Caray, Caray!

Hello Patio pals! Sorry I couldn't make this any shorter but yesterday's episode was 48-minutes long and as usual there is so much going on, we never know what detail might resurface later.
I'll compile the vocab and add it at the end of the post later today or first thing tomorrow morning at the latest.
Enjoy! :)
 

Just wonderful Nandicta!!! You gave us everything...and then some. Love your little takes on the conversation and your italicized observations.

Holy Mother Terror! She is one major piece of work. She has her plans and no one better mess them up. Right now, she doesn't care about any of her children except as a means to an end. Having a general for an in-law I'm sure makes her more than happy to cave so fast to a marriage for poor Felipe. She should adopt Diego and spare them all the pain. As for him, not only is his nose growing with each lie, but his anvil is growing too.

Speaking of Felipe, do we honestly think this marriage happens? I don't think Mercedes fell in love with him so much as this is the perfect way to get away from her father.

I am loving me our dear Doctor. Not only, as a woman of some years, do I find him rather hunky for an older dude, but he seems to be working the side very blatantly of the good guys. Yes, everyone has secrets in this...can't wait to find out his!!

I enjoyed the interplay between Julio and Ayala and whoever was guessing they might wind up working together, kudos! Now, the full moon idea is intriguing...don't expect sorcery or werewolves, this isn't Harry Potter, (though Diego loves to do the vulture look all too often), but it is much easier to find your way in the darkness of night on a full moon. Perfect for assignations of the secret kind.

I'm going to want to see Julio's face when Isa tells him that Diego had an affair with Diego.

Final note: I don't get the whole point of the character of Benjamin just so he leaves and gives Andres the job. Anyone else have their ears perk up when he said he's leaving because his son has a problem. Have we ever seen this son? This show is driving me crazy--borrowing from Isa's attitude: I trust no one and suspect everyone?

Daisynjay

 

Nandicta, thanks so very much for a great recap -- for me, the longer the better.
IMHO:

"murders occurred on a full moon night"

So we eagerly await the next full moon with the wolf (or wolf man) howling. I think that in Los Plateados Dominka P (Sophia here) went nuts with the full moon (she had a false embarrassment in that one too). I do hope they have fun & games on the night of the full moon. Isa Bell shud be out acting absurd in the night; the little policeman, DumBerto or whatever shud also be out there w/ Ayala. Aw heck, get 'em all out there, even Elise foolin around in the dark.

De Eggo admitted being "lovers," well methinks the term amante implies mistress relationship, sex. Now at this time & era, would Isa Bell really act so blasé about fornication? (Boys will be boys, what he did before me no me importa). In her med school do they teach nothing about STDs? And this was a perfect reason to cancel the engagement -- why the delay? Interesting how there just happened to be a foto to disprove the De Eggo attempt to get egg off his chin.

As to a duel, the inserted collage between segments showed el General dueling with someone, & Al Fraido as a second. Hard for me to believe that Felipe will choose a duel. Neither does a duel seem appropriate for the General; shud Felipe refuse to marry, I would just expect an attack by him on Felipe.

I expect Sofia and/or Al Fraido to find something in De Eggo's office.

You reckon that Belen now thinks she can get De Eggo herself?

O thot it odd how Isa Bell snuck out the back of the pharmacy without her friend.

We wonder how the triangle went: De Eggo, Pascual, & Cristina.

So the modus operandi for the unknown murdered girl is the same w/ Ximena. Was that not also the same for Cristian? He stabs em (a little, breaking off gold knife is optional), then drowns them.

I have to wonder when Isa Bell is going to tell Jacinto that she is the boss; he can't tell her he won't drive her somewhere. Maybe Matilde will bop him on the head, take his keys & drive.

Interesting how De Eggo keeps sending Garrido to do his dirty work though Garrido is a doofus.

To me the burning question is, Where is Cristina? She has amnesia & is in a manicomio? In a coma? Did Doc Lazaro find her, heal her, hide her, & now is being her savior?

Thanks again, Nandicta


 

Hotel

Thank you SO much for the detailed recap, Nandicta. I really enjoyed it and was actually disappointed when it was over. Very
exciting and interesting. I like the full moon twist. AnonGringa
 

Well Daisy,

I think that Mercedes indeed has a crush on Felipe.

Yep, the doc cud be the most sympathetic character in the story. He may have the papel of the "guardian angel," as is seen in some telenovelas, like the woman who befriended Betty La Fea & took her to Cartagena for a makeover.

Daisy, I love this statement you made:
"I'm going to want to see Julio's face when Isa tells him that Diego had an affair with Diego." ROFL I can believe that one.

Yeah, the papel of Benjamin & the actor doing it is just a great addition to the plot. It is like the author of the story gets all kinds of brain flashes, adding this & that unexpectedly, like the son of Benjamin, the madame who rescued Julio, Isa Bell deciding to go & check out Pascual's barrio.




 

Thank you so much for your brilliant recaps and for the vocabulary. Superb!
I have a queasy feeling about the doctor. Could he be the "werewolf" or maybe a Von Helsing type who is looking very closely at Diego? Hmmmmm.
 

-- Daisynjay: Thanks for your kind words! "Holy Mother Terror" is hilarious and so true! That tiny woman is a terrifying dictator and a master of machinations. I still think that Diego is out to double-cross her at the first opportunity. What he revealed to her about his and Elisa's alliance is not exactly what he heard him agree with Elisa.

Just like you, I love the Ayala and Julio alliance and I think Juan Ferrara is hot! Even hotter than Julio! What can I say, I have a thing for gravelly male voices, they hypnotize me!

The only thing we know about Benji's son is that he lives away and Benji misses him (he was talking about this to Teresa a couple of episodes ago). And now, it turns out that his son has a serious problem that he must help him with. I hope this character comes back. I really like the actor playing him (Luis Couturier).

-- Enoch: You're very welcome, dear. I admire your ability to keep so many theories straight in your head. This show is giving me headaches! Everything is changing all the time and we've introduced to so many characters with mysterious past and mysterious motivations. Not to mention, Cecilia the Madam that helped Julio and quite possibly Eugenia, the sister of Mercedes who must be joining the Gran Manicomio soon, since they made a point to say her name a couple of times for our benefit.

An examination of Cristina's uniform established that she was beaten up not stabbed (Ayala said that there was no splatter marks but a round blood meaning that the victim bled slowly). Therefore, the full moon killer has two murders under his belt that we know of, Ximena the prostitute and Unnamed drowned lady.

I hope Cristina is still alive. My theory is that Cris was in on Pascual's blackmail scheme and that she was the one who hit Isabel over the head with a stick.
 

-- AnonGringa: Many thanks and welcome to the Patio! I appreciate your stopping by and your kind comment. The full moon twist is intriguing indeed and like Dagoberto I too thought about werewolves!

-- Sandydoc: Thanks ever so much, you're very kind! Your theory about the Doc is very valid but I'm blocking it from my head for now. I like him too much! I'm going to stay in denial until we catch him red-handed!
 

Thanks for the info that Cristina was not stabbed. But R U sure? I took it that the blood was from a more superficial stab that did not hit an artery. So what did the blood come from if not from a wound? U think she spit up blood or that the blood was from her attacker -- like she bit him?

Yes, the plot IMHO is Byzantine & contrived -- still entertaining. I admit to confusion in my mind.

