seeing anyone in this novela using prepositions. My current hero is a Highland warrior named Jamie Fraser who wears a kilt (yeah....verra, verra nice) And uses a lot of prepositions...A LOT.
 

Nandicta..Marlena played Zorro's love interest.
 

Tofie, Cynderella and DaisynJay, thanks for welcoming me into this lovely group!

Vivi sums up it well: "Art is guilty of neglecting Miguel, and Nina is guilty of abusing him." Neither one is a prize and this is what I'm liking best about this TN: the blurry lines. All the characters are deeply flawed save for wonderful Agustín and his gorgeous silver mane (*swoon), flip-flopping naive Gabi, creepy Miguel, the Regina-David twosome who are vanilla at best (please don't collectively boo! They're super cute but I find them really meh!), mousy Consuelo and finally, Francisco, Clara and the WTF family whom I really wouldn't lose sleep over never seeing any of these 5 again.

As DaisynJay remarked, things can go either way as the development of the Nina character. She might even go crazy psychotic villana on us but I'm a fan of nuance and this producer has demonstrated in the past that he doesn't stick to formulaic TN plots which many of us here would really appreciate. So far my favorites are Eladio and Nina with their respective 'Mini-Me's, i.e. Franco and Daniela. They are deliciously entertaining and I'm really enjoying the actors' performances. If Tofie would like to set up the "Eladio" table with me on the Patio, I'd be most grateful! Though I don't think many will be joining.

As despicable as he is, Erick is one of my favorites too, solely because the actor is portraying his shenanigans and pettiness beautifully. Gisela is also great because I always find Raquel Olmedo a joy to watch. I also enjoy seeing Petra/Samantha because she provides the comic relief without turning silly and unwatchable (I'm looking at you Quintina from FELS!). I love watching the work of SG and JS but I'm not crazy about their characters so far.

Susanlynn, I know that Marlene was in Zorro but I never saw that TN. Do you recommend it? Also, who is this Scotsman you're referring to? "I dinae ken fit yer talkin aboot?" (means "I don't know what you're talking about?" in Scots). I lived in Scotland for 3 years - Edinburgh and Aberdeen to be exact - and I love everything Scottish, especially if there's a Scottish galán in kilt involved. Please point me in the right direction and I'll investigate this further. Thank you verra much!

Nandicta :)


 

Nandicta- Susanlynn is referring to the book series, and television series, Outlander. I haven't read the books, but LOVE the show.
 

Thanks Vivi! I looked it up and I'm intrigued. I would definitely look into it to replace the void left by the lack of an expertly-crafted "telenovela de epoca" like Corazón Salvaje (1993) or Carla Estrada's FC trilogy de epoca! I'm watching "Cuna de Lobos" (1986 - 1987) at the same time as PyP and, though I'm enjoying the variety in style and the dynamic pacing, nothing beats a heroic hunk of beefcake in period costumes flexing his abilities in an intelligent well-executed plotline.

Nandicta :)
 

Nandicta...You lived in Scotland for three years!!! You lucky duck. I want to go there! My daughter won a grant while in college and went to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Her sister met her there , and they both loved it. You MUST watch the series Outlander on Starz. You can also watch it in other ways. The second season starts in the spring. After watching season one, I started reading the series of books by Diana Gabaldon , and I am currently reading #8 while Diana works on Book #9. Search Google..there is lots of information on both the books and the TV show. If you go to YouTube, you can see videos of the first season , and there are two trailers for the upcoming season. I think that Vivi, Carlos, and Anita are also watching the TV show, and Sara has read the books.
 

Thanks for the information on Outlander, Susanlynn! I'm sold! I shall find a way to catch up before the second season starts. Glad your daughters enjoyed visiting Bonnie Scotland! Gorgeous place, rich culture and friendly people. I love that country so much and feel a great emotional connection to it. So many great memories and firsts: First love, first heartache, first degree, first job, first apartment, first concert, first Christmas, first time trespassing on historic landmark... Ah, good times!

Here's a clip showing my favorite character (the Big Man) from a Scottish comedy show called "Chewing the Fat". Maybe your "bairns" (children) having gone to Glasgow will recognize the accent and the Glaswegian "banter": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKXx9ZBCTCs (please forgive me for veering so much off-topic, everyone!)

Cheers,

Nandicta :)
 

Artie should release his Rogelio Montego on 98% of the Montenegro's