Caray, Caray!

Spam gone. Let's hope someone ate it and enjoyed it. The recap for Monday will be up later tonight.
 

EPISODE #24 (Mon Mar 28) Pt. 1
Carlos and Fernanda meet at the swing over the water. He’s telling her he loves her so much, he can’t imagine his life without her. He says it with a heavy heart and Fer knows something is bothering him. He tries to write it off as fatigue from his trip. She knows that’s not it. Carlos looks down and thinks to himself that they’ve only known each other a short time and she knows him so well. If he tells her about Isabela, she’ll leave him. He looks up at her and says he doesn’t want to lose her. He reaches up to kiss her. They embrace emotionally. None of the joy they had shared there two weeks ago is reflected in their faces. He has tears in his eyes. She holds onto him tightly.

Mariana yells at Old Fer. She tells him he’s crazy to listen to Blanca and her ideas and crazier still to actually publish notices in the papers looking for his lost daughter. He’ll look ridiculous. He doesn’t care if it will bring the results he’s hoping for. He’s yelling back. Mariana yells louder. She stalks out. She thought bubbles the same old refrain, she’s not going to permit his giving Amelia everything that rightfully belongs to her.

Amelia and Felipe are walking back along a tree-lined road from somewhere. He wants to know if Fer is around. Amelia says no and even if she were, his interest in her stops right there. Felipe indicates they are great friends apart from the lawsuit. Amelia doesn’t care. The lawsuit is finished. He politely reminds her that until the matter of the divorce is over he will continue to see Amelia and her daughter. He smiles.

Felipe has come to give his godmother Blanca some money from the case he just won—the one where he represented the girl he’s in love with. Blanca refuses to take the money. Old Fer enters the living room in some physical distress. He collapses onto the couch.

Fernanda suddenly feels a tightness in her chest. Doctor Carlos is concerned. It’s a feeling of foreboding and anxiety, she thinks. Fer wants him to tell her whatever it is that is bothering him, once and for all. He looks up at her again. No words are exchanged. He looks anguished. She looks at him sadly. She speaks first. Is he going to break up with her? No, Carlos swears, he loves her, more than ever. This difficult moment is put off by a phone call from Blanca about Old Fer. He tells her he’ll be on his way to the hospital. Fer asks him to let her know how he’s doing. Even though he said horrible things to her, she feels something special for the old gentleman.

Amelia is at work in her uniform. She tells Lupe the divorce is a done deal. She only has to wait the specified time to be free (it was six months). Lupe thinks they should go celebrate. Amelia is beginning to smile. She wants to feel liberated—free from being Pedro’s servant.

Fer finds Pedro out in the fields among the dry stubble. She’s pretty downcast. She shares with Pedro about Old Fernando’s sudden illness and admits she did go to see him after Pedro told her not to. He insulted her and threw her out of the house, but Carlos says he’s having memory problems and doesn’t always know what he says.
 

EPISODE #24 (Mon Mar 28) Pt. 2
Carlos arrives at the hospital to find Felipe and Mariana waiting outside. Mariana tells him her version of what happened. Mariana said she heard yelling and was sure Blanca said something to aggravate him. When she went in to see, he was sprawled out on the floor. Felipe immediately contradicts her version. Mariana looks at Felipe with disgust.

Carlos tells Old Fer that his blood pressure shot up. Carlos again tells him he needs to be calm, relax and rest. Old Fer says that is impossible in his house. They might as well lock him up and throw away the key. Blanca prays for his recovery and for him to find his daughter and granddaughter.

Lupe and Amelia are having a make-up session (no, they weren’t mad at each other). Lupe is telling Amelia she should start wearing make-up, change her style of dressing. Ordoñez interrupts. Amelia is embarrassed to be found doing non-work. Ordoñez ignores that. He’s brought her a little gift from Spain. It’s a pair of earrings. She very shyly takes them. He doesn’t take his eyes off her. He invites himself along on their celebration of Amelia’s upcoming divorce.

The three are at a restaurant. Amelia is wearing Ordoñez’ earrings. They look nice on her. He says he got them at the Rastro (famous Madrid flea market). She accepts 1 glass of wine. Amelia is smiling. Ordoñez is still looking at her. He says he always sees her so serious, but when she smiles, she shines. He excuses himself to greet a friend. Lupe teases Amelia that she’s already made a conquest. It’s obvious.

Hernán gets home. He’s hungry. He doesn’t care if Old Fer is in the hospital. He wants to eat. >>FF.

Pedro is wrestling with his conscience. Should he tell Amelia her father is ill or not. Suppose he passes away and she finds out he knew….well it’s moot. Amelia gets home and is quite animated. She glories in the fact that with the divorce, he can’t ask where she’s been or what she’s been doing. They were never a married couple, now less than ever, so goodnight.

Luis has arrived at the hospital. Mariana called him. When Luis sees Felipe he sneers in his face if he’s there to pick up some more clients. Felipe leaves. Luis learns Felipe is related to Blanca and happened to be in the house. He helped get Old Fer to the hospital. Mariana doesn’t like the idea that Old Fer wanted to publicize his search for his daughter. Surely Luis sees that this would necessarily drag his name into the public eye as well.
 

EPISODE #24 (Mon Mar 28) Pt.3
Pedro’s job at Marissa’s estate is finished. They’re in the kitchen. She’s very pleased with the results. He gives her the bill, reluctantly, since her son and his daughter are going together, but there are graduation expenses. Marissa says he earned it and goes to get him a check. Carlos enters the kitchen and Pedro asks how Old Fer is doing. Carlos asks how he knows about Old Fer. Pedro says Fer mentioned it to him. Carlos says he’s ok now. Marissa brings his check and reminds Pedro he’ll be doing the bank’s landscaping.

Carlos is ready to leave to see Old Fernando, but Marissa holds him back. She’s appalled by his treatment of Isabela, telling her to get an abortion. He’s incredulous. He tells his mother, twice, that it is a lie. He only said he’d believe it once there is an exam that proves the baby exists. Carlos says he’s not breaking up with Fernanda. Marissa says he’s not listening. If Isabela is expecting *his* child, he *must* marry her. Carlos answers it’s one thing to assume responsibility for this presumed child of his, it’s another to marry. No one can obligate him to marry Isabela. Carlos says marriage to Isabela would be a disaster. He doesn’t love her. He’s in love with Fernanda. He’s surprised his own mother is taking her side and not supporting his position. She feels she is supporting him. She feels he can’t let Isy bring an illegitimate child into the world. Those are not the values he was raised with.

Marissa reminds him he has no obligations with Fernanda, but he does have a responsibility to Isy and yes, she has become very fond of Isy. Carlos says if this is a matter of responsibility, she should talk to Isy about responsibility. They agreed to take precautions, just so this wouldn’t happen. Carlos is only asking to wait for an exam, to be made in his presence to prove this baby is his. Marissa replies that Carlos should know that things do happen. If it is so, Carlos says, he will take full responsibility for the child, but marry Isy? Never. He’s sorry, but never.

The seniors at El Colegio de Esperanza are taking their final exams (I guess we won’t be seeing Professor Adorable any more. Sniff.)

Luis and Mariana gang up on Old Fer at his bedside. They tell him the press will have a field day since Don Fernando is an important business magnate. Old Fer doesn’t care. Luis spreads it on even thicker. What would his granddaughter think to have her name all over the press and why she needed to be found. He urges Old Fer to leave it in the hands of the investigator.

Back at the cottage, Fer tells Pedro she’s done. She’s going to graduate at the top of her class. She and Pedro spend some happy time together. He reminisces about her very first day at school when he took her and here she is all grown up.

Amelia is at work and Ordoñez stops by to greet her. He said he had a good time with her and Lupe. Then he reminds her of the board meeting, which will include Marissa’s son, the future bank president. Amelia wonders if Marissa’s husband will also be there. Ordoñez tells her he is not part of the bank, but knowing him, he try to get in. Amelia worries to Lupe later that if she runs into Luis at the meeting he won’t remember her or he will and she won’t know what to say to him. Lupe tells her to relax. He’s not going to say anything if he recognizes her. What is there to say, he knew her, impregnated her and left her? Amelia is not convinced. He knows she’s the mother of the girl who sued him. So she can’t run the risk of his seeing her at all.

Hernán, still pimping out his daughter, encourages her not to give up on Carlos. What does it matter that he’s rejected her and humiliated her. What better time than now at the hospital. He’s sure Carlos will be there to see Old Fer and she can casually be dropping by to see her grandfather. Camila pauses then decides she likes the idea.
 

EPISODE #24 (Mon Mar 28) Pt.4
Pedro shows Fer the check from Marissa. He wants her to have it for the graduation trip. No, Fer says Camila’s father has insisted on putting up the money for her (instead of telling Pedro the money is from the judgment against Luis).

Carlos heads for Isabel’s spa business and confronts her about the lie she told Marissa about his wanting her to have an abortion. She plays Miss Innocent and says that’s what she understood. Well, he says, she misunderstood, as always. They have a little tussle. She teases (meanly) is he afraid his noviecita will find out? Because it’s going to happen. Carlos simmers down, but not completely. He asks Isy not to say anything to Fer. So, she ponders, Fernanda has no idea what went on—that she and Carlos were having relations at the same time he was falling in love with Fernanda.

Carlos takes a call from Fer while this heated exchange is going on. He calls her “mi amor,” they’ll meet in the same place after the bank meeting is finished. He leaves, looking at Isy, with a happy smirk on his face.

Luis and Mariana are walking along the hospital arcade. Luis has decided it is in his best interests not to let the press snoop around in Don Fernando’s past. Mariana tosses in a laugh, yes, it’s not good to air dirty laundry in public and he’s one of the dirty rags. Listen, he tells Mariana, he never told Marissa anything about Amelia. He can’t have her learning now he abandoned a pregnant Amelia to marry Marissa. She would never forgive him.

Pedro and Fernanda go off to town to buy her a graduation dress. He has opinions on her choices. They finally agree on one we do not see except that the top is black.

Old Fer is discharged and Hernán and Camila are there circling Carlos. Hernán backs him into a corner with nowhere to go. He tells the doctor since he isn’t able to dine with them that night, he’s invited to attend Camila’s graduation exercises with them the next day and he’s not permitted to refuse. Cara impactada de Carlos—and wait until Fernanda finds out.
 

Anita, what a brilliant burst of sunshine you gave us!

Well written and brimming with amazing lines. "Lupe and Amelia are having a make-up session (no, they weren’t mad at each other"," yes, it’s not good to air dirty laundry in public and he’s one of the dirty rags" and "Amelia is embarrassed to be found doing non-work" were among many favorites.

I have to say in spite of everything going on with Fer and Carlos, I found myself most fascinated by Amelia and Ordonez. Her shy smile was the first I've seen that truly seemed to emit genuine happiness! Ahhh, poor Pedro. My heart went out to him. He should have been and was the worthy recipient of such a sweet smile. Of course, Fer as well which goes without saying.

Luis' upturned jacket collar was a throwback fashion contrivance that did not work. It annoyed me no end - as does he.

Gracias Anita!

Diana
 

Ah, Anita, another one of your gems. Thank you so much for sticking with this, and for your high quality, richly detailed recaps.

I loved when Camila told her father, "what part of 'I don't want anything to do with you' don't you understand?"