Now as to the theory that the doc may be malevolent: that would be a curve ball. But if the doc were an infiltrator trying to take down De Eggo, wud it make sense that he told De Eggo that he thot they had met before? That wud tend to blow his cover. But the statement cud be a ploy to make De Eggo nervous.

Cud Cristina be a werewolf? Or the doc?
 

But if it is a werewolf, that would mean Dagoberto was right about somethings... No puede ser.
 

So entertaining Nandicta, fantastico

Love the Ayala/Julio team & el doctor with anyone.

So where is Cristina?

Do we have a werewolf?

You never suspect the nice guys, but there is more to Alfredo??? And a mother like Elisa could make anyone loco. Witch, Bruja, Bitch, etc


OT The producer, Roberto Gomez Ferandez is doing El color de la pasion with Esmeralda Pimental y Erick Elias. Looking forward to that. I'm putting RGF in the class of Carla Estrada.
 

Mil gracias, Nandicta! Jolly good recap. I love the vocab help and your side commentary and the quips like the extra layer of dumb on Diego's dumbfounded face.

Daisynjay, your comment about Diego's vulture face made me think of the Peanuts cartoons where Snoopy sits in a tree playing vulture. The faces Diego makes look just like that!

I'm glad I happened to turn on the tv last night, because this show came on at 9 instead of 10 with no forewarning and the dvr missed it. I didn't catch the first couple scenes, but saw the rest.

I love that Julio and Ayala are working together. Do not like that Andres is set on marrying that heinous witch Belen. Could she have been any more rude? I was surprised she didn't spit in the faces of those sweet old craftswomen while she was at it. I don't think she even cares about being reminded of the baby she's selling instead of keeping. I think she thought the surprise would be some kind of luxury gift FOR HER, not for the baby. Jewelry or fancy clothes or something.

That slow-speed chase with the horse and carriage following the car was hilarious. Way to be stealthy, Henchie.
 

OMG, someone implied Benjamin. He is taking off & full moon is near, !no puede ser!

Wow, this novela is amazing & keeps us thinking. Hard to believe its Uni
 

-- Enoch: I went back to the conversation in Episode 6 where Ayala gives his conclusions to Dagoberto about the blood stain on Cristina's uniform:

1) The stain is circular and there is no sign of a spurt of any kind, that means that the blood did not gush out from a stab wound. Instead, the blood dripped slowly, indicating that ==> the victim was beaten rather than stabbed.

2) The uniform was submerged in cold water and cold water almost rinsed out all traces of the blood. According to Ayala, cold water would erase any useful clues about the blood (not sure how valid what he's saying is). If the uniform were immersed in hot water, the blood would extend and form a halo around the original stain. Since they noticed no halo ==> The victim's uniform was submerged in cold water. Ayala surmises she fell into a lake, a river or a pond.

Hope this answers your query.
 

Nandicta- Stellar recap, amiga. Love all the vocab you pulled out.

With all the messed up scheduling, for some reason my dvr cut off the first 5 minutes, so my recording started in the middle of Isa arguing with Diego. Very glad to read that Julio was able to say without a doubt that Mystery Murdered Miss was not Cris. Whew! I also love that he's working with Ayala now.

Doc Lazaro Vicario is a great ally for Isabel. Love how he jumped to her aid to help her get to town. Since both he and the actor who plays Benjamin are prominent actors, I'm sure both their stories will have some interesting twists. Looking forward to what we learn about Ben's son.

I also think the person in the carpentry workshops might be Cristina and that Pascual had been hiding/protecting her.

I'm still not convinced that she was Diego's lover. I will believe it when I see the flashbacks. Sure, Diego admitted to it. But easier to admit he was Cristina's lover, than to admit he was her accomplice in stealing from the hotel, or her murderer.
 

Thank you Nandicta. You're translation of the convo between the General and Mercedes was very helpful and it makes me believe that Mercedes put the rock in the door latch. She wanted her father to discover them because she knew that he would demand marriage and she wants a husband.

I think that monk we see in the opening credits is Filipe. Maybe he escapes to live with the monks to avoid discovery and marriage.

I think who the doctor is, is a bigger mystery than where Cristina is. Maybe she sent him to help her brother find out what is really going on at that hotel.


 

-- Anon @ 4:24 pm: Dagoberto can be allowed to have a little flash of genius every now and again! Don't you think? :)

-- Variopinta: Thank you, dear. Glad you enjoyed the recap! Don Benji as the werewolf killer? Say it isn't so! You guys are making me doubt every character I like!

OT

About this show's producer, I never watched his work before but I'm very pleased with what I'm seeing here in EHDLS. I heard great things about "El Color de la Pasión", another one of his productions, and I was hoping they would show it next on Univision, but no, they're broadcasting the latest Latoodle horror instead: "Un Camino Hacia El Destino" starring that annoying fresa kid who played Fanny in MCET as the female protagonist. Univision has also been rushing "Pasión y Poder" to broadcast the Angelli Nesma remake of Carla's Estrada's "Lazos de Amor" starring Angelique Boyer, Seb Rulli and David Zepeda. Apparently, they think they can capture twice the ratings by putting in together the protagonist couples from both "Lo Que La Paciencia Me Robó" and "Abismo De Tonterías" (Gag me!)

Carlos Moreno Languillo is also a very good producer ("Amor Bravío", "Cuando Me Enamoro", "Quiero Amarte"). He has a highly-acclaimed TN that is ending now in Mexico, called "A Que No Me Dejas". However, there is no sign that Univision will broadcast it in the US. The mind-numbingly dumb baloney takes priority.
 

Vivi, I'm not convinced that Cristina was Diego's lover either. That doesn't add up with what Pascual said, and he seemed way more believable about that. And Diego has lied multiple times now.
 

I really hope Sofia and Alfredo team up to try to dig up Diego's secrets. Of course, I don't think either of them will be very good at it. They are not very stealthy.

Mercedes is quite the little actress. I thought the General was going to burst a blood vessel when he learned how Mercedes has been seducing young officers for years with ruses and then her charm and wit, since her looks don't catch their attention.

I actually think she IS attractive, and I think Felipe feels the same way. But he does not want to get married to anybody. I think they could make each other very happy in a marriage, but Felipe is a man who doesn't want to be tied to one woman or responsibilities.
 

I agree about Carlos Moreno Languillo , just couldn't remember his name,

Camina Hacia el destino is produced by Sra. Mejia. Watch at your own risk.
 

-- Julia: You're welcome, dear. Glad you enjoyed your read! I concur with you that Andrés is way too nice for that nasty heifer but, as much as I like him, I think that people this dumb kind of deserve the mayhem they bring on themselves. His mom tried to help him but he wouldn't listen.

That "security detail" was so obvious and so unbelievably dumb on both Diego and Garrido's parts, I just couldn't deal with it! I thought I'd spare you guys the rant or you'd think I'm picking too much on the idiot goon.

-- Vivi: Thank you for all your encouragement, amiga! I like your theory about Diego admitting to the affair to cover for a more serious offense. As for the Doc, I especially appreciate the respect he shows these female medical students by calling them "my colleagues". I give him an endless supply of brownie points just for that!

-- Cathyx: You're very welcome! Thanks for clarifying that the object that Mercedes used to block the door was a rock. I couldn't tell what it was. I thought it may be a cork or a rolled up paper but those guesses didn't match what I was seeing.
As regards the Doc, so far we've been given a few indications that he may know Diego. I would also speculate that he may be at the Gran Hotel to infiltrate Teresa's dealings, because he acquiesced to her "let's fake my daughter's pregnancy" too quickly for my taste.
 

