Caray, Caray!

Celia: In my opinion, you are not missing anything much except the music. It is the weirdest "love story" thingy ever. After, 49 episodes, I still do know if Celia and Pedro are a couple or not? Lol.
Romy
 

BAJO,

I was not able to comment over the weekend, but thanks to anyone who recapped or made comments. I enjoyed reading them.

I've always thought that Adela and Carlos would raise the baby, but I do not want anything bad to happen to Greicy. She didn't come from a tough background like Adela, and she did all that she could to protect her child when push came to shove.
She even nursed the baby in the hospital. She got a totally raw deal with Rodgrigo and now with EC showing up to terrorize her some more. She thought the evil Felicia was a true friend and would eventually return the baby.

Nice for Carlos and Luis for improving their lot in life. Hard work and creativity
combined.
 

Bajo

Greice is a nurse...why is she choosing to take the baby instead of threatening Feli with a DNA test.

Nett
 

Bajo

Nett, I've been wondering about the same thing. I'm surprised that neither she nor her mother has even mentioned the possibility of a DNA test. Surely it would show that Greicy, not Felicia, is the mother. I suppose Greicy may be unwilling to do anything that might let Rodrigo know that the baby is hers, and hence his. Not only does she not want him to have anything to do with the baby, she has also been afraid that he might be so angry at her keeping this from him that he might hurt her. Tonight's episode seems to indicate that she's has changed her mind. She has decided she should tell him, that he's the only one with the power to help her. She also has decided that he won't hurt her, the mother of his child (at least, that's what she tells her mother).
 

Bajo

Juanita...guess you're right. Now I can't wait to see Chris find out how shady his righteous sister is. I wonder if he'll find out how far Willy was willing and did go for Feli.

Nett
 

BAJO EL MISMO CIELO – LUNES – Parte 1 de 3

Ah, an episode without José Colmillo. What a relief!

We again see Carlos watching Erick kiss his reluctant bride. Luis tries to get Carlos to leave, saying there’s nothing left to do. She’s already married. Carlos tells Luis he can’t resign himself to losing Adela.

Rodrigo is miserable knowing that Adela got married and woozy from lack of blood. We see the jerk Jay with a brief smile as he enjoys Rodrigo’s pain.

Ramona advises Adela to pretend to be a happy bride. Erick saw Carlos and tells his guards to find him and throw him out. Erick gets Adela to go inside so she won’t see that Carlos has arrived.

Felicia is window-shopping. Lourdes slowly approaches and eventually grabs the baby from her carriage. But Lourdes doesn’t get away. Felicia starts yelling, and a couple of cops get the baby back and arrest Lourdes.

Carlos spies Gacho and yells at him that he knows he’s in Rodrigo’s gang. He tells him to tell Rodrigo not to come anywhere near Adela.

Erick calls for a toast inside. Ramona and Juana notice how miserable Adela is and say that she needs to fake it better. Paulina, seething with jealousy, asks Erick’s mother if she imagined her son married to such an unhappy bride. Erick calls his parents over for a family wedding photo.

Carlos fakes out a guard and rushes inside the house. He stops, seeing Adela, and says to her: “You got married!” Erick’s mother isn’t happy and wonders what this guy (Carlos) is doing at the wedding. Erick tells her that he’s Jacob’s gardener and the other person is his son. Erick states that, even though they know and appreciate him, Carlos was not invited to the wedding. Adela: “Erick, please.” Carlos tells Erick he didn’t come here to talk to him (meaning he came for Adela). Jacob tries to smooth things over. He says that Carlos came to see him and gets him into his office.

Jacob tells Carlos to calm down and stop making a scene. He says it’s too late. They’re married. Plus Carlos is making a life with Felicia and his daughter. Carlos tells him it’s impossible to stop loving Adela. Jacob tells him he’s going to place Adela in trouble if everyone realizes that the wedding is a farce. She’s marrying Erick so she won’t be deported.

Adela is pleased and tells Ramona that this proves that Carlos still loves her.

Erick’s parents realize that something is off about the wedding. He tells them that the best thing is for them to leave.

The police make Lourdes give back the baby to Felicia. Lourdes tells Felicia that her daughter wasn’t involved, and that she’s free to prove that what she says is true.
 

BAJO EL MISMO CIELO – LUNES – Parte 2 de 3

Jacob tells Carlos that if he keeps making a fuss the whole wedding is a waste; immigration will grab up Adela. Erick storms in. Carlos tells him that he wants to speak with Adela. Erick tells him that Adela made her decision and she chose him. Carlos: ¿Periodista, tampoco me quieres vender cuentos chinos, no? Los dos sabemos muy bien que se casó por los papeles, no por amor. (Newspaper guy, surely you don’t want to lie to me? We both know she married you for papers, not for love.) Erick turns to Jacob. “You told him?” Erick then turns back to Carlos and tells him that despite the motives of the marriage, she’s now his wife and he wants Carlos to leaves them alone.

As if things weren’t already complicated, Raúl the rival reporter who’s trying to sink Jacob’s magazine arrives at the wedding. He’s snooping around for evidence that the wedding isn’t because the two persons love each other.

Jacob tells Erick he told Carlos the truth so he wouldn’t cause a scene that would ruin Adela’s chances. Carlos says that he understands the reason Adela’s marrying Erick, but he can see from a mile off that Erick is in love with her, and is taking advantage of her legal situation. Just then Felicia calls Carlos. She tells him about Lourdes trying to snatch the baby and that she needs him with her right now!

A gang doctor has treated Rodrigo and recommends that he rest. Rod tells him he’ll rest when he’s dead. Gacho has arrived and tells him Carlos showed up at the wedding, probably wanting the same thing Rodrigo did, to stop the wedding. Rodrigo decides maybe this is all for the best. He thinks this will keep his father away from Adela. He goes on to say that the cara de nalga de bebe (guy with a face like a baby’s butt) doesn’t worry him. He’ll take care of that guy. But his father is another story and the farther away Carlos is, the better it is for him.

Cristóbal confronts Lourdes at the police station, saying she tried to kidnap his niece. Lourdes says that Gracie had nothing to do with it. Just then Gracie slips past Chabela and rushes in. She tells Cristóbal that, if he doesn’t let her mother go, she’ll tell Carlos todas las cochinadas (all the dirty dealings) of his sister. She says that Felicia and Willy were lovers and that Felicia didn’t even know who was the father of her child.

