Caray, Caray!

Juju- No problem. We can get a discussion started in the meantime. By the way, you need to correct the label on this, from Yago to Hotel.
 

All hell broke loose this episode! Diego abuses Isabel during a night of terror. Someone plants the knife that killed Bea in Andres' room with the bloody shirt from Belen's disappearance, and he turns himself in to prison. Felipe decides to run off to live his love with Jorge (destroying yet another woman in his wake). The Federales corner and capture Jorge's gang/brothers, and she escapes dressed as a woman. Felipe discovers Jorge is a woman, before passing out from blood loss. Diego gets a mystery visitor, who makes him jumpy. Diego terrorizes Mati. Diego runs after Isa and Julio in the streets of town shooting at them. Diego shoots Julio (still not recognizing who he is). (I think it's safe to say that Diego has totally lost it now.) Mystery people knock out Diego and kidnap Isa, on the streets in broad daylight.

Whew! I can't believe they fit all that plot into one episode!
 

Vivi, I can't believe you made it all fit in one paragraph.

David
 

AND Cece made a deal with Olegario.

But the ending was crazy. I played it back several times in slow motion. Boy was that intense.

Earlier, I felt as though a scene was missing. When the doctor was seeing to Felipe, he told Julio to go find Isabel. But next thing we know, Julio is in bed and Cece is knocking on his door. What happened when he looked for Isabel?
 

Juju, it amazes me that you can do a recap from watching on your phone. I watch on a 25" TV and I still miss a lot of stuff.
 

Julie- Yeah, Ceci and Oleg. What are they up to? Do they really think it's wise to be messing with the murderous Freemasons?

ITA. That was a weird transition. And I'm assuming that when Julio went to the room, there was no answer and he just went on with his business.
 

Juju, if I had to watch this from my phone, I would not be able to figure what was going on. I watch it twice during the evening to make sure I understood.

Oh I just HATE Diego, he is the EPITOME of EVIL! Beating up on poor Isabel and his face looked so demon possessed. He looked like he needed to have an exorcism, I could almost see him foaming at the mouth. Then after he came back from his office after meeting this "mystery woman, Clara" he was seething again like an out of control demon and went on to try to beat up on Mathilde. Fortunately, Iggy was near by and stopped it.
 

WHAT?? I got home late last night and was having computer issues so decided to wait until tonight to catch up. Now I'm wondering if I can go home sick just to watch this chapter. Holy cow.

At least now no one, not even Teresa, can pretend that Diego is a decent human being. Well, maybe Teresa can, but no one else. Sounds like Cece had made the destruction of Diego her new focus. Good.

Kelly
 

For some reason my cable cut out when there was about 8 minutes of the episode left! So glad someone got to see the whole thing.
 

I also felt like a scene was missing. Also, how did Felipe go from being laid up from a bullet in the chest to getting on a horse? That bullet may have just missed his lung (or he would be dead already), but he should not have gotten out of bed.

I was also mad that neither Isabel nor Mathilde fought back. What is the matter with them?

I'm sure Clara is someone who is out for revenge against Diego. Could she be the doctor's daughter?
 

You should be able to watch later using your "On Demand" feature from your cable service, Veronica. Or you can watch straight from Univision's website:
http://www.univision.com/novelas/el-hotel-de-los-secretos

I have found ways to be able to watch over again because sometimes the language goes so fast and the closed captioning is way behind on the video that I get really confused.
 

Urban- Ooh! Good thinking! "Clara" could be the Doc's daughter. And the two people who kidnapped Isa could be Clara and the Doctor (that's kind of funny because Clara is the current companion of Doctor Who).

As for not fighting back-- 1) I think Isa kind of felt like she deserved it (even apologizing to Diego at the end of the episode!); 2) I think many women when attacked like that freeze up; and 3) I think that women in their station at that time were taught to not do things to draw attention (like screaming their head off) to maintain privacy and decorum.
 

All hell broke loose is right Vivi. I sat there with my mouth hanging open, then just got so uncomfortable with the horrid Diego/Isa confrontation and at the end was like, "Wait, what just happened?"