Nandicta,

If I wasn't dreaming, methinks I saw a promo for A Que No Me Dejas on Univision with Alejandra Barros. & I just got through telling a supposed fan of hers about it on Telenovela-World. I saw Alejandra in La Verdad Oculta & thot she was a good actress.

Do you think that the thesis of the show is that Mercedes is not particularly glamorous (& perhaps the way they fix her is so she does not look glamorous to men,) in this show; so she has had to resort to trickery to get men? Do u think that what men judge in women as beautiful is not the same as female opinion on the subject? As for me, men do not look beautiful to me -- I have to ask my wife if a man is handsome.

But, yes, it did seem as Felipe was very attracted to her. She certainly is an interesting character. Should we say that in a way she looks cute?
 

-- Vivi: I too wish Sofía and Alfredo would team up to neutralize all the people that humiliated them, belittled them and toyed with their lives. However, I think she should come clean to him about her losing their child.

-- Variopinta: Don't you worry about it. I would not watch another Lartilleux Frankenstein baby if they paid me! However, Mejía's brand of silliness, I do miss. The worst producers for me are: The uncontested queen of "this is so off-every-chart-known-to-man stupid I might just slice my veins" is Lartilleux. A very distant second is Osorio and in the third place, far behind these two, is lovable goof Mejía and his unintentional comedies filled with great musical nuggets, beautiful scenery and mildly bearable filler.
 

Nandicta, I could see Cristina filling him in on all the people, personalities, and what she knows about everyone and everything before he came to the hotel. So when he meets someone, he has a bit of recognition because he's heard of that person from Cristina. Just my personal theory, of course. I love that this show isn't aired anywhere else first, so if any of our guesses are true, it doesn't look like we looked ahead.
 

-- Enoch: I think your impression of Mercedes is spot on. What you said is the way the makers of the show want us to see her. I personally think that the actress who plays her is lovely and has beautiful eyes but they styled her in a way that makes her less "obviously" attractive. I also find Felipe cute physically and his antics make me laugh but his personality and his reputation ought to scare any woman, especially in those times. I mean, if Mercedes is struggling so much to land a husband, wouldn't you think she would choose someone who is more reliable than Felipe? That guy is a walking bag of addictions, screw-ups and Mommy issues!
 

-- Cathyx: Do you remember the telegraph operator handing information to a mystery man? Sorry if this was said before but could that man be the Doc? This would reinforce your theory that the Doc is there on behalf of Cristina. Maybe she used to write to him as well and when her letters stopped, the Doc went looking for her, same as Julio did? Maybe they are somehow involved with the political opponents to President Porfirio Díaz and Cristina was one of their agents? I remember Vivi suggesting a few episodes ago that perhaps the little contraband business that Cristina had going on with Genaro, the cantina owner, is related to her subversive politics. If we follow this theory then, by the same token, the Doc could be part of this ring?
 

I said when that episode aired that I thought they were the same person.
 

Variopinta: Thanks for the on the producers next production, and with Erick again no less. (Yes, I have it bad for this actor. Not conventionally handsome, and yet every TN he's been in, even when he's not the lead or good guy, I'm all in.)

I have been wondering too on the scene in the credits with Felippe in monk's robes. Good thought he may run away and find shelter in a monastery. Sort of the last place he would think people would look. I find the actor actually endearing when he's not raging drunk, it would be fun for him to shelter there and voila...new lease on life.

Been wondering as I cleaned the house ( I need a life), what did Diego gain in telling Isa that he had an affair with Cristina. He could have said a whole myriad of tales as to why he would give her that jewelry, so either he actually told the truth, which would be amazing in itself, or he had an ulterior motive, which might be to paint Cristina as an opportunist/criminal knowing Isa will run and tell Julio what he said.

Yep Julia, Snoopy is exactly who I think of when I see someone doing what I call the "vulture" face. To be honest, one of my kiddies does it, but she does it when she's shy or in trouble. Lowers head, raise eyes. Cracks me up every time.

Daisynjay
 

Cud it be that Lazaro rescued Cristina, saved her from dying, & fell in love with her? So, he offered bribes to the telegraph operator to report telegrams from leaders of the hotel. When he read a telegram from Mother Teresa or an agent of hers (maybe De Eggo) asking for a (pliable) doctor, he decided quickly to play that role to find out who tried to kill Cristina? Thus Lazaro would be Cristina's "angel." If so, we should expect that Lazaro will want to visit Cristina from time to time.
 

I don't understand how Diego doesn't know Isabel from before. Did Isabel not ever go home for years? Is Diego that new?
 

Thank you so much Nandicta! I really enjoyed your recap and muchas gracias for adding in the Spanish words. So much new vocabulary for me to learn!

I was wondering the same thing cathyx. I don't really see how Diego could have met Cristina (and started the supposed affair with her) before meeting Isabel... I mean, wouldn't he have met them at the same time as soon as he started working there?
 

-- Daisynjay: Come to think of it, you are right to think that it's odd for Diego to readily fess up to the affair, especially considering that he did it BEFORE Isabel showed him the two identical brooches. Hmmmm... I am very confundida!

-- Enoch: Whoever intercepted those telegrams that asked for a new Doctor to work at the Gran Hotel, did so just as they were sent out. There is no way they would've found out about the hotel needing a doctor from those telegrams and show up a few minutes later in the village bakery to bump into Teresa accidentally on purpose. I believe the Doc is there for a reason other than the one he announced but if he's there because he somehow found out the hotel needed a doctor, he must've been tipped off by a source other than those telegrams. I like your theory of the Doc helping Cristina during her escape from the Gran Hotel then coming back to investigate and/or to avenge Cristina.

-- Cathyx: That's a very good question. Don't Diego and Isabela know each other from at least 5 years before? I don't know why, but for some reason I think Diego was hired by Teresa's husband 5 years ago. Was it said before on the show or did I just dream it up?

-- J: Welcome (or welcome back) to our Patio! Happy that you stopped by and that you find the vocabulary useful. I compiled it all at the end of the recap, for easy copying and pasting into your phrase book.

You're absolutely right, something about the timeline doesn't add up. I was under the impression that Cristina was relatively new to the hotel. I remember vividly a conversation from Episode 1 where Belén was complaining that she had been working at the Gran Hotel for 7 years and Cristina for only a year, yet Cristina got promoted before Belén was. Maybe our Patio pals can help us out with this.
 

-- A quote from the capítulo --



"Esperar? Esperar? Ese es tu plan? Qué te pasa, Alfredo? Qué tienes en la sangre? Eh? Atole?”*


* Sofia chews out her husband for suggesting that their retaliation plan against Diego should consist of waiting until Diego slips up and makes a mistake: “Wait? Wait? That’s your plan? What’s wrong with you, Alfredo? What do you have in your veins ? Eh? Atole (A mexican corn drink)”
 

The expression “tener sangre de atole” (“to have atole blood”) or “tener atole en las venas” (“to have atole in one’s veins”) is used for people who are passive and spiritless, who don’t react when they ought to. A variation of this saying remplaces “atole” with “horchata”, another popular drink (In Mexico, it’s made with rice. In Spain, it’s made with almonds, barley or tigernuts, depending on the region). Hence, it is also correct to say “tener sangre de horchata” or “tener horchata en las venas”.
 

