Caray, Caray!

Alfredo, thank you very much for this fine recap, and I think you got it exactly right, "Jorge the Hypocrite"

I don't want to say too much too soon, I want to wait to see what he has to say, but it sure does look bad. How could this guy be married to one woman, have two kids with her, and also have two kids with another woman? And he let her raise his kids by herself?

Well, I'll be looking for explanations soon. Wow!

I'm glad our Venezuelan Floozy was sashaying around to lighten things up a bit :-)
 

Happy Valentine's Day, all.

Alfredo, thank you another great recap.

Well, Marisol did not have much of a role in this tn. You guys were right about Jorge's other family. Will he man up and take the kids into his home?

Cheeky Kiky !!
 

Well, as always, I was proved wrong. I was sure Jorge would not be one of those telenovela guys with "una casa chica" and a second family. FAIL.

Sounds like there was a lot of drama and mucho message in this one as well, so I also will look to Kika for some humor.

Loved this line especially Alfredo

she has been able to grow her inheritance ($30,000 or one of old Mauricio’s weekends) into an empire.

Oh yeah, we can shudder thinking about what kind of money Mauricio has wasted over the years, while our canny Kika has been making her various dividends grow. And a Kika doll? It's already been done. The Barbie doll. Had a gal in my weight training class who was a dead ringer for a Barbie doll and that's what the back row called her. She didn't mind (you bet!) and wrote Barbie on her workout mat. So there!

Thanks as always Alfredo and hope that you, and everybody reading and commenting on this will have a very Happy Valentine's Day.
 

Thank you, Alfredo for the most excellent recap. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Susanlynn, and everybody else.

Not looking particularly good for Mauricio with Kika playing with Fabián’s tie. Who knows who she could be working for or be swayed to work for depending on the guy and $$$$$$ involved?

Andy, I could not believe how obnoxious was Jorge lecturing Baldo and Lili about respect, either. I am expecting him having to take Lilí and Baldo home with him. So, Yuriria was the love of Jorge’s life. Really?

Too bad Nerón had to get physical with the guy who thought that Flor was his daughter. He may not like it but should expect it.

So, Toño is quitting his job already. Okay . . . His performance at his interview just showed what a jerk he is.

Kika was too funny insisting on calling Renée “the maid”.

If Nerón has all of his papers in order, why is the city closing him down? Hmmm. . .


 

Fantastic title Alfredo. All of your recaps wear a crown of excellence and this was no exception. I so appreciate it when the recap is better than the episode, which this was.

“Yuriria confesses that she’s tried to hide her sickness but they suspect the truth because they are sharp”. A gentle correction Yuriria. Your children know the truth because they have eyes.

I'm not enjoying the crow I'm eating for breakfast. Judy, I also said Jorge was not the children's father. Perhaps I'll reserve judgement but I can't imagine what happened. Humorless Jorge has a lot to account for doesn't he Andy?

Susanlynn, Jorge taking the children was my first thought too. Sadly, he is is trying but not at all succeeding in raising the two he already has.

"the kids are now confused but Anifer is not". No, she isn't. Anifer is too good for that school with such narrow, prejudicial judgement.

Too much Kika for me. And Tono brushing his teeth at the table? Neanderthals have better manners. I'm sure he won't get the job but the thought of him being home, in charge of the children is rather nauseating :)

Wonder when Fabian will show his true colors?

Alfredo, thank you!

Diana
 

Morning Jarifa, our comments crossed.

"So, Toño is quitting his job already. Okay . . . His performance at his interview just showed what a jerk he is". Yup. The one thing Tono does seem to have in abundance is ego. Too bad it's not at all justified.

Diana

 

Diana, after the little interchange between Kika and Fabián I am really wondering about where he stands in the whole Logatoys picture.

Yes, “Neanderthals have better manners” and probably better judgment. He and Verónica are one of those couples that you just wonder how they ever got together and that they have not one but THREE kids.
 

Alfredo: Jorge the hypocrite sounds correct!
 

Yeah Tono must have some secret skilz. His irresponsibility and crudeness is getting old and not funny. I much preferred Vero with her adorable Lion Cub in Vino.
 