I give a standing O to both the actors who had to work through that horrendous Diego/Isa scene. I think my heart stopped at some point because I don't remember taking a breath. Intense doesn't begin to describe. Diego has flipped the switched...unleashed the devil indeed.

Interesting Teresa went into mother mode again after Felipe was shot. I'm beginning to wonder how much it's his fault that this women go to pieces when he walks away, and how much is they all seem to be already troubled and wanting someone, anyone, to take them out of their current situation. Yes, he's a flirt and womanizer, but they head into these relationships willingly. In this case, I couldn't quite buy her total breakdown when he walked away. Seemed too much too soon.

How the shoot out happened, wish we would have known how the police found the group, but Manuela did get to escape. Sort of left us hanging--does she stay and help Felipe or ride away? I'm a sap...I hope she helps and they both ride away.

So either Diego, Sophia or Teresa is blackmailing Andres. They all know about the knife. Not sure who I have my money on. I lean to Sophia.

Guesses who showed up in Diego's office: Was that Belen? I was looking at the hair and trying to place the bun. Only other person who wears that type bun is Angela, but she was at the jail. Heaven help us a new character surfaces.

And who kidnapped Isa? CeCe?

Good lord that felt like the traditional epside before the finale. These next two weeks are going to be beyond nuts aren't they?

Daisynjay
 

From someone who has been through spousal abuse, I can tell you why Isabel may not have fought back. When I was being abused, if I tried to do anything more than try to shield myself from his slaps and punches, he would hit me harder and beat me more viciously. You get so scared and nearly immobilized from the beating. Plus, you just feel SO ASHAMED and paralyzed.
 

Thanks in advance, JuJu. Technology can be the pits.

Funniest line: Andrés saying that Belén's body could have been eaten by coyotes or vultures. Really?

Sounded like Diego's anger had been simmering for a long long time knowing that Isabel was not in love with him. Too bad she was so stupid to bait him with her continued absences. She got off easy: she still was alive.

I could not believe how long it took slow butts Isabel and Julio to leave the hotel. Matilde had to tell them 4x that they had no time to lose. Duh! No surprise Diego caught up with them so easily.

So, who is "Clara" that Diego was not happy to see?

Interesting that Teresa told Eusebio his well being was tied in to Felipe's recovering or not . I enjoyed Diego being in full pursuit of Jorge/Manuela. Will he/she just take him into her happy ittle gang of bandits already. It would be nice to have an early happy ending on that scene. I think Jorge/Manuela is the only one that could keep Felipe interested and in line.

So, now Teresa is not too happy being the manager of the hotel now that Andrés is in the local jail and would like to renegotiate with Diego (maybe.) I loved how he looked at her hand as she grabbed his sleeve and pulled it from her grip as if it were something disgusting. They both are so disgusting they would make the perfect December-May couple.


 

OH Cynthia, so sorry you had to go through that and bless you for the insight. I thought similiar watching Isa; she was so shocked and incredulous, what we think watching for her to fight back is not even registering in the brain.

Cripe--missed the Clara. My head hurts trying to figure this all out. These writers are amazing.

Daisynjay
 

Daisynjay- It was the Federales (federal government forces) and not the police who were in a shootout with the gang on the outskirts of town. I'm sure all that arms dealing they have been doing, and then STAYING and hanging out after the sale as Jorge moped, is what got them caught. The local police were busy mobilizing to put a stop to Diego shooting up the center of town.

The woman who met Diego was definitely not anyone we already know, because the bellboy had no idea who she was, other than the name she gave, Clara. A name Diego immediately recognized.
 

Cynthia- Thank you for sharing that. Yes, shame is a major part of the dynamic between abuser and the abused, and it can paralyze a person.
 

Jarifa: "Funniest line: Andrés saying that Belén's body could have been eaten by coyotes or vultures. Really?" I agree! I don't think coyotes and vultures leave no traces of what has being eaten. Coyotes eat small animals and a vulture can't eat an entire person. So that was pretty funny. Guess he doesn't know much about coyotes.
 