Carlos arrives at Felicia’s but doesn’t tell her why he wasn’t still in Fresno.

Gracie tells Cris that she can tell by his expression that he already knew about Felicia and Willy. He tells her she tried to kidnap his niece. Gracie tells him that Anita is no relation to him, that the baby is hers!

Adela tells Ramona that she can’t take any more of this wedding business. She tells her that she loves Carlos. She asks if Ramona saw his face. And what must he be thinking of her. She says that he came to prevent the wedding. She feels it in her heart. “How can a piece of paper making me legal be worth more than Carlos?”

Cristóbal tells Gracie that, if she really were Anita’s mother, she’d have pursued legal remedies. She tells him she can’t afford a lawyer, and she doesn’t want Rodrigo to know his child is alive.

Adela finally admits to Ramona that she made a mistake. She sacrificed herself so as not to come between Rodrigo and Carlos, and it happened anyway. She tells Ramona that, if he’d arrived a few seconds earlier, she’d never have gone through with the wedding. She loves him and he loves her, despite Felicia, Rodrigo, and everything that stands between them.
 

BAJO EL MISMO CIELO – LUNES – Parte 3 de 3

Nick finally gets in to see Sharon.

Erick and Adela arrive at the honeymoon suite. Adela asks him what happened to Carlos. Did he tell him that the wedding was only to get her legal? Erick says he doesn’t have to give explanations to a guy who arrived and tried to ridicule him in front of everyone. Adela: “You know what he means to me. This is a mistake. This is the beginning of a marriage that is a lie.” Erick tells her they should relax a bit, have a drink. He gives her a bathrobe to put on. She looks at it like there’s a snake inside. She tells him she’s not putting on that bata nor is she sleeping in the bed with him. Erick tries to calm her. He says he’s sleeping on the sofa. He’s only trying to create a tale to tell immigration about their wedding night. Adela: “Yes, we’re making up a story for outside this room, but when we’re alone, it’s not necessary to pretend we’re anything but friends.” He scrutinizes the chilling champagne and says it isn’t what he ordered. He’s going downstairs to ask that it be changed.

Adela remembers scenes from she and Carlos’ entire relationship while their love song plays. [By the way, Maria Elisa Camargo herself is singing this song.]

Luis tells Susy that he wants them to live together.

Sharon tells Cristóbal that it was Colmillo who killed Willy and shot her. She tells him that Colmillo wanted vengeance because Willy sided with Rodrigo in taking over the gang. And, she says, he did it all to protect Felicia!

Gracie comes to see her mother in an interrogation room. She tells her that Cristóbal doesn’t believe she’s Anita’s mother. The only way he’ll let Lourdes go is if he accompanies them to the airport and sees them getting on a plane to México. Gracie says there’s only one person with enough power to help her and that (unlike Colmillo) won’t hurt the baby if he learns the truth. That person is the baby’s father. Gracie says it’s time Rodrigo learns that truth.

Lourdes can’t believe Gracie is planning to tell Rodrigo the truth. He’ll take the baby and, when he learns who made him believe his child died, he’ll revenge himself. Gracie says that he won’t hurt her. And besides not hurting the mother of his child, he’ll owe her a debt. She’s going to tell him that Colmillo is alive.

Carlos comes home and discovers that Gracie and Lourdes have left and taken all their clothes and documents. Now he does believe they planned to take the baby to México.

Cristóbal tells Sharon he’ll put guards outside her room 24 hours a day so as to protect her from Colmillo. She tells him, as if she’s saying it again, that Felilcia knew that Willy would do anything for her. She used him that way the whole time. [I guess it’s too soon for Sharon to tell him Felicia had Willy kill her husband some years ago.]

Carlos tells Santiago he’s going to police HQ. He’s sure Gracie went there because they arrested her mother. He tells Santi he’s felt sympathy for Gracie because of what Rodrigo put her through, but now his patience is at an end.

Adela shows up at Carlos’ house. She says that she had to come. She could fool the whole world, but not him. “I didn’t marry Erick for love. The only man I love with my whole heart is you.”
 

BAJO

¡Guao! Juanita, what a gripping episode! You did it justice.

"He scrutinizes the chilling champagne and says it isn’t what he ordered. He’s going downstairs to ask that it be changed." Did anyone else get the feeling he was going to do something nasty with her drink? For a moment there, I was ready to hate him even worse than I already do. But evidently not, because she seemed in fine fettle when she arrived at Carlos' door.

"Raúl the rival reporter" I love snappy alliterations like that. Now I'll really remember Raúl's name.!

And Luis Ernesto Franco, what an actor. He's doing those injured leg scenes to the hilt.

Thank you for the recap. It was great.
 

Bajo

LXV, I agree that the recap was terrific, but I'm afraid you gave credit to the wrong person. Novelera wrote the recap, not me.
 

Bajo

Novelera, thanks for another outstanding recap. I especially appreciate your including some Spanish that I hadn't heard correctly or understood, such as cuentos chinos.

Looks like we're beginning to get some foreshadowing, such as Rod's telling the doctor he'll rest once he's dead.

I don't care for Erick's looks, but I don't think I'd ever describe his face as cara de nalga de bebé. I see it more like a hawk's face.

What's with these guys, don't they ever watch telenovelas? Clearly Cristóbal has not, or he'd never think that offering Sharon 24hr/day protection in her hospital room would do any good against someone like Colmillo.

I'm glad Adela told Carlos to his face that she married Erick only for papeles, that her only true love is Carlos. I think this time he believes her. His blank look was not so much blank as a mixture of despair, hope, and delight. Kudos to Gabriel Porras. (And, of course, to Maria Elisa Camargo, both for her acting and her singing. I hadn't realized that it was she singing their song.)
 

Bajo

I didn't take the time to expand on cuentos chinos. I'd heard it before and wondered if it was a bit racist. You can't always believe what you read on the internet, but I found an explanation that would make this a very, very old expression. The writer said that it came from people returning from long sea voyages and coming up with absolutely fantastic things they'd seen in China. The writer intimated that maybe these folks hadn't even made it to China, but described dragons and other non-existent creatures.
 