Isabel and Diego definitely knew each other long before the curtain went up. But perhaps what they meant is his thing with Cris happened before he wanted Isa to be his wife and before they became novios.
 

"A quote from the capítulo" and "Your viewing vocabulario" are compiled at the end of the recap, with all the definitions, for easy copying and pasting.

It's 1:30 am here so I'm turning in. Good night everyone and thanks for stopping by and sitting with us a spell in "El Patio De Los Secretos". Hasta Mañana! Que descansen!
 

This is great Nandicta, very impressed. My pea brain cannot retain all the goings on so it really, really helps.

"and that seems to add an extra layer of dumb to Diego’s dumbfounded face"

If the good doctor knew Cristina I think he would seek Julio out and help him. Instead he is winning the trust of Sofia and Isabel.

So Cristina may have been a thief, prostitute and Diego's lover. If I believe one I should be prepared to believe all three. What may be at issue is POV.

I like Belén and there's no mystery here. Andres is the only person that doesn't see. What a fool believes.

 

Belen is self serving. She cares not a whit about Andres, only herself. I don't see what's likable about her.
 

I'm not sure that if the doctor knows Cristina, that the best thing would be to seek out Julio and help him. If this scenario is true, then he would want to stay undercover and learn everything about the situation before he lets anyone know who he is and what he's about. And we're early enough in the show for him to still be keeping quiet about this.
 

Ok so the color photo thing was bugging me and I looked it up online. Apparently color photography did exist in 1908. But I thought Sofia said she had clippings from newspapers or newsletters or whatever, and it seems really unlikely that they would have printed photos in color. In any case, the colors would not have looked like that modern photo in the episode. Plus weren't the other photos (like the one with Julio in it) in black and white?

And yes Nandicta, I do remember now that they said Diego has been there five years and Cristina only one, so he definitely met Isabel before - unless she has been away the entire time and she only met him recently, after he met Cristina? Doesn't seem likely though. It's bothering me that the writers would get that timeline wrong - but maybe Diego was referring to when he decided he wanted to marry Isabela rather than when he actually met her.
 

Nandicta,
Requeterecontramuchisimas gracias for the vocab.
 

Nandicta, thanks for the entertaining recap!

My favorite parts: those that made me chuckle:

any scene with the General (don't call me "papaíto"/don't call me tú) and his pragmatic daughter "sergeant" Mercedes who is confined to her "quarters".

Ayala and his bad "mi celda es su celda" joke.

Diego on his knees begging his mother to get him out of having to marry Mercedes.





 

Of course Belén is self serving but she feels a bit of guilt and why she reacted as she did to Andres surprise. She is a poor girl impregnated by her boss and was in process of leaving her job for an uncertain life, likely in a brothel, as a single mother. She wasn't trying to sell her baby to the highest bidder, or fool Andres with a child not his but responding to Diego's threat. She was scared and about to flee. Taking advantage of an opportunity presented by Teresa was a smart move by a smart, pretty girl. I counter that Andres is just as self serving, pouncing on this opportunity, to marry his crush. Damning Belén is enjoying sex with Diego.
 

I would think that Cristina's diary must say who Cristina had been having a relationship with. Isn't that what is typically written in a diary? It can't be filled with just day to day drudgery of working at the hotel, what would be the point of keeping a diary then? Julio needs to let Isabel read it, she had much more time.
 

Gracias, Nanicta; I finally caught up. My favorite lines:

Isabel interrupts Diego before his growing nose pokes her in the eye.

The general takes his leave and Teresa takes it out on some innocent ornament.

Well, he’d better wake up and smell the coffee (or cognac or whatever the heck he downs every morning) because he’ll be marrying Mercedes within a week!

(Me thinks seeing baby clothes reminded her that she has already sold her kid to Teresa. Still, no reason to take out the frustration of her conflicted feelings of maternity vs. money on poor Andrés! Cow!).

Color photography had a 3-color process before the era of this story. There was also color painting of black and white prints for some time even beyond the first color film. The father of one of my friends was a professional photographer and her mother often did the coloring of photos.

Poor Afraido. Mama definitely wants to keep him tied to her apron strings and following her five paces behind. He won't be free until she's six feet under.

Belen is a total bitch and Angela sees this, as many other women would. In the words of John Ford, tis pity she's a whore. There are too many men who go for bitches and sluts like her, but usually those women are far more attractive than she is. I'd love for Andres to open his eyes about her.

I doubt that Benjamin is a werewolf; how would he manage to disappear for three days every month without people questioning his absence?

I agree with the assessment of Mercedes wanting to get out from under Daddy's thumb. She's not conventionally pretty but then neither was Scarlett O'Hara (read the first page of that book and ignore the film while doing so) and some personalities can trump deficiencies in beauty.

What's with the changes in the opening credits? Why are they showing spoilers? That makes no sense at all.
 

I think the color photos were just an error on the part of the stage setters. I once watched a B western movie set during the civil war, and the wife of a general was out on the battlefield in a tent and she needed to writer an urgent message to someone and send it off pronto. She puts the letter in the envelop and licks it shut, lol.
 

Urban, ur discourse on color fotos is interesting. One thing I like about this show is that it has obsolete science/technology in it (like the Wild West).

As to the opening credits & spoilers:
I don't think that what they show in a collage (like the entrada) is necessarily images of what will happen or happened. For example, in Amarte Asi, they showed the female protag (Margarita) with a suitcase entering the mansion, where she would be hired as a nanny. But in the story she never did that, never moved in. Those pictures kind of set the tone. But yes, showing General Machete engaging in a duel with someone is probably a spoiler, tho I can't imagine Felipe agreeing to a duel. & I doubt that a duel wud be appropriate over deflowering a daughter -- of course I am not the writer of this story, but I could see the General with Felipe in a barn, the general's men having tied him to some structure (like a Singapore caning). Felipe is bent over in position for nalgadas. The General is there with his machete or sword, using the flat of it on Felipe's nalgas. They cud have Mercedes there & a priest, Mercedes in a white gown (inappropriate color of course). Priest says, "Accepto?" Felipe is mum. General gives Felipe a whack on the nalgas with the flat of the machete. After a few cycles of this, Felipe says, "Sí, Accepto."

And alternative wud make it into a charity affair, with persons paying to give a nalgadazo to Felipe. Barker says, "Step right up. For solo 1 pezo you can spunk the chump -- all for charity!"

But like yourself, I don't want to see spoilers.
 

I ffwd through the expanded intro because of all the spoilers. I preferred the really short into that gave nothing away. They did this with Lichita too. At first there was no intro. Then they created one that gave away MAJOR developments for the many weeks that followed.
 

I actually prefer that we not talk about the stuff in the new intro.
 

Vivi, I'll be on board with that. I won't watch it either.
 

-- Tofie: You're very welcome. I can't process all the information they're throwing at us either, that's why I'm grateful for my Patio pals. We're lucky to be watching this show together so we can keep track of all the minutiae of this convoluted plot.

I like Belén better in her interactions with Ángela because they play off each other's hostility so well. However, I can't stand her taking advantage of Andrés like that. I agree that he was the one who brought all this on himself but still, look at that smoochable face! He's so adorable, I want to adopt him!

-- J: Thank you for the info on color photographs. I think the show's creators dropped the ball on this one. They should've had Isabel look at the photo album of that party not an album of press clippings. The photos you mentioned where Julio appears amongst the guests is from Isabel's engagement party not from the "Lights Party". I wonder who has that album because Julio was not in his camarero uniform in those photos.

