Now
that we're past Mother's Day, it's time to review some of those that
are undeserving of such honor. Do any of them come up to the level
of Catalina Creel of Cuna de Lobos? Let's talk about
this:
Character
(Actress): Barbara Greco (Lucero)
Series:
Mañana es Para Siempre (2008)
Crimes
Punishable by Man's Law: Murder (multiple counts), false
imprisonment
Crimes
Punishable by Divine Law:
Interim
Punishment(s): none
Karmageddon: Disfigurement, madness
Karmageddon: Disfigurement, madness
Character
(Actress): Fedra
Curiel de Ruiz y de Teresa / Azela Robinson
Series:
Llena de Amor (2010)
Crimes
Punishable by Man's Law: Prostitution
Crimes
Punishable by Divine Law: Incestuous
feelings toward her oldest son, arranged for a training session with
a hooker for her youngest son,
Interim
Punishment(s): Unknown
Karmageddon: Being burned at the stake
Karmageddon: Being burned at the stake
Character
(Actress): Candela Santana de Mendoza (Alejandra Barros)
Series:
La Sombra del Pasado (2014)
Crimes
Punishable by Man's Law: Defamation
of character, complicity in kidnapping,
accessory
after the fact (attempted murder)
Crimes
Punishable by Divine Law: Unspeakable
snobbery, countless attempts at controlling her adult son,
lusting
after a priest, emotional torture of son and daughter-in-law,
and
the persistent delusion that she is always right.
Interim
Punishment(s): Injury and temporary helplessness
Karmageddon: Murdered by Severiano
Karmageddon: Murdered by Severiano
Character
(Actress): Prudencia Mendoza de Zapata (Cynthia Klitbo)
Series:
La Sombra del Pasado (2014)
Crimes
Punishable by Man's Law: Defamation
of character, assault, theft, adultery, complicity in pregnancy scam,
inciting mob violence, filing false assault charges
Crimes
Punishable by Divine Law: Unspeakable
snobbery, endless enabling of her toxic daughter, cruelty toward an
adopted son, and the persistent delusion that she has any class
Interim
Punishment(s): None
Karmageddon: Homelessness
Karmageddon: Homelessness
Character
(Actress): Úrsula Santibañez / Rosa Maria Bianchi
Series:
Yo No Creo En Los Hombres (2014)
Crimes
Punishable by Man's Law: Guilty
of multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, accessory after the
fact (Daniel's killing of Hector and rape of Maria Dolores), slander,
perjury, conspiracy to kidnapping, bribery, blackmail, accidental
murder (own son)
Crimes
Punishable by Divine Law: Unbridled snobbery, enabling
her two entitled and criminal offspring, and forgetting where she
herself came from.
Interim
Punishment(s): None
Karmageddon: Unknown; was last seen in a hysterical state, leaning over her son's dead body.
Karmageddon: Unknown; was last seen in a hysterical state, leaning over her son's dead body.
Character
(Actress): Josefa Cabrera / Azela Robinson
Series:
Yo No Creo En Los Hombres (2014)
Crimes
Punishable by Man's Law: Guilty
of pimping, slander, theft, filing false police reports, inciting
crimes in others, accessory to burglary (before and after the fact),
entrapment, blackmail, burglary,
Crimes
Punishable by Divine Law: Gossip (see Slander, above), and
being a slattern.
Interim
Punishment(s): Rejection by Isela
Karmageddon: Imprisonment and in a wheelchair
Karmageddon: Imprisonment and in a wheelchair
Character
(Actress): Rebeca Murillo de Gaxiola / Michelle Renaud and
Claudia Ramirez
Series:
El Color de la Pasión
(2014)
Crimes
Punishable by Man's Law: “Accidental” death of Adriana,
killing of Alonso (with emotional damage and withholding his heart
meds), attempted swindling of Lucia's inheritance, attempted murder
(stabbing of Ricardo Marquez), killing of
Alonso (with emotional damage and withholding his heart meds),
attempted swindling of Lucia's inheritance, attempt at covert
abortion (Lucia, who wasn't actually pregnant), complicity in framing
Marcelo for fraud.
