Tuesday, July 25, 2017

La Candidata Martes, 7/25/17 Chapter 31: Regina Renounces Her Party



Technology is both a blessing and a curse in our lives. I've been having some issues this evening with the equipment, so this is bare bones tonight. I know you all deserve better, so my apologies for the moment.
  • D.D.
Chapter Thirty-One: Regina Renounces her Party

Mario sensed that someone was coming into the room. Regina entered just in time for Mario to pull back from smothering Noemi with a pillow. He said that her breathing tube had just become loose and put it back in place. Then he got out as fast as he could as Noemi looked up at Regina.

Teresa held a gun against Gerardo's cheek. He put forth a calm demeanor, as though this had been unexpected. Further, he told her she was insane. She said she didn't want to lose him.

Mario ran out into the corridor and brought the doctor.

Alonso knocked Loreta down to the floor of his office. Both men had blood on their mouths. Alonso said he would not allow anyone to make a fool of him because he was going to be the next president of Mexico. Loreta told him “I hope she leaves you in pieces” before he left.

Teresa continued her pathetic attempt to seduce Gerardo at gunpoint. She slipped her left hand to the left side of his neck and kissed him. He told her this would not work.
I want us to love each other like before,” she said before shifting the gun's muzzle to under his chin. “and now you abandon me.”

As Mario had manipulated him into, the doctor told Regina she had to leave her mother's room, saying that Noemi needed to remain calm. Noemi was anything but, looking up in panic as Regina reluctantly left the room with the doctor and Mario.

Teresa kept kissing Gerardo, begging him not to make fun of her, to show the world that he loved her. He avoided looking at her, staring through the windshield while trying to think of what to say. Finally he spoke. “I'm very sorry. I'm truly sorry. I don't want to continue hurting you.”

Emiliano was getting into kissing Cecelia, who seemed for a moment to develop a conscience about it. She broke the kiss and ran inside. He followed her and they ended up on her bed. He got on top of her and did not stop kissing her. She stopped trying to stop him.

Magda told Alonso she had been at his house earlier and saw that Omar had beaten Natalia again. The doctor had also said that he would file a police report on the matter. Alonso looked as though he were at a loss as to what to do about this.

One of Omar's flunkies retrieved Marcia and brought her back to Omar. She wore a white skirt and a crop top that matched it; I must say I fail to understand the skin belt as an element of fashion. She looked slightly afraid as she sat near Omar and he told her he wanted her there with him. This was why he treated her customer as he had. Out of fear first and greed second she seemed to go along with this until a detective entered to inform Omar that Natalia had filed charges against him. He looked at the warrant and had to acknowledge that there was nothing he could do about it.

Magda told Alonso that the charges would be filed. He went on for a minute how he had told his mother “a thousand times” that she was not to go back to the mansion but she had not listened to him. His entire life was becoming a disaster. Finally he poured himself a drink and said that his father was going to have to face the consequences of his actions.

The press waited for Morales to leave the Senate house. They threw questions at him that he ignored and followed him despite his attempt to get away from them. Ignacio and Daniela watched and commented that his career was over and possibly the party was finished. Morales was a dead man walking. Then Gerardo and Regina's names came up. Ignacio was not ignorant of what was brewing between them and Daniela knew it.

Cecelia was not happy at what ultimately happened with Emiliano. While she possessed no piety or any major sense of sin before it was coming to her with a vengeance. When Emiliano started kissing her neck to go for Round 2 (or more) she told him he had to leave her house. She prevented him removing her robe and threw his clothes at him. She kept shouting at him to leave her house and never to tell anyone about what had happened. He picked up his clothes and ran out of her bedroom in his black briefs and dark socks like a silent movie character caught in the act. Then she went outside on the terrace and looked down. She called Isela and told her she had done it. Or rather, told her answering machine. She then ended the call and sat down, horrified.

Alonso's chauffeur drove him to Cecelia's house and he saw Hector outside the building. He shouted to him, demanding to know what he was doing there. Hector told him he had followed Emiliano, per his orders, and he was there. Alonso confronted his son as he came out of the building, but Emiliano was unwilling to talk about this. He got into his own taxi-yellow car and drove off. Alonso told Hector and the others to wait. He was determined to get the truth from Cecelia.

Regina was trying to get the truth out of her father when the press descended on the hospital. The security guards were barely able to keep them from overrunning the intensive care unit. Hernan got past them to warn Regina what the others were there for. She finally gave a brief statement about Morales and the financial corruption, then cut them off.