BAJO
Well, I've done it again. My deepest apologies novelera. It was your inimitably fabulous recap and this just proves that I shouldn't attempt to write comments while sending out documents to the client. It's going to get me in real trouble one of these days. My multi-tasking days are over. I love your explanation of cuentos chinos. It reminds me of some of my grandmother's old expressions, in a different language from more than a century ago. Even though there sometimes seemed to be racist undertones, they had a different meaning in the context of their time, when the globe still had frontiers and science hadn't explained everything away.

I'm struggling with plausibility in the case of Gracie. Yes, she's a nurse and should be seeking DNA testing, but she's also penniless and on the lam. And also believes, rightly, that nobody will support her claims. I'm aghast that her only idea of a safety net is Rodrigo. Let's hope Cristobal has finally had enough subterfuge on behalf of his sleazy sis and decides to do the right thing. But then, he might have to reveal his own complicity. I take him to be an essentially upright, honest guy who has strayed across his boundaries for the sake of family loyalty. He's about to see the extent he's been taken for a ride.


 

Bajo

Not to worry, LXV. I wasn't offended by your attributing my recap to Juanita. She's been doing some great ones.

I'm actually glad Gracie is telling Rodrigo. We definitely have different reactions to these TNs, don't we? Someone needs to bring this whole Felicia basically stealing a child to hang onto Carlos stuff to a head. Now she loves the baby, but her original motive, including taking some sort of fertility drug on the sly and multiple deceptions: taking fertility drugs without telling Carlos, not using protection and not telling Carlos, and on and on, was to trap and keep Carlos.

Yes, Rodrigo has been going more and more to the dark side. But what Gracie did to him was unforgivable, really. Sure, we can see her side, that she wanted the child kept from the gang life. But Rod's desire for a child was SO strong and it was SO terribly painful for him to lose that. I want him to know his child before he meets his likely end.
 

Thank you for this stellar recap novelera. Erci's parents know it's a flase marriage so why did the mother say "It's obvious that man means something to Adela" Lady, she told you she doesn't love your creep of a son. I never trusted Eric and when he proposed a drink I went no, no, no he is going to spike it! I was praying to the novelas gods to not let them do another rape. I can't! We have had enough with Sharon, Juana. No and no. I am happy Greycie is telling Rod the truth but how will he react? I hope Carlos and Adela reconcile.
Romy
 

Bajo
I guess Erick didn't think about calling room service.

Great recap, tks so much
 

Bajo

I hope to have some sort of recap ready by tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.
 

BAJO

Novelera, just getting around to commenting and ready to watch tonight's episode.
Terrific 3-part, very detailed review.

Thanks for the info on chinos cuentos. I have been wondering about that expression.

Gracie is getting smarter and more devious in trying to protect her child. I hope she is not killed off.

All the best to all,
 

BAJO EL MISMO CIELO - MARTES - Parte 1 of 3

Once again, I've tried to put together related scenes. Thus, some things may not happen in the order they appear here, but I don't think I've distorted what happens.

This episode begins where the last one left off, with Adela coming to see Carlos. It's her wedding night, but when Erick leaves their hotel suite to exchange the champagne, Adela writes him a note and goes to see Carlos.
Carlos is at first somewhat wary. "What are you doing here?" he asks her. "This is your wedding night." Adela tells him that the wedding was just a formality, an arrangement between friends for the sake of getting her papers to stay in the country legally. Carlos is skeptical. You're a beautiful, intelligent woman, he tells her, no man is going to want you only as a friend. Adela makes an impassioned statement that she has come because "for me there is only one man in the world: you." At last, they embrace. The scene shifts, leaving Viewerville to imagine what happens next.

Erick returns to the hotel suite to find that Adela has gone and has left a note explaining that she has to go to see Carlos, and that Erick, as a friend, should understand this. Friend Erick angrily crumples up the note and apparently goes down to the hotel bar to drown his sorrows. He recalls Paulina's predictions that his plan to live with Adela as friends will not work, and that he will wind up hating her. His recollections are interrupted by the arrival of Rodrigo, who asks where Adela is. Erick asks who he is. "Rodrigo Martinez, Don Faier to you." Rodrigo is clearly delighted that Adela is not there on her wedding night. He thanks Erick for marrying her, since that will mean she'll be able to stay in this country, "close to me." However, he pulls out a gun and goes on to warn Erick, "don't go too far with her" [no te pases de lanza con ella]. "If you do, she'll go from being your wife to being your widow." Rodrigo gets up to leave and disdainfully tosses money on the table, "Here's my wedding present," he tells Erick. A few seconds later, he tosses more money, for a tip.

The scene shifts to Carlos' bedroom. He tells Adela that he doesn't want this night to end. But both of them recognize that they have to return to their responsibilities, Carlos to Felicia and Anita, and Adela to Erick.

Adela returns to the hotel suite where she and Erick were supposed to spend their wedding night. He is hurt and angry. I think he feels especially unhappy that he announced very publicly at the news conference his feelings and plans to marry, and she's making a fool of him, and worse. "I'm not a cuckold" [No soy un cornudo], he repeatedly insists. How would you feel, he asks her, if I were with another woman on our wedding night. Adela tells him it wouldn't bother her. She also says that if he wants, they can annul the wedding. That's not what he wants. He tells her she's mistaken if she thinks that he will permit her and "ese tipo" to make a laughingstock of him. She replies that she told Carlos that in spite of the feelings they have for each other, they aren't going to see each other again. Erick tells her that it's not just Carlos he's worried about: Rodrigo came to see her. Needless to say, Adela is not pleased. She is fearful that Rodrigo might harm Erick. He tells her not to worry, he knows how to defend himself.
 

BAJO EL MISMO CIELO - MARTES - PARTE 2 OF 3

At some point, the scene shifts to Luis and Susy. Luis tells her he'd like them to live together. He goes on very rapidly trying to explain and justify his request. Susy tells him there's no need for him to explain. Luis thinks she is turning him down, but with a big smile on her face she makes it clear that she agrees. Luis is ecstatic, until she adds that her father would be happy to have them live with him in his house. That's not what Luis had in mind. Susy explains that she's reluctant to leave her father all alone at this difficult time for him. She finally agrees to think about it.

