Thursday, March 03, 2016
Pasión y poder, Episode 98, Thursday, March 3, 2016: Sudden Death, Stolen Babies, Broken Hearts, and Just Plain Malice – and you thought you had problems!
Labels: poder
I believe Humberto's grief is real, but I also believe he is hedging his bets.
I wouldn't mind it too much if Regina and Turtle Boy fell into a canal in Venice and swallowed a whole lot of filthy water. (Snort).
Tell us how you REALLY feel about Reg, the Queen and her faithful NInja Turtle Jorge. My advice is never date anyone who is prettier than you....and a relentless stalker. I think that we can categorize Jorge as a "fanboy." Venice is too good for them.
Thanks for this brilliantly amusing recap of such a tragic lugubrious episode. I especially enjoyed your increasingly damning evaluation of the state of Franco's soul with this sequence:
"Could there be hope for the soul of Franco Herrera after all?"
"At this point, Franco displays something that resembles normal human emotion, perhaps shock."
"Hope for the soul of Franco Herrera? Perhaps not."
"No. No hope. Gah."
"Okay. He is definitely going to hell."
This was nice:
"Humberto appears genuinely stricken."
He did, but then when this happened:
"He gasps and his head droops alarmingly to the side."
he stole a quick glance Gabriela's way to confirm that he was reaching his target audience... he wasn't.
Loved this:
"...fatal sartenazo, a thing that never looks good on a resumé..."
Which brings me this almost hidden gem that Petra gave us:
After Nina gently scolded Petra for meddling in Erick's private affairs after she commented about the divorce papers she had just delivered to him, Petra threatened to commit a miguelazo... suddenly leaving the house without warning and with no one to prepare the enchiladas they so enjoy.
Carlos
I hardly know where to begin but "They indulge in a sort of Oedipal High Five – she offers him her hand and he kisses it"; "Consuelo is consorting with his half-brother, the same person who sabotaged the brakes on his car and caused the accident that almost killed him (but sadly, did not)", "tells Miguel how bad she feels about David's aunt and uncle and how much she wishes she could be there for him. (But she can't because she is so incredibly rigid" and "Breathless, brainless and heartless" were excellent.
In the midst of all the "whole lot of heartache" as you stated, I found myself musing about Franco. How disconcerting. I felt I was in good company and enjoyed your comments immensely: "(Could there be hope for the soul of Franco Herrera after all?)" - yes I grasped at that straw momentarily! "(Hope for the soul of Franco Herrera? Perhaps not)" occurred only moments thereafter and then "(No. No hope. Gah)" was the final realization. I believe in hope but think I will not squander it here with Franco - there are others more deserving.
How alike Franco and his father are! "Now Franco approaches the trio and puts his hands on Gaby's shoulder. Eladio glares at his son. Franco glares back" said it all.
Petra is my clear favorite here...
Carlos, I didn't see the "side eye" Humberto gave Gaby...Is it possible he was truly distraught for a few moments only to have his selfishness obliterate any real grief? Chilling, like so much else here.
Consuelo should have been concentrating solely on ensuring she retained custody but even if she hadn't been with Miguel, Erick would have abducted his child. Of course, he has shown no interest, except to the nurse as you noted.
Karen, so glad you are commenting again amiga!
NovelaMaven, thank you for making Friday even more special.
Diana
Dear Susanlynn,
Always a pleasure! Your advice (Never date anyone prettier than you) is sound as a bell, of course.
Am I treating the Queen and Turtle Boy too harshly? Nah. I never liked Regina, even when most were cheering her on. Too rigid, too self-righteous, and especially, too slap-happy! And yes yes yes – Venice is much too good for them. Maybe they should go to Fresno...
What a lovely surprise to read your kind and witty words so early in the morning! Thank you so for being so generous.
I'm so glad you mentioned the Miguelazo. I went back and forth about including it (Petra/Samanta often has the best lines in the script, but just as often she seems to have wandered in from the lot next door where they are shooting a comedy. And the recap was getting so very LONG!) Even so, it was a thing of beauty.
"[Humberto] stole a quick glance Gabriela's way to confirm that he was reaching his target audience... he wasn't."
Hahahaha. La gente no cambia. That the H man is in pain doesn't mean that he has stopped playing the angles...
Thank you so much for your heart-cockle-warming words!
"How alike Franco and his father are! "Now Franco approaches the trio and puts his hands on Gaby's shoulder. Eladio glares at his son. Franco glares back" said it all."
