Caray, Caray!

While watching this, all I can think of is this old saying that goes something like: "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive."
 

Geez, who hasn't Gina slept with? Thank you Ria for a perfect recap. These 2 hour episodes are tough to keep up with. I like how you so neatly summarized the important developments. No need to describe that awkward scene of Orlando and Javier trying to one up each other in tights.

I should have known Evaristo would be the new PI hired by Abue. Just what is he planning to do with all of these people? How many pay checks is he collecting?


 

Thanks Ria and look forward to everyone's reactions.

Once I scraped my beanie off the wall, all I could think of was "how do we get over a 100 epsidoes out of this thing??"

And I know TN's love having charaters "tangles" (good one Cynthia), but this is starting to get downright ridiculous. I'm beginning to think we need to change the title of this show to "The Life and Loves of Gina".

So every guy who is associated with these three women had some interation with the infamous Gina. And boy, she got around. Methinks she would go in whatever direction that got her the money?

And in a city this big, OF COURSE, the only PI Abue finds to help her is Evaristo. Can't even. The co-ink-I-dinks are getting way too convenient.

But can I say, I actually enjoyed wathing Inaki take mumsy down. Good lord woman, could you be more obvious you really only care for the spoiled brat in the hospital bed and not a real ounce of remorse for abandoning the son in front of you. He turns her down, she wants to know about the other brother. That was cold. What a mother.

This schizonphrenia of SantMarc has me frustrated because the "logical" idea this young man should pursue is to go get help if he's blanking out or having periods of memory loss of what he did. He doesn't, I'll be irritated at the lot ploy.
 

Sorry, should be plot ploy...my laptop has been imploding and the keyboard isn't typing out things right. Heading to buy a new one this weekend....so exited! Momma gets a new toy.
 

Thank you, Ria. The recap covered it all.

It was no surprise that Ana Leticia was quickly trying to make herself the victim. She is a first class weasel.
It was so stupid for Ana Laura to go and try to talk to Ana Leticia after the confrontation. What did she expect? She should not have been surprised when she got slapped.

Cynthia, the quote fit perfectly.
Lily, good point: Evaristo must be making a fortune off his manipulations.

This is turning out to be a good mystery.

 

Great work, Ria. Double episodes are such a pain sometimes.

Evaristo probably has quite a bit of cash stashed somewhere. Will he leave it to Soledad? If so, she will need it for a lawyer when it is discovered that she kidnapped Ana Lucia. Ernestina will be on the warpath if she finds out that Evaristo knew all along.

Since the issue of him being terminally ill has been raised, who wants to bet he will die before Ernestina finds this out?

As for Gina being out for all the dinero she could grab, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Valentin is really off his rocker. He seems to forget that he and Gina scammed Mariano and Karma kicked him in the butt for it in two ways:

-- the wheelchair
-- Gina dumping him to pursue Ramiro.

Did Marcelo know that Gina is Ev's granddaughter? It's possible that the fake suicide note was meant to fake her death and he was going to tell Ramiro the truth later.
 

The mystery & ever-growing conspiracy surrounding Gina'a death keeps growing.
 

I agree with everybody - seems like Gina is in every storyline! Now she just has to turn out to be alive to make it more interesting.

Daisy, before we get frustrated that Ernie just had to pick Evaristo, I have my doubts that they are actually in Mexico city. San Nicholas seemed to have more places and inhabitants than supposed capital. This capital has one PI, one lawyer, two cab drivers, one hotel, one big house and one apartment complex for everybody else. :)
I also agree about Santi's blacking out plot becoming old very fast.

Jarifa, no idea either on why Llora went to see Ana Le, much less did not even doubt her words, knowing all she knows. As soon as I saw her in Ana Le's bedroom I prepared to be annoyed and wasn't disappointed.




 

Urban, I am counting on Ev surviving till the end. So much is tied to him that it would be really disappointing if he got to kick the bucket before receiving his due. Also, I think Marcelo does know Gina was Ev's granddaughter - in that flashback of him killing his employee, who supposedly killed Gina, Ev was mentioning that she was his grandaughter.

Hi Steve and welcome!
 

thank you, Ria. I finally got to tune in last night, but my daughter stopped by about ten minutes into the show, so I missed all but a few minutes at the end. SHe is not into telenovelas.