Over at the bruja's--oops, I mean Felicia's--house, Cristóbal has come to warn her that Colmillo is alive. Felicia soon realizes that Colmillo, who was obsessed with being a father to her then unborn child, poses a threat to Anita. "First Greicy, then Colmillo," she sighs. Well, says Cristóbal, speaking of Greicy, she came to the police station and said that if her mother was not released, she would tell Carlos about Willy and Felicia, and that Felicia wasn't even sure who was the father of Anita.

I hope Greicy makes good on her threat, whether or not her mother is released. I have very little patience for Felicia. She thinks only of herself and what's important to her. She warns Carlos that Colmillo is alive and well, but when he wants to warn everyone he cares for, she asks him haughtily whether that includes Adela Morales. She tells Carlos quite emphatically that the only people he should care about are Luis, Anita, and herself. She badmouths both Rodrigo and Adela.

There's a short scene at the hospital. Nick talks briefly with the policeman standing guard outside Sharon's room. He mentions that Sharon has finally had the courage to say who was responsible for killing Willy and shooting her. Of course, standing within earshot is a hooded figure with his back turned--Yei.
Yei then reports back to Colmillo, who thanks him for the information by hitting him across the face with a stick. I'm not sure why Colmillo did this. It may be that he had told Yei to make sure that Sharon didn't talk, and Yei failed to fulfill his assignment. I think Yei explains that he was being followed by Gacho for days and couldn't get to the hospital until now, but I'm not sure. I was surprised that Yei seems to remain loyal to Colmillo in spite of the bloody wound on his face.

Back at Rodrigo's, Gacho and Trenzas get into a fight when Gacho receives a call telling him there has been a gas explosion and fire at his house, and Trenzas tries to stop him from going home to be sure that his wife and children are OK. Trenzas claims it's too dangerous for him to go. Rodrigo immediately tells Trenzas to get the car ready, and he and Gacho leave. We don't see a scene at the house, but we do see Gacho devastated after he returns. Apparently his wife and children were all killed. Trenzas muses on what bad luck La Colonia has had lately. Rodrigo says he doesn't think bad luck had anything to do with what's been happening, nor does he think that the explosion at Gacho's house was an accident.

 

BAJO EL MISMO CIELO - MARTES - PARTE 3 OF 3

Of course, Rodrigo is right. We see Colmillo and Yei sitting in a parked car waiting for I have no idea what. I replayed the scene several times, but I still don't understand some of what was said. I did understand Yei's asking Colmillo whether anyone will know that Colmillo was responsible for the gas explosion, and Colmillo saying smugly that there's no proof. Gacho's wife simply forgot to turn off the gas. Such things happen.

Colmillo's next step is apparently to let La Colonia know that he is alive, and that El Faier has betrayed him. Yei comes up to one of the La Colonia members and tells him that "Colmillo, our true leader, is alive." On cue, Colmillo comes forward. "Hierba mala nunca muere," he says, smiling. (In other words, weeds never die, a bad penny always turns up, the devil looks after his own, etc.)

At the end of the episode, Greicy does what she said she'd do at the end of the previous episode: she comes to see Rodrigo. She's convinced that he's the only one who has the power to help her. At first, it looks as if he won't listen to her, but at last she blurts out that she wants to talk to him about his daughter. That gets his attention. They go to a room where they can be alone, and she tells him that his daughter wasn't born dead, she's alive. Greicy entrusted her to Felicia. Anita? asks Rodrigo, incredulous. Yes, responds Greicy, Anita is your daughter. End of episode.
 

BAJO


JUANITA,

This could not have been better. You covered everything and in just the right tone.

Erick has his good points, but he has always been very concerned about what people think and not being played for a fool. This could be his downfall.

He does not seem afraid of Rodrigo.

Greicy's courage still mounts.

She entered the lions's den on behalf of her daughter.

Again, I hope she is alive at the end of the story.

Thanks again, Juanita
 

Bajo

Thanks so much, Juanita. Splendid recap! I liked bruja, whoops Felicia. I expected a little more harshness from Cristóbal after Gracie's revelations that Felicia was using Willy. But her brother still doesn't get it.

That scene with Rodrigo and Erick was riveting. I can't remember and don't take the time usually to look up actors' names, but the guy playing Rodrigo is a STAR! They both were good in the scene.

I'm pretty sure Paulina's prediction about how Erick would end up hating Adela is going to come true. He ANSWERED HER CELL PHONE and refused to let Carlos warn her about Colmillo. Erick is basically a rich son of a rich father (a father we've already seen behaving like an entitled ass) and he isn't ready to accept that he can't get Adela to love him.

My God, what punishment can be enough for someone who burns up an innocent woman and her children to revenge himself on her father? Just getting shot isn't enough. Jay appears brain damaged lately. Why would he consider staying around this psychopath?

I can hardly wait to see Rodrigo's reaction to finding out his daughter is alive. I expect him to be angry with Gracie but I hope it isn't a volcanic anger...that joy in finding out his child is alive will win out.

And we Felicia haters can expect her comeuppance pretty soon now that Rodrigo knows Anita is his child. Assuming he takes the baby soon, Felicia will be bereft and Carlos will find out what she did.
 

Bajo

Thanks VERY much, Floridia and Novelera, for your kind words about the recap and your interesting and insightful comments about the novela.

Novelera, I have admired Luis Ernesto Franco's portrayal of Rodrigo from the start. The writers have given him a complex character to play, and he's done a terrific job. I'm really looking forward to tonight's episode, where I think we'll see how he responds to Greicy's news.

Does anyone know how many more episodes Bajo has?
 

BAJO
Thank you Juanita! Another wonderful recap. Just caught up in time to watch tonight's show. Thanks for your careful description of all the activity surrounding the death of Gacho's family. I wasn't sure what had happened there. How sad, but probably very realistic in the world of gangs. Still not thrilled about Gracie seeking out Rodrigo for support. I realize he's the bio-father, but he's a cold-blooded criminal. And he's real grabby about his paternal rights. That spells danger to me.

I like what Floridia said about Erick, that he "has his good points, but he has always been very concerned about what people think and not being played for a fool. This could be his downfall." I agree. He just comes from a different class and ethic than any of the gang folk. But then, he can't wrap his head around the idea that the charade he proposed (for his own benefit), really was a charade to Adela. Rodrigo will be sure to use this to his own advantage, but I fear for Rod. He wants too much.