Gerardo brought Teresa back to the apartment. She was still attempting to get him into an amorous mood. She carried on in her pathetic tone of voice as he told her that nothing was going to happen. He sent her off to bed. Ximena must have heard some of this because she came out to ask him what was wrong.
I can't take anymore,” he said. “Your mother tried to kill me. Things can't go on like this.”

Alonso went out on Cecelia's terrace where she was smoking a cigarette. She said “You wanted me to calm him down, didn't you?.”
So what happened?”
Nothing. Emiliano is a very intense young man. I did the best I could.”
Did you have sex with him?”
What gives you the right to come here and talk to me like this at whatever hour you please?”
I have the right. Answer me!”
You were fukcing Lorena Sanchez. You should be occupied with your son and your wife. What do you want from me?”
Did you fukc him? Yes or no? Answer me!”
I don't know what you're talking about. I'm sick of you and your family. Would you leave now, please?”
He backed away and she continued smoking.

Regina arrived home to see Natalia with bruises on cuts on her face. She was horrified. Natalia admitted to having been foolish but now she was going to do what was in her own interests. Regina hugged her, then told her what had happened in Alonso's office. Further, that she was not going to put up with this. She was going to get a divorce. Natalia was shocked at first, but she appeared to understand.

Emiliano was drowning his sorrows in a bar, thinking back to what had happened earlier. Cecelia also flashed back to her dalliance with Emiliano.... while imagining that Alonso was in the same bed on her other side. She finally sat up and tried to take this all in. At the same time Alonso called Emiliano to tell him he wanted to talk to him. Emiliano said he would talk to him at home. Alonso agreed to this.

Ximena asked Gerardo what was going to happen to her mother, specifically whether he was going to institutionalize her again. Gerardo told her that her mother was sick and that something had to be done. She was shocked that he would abandon Teresa, but he pointed out that Teresa is dangerous... to both of them. Ximena made another repeat of her childish threat of what would happen if he were involved with Regina. She then left him alone in the room to think about this. He really should have sent her to a convent school.

Marcia went to the hospital to look for Mario, who told her she should have called him instead. She told him about Omar's arrest and the reason. Mario took this as confirmation of Omar's madness. Marcia told him that Natalia's injuries were horrible “... but he loves me!” which either was a ruse or evidence of her own stupidity. She suggested that he give her money to help her get Omar out of jail so she could work on him and find out what he needed to know. Mario told her she was to do as he said and that failure was not an option. She told him that he and Omar were the same before she walked out.

Alonso went into Emiliano's room to find out the truth about Cecelia. Regina walked in to tell Alonso she wanted to talk to him. He became irritated, certain that this was going to be about her wanting the presidency. He also said he had no desire to respect her decisions. Emiliano then defended Regina, which led to Emiliano saying that Regina was reacting to “rumors” about him being involved in corruption. When she tried to stop him he said to Emiliano to ask about his mother's relationship with Gerardo Martinez. Emiliano finally stopped them both, saying “You are the worst parents on earth. How can you fight for a country when you don't even fight for your own family?” He walked out, not allowing Regina to touch him.

The following morning Natalia found Alonso asleep on the couch in the suit he wore the day before. He admitted to having been a bad father. He asked her why she had denounced Omar, but she declined to say anything and they did not argue the point.

Teresa got up and started making coffee or cocoa, holding the cup and saucer in her left hand, which enabled her to spill the hot liquid on her hand and wrist. She fell on the kitchen floor, screaming. Gerardo was on his way out when Ximena told him it looked like Teresa had fainted. She had decided to stay home with her. Gerardo told her he had a meeting at the Senate house but would be back right after. As he left, Teresa whined that everything else was more important than she was.

Alonso and Natalia were at the breakfast table when Regina came down. She declined to join them, saying she would get something on the way. Alonso got up, saying he wanted to talk to her and she said, “Talk to my lawyers” before she left. Natalia told Alonso to “give her time.” There was no other conversation about this because the police called him to explain about Omar. After he ended the call he asked Natalia to withdraw the accusation. She would not. Omar was finally going to have to face the consequences.

Ignacio tried to talk Gerardo into allowing the party to put him up as candidate. Gerardo demurred once again.

Alonso bailed Omar out of jail. The police chief told him there was a restraning order and Alonso told him not to worry about it. They shook hands and Omar was released to him. He was indignant that Alonso hadn't come for him the night before.

Noemi woke up and the doctor told Mario she was agitated. “Don't worry,” Mario said. “I know how to tranquilize her.”
He went into Noemi's room and took off the surgical mask. She confronted him with what she knew about his illegal business. He did not try to deny it. He admitted that he was involved with prostitution and took Cecelia out of that. He boasted that he had made a thousand dirty deals and the money from that was what funded her life and Regina's education. He dared her to reveal this because it would destroy her. He threatened to destroy her if she did.