Curious to know what role Dulce played in this, especially since Jorge married her only to keep his word. Maybe she doesn't know about the twins, but was she aware Jorge and Yuriria loved each other prior to the marriage?
 

Jorge is an example of the number one reason ministers are kicked out of their congregations. The whitewash on most of these pots screaming about the kettle's color washes off with just the first drop of water.

Don't get Vero and Tono. .He doesn't appear to have to wear specially made trousers,

Even a dog has his limits Kika is a beyotch and a half. I don't like her, curves or no curves. The first day Renee just happens to decide to wear a little short skirt, coincidental, I'm sure, she walks in with Kika swapping spit with the fellow who Renee “ doesn't even like”,”at all”, :one little bit”..

The cutest part of the show tonight was old Pablo with Milady in his arms as natural as could be.
 

Did Yurry faint or die on us right there?
 

With a couple like Vero and Tono you always wonder what well hidden flaw(s) does SHE have, to put up with him.
 

Kirby, I agree that Pablo holding the baby looked so natural and cute. Maybe he is already a dad. Or just has lots of brothers and sisters.

Just watched this and was shocked at how badly Jorge handled his twins' understandable upset at learning he is actually their father and they and Mom are "la casa chica". Wow. Just painful to watch. (remember, it's just a story, just a story). But for sure, he said all the wrong things. Sigh.

Yes, we know now, without a shadow of a doubt that Kika is bad. Because she disrespects maids, nannies, and la servidumbre in general. That's always the sure sign, (other than a black hat and a twirling mustache) that a character is EVIL.

And even though the teacher/nun was "on the wrong side" I sure appreciated her clear enunciation. She's the only one I can easily understand without relying on the Spanish subtitles. But I'm having the same problem with some English speakers now. Aging sucks.
 

Thank you, Alfredo.

Diana, agree, "Anifer is too good for that school." If the first disciplinary action the school takes is expulsion, good riddance. Especially when no disciplinary action was warranted.

If/when Jorge takes the twins home, I am interested in the family dynamic that will change dramatically. Because the twins are older than Val and Sam, they will become the center of the family. Being twins I am sure they are close. Valentina and Samuel will need to work to get accepted in this new family. But the one that will have to work hardest to be accepted is Jorge.
 

Good Morning! Thank you, AAA, for another outstanding recap with all the gory details.

What I'm not liking about this TN is that it has NO dads that are even half-way decent. It's giving fathers a really bad image. Right now Jorge, is at the top of the worst dad list; he's a totally controlling, insecure, two-faced, two-timing hypocrite! I wish I could find a harsher word for hypocrite because this scumbag surely deserves it. Judy, I was equally shocked at how badly JOrge handled his twins' reaction. Demanding respect from them was ridiculous...where was JOrge's respect for them all of these years.

Tono is a poor excuse of a man and husband; his fathering skills are null and void...he's just another child that Vero has to deal with...I'd bet that not even the gypsies would want to take him. Vero needs to take those blinders off NOW!

Neron is more worried about other men not ogling his woman than anything else...oh wait he spends SUndays with Milady, right? Blechh! He did have his papers in order, so the only thing that would make sense is to why they are closinghim down is that the man he knocked down is someone influential who filed a complaint.

Mau is slowly learning but as Renee said, he takes a step forward and two or three back.

Even the "Father" at the Catholic school is unbending and insensitive. The nun was completely out of line and shouldn't be dealing with children if she has that bad of an attitude.

Kirby, I think Yuri just passed out. And Diana, I agree that Yuriria must already be in la-la land if she thinks her kids haven't figured out that she is seriously ill. Well, Valentina asked Jorge to bring them something...she sure is in for a two big surprises!

I also agree that Kika is bad...I just want to know why she is out to get Mau. We know and she knows that he has no money, so revenge is the only thing left (IMO)

Not too many favorite scenes in this episode, but I agree Pablo holding Milady was definitely one.

 

Kirby, nice shot of the eagle...looks like he's standing at attention!
 

Happy Valentine's Day everybody! I love Valentine's Day... because I know that there will be some good deals on chocolates tomorrow.
:-)

JudyB, "Aging sucks." Judy, yeah, agreed, but consider the alternative :-p

Kirby, thank you for mentioning Renee's short skirt. About time, isn't it?