I frankly don't see why Carlos feels so backed into a corner over Hernan's invitation to Camila's graduation party. He should have said, "That sounds great! What time should I and my novia show up?"

(Note: Once Will Rogers was asked to speak at an event, which he did, but then he sent the sponsors a bill. They objected, saying they had meant him to be a guest, not a paid speaker. He replied, "If I was a guest, you would have invited my wife.")

I think it's great how Carlos is holding manipulative Isy's feet to the fire. These things are always a little delicate because of a woman's right to privacy, but being a doctor, he feels he has a lot more latitude than most accused fathers, or at least he knows more about how things work, and can thus act accordingly. God I'm going to love it when all this lying and manipulation begins to come to light.

Pedro has strong ideas about how much of his "daughter's" anatomy should be exposed, doesn't he?

What were Pedro and Fer doing out in that picked cornfield? Gleaning corn? Seems like a pretty low yield endeavor.

Thanks again, Anita! Another great effort!

David
 

Oh, I meant to add: was that a hickey on the left side of Felipe's neck?

David
 

David, David--You should know by now that for me, Felipe is the Extra Man, so I rarely notice much about him, unless he's being a bother. So, no, I didn't notice whether he had a hickey or not. It wouldn't have been Fernanda's. I doubt it would have been Camila's. She so transparent, she would have run to Fer first thing to tell her all about it. Besides, I think she's still ticked off at Felipe for tricking her into thinking Carlos was interested in her.

I will say, he's nice to Blanca. Everything else has that mini-sleaze written all over him. I don't understand, though, why he doesn't have some girl hanging on his arm. After all, he knew Isabel and introduced Carlos to her.

When I saw Pedro "working" out in that field, I wondered if he also had farm duties. That was a huge (for a one-man, one-hoe) field. Maybe the director and cinematographer was just tired of the lake, the cottage, the hammock, the green grass and lovely old trees around the cottage. Let's just chalk it up to an Easter beanie we had to wear.

Carlos still has time to give pushy Hernan an answer that lets him down easy. Tonight should give us the answer since graduation was only a day away.

Thank you for the Will Rogers quote. He was already in another world before I was born, but his celebrity was still very present.

I was surprised as well, by Pedro's opinions on the exposed anatomy of his daughter when she regularly goes about with t-shirts that barely cover the bottom of her bra and her belly button exposed. Well, I guess if you have a pretty belly button and a nice pinched waist, why not. (I must stop superimposing my own reality onto a teenager's body.)
 

Diana--"I found myself most fascinated by Amelia and Ordonez. Her shy smile was the first I've seen that truly seemed to emit genuine happiness!" You and me, both. We certainly weren't prepared for the shyer side of Amelia. Here we all thought Ordonez was interested in Marissa. He already had Luis' number from way back and was just biding his time for the Luis empire to crumble.

What did he see in Amelia, I wonder, besides her smile. Maybe he will be more forthcoming in the future. He would certainly be good for her--a sophisticated, successful, urbane gentleman. I think part of her bitterness is her yearning for contacts with people who would challenge her intellect, long dormant.
 

I can't say enough how much I love your re-caps!

Amelia annoys and irritates to no end; however, I actually saw a nice looking lady yesterday at dinner enjoying herself. Too bad she left and this Evil-lene came back.

I will admit that I'm intrigued by this obvious story line. I just wish she didn't have to be an ass to Pedro and her own daughter in the interim. She doesn't really deserve to be happy, but it's a TN and villans are redeemed in the end.

I too love how Carlos isn't taking Isabella's crap or word, but he won't put his foot down with Camila's father (or maybe he will) This man has no shame. You mean to tell me that there aren't other eligible wealthy sons in that neighborhood? or zip code?
 

Amelia has a truly beautiful smile, but I just cannot care about her at all. I'm sorry. Not after watching her treating Pedro and Fernanda like trash all the time. And I just don't believe she deserves to simply find a good man like Ordoñez and go be happy with him. Things shouldn't be so easy for her. She's a monstrously selfish person.
 

Anita, I want to thank you for keeping us informed and admit I'm still keeping an eye on this one. It is way better than what follows at 8.

Ameila is a nasty human being and nasty human beings smile. I've seen em. I'm just waiting for the makeover so I can poke fun at Lisette Morelos trying to walk in heels.
 

"Ameila is a nasty human being and nasty human beings smile. I've seen em."

LOL, tofie!! They certainly do!
 

Kendra--Amelia certainly never had a sunny disposition--remember how she treated all her quesadilla stand customers, yet they kept coming back for more. She should have expanded that business. She could have. She didn't need to be monitoring Fernanda 13/7, or however many hours she was in school or asleep. From junior high on she could have been away for longer. And this was a girls' school, and a strict one, it seems, so she didn't have to worry about boys in her classes.

Poor Amelia, she really didn't have a chance to grow up and had no other role models to follow. At least she had Lupe and Lupe here is no Pepa/Fina, thank goodness.

I worry more about Fernanda and I've said it before. Her parents have never slept together, they have no physical contact in or out of the home. What Fernanda knows about sex has probably been picked up from girls like Camila. How is she going to handle Carlos and her own feelings when it comes to her first time. How long will Carlos wait. My bet is it won't be 19 years.

Lucy Lu--I didn't mean to imply she *needs* a good man to go off and be happy with. I meant just being around people like Ordonez who can be stimulating to her intellect. Besides, she is at once besotted and repelled by Luis. She has to get that out of her system first. That was a teenage romance that went too far there by the waterfall.

tofie--So glad you stopped by. I'm so sorry to hear Sueno is not living up to our dreams of a dreamy Cristian. I see the teasers every day and he does look good, but spare me another Julian type-cast as a nasty. At least our pair of young lovers here are not so saccharine.

I remember Lissette trying to walk in heels in La Impostora. Maybe they'll keep her in lower-heeled shoes and tell her not to take such long steps.
 

Anita I was visualizing Lissette always bout to pitch forward on her face in La Impostora and the crimes of fashion. That whatever green handbag seemed to accompany any outfit stitched together that morning from the drapery or a bolt end from a clearance table.

I too worry about Fernanda and if Carlos was a real man he would settle his crap with his ex before hittin on a schoolgirl. Think of it. Her parents are divorced, her mother on the verge or running off and her bf might get married but not to her. There's gotta be a fiddlin song in there somewhere.

Oh, I'm not a fan of Cristian and even if I were he wears his jackets too tight.
 

I agree Anita. Amelia is an angry, whoa is me, selfish piece of human being. I can't even flashback to the first episode (of in-love with Luis) because those old people playing young was irritating. She could have done more with that Quesadilla stand - like put in the market where people were shopping.

My comment was really because, I don't see her as an attractive person (like in her really happy days), but when she was at dinner and smiling with the earrings, it took me to someone who actually looks fairly nice. What Ordonez sees in her...or Pedro for that matter, who in the heck knows? But it was pleasant for the first time.

I'm trying hard to not 'dislike' Marisa. She is trying to force Isabella down her sons throat. He doesn't love her, let it go! I really like a girl for my son and they were really cute together. One day I asked about her, and he said something like he left her alone and he hopes she leaves him alone.

Awe man I was disappointed, but I left it alone. Marisa should do the same.
 

Kendra--Marissa's problem is the generation gap. Isabela is a throw-back. She's using a "pregnancy" to snag Carlos, or I should say, to not let that schoolgirl upset her plans.

Carlos and Isy apparently talked about it, they were using protection, so the NO KIDS NOW deal was on the plate. She can't pull this stunt out of a rabbit hat and expect Carlos to go along with it without blinking. That's why she needs Marissa's old-fashioned ideas about no single parenthood allowed, to help her out.

There must be some statistics somewhere here in the U.S. on the number of single women who want children so strongly that they either adopt or get some sperm donated.

tofie--Carlos is almost a real man. He tried several times to break up with Isy, but she wouldn't take NO for an answer and got his mother to help out to keep him from breaking up. He couldn't really get away from her. They are both tied by business and careers, her ties to his family, to that town and her sister at school. Thus the pregnancy trick. Where he fell down a couple of notches in my estimation is not to have told Fernanda from the start that he *did* have a girlfriend--overlapping a bit. He did tell her out by the swing that he thought he'd been in love, until he met Fer, but no further facts.
 

I'vr been tryin to get a comment in, but couldn't cuz the robot square wasn't there. I hate that. But now its back yaaaah.

I was watching the openning credits on cc3, and they had the english translation for the title. Glad to see that. Right now Her destiny is in the toilet. I blame amelia. The woman is misery on a stick. And she has the nerve to tell pedro he is nothing to her. What is he stupid?. This is truely tv, cuz in real life in some places he would tell her where to go and helped her get there in some places. He gave that heffa 19 years of his life, and got nothing but misery for the love he gave that skank. He could have left her ol pregnant but by the side of the road but he's got a big heart and a good heart and he's too good for her.

But fer needed protecting from her crazy ass momma. And he had to go without sex for 19 years, to protect her it was worth it. (I was laughin while typing this paragraph). LOL !!!!
 

Nina--I understand your frustration with Amelia. There was definitely something wrong in that relationship. I feel I must partly blame Pedro for not accepting the facts that from the very beginning, through the pregnancy, not bonding with her baby, not loving him, and no sex would have told him some truths about Amelia and their relationship. He could have seen after six years, ain't nothing happening. But he stuck it out, mostly for the sake of his little girl (and for the story's sake).

Recap is coming right up.
 

EPISODE #25 (Tue Mar 29) Pt. 1
Pedro and Fernanda get back from shopping. It’s the middle of the afternoon and Amelia should be at work. Instead she’s reproaching them. Where have they been, what have they been doing. [Amelia, please, what’s good for the goose should be good for the gander, no? Not 12 hours ago you were singing away that you’ve been liberated from Pedro and you don’t have to answer where you’ve been or what you’ve been doing any more. But Pedro is a nice guy and doesn’t point that out.]

They’ve been out shopping for Fernanda’s graduation party dress and why is Amelia home early? She tells them they are fumigating the offices and everyone was sent home and no, she doesn’t want to see the dress right then and don’t let their supper burn. She stomps off saying she has to iron something for tomorrow. Fer and Pedro look at each other. They think it’s odd they would be fumigating now if they’re holding an important bank meeting there in the afternoon.

Camila arrives to see Fer. They scoot off to Fer’s room so Fer can show Cam her new dress. Cam says Felipe will f-lipp when he sees her in it. Fer is puzzled until Cam reveals Carlos will be going with her to the graduation party. Her father invited him when they saw him at the hospital. Fer wants to know if he accepted.

Amelia is in the master suite (hmm, why do they call it that) admiring her earrings. Pedro walks in because he wants to ask her why she lied about the fumigation. Instead, he sees the earrings and asks where she got such expensive earrings. This start a huge row between them. It carries to Fer’s room, just as Cam was going to answer Fer’s question about whether Carlos accepted to escort Camila to the party. Camila flees the house, leaving Fer to mediate. She doesn’t have much effect on the warring parties, as Pedro can be heard still accusing her for lying about someone just giving her the earrings, just as he doesn’t believe her story of the fumigation.

Carlos arrives for the bank meeting. It seems to have been a short meeting and it went well. Marissa is congratulated. Carlos leaves—he has an appointment (to see Fernanda). Marissa tells Ordoñez (I thought I heard Carlos call him Ignacio, but I may be wrong) that she is hiring someone to landscape the main bank and all the branches. In fact, she decides to call Pedro right then.