Wow, one slap would be all it took for me to give ANaLEtmesmackyou some of the same. Someone needs to snap AnaLaura out of it and tell her that if you act like a rug , your sister is going to step all over you...in spiked heels.

Then there's Gina smarming all over Judyb's telenovio Mariano. Be strong, MAriano. I think it would be a close contest between Gina and ANa Letme for person with the most defective moral compass.

P.s. I would like to offer to adopt Inaki.



 

Thanks, Ria. Great title and recap. Still unclear what really happened, but many layers have been added to this murder cabbage. -- I like the way you put it.

Sneaky, hope all is well.

Eeeooow! -- Mariano made out in the men’s room with a woman who followed him in there after meeting him just minutes before. Run, Viridiana, run.

Tio, you’re no angel and AnaLe was going to help you with your TinTin problems, so you’d better make up with your devil sobrina pronto.

Even if Marcelo is no boy scout, there was no reason to give Daniel a beatdown since he was going to rat out AnaLe. I'm really beginning to think Evaristo has somehow programmed Santi/Marcelo’s mind.

One day, Ana Lloro will slap back AnaLe. But when, ultimos capitulos?

I should just put on my beanie and forget logic, but why would any of these folks kill Gina or force her into suicide? All they had to do was point her to another rich mark -- like that old dude that wanted to propose to Ana Lucia -- and she'd be out of their hair.
 

Thank you Ria.

We actually do not know the 'clinical' diagnosis of Marcelo/Santiago's 'disorder'. Perhaps the writers don't know either because they are playing fast and loose with his slipping in and out of his 2 personas. Start with the memory issue. Amnesia first. Then flashbacks. Then fainting/passing out/sleeping with complete memory loss of what Marcelo did while Santiago was "out". The Marcelo character seems to be violent, possibly complicit in the death of Gina, and in Daniel's smackdown. So are we dealing with two radically different personalities, the violent one completely taking over when revenge or a response to danger becomes the driving force and the sweet one when 'love' takes over.
So is he afflicted with schizophrenia, amnesia, multiple personality disorder, or just a garden variety bipolar? Note: these 'clinical' conditions can vary with the mental health professional who does the analysis. He needs to see a doctor for some therapy, tests and perhaps some meds.
And I guess if can be proven that he did in fact kill/harm people, Marcelo might escape punishment since mental incapacity might be his "get out of jail" card. I personally think Evaristo is behind every violent act attributable to Marcelo.
Clearly Marcelo has to disappear if Santiago and Ana Lucia are to become a happily married couple (episode 170?!).
 

Thanks Ria for stepping up to the plate again. As UA said, double episode recaps are a pain. And doing two in a row is a ginormous pain! So heaps of thanks.

I'm normally a softie, but not when it comes to moms abandoning their children I'm implacable. I've hated (sorry, that's a strong word, but there it is)Julieta from the beginning and now even more seeing her try and whine and wheedle her abandoned Iñaki into giving a chunk of his liver to that waste-of-oxygen Daniel. Let her give her own friggin' liver!

Hmmm...clearly I've got issues.

And agree with all of you who are confused by the shifting mental states of Santiago which don't seem to jibe with any one pathology diagnosis. But then telenovela writers seem to play fast and loose with a lot of medical issues.

And while we're on writing formats, wondering why there's no kindly, wise priest giving our folks advice in this one. Was there no padre in this original? Or is this the trend of the modern telenovela...ditch the curé and bring in the therapist. Just wondering.
 

Judy, right there with you in line to throw darts at the Julietta board on the patio. I thought Inaki was amazingly restrained in his reaction.

"Yes, I'm you mother, I really don't care what you've been up to these past years, but I need a piece of you...literally, for the only child I do care about."

yeah, have a nice day lady.

I never thought about the possibility of Ev having somehow been able to program or cause the issues with SantMarc's behavior. If he had that ability, why wait so long to kick it in. I think the writers are trying to figure out a good way to make it believeable that we have this guy in love with two women, and he himself is in his mental capacities a "twin" as well with two different personalities to match them. Think they could have written it better, and the blackout part is what gets me. had never seen it before and now Santi is having it happen daily it seems.