Well, off to watch the TV! Hasta luego!


 

Bajo

Just a quick note to say that there will be no Bajo tomorrow, Christmas Eve. However, there will be an episode on Friday (Christmas).

Felices fiestas a todos.
 

BAJO

JUANITA,

Gracias por la informacion.

Feliz Navidad y Fechas Especiales para Todas
 

BAJO – MIÉRCOLES

After a very dramatic scene and lots of anger from Rodrigo, Gracie manages to convince Rodrigo that the babies were switched and that his child is alive.

The happy newlyweds are having breakfast in their hotel suite. Erick just can’t stop acting like an ass. He says he can’t imagine why Adela would prefer a gardener to him. She tells him you can’t control your heart.

Rodrigo is ready to rush over and get the baby. But Gracie tells him they can’t do it right now. She tells him Colmillo is alive and would surely want to kill Anita to harm him.

Colmillo has hooked up with some of the La Colonia gang, convinced them Rodrigo is a traitor, and has them on his side.

Felicia spends the whole episode nervous as a cat. Carlos wants to talk with Lourdes at the police station, and Feli keeps trying to prevent him.

But he doesn’t listen. Lourdes very simply and convincingly tells Carlos about how the babies were switched and that Anita is his granddaughter, not his daughter. Her last request is that he get a DNA test. She says he has nothing to lose by doing that.

Nick tells Sharon she won’t be able to walk again. He tries to comfort her, but when Luis shows up she obviously prefers his offers of help.

Erick and Adela have come to his apartment. She’s to stay in the Master Bedroom in case La Migra show up, but he’ll stay in another room. He’s very brusque with her. He tells her she won’t be able to work at the magazine until she gets a work permit.

Rodrigo shows up at Erick’s apartment. He tells Adela EC is alive. He says he’ll protect her. He gives her a gun for protection and assigns Trenzas to guard her.

Paulina comes on to Erick in his office and they get it on. He doesn’t show her an ounce of affection afterward. But she says she can accept when someone doesn’t love her (a dig at his feelings for Adela).

Another ghastly Colmillo revenge scene. He finds Gacho mourning at the open grave of his children and buries him alive.

Susy and María are working on the redecoration of the restaurant when Jacob comes by. It’s obvious the feelings he and María have for each other. However, Susy, who they thought had departed, overhears some affectionate things Jacob says to María.

Rodolfo and Estela have gotten a hotel room for some illicit lovemaking, but Patricio shows up and catches them. Please, Patricio, tell María!!!

Lourdes is released and Gracie tells Cristóbal that Felicia dropped the charges because she was afraid of what she, Gracie, would tell Carlos about Feli and Willy.

Rodrigo tells the gang members that EC is alive. When the guys from the Anthrax gang show up, Rod tells them that Colmillo was the one who killed their leader. Rod tells the assembled guys that, if they don’t believe him, they should go ahead and shoot him.

Carlos tells Felicia that they should get rid of any doubts and get a DNA test. Whoa!
 

I literally had to look away when colmillo and jay buried Gacho alive. I hope the colmillo and jay have slow, torturous deaths. They have no corazones. I love the actor playing Rodrigo. He shouldve shot jay a long time ago, and stayed with Greicy , who is a whiner but is growing on me.I dont understand what rod and erik see in adela. Dudes, she's not into y'all!I dont want rod to die, but he prohably will. I hope he at least dies a heroic death.N.Lopez




 

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Bajo

Novelera, I'm in awe of your ability to capture so much so concisely and gracefully. ¡Muchísimas gracias!

When Patricio found his wife with Rudolfo, I was half hoping that he'd shoot him and we'd be done with him. More important, Maria would be done with him. But I suppose we really need to leave the violence to Colmillo (and, alas, to Rodrigo, who didn't hesitate to shoot two gang members who didn't agree with him).

FINALLY we may get a DNA test!!

N. Lopez, I too found it very hard to watch the scene with Colmillo and Gacho. I can think of no punishment horrible enough to match what Colmillo deserves.
 

BAJO

Thank you novelera That was the perfect summary of another action-filled episode. Elegant, succinct and to the point.

So sad the interaction between Nick and Sharon once Luis walked onto the scene.

"Please, Patricio, tell María!!!" Yes!! And there's still time, in the coming weeks, for Deborah to resurface and make life hell for Jacob if she learns about the Maria situation.

The live burial of Gacho was appalling. I have no words.
 

FATAMAGUL: Looks like there won’t be any more episode of Fatmagul this week, so I’m posting the weekly recap early. Have a great holiday, everyone!

Part 1- Fatmagul’s Adventures in Wonderland:
Asu(de)/Hacer/Nalçal takes runaway Fatmagul into her apartment and then has to weave a LOT of lies to explain her invisible aunt, her messy apartment (beer bottles everywhere), her invisible fiancé, and why the neighbors all give her dirty looks. Asu gets Fatmagul settled and fed, and proceeds to dig for info on Fatmagul’s life and why she ran away. Fatmagul admits she was obligated to marry Kerim, and Asu accidentally mentions Mustafa by name when she asks if Fatmagul’s ex-fiancé hates her. She covers by saying Fatmagul mentioned his name when they went on their double date through Istanbul. Fatmagul gets a bit suspicious, but gives Asu the benefit of the doubt.

Kerim, Rahmi, and Ebe Nine are sick with worry. They realize that Asu is the only person Fatmagul knows in Istanbul and enlist Emre (the son of their landlord who fell for Asu) to help find her. They call Asu, and she denies Fatmagul is there, per Fatmagul’s pleas. They go to the police, who want to know WHY Fatmagul would run away. Clearly Kerim and Rahmi don’t tell them that Fatmagul was gang raped, forced to marry one of her rapists, and is sick and tired of being forced to live under the same roof as him and her horrible sister-in-law who engineered the marriage. Nope. They simply say they had a fight. Uh huh. The cops don’t seem to believe that.