Right then, is the height of Pedro and Amelia’s argument. The phone rings. Amelia answers and is very rude to the caller. She hands the phone to Pedro. He mentions Sra. Marissa. Fer’s eyes open wide, she whispers to her mother questioning, isn’t that her boss? Amelia shushes her so she can at least hear Pedro’s side of the conversation. Marissa, on her end, is asking Pedro to stop by the office the next day. When he’s through, Amelia wants to know where Pedro knows the Sra. Marissa from. At this point, Fer and her violin flee the fracas. Amelia is upset he never told her he was working for her. He explains that when he took that job, she wasn’t planning to leave him or get a job, much less in that bank with the bank president. She wants him to resign. The reason Amelia gives is that, as the personal assistant to the bank president, she doesn’t want her or anyone to find out she’s married to a gardener. Pedro is hurt, but has enough dignity to tell her he’s not quitting. It’s good money.
 

EPISODE #25 (Tue Mar 29) Pt. 2
Carlos waits for Fernanda at the gate. He hears Marissa’s words about Isy and the baby loud and clear in his head. He thinks to himself that it’s as if Isy is taking revenge on him. He wonders if Isy is right and he’s afraid to tell Fer he was having relations with Isy at the same time he was falling in love with Fernanda.

Fer tells him of the row her parents were having because of Marissa’s phone call. Carlos now has another worry. Did his mother call the Perez to tell them of Isabel’s pregnancy. It turns out she didn’t. The two sit near the lake, cattails waving in the background. Fer is upset about how fiercely her parents were arguing. Carlos tries to gloss over it by saying all couples fight. She can’t figure out why her mother would be so upset to learn Pedro knows Carlos’ mother. And another thing, Fer wants to know if it is true Carlos was invited to go to the graduation party as Camila’s escort? Why didn’t he tell her? Carlos just saw them earlier at the hospital. No, he didn’t accept. He’s going with her. He loves her with all his heart. They kiss and she feels better. She takes his hand to take him to share another part of her world with him.

Nana Blanca is talking to Old Fer about the fright he gave her, passing out and no one bothering to call and let her know how he was doing. Then he forgets, then remembers he had been arguing with Mariana about publishing the notice in the newspapers when he fell ill. Nana Blanca walks away, cursing Mariana and Luis for changing his mind.

Fernanda has led Carlos, Pied Piper Style, to her mother’s quesadilla stand. Apparently all the equipment is stored inside the railroad car. She beckons him inside. She begins to explain in pantomime for our benefit. It’s sort of like they are playing house and Carlos is loving it—until she flings open a window and a tarot card reader is standing outside and grabs her arm. She tells them they make a cute couple. She takes them to the place where she does readings. Fer’s future looks none too bright.

“Be careful,” she says, “there is something that disrupted your destiny. You are facing much grief for the many things that have been concealed from you. There are mysteries, lies you will uncover and one great secret that will change your life forever. Your life is not your life. Your are living a borrowed life. Someday the doors will open and you will enter to your destiny and live the life that belongs to you. But as you search to find it, you will shed tears and suffer pain, lots of pain.” [To me, this is a spoiler. Drat.]

This prognostication scares Fernanda to death and she and Carlos leave quickly. Fernanda is sure the seer was referring to the matter of Luis Montero and her “scam.” Carlos tells her he doesn’t believe in cards and predictions. He wants to take her someplace to forget it all. Fer decides no, she’d better go home and be ready for commencement the next morning. He will come, won’t he, she asks. Of course. He promises to be there.

At Marissa’s mansion, she waits patiently for Luis. He’s late, again. He shows up and they catch each other up on how they spent the day. They’re being quite amiable. When she mentions a shotgun wedding for Carlos and Isabel—he’s looks on stony-faced. He’s probably thinking back how he was lucky to run away from Old Fer and his shotgun.

 

EPISODE #25 (Tue Mar 29) Pt. 3
Next morning Carolina tries to get Isy to hurry up and get ready to go to graduation. Isy says she’ll be there in plenty of time to give Fernanda a heart attack to see her walk in with Carlos. The hug and squeee.

Over at the Perez cottage, it seems Amelia isn’t going to go to commencement. Neither Pedro nor Fer can believe she would choose work over her only child’s graduation from high school. She does. She puts on a very sour face as Pedro takes over as mother and father to attend the exercises. Fer is genuinely crushed by her mother’s indifference to her. [Sartorial Comment: I’m sorry, but I can’t believe Pedro is wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt under that white, top stitched in contrasting color, whatever kind of jacket that is—a waiter’s second hand summer jacket? Has he not a single pair of slacks in his closet? Or a white shirt? He may be a poverty-level gardener, but could he not at least have shaved? I didn’t notice, but I bet Cesarín didn’t show up in blue jeans.]

Luis is getting ready to go to work. Marissa hopes he will get home earlier so they can dine together. Oh, by the way, the two still chatting amiably, Marissa hopes they can do something about Andrea. It seems she’s having some “love trouble.” She was hoping Luis could take it on to find her a boyfriend. The boyfriend she already has gulps and looks at Marissa with what he hopes is a not guilty visage.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mariana has taken charge of the medicine for Old Fer. [Tell me, are liquid medicines and poisons dispensed from little brown bottles with a dropper still that popular in Mexico, or is it just in telenovelas.] She pours the entire contents into a second cup and refills the bottle with water. Mariana is thinking to herself that the drops are supposed to prevent another crisis. Let’s see what it does to drink the whole thing. She just wants him to die already. Immediately upon drinking the contents, Old Fer begins to have difficulty breathing.

Fer is getting depressed. Not only has her mother declined to attend, but she hasn’t seen Carlos anywhere. Meanwhile, Isy arrives, all ready to squash the Fer-bug. Fortunately, the Head Sister, Fer’s aunt, steps in to steer Fer to her seat. Isy turns and sees Carlos approaching down the hall. They rewind their last conversation, that is, she’s going to tell Fer; he says she’d better not. If anyone talks to Fernanda it will be he. Isy laughs. She’s not there to talk to anyone. She’s there to attend her sister’s graduation. But, they can always walk in together. Carlos doesn’t like that idea. Fortunately for him, he gets a phone call. It’s Mariana, Old Fer can’t breathe. She thinks he is dying. Carlos must come quickly. Nana Blanca urges Mariana to take Old Fer to the hospital. Time’s a wasting. Hernán tells her to call an ambulance—they have oxygen [actually the mean son-in-law is right]. He’s on his way to his daughter’s graduation.

Carlos leaves the school grounds in his car. He tells Mariana to find the oxygen and the cannula they gave him to take home at the hospital. Mariana is freaking out. Carlos turns her off and curses the situation. Of all times, just at Fernanda’s graduation. He arrives and fortunately Old Fer is breathing again. He throws out the very agitated Mariana and gives Old Fer a shot. He stays with his patient until he is gently sleeping.
 

EPISODE #25 (Tue Mar 29) Pt. 4
Back at the commencement exercises, Fer sees the tangle-haired woman who was at Carlos’ house the day she first went there. She wonders what she’s doing there.

Amelia is cleaning Lupe’s office (hers must be the cleanest one anywhere in the bank). She learns Luis never showed up at the bank meeting. Lupe wonders why she’s not at Fernanda’s graduation. Amelia says she didn’t want to lose another day. She also tells her about the big argument over the earrings. She told him they were a gift and should he ever ask, Lupe gave them to her. She tells Lupe about the rest of their argument over his landscaping job at Marissa’s and never telling her and now he has a contract to do the bank’s landscaping.

Fer plays her violin for the class and gives the commencement address. Pedro’s sister The Sister says she’ll never forgive Amelia if she doesn’t show up for her daughter’s graduation. Never. Never. (I believe her.) Fernanda is still looking for Carlos. Carolina and Isabela are loving her disappointment.

A bittersweet ending for twelve years of hard work for Fernanda.
 

Great recap Anita! Wow that Amelia is a cold beeyotch, how do you not attend your own kids graduation? I'm starting to really loathe Amelia and I could give a rats butt if she has any happy ending. At this point I want her to be alone and miserable watching as Pedro and her daughter are blissfully happy while she rots in that little house.

Speaking of that little house, am I the only one perplexed as to why a very talented gardener like Pedro wouldn't at least put a nice garden outside his own home? It needs some weed eating at least. Maybe a few little containers of flowers. There's no reason for it to look so sad and unwelcoming.

I have to also chime in about his clothes. There is no reason he can't shave, put on a fresh clean shirt and some nicer pants. It's like he doesn't even try. Poverty doesn't mean you give up putting your best appearance forward.

I'm losing respect for Carlos, the longer he keeps Fer in the dark about Isy. All bets are off when Fer hears the truth from Isy. Carlos won't have a leg to stand on and no matter what he says it's going to look like he was trying to have his cake and eat it too.

Marissa needs to stop treating Carlos like a child. Speaking of...why does he still live at home?

It's late, I'll post more thoughts tomorrow.

Again thank you Anita! <3




 

So, I got up this morning, and sure enough, 1) the sun had come up, and 2) here is another excellent recap from Anita. Thanks, especially since I missed the first ten minutes, which by your description, was a busy 10 minutes.

Regarding you ladies' noticing clothing styles, I rarely do. I don't like all the choices and mixing and matching and coordinating. I liked it better when I was in the Army, and every day, you just had to put on your uniform.

Well, we are getting into a phase here where everything starts hitting the fan. There are so many anti Fer+Carlos factions operating that this relationship doesn't stand a chance in the short run. Also, Fer, a high school grad, doesn't have the maturity to understand that a doc on call may not be able to meet each and every social obligation.

Anita, I agree that the seer almost dipped into spoiler territory. I think the intent was just to cast a pall of doom over everything.

I am surprised that a gardener with Pedro's talents is seemingly impoverished. In the U.S. that would be a fairly good paying job.

Delilah63 I like your characterization of the overlap period in Carlos relations with Isy and Fer as "trying to have his cake and eat it too."

David
 

Anita, thank you for a steller recap. I can't stand amelia. Shes hatefull and just all out nasty. This heffa wouldn't have a pot to pee in if pedro hadn't taken her mean ass in. He loved her, past tense. I don't think he loves loves as much any more. I wish he would just get angry enough to let her have with both barrels. Not hitting but give her a good tough lashing. Everytime she opens her mouth to speak to him or fernanda I can feel those hurtful words. Shes just a mean ungrateful nasty heffa. I don't care if she gets some happiness or not in the end. Right now she can just get out of fernanda and pedros life.

And pedro, hes a gardener. They make pretty good money here in the US. And he just got the contract for marissa's banks, he is going to be makeing some good money. Is it different in mexico than here? Im with yall he can dress better than that. You can look like a million bucks on a little bit of money. You just got to know how to turn it, which he just obviously don't. I hope he learns soon cuz I really don't care to see amelia lookin good while hes goin around lookin like a hobohank. That would not be fair. That would be up to the writers, and they're battin zero with me right now.

That card reading lady sorta kinda said what we were all thinking about. Its going to blow all at once on fernanda. And I hope she leaves that black hole and has a good life, a rich life, not talkin about rich with money, but with her hearts desire music. Always keepin In touch with daddy pedro. At this point I don't care if she stays in touch with her mama or not. And in time Im sure she and carlos will find their way back to each other. Maybe they'll do a time lapse thing, give all the little girls time to grow up. The adults too.