Or do we have the ultimate brain tumor scenario--Santi was beaten up and left for dead. Is he suffering from a brain injury that could be getting worse and causing extreme mood swings and behavior. He had that sort of job before where he had a gun --now what the heck happened with Gina, who I suspect could have maybe threatened our Gray-haired hunk with blackmail, and Marcelo was coming in with a way to make her stop without actually killing her. (AnaLe--now that one would do it.) Gina may have been weeping those tears, but she might have been a skank of the lowest order and ready to hurt people. We need more facts. Somehow, back then, I don't see him as a cold-blooded killer.

But with a brain tumor...perfect out. He can beat people up, do nasty things, and at the end of the day, it's all explained.


 

Judyb...Yes, it appears the modern telenovelas have substituted psychologists for priests as seen in P y P. Perhaps, there gas been a cultural change reflecting this switch . I miss the telenovelas that I first surfed into..Alborada, Amor Real, Pasion that were based on the theme of onetruelove. ...back to OUtlander for me .
 

Great recapping Ria. I hadn't actually watched it all when I made my first post because I am on Pacific time. But I found it incredulous how far they are taking this Gina thing. Boy that woman really got around. Did she sleep with every good looking man that came along? Wow, what a slut! And when is Sant/marc going to see a psychiatrist for his lost memories? I can't understand why anyone is not encouraging him to see a doctor. Send that guy to a neurologist for some brain scans or something! People just don't pass out on the street for no reason. Maybe they don't call paramedics in Mexico City. Surely they have good doctors in Mexico City. As for Evaristo, he has his hands into too many pots. He's the Godfather who thinks he is in control of everything while taking everyone's money. I hope it all blows up in his face.
 

Ramiro's daddy is scum and explains why he disdains Ramiro so much. I don't think his dislike of a Ramiro/Ana Laura match is because Ana Laura only has one leg, it's because Ramiro is HAPPY and in love with Ana Laura. Why should Ramiro get to be happy when Daddy Fuentes was robbed of his wife's love?

Ana Leticia's work wardrobe continues to amaze!

I would think Ernestina would turn to Evararisto because he did work with Marcelo.

Julieta is also a piece of scum; "Sorry I abandoned you and didn't give two craps about your health & wellbeing when you were growing up but enough about me; can you slice off some of your liver for the little brother you never knew you had? Oh you won't? Well how about your other brother? Think he's up to slicing off some of his liver for me? Kthanxbai"

Unfortunately Javier probably will be the one who donates part of his liver and that will put him out of commission at Danzaire for a while. They didn't have Orlando twirling in the air for nothing.
 

Anon207, I think you got something there about Sr. Fuentes. Here's hoping for a much better relationship for the Salvatierras. They need each other and SantMarc needs a doctor ASAP.

Julieta is some piece of work. Her sense of entitlement has grown over the years she's been out of Inaki's and Javier's lives. Daniel is her punishment so far. No matter who can donate liver tissue I don't think he will die. He has to live for Julieta to suffer more.
 

Susanlynn and Niecie, I agree with you - don't know what kind of patience Llora has, but it's 'bout time to slap back, or at least look upset about that. She just took it as normal.

JudyB, ditto on Julietta. I, too, really dislike neglectful mothers angle and have no sympathy for such characters. And in this one, Julietta doesn't even show a bit of remorse, so apparently even years have not added any maturity. I am actually surprised she is clinging to Daniel that much, when she abandoned two sons without giving it a second thought.

Cynthia, yes - Evaristo is everywhere!!!

Daisy, interesting brain tumor theory. There has got to be an explanation for these mysterious fainting and transformation spells, so maybe that's it.
 

Lily Haha I have to admit the 2 of them twirling in tights was pretty uh, interesting. Javier, especially. He was very balletic. I was even impressed by his "arabesque" pointed toe lol

daisynjay Lol you always crack me up!

Jarifa You make a good point. This is less a romantic telenovela, and is becoming more a mystery series as we delve deeper. All they need is a butler, a candlestick, and a billiard room

Urban Couldn't agree more. Even after Ana Leticia and Ramiro individually called him out on his delusional infallibility, he still refuses to admit that he's at fault. What makes him further delusional is that he thinks he's got a hold on Ana Laura. Did he not noticed her disinterest & constant evasion? He even asked her about her behavior, so he's not that clueless. I'm thinking he was just tryna push Ram's buttons.