Crimes
Punishable by Divine Law: Guilty of lusting after Alonso when
he was married to her sister, attempted hijacking of all Magdalena's
suitors, including being the cause of Magdalena being jilted on her
wedding day, cheating on Alonso, pursuing Marcelo (who rightfully
belongs to Lucia), neglect of Nora's mental health,
and thinking she is The Ultimate Woman.
Interim
Punishment(s):
Karmageddon: Suicide (Gunshot)
Karmageddon: Suicide (Gunshot)
Character
(Actress): Teresa de Alarcón / Diana Bracho
Series:
El Hotel de los Secretos (2016)
Crimes
Punishable by Man's Law:
Poisoning
Romulo ( Sofia dealt the final blow)
Hiding Romulo's last will by fakery, multiple counts of bribing and extortion (Rom's doctor, Doctor Santamaria, Church ministry and many others), obstruction of justice, stealing and switching of babies (Belen's babies, one of them died), hiding the death of Baby #1
Hiding Romulo's last will by fakery, multiple counts of bribing and extortion (Rom's doctor, Doctor Santamaria, Church ministry and many others), obstruction of justice, stealing and switching of babies (Belen's babies, one of them died), hiding the death of Baby #1
Crimes
Punishable by Divine Law: Forcing her unfavored daughter into
a distasteful marriage, mental abuse of favored daughter
Interim
Punishment(s): None
Karmageddon: Imprisonment
Karmageddon: Imprisonment
Character
(Actress): Elise Vergara / Silvia Mariscal
Series:
El Hotel de los Secretos (2016)
Crimes
Punishable by Man's Law: Hijacking of son's inheritance
Crimes
Punishable by Divine Law: Infantilization of son, continuous
interference in her son's marriage, unbearable snobbery
Interim
Punishment(s): None
Karmageddon: Isolation from son
Karmageddon: Isolation from son
Character
(Actress): Eloísa
Ángeles / Isela Vega
Series:
Muchacha Italiana Viene a Casarse (2014)
Crimes
Punishable by Man's Law: Guilty
of (mercy) killing of husband, covering up his past financial crimes
Crimes
Punishable by Divine Law: Classism,
verbal abuse, attempting to force grandson into unwanted marriage,
forcing Fiorella to dress inappropriately, and being a
puppetmistress.
Interim
Punishment: Abandoned
in poor neighborhood without money, ID, or cell phone and having to
beg for pay phone money
Karmageddon: Forgiven and survived
Karmageddon: Forgiven and survived
Catalina Creel as the standard of toxicity: I will raise that to pure evil. If anyone has not seen "Cuna de lobos" it is a classic worth watching just to see the Catalina's twisty maliciousness: so simple but so depraved. It is one of my all time favorites.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Ursula is the worst of this bunch. How could it get worse than this?
ReplyDeleteI never saw El Manantial so someone else will have to answer your question.
UA: Toxic Mothers ? WOW!
ReplyDeleteIs that first photo Lucero? She was in MEPS.
ReplyDeleteUA, I haven't seen Yo No Creo En Los Hombres or Hotel which I have gathered were wonderful and powerful.
ReplyDeleteThe one that stands out for me was Lucero who was utterly devoid of emotion (with one Achilles heel I won't reveal) and chilling in the role. That said, I thought her ending was far more severe than many of her male counterparts.
Claudia Ramirez in El Color was utterly fascinating to me. Yes, she was evil but she was brilliant and resourceful, able to stay one quick step ahead of disaster once her house of cards began to tumble. Her mannerisms, darting, furtive looks and her hands, fingers moving constantly in frantic motion were perfect.
Urban, I think you included Daniela Castro from Mi Pecado and Leticia Calderon from ENDA previously, didn't you? They were frightening as well.
Jarifa, I haven't seen Cuna de lobos but googled it after I saw your comment. I shivered a bit before I even read the summary.