Lorena looked for Alonso at the office because the press was smelling blood. She was not pleased with Mauro's attitude toward her.

Alonso went to his parents' home and saw Marcia there, behaving as though she lived there. He was not pleased at this, telling his father this had to be a joke. He ordered Omar to make her leave. Marcia was not eager to be in the middle of this and left without saying a word. Alonso then told his father off, saying that he was not to go anywhere near Natalia and that he [Alonso] would be in charge from this point forward because of how all this would be affecting his campaign.

Cecelia was sitting on the floor in her apartment when Emiliano rang her doorbell. He told her he couldn't stop thinking about her. She tried to tell him that this was wrong and his father would kill her. It could not be allowed to happen again. She finally made him leave.

Natalia and José talked. He was now in Alonso's emply. He said he would give his life for her. She was uncomfortable with this, saying that she wasn't some naïve young girl for him to impress.

In the Senate house the speaker called for a vote on allowing Mauro to become interim governor. There seemed to have been no dissention. Regina then spoke regarding the scandals related to the law Alonso proposed and the behavior of her own party. She then renounced the party. She spoke of how voting for this law would betray the people and the party's original principles. She was cheered.

Ximena arrived home and looked for Teresa; she was not there. She was at Mario's place telling him that Gerardo and Regina were together.

Cecelia arrived at work to hear that Alonso was furious with her. Mauro took great pleasure in telling her that. As she went up the stairs he was gloating in advance at what she would face.

Lorena was in Alonso's office. They had been talking about having to cut budgets, including firing people. He asked where they should begin just as Cecelia arrived.

Regina was typing when Gerardo arrived at her office. He was thrilled at what happened in the Senate house. Separating from the party and Alonso would mean they could be together. However, Regina's phone rang and a video was attached. The video of Teresa's “seduction” of Gerardo recorded the previous week by Mario's thugs.

What does this mean?” she asked, showing it to him.

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Please note the following:  

Due to the subject matter of this novela there will be strict moderation of the comments. Anything about current or past real-world political situations will be removed.  Discussion will be limited to the story, the production values, and the actors' performances.  Also, episode discussions will be closed once the next episode's recap is posted.
 

UA: Mario is the Super Devil Incarnate!
 

Thank you, Urban. The recap was so creative and very entertaining.

Yay! Noemí's demise was diverted for the moment and at least she found out the truth about that rat Mario from his own lips./ Natalia is pressing charges against Omar and could not be dissuaded by Alonso's self interest./Cecilia told Alonso off and never admitted to having sex with Emiliano./Omar had to spend the night in jail./Alonso correctly self labeling as a bad father, bad father and bad son.

Boo! Cecilia doing the deed with Emiliano./Regina wanting to go after Emiliano one more time when he left in a huff/Too much Teresa


 

Thank you Urban, this recap had all of the important twists and turns.

I am truly disgusted but not surprised by Cecilia doing the deed with her nephew, yuk!!!
Omar is so pathetic, another disgusting character.
The MVP in this episode is Natalia, standing up for herself.
Teresa is also pathetic, whiney, lunatic, loser....
I had completely forgot about that video, Mario is such a devil.

So in summary Omar, Teresa, Mario, Cecilia, Lorena, Emiliano, Boo, boo, boo!!!!

Natalia, Regina Yay!!
 

Yes, they finally crossed the incest line. What truly kills me is Isela pushing Cecelia into this without regard for what this could do to her conscience, however small it is. She knows about Cecelia's cocaine habit and probably knows what triggers her to go back to that crap. It makes me wonder whether she cares about Cecelia or not.

Would this freak Mario out? He has no limits so far.

I am having difficulty believing that Alonso would allow Omar to get away with having abused Natalia like that. I think Dr Carreras needs to have a looooong talk with him.

Regina showing the video to Gerardo is going to cause him to sweep his apartment to find the cameras. Will he suspect Mario? Maybe not right away. Regina should also think about this. What will be interesting is how Teresa reacts to this. Will she even care?

Of course, the first important thing about this video is that it will further delay the union of Regina and Gerardo so when that finally does happen the network better not censor it.
 

One more time: Ximena needs to grow up and face the truth about her toxic mother.
 

Hi everybody!!!