Now this is what I want, but the writers got something else in mind. Ok. Anita, thank you my dear.♡♡♡♡
 

Gracias, Anita! What a sad day for Fernanda! Too bad I couldn't put my foot through the television screen and give Amelia a swift kick. You'd think she would be proud that her girl was valedictorian of the class.

I can sort of understand Pedro's motivation for hanging around. A friend of mine once stayed in a loveless marriage until her son was able to (mostly) overcome his agoraphobia. I don't think the marriage was loveless for 19 years though.

As for Pedro's appearance, you'd think that after work he would immediately hit the shower and put on some clean clothes. But I'm not surprised that he didn't have a suit. I've known plenty of engineers who didn't own a suit. But they would run out and buy one for an important function, like being best man at a wedding.
 

Anita, your summary was written with grace and pure eloquence. Your perfectly stated (and nuanced) comments were brilliant. Simply sensational.

"Fer and her violin flee the fracas" and "A bittersweet ending for twelve years of hard work for Fernanda" were among too many favorites to list.

Fer's small, delicate face mirroring that her heart was breaking truly touched my heart. We know Amelia is capable of happiness, of bestowing a smile. Haven't we recently seen what the right man and gift can do? To not attend her daughter's graduation, to not celebrate her remarkable achievements, was unfathomable. And unforgiveable.

I do not understand parents who do not love their children. Indifference may be one of the cruelest forms of abuse and Amelia has managed to do that seamlessly.

I appreciate your wry humor Anita with "He may be a poverty-level gardener, but could he not at least have shaved". I totally agree. I will say that what he lacked in more fitting attire, he certainly made up for with his joy and support of his beloved daughter. But even that could not make up for the absence of Amelia. Sometimes it is not the ones who give us everything that we love the most, but those whose love and support is lacking but most desired.

Thank you so much Anita. This was a work of art.

Diana
 

First, Anita - I don't know how you keep this up, but I'm so glad that you do!

Second, Clothes - Pedro/Fer what in the world? That blue sweater with 1000 holes in it and Pedro? C'mon! I would have rather seen jeans and a blue t-shirt than that attempt at whatever it was. I don't mind mix and match, but that was just strange.

Third, Carlos - I'm kind of glad he didn't tell Fer, just yet. Not because he shouldn't tell her right away, but she had her final exam the next day and now her graduation. That probably would have been a disaster. She's already easily freaked out by things. Poor thing...he is a doctor and an intern (I think) at that. He's lucky that he even gets to see you at all!

Forth, Amelia - You know what, nevermind! Not worth mentioning.


 

"Tongue lashing" is what I was saying above. I wish the writers would some day include that in the script.
 

EPISODE #26 (Wed Mar 30) Pt. 1
The graduates receive their diplomas amidst wild clapping from family and friends. Fernanda gets hers last, along with a medal of honor for getting the best grades in the class. Her normally happy, smiling face is clouded by the absence of Carlos, more than her mother’s.

Next it’s time for the class photo. They start to line up. Isabela sees Felipe come in and wonders what he’s doing there. He says the daughter of friends is graduating. He looks around but doesn’t see her. Isy doesn’t see *her* either (and we know who she is talking about). She’s dying to tell Fernanda she’s expecting a child by her dear, adored Carlos.

Carlos is keeping a bedside vigil with Don Fernando. When he wakes he begins to share with Carlos at what point he began to feel ill. Yes, he had been having feelings full of resentment and regrets, but right after taking his medicine, his chest tightened and he wasn’t able to breathe. The torment had to do with his daughter. How could he have caused her so much pain. That’s what will carry him to the grave. Carlos is genuinely touched by the old gentleman’s confession, although he hears no details. Old Fer says he’s feeling better and he should go join his novia, who, Carlos explained, is graduating. Old Fer hopes he’ll introduce her to him soon. Carlos immediately remembers the last encounter Old Fer had with Fernanda, but he assures his patient that he will bring her by to meet him.

Fer has gone home, accompanied by Pedro. She is inconsolably sad. She’s convinced Amelia didn’t show up to hurt Pedro—after that horrible fight they had yesterday. Fer wants to know what it was all about. She’s not a child for him to hide things from her. Pedro recounts the basics of the fight. She’s heard their fights before. This one sounded different. It’s not the end of the world, he says. Still, it bothers Fer. In addition, she’s sad because Carlos never showed up. He promised. It must mean he isn’t interested in her anymore and doesn’t love her.

Carlos has shown up at the graduation at last. Felipe sees him and warns him that Isabela is present. He hasn’t seen Fernanda either. He promises to cover for Carlos with Isabela. Carlos breathes a sigh of relief, only to be ensnared by Hopeful-To-Get-Lucky Hernán. He’s just bubbling over with Hot Hope. He wants Carlos to come greet Camila and thanks him for attending such an important occasion for her. He drags Carlos over and insists he give Camila a kiss of congratulations. Carlos is still looking over the crowd trying to spot Fernanda.

Isy contracts her sister Carolina to help her get to Fernanda. Carolina for once lowers the Mean Girl behavior and tells her sister to have some dignity for the occasion. Isy is in her Mean Woman mode and says that now there is not just one, but two boyfriend-stealers. The principals of each group to merge into one and Hernán steps right over—to Isabela. His radar is out for possibilities of new connections. He’s so glad to meet her. He’s seen the photos of her in the Miss Universe pageant. Before we have to endure any more of this, Head Mistress joins the group and congratulates Carolina and Camila. Just then, the Sister sent to find Fernanda reports she went home. Carlos sends a dagger stare at Isy and she looks about as innocent as the bunny who swallowed the last solid milk-chocolate egg.
 

EPISODE #26 (Wed Mar 30) Pt. 2
Fer is still crying on Pedro’s shoulder, fearing Carlos has ditched her. She’s sure that her most important day didn’t matter to Carlos. Pedro tries to calm her fears. She needs to remember he’s a doctor and there could have been an emergency. Fer’s fears are not allayed. She says that ever since Carlos got back from Europe, everything is different. He’s more distant. [Note: He is? Well, maybe because there are no more fish roasts, spontaneous restaurant meals, kayaking, swinging over the water, wading and drying out by bonfires. But we do know that what *is* bothering him and he won’t likely tell Fernanda in this episode.]

Fer says she was convinced it has something to do with what the gypsy fortune-teller told her (see yesterday’s recap, if you forgot). Pedro processes the part about a big secret that is being concealed from her that will change her life. She’s pretty sure it has something to do with Carlos, because her mother wouldn’t be keeping any secrets from her. She challenges her father. Is there something she needs to know?

Luis and Leopoldo (Harry Geithner in disguise) are spending some quality time in Luis’ office. Leo tells him Marissa wants him to meet some chick named Andrea as a possible girlfriend. Luis scoffs, at his age? Leo says, why not, he’s younger than Luis. It might even be one of those models from Isabela’s academy. Luis tells him to lower his chick-o-meter, she’s an unmarried secretary, dying to get married. Leo changes the subject. He knows Luis’ stepson is entering a position in his wife’s bank, where Luis would love to work, but the stepson hates him. It’s not worth risking it.

Carlos confronts Isy. He so sure she had something to do with Fernanda’s leaving the commencement. She didn’t. But she sees what a coward he is for never telling his noviecita about her—or that he impregnated her. Carlos says it’s not a matter of cowardice. This is not something they had planned. He’ll tell her when they know for sure this baby even exists and not when Isy feels like it. She plays the victim card. He puts an ace over it. They were using protection, so that doesn’t compute. He hopes she keeps her counsel so his good image of Isy isn’t ruined. Carlos whirls and leaves her there. As he drives away, he says he only wants to be with Fernanda.

Pedro’s sister The Sister has come to get Fernanda to come take her class picture with the rest of them. She’s the only one missing. Neither Rosaura nor Pedro will let her out of it.

Hernán takes leave of his daughter to go back to work. He charges Camila with hunting down Carlos. Is she the hunter or is he? Camila answers, it is she. Tell him how she feels about him. Camila heads for Felipe, wanting to know what Carlos had to do with Carolina’s sister. She saw them arguing. Felipe says she’s a colleague of Carlos’ mother and they’re working on the fashion show. Fernanda has returned. Felipe congratulates Fer and gives her a friendly hug. She gives him a quick hug back. He smiles at Pedro and says he wouldn’t have missed this occasion for anything. He must be very proud of his daughter.

The photographer does his thing. The girls do their thing—hijinks after the formal photo. Fer smiles. Isabela seethes. When they are done, Rosaura walks a very unhappy Fernanda back to her house. She’s still depressed her mother didn’t show up. To her it’s just more proof Amelia doesn’t love her, or her father. She’s never even seen her give him a kiss. Rosaura says some couples are like that—little show of affection. Some people just don’t know how to show affection.

Here we skip a beat because we never see Carlos heading for Fernanda’s house. He’s back at the clinic giving out prescriptions. Felipe arrives to tell him what an uproar he provoked at the graduation. Camila saw him and Isy arguing. He covered for Carlos. Felipe wonders what he’s going to do about Isy at the graduation party that night. Carlos is planning to be there with Fernanda. Isy can lump it.
 

EPISODE #26 (Wed Mar 30) Pt. 3
Pedro has gone to see Marissa at the bank offices, as promised. Imagine his total shock when Marissa comes out to Lupe’s area and introduces him to Lupe, her assistant, and the cleaning lady. Amelia stands up from where she thought she was out of sight. But, as was mentioned before, Pedro is a good guy and pretends not to know her as he introduces himself to her. Marissa says Lupe will be supervising his work there. He looks at Amelia with disbelief at the new lie he’s caught her in. She just looks blank.

Carlos is getting ready to go to the party. He’s dressed fit-to-kill in a dark jacket and slacks and a modest dotted bow tie. [It looks good on him.] He says goodbye to Rosario and he’s off to get Fernanda. Fernanda comes to the door and sees Carlos looking as good to nibble on as a peanut butter chocolate bunny. Fer tells him she never wants to see him again—she doesn’t care what kind of excuse he has to give her. He promised to come to her graduation and he left her high and dry. He stands there looking so fine. Fer shuts the door in his face and goes back to her room.

Carlos comes around to Fer’s window. He begs her to listen to him. He did come and just as he entered the hall, Old Fer’s daughter called him. His patient was in crisis. He had to go attend him. He swears it. She won’t believe him. He tells her to ask Felipe and Camila. They saw him there. He came back after the crisis was over but she wasn’t there. He wants to know why she left. Was she angry with him? Fer, still unsmiling, says no, not so much angry as sad and disappointed, because not only Carlos didn’t show up, but neither did her mother. She left because of that Isabela woman.

Fer tells Carlos that when she saw that frizzy-haired woman was named Isabela, she knew it was the same person who was looking for her at school and assumed she was the lawyer Luis hired for the appeals case. She fled and Pedro went with her. Carlos says to forget about her. She still won’t quite forgive Carlos, so he urges her to call Old Fer. She won’t do it because she remembers how he treated her. She forgives him. Even though he’s still standing outside her window, they close up the space between them, kiss and make goo-goo eyes at each other. [Very nice camera work.]

Left alone in the office, Pedro finally begins to let off steam. He rebukes her for lying about her job. It’s not really about the job, but her role as mother. She missed the graduation, but she’s going to the party that night. Her face tells us that’s the last place she really wants to be.