They call Asu again, this time crying Rahmi is put on the phone and Fatmagul decides to talk to him to calm him down. She’s safe, but she’s NOT coming back. The guys have the police track the address where Asu’s cell phone is registered. It turns out to be a brothel in a horrible part of town. The madam tells them Asu doesn’t work there anymore, and gives them Asu’s “massage therapy” card. Emre is pissed that he was made a fool of by Asu. Kerim is terrified that Asu means Fatmagul harm and she’s in danger. During their investigations, they find out that some mystery woman had been asking around for Fatmagul, and realize it was Asu. The police wonder if someone wants to harm Fatmagul. Kerim calls Erdogan and threatens to kill him and the others if they sent someone to hurt Fatmagul. He meets with the Three Musketeers and Munir to make that threat in person, and proceeds to give all three of his former buddies a beatdown before leaving.

Asu lies to Fatmagul that her handler/pimp Sami, is her brother. Then she lies some more and says she and Sami are going to a wedding, to justify why she’s getting tarted up and going out so late. Sami eyes Fatmagul, and makes lewd comments to Asu about her being a great find for the business. Asu tells him to leave Fatmagul the heck alone. She’s a good girl, and reminds her of what she used to be like.

While Asu is gone all night, Fatmagul is unable to sleep and is bored out of her skull. The doorbell rings. We see it’s Mustafa! He’s come with a bouquet of flowers for Asu. As he waits for the door to open, the light in the hallway goes off. Fatmagul only sees a shadowy male figure, so she doesn’t open the door. Mustafa decides to leave the flowers at the door with a note. He turns on the light and leans against the wall to write “Happy New Year- Mustafa” on a note. When Fatma looks again, the light is on, but she only sees his shoulder and a sliver of his side profile. He’s down the stairs by the time she opens the door to retrieve the flowers, and behind the wheel of Erdogan’s car by the time she looks out the window to see the SUV with the dark tinted windows driving off. She puts the flowers in a vase, and thinks nothing of the common name Mustafa when she reads the note.

 

Fatmagul’s Adventures in Wonderland- Part 2:
Asu comes home the next morning with a serious black eye and bruises on her face and neck. She argues on the phone with Sami about setting her up with a john who he knows is violent. He’s more upset that Asu made them go make a police report, because this guy is rich and violent and could retaliate. Asu tells Fatmagul that she and Sami were in a car accident and that’s why they were out all night. Fatmagul tells her about the mysterious Mustafa who delivered flowers. They both go to sleep since neither slept the night before. Asu looks in on Fatmagul and makes a decision that it’s too dangerous for Fatmagul to be there. She calls Fatmagul’s family and gives them her address.

Before Kerim and Emre get there, Asu’s abusive john uses Sami as a decoy to get into her place. He starts beating on her immediately. Fatmagul sees it all, and realizes what Asu does for a living. The john sees Fatmagul and goes after her too! She runs and hides in a room with the door locked, and Asu and Samir manage to get the john out. The neighbors are ticked off about all the drama the whore is bringing into the building and want her out, NOW. Fatmagul packs her bag and leaves before Asu can stop her, and before Kerim and Emre arrive. When they get there, Asu explains her connection to Mustafa, why she tracked down Fatmagul in the first place, and assures Kerim she did not tell Mustafa she found them. Asu fires Sami as her pimp and the next day moves out of her building.

Fatmagul spends the rest of the day wandering the streets and trying to find a job with no success. She weakens and calls the house to say she’s coming back, but unfortunately, Mukaddes is the one who answers. She pisses off Fatmagul so thoroughly that we are left unsure if Fatmagul will ever go back. The family waits, and waits, and waits for Fatmagul to return. Kerim sits near the water’s edge and cries his little eyes out. Little does he know that Fatmagul is watching him.

The next morning, Kerim makes his way to the police station when he spots a familiar shape in a purple coat on the other side of the river bank. He finds Fatmagul passed out, freezing cold, and feverish, but he’s so grateful as he carries her home that he sheds tears of joy that fall onto Fatmagul’s face.

Everyone is happy to see her, even Mukaddes is happy to have her favorite punching bag back. Ebe Nine tends to her and Kerim goes for the doctor. Not one to slouch in her torture Fatmagul duties, Mukaddes tells weak, feverish Fatmagul that Asu is Mustafa’s girlfriend. Fatmagul puts it all together—the time she called Mustafa and a woman answered, the mystery flower guy, Asu knowing Mustafa’s name…It’s enough for her to finally decide to put Mustafa out of her heart. She jumps from her bed, clears everything out of the trunk Mustafa made for her, and drags the trunk outside (which gets chopped up into fire wood). Kerim’s happiness at seeing this is only barely dampened by Fatmagul telling him that this does not mean she gives a damn about him or wants to stay married to him. In fact, she tells him later that still wants a divorce! Kerim refuses to give her a divorce. He knows he has a real shot at Fatmagul’s heart now, and we know it too since we saw Fatmagul thinking about Kerim’s tears as he worried about her and carried her home. Game on!

 

Part 3- The Long, Long March Down the Aisle:
The Yasaran are still busy trying to get Selim down the aisle with Meltem (and to seal their business alliance with her father). For this reason, they panic when they learn Fatmagul has run off—worried that she’ll tell the police what really happened that night. They then worry after they realize that Kerim really seems to love Fatmagul and is on her side, not theirs. Vural finds out that the Asu who helped Fatmagul escape is the same Asu he’s (not) been sleeping with. He questions and threatens her to see what she knows, but then realizes she knows nothing and doesn’t know of their connection to Fatmagul and Mustafa. Asu then decides to tell Mustafa about Fatmagul, but stops cold when she finds the picture in his coat pocket of Kerim, Vural, Erdogan and Selim, and learns that Mustafa still has every intention of getting revenge on Kerim and Fatmagul.

Erdogan, who seems to think of himself as the master of the universe, tells the others that he will make Mustafa into their secret weapon against Kerim should Kerim step out of line. He begins to do that by keeping Mustafa close, and by earning his trust and loyalty by helping his parents. Erdogan moves Mustafa and his parents into his family’s home. Mustafa’s mother becomes the cook, and his father becomes the gardener.

The wedding day fast approaches. The further avoid trouble from Fatmagul’s peeps, Munir arranges for both Ebe Nine and Mukaddes to be out of the city and back in the coastal village arranging the sale of their houses the day of the wedding. Rahmi will go with them, meaning Famagul and Kerim will be all alone (well, except for her nephew, Murat).