You're right – they ARE alike in many ways, partly because Franco is trying to emulate and imitate Eladio. But I see the son as a bad copy of the original, form without substance. I could believe in Eladio's compassion last night and in his pleasure at being given the chance to step up and be a good man. Yes, it was helping him get close to Julia, but he didn't seem two-faced. Now Franco, on the other hand... well, see above.
Have a wonderful Friday!
Although I blithely said I didn't care about the baby or anyone else in this mess, I'm afraid I can't watch any show where a baby is kidnapped. That just strikes too deep at a primal fear for me.
But the recap was clever and hilarious as always. The worse this gets, the better you get, NovelaMaven. I think I'd like to hire you to re-write my life for me. I could use some laughs right now.
Thanks for consistently writing such fine recaps. You have a golden pen...or in this case, a computer.
I didn't catch the quick glance at Gabriela, but Humberto did boast to Eladio on my watch about what a great actor he is. As annoying and frustrating as we find Gabriela there was much justification in her charges against Humberto. He wasn't in any danger here of being killed by anything as alien to him as grief for the loss of an "ingrate" daughter.
Nina is also acting. The only thing that hurts her about the divorce is the blow to her pride and the possible loss of social status. Being the wife of Arturo Montenegro was the role of a lifetime and she's about to lose it.
You are so right about Petra. She is a slightly calmer version of Adele from MIVAC. This actress must have most of her resume in comedy.
Erick's plan looks very premeditated with the issue about the "security guard" being dismissed. However, Consuelo realizes this is a set-up and the supreme irony of it all is that the kidnapper is the one who cut Erick's brakes. Not an unusual operatic coincidence for a TN but a truly delicious one for this character.
That nurse needs glasses if she thinks Ape Child is guapo. He is anything but and doesn't even look intelligent (The new hair is only a slight improvement). I still wonder how he could be the biological child of Nina and Arturo.
You captured Franco's duplicity perfectly; nothing else needs to be said. He'll be this way until his Karmageddon hits.
Does anyone remember that reporter's name? He needs to go on the Karmageddon list.
"I think I'd like to hire you to re-write my life for me. I could use some laughs right now."
hahaha. Only if you will agree to re-write mine. I could definitely do with your perspective these days. (On second thought, maybe we are all engaged in writing our personal narratives RIGHT HERE and RIGHT NOW. A Dickensian format, to be sure - the serial grows day by day - but wholly suited to the subject matter.
Thanks for indulging me in the prologue. I almost deleted it at the last minute but decided to go for broke.
Yes, the kidnaping. I don't blame you at all. There was a Telemundo novela a few years back (¿Dónda está Elisa?) that did indeed go to all the dark places of the soul in its tale of an abduction. Here I have faith that the writers will simply use the trope (see the quotation at the beginning of the recap), but spare the feelings of The Patio in the end.
To paraphrase what I've said before, even schemers grieve. Even mean girls suffer. I only wish Nina had the imagination to empathize with Consuelo or Regina, say. But when she tells Petra that her heart is breaking, I have no reason to doubt her.
As for Humberto, I see him as a scoundrel but not a monster. He is a seriously flawed human being, as are so many other characters in this story. And unlike so many of the others, at least he has the grace to be funny.
Humberto is worse than a scoundrel. He can be charming to outsiders like Nina can, but he is a sociopath. He sold Julia to Eladio after almost bankrupting Israel and Amanda and doesn't have any conscience about either of these things. He considers both daughters to be "ingrates." He equally has no conscience about attempting to sell Julia to Arturo. If he lives long enough to see the pharmacy shares go bust that will be the beginning of his end.
I neglected to mention this before, but I think the death of Gabriela's parents was meant to begin the reconciliations of Gabriela and David with Julia. It will also be compounded by the shock of Marintia's baby when Gabriela realizes that Franco played her and Humberto begins shouting "I told you so!"
Now, that last thing could provoke Humberto's Karmageddon because Franco could be moved to finally knock him off for real. That staircase has to do more than look cool.
Addendum to the above about Gabriela: That Franco and Caridad played her.
Also, it is obvious that Erick never saw the security video of his brakes being cut. I pointed out previously that this would have been too important to not have been shown. That he hired the same thug is obviously the reason the writers didn't have him see the video. They could end up in the same prison at the end and the thug will have the last laugh.
"He is an immediate gratification kind of Chimp"
Just guessing David ran to GL cause Julia Jr. called ostensibly to console but really to hand him his daily rejection. He got it anyway.
Errrrr, what the hell does Julia Jr. think so funny all the time to warrant that smirky smile? She's doing it to Jorge too. This is a girl that would put gum in a seat and wait for someone to sit in it.
Old, infirm and wheelchair bound but gotta admire a man willing to sling feces at a wall all day, everyday, always amused when it sticks.