Ordoñez comes in and not noticing or knowing who Pedro is, asks Amelia to go out with him. She tells him she can’t. She’s going to her daughter’s graduation party. He’d be happy to go with her. That would be impossible. Ah, that’s right, he remembers, so even though she’s getting a divorce, her ex might be there. Pedro stands up and opens his mouth, but doesn’t say anything, while Ordoñez carries on. What about tomorrow? Then they can have a repeat of the other night. Then he mentions she should wear the earrings *he* brought her from Madrid. Pedro is now steaming, full speed ahead, towards a complete blow-up. Ordoñez leaves.

Pedro begins to enumerate all of Amelia’s recent wrong steps (right into deep doodoo). The heat gets ratcheted up several notches when Pedro accuses that man of being Amelia’s lover. That earns him a smack from Amelia, but it doesn’t slow him down or stop him. Now he understands why she didn’t want him coming to the bank offices. He gets louder. She gets louder. What else did she tell that man about them, he demands.
 

EPISODE #26 (Wed Mar 30) Pt. 4
Marissa leaves her office and sees that Pedro is still there. He is indeed getting things arranged, as he looks at Amelia standing there. Marissa wants him to excuse the intrusion the night before when she called him at home. Now she understands why he said he was having problems with his wife. She certainly wasn’t properly brought up and has a terrible personality. That was his wife who answered the phone, wasn’t it? Now Pedro looks guilty as he turns around and Amelia is looking at him.

Clarita and Rosario are setting the table for the blind date set-up Marissa has planned for Andrea and Leopoldo. Clarita is telling Rosario all about Carlos running into Isy and the argument they had. Rosario wonders how Carlos is ever going to get out of this mess. Clarita didn’t get to see the end of it, whether Fernanda was involved or not. At the mention of her name, Luis enters the dining room. He tells Clarita the name of that swindler is never to be mentioned in this house.

Andrea is telling Isy back at the beauty academy about her upcoming dinner to introduce her to a potential new beau. She didn’t really want to go, but Marissa insisted. Who knows, maybe this guy will like her and help her forget Luis. [Note: Did I hear that right? Is she serious about forgetting Luis? What happened to forgetting to take her birth control pills and getting pregnant?] Isy tells her to be careful. If Marissa ever finds out Andrea is bedding her husband, she’ll have her eyes on a platter. In fact, she’ll accompany Andrea, if only to see Carlos.

Old Fer is looking for a book to read. Nana Blanca says he needs to go back to bed. He’s decided to study astrology.

Hernán is getting ready to go to Cam’s graduation party. Mariana isn’t going to go. She doesn’t want to leave Blanca here by herself with Old Fer. He’s pithed. >>FF.

Hernán has arrived at the party hall. It looks more like a businessmen’s reception and dinner dance, but hey, Hernán is working the room as if he’s the one giving the party. Camila is just as happy Mariana didn’t come. She sees Carlos arriving by himself. Felipe arrives right behind him. Camila drags them over to her table. Hernán pulls out the chair next to Camila and indicates for Carlos to sit down.

Pedro and Amelia get home and start the row all over again, with new ammunition—starting with the earrings Lupe was supposed to have given her when all the time it was her lover. Amelia wants to know what Pedro said to Marissa about them. Pedro says he only told her they were having problems. He says he never spoke ill of her and if Marissa got the wrong impression of her, it was Amelia’s own fault for speaking rudely when answering the phone.

Fernanda is getting ready in her room and overhears the whole argument. She opens her door to two surprised adults. They know she heard their accusations and counter-accusations.

Will Fernandella get to the ball? Will she dance with Prince Carlos? That will have to wait for tomorrow.
 

Apologies to all the readers for the length of this recap. It was just too good not to go into detail, and yet I didn't translate all of Pedro and Amelia's arguments. They were really well written.

Thank you all for stopping by earlier and leaving such good comments. Right now, I'm off to watch Hotel. I'll be back tomorrow.
 

Thanks once again, Anita! No, your recap was not too long. You covered things beautifully, and gave all the scenes their appropriate weight.

Fer was hit with everything but the BS pregnancy and her own parentage last night. That must be a lot for a (?) 18 yo to process all at once. When she asked Pedro if he and/or her mother were hiding things from her he had such a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face!

When Carlos came by Fer's house to talk to her through the window it reminded me of Kilroy Was Here.

Felipe seemed like a force for good last night. Surely that can't last.

Boy, Amelia got ripped open like a bag of stale potato chips last night right in front of Pedro.

Thanks again, Anita. Super job as always.

David
 

LOVED IT! Please keep up whatever you can do. I was cracking up...

Before we have to endure any more of this, Head Mistress joins the group and congratulates Carolina and Camila - that was my favorite line to get off that yesterdays Miss Universe LOL!

There also seemed to be a theme - chocolate bunny style LOL! Yes, Carlos did look just that delicious. peanut butter chocolate bunny with a Krispy Kreme Original Glaze donut as dessert. You know you are going to be sick after all of that, but you don't care!


 

Anita, You knocked it out of the park! It was a great episode, not a bit of filler, and you've captured all the excitement. That Cinderella-and-the-ball image ... perfecto.

I'd forgotten or misheard the part about Old Fer wanting to study astrology. I wonder if the writers are going anywhere with that, or if it was just supposed to be funny. I can just see him doing Mariana's chart ... serial killer.

This TN is turning out to be delightful. I can't wait to see Andrea and Leopoldo's dinner date. It's fun to see Luis getting flustered. I think the actor can actually make his face turn red.

Thanks again!
 

Afternoon everyone. This telenovela has the potential to go in several directions at once. Hence, the perceived need to cover what all our characters are up to (i.e. the astrology kick of Old Fer's). Telenovela side stories can get in the viewers' way and seem only to be fillers and often end up uninteresting and unconnected.

Camino's side stories seem to be connected, sometimes by a thin thread, but the actors do not consider themselves extra baggage at all. Bless Felipe, Andrea, and even Carolina, Old Fer and his family of money grubbing hangers on. (I loved watching Hernan making a fool of himself at the beginning of the fiesta.) They all lend a vitality and spice to an otherwise ordinary romance tale of a young couple and the trials and tribulations of their parents.

Case in point, Aleta--I can't wait to see Andrea and Leopoldo at Marissa and Luis' table either.

I just hope they don't introduce too many new characters which I fear would dilute the (so far) tightness of the story.
 

David--"Boy, Amelia got ripped open like a bag of stale potato chips last night right in front of Pedro." Thanks for the imagery.

Kendra--"You know you are going to be sick after all of that, but you don't care!" Good one. I haven't had my fill of Carlos yet (if ever).

Nina--"This heffa wouldn't have a pot to pee in if pedro hadn't taken her mean ass in." You summed it up perfectly!

Diana--Amelia is certainly making it clear she'd done with Pedro. But I bet she puts up a fight to take (or keep) Fernanda. If she's going off to music school, it's moot, so I'm anxious to see how it is handled. Amelia was certainly in a hurry to tell Luis about who Fernanda really is, but lately is having second thoughts, especially after her deciding to avoid seeing him in the office because he associates her with the lawsuit.

See you all again after the next recap.

 

Anita, thank you so much for all your work - and excellent recaps. Sorry I've been offline lately. Sometimes life smacks you around a bit, y'know? Mike and I are enjoying this show quite a bit. Especially with your help in filling in the bits we don't catch. I'll try to drop in here more often.
 

Anita you're a jjewel. Great recap. You didn't miss anything. You hit it all. Good to see the tables turned on amelia. Shes is so into her longsuffering self. Shes made her husbsnd and her child suffer for 19 years. what's that saying? Misery loves company, shes it.

Her and her sister are exactly alike. Mean as hell cats. And they probably got it from dad.

Theres only a few people I like on this show and thats pedro, fernanda, her aunt the sista, carlos. Maybe there is more. But Later. Ok the new one is on. Talk more tomorrow.

Thanks Anita, thank you thank you thank you!♡♥♡♥♡♥
 

Anita, this sparkled brightly and sizzled merrily.

I am in awe of your ability to recap so expertly - details are vivid and so well written.

You've enabled me to stay with this as I would never be able to do so on my own. Gracias!

"He’s just bubbling over with Hot Hope" and "Fernanda comes to the door and sees Carlos looking as good to nibble on as a peanut butter chocolate bunny" were but a few of my favorites.

My heart broke for Fernanda and I was chilled by Pedro and Amelia's arguments. Thank heavens Pedro was there for Fernanda, how could she possibly have survived with only the cold, aloof Amelia?? And as Amelia has never appeared to show Pedro the simplest show of affection or kind word, has not Pedro learned? So Amelia does have feelings - he knew that all along. But, he has never been the recipient of them. Should he really have been surprised Amelia looked elsewhere? She never, ever looked at him.

The entire night just seemed so sad.

I want Amelia to go away and leave Pedro and Fer to find their future.

Thanks again Anita...

Diana
 

EPISODE #27 (Thu Mar 31) Pt. 1
It’s Party Time. There are two parties going on at the same time. In the interests of reducing confusion and location, they will be referred to as Big Party and Little Party. The Big Party takes place at the assembly hall for the graduating students at the Colegio de la Esperanza. It’s very lively, loud and festive. The Little Party takes place at the Gomez-Ruiz Mansion (that doesn’t belong to Luis Montero). It is a more refined, sedate and quiet dinner party. Some scenes have been combined to facilitate the flow of the action.

Before we get to either party, though, remember, Fernanda walked in on her parents’ very loud and angry argument. Pedro saves the situation by commenting on how lovely Fernanda looks in her party gown. He urges Amelia to say something. Amelia grudgingly (?), reluctantly (?) says she looks precious. Fernanda wonders if they are going to get ready to go to the party. Pedro just needs to go grab his white jacket to put on over his holey blue t-shirt.

Amelia approaches Fernanda and puts a hand on her cheek. She repeats that she looks precious—a tear running down her cheek. Amelia says she is sorry she didn’t come to her commencement exercises that morning, but she was afraid they would fire her and she really needs the job. Fer excuses her. She then presents her mother with the medal she received. In a moment of honesty, Amelia says she’s proud of her. Fer’s eyes are glistening.

Big Party
Hernán is playing the ostentatious host for Camila, Felipe and Carlos, passing around tequila to celebrate his daughter’s graduation. He’s so pleased Carlos took the time to come. Fer arrives on her father’s arm. Felipe and Carlos both get up to go greet them. Carlos only has eyes for Fernanda. “How lovely my novia looks tonight,” he says. Fer can only see Carlos standing close in front of her, holding both her hands. Felipe rolls his eyes in the background. Finally they are seated at Camila’s table with Fer between Pedro and Carlos and Camila on Carlos’ other side.

The party gets started with an unexpected appearance of a boy band, introduced by Head Mistress as the “Urbon Faif.” The girls love it and gather around them, clapping and swaying to the beat. Most of the guys and old folks stay seated. Fer is surprised by a special recognition. The Three Mean Girls don’t like it.

Camila grabs Carlos to dance and Carlos grabs Felipe to have him dance with her so he and Fernanda can have a few precious moments alone. There is so much noise, it’s hard to hear what exactly they say to each other, but Carlos was heard telling Fernanda he’s going to get a ticket to join them on the cruise. He wants to be with her. She’s full of anticipation.