Steve Welcome Steve. At this point, I'm expecting a reveal on Gina's conquest of Isidro

Susanlynn Lol, I know it broke my heart to see him holding back his tears b/c of that idiota, Julieta. I'd adopt him too but I'm pretty sure he'll empty my bank account on clothes

Niecie That's an interesting theory. But it doesn't seem like there's any real trigger other than a quick peek in a mirror. It seems like it's mostly Marc running the show. But if you're right, that'd make for an eerie & suspenseful plot. I don't usually like dark tn's, but it would make Ev's power that much more formidable.

Anon1:05 Although there's no clinical diagnosis, I've had enough acquaintance with the mental illness called Dissociative-Identity Disorder to realize he has all the tell-tale signs for it. It's usually a result of trauma. So as a recovering amnesiac who is having old memories triggered, it makes sense that there'd be conflict b/w his former identity & the new identity he has now. The emotional outbursts are a very natural response, as is the tug-of-war b/w the 2 identities.

JudyB Samesies, I was searching in my heart for sympathy for her but found I had none. I'm team Inaki! Soooo glad he gave her the deuces. If you read the comment above, you'll see that the disorder Marcelo has is based on a real illness. And I'm glad there's no cliched padres in this one. I like the idea of them finding comfort in one another, or ending up a lost cause. Feels more authentic.

Cynthia I hate sounding like a broken record on this. But people do black out when dealing w/ Dissociative-Identity Disorder. It's a real condition caused by trauma, & sadly it affects loved ones who are exposed to it. But I'm w/ you on why he hasn't seen a therapist yet. Maybe b/c of what he's afraid to find out. Could be why he's been actively resistant to remembering.

Anon207 I agree, hated the dad before, but I despise him even more now. How could he blame his kid for something he had no control over? I like your assessment that it's more of a "You can't be happy so long as I'm unhappy" game. Him pushing Ram on a beyosh like Ana Let makes sense now.
 

Ria I wish there was a way we could contact each other outside of here, b/c I could've helped pick up the slack. Then again, you do such an awesome job! Loved:

So the joy of Llora’s tears and probably yet another break up with Ramiro is awaiting us in one of the next few episodes

Still unclear what really happened, but many layers have been added to this murder cabbage

Omnipresent Evaristo absorbs it all
 

Anna, I am aware of the condition called Disassociative Identity Disorder. It is a very real thing, especially with abuse survivors and where there has been cult mind control too. As for Santmarc, when the police found him passed out, he should have been taken to a hospital for observation. In reality *in the USA*, that's what would have happened. I don't know what happens in Mexico though. But if I came across someone passed out on the street, I'd call 911. Anyway, thank you for clarifying the condition.
 

Thank you so much, Ria. I'm not home, so haven't yet seen this episode. Taking a little break from the kids at the workshop before our pizza party dinner. College food was not meant for the adult metabolism!

Did I understand correctly that SantMarc has no recollection of beating Daniel, and we didn't see it? Until they show a flashback of him beating Daniel to a pulp, I'm inclined this is Evaristo playing a mind game on SantMarc.

I feel like we have bought into this idea of Marcelo being a bad, ruthless person, but notice that the only people who have said this about him are bad, ruthless people with something to hide and an axe to grind against Marcelo. All the people who loved and cared for him think he was a great person, even though they acknowledge that he was no-nonsense and well-trained.

The flashbacks we've seen of him doing something "bad" later get clarified. We first saw a flashback of him holding a gun to Soledad. Much later we see the full flashback where we see she pulled a knife on him first. We first saw a flashback of him holding a gun to Valentin. Later we learn Valentin pulled the gun on him first, and Marcelo wrestled it away from Val, causing Val to fall to the ground. We first saw the flashback of him admitting and sobbing about killing a man. (Him sobbing is a clue this wasn't a normal thing for him.) Then we see more of the flashback and learn Marcelo believed this guy had murdered Gina. It was assumed based on his conversation with Samuel about bank accounts under different names that Marcelo had been doing something shady. But in a flashback shown some time again Marcelo informs Ana Leticia of his many passports, names, etc. that are all part of his work when he has to go undercover or avoid dangerous people. There is no proof that Marcelo was bad. Just that he was a badass.


 

Vivi at 6:08 PM EDT
I think you have found a trend about Marcelo being a badass but not bad (criminal). I guess we have to wait for a reveal about Daniel. A number of possibilities including intervention by Evaristo. But how did Marcelo get his hand banged up? And there's the guy who claimed that Marcelo came back to the bar and took Daniel away. I think that Marcelo can in fact rise to the level of violence; the unanswered question is 'has he ever wantonly physically harmed or killed anyone?'
 