"This is a girl that would put gum in a seat and wait for someone to sit in it."
"Old, infirm and wheelchair bound but gotta admire a man willing to sling feces at a wall all day, everyday, always amused when it sticks."
Good thinking about why David ran to GL. Of course! It was "cause Julia Jr. called ostensibly to console but really to hand him his daily rejection. He got it anyway."
Thanks so much!
It was getting on my nerves how twice Gaby didn't allow Julia to embrace her. Then FINALLY she did and even thanked Julia and Eladio for everything they had done for her. Hope that Julia and Gaby can recover the relationship they had.
Was surprised to see Franco show some emotion over the death of his in-laws. He showed that same semi-emotion over the death of Gisela as well. But wasn't surprised when he started asking Gaby about the will.
Enjoyed when ThugMan told Erick about having to lay low because of a failed job *wink* *wink*. I guess Erick didn't get a chance to see the footage of the man who tampered with his brakes.
Also, enjoyed when Erick (out of breath) met with ThugMan. Erick must have rushed up those stairs and couldn't handle them.
Erick used a different voice when he met with the nurse. He sounded "naco". Either the nurse needs glasses or she just has bad taste in men if she thinks that Erick is handsome. Uh.. no.
I laughed out loud when Eladio gave Franco the stare down. Comedic gold!
I'm surprised how well behaved Eladio is being. Someone else would have tried to use the situation, i.e. Art, to get closer to Julia but Eladio is playing it just perfectly. Helpful but not pushing for more. He did look a bit uncomfortable when Gaby went to him for comfort.
Die Erick Die!!!! I don't see how this kidnapping helps his case if the baby was stolen for ransom? It shows that Connie wasn't being neglectful but that a premeditated abduction took place. How is that her fault?
Steve B., “I'm pulling for Erick to destroy Connie, who does NOT deserve to be a mother!” I’m not that fond of Consuelo because she has knowingly made one of the most serious and lasting mistakes of the novela, entrapping an alcoholic chimp to be the father of her child. But, I feel that she will be a loving mom and doesn’t deserve to lose her baby!
Nice observation about Erick trying to get on the level of the nurse by changing his language a bit. That reminds of the thing Daniela does when she talks to David: she translates her teenybopper fresa-speak into standard adult terms. She does this with words like "bronca," and "mala onda," for example. (It would be more fun if she were more charming, like, say the Nikki character in Amores Verdaderos.)
"Either the nurse needs glasses or she just has bad taste in men if she thinks that Erick is handsome. Uh.. no."
Poor Chimp Boy. He really gets NO respect around here, does he. jejeje
"Eladio is playing it just perfectly. Helpful but not pushing for more. He did look a bit uncomfortable when Gaby went to him for comfort."
Eladio is breaking my heart these days. His humanity seems to be blossoming, but shyly, diffidently. The actor is playing these scenes of social awkwardness – "on the spectrumness" – with great delicacy. I love it!
And by all means – Die Erick Die! And take Franco with you!
There's nothing Connie has actually done, including palling around with Miguel & kissing him the hallway that should make her lose custody of Erick Jr.
HOWEVER, Connie is going up against a very rich and very powerful family. She comes from a poor background, with no family support.
The 2 people in her soon to be ex-husband's family that support her keeping the child have both told her to stay away from Miguel because it's going to be brought up as an issue.
Miguel has been told to stay away from Connie until the divorce/custody issues are resolved. He has ignored everyone, with encouragement from Connie who sends him pictures and invites him in.
I don't even know why Connie had the stroller she had; she should've had one where the baby faces HER; the one she had was more appropriate for a toddler than an infant.
Yes, that Consuelo has done a lot of silly things hardly means that she deserves to lose her baby. From everything we've seen, she's a loving mother. From everything we've seen of Erick, he is a selfish SOB.
I'm kind of curious about whether Ashmore is still in the picture as far as Dani is concerned. (On the other hand, if he pulled a Miguelazo at this point, I wouldn't be too sad.)
I know babies are supposed to be cute or precious but we all must admit some have a face only the mother can love and if fathered by Eric, well. Perhaps that is why Connie's stroller did not face her.
What an episode. You handled Humberto as he should have been (except he didn't stay prone long enough). You handled Eladio as the ggodhead he is. You handled Caridad and Marintia as far away from you as you could.
I'm with JudyB and all others--babynapping is one of the worst plot devices ever. I can't believe Erick (oh ye of little brain) thought this one up all by himself! And he won't have to change dirty diapers either--what a stroke of genius. The excuse he gave the baby nurse is that he's distraught because his wife has been hospitalized and he needs to be by her side, so he may be AOL a lot of the time. She says she's up to the job--the best reputation in all of Mexico (and she's how old--22, maybe?)