Fatmagul sees a note about the wedding in the newspaper, and makes a decision. She calls information and has them connect her to Meltem’s cell phone. Meltem is beautiful in her wedding finery, happily headed towards the hotel elevators to meet her groom Selim. Her cousin, who is holding her purse, answers her ringing cell phone. Just as Meltem is about to greet Selim, her cousin tells her it’s a Fatmagul who wants to speak with her. Selim’s eyes go wide with fear. Meltem also has a look of fear in her eyes, as she realizes answering that call might mean the end of the fantasy she has been holding on to so desperately.

-End of episode. End of week.

 

Fatamagul

Vivi, thanks so much for your wonderful weekly recaps! I'm not watching this one mostly for lack of time, but it sounds wonderful. It's nice to share Cyberspace with you, even if it's only for separate novelas.
 

Bajo

I hooked another friend on this novela. Doesn't speak a word of Spanish, but she finds the story gripping. She's trying to enlist her husband to help her find CC3 on their television so she could have English subtitles. She's reading our blog.

I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, ¡Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!

I'm off to spend Christmas Eve with my son, daughter-in-law, lovely granddaughter and her fiancé. They have an early flight to the Pacific Northwest to spend Christmas Day with some of my DIL's family.
 

Safe travels everyone. And happiest of holidays. See you all next week. I'll be doing my celebrating tomorrow night (Christmas Day) instead of tonight. So I'll catch up online, Saturday morning.

Thanks Vivi for that gripping recap of Fatmagul. Can't wait to schedule a pocket of time to watch this.

Novelera I'm thrilled you've brought someone new onboard. I hope she finds her captions. I started with English and then switched to Spanish captions after a while and it's helped a lot with comprehension. Especially when regional accents affect pronunciation. Like Santiago in BAJO; he uses vos for "you". Is this South American?
 

Fatmagul

Vivi...great recap...thanks so much. The scene where Kerim finds Fatma was very sweet. And I liked his rebellion when telling her he's not going for a divorce. Heartess Mukaddes strikes again. Why can't they just kick her out of the house. She and Rommy will have their own money after selling the house...so they should get their own place...but what's a good telenovela without a villain or 2 to hate.

Nett
 

FATMAGUL:

Nett- Oh, how I wish Mukaddes and Rahmi would move. But Fatmagul would never stay in the same house with Kerim without her brother there, no matter how much she likes Ebe Nine. At least not yet.

They actually have enough money now to do what they please, but Mukaddes is hiding the fact that she got a lot of money to engineer the wedding and is playing like she's poor. I'm sure she'll also lie about how much money she gets for the house sale. Rahmi is sweet, but completely useless. Mukaddes can do whatever she wants.
 

LXV, I used to think that the use of vos was restricted to Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, but I've now heard it used by people from some Central American countries as well. I think Santiago is from somewhere in Central America, perhaps Guatemala or El Salvador? I don't know. I do know that vos is used in both of those countries along with tu, whereas I'm under the impression that in Argentina it replaces tu. (I might also note that I have a LOT of trouble understanding Santiago even with Spanish subtitles. Sometimes "vos" is just about the only word I'm sure of! :-)


 

Hi, all!
I'm just checking in after a long time away (from the blog)... I've been watching Bajo off and on and was interested to see what conversations were going on about it!

About the use of "vos," I've been living in Honduras for about 2 1/2 years now, and was interested to learn when I moved here that they use it almost exclusively (instead of tu) as well. It also has its own verb conjugations that differ from the "tu" conjugations (for example, the command "come here" in the vos form is "veníte" or "vení" rather than "ven"). It is considered very informal, generally only used with very close friends, families, and significant others. What I found most interesting is that it's not a verb form they learn in school... they learn the "tu" form in school but never use it. The only Hondurans I've heard using "tu" are the ones that work a lot with tourists.

Thanks for the Bajo recaps, novelera and Juanita! And Felices Fiestas a todos!
 

BAJO
Thanks AnotherAmy! Glad you stopped by. I figured Santiago's Spanish might be a South or Central American type, The use of vos is pretty distinctive, but nobody in the East LA setting seems to take any notice. It's more than usage though. His pronunciation is so different, it's hard for me to distinguish the words at all sometimes. Lots of dropped terminal consonants. I guess one would learn tu if one's livelihood (hospitality industry, tips etc.) depended on it. Veníte sounds positively Latin (as in the dead language).

Happy Holidays to all. Have a great weekend!


 

BAJO

First of all, Merry Christmas to everyone here.

Yes! Two of my Christmas wishes have come true. Jacob shirtless and him getting one step closer to getting together with Maria. Cristobal still has hotter abs, but Jacob looks nice shirtless too.

I agree with Maria talking to Rudolfo about a divorce instead of cheating on him.

I can't wait for Fang and Yei to get their punishment. I agree with an above poster about a slow and painful death for both of them, especially Fang. At least Yei has some sort of heart because he felt remorse for what he did to Sharon but Fang has no heart at all. He proved that when he told Greicy that he would kill a newborn baby just to get revenge on Rodrigo.

Does anyone know if the military gives psych evaluations before promoting someone? Fang is always complaining that when he was in the Army or whatever military branch he was in that they would never promote him. I wonder if the reason they didn't was because they caught on to the fact that he was and still is a sociopath.
 

Bajo

I have always found it interesting that Latinos, at least the Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, with whose traditions I'm most familiar, have their big celebration on Christmas Eve or Nochebuena as it's called. Thus we get a Christmas Day episode.

We know this is a Telemundo show rather than a Univision show because they aren't going (at least not yet) with Felicia bribing a nurse to switch the DNA results.

I really enjoyed the way they portrayed Carlos figuring things out. Feli did herself no favors with her vehement refusals to have the test done. And Carlos found a baby picture of Rodrigo and found them SO similar. Luis countered with Felicia being blonde, but I don't think Carlos is going to give up.

Speaking of bare chests, Erick has a pretty terrific one himself. Geez that Paulina is detestable with her sour, pouty face. I wish they hadn't gone with him jumping her bones.

Rodrigo showed his leadership skills last night. Wow, the actor is just amazing in every scene. He knew just what to say, that Colmillo had kept all the big bucks in his own account and paid them poorly.