Hernán shows up, from wherever he went, and he asks Carlos to dance with his daughter. Carlos is not in a position to decline. Amelia arrives but Rosaura manages diverts her off to a quiet spot to talk. Good thing, too because Amelia wanted to know who that muchacho was with her daughter. Rosaura says that’s her novio (although at that precise moment, it was Felipe dancing with her.)

We catch a brief glimpse of Prof. Adorable Martinez dancing with Lucero (lucky girl). Carlos tries to dance close to Felipe and Fer to do the switch partners quick trick, but it doesn’t work for him. Fernanda, in addition to having some insecurities regarding Carlos’ affection for her, has a strong jealous streak. She acts as though it’s Carlos’ fault that Camila is enjoying dancing with him.
 

EPISODE #27 (Thu Mar 31) Pt. 2
Little Party
Cesarín wants to take Clarita to the dance, but she has to stay and help Rosario with Marissa’s guests. Luis appears on the portico and hears Clarita tell Cesarín that Carlos left, all dressed up to go to be with Fernanda at her graduation party. Luis listens intently.

Leopoldo arrives. He charms Marissa with his compliments. Isabela and Andrea arrive together. Marissa introduces them to Leo. Leo turns up the charm when he’s introduced to Andrea. They gather in the living room for drinks. Leo is captivated by her beauty. He was given to understand she was an unmarried woman looking for a husband with money. [Una solterona buscando un marido con dinero. ISBIS—soltera is unmarried, or single; solterona, which is what Leo said, is slightly derogatory, probably means an old maid to us, which Andrea obviously isn’t.] Marissa wonders where on earth he got that idea. They all laugh at the joke, except Luis. He’s not liking the way the evening is progressing. Isabela asks Marissa discretely where Carlos is. Marissa doesn’t know, but thinks he’ll be along soon.

Leo is asking Andrea what she does on weekends. Andrea answers that it’s all very boring, as she lists errands. Leo can save her. He has a great idea to liven up her weekend—come with him to his place at the beach. There’ll be sun, wine and just the two of them. Luis tries to prevent this line of action by telling Leo he’s made a date with a deputy for the exact same time. Leo says it can wait, without taking his eyes of Andrea. Marissa thinks it would be fun.

Luis can’t stand it any more and announces he’s hungry and they should have dinner served. Isabela wants to wait for Carlos. Oh, says Luis, Carlos won’t be joining them. He’s at the graduation party with his “new novia, the swindler.”

Isy gets up to leave. Marissa tells her she really didn’t know where Carlos was, he rarely tells her. Isy is very upset. She says Marissa can’t understand what it feels like to be pregnant, scorned and no one cares about her. Marissa tells her she cares and urges her to stay with them rather than go back to her place to be alone. She declines the invitation.

Altamirano Spread
Some lady from Hernán’s office, Virginia (I think), shows up. Hernán fired her unjustly that morning and she wants Mariana to help get her job back. Mariana is dismissive until Virginia gets down on her knees and begs that she’ll do anything for Mariana if she’ll only get her job back. Mariana mentally reconsiders.

Big Party
Isabela tries to crash the party but security keeps her out and well out of sight. [And she is a sight—I didn’t want to comment on her outfit last night, but it’s the strangest get-up I’ve seen in a long time—a large plaid short skirt tightly covering her and black lace hanging down below, a bare midriff and a matching long-sleeved lace top.] She demands, cajoles, entreats, flirts, all to no avail. She even gives up a selfie to one of the security guards. She doesn’t get in. She had been looking forward to shouting to the whole room she’s expecting Carlos’ baby. [Sorry, this smacks of excessive desperation.]

Fer and Carlos have another moment alone amid the party din. She’s so excited about the two of them going on this trip together—think of it, the sun, the sea, the sky, the stars. He loves her with all his heart. He’ll ask for a couple of days off. He will do the impossible to make this work. The Mean Girls, including Carolina, who gives Carlos the stink eye, walk past just as Carlos was going to kiss her. She backs away saying she doesn’t want them ruining any of this for them. Carlos says that no bad vibes will ever interfere with how much he loves her. She loves him, too, mucho, mucho. There is a sweet gentle kiss before we are whisked away to the White Pity Palace.
 

EPISODE #27 (Thu Mar 31) Pt. 3
The White Pity Palace
Isy is pacing, looking at herself in the full-length living room mirror, wondering how it all came to this. Carlos’ kisses were hers, why couldn’t she end up with everything she wanted. She sits down and looks at her old Miss Universe Pageant photos. How did she reach the point where she’s feigning a pregnancy to trap a man, let alone to ever really get pregnant. She closes the laptop and decides she can’t live on memories. Instead, she’ll turn all her energies into thinking of doing something really terrible to hurt those two, the way they’ve hurt her.

Big Party
At last Carlos and Fer are free to dance a slow dance together. Hernán is dancing with his daughter. [Ay, there’s none so blind who cannot see that Carlos and Fernanda are in love with each other. Please, back off, Hernán and Camila.]

Rosaura, Amelia’s sister-in-law and Head Sister, has kept Amelia away from the crowd as long as she could. We know the gist of her conversation, all of which Amelia took as an offense and a challenge to her style of parenting. Amelia strides out onto the floor, grabs Fernanda off her chair and yanks her away. Pedro holds Carlos back from following. [Any groundwork Amelia laid earlier to make me believe she was going to treat Fernanda with a little more kindness, encouragement and affection, was immediately dispelled.]

Little Party
Leo is still laying on the charm and the compliments in long thick brush strokes. Andrea is very responsive. Luis is not enjoying the show. Leo says Andrea hasn’t answered his invitation to go to Cancún. Luis reminds Andrea she has lots left to do for the fashion show. Leo says, for pity sakes, it’s Cancún, not Russia. Marissa indicates she can get along without her and urges her to accept. Before Andrea can answer, Luis gets up and says he’s not feeling well.

The evening at the Gomez Ruiz Mansion is for all practical purposes, over. Leo takes Andrea home, but she declines a kiss, coffee or anything else that night. Andrea leaves him with a smile and a “call me, look for me, win me.” [This must be the Mexican version of veni, vidi, vici.]

Marissa goes to their bedroom to see what is wrong with Luis. He says he didn’t enjoy all the bad jokes, but really, what soured and upset him was to see how Isabela was suffering, pregnant and abandoned by Carlos while he was enjoying partying with that swindler. [Note: I wonder if what Luis said was lost on him.]

Altamirano Spread
Mariana is in bed, still thinking about how she could use Virginia to her advantage. Her reverie is interrupted by a drunkish, loutish Hernán. He triumphantly announces that the romance between Camila and the son of that banker lady is working out better than he thought.
 

EPISODE #27 (Thu Mar 31) Pt. 4
The Gardener’s Cottage
Amelia pushes Fernanda into the house. She’s furious at Fer for telling Tia Rosaura that she doesn’t love her or ever show Fer any affection. Fer protests she didn’t say anything bad about her. Amelia wants to know if Fer really thinks she doesn’t love her. Fer says, yes, sort of, kinda. Amelia says she does love her. Then why, Fer wants to know, can’t they have the sort of mother-daughter talks where she can tell Amelia things that are bothering her. Amelia wants to know, like what? Is she pregnant? Fer is astonished by the question. Of course not. She’s never been with Carlos, but that’s not the only problem girls her age could have. For one thing, Amelia won’t accept Carlos as her novio. Amelia shuts her down right there. The reason they don’t have any mother-daughter talks is she doesn’t believe anything she says. It’s all a ruse to get her to accept Carlos. Pedro arrives in time to shut Amelia down right there. What kind of graduation gift is this, to ruin it for Fernanda. He will not allow it. He won’t.

The next day, Cam and Fer are exchanging views on the party and the upcoming trip. Camila is sad she won’t be seeing Carlos again for a few days while they are on their trip. It would be just now, when she is positive he’s really into her. Fer says nothing about Carlos. Amelia barges in. Camila makes a quick exit and Amelia says that Fer is now trapped, with no one to come to her rescue and she’ll have to listen to what she has to say.
 

Thanks for this, Anita. Your descriptive powers continue to amaze me and delight me.

Wow, Hernan's plans were completely thwarted, yet his drunken self thought he had succeeded!

Amelia, the wettest of wet blankets, yanks Fer from her party and takes her home for another interrogation. When told that Fer would like to talk about some things that are bothering her, Amelia immediately jumps to the conclusion that Fer is PREGNANT!

I loved the "little party." Both Luis and Isy were trounced by events, and both were furious. Luis was forced to watch his friend Leopoldo come on to his mistress, while Isy is nonplussed at Carlos' no show. Then Isy gets thrown out of the high school graduation party by security!!! Later she laments being left alone and pregnant, but admits she would never allow her beautiful body to become pregnant!! (We wish we could get that statement on tape.) We kind of get an insight into Isy's personality disorder when she laments that all of a sudden she can't seem to have everything she wants.

It seemed out of place to me that at a school-hosted graduation party there would be that much alcohol.

I wonder what Amelia is going to tell Fer???

Thanks again, Anita. Great job, as always.

David


 

Anita, beautiful and touching.

How kind and generous you are to prepare these amazing summaries, night after night. We are truly appreciative.

Frankly, I am too troubled in Amelia's inability and unwillingness to be kind to her lovely daughter to concentrate on much else.

As you so sagely noted "Any groundwork Amelia laid earlier to make me believe she was going to treat Fernanda with a little more kindness, encouragement and affection, was immediately dispelled". Indeed!

I don't believe for a moment that she loves her daughter. I did think she was proud of her but that is not the same thing. Amelia has always been completely self serving. She is immersed in self pity and resentment for a life she wanted but frankly, never had much chance of. Yes she is pretty but what else does Ordoñez see? I see bitterness and bitter is not pretty!

David, I have a terrible feeling Amelia might tell Fer Pedro is not her father. I hope and pray I am wrong!

Thank you Anita!

Diana
 

Diana, I too an afraid that Fer is going to find out the history of her parentage. It could be done with sensitivity and compassion, but I am betting that the writers are planning to do it in the most devastating way possible, and by the worst possible person. Currently, I think that person would be Amelia, with her 19 years of built up anger.

David
 

Anita, What a fun episode! And you captured it perfectly. I laughed out loud when I read what you wrote about the "Mexican version of veni, vidi, vici."

I guess we're going to have some fun episodes coming up in Cancun with Andrea, Leopoldo, and probably Carlos and Fernanda. I have a little problem with Carlos inviting himself along on the school trip. It seems like he's trying to crash a girls' night out. Will they have any chaperones? Singing nuns? Hernan and Mariana? Prof. Guapo?

I thought for a moment that Amelia was starting to turn around, but her good side didn't show itself for long. She deserves some kind of anvil. Luis, maybe?

The name of the boy band is Urband5, and they have a lot of followers on social media. I imagine our younger viewers (watching the show with their abuelas) enjoyed their guest appearance.

Thanks again, Anita!
 

I'm just starting to work on the recap. I had a tiring day out in the garden (and I get just as dirt covered as Pedro, but I don't wear holey shirts outside or inside). Don't worry, though. If the recap is not up tonight, it'll be up tomorrow before I leave for the opera in HD at noon.

So they got to Cabo San Luis. Trouble in Paradise. Arrgghh!
 

Anita,
I've been following your amazing recaps and especially appreciated all their glorious detail during the last couple of weeks when I was only able to watch hit-or-miss. Thank you hardly seems to cover it...with all the time and effort you give...but, thank you!