Kika is manipulative, egotistical, scheming, rude to those not rich or famous, and just all around EVIL. I love her!

There was a lot going on in this episode, but it is still Jorge who has me upset. It's not that he cheated on his wife, had a couple of kids with his lover, etc. Hey, who hasn't? :-)

But other than sending money, and visiting occasionally, he was able to just leave them alone to live as best they could? It's not total abandonment, but it's not owning up either. Jarifa, ITA that he should have not lectured the kids on respect, he was not in a position to do so.

I think Jorge, who does have his good points, has been totally warped by his own childhood and the Church, and has, indeed, become quite a hypocrite.
 

Rgv Chickie, agreed, fathers are not doing well in this TN.

Nor is the Church. Father Cuthbert, especially; he is another not so great "father". Quite aside from his being so dogmatic, there was the time when Jorge was trying to talk to him about his marriage problems, and the priest was just so uninterested. And then when he received a call from his bishop he dropped Jorge and his problems like a hot potato. Not nice.
 

Andy..."consider the alternative" is exactly what a 16 year old student told me when I was 26 ,and he asked me how I was doing and I replied "getting older." Big wheel keeps on turning.
 

As somebody else has already mentioned, this is sort of a prickly view of the Catholic Church in the noveland.
 

Judy, I forgot to mention that the Brazilian Biblicals, if you can stand them, have quite understandable dialog because they are dubbed by voice actors, who may not be pretty but who have excellent diction.

I find most of these TNs to be too distasteful to watch. The current one, El Rico y Lazaro, is something of an exception and I will watch it from time to time. I can understand the dialog just fine without closed captioning, although I'm not always sure what the story is about as I don't watch on a regular basis.
 

Thanks, Alfredo. A most excellent title and subtitle. Jorge is the lowest. What in the world did Yuriria and Dulce ever see in this guy?

Lucio, ditto everything you said: If/when Jorge takes the twins home, I am interested in the family dynamic that will change dramatically. Because the twins are older than Val and Sam, they will become the center of the family. Being twins I am sure they are close. Valentina and Samuel will need to work to get accepted in this new family. But the one that will have to work hardest to be accepted is Jorge.

Just maybe the twins could be good role models for Val and Sam. I'm betting Yuriria has done a much better job with her twins than Jorge has done with Val and Sam. If only all the kids don't take their anger with Jorge out on each other.

Uh-oh, Kika and Mauricio have chemistry and she looks simply smashing in those dresses that fit like a glove. I'm watching for comedy and she's bringing it.
 

Warning: This is long.

Thank you Alfredo! You did a fine job retelling the story and what catchy titles!

“Let he that is without sin, cast the first stone.” (Gospel of John, 8:7 AKJV)

Note: This is not to criticize the recap titles, nor is it to criticize the recap, as Alfredo always does a great job. He’s just the messenger and I am grateful to him for his hard work. But I do want to look at a different perspective, as a “devil’s advocate.”

My intention here is to look at the story itself and look at how the writers have portrayed certain characters. I always like to look further into what the intentions of the writers might be and how that can shape our opinions.

In human nature, all too often we jump on the bandwagon and point the finger at what we perceive to be hypocrisy because certainly none of us are ever guilty of such things! I remember when I was growing up, my mother might discipline my brother for something he did wrong. My brother always brought up to her that he shouldn’t be punished for his wrong doing because his best friend did worse things and got away with it. My husband got a speeding ticket and tried to rationalize that he shouldn’t have been the one to be pulled over because there were plenty of cars going faster than he was.

Let’s take a look at how the religious people are portrayed in this story. Most of the time, nuns and priests are portrayed as kind and caring individuals who are there to serve the people. In “Enamorándome de Ramón”, the nuns who took care of “Betito” all his life as he was born severely disabled, were very kind. They never stood in judgment of Julio or Virginia for the decisions they made. The head nun when she finally explained to “Jorge Medina” that he was adopted, did it in a very kindly and loving manner. But in “Papa a Toda Madre” every religious person is portrayed as stiff, stodgy, uncaring, and unloving from the priests to the nuns, to Jorge. Each of them is shown in a negative light because of the values they are adhering to. These values that the characters hold as important are shown as negative and worthless. Each religious character is shown as quite unpleasant.