--Enoch: What a great word: Requeterecontramuchisimas! I'm going to steal it! De nada. Estoy para servirle.

-- Jarifa: You're very welcome. I too like the general and Mercedes. I wonder when his other daughter "Scrawny Eugenia" will show up.

 

--Cathyx: You're right. They should start telling us more about what's in that diary. They seem to have neglected it. Details of the day-to-day routine at the Gran Hotel were written in Cristina's letters, not in her diary. As far as I can tell, the only interesting revelation we got from the diary is that Genaro owed Cristina 20 pesos.

-- UA: You're very welcome. Thank you for the information you added on color photography. That color painting technique you mentioned is what I remember seeing in some old movie star photos from the 40s. They looked too bright, like somebody colored in black and white pictures.

"(...) There are too many men who go for bitches and sluts like her, but usually those women are far more attractive than she is." To be fair, after that entertaining and boisterous scene they showed us at Cecilia's brothel, even I would've have gone to see those sluts! That place looked like fun: dancing, music, drinking, games and witty confabulation. What's not to love?

All joking aside, women in that era, especially aristocratic women, were raised to be reserved and guarded; sex for them was considered sinful and dirty. These women were told to be complacent to their husbands to give them children but enjoying one's body or sexuality was to be left to whores. I would imagine that even dancing in skimpy clothes for their husband's eyes only would've been out of the question.

I like your comparing Mercedes to Scarlet O'Hara. I hope she turns out to be as manipulative and mischievous as Scarlet.
 

I echo everyone's sentiment on that new and definitely not improved entrada! Not only do I dislike the spoilers it contains but I hate the cheesy romantic music they put in and all those shots of Julio and Isabel hugging and kissing. What's up with that? Have viewers been complaining to Univision? EHDLS is just not that kind of TN! I like the previous musical theme, it was scary, ominous and suspenseful. Julio and Isabel's blooming romance is not what draws me personally to this show. I'll even go so far as to admit that I don't care one bit if they ever wind up together. I'm here for the mysteries, for the great characters and for Ayala!
 

And for the cool Doc, too! Man, that sexy gravelly voice... I could listen to it all day!
 

How is it Belen is a bitch and slut? All we know is she has slept with Diego, shamefully likes it, and made a deal with her benefactor Teresa to take her child. I agree Andres is cute and a nice guy but he knows the child isn't his and it was his idea to marry against his mothers protest. Simply because he didn't grow up with a father, wants to be one and make Belen a "honest woman" doesn't make her a slut. She tries but is not feeling it and has questioned him why several times. He was already in love with her and it's not her fault his idea of a marriage of convenience very different.

What label do we give Cristina if we find Diego spoke the truth or Mercedes?
 

I think what irks those of us who have a problem with Belen the most is that she's using Andres. Andres may be naive, I don't think it's too difficult to grow up that way if all you've seen of the world is the inside of one hotel, but he's a nice guy and he wants to help out someone he likes. That shouldn't mean that he deserves to be used and abused. Belen is using him, pretending that she loves him, and doesn't care if he will get hurt. She knows that he will never be the father of the baby because she has already struck up a deal with Teresa. So why doesn't she turn down his offer?
 

Because Belen's life depends on it. She leaves she starves and she cannot stay without cover. It's possible she could ask Teresa to support her away from the hotel, then go her merry way after the child is born but Teresa wants to keep a close eye on her investment. I think it does bother Belen he will be hurt (a little) and it's probable she won't go through with the marriage or Ángela blows it up. He'll still be hurt because his love was unrequited or his mother stuck her nose in. Belen's misfortune is that it's Andres, a nice guy, that rushed to her aid and not a scoundrel like Felipe. None of us seem bothered he was set up by Mercedes.
 

I'm not wasting time labeling Belen a slut. I actually enjoy seeing what a good time she and Diego seem to have in the sack, and on the couch, and on the desk, or wherever the mood takes them. Just like I enjoy what a great time Felipe and Mercedes seem to have in each other's company, and when Sofia and Alfredo get frisky. Ladies of that period equally enjoying themselves sexually during that period, and connecting with their partners, seems like a good thing to me.

The reason I have started to dislike Belen is because she is disrespecting and putting Andres down behind his back. Actually making fun of him. She accepted the deal to be his wife, then she should accept what goes along with that-- not making him look foolish and making a cuckold out of him. She can look for other options for how to deal with her problem if she can't handle keeping up her end of the bargain.
 

You don't take a nice guy like Andres and call him a loser if you're at all concerned about his feelings. If she chooses to keep what respectability she has it isn't in her interests to treat him like garbage. Who knows who overheard her in the street and is gossiping after?
 

Nandicta,

Thanks so very much for reviewing the Cristina investigation by Columbo-Ayala. I didn't understand all the dialog on hearing it originally. You posted:
" ==> the victim was beaten rather than stabbed."

Pardon me for asking, but Let me confirm that the statement above was the conclusion uttered by Ayala. It impinges on the modus operandi of Cristina's attacker.
 

That is what makes discussing the telenovela entertaining; you get a defense of a character that seems to yourself quite unsympathetic (e.g., Belen) -- you get a different POV.

As to the entradas with possible embedded spoilers, I do not intend to comment on them again when they seem to show future events, since they might be spoilers, which others wish to fast forward past. For myself, I don't put faith in entrada collages as faithful to the story. But I do hate spoilers.
 

Wow, fantastic recap Nandicta, I had never read one of yours and I loved your style. By the way, we also have other types of horchata besides rice in certain parts of Mexico, the rice horchata is the traditional one that you'll find everywhere but in Veracruz we also have coconut horchata and there's strawberry horchata in Guadalajara, more to the south there's almond and groundnut too.

Anyway, the show is yet to air in Mexico so I haven't seen a single scene and I just came by to say hello and see how my star boyfriend was doing and got to read Nandicta's fabulous recap. It seems the novela is likeable so I may end up watching later but won't get to comment with the lovely patio. I hope the show stays fun for all of you.

Jarocha


 

Hey, Jarocha! When does this start in Mexico? Yes, your novio, who plays Andres, has impressed us with his looks and his ability to convey a real sweetness.
 

Enoch- There are tn intros that convey the general feel/themes of the tn, while not showing any scenes from the tn (e.g. Muchacha Italiana), and others that show actually scenes from the tn (e.g. Lichita). The updated intro for this tn clearly shows scenes from the tn itself-- we've already seen some of them.
 

Nandicta--Sending you a Valentine as a thank you for your recap. Lots of Hearts, Red and Pink Ribbons, Lace, Cupids, Bows and Arrows, but no Slings and Arrows. Your devotion to these two novelas (PyP and Hotel) are incredible.

Thank you very much for the vocabulary--50% is new to me. Where was I when my fellow 5th graders were discussing comercio carnal. Where was I when my fellow high school classmates were discussing bitacora and college companions were discussing ufana and campante. There's always something new to learn at your feet.

Vivi--I echo your statement that, "I'm still not convinced that she was Diego's lover....Sure, Diego admitted to it. But easier to admit he was Cristina's lover, than to admit he was her accomplice in stealing from the hotel, or her murderer."

That admission came out so easily. Normally it would be something men would try to hide, or at least the names of the partners. He made himself sound so aggrieved (and dirty). I'm glad Isa called him on that.