More after I read the comments.
A quick word about Nina, in addition to her children adoring her, Petra also seems to have genuine affection for her and is even comfortable joking around with her.
Carlos
Glad to see you again as well Diana. I've missed you and the group. I truly admire Carlos' ability to admire and criticize Nina and in that spirit, I have to agree with NM. While I didn't see the rigidity and self-righteousness of Regina initially (I was revolted by her slap-happy nature), it's so glaring now. She knows her selfish family would not make the "sacrifice" she is making with regard to David. Even Miguel, who I try to support in spite of wildly poor choices and his unfortunate stalker tendencies, did restrain himself from Connie and he probably has the most discipline of his whole sorry family.
Susanlynn OT how excited are you for "Outlander" season 2? I too miss Sara.
Steve, your assessment of Connie is harsh. I have to agree with Sandy, Connie may have been dumb but she's a better parent than Chimp Boy will ever be.
One of the things that is hilarious about Petra is how she almost always causes the actress playing Regina to crack. It's fun watching her try to be serious (and mean to David) once Petra gives on of her trademark quips.
UA--"That staircase has to do more than look cool." Well, it did provide the tumble sequence for Julia tripping. Humberto would look good bumping down all those steps strapped to his hummer chair.
tofie--I have earnestly tried to like Regina, but she has gotten annoying. I was disappointed she accepted Jorge to kiss her and become novios so soon after declaring her undying love for David. "This is a girl that would put gum in a seat and wait for someone to sit in it." You said it, but I believe it now.
Sandy in TN--I'm glad you said to Steve what you did regarding Consuelo as not deserving to have her child taken from her. She's done everything to protect him AND love him. He's happy (we think) and healthy (we are told). During the hearing I was surprised to hear the ChimpBoy use her refusal to hire a highly paid nanny-nurse to care for the baby as a measure of being a bad mother. Her defense was she wanted to care for the baby herself, as though that was highly unusual. How many of us working mothers had only wished we could have taken care of our own babies from cradle to high school.
Well so much for plot devices vs. the real world.
Anita ..I was one of those stay at home mommies. I only worked part-time two days a week starting when my girls were 2 and 4 , and my mother and mother-in-law both lived close by and watched them the days I worked. We only had a paid babysitter once...the niece of friends.I am sure that Erick had a nanny or nannies whom he terrorized daily, so the thought Connie taking care of her own child seems odd to him.
I for one can see the goodness in Regina's (incredibly annoying soul.) My offer of a few days ago still stands. I will be more than happy to take this annoyance away from the patio. It's but the least I can do.
I didn't know where to go with Humberto. Either he really does have some feelings or he's a very good actor.
But then---Urban at 10:28. us always, you make so much sense.
It looked like Erick was more interested in the young pretty nurse than he was in little Erick. I don't believe that he cares about little Erick at all, he just wants to hurt Consuelo. Oh! Rat Boy Chimp hurt Consuelo? Well that doesn't count and rat momma Nina will be backing Erick all the way.
Carlos---Quoting your most famous line--you don't know that but. No I don't but it is in Nina's character to do so.
I have to run---will read all of the comments later tonight.
must see tv
the gringo
As to whether Erick thought of the kidnapping scheme all by himself, I think he did. He's just not smart enough to think it through with all its possible consequences. There was a line in the film Body Heat that described this situation perfectly:
Every time you try to do a decent crime there are 50 ways you can f*** up. If you can think of 25 of them you're a genius. And you ain't no genius.
It was another blink-and-you'll-miss-it, but when he kissed Nina goodbye and left the house saying "If anyone asks, I was here all day," she turned to the camera and had this look on her face that said "WTH did he mean by that?"
He doesn't tell her everything. She didn't approve of the Rat so he never told her about the party. She didn't recognize the necklace and he never told her anything about it or she never would have worn it and taken a selfie in it.
Leticia
Susanlynn, I have not seen the costumes so thanks for the heads up!
I'm happy to know that Fresno is evocative for you too.
I think Chimp Boy has been thinking about snatching the baby for some time. A few episodes back, he told Consuelo that the child of such a wealthy family would be a tempting target – that's why she needed to accept his guaruras. I think we all knew at that moment what was bound to happen.
Normally I read right past typos (my own and those of others), but this one of yours intrigued me:
"You handled Eladio as the ggodhead he is."
I can think of a few interpretations, but I prefer to appeal to the source. Ppretty ppplease....
Exactly Karen!!