So the conclusion we are all left with is: Religion, along with its adherents are bad. Those believers who uphold those values are hypocrites since their own lives are not perfect by any means.

Personally, I got tired of Anifer’s high pitched whining in the classroom and found her attitude to be irritating. I kept saying to myself, “Would someone pleeeeeeaasseeee muzzle that kid!” Apparently Anifer thinks that it’s her place to inject her opinions when no one has asked and to speak in the classroom disrespectfully toward her teacher, the nun. She kept saying, “But my mother told me…” My answer would be, “I don’t care what your mother told you, we are discussing science and biology today.” The lesson here from the writers is that it is okay for children to disrespect the teacher and shout out opinions if they disagree. Her mother could have told her fantasies that were not true and Anifer would have been blurting that out like it was a valid argument.

 

As far as Jorge, I’m interested to see what the rest of his story is before I label him as a hypocrite. He said something about that he stood up Yuri at the wedding. Why did he do that? Was he under pressure from family not to marry her because she wasn’t from the right family? Was she pregnant when he was about to marry her and did he not know about it till later? There may be other factors here that could have contributed to some bad decisions, including immaturity and pressure from family. It does appear he tried to do the right thing and make sure that he took care of them financially. I think that Dulce knew about Yuri, but obviously his kids did not. It does not appear that Jorge was cheating on Dulce with Yuri (but I could be wrong), as it looks like her kids are older than Valentina and Samuel. This is Jorge’s hidden family, his first family born out of wedlock prior to marrying Dulce. Since we do not know the whole story yet, and it appears he has tried to financially support them, does this really make him a hypocrite?
 

Cynthia..yes,this telenovela certainly seems to have an axe to grind against the religious community.
 

Cynthia, thanks for another perspective, it's really helpful.

I enjoy telenovelas, but I don't make any serious decisions based on what I see in one. I do find this very different portrayal of the Church and clergy to be extremely interesting, especially as most of the Televisa TNs that I've seen have all painted a very, very positive picture of the Church.

Jorge may not be a hypocrite, but he is one deeply confused and conflicted person carrying around an awful lot of emotional baggage.
 

Interesting insights, Cynthia. The more opinions the better.
 

Andy, my take on this portrayal of the religious on this TN to me, seeks to show them negatively perhaps because the writers have an agenda they seek to share. But you would be surprised how influential movies, TV, and other media is in shaping public opinion.

I agree that Jorge is carrying around a lot of emotional baggage because of feeling such guilt. The feeling of guilt can drive a person to a lot of negative behavior. It's a hard burden to carry, especially if you feel like there is no forgiveness from anyone.
 

I think that the times they are achanging and so are the telenovelas.

As to the media affecting how we think, growing up the songs, tv shows,books, magazines, and movies were all about finding your one true love and getting married and nice girls didn't do it before marriage. That was the message my generation got. However, young people are getting very different messages from media today. Just like our own media, telenovelas seem to be sending out very different messages than they did in the past.
 

Cynthia, good points. I am surprised that the TN is painting all the nuns and the priest with the same brush. I'm used to the strict nun, the young with-it nun, the fun-loving nun, and the sweet but stern priest at Catholic schools. I'm not Catholic, but growing up I watched Disney films (like the on where Hayley Mills, almost as rambunctious as Anifer, becomes a nun and let's not forget Whoopi Goldberg's "Sister Act"). Here, all the nuns and priest have no joy, but lots of rules that don't budge. Maybe some will change overtime.

I'm calling Jorge "hypocrite" because he's always telling Val and Sammy to behave well, while he hasn't behaved well at all. Considering his own mistakes, you'd think he'd be more considerate of his children's mistakes. And certainly not tell kids who just found out he's their daddy (after what 15 years?) to respect him. He needs to at least give them a chance to vent. I am interested why he hid his kids all these years. I think he did it for cowardice, but I could be wrong. Maybe there were extenuating circumstances.
 