While I like Benjamin as an actor and a character, the way he presented his announcement to Angela, made me think he would be gone for awhile--maybe some pressing personal need. It was interesting that Angela told him he didn't need to ask her permission--they were equals under the stairs. He knew that, but he was telling her because he wanted Andres to sub for him.

So, in one fell swoop, Andres and Belen are both given promotions and higher pay. I thought it was very imprudent of Belen to treat Andres the way she did. She still needs him. She didn't think ahead when she saw his gifts for the baby. Natalia could make some inroads with him if she doesn't change her attitude.

OT--On Univision's upcoming treats. I'm glad they have scheduled some unwatchable telenovelas. It would be stressful to have 4 hours of Prime Time, 1-2 hours on mid-day, 3 hours on Telemundo prime time, 1-2 on mid-day, 1 or more on UniMas and Gala, plus The Good Wife, Downtown Abbey, Outlander, the People vs. O.J. Simpson, Madoff and lord knows how many others coming up, not to mention MOVIES. My eyes and brains hurt to think of it. Yay for Latoodle and Osorio, bring 'em on.

 

Vivi, it will come here sometime in February but Televisa is not airing it on their channel 2, instead it will be up on Televisa's digital platform VEO which will be relaunched with it.

Carlos is such a sweetheart in real life too, he is a good choice for Andrés, I was mainly worried about his acting on screen since he only has experience in musical theater and so many experienced film actors were hired here. I was worried that he would be singled out as Televisa's typical cash grab since I know he didn't have plans to do tv and he stayed out of tv work until Televisa finally signed him.

Jarocha

 

Jarocha- Very interesting strategy by Televisa for airing Hotel. Hmmm... You'll have to tell us how it does.
 

Nandicta and cathyx--I think sometimes the post-it notes with the timelines stuck on the story board get mixed up and so the writers get mixed up as well. (Televisa rats at work, maybe?)

"Don't Diego and Isabela know each other from at least 5 years before?"

We know Isa has been away at school - perhaps for all her college and now medical school, but surely home on long holidays. She would miss her father, no? At other times, we will assume she stayed with Matilde.

She would have had to have seen Diego around during these vacations, but probably paid little attention to him and wasn't even thinking of any engagement or marriage.

I bet Diego was already noticing Isabel, though. Sofia was taken, Felipe wasn't an option, so he started wooing D. Teresa for Isabel's hand in marriage. He was probably already in cahoots with Teresa over something we don't know yet and wanted to be sure their secret and the hotel stayed in their hands. Isabel probably would not have come home had Mommy Dearest not made the letter sound urgent.

Dona Teresa sprang the engagement on Isabel when she arrived at the beginning of the story. For D.T. it was a done deal, but she would have to make it sound like a family financial crisis to get Isa to submit, which she accomplished.
 

Anita, OT: yes, there is just too much to watch and not enough time. For me, it is Walking Dead tonight. Lsst year, I swore to no more than one telenovela at a time, but that has not worked out too well . . .
 

I'm confused about Belen's status right now. I thought the deal with Teresa for her to stay on at the Hotel through her pregnancy and gift the child to Teresa did not involve her marrying anyone. I thought it was Andres who came forward later to "admit" to his mother he'd fathered the child and would be responsible for the child and give the child his name.

Now that Angela knows this is not his child, I'm sure she will continue to work on Andres not to marry Belen (unless he has already---Help!)

Does this require marriage in 1908 Mexico? I haven't seen any wedding preparations or have I been asleep during a pivotal episode?

Jarocha--thanks for stopping in. Yummm, indeedy, Carlos is a much needed fresh face and conducting himself well. We're all so glad he's a protagonista, sincere, but not that bright. We're all willing to take him home after Belen is through with him to tend to his wounded heart.
 

Just finished recap. "skinny fighter man". Love it!
 

Anita: Civil marriage already existed in 1908 in Mexico (it was introduced through the reforms in the 1857 constitution, which separated Church from state and started the war we saw in Amor Real) but it would be unthinkable for a lady to not have a religious marriage back then.

Children born outside of marriage from a non married couple were called "hijos naturales" and they had less rights than legitimare children but could be legitimized by marriage between their parents and earn the same rights as they would have been if they had been born legitimate, this could be the case for a child who was born before the marriage of their parents with someone else but after the death or divorce of the spouse their parents ended up getting married later (although they would remain bastards in the eyes of society). Children born out of adulterous relationships or incest were called "hijos espurios" and they had less rights than the "hijos naturales".

Jarocha



 

Jarocha--This explains it. Thank you for the information.

So Belen's child would be an hijo espurio if she had taken herself away from the hotel unmarried. The child will be an hijo natural if she sticks around long enough for her and Andres to sign the papers for a civil marriage (absent DNA).

I guess historically, absent DNA testing, any child born to a married couple or to a man who steps forward to claim the child of a single mother is considered to be the man's and is either an hijo legitimo or hijo natural.

Now-a-days, a man who suspects the child is not his can request a DNA test, unless you are Eladio Gomez-Luna (haha).

Jarocha, I'm so sorry this isn't being shown at the same time where you are and you will have to wait to see it on-line (if that's what you mean by VEO). Obvio, you won't want to read the recaps or our discussions without risking big spoilers. We will miss your commentary on Mexican culture (legal system and everything else).

 

Tofie: I like Belen, too. Though I don't like how she treats Andres some of the time. I think there's more to her than being a bitch slut. Wonder what Dr. Carlos would think of her.
 

I'm guessing the doctor is the long lost brother of Don R.
 

High Points:

Ayala measuring Julio.
Isa cruising right by Diego in search for Julio.
Matilde arrives!
Teresa hints Angela has a common story with Belen (high point because we get to know a little bit more history).
Teresa and the baker.
Dag gives Ayala a scare.
Mysterious Cape Man.
Teresa puts Diego in his place.
The doc seems to recognize Diego.
The doc helps Sofia.
Julio does try to go after Isa after he insults her.
Lupe’s wife ran off (another high point because we get a little more history).
Isa crawling into bed with Mati.
Natalia likes Andres.
Ayala compliments Dag.
Jacinto rescues Violeta.
Elisa is big time moded by Teresa, Alfie and her chosen doctor.
Doc is respectful of Isa as med student.
Felipe climbing into Mercy’s window.
Mercy shows up at the cantina. Felipe is pleasantly surprised to see her.
Doc helps Violeta.
Andres/Isa moment.
Felipe and Mercy at the cantina.
Lupe doesn’t seem to care that Violeta is a prostitute. If his son loves her, it’s OK by him.
Cheech and Chong (thanks, Vivi).
Ayala’s reaction to the empty grave.
Ayala and the Can-Can girls.
Angela is sad Lupe is depressed.
Doc upsets Diego re: Isa.
Alfie stands up to his mother.
Andres plays cupid.
Doc sympathetic to Sofia.
Angela turns the tables (ha!) on Belen.
Matilde’s no nonsense talk with Isa (however—see low points list).
Andres tells Julio about Isa’s visit.
Nat crushing on Andres.
Isa finds a pendant like hers at the cabin.
Isa/Julio dream of each other.
Angela to Lupe’s rescue.
Andres gets a promotion.
Julio is to work for Ayala.
Isa corners Diego.
Dead girl in the coffin is not Cris
Isa accuses Diego and gets the best in the encounter.
Julio and Ayala bond.
Dag’s idea the killer is a werewolf.
Teresa disses Mercy to her dad.
Matilde points out Diego’s alibi is Teresa.
Eugenia. New character to shake things up even more—perhaps competition for Felipe’s undeserving heart.
Sofia has proof Diego lied about being at the party when Cris disappeared.
The doc steps in and forces Diego to give consent for Isa to go to town.
Diego sends the Keystone Kop Garrido to tail Isa.
Isa leaves through the backdoor of the pharmacy to avoid being detected by KKG.
Isa demands the truth from Julio—once and for all!!
 