I liked the party but agree it seemed more night-clubby than high school graduation. Fernanda's sadness at Carlos' absence was just heartbreaking. Plus, I just want to smack the Mop-Head. Is there a table on the patio for that?

Tofie, your recent comment about watching for Lisette Morelos' debut in high heels on this show--made me laugh! There's no doubt Amelia will have an extreme makeover including stilettos. Should be worth waiting for.

J in Oregon


 

EPISODE #28 (Fri Apr 1—no fooling) Pt. 1
Apparently that big talking bomb Amelia wanted to drop on Fernanda was a dud. It fizzled. It’s Fer who does all the talking and we have a brief review of the talk they had yesterday. She does ask her mother about the argument she overheard, where Pedro accused her of having another man. Amelia says it’s not true. She’s always held true to her principles. She thinks Pedro has a complex (complejo--or it could be translated as a complicated man, you choose) and when he saw one of the employees greet her he jumped to his own conclusion.

Fer tries to pin her down. Amelia looks as though she’d rather be anywhere else but there but Fer is still querying her about the arguments. She and Pedro seem so distant. Do they have problems? Amelia admits they argue, but that doesn’t mean they have “problems.” Her biggest disappointment with Pedro is he’s never had any ambition beyond being a simple gardener.

Carlos has asked Isabela to meet him at the hospital. She’s so happy thinking he’s changed his mind she practically skips in. He tells her no, he called her because his obstetrician friend has offered to do the exam, right then. Isy is furious. Carlos has earned himself a smack and Isy calls him an idiot. She’s indignant and repeats her little song and dance about her pregnancy, carrying his child, but not expecting anything from him. Carlos doesn’t realize she’s saying all this for Felipe’s benefit, who just happens to have shown up and is standing behind Carlos. When Felipe speaks to congratulate him, Carlos realizes he’s been had, but good.

Felipe heard it all. He’s overjoyed for both of them, but especially for Carlos (because it clears the way for Felipe to move in on Fer). Felipe can hear those wedding bells. Carlos finally is able to ask him to leave so he can talk to Isy alone. When she indicates how much she loves the idea of carrying his child, Carlos tells her again to get that exam. She’s still resisting. She trots out, he follows. She can’t believe he’s doubting her. Carlos says how can he *not* doubt her if she won’t get that exam with him present. Is she afraid of the results? He wants to eliminate the doubts. He grabs her and takes her back to the hospital entrance. A nurse runs in to tell him there has been an accident and there are many injured. He tells Isy not to move and follows the nurse out.

Isy thinks to herself, why couldn’t he be a normal man who would believe anything she says. She’s bound and determined to get him back, at any cost. The nurse saved her hide this time. But what about the next. Of course, she takes off.

Carlos gets back to his al fresco office and finds Isy gone. Well, sooner or later, she’s going to have that exam. Felipe shows up and wants to know how things went. Carlos asks him not to say anything to anybody about this, please. He has his reasons. Felipe agrees to be his wing man.

An irate Luis bursts in on a sleeping Andrea. He starts looking for Leo and demands to know where he’s hiding. Andrea puts on her best sad-sack face and pouty voice. The only man she loves is Luis, but she’s tired of sharing him. He takes her in his arms and tells her he loves her [he uses querer in lieu of amar]. He tells her she should know very well he doesn’t love Marissa and what he and Andrea have is “special.” Andrea points out the obvious (to her): if he doesn’t love her, why doesn’t he divorce Marissa and marry her. Luis just bought himself two left shoes. One is pinching.

Andrea tells Luis what Marissa said—going with a married man sentences one to spend eternity as a mistress. She doesn’t want that.
 

EPISODE #28 (Fri Apr 1) Pt. 2
Pedro brings Fer a plant he picked out at the nursery. They need to talk. It’s a rather delicate matter. It’s about Camila and her very inappropriate behavior at the party. She showed too much interest in Carlos, especially if she knows Carlos is Fer’s novio. Fer admits she’s never come out and told her. She knows Cam is also interested in Carlos and Fer keeps waiting for just the right time to tell her. She doesn’t want to lose her friendship. In addition, Cam’s father seems very enthusiastic about pairing up Camila with Carlos. Pedro says it is wrong to prolong this situation. Fer needs to straighten out Camila very soon.

Amelia tells Lupe she’s decided to tell Fernanda she’s going to divorce Pedro when Fer gets back from this trip. Ordoñez enters and sends Lupe away to talk to Amelia. He hopes it didn’t make her too uncomfortable when he asked her out infront of the landscaper. He invites her out for drinks after work that very day. She accepts.

Mariana is knocking on Virginia’s door. She’s there to speak (suborn) her. She thought-bubbles that she wants to make sure Amelia and her bastard never appear. Once shown in, she says she has a proposal, a favor to ask. All the former secretary has to do to get her job back is to give this detective certain information about her sister.

P.I. Orsano has what he needs and comes to Luis with the information. He brings in the “witness.” Virginia declares she rented a room in her house to Amelia during her pregnancy. She gave birth at home and since Pedro was no longer with her, she had no resources, so she sold the baby girl to a foreign couple for $10,000. She doesn’t know who they were and Amelia later left with a man who was in love with her. Orsano pats her shoulder (good job, Fido). Luis falls for it, hook, line and stinker.

Mariana persuades Hernán to rehire her. Not to, exposes them in the press and on TV. That would not be good for the company. >>FF.

The transfer bus has arrived at the school to take the students who are going on the trip to the airport. Prof. Martinez is going! (Squeee). Sister Smile is the chaperone, but it seems the Police in White (henceforth called PW) is going, too.

A short time later they arrive in Cabo San Lucas. (I counted them, there are only seven girls on this trip. There were lots more graduates. It’s not like Fer would have been the only one in the class not going, if she hadn’t…..must be Televisa budget problems…it’s just a telenovela….) They ride in from the airport. Fer calls home.

All the girls are supposed to stay together until they register at the hotel and get the keys to their rooms. Fer marches to the sights and sounds of a different drummer and veers off by herself to see the pleasure boats moored there. She can’t believe her eyes when she sees Carlos waiting for her on one of the boat slip docks. He mouths he loves her. Fernanda and Carlos’ joy is short-lived. Felipe shows up, then Cam comes running up to appropriate Carlos. [The less said about these scenes the better. It is so obvious that we’re dealing with a couple of wimps that won’t tell these two leeches to dis-attach themselves. We do get treated to a Lucero/Martinez surprise hug, which PW doesn’t interrupt.
 

EPISODE #28 (Fri Apr 1) Pt. 3
Pedro drops off the proposal for the landscaping job at the bank. Lupe isn’t there. It’s the cleaning lady sitting at the desk. He speaks to her very formally, but with a bit of sarcasm in his tone. He makes her give him a receipt for it, signed and dated. He leaves. Ordoñez comes in and reminds Amelia of their date.

Luis comes to give Old Fer the bad news about Amelia and the baby. Nana Blanca can’t believe the story Luis is telling her patrón. She knows very well Amelia called recently and Mariana knows it. All she can say out loud is she’s sure Pedro would never have let her sell the child. [Remember, she saw the baby after a month or two and Amelia and Pedro were still together.] Old Fer wants to talk to this woman, Virginia Torres. Hernán recognizes the name, but says nothing. Nana Blanca is still protesting that Amelia would never have sold her child.

Isabel is asking Andrea how her evening with Leo went. Andrea is quite pleased. Luis came down with a case of prickly jealousy. They had quite a row earlier. She wanted to teach him a lesson that he might easily lose her. Marissa shows up, but apparently didn’t hear what the reference to Luis was about. She also wants to know how the rest of the evening with Leo went. Isy asks about Luis. Marissa says he got upset about what Isabel is going through.

The PW catches Camila with Carlos out on the boardwalk where the four of them had been deciding how to work out seeing each other. Fer manages to run and hide. Whatever it was got resolved because it is nighttime and Carlos and Fer and sitting on the dock of the bay…talking, sitting close together. She would love to travel. She starts naming places. Carlos says he would take her to Venice, the city of love. When they get married, he says, they’ll spend their honeymoon traveling the whole world. She looks at him. Does he think they’ll marry? No, he doesn’t think so, he knows for sure.

He tells her there exists three loves for everyone: your first love, the one you will love all your life and the one you stay with. Sometimes there are three persons. If one is lucky, all three loves are one person. Fer wants to know about Carlos’ loves. He says he was lucky all three are Fernanda. He’s going to love her the rest of his life, with all his heart and soul. They seal it with a kiss.
 

Hi J in Oregon--Thanks for popping in again. We're such a small group we don't even have a Patio to sit in, nor tables, nor a limpid pool to dip our toes in. We are expecting some dark 'n stormy clouds and perhaps we'll have to look for shelter on the Patio of Lowered Expectations.

Maybe we can all take a break and go to Cabo San Lucas. I'd like to have my binoculars along to see from afar what Prof. Martinez is up to the rest of the trip.

I wonder how many episodes the trip will last.
 

Anita you are all in and thank you. I too am a gardener, sore all over, scratches on my forearms, dirt head to toe, greasy hair and mismatched work clothes. Unattractive as that sounds, this ole girl will bend it to my will, like me the garden cleans up purty good.

Ok. I mistook Carlos's resolve for resolve when in fact it is behavior consistent with a spoiled rotten, condescending, entitled boy.

Wooing a teenage girl while he was engaged.
Shamelessly demanding the teenagers parents accept the relationship.
Throwing a hissy fit when his mother wants him to attend a family dinner.
He likes the attention from Camila or he would stop it, not make it Fernanda's problem.
He should punch Felipe in the face instead of making it Fernanda's problem.
Isabela should punch him in the face for cheating on her and demanding an early term paternity test, with him in the room no less. If he is so damn sure get a court order.
Showing up unannounced during a teenage girls school trip expecting a romantic getaway.

 

Another good one from your talented mind, Anita. Love them all.

Hernan's hand on Mariana's shoulder while the wagon load of dung is being dumped on Fernando showed he suddenly understood the mad genius of his wife's latest intrigue.

As inappropriate as it is for Carlos to show up at Fer's class trip, triply so for Felipe.

It is supposed to be a sign, I guess, of how distant Pedro and Amelia have become when they address each other with such formality in public.

I was surprised at how quickly the nuns lost control of the class! Neither the nuns who once taught me, nor the sergeants who later were in charge of me would have had any problem like this whatsoever.

Thanks again, Anita for your thoroughness and dedication to this project.

David
 

Hi Anita and everybody,

Uni news, Camino is moving to the 8 p.m. eastern time slot starting Monday 4/4 [switching with Sueño].

Anita, I applaud your efforts and recapping skill. ¡Mil gracias!

OT, J in Oregon, if you see this, I thought of you recently for your past shout out to Monica Spear, QEPD.
 

Anita, another sublime recap. I hang on every word and look forward with great anticipation to what you have to say next. Inspired. Every word.

"Luis just bought himself two left shoes. One is pinching", "Luis falls for it, hook, line and stinker" and "Martinez is going! (Squeee)" were among many favorites.

“Apparently that big talking bomb Amelia wanted to drop on Fernanda was a dud. It fizzled.” Yes, and happily so. I breathed a huge sigh of relief that Amelia did not decide to heap more hurt on her underappreciated and unloved daughter by telling her Pedro is not her father. David, I am assuming you were also glad this did not occur :)

“She and Pedro seem so distant”. Ordinarily I would be incredulous at such a statement. But Fernanda is such a sweet and trusting soul, she may have viewed her parents relationship as one she wished for them rather than the disconnected aloof one that is their reality.