Heck, I think even Angela was trying not to laugh, and barely stifled an eye-roll, when Andres said that. :) No wonder she tried to keep him from the Alarcon vipers nest for so long. That boy is a naive lamb just begging to be slaughtered.
 

Thanks Vivi. Did not catch the Clara. So we do have another character. Logical choice is the Doctor's daughter which would explain why he came to the area. either knows she is there, or last traced her there. Diego seemed none to happy to see her

Cynthia, bless you for sharing that information and sorry you had to endure that in your life.

Daisynjay
 

If Belen is dead, her body will be found in one piece. Because even coyotes and vultures have standards.
 

Cynthia, I'm sorry that happened to you and I'm glad you're with us now. Frankly I wasn't expecting Isabel or Mati to suddenly develop super-powers and be able to defend themselves. Their fear, surprise, and lesser strength would have been no match for crazy-mad Diego, plus as Cynthia points out it would only have made him angrier.

And I thought Isabel did try to hold him off a few times, especially at the beginning of the fight.

Well, I hope Diego was happy afterwards because he finally managed to get her blood all over the bedsheets, just as he was hoping for on his wedding night. I hope is demise is humiliating.
 

Cynthia it makes my blood boil and very proud to say I have prosecuted with great success abusers. Errrrrr, Errrrrr

It appeared to me more than one scene was missing or maybe I just looked away for a second and missed stuff.

All along people knew Diego was a monster yet the only person that physically fought back was Belen. I was hoping so bad Ayala would get his big paws on the scumbag.
 

Julie- Yep, Isa did try to fight, cry out, and even escape at first. And it all made him angrier and that much more violent. It was very scary. After last night, I want Diego's death to be very slow and very painful.
 

Cynthia, I am sorry that you had to go through that in your life.

Thinking about spousal abuse and considering this takes place in the early twentieth century, even if Isabel would have screamed her head off and drew attention to the fact that she was being beaten, how willing would anyone be to get involved and actually stop Diego at their own peril? Would they have seen it as a matter between a husband and his wife? Nothing out of the ordinary? Abuse is not limited by social class.
 

My hope is the story starts with Deigo's sorry ass sitting in jail. There were certainly enough witnesses, along with the injured Julio, to confirm he was shooting.
But that's not good enough for him. I'm with you Vivi, his demise must be painful, and slow and brutal. I try not to be a vengeful person, but TN's give us that outlet, and Diego has murdered and beaten threatened all with that smug demeanor. I so want someone to just wipe that smug look off his face.

Might help if our mystery woman also turns out to be Deigo's wife and that's a tidbit no one knew about. That would free Isa up from that ball and chain and leave us a slow, nasty end game for Deigo. A quick death is too easy.

Daisynjay
 

True, Jarifa. But the greater danger element is still here, as we saw in Pasion y Poder. Shame also doesn't go away.

But that still doesn't explain Mathilde.
 

Urban- Matidle grabbed some object and threatened to hit Diego with it if he didn't leave. He pretended to be leaving, she dropped her guard, and that's when he turned back quickly, disarmed her, and pushed her to the bed. It was the element of surprise.
 

Thanks Cynthia for sharing that story.

When the scene first started, I was thinking there were a thousand things in that room Isa could have picked up to clonk Diego with. I think part of it was that she was surprised at the level of his anger. She didn't realize how violent he could be. Otherwise, she wouldn't have dimissed him the way she did. I was surprised at the level of Matilde's fear, though. She's much more of a scrapper.

Kudos to Felipe for going to Jorge despite him being a "man".

I don't feel too sorry for Gema. I don't believe Felipe promised her anything more than a romp. It was her romantic novel mind that embellished it.

OT: for ACT fans. Have you seen the Chase Bank ad with the little pig? Love it! The pig, the music, the pig's human parents. Can't stand Chase Bank (had a horrible experience dealing with them), but the ad is awesome.