Low Points:

Julio gets beat up. Again.
Teresa does not like Felipe and Mercy together.
Sofia does not take Alfie’s good news well.
Sofia and Alfie fight. He agrees with his mother that she is.
Jacinto refuges to drive Isa to town.
Teresa tells Angela to train Belen as her replacement.
Teresa insults Matilde—though I doubt M cares.
Isa/Alfie realize Sofia has been left alone for a long time.
Julio fights for information.
Genaro tells Julio Cris was a thief, slut, etc.
Isa ignores Matilde while she moons over Julio.
Julio curses Alarcons and their hotel.
Isa snubs Julio.
Julio has a prison tat.
Diego/Belen suck face and Belen insults Andres.
Mel and Violeta fight.
Genaro finds out Violeta is preggers.
Vic makes friends with Nat.
Nat tells Vic Angie found Sofia.
Julio has the “honor” of waiting on Isa and Diego during their “romantic” dinner.
Uncomfortable dinner.
Mel shows up at the hotel, makes a scene and takes Violeta.
Jacinto is a brat to his dad.
Teresa tells Diego to get Isa to either love him or fear him.
Isa tries to explain to Julio, but he’s having none of it.
A body turns up that could be Cris (nooooooo!)
Jacinto insults Lupe.
Andres only hears the part of the conversation with Belen and Nat that makes him think his mom is picking on B.
Matilde makes Isa cry.
Isa gets a headache.
Julio is detained.
Elisa gives Diego Alfie’s (Sofia’s) idea to pitch to Teresa.
Lupe is in trouble with Teresa.
Felipe is caught in flagrante delicto.
Sofia/Afie’s happiness is about to get a major anvil thrown at it.
Cecilia would not let Julio go, so he had to escape. This will probably come back to bite him on the butt—metaphorically speaking (or not).
Julio must see if the person in the coffin is Cris.
Felipe is forced to marry Mercy or die.
Mercy fixed it so her father would find her “being compromised” by Felipe.
Full moon serial killer.
Teresa tells the general Felipe will marry his daughter.
Teresa and Diego plan to force Alfie to be tied to the hotel forever.
Sofia has a meltdown.
Sofia wants Alfie to play dirty and calls him a coward when he does not agree.
Elisa thinks betraying her son is a way to get him to stick with her.
Teresa dismisses Isa by guilting her.
Belen tells Andres he’d be a loser of a father.
Jacinto refuses to take Isa to town without Diego’s permission.
 

the People vs. O.J. Simpson.
A mini series? I saw much of that trial years ago. What a farce.

Mercedes = Mercy = Merci Beaucoup

Nanette, tnx for the great lists, uppers & downers,
brilliant guess on the old unknown/mistaken parentage theme re the doc being bro of Don Romulo --
then his real name is Don Remo! Romulo y Remo = Spanish for Romus & Remus.

"I'm guessing the doctor is the long lost brother of Don R."
 

Anita, you are right and the bad thing about being an hijo espurio is that everybody would know it because he would always carry one last name only, instead of two (hijos naturales were allowed to receive their fathers last name even if they didn't marry their mothers if they ever decided to recognize them), and that would announce to everybody that he was an hijo espurio for the rest of his life. So, unless the father came forward and admitted the child was conceived and born while he and the mother were both single, he could not change his status to natural and receive a last name.

The good thing is that the category of hijo espurio is eliminated from Mexican law in 1917. From then on, all children born outside of marriage were considered hijos naturales who can always receive their fathers last name at one point if he does recognize them. So, these people are close to that time. But still, not having two last names will continue to be a social stigma for the rest of the twentieth century.

Nowadays children born from single mothers will receive both of her last names.

Jarocha


 

Gracias, Jarocha. That is interesting and significant.
 

That is really great info, Jarocha. Thanks.
 

Happy Monday, everyone! Sorry I couldn't join the discussion yesterday. We had a rainstorm and our internet went off.

--Enoch: Regarding your question @ 3:01 p.m., all the information and conclusions I reported from that conversation in Episode 6 were provided by Ayala himself. I don't watch crime shows, save for a few episodes of CSI Miami I saw back in 2010, so I'm afraid I know very little about these things to be able to draw any personal conclusions. In fact, I'm learning a lot from Ayala's vintage autopsy techniques. For example, during that same episode, Ayala said that blood stains ought to be examined under the light of a flame (candle or kerosene lamp) because more clues can be gleaned that way. I was thinking: Wow! This guy is so smart! :)

-- Jarocha: Since discovering this blog over a year ago, I came across many of your interesting comments and valuable insights into telenovelas and Mexican culture. I consider you one of Caray Caray's icons and I was happy, flattered and a little star-struck when I read the comments you posted yesterday! Many thanks for the compliment and for the information you provided about the other types of Mexican horchata (yum!) and about the difference between hijos naturales and hijos espurios. I understand your need to stay away from the Patio in order to avoid spoilers but I selfishly hope you can be lured in here now and again!

P.S. I'm surprised to learn that the guy playing Andrés isn't even an actor. He is doing a fabulous job! He conveys a sweetness, candor and vulnerability to his character and it's hard for me to picture someone else in that role. Great casting choice in my opinion!
 

-- Anita: Many thanks for your kind words and for the Valentine! I'm touched and flattered! Belated best wishes to you and to all our Patio pals: Feliz día del amor y la amistad! Truth be told, it completely slipped my mind that yesterday was Valentine's Day. I had the house to myself and no internet so I baked a cake, gave myself a mani-pedi and watched "The Shop Around The Corner", warmly tucked into my duvet while the rainstorm raged outside!

Regarding our show, I hope that Don Benji's departure is only a plot device to give Andrés the Maître D' job for a while. Being in that position will surely make him privvy to more information about Teresa; information that might help Julio in his quest for the truth.

OT - I have conflicted feelings about the new Osorio production but I think I'll give in and watch it anyway. The lure of our hunky telenovio Cristián De la Fuente is stronger than my aversion to Osorio. Besides, as you said, our brains need a little break. EHDLS and PyP are fast-paced and too engrossing. I'm so emotionally involved with those messed up characters of PyP, it's ridiculous! You're right, bring on the dumb!

-- Nanette: Thank you for compiling another one of your hi-lo lists for us! So much to keep track of, so little space in my brain for that. :)
 

Jarocha--Thank you again for illuminating us on these very sensitive issues. Now I recall how ashamed Josefa was in YoNO when she reported she only had one name when giving a statement to the police.

Nanette--What a wonderful distillation of ALL that went on last week.
"Felipe is caught in flagrante delicto." I would have put this in the Hi Points--for us and Mercedes. I'm sure he sees it as a low point.

Enoch--OT: You and I may have lived through the O.J. debacle, but there are millennials out there who didn't, so, no farce. I was curious to see how accurate the telling of the tale is.
 