Hooray! María has finally let herself feel what she really feels for Jacob.

I got a kick out of what Cristóbal said to Rodolfo when he said they'd known each other all their lives. In essence it was: Yep, exactly because I've known you all my life is why I don't quite believe the "run down by a car" story.

It was nice to see Rodrigo softening toward Gracie. And she put her hand on his shoulder at one point. And the actress is much better in quieter scenes without all the shrieking.
 

Fatmagul" Thanks Vivi. That scene of finding Fatma was so well played. Kerim was afraid to touch her knowing how that affects her even if she was unconscious. Muka has no heart at all you will see this as the show goes on. Rahmi is sweet and useless.
Merry Christmas everyone. In my home country as well Christmas eve is THE celebration not the 25th. That day is pretty much to recover from midnight mass and food coma eaten after the mass.
Romy
 

Bajo

Rodrigo is channeling his inner Tony Montana. This actor is doing a fabulous job. I sure he's going to receive all kinds of awards. Great stuff from him.

Nett

 

Bajo

many thanks to Juanita and novelera for your wonderful recaps !!!
and to everyone's comments.

I still have no captions so my comprehension has taken a dive,
but I'm still following along behind.

say did Maria mention the blue door
from some web searching I guess you paint your door blue because,
"the blue door prevents any evil presence from entering your home."
"brought by the Spanish, originating in the Middle East, India, or further abroad.
It's meant to keep the home free of malignant spirits"

unfortunately the blue door in la Frontera's office didn't keep Colmillo or Rodrigo out,
or maybe it did.

Juanita- how many shows left?
Telemundo will probably hold off on letting us know until "La querida del Centauro" is launched jan 12, friday's show was 102, 120 used to be standard


did Adela keep the pistol, I wish she would stand by Carlos' side, "for better or for worse", after all, they are married, not legally, but by Carlos' ceremony.

and isn't Felicia an interesting character, (this author (Perla Farias) is excellent at creating unique characters and tying them all together), Felicia's comeuppance has been there all along, Willy leaning on her for the death of her husband, Rodrigo taking over the bar, Colmillo after her, her baby dying, etc, but she climbs back in the ring once again pushing her agenda, she knows a good guy when she sees one, can we really blame her for not letting go of Carlos."

Luis Ernesto Franco (Rodrigo) was great in "Camelia la Texana", he was the enforcer for the better narco don, but when tracking down Camilia, the guy that was taking her for a ride, always got the better of him, and he had a big heart.

I keep thinking they have a dna test on Anita, probably sitting in Cristobal's desk since he didn't turn it in as evidence, Carlos just needs one done on him, Rodrigo or Greicy to compare.

I don't think Rod minded his ex Mother-in-law laying into him, he likes fiesty, but not necessarily schreecy like his ex-wife, but Greicy is starting to make sense, maybe he'll take another look at her.

and maybe Paulina can do an undercover story on was it, being baptised by la Colonia.

Susi spending time with Luis while Colmillo is alive, is insane.
 

Bajo

I was also wondering if maybe Rodrigo and Greicy might end up together after all. At least they were civil to each other in Friday's episode.
 

Bajo

Deb, thanks for your great comment. Can you elaborate? I don't remember Cristóbal having a sample of Anita's DNA.
 

BAJO
novelera, I'm guessing deb is remembering when Cristóbal found the DNA report among Willy's effects after the murder. He was the one on the scene (if I recall this correctly). Felicia had allowed Willy to take the specimen (which she swabbed herself and so she knows the procedure is painless) just to make him go away. He was heartbroken to learn he was not the bio-daddy.


 

Bajo

novelera- I believe Cristóbal brought Anita's dna results plus Willy's phone (both recovered from Willy's crime scene) to Felicia's and reminded her that if he entered these as evidence, Felicia would be part of the investigation (and Carlos would learn of her involvement with Willy), Felicia begged him not too, and so I believe he still has those items somewhere.
 

Bajo

Thanks, LXV and deb. But wouldn't it just be a piece of paper that stated that Willy was not the father? He would have submitted the Q-tip to the lab and gotten a piece of paper back. Assuming he submitted his own DNA in some fashion, the test would only have said he's not the father. I don't think this would serve Gracie and/or Rodrigo since they don't have the Q-tip. Apparently the report didn't rule out Felicia as the mother or Willy would have gone ballistic. They were probably only comparing Anita and Willy.
 

BAJO

First chance I have had to comment since the holiday. My family enjoyed one another's company, so that makes me happy.

First of all, thank you, Novelera for the terrific recap. I wanted to watch the episode again, but I didn't have time, so I read the recap and revisited it that way.

Deb, agree about Deb, Susy, and Colmillo.

Fascinating discussion about the DNA.


So.... did Lourdes kidnap Baby Anita solely for the purpose of provoking authorities to do a DNA test -- knowing that they could not get across the border, and knowing that lawyers cost money?

Perhaps, if Rod sees Greicy holding Anita, her maternal glow will cause him to fall in love with her for real.

Things are being woven together slowly but surely. Much action yet to come.


 

Bajo,

Correction:

Deb, agree about LUIS, Susy, and Colmillo.
 

BAJO
novelera, I'm sure you're right about what that paper actually contains, ie. that Willy & the baby are not related. But, it does prove that the baby's DNA is already on record in the laboratory's files. So nobody has to go and swab Anita again. That's what Feli was squirming about when Carlos made his request. It was so disingenuous of her to claim it might hurt the child when she knew full well how simple it was to do. What they really have to do now is swab her and prove she's not the mother. But then, I have no experience in such matters.

And Cristóbal has been complicit in concealing this essential info; but I'm wondering how long he can keep this up. And what it'll do to his squeaky clean good cop record to be found out.

Floridia interesting point about Lourdes possible ulterior motive in kidnapping so as to get caught. She's one feisty mama bear.
 

Bajo

Wow, LXV, I think you may have figured out how they'll manage to prove that Felicia is not Anita's biological mother. However, it may well be possible to do so even without a sample of Felicia's DNA. I think that all that's needed is a sample of Greicy's DNA. If there's a match, BINGO! (Rodrigo's DNA would probably not be as conclusive, since he probably shares some markers with Carlos.)