Nanette
 

Another thing. Andres really is some kind of honorable guy. He wasn't sure he DIDN'T kill Belen, so he turned himself in. He's been naive, stupid, drunk throughout--but always honorable.
 

Nanette, ACT was such great fun! I will have to see that piggy commercial. : )
 

Cynthia...it takes courage to share a personal story like that. And courage to survive it and go on and make a happier life for yourself. Bless you for your strength and your openness.

People have inherent temperaments, and "freezing" is one reaction to danger. And as you pointed out, fighting back, if one is not measurably stronger, only results in more violence.

This was a very disturbing episode. And the crushed romantic reject of Felipe reminded me of Madame Bovary. Society can be very cruel to women who make that mistake.

Frankly, as an Ayala/Matilde fan, I was hoping for a little romantic lightness to counterbalance the horror, but it was not to be.

Princess Juju, sorry for your troubles. Amazing that you can manage a recap under those conditions usually. You're a trooper. And you also did one for Yago. Double trooper!
 

JudyB - I looked up Madame Bovary just now (I've never read it) and discovered that Madame's first name was Emma. Emma - Gemma. Yes, I think she was supposed to remind us of Madame B - and if I'd done the reading I was supposed to do when I was in school, maybe I would have recognized that! Good catch!
 

LOL Julie! Reminds me of that PBS game "Things you should have learned in school but didn't".
 

Every time I set that adorable. Pig it makes me smile
 

I am using my new iPad, so typing is a little weird
 

I want one!
 

I was also thinking that Carla was either Diego's wife or Doc's daughter because he definitely did not like that she was there. And I assumed she was also the woman who helped kidnap Isabel.

I'm glad that Felipe is alive. Univision's site still says that Felipe fue asesinado for the scene of the day for that episode. Weird. I guess they're just recapping the scene and what appears to have happened?

Diego was hard to watch. Poor Isabel. :( At least we didn't have to wait until the last episode for Isabel to finally see who he really is!
 

Nanette
An adorable piggy or an Ipad?

I'm back on the computer, where I feel comfortable.
 

OT: Variopinta, I have been with my iPad for a few years now and even write my recaps on it. It just takes a while to get used to. It is such a great toy.
 

Wow, Diego is now unhinged.

I thought that the editing of the show left a lot to be desired last night. Quite choppy in some places. With Julio supposed to get Isabel, but we see him in his underwear in his room instead, and then with Cecilia and Oleg's conversation kind of ended abruptly.

I still think Belen is actually dead, we don't have that many episodes left, and I think that Diego did it.

What relief Filipe will have when he sees Manuela.

I thought that Doc said his daughter was dead, but in case she isn't, then definitely, Clara is his daughter.

I didn't get the part where Alfredo heard about Andres being in jail, then Alfredo quickly gets in the carriage with his mother. That makes me wonder if maybe Alfredo did kill Belen? But why?



 

Cathyx- Alfredo said he was going to go sell his family home. Perhaps he's selling it so that he has money to help Andres. He seemed pretty horrified to hear Andres was in jail.

It definitely felt like they cut out some scenes in order to keep this at the promised 80 episodes. I'd prefer that they leave transition scenes in and give us a few extra episodes.
 

Yo tambien, Vivi.
 

Thank you Judy B, Jarifa, Julie, and Tofie for your comments. It was a long time ago, but watching Diego beat up on Isabel brought back some horrific memories. As I was watching tonight, Mathilde seemed to be talking with Ayala about how Diego assaulted Isabel. Ayala's answer was something to the effect of, "But he was accusing her of adultery". Seems it's been for many years that it was just fine to beat up your wife and accuse her of adultery and the law looked the other way and called it "marital problems". Can you believe it was like this up until recently? Even in the 1970's (when it happened to me) police did not want to get involved or prosecute a man who abused his wife. I am so glad things are different now. Tofie, if you are a lawyer and had great success prosecuting these bums, my hat is off to you and kudos to you!
 

I'd like to think things are different now but there are still too many men out there who see women as their inferiors.