Nandicta said: Regarding our show, I hope that Don Benji's departure is only a plot device to give Andrés the Maître D' job for a while. Being in that position will surely make him privvy to more information about Teresa; information that might help Julio in his quest for the truth.
I hope the same on this. I hope he or his son have nothing to do with the murders either. I almost feel like that would be a cop out by the writers.

Cristian de la Fuente is in an Osorio production? Say it ain't so. I will struggle between seeing my first telenovio vs seeing a show by someone whose work I despise.
 

Thanks JuJu and Nandicta for the awesome recaps. I'm actually understanding a little more Spanish in this one, but still not near enough. Plus, there is so much going on!!

Thanks to Enoch, Nandicta and Anita for your kind words about the lists. Anita, I almost put Felipe's situ on the high points list since it was rather comical. For Viewerville a high point, for poor Felipe--not so much.

Nandicta: Love The Shop Around the Corner. And it's remakes: In the Good Old Summertime and You've Got Mail.

Nanette
 

-- Anita : OT - Thank you for mentioning "The People vs O.J. Simpson". I googled it and it looks amazing. Cuba Gooding Jr., Nathan Lane, Courtney B. Vance and John Travolta in the same production? I am sold! Besides, I love courtroom dramas. Some of my all-time favorite movies belong to this genre: "Inherit the Wind", "Judgement at Nuremberg", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Anatomy of a Murder", "A Few Good Men", "12 Angry Men", "Primal Fear", "A Time to Kill", "The Client"... I highly recommend any of these, especially on a rainy afternoon!

-- Cathyx : I hope Benjamín comes back with his son in tow. His telling Teresa how much he misses his son and the way he rushed to his son's rescue leaving his job behind makes me think we might get to meet Benji Jr some time down the line.

OT: I watched the promocionales for the latest Osorio abomination and I'm repulsed and intrigued in equal measures. Check them out, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXjCU6JL4mc and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MToRf4zd9Ng. I'm drawn like a moth to a flame! One thing is for sure, the snark potential is going to be ginormous!
 

-- Nanette: You're welcome, dear. Hang in there, you have us and we have you to help each other through this challenging but excellent TN.

I believe Felipe's shotgun wedding might turn out to be a blessing in disguise for this alcoholic, promiscuous, good-for-nothing, Mama's boy. I said it before when he and Mercedes first met: maybe this feisty gal and her scary father will save Felipe from drinking himself to an early grave.

OT - "You've Got Mail" is a charming romantic comedy but I feel that "The Shop Around the Corner" is so much more than that. I watched it at least 10 times and I discover new layers and nuances to it with every viewing. Glad you're a fan too!

-- Enoch: OT - The details you shared about the O.J. Trial make me even more eager to watch the TV dramatization of this story. Like Anita said, a great proportion of millenials have only heard bits and pieces about O.J.'s murder trial in TV shows or stand-up comedy but don't know how things went down. I was a kid when O.J. went on trial and the first time I heard about it was in the mid-2000s in some comedy show. I'll be watching "American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson" the first chance I get!
 

Nandicta: The Shop Around the Corner is the best (Hello! Jimmy Stewart. Sigh!). With In the Good Old Summertime, you get Judy Garland (one of the few singers who can make me cry) and with You've Got Mail, you get the great MR/TH pairing.
 

Nandicta--OT: You have mentioned some of my favorite courtroom dramas. Did you ever see Witness for the Prosecution? A tour de force! I liked Cher in Suspect.

You haven't mentioned the title of this new Osorio dreck. I'll check out the UTub clip. I will watch Cristian de la Fuente in ANYTHING. I even rented the first two discs of In Plain Sight with Mary McCormack (it was only so-so ok) and the movie Murder Reincarnated (it was ok as far as B-movies go). I have yet to try out 7 Anos de Matrimonio (I don't think he's the main character, though). I think I'll pass on the movie he made w/Sylvester Stallone.


 

It was not only a farce it was shameful that nobody seemed to know that leather gloves shrink when they dry after getting wet.

As for television ratings, I don't know how many people watched through the trial, but my college buddy watched it on E! and told me that the "reporters" made fashion commentary on the proceedings. I was glad to be working and not watching this.
 

-- Anita: OT - Thanks for your courtroom drama recommendation. I will check it out as soon as I can. As for our telenovio Cristián de la Fuente, he starred in a romantic comedy called "Enamorándome de Abril" that premiered a couple of months ago (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC6Mo46ILm4). He also played the villain in a comedy called "Lusers" about 3 friends, a Chilean, an Argentinian and a Peruvian, taking a roadtrip to Brazil to attend the 2014 World Cup and encountering a stolen museum piece (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89zcOkihUB4). I haven't had the chance to see either movie yet but they look like fun light entertainment.

-- UA: OT - Fashion commentary during a public trial? I remember "reporters" doing the same thing during Michael Jackson's trial, except they were not from E!, they were from Sky News!
 

Anita OT: Suspect is one of my favs, too.
 

OT (but enjoyable spin-off):

Is John Travolta going to be OJ? ROFL. Maybe they will make it as a musical. From time to time, as appropriate to the testimony, John will get up from the defense table, dance around (even with Marsha Clark!) & sing -- what will he sing? "Somos Novios" starring into the eyes of Marsha Clark? "I'm Sorry"? backed by Connie Francis.
 

Enoch--OT: No singing and dancing by John Travolta. He's doing an exemplary job as Robert Shapiro, so it's a key role.
 

Nandicta--More OT: Thanks for the recommendations. Have added the Cristian venues for later gawking.
 

Thank you, Nandicta. Wow! I missed the first 15 minutes of this and had no idea of the full moon connection. So now there's a werewolf on the loose? Great!

"that seems to add an extra layer of dumb to Diego’s dumbfounded face" LOL!!! How beautifully put. :)

I'm SURE Diego is lying about being Cristina's lover. Stalker (at best) seems more likely.

I wonder why Mercedes is dreading her sister's arrival. Is she afraid she'll steal Felipe (I know, you seriously can't)?

Regarding the scenes in the opening credits: have they actually shown anything beforehand that turned out to be true? (You don't have to say what - just say yes/no.) I've been tricked by opening credits so many times that I am now skeptical: opening credits may show scenes from things past, intermingled with scenes from nightmares, dream sequences, or wishful thinking, but actual spoilers? I haven't seen that yet.

Just my speculation, of course. At any rate I seldom get a good look at the opening credits anyway. I speed through them to catch up with the DVR.
 

Julie- Yes. Madame Cecilia and Julio having been lovers among them.
 

And the scene where Julio looks into the coffin to see if it's Cristina was in the opening.

A full moon may mean that the killer needed more light to do what he did. Although usually killers wait for the new moon so there isn't any extra light.
 

Watched OJ almost every day. The prosecution was stupid. The glove, of course it didn't fit, I bet I could have spread out my hand enough that it wouldn't fit, aside from it having been wet. Then Fuhrman saying he never used the N word, he was a cop, of course he used the N word. You never ask a question that you don't know the answer to. What should have convicted OJ was the fact that Ron Goldman's blood was in OJ's SUV & OJ did not even know him.

I wont be watching, the original was disgusting enough.

 

OK, thanks for clarifying about the spoilers. I agree, I'd rather they didn't do that. All the more reason to FF through them.

The OJ trial was a miserable travesty from start to finish. I doubt the miniseries will do justice to it. I don't see how anyone can tell a story like that without constantly interjecting, "I swear I am not making this up."
 

I hate when this happens: I'm ready to recap NOW, but the episode is still half an hour away. ARGH!!