Luis is reprehensible - he and Mariana should have ended up together in the first place.

I wish Amelia good luck with her romance. She can rise in social stature and have the life she aspired to. No need to worry about the family she leaves behind who only wanted, but sadly never received her love. Pedro and Fer deserve reciprocated love - Fer will have it and I suspect Pedro will too.

tofie you make some valid points about Carlos, especially his appearance at the girls trip. Still, we have had so many questionable galans lately (PyP for instance), he's pretty much perfect and I don't mind a bit! :)

I wanted to note that Comcast noted the time for this is changing to 8:00 (looks like they are switching this and Sueño de amor (?)

Anita, this was wonderful.

Diana
 

Good morning to you all. I will include a note of the time change in the Weekly Posting tomorrow. So far, Univision's own web page hasn't taken note of it! The time change will only make it harder for me to get the recaps up before bedtime, since I watch live and then start writing.

Also a note--I will not be able to recap on Wednesday night, April 6. I'm subbing for Vivi on Hotel. I volunteered long before I got so drawn in to this telenovela. If someone could put up a few bullet points, as we did once before, we can keep the episodes current.

Will have some comments to make later.

 

The wind brought down a lot of branches and limbs. It gave me time to think about Camino while I cleaned up.

David—“It is supposed to be a sign, I guess, of how distant Pedro and Amelia have become when they address each other with such formality in public.” You may have missed the irony in his tone. Pedro was being sarcastic, and Amelia was handing it right back. It was a way for him to point out she had been lying and putting on airs about being a more important employee than she really was. Then, he was also pointing out that she’d be supervising him whenever Lupe was out, so he would have to answer to her as his superior, thus the formal Ud.
 

Tofie—I will be the first to admit I see Carlos through some very thick rose-colored glasses. To me he is the GOOD doctor who cannot do any harm. He hugs his patients and sometimes gives them money out of pocket for their prescription. He makes house calls and treats older patients with deference. I haven’t been seeing him as a man with his own set of frailties. You point out some of them. I will make a case to defend him in some instances.

“Wooing a teenage girl while he was engaged.” The engagement was mostly in Isabela’s mind and in Marissa’s future hopes. It was Felipe who introduced him to Isabela. As I recall, the good doctor was not seeing anyone and Felipe had to make him turn his head to notice Isabela. I think she latched on to him rather quickly. Carlos acceded to the relationship maybe for convenience and need. Here was an attractive, smart, a successful business woman, just the sort of woman Carlos could take home to his mother and she would approve. They hadn’t been going together that long when he first met Fernanda. There was no formal engagement, no ring (and, according to my “research” never had relations with Isy after his first kisses with Fernanda.)

He was quite enchanted by Fernanda, but I don’t think he would have pursued her or wooed her, if the attraction had not been mutual. He didn’t go after Camila and Felipe kept getting the cold shoulder from Fer, as hard as he tried to get her interested in him. I accept Romance Rule #1 – Love at first sight. They were goners.

He tried several times to break up with Isy after he fell in “attraction” with Fernanda. Isy wouldn’t listen. When she realized he was serious and meant it, she upped her game to the “I’m pregnant with your child.” I don’t blame Carlos for being ticked off (see below) and not believing her.

“Shamelessly demanding the teenagers parents accept the relationship.” To a certain extent this might be true. He wanted their relationship out in the open. To do the right thing, in that society, meant at least letting the parents of the young lady know of his true intentions. I don’t quite accept that it was shameless. He did keep pressuring Fernanda to make it possible. She was the one resisting because she had come to the foregone conclusion her mother would never allow them to “go steady,” an exclusive relationship, i.e. novios and Carlos had already seen how she treated Fernanda (the slap outside the school gates). They were also just getting to know each other. That bolt of lightning that hit them had to dissipate and they had to explore if the two were mutually compatible. Carlos knew before Fer did.

Yes, he’s older, presumably more experienced in matters of sex and the heart. Fer is smart, if not worldly, and she felt she knew a good man when she met him. For Carlos, "marking his territory" includes the family of the girl of your dreams. But, Fernanda was also resisting being introduced to Carlos’ family. She wanted to wait until after she graduated. She was aware Pedro had been talking to Marissa about her, but she also was very aware of the problem meeting Luis. She may have been wanting to delay as long as possible.

At Carlos’ age he could come and go as he pleased, even if living at home. Not so in Fernanda’s family. Carlos seemed a little desperate, I’ll give you that one, partly, but he was trying to do the right thing.
 

To Tofie, continued--
”Throwing a hissy fit when his mother wants him to attend a family dinner.” Carlos had always tried to avoid interactions with Luis. He never got along with Luis, saw through him, and often stated that he hated him for using his mother. On this occasion, Luis grabbed Carlos as he walked in the door and took him off to his office to discuss their “problem” (seeing him with Mariana and Carlos seeing Fernanda). They had words and nearly came to blows. I don’t blame Carlos one bit for not wanting to sit down to dinner with any of the guests right after that, even if one of them was Isabela. I’ll grant he could have handled the excuse with a little more grace with his mother, but she should have realized also he would have been terrible company at a dinner table.

”He likes the attention from Camila or he would stop it, not make it Fernanda's problem. He should punch Felipe in the face instead of making it Fernanda's problem.” I’m with you there. Only one little thing, I don’t think he likes the attention from Camila all that much. He tolerates her more for Fernanda’s sake, because she told him early on, and over and over again, she didn’t want to dissuade Camila of her attraction to Carlos because if they revealed their relationship to her, Camila would stop being her friend. Fer needed Camila more than she needed Carlos at that point, I guess.

They are both at fault here for not coming out in the open as an exclusive couple. That was made so clear when they were on the boardwalk at Cabo. While it was just Felipe, Carlos and Fer, the two were holding hands. When Camila showed up, it was like they were four separate people. Fernanda had NOT marked her territory and Carlos wasn’t doing it either. Camila is a leech. She latches on and won’t let go, even when Carlos tries to pry her loose.

”Isabela should punch him in the face for cheating on her and demanding an early term paternity test, with him in the room no less...” Tofie, she did punch him. Carlos wants proof he can see with his own eyes—he’s a doctor. The signed reports were not enough for him. The only way he sees the matter can be resolved for him is by a regular ob/gyn exam, as long as he’s there. He’s wrong in insisting, but he underestimated Isabela’s resolve. He probably assumed, naively, that she would WANT to prove she’s having a baby. That’s all he was asking. She insists she has.

Now he’s probably in big trouble, but he chose to go off to Cabo instead.

”Showing up unannounced during a teenage girls school trip expecting a romantic getaway.” For Carlos, it was not unannounced. He and Fer discussed it at the graduation party. Fernanda encouraged him to come and he said he would do the impossible to come. Felipe was the one who showed up unannounced. What was inappropriate behavior was, and I agree with you, that it was a school trip and not a romantic getaway. What are the nuns and Prof. Martinez going to think about a couple of extra MEN hanging around teenage girls. (Maybe Mrs. Mejia threw herself in here to mess with our minds.)
 

If anyone accuses me of getting too involved in this telenovela, they may be right. Sorry about that.
 

Anita you are not the only one sucked into this TN. I am despite swearing otherwise. It is much more entertaining than Sueño, which for me is unwatchable.

I'm surprised I like Carlos as much as I do and as galans go he is better than nearly all we've suffered through. However, every time he drove to the gate at her girls school or she ditched class or she got drunk or slipped out at night it reminded me how unequal the two are.

Fernanda is a sheltered poor girl, very naive, very impressionable and falling hard for the first time. I admit to being over protective of her. Carlos is an adult, with an adult job, his own spending money and had adult relationships. He could be the responsible adult without being condescending.

I don't think Isabela was totally delusional about their relationship and the prospect of marriage but agree that he wasn't all in despite their relationship being sexual. That casual sexual relationship is what is biting him right now.

I know Carlos didn't want to sit down with Luis but Luis is his mothers husband and has been for 20 years so I understand her point. Carlos could always get his own place and he would never have to see the guy, come and go as he pleases without his mothers watchful eye and eat pizza every night on the couch.

 

Tofie--Very perceptive comment. Almost from the very beginning, I've worried over Carlos and Fernanda's age difference--and the experience that goes with it. Her youth and insecurity shows in her bouts of jealousy--jumping to teenage conclusions and getting depressed over what seems like a slight or getting stood up. You go ahead and be as protective of Fernanda as you like. She needs it with Amelia as a mother. Kudos to Pedro for trying to be both mother and father to her.

I'll try to influence Carlos a bit more. He's also in uncharted territory. He never had any younger siblings who have friends, so he really doesn't know how to approach or deal with a teenager. He does well with people his age or older (very much older) with friends, family and as a physician. He and Fer have both acknowledged that there are things he can learn from her. He has restrained himself from putting pressure on her to get physical. We've never seen him try anything other than kissing her and embracing her. In the last scene on Friday, it sounds as though marriage is something he wants, but way in the future. She still wants to go to the university (?) to study music.

Certainly, I agree a young man of Carlos' age should be in his own place, even if he has medical school debt. Mom should have insisted on it. It's part of becoming independent. They have the money. I'm not sure I've heard any reasons why he's still at home, other than a plot device to keep the tension up between him, Luis and Marissa. I guess we have to accept it as a given we can't change.
 

Anita, Thanks for another great recap! I also enjoyed your defense of Carlos to Tofie. I didn't like him showing up on the graduation trip either, but I imagine the writers had to throw in more romantic scenery somewhere. The scenes at the lake were getting a little stale.

As for Carlos getting his own place, I think they said (a couple of episodes ago) that his father had bequeathed the family estate to Carlos, not Marissa. So Carlos may feel that he shouldn't have to leave his own house on account of the interloper Luis. And his staying may be passive-agressive behavior ... another way to get under Luis's skin.

I liked Fernanda's graduation dress. The blue was great on her and the crop top was up to the minute. I'd say they were going for Taylor Swift's style.
 

Seeing as how I can never remember my password, I have to wait until I get to work to comment :)

I'm with you Anita (your entire comment about Carlos and Fernanda) especially being way too involved in this TN! How old was Carlos when Amelia was pregnant? Eight?

Can't wait until tonight! Forgot my thought as I started typing this this morning and it's been on my screen all day...so I'm going to stop because I'd have to re-read the above comments. LOL!
 

Now I remember! Based on Aleta's comment (it wasn't there when I submitted) It seems that grown-ups stay in the same household into their 40's on these TN's even with children! Maybe that's why he's still there. He hasn't started his family yet.

Look at Mariana, she has a husband and a step-daughter and her husband moved into her dad's home. That's worse than Carlos not moving out.
 

I think Dr. Carlos' relationship with the schoolgirl Fernanda--"la colegiala"--is a bit queasy-making. Just a bit. She is an innocent, he's so much older and obviously has had mature relationships. Lucky for her he is a "sweet baboo".

Anon 1:47--I saw your comment, and yes--I still think of Monica Spears and how her beauty now represents innocent victims of violence all over the globe. Still so sad.

J in Oregon


 

Kendra--I'm about to put up the new Highlights Post. Save your comment, if you have another one.

Remember that we are on at 8 tonight.