I've been away at a place with no internet capabilities (incredibly, such things actually DO still exist! Who knew???) and, my first full morning back at home I wanted to come on here and pull up a seat on your patio (after, of course, having spent a good bit of time before bed last night apprising myself of the situation and general conversation of the fine folks here on the patio... which- seeing as it was my first night spent back at home- is I think hardly a good example as to what 'priorities' are but, hey! they're my priorities, right?? ;-) Anyway, nice to 'see' you all again!

Regarding this: Omar is a beast, isn't he? A man who obviously had a great deal of power and influence when he was young, spry, and in the prime of his life, and now that he's well, NOT, is reduced to the most bestial, primitive (i.e.- brute violence, thuggishness) ways that he can still be 'the biggest kid on the block', of course doing so to the most vulnerable people he can. Talk about the dangers of a dying empire, personified in this man. He's nasty, disgusting, and pathetic (but not in any way that could elicit any semblance of pity for the man).

Marcia is interesting, I find. If only because she is, essentially, a normal girl- flawed, some might even say inclined to some of the negative (i.e.- money-grubbing, opportunistic, willing to disobey moral, decent, or human regards at times if it suits her purpose, etc.), but about how many people in this world could you also say that about? What I find interesting about her is that you have this (for better or worse) fundamentally 'normal' girl who is in a world that is anything BUT 'normal', and is waking up to this. It could be said that she is getting a crash course (the 'Dummies' guide, if it were) of a world that Natalia, Noemi were brought into gradually until- by the time that they became aware of it- it was their life- and for varying reasons (family, fear, perhaps borne out of the awareness that they are women who would be rebelling against a fundamentally very violent 'male' world in which their value is relatively insignificant but also perhaps a fear of the unknown should they DO try and rebel, guilt and manipulation, a sense it's their own fault, etc., etc.) they COULD not get out of it. What I find interesting about the world that Giselle Gonzalez has taken us into now in regards to the people in this story, is how acutely she makes us aware of, basically ALL of the women in this and their situation *BANG!* right at this moment, and how interestingly she delineates the responses to the same situation of being a woman in a horrifying 'male' world. If you stop to think about it, it could be said that the entire theme of this story is, really, about women and their realities, with politics merely a backdrop for this. Think of it like this:

Noemi: Aware of the horrible world that she lives in and around- basically (meaning, without knowing EXACTLY what it is in detail). Drinks to deal with said horrible reality, as well as to avoid it.

Natalia: Aware of the horrible world that she lives in and around. Tried to be the best that she could in it, quietly, so that it wouldn't hurt her and her life directly. Her husband- PERSONALLY- is making that an impossibility, through absolutely no fault of her own. Recognizing that (and being a very healthy and well-balanced, rational, good-hearted person), she is attempting to find ways to deal with this in order to save herself.


 

Natalia (cont'd): Standing-up for herself didn't work, defiance in order to show a sign of strength also was beaten down and did not work, now she is trying to see if the outside world- the world of the law and law enforement- can help her. She is a woman determined, but just needs to find out how to do it. With so many things going against her (age, (unfortunately) gender, etc.) this a remarkable exercise in fortitude, endurance, and strength. She is really and truly, a simply wonderful character. She is a gift of a character to play, and of course, Helena Rojo is a true gift to the character (and to us) as well.


Regina: Was never TRULY aware of the world that she lived in and around. This story is about her fierce awakening.

Marcia: New to this world and as such playing a very minor part in it but, like Regina, gradually awakening to it, and trying to figure out what she can do about it for herself- her sanity, life on the greater scale, but also things like the person that she is, AND the things that she may NEED in life, as well. But also, of course, is trying to do this with the very limited experience that she has, as well as the comparatively limited tools that she has at her disposal to use.

Magda: Subservient to the world around her, whatever it is.

Isela: Fully aware of the world that she lives in and around. Doesn't like it, but- opportunistic and self-serving to the core, recognized that 'if ya can't beat 'em, join 'em'. Fully embraced the darkness and is now one with it, whilst still vituperating against it. Whether she was before she entered into this world or not is unfortunately now entirely irrelevant, Isela is dead of soul and black on the inside. She is aware that there are SOME feelings of motherhood and humanity that she should bring out at times, but now is so completely unaware of what they are in her or how to do that. Perhaps because of this, she is bitter towards this world, to the extent that she will use her daughter in whatever way she can to lash out against- NOT, of course, 'it'- but against the things that HAVEN'T succumbed to it (morality, the law, Regina, Noemi, Emiliano, impressionable youth), let alone embrace it as she has.