Thanks Urban!
Diana
Claudia Ramirez in "ECDLP" as The Becista was epic. Before she offed herself, she managed to insult Lucia once again!
ReplyDeleteAfterwards, The Becista put the gun in her mouth & pulled the trigger.
Thank you a trillion UA for another installment in your "Toxic Mothers" series. I always look forward to them and the others.
ReplyDeleteI nominate Catalina Lopezreina from Amor de Barrio for the next installment.
Catalina Lopezreina played by Marisol del Olmo.
Crimes Punishable by Man's Law- Murder by Proxy (her first husband Saul Marquez.) Embezzlement. Planned Murder (Daliah and Rodrigo when they were younger.) Various Cases of Murder for Hire/By Proxy for that matter (that FAILED.)
Crimes Punishable by Divine Law- Hubris, Abuse of her Pet Abogaducha, Chauffeur, Lover and Children. General Lewd Tackiness.
Interim- Having to pay Blanca Estela an opposite-of-paltry-sum for the 23 years she was shackled. Her murder was planned but thwarted.
Karmaggedeon- Raped by Chauffeur, Repented and the fact she ordered her rapist to murder her first husband was completely overlooked.
It's probably saying a lot that Azela Robinson shows up twice in this list, though I haven't seen YNCELH (where she apparently ran away with it, much like Claudia Ramirez with most of ECDLP AIUI).
ReplyDeleteMy personal recommendation to the list, actually--assuming she hasn't popped up in an earlier installment--would be
Marcela Arismendi (Susana Dosamantes), Eva Luna (2010)
Crimes Punishable By Man's Law: Murder (her husband's business partner and his wife, said partner's daughter-in-law, a maid, two other employees, and her son's father); attempted murder; accessory to murder; fraud (framing one woman for embezzlement, raising another woman's stolen child as her daughter).
Crimes Punishable By Divine Law: Hubris (I sense a theme emerging), general abuse to all around her, crimes against fashion (ah, that Bumpit).
Interim Punishments: Briefly imprisoned, briefly gaslit by her husband (whom she had tried to kill), one hand burned prior to the beginning of the show in the murders of her husband's partner and his wife.
Karmageddon: Burned alive in a failed arson/murder attempt.
Y'all forgot about Marlene Favela in "Pasion Y Poder" as Mommy Dearest Nina Montenegro AKA Purple Lips!
ReplyDeleteShe treated Miguel like expletive & ignored Regina.
Karma got Purple Lips BIGLY as her mini-me Daniela died from a drug overdose brought to you by Ashmore & Psycho Erick was sent to prison.
Then Purple Lips FINALLY embraced Miguel & begged for forgiveness!
Bill C., Marcela Arismendi was included in the second volume of this category. It was a while back.
ReplyDeleteSteve, I didn't include Nina in this round because she isn't in these women's league. She threatened Consuelo and grossly mistreated Miguel and Regina but never committed murder. She was semi-rehabbed to an unrealistic degree and therefore not written as intended at the outset. I also don't want any more arguments about her generation on that series.
Thank you for this faboulous post UA.
ReplyDeleteI like Rebeca and Bárbara because I could still feel for them during the stories, in spite of their evil deeds. Claudia can add this vulnerability to her roles that I find endearing, even for her villainous types. Bárbara's story was just so sad, she was used and manipulated by men since she was a child and she never had a time in her life to be truly happy so her ending felt over the top. I wished she had been locked in jail with Aurora coming to visit her every month.
Josefa was simply brilliant. She was too horrible but Azela made me sad for her when we learned what happened to her daughter. Azela's eyes can bring so much sadness and melancholy in her roles. You should have seen her in Cañaveral de Pasiones UA, even back then she was fantastic.
Jarocha
Ursula in YNCELH was vile and heartless and Josefa was one character I'd love to hate. I remember there was these scene when she rubbed Ursula's tea cup under her armpit Lol! oh my that was crazy.
ReplyDeleteI hope you bring up Toxic Fathers as well Urban Anthropologist