Anna, thanks! I'll definitely email you next time.

Vivi, oh isn't that the truth about college aged metabolism. Glad you are getting some time to relax!

So on Marcelo, his hand and Daniel: Marcelo had a bloodied shirt and banged up hand. He also had a dream, or what he thought was a dream, of beating Daniel up. The waiter also indeed saw him drag Daniel out of the restaurant. So while it's conceivable that could turn out to be a dream indeed, with this evidence I am inclined to believe Marcelo did beat Daniel up. He probably didn't have the intentions to hurt him that bad (if he wanted to kill him he could) and the persona of Marcelo was likely just very mad at Ana Le's lover. Daniel is also not the most pleasant character here, so sympathy is doled out to him very sparingly. I am also assuming annoying Julietta will now guilt Javier into donating a part of his liver to save his half-brother, so Daniel will live. So all in all, I agree that Marcelo is not a bad character, and most certainky not when measured against the likes of Ana Le, Gina, Ev and even Sole.


 

Niecie said she wonders if Evaristo has somehow programed Marcelo. I was thinking along the same lines wondering if Ev had given Marcelo some kind of a mind-control drug.

In regard to Santiago waking up to find his knuckles scraped and blood on his shirt, it points to a plot for Ev to set him up for thinking he had beaten Daniel.

1. Ev called Santiago to a warehouse where he was holding Daniel. What was the reason for that? Did he want to bring them together to see how Santiago would react?

2.Santiago and Daniel went to have a beer and talk. They left the bar on good terms.

3.Something happened after leaving the bar that changed Santiago's attitude toward Daniel. Something that he doesn't remember. Something that made him go back, drag Daniel out of the bar and beat him to an inch of his life.

4. This could have been a mind-control intervention by Evaristo. or...as was mentioned, possibly a brain tumor.

I'm totally confused at this point. Anxious to find out. But I love this-TN very suspenseful...Don't know what is going to happen next!


 

This could also be two separate incidents. Evaristo had Daniel beaten up and SantMarc separately so that he would think he did this. That is, if this isn't a split personality situation.
 

Thanks, Ria and Anna, for your recaps. I'm finally catching up...

Anna, I loved your Steveristo Lee pictures. The resemblance is uncanny!

Regarding Daniel's beatdown, it seems reasonable that an angry Marcelo threw a couple of punches, and then Ev had one of his fine grandsons do a little more damage to him, knowing that Santi would think it had all been done by him alone.

Judy, I didn't realize your daughter was ill. You are both in my thoughts.
 

Did you guys see the teasers for El color de la pasión?? Gosh I'm so exciteddd!!!

-Jon
 

I haven't but I can't stand Esmeralda Pimentel. I might peek at the series but I can't commit to it at this time.
 

Cynthia Ohhh I see what you're saying. Yea I felt the same when the cop kinda just gave him a once-over. I think Santi insisting he was ok might be why the cop let him go.

Vivi You & I are in-sync! Loved your breakdown & you totally just validated my assessment on Recap #52/#53: I believe that Marcelo was a bad-ass, not necessarily a bad guy. He was tough, smart, & could get the job done. But I don't think he was a killer, however I do believe that when push came to shove he did whatever it took to protect himself & the ones he loves.

Ria Exactly, we're only going off Santi's fragmented memories. Even in those fragments, he's cunning but not conniving like the rest.

Virginia It'd be a unique twist we're not used to seeing in TNs. But I think we're just giving Ev way too much credit by thinking he's involved in every detail. I really feel like this was just Marc taking over & doling out the revenge he's after

Urban I love that theory! I prefer that over mind-control. More realistic that Ev has his goons following Santi's every move & making problems worse for him

Julie Lol, thank my brother. He's the one that caught the resemblance outright. But glad you enjoyed :)

Jon It sounds very much like a Cinderella story. An evil stepmother & stepsister. The production of it does look better than the 2014 version
 

@Urban It's really worth it!! Don't let Pimentel bother you, although I think she did an amazing job, the real star of the story is Rebeca, the villain. Also, Pimentel doesn't appear until the sixth episode.

@Anna It pretty much is, except Cinderella in this case knows how to defend herself very well. She's not the typical nice protagonist that let's everyone bully her.

-Jon