Susanlynn, I hear you there. When I was growing up, I loved songs by the Beach Boys. The message in the music was about sun, surfing, love, and growing up. The Beach Boys may not have lived up to the message in their music and innocence, but the music was great and the words were always positive. But a lot of today's pop music is so negative toward women!
 

DogNotes: Politics and Religion---No barking and just wag your tail a lot.
 

Niecie, is Jorge a hypocrite because he hid his past from his children? Usually I think of a hypocrite as someone who says to do one thing and pretends they are something that they are not, but are currently breaking their own rules. I think of it as “do as I say, not as I do.” (current behavior) Past behavior to me is different because repentance could have occurred, but we are just not aware of all the details. I do believe that Jorge needs to let up on the clutch and learn to not be so rigid. Maybe he is that way because of other factors or just being raised that way. Jorge certainly should have been honest with his own children. But I think that happens to all of us, all of us have a little “Jorge” in us because we all put off sometimes telling someone of something important because we know it is going to hurt. In a way, maybe he thinks he is protecting his kids. And now with Yuri looking like she just died (I don’t know if she is mostly dead or all dead yet) but assuming she is going to die very soon, the you-know-what is really going to hit the fan.

 

Are all parents hypocrites for wanting their children to behave well despite having made their own mistakes?

Also Jorge was demanding that they respect their mother, because they were demanding her to tell them if she was the other woman. The "casa chica" question was inadvertently a huge insult to her.
 

Well, just maybe one thing: The 'No rules, No accountability, No consequences' fantasy this TN continues to pound on in almost every scene is exactly that, a FANTASY..

Cynthia that is what I was seeing with abrasive little Anifer. Imagine a class full of only Anifers: total chaos.
 

Anonymous, I agree that most parents just want good behavior from their kids even though they themselves may have a not so clean past. I think of it this way. You know all those anti-smoking ads we see on TV? Who are the ones telling kids not to smoke? It’s the smokers who have had horrible consequences from their smoking habit. Does that make them hypocrites? In my opinion no because they are trying to convey that smoking is bad because look what happened to them! There are some things that one cannot change about the past, but one can go on in the future doing the right thing and trying to teach your own children the right things. Sometimes people who have done the wrong thing really try to overcompensate and I think that is what Jorge is doing.
 

I believe what rubbed me the wrong way with Jorge is that his children have had teens of years to suffer without a Father, then when he finds himself without a bedmate, he surfaces and announces a life changing truth to the kids and starts barking orders.

Rather than ask for forgivness, and extend a hand and try to help them cope with this new information he gets into a shouting match. If the kids were a year or two older they could have said, "Listen shitball, we made it this far without you, here's the door."
 

Jorge may not be a hypo, but he is dishonest. Wait, he's an attorney,,,nevermind.
 

Completely agree with Cynthia. There are people who have gone down the wrong path and don't want others to make the same mistake. No parent wants their kid to make the wrong choices, but some parents do worry more than others. Jorge is controlling, but he cares for his children, and as a single father he's currently the only person they have who cares for them. Eventually he'll learn that yelling isn't an effective method of reining them in.
 

Kirby, there's an old joke: How can you tell if a lawyer is lying to you?
--> See if his lips are moving.

That's a very old joke, from before email and text messages, probably before writing itself was invented.
:-)

 

Alfredo - thank you for your recap!

"Humorless Jorge has a lot to account for doesn't he . . ."
Humorless Jorge has been a busy boy in the sack!!!

How old are those twins? Older than Valentina? I'm behind on Olympics viewing and missed this episode.

Cynthia H - you bring up good points!

It is very unusual for a telenovela to paint all the religious figures as stiff, unbending characters. But it does happen in real life, too.
This telenovela regularly delves into topics I've not seen before in telenovelaland - Samuel's masturbating and porn viewing, the gay couple new neighbors, wife as breadwinner ... what else? --- and it appears to be trying to upset the status quo. The times they are a-changin'...
 

Great discussion. What rankles me most about Jorge is when he's reprimanding his kids. He doesn't say anything like "I know what it's like to discover sex and want to stay in the bathroom experimenting and running water all day, but you've got to do other stuff too, like study, do your chores, be kind to others, etc." Instead, he's "What the hell are you doing? Stop that! You're a sinner! Behave well!" It's a wonder the kids don't have ulcers.
 