Cecilia: The human pinata. Beaten about at all sides by everyone around her who were supposed to nurture, care, respect her, and show her that the world is a good place and that she and life are valuable. Both these people were wholly unwilling and/or unable to do this, so she has none of those things to the point that she doesn't even know what they ARE... just that she doesn't have them, never has had them, while she seems that EVERY F**KING OTHER PERSON in the world does in some degree, certainly much more than she has. As such, a little bit of SOMETHING goes a long way with Cecilia, something which both of her parents in their own way take advantage of and exploit for their best interests- Mario because he's inherently an evil person, Isela because (whatever her rationale for being so may be) she is an opportunistic one. As such, she is fully aware of the world that she lives in and around. She is also, fully one with it. The difference with Cecilia is that- while it is the only thing that she knows and as such is now a complete MASTER at it (being taught by two of the best, she is as fluent in this horrible world as anyone can be)... she is aware that it is a horrible thing.

Teresa- A complete and total narcissist. Unaware of the horrible world that she lives in and around, and could care less about it or anything else. The only world she knows, thinks of, and cares about is her world and hers alone. Which makes that world as dangerous for anybody who comes even close to it than the worst aspects of pretty much any other.
 

What do you guys think about this? I look forward to any follow-up comments you guys may have! My continued best wishes to you all, and I really HAVEN'T forgotten about the 'upcoming telenovela' posting that I promised you guys... Lack of internet meant that I could actually work on it while I was gone, but now that I'm back I just have to get caught up on anything that may have changed or evolved since I left to make sure that I'm giving you guys actual, FACTUAL, information! But I haven't forgot, I swear!

Again, best wishes to you all... :-)
 

I think that the toxicity of the world that all these women are in is either driving them to strength or self-destruction. Thus far Regina is the only one who shows signs of strength, both moral and emotional.

Too soon to tell whether Marcia is a survivor or not. Two others before her are dead (Florencia and Susanna).

Isela is a lost cause and now that she's committed incest so is Cecelia. When the truth about her relationship to Regina comes to light this will drive Emiliano over the edge.

Noemi and Natalia are in a position to learn from Regina, but we can't predict yet whether they will. Noemi seemed stuck in the toxic mindset of the 50s... and lots of women took tranquilizers and drank in secret back then.
 

Thank you Urban - love the photo of the Roman senate. Stevey, I like your analysis of Cecelia as a human pinata - beaten by both parents with no one to really care for her or nurture her. I also liked your description of Regina awakening to the world as it is - well the grittier side of it. Mario's excuse to Naomi about him needing to run a prostitution ring to afford her and Regina's lifestyle was quite a rejoinder. She was silent after that. I wonder what Regina would have said to that. Its a pity that women such as Naomi and Natalia did not have lives of their own such as Regina. I think that she was the only woman that I saw in the senate - as a senator.


 

Excellent and clever recap, Urban. I loved "like a silent movies character caught in the act." I agree with Sandie: Double yuck on the incest! Btw, uncle/aunt-niece/nephew marriages used to be permitted (with a dispensation) in Hispanic society. Philip II's 4th wife (and mother of his heir, Philip III) was also his niece. That plus all the Hapsburg cousin marriages probably explains why in a couple of generations or so the king was what we would call developmentally disabled, died young without heirs, and the Borbones took over. But as late as the mid-19th century in Emilia Pardo Bazán's La madre tierra, when the 2 young lovers find out they are 1/2 brother and sister, the girl's uncle offers to marry her to save her "honor." She sensibly chooses the convent instead. In an earlier age a life of penance in a convent would have been a possible outcome for a character like Cecilia, but now it's very likely that it's curtains for her! And yes, indeed. Emiiano is kind of right that Alonso and Regina are arguably the worst parents on earth. Anyway, the plot just gets thicker and thicker. Unlike "El bienamado" this novela never makes me smile.
 

Stevey thanks for the analysis of the women in this TN. You are right on about all of them. The One thing I would add is that between Cecilia and Teresa it's hard to tell who is the most damaged. We don't know Tere's background so we don't know why she is the way she is, my guess is mental illness. Cecilia on the other hand has been driven to her life choices by her parents inability to well, PARENT.


 

Sandie: I'm looking forward to seeing Cecilia DIE sooner or later.
 

Oops, that's La madre naturaleza for Emilia Pardo Bazán.
 

2 different clichés.

 

SpanProf, "El bienamado" is still making me smile!
 

Been so busy all day, but I meant to thank you earlier for the great recap, Urban. I was very happy to see Regina renounce the party she now thinks is corrupt!

So how long is it going to take Mario to murder Noemi?

As for Cecelia, she should just blurt out, "Soy tu tia" to Emiliano. That will put the damper on his passions.
 





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