I just love it when the actors laugh and Petra is doing a masterful job here. I am fairly certain I have even seen Nina's lips quiver slightly a few times. I always smile when she comes onscreen. There was another great moment I hope you saw. Julia was perched on a table when it came close to crashing. Fernando definitely came out of character as he laughed and held onto her which Susana rewarded by blowing him what was surely an ad-libbed kiss.
And that's about all the levity we have here.
Keep 'em coming Petra!
Diana
I agree that Raquel Garza, the actress playing Petra, is a pro. Even though she seems to be in some kind of parallel universe, I'm never tempted to throw nerfazos at the screen during her scenes. And yes, her ability to make the actors around her crack up definitely lightens what is sometimes an oppressive atmosphere. I'm glad that we don't have a separate enclave of Petra-like characters for "comic relief." As I see it, what makes her stuff funny is how she butts up against the pretensions of the Familia Montenegro, especially Nina's.
As I've said before, I'm glad to know Regina has a fan out on The Patio (and I'm sure you'd have plenty of company if you set up a table and set out some pitchers of beer and bowls of chips).
As for Nina, I don't think we know how far she is willing to go. While her egging on Erick in the custody battle is troubling, that's not the same thing as abetting a kidnapping. As Urban points out above, Nina certainly didn't look happy when Erick talked vaguely about a plan and his need for an alibi.
Urban, thanks for the line from Body Heat. You're right – it does describe Erick's situation perfectly, and not just in this particular instance.
You have a great weekend too!
Susanlynn and tofie, I believe the turtle is already plotting his escape. Sure he's slow, but he makes up for it by being smarter than anyone around him.
Arturo will end up broke and alone or in a manicomio and Julia will move on without either Arturo OR Eladio.
Hummy will either die in a fire or escaleracide.
Caridad will end up back in jail. She's going to end up doing something illegal to help Franco and get caught.
Gaby will leave town to manage her father's company and Agustin will leave with her.
Dani will OD and die or OD and end up in a long term care facility.
GLA y GM will end up becoming one company.
Erick will be found out about both the kidnapping and Montserrat's murder and go to jail, but this time with no Nina or Arturo to help him.
Franco will die; he will probably kill Eladio.
Clara & Justino will marry and form a happy family with Luisita; Consuelo gets Erick Jr. back and forms a happy family with Miguel and leaves town.
David & Regina get married. Fin.
I love the idea of Erick in prison in the same cell as his and Franco's favorite thug.
Franco and Eladio killing each other might work.
If Franco dies, I think Caridad will either off herself or she will try to raise Franco, Jr.
If Humberto goes down the stairs, who pushes him?
Julia needs to be alone for a while, whether in DF or anywhere else. Without Humberto or Eladio around she can take care of herself, especially if she reconciles with David.
I don't think Arturo will end up in a manicomio. He will need a shrink no matter what happens to himself or his company. I think he will end up saving someone's life before the end of the story and that someone is likely to be Regina, his golden child. He will be the CEO of the combined company.
Someone asked earlier if Assmore is still in the picture. I don't recall seeing Daniela breaking up with him, so if she tries to reel David back in I can't wait for his reaction.
I do believe that Franco will send Callao to whack Justino!
How ironic is it that Gaby is all "Stand by Your Man" no matter how insensitive and selfish Franco is, but Regina has David's love but takes off at any hint of trouble?
I have no problems with Erick's looks -- it's everything else about him that I can stand. How awful would it be if the kidnappers turned the tables on his dumb self and actually upped the $$$ to get the baby back?
Consuelo is a good mom, but after calling the police Miguel would not have been the first person I called. What'd she expect him to do besides understandably cry with her? Arturo is the smartest one in that family and that's who I would've called.
"How ironic is it that Gaby is all "Stand by Your Man" no matter how insensitive and selfish Franco is, but Regina has David's love but takes off at any hint of trouble?"
Nice point!
"Readers meet Jamie at age 23, and in book 8 , he is in his fifties... It is the story of lifelong married love."
Well heck, and here I've been hoping that sooner or later Claire will make it back to the 20th Century. Lifelong married love? Yikes! I'm gonna need more Scotch.
Carlos
Surely you must at least suspect that I'm fond of Laoghaire, and I was liking Frank well enough until his lookalike ancestor raped Jamie so cruelly and lovingly (yikes, did I just say that?) now I have my doubts about him too. You've really got me looking forward to the 2nd season. You definitely must get a supply of both Scotch and Drambuie. If you checked that link to the history of Drambuie then you know that it was supposedly Bonnie Prince Charlie's favorite libation.
Carlos
Rather than risk not having it read I have other thoughts I will post tomorrow.
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