My mother used to say , "Do as I say, not as I do."

I can tell you one thing, behaviors like smoking , taking drugs ,and drinking alcohol usually have more to do with the friends you hang with than your parents. I was told this by the disciplinary principal when I first started teaching in a high school. It was true for me. My parents and older sister smoked, but I never started because none of my friends smoked.

I can also tell you that being a parent is the hardest job I have ever had. I once read a quote that I liked. "There is no way to be a perfect mother , and a million ways to be a good mother.
 

Niecie..yes, Jorge is clueless. You get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Kids respond to letting them know you value their good qualities.


 

Doris..yes, these writers seem to want to cover a lot of provocative issues.
 

Cynthia, thanks for opening up a very interesting discussion. I too have been saddened by the portrayal of all priests and nuns as stiff, unkind, unloving, uncaring martinets. I'm not Catholic but I'm a fan of Pope Francis and I've seen the pain and damage that divorce has done to so many people, so I'm also a fan of people doing their utmost best to make a marriage work. But two of my cousins are gay so I would also want tolerance for people who love those of the same sex, and want to make a life together. Very few of us are meant to live alone, without a special person in our lives.

I'm assuming that Jorge's story will be one of learning a more flexible way to be and to care, rather than the rigid values he grew up with. Ditto for Toño who was taught that a real man was the wage earner and the wife was his devoted slave. Nerón to learn to trust his wife and her love for him, rather than falling into a jealous rage at every whipstitch. And Mauricio learning to be responsible, parental and to recognize a true, loving partner rather than continually shagging sexy bimbos.

But I wish it were not at the expense of religion because I understand the structured altruism and the hope that it can bring to so many lives, including my own.
 

I have taught people from many different religions, so I agree with the Dali Lama that the true religion is having a good heart. That means being kind and tolerant of everyone. When my dad died, all my students offered comfort and cried with me no matter what formal religion they followed. Tolerance is the key. I am not CAtholic, but when our baby died, the nuns at the CAtholic school where my friend taught lit candles for him which gave me a lot of comfort. I had a Catholic priest from Iraq as a student , and he said a mass for my son-in-law when he had an operation.My other son-in-law law has both an MBA and a masters in theology...an interesting combination.
 

Hey, All! I'm late to the discussion, but here I am. Very interesting comments and perspectives.

Cynthia, so Jorge was going to marry Yuriria? I didn't get that at all. Was that somehting that was in the Mexican version and was skipped? What I did gather was that Jorge had the opportunity to stop his wedding to Dulce the day before the wedding, but he just couldn't do it. Immediately after that Yuriria told him that his word was always his most important priority. I agree with Kirby, "I believe what rubbed me the wrong way with Jorge is that his children have had teens of years to suffer without a Father, then when he finds himself without a bedmate, he surfaces and announces a life changing truth to the kids and starts barking orders." In addition to that, he mentioned that he still had to think of Dulce and his other kids. I can understand the kids but Dulce?? WHY??? And then he professes that Yuri is the love of his life while brandishing his wedding ring. I concede that we all have a little hypocrite in each of us and I certainly wouldn't be the first to throw a stone at Jorge, but I do think he needs to lighten up with his sermons about righteousness.

In regards to Anifer, I agree that she was being obnoxious and could have been more respectful, but there are much better ways to handle little kids who want to share their opinions no matter how outlandish they may be. Talking to them in a demeaning and disrespectful manner is not the way (IMO). If you want respect from anyone, even a child,then you show/model respect. The teacher could have told Anifer that she could share her ideas at a later time or to draw her ideas so they could discuss them privately. Sorry,but the educator in me comes out when I see children's thoughts and ideas thwarted rather than nurtured.
 

I wondered too, if they taught anything else to Anifer and the other first graders in addition to their family org chart.
 

Chickie....I guess that we have all known teachers who make us ask "why did this person ever decide to go into teaching because he\she clear!y does not see to like children\people?
 

Yes, Susy, I'm sure that many of us have had that experience.