Caray, Caray!

"JUGAR":

Juanita: I've got the DVR ready for the Gran Final tonight!
 

"JUGAR":

Novelera: I'm assuming you watched the Gran Final last night ?

Deb: Only ones, who got a happy ending were Martina, Andrea & her kid including Tiago (Fabrizio's best friend).
 

Jugar

Wow....some ending. Kept expecting Fabricio 2 survive after seeing his finger move...guess not. He wasnt evil but did play with the lady's emotions. How much did his childhood lead 2 his gigolo ways. Sad ending 4 him. I thought overall he was a good guy.

Jorge on the on the hand was evil and manipilating. Do we know if andrea purposely urged him 2 that cliff. She did choose the meeting spot. Guess she running the cafetal afterall.

Gilragado deserves jail 4 rest of his life as did jorge. Not a fan of quick death 4 evil doers.

Looks like martina gets a happy ending. Too bad she lost her dad.

Nett
 

Jugar

thanks Nett!

I spent most of the 2 hours trying to imagine a happy ending for ANYONE.

Peter backed down and kept his family, paid Dolores the half million, who acts like Fabri is still alive, but left town anyway, do you just put that money in a suitcase and throw it on a bus?

Poncho remembered "barranca" the name of Jorge's new land and so found the wreck, but wait, Thiago can't drive, throwing a big wrench into Jorge's perfect crime.

of course Camila telling Martina her lover was Fabri, put her into a death spin leaking that news.

and Martina finally gets the note from Thiago telling her Jorge killed Fabri.

the cops were paid off but still tipped Don Andres that Jorge ordered the hit.

and Eliseo firing at Poncho while he was telling Andrea that Fabri loved only her and Jorge killed him, really ripped it from that angle.

Gildardo's twisted loyalty to Don Jorge stayed till the end, but I think he killed Eliseo just to use his gun, even though Eliseo planned to kill Poncho and Andrea to tie up those loose ends.

but the part that ripped it for me was the happy ending, smiley Martina passed the soccer ball to Fabri jr. and he walked right passed it like he was done with this show too, they should have given him a birthmark.

 

"JUGAR":

Nett: I had a feeling Fabri wasn't going to be among the living based on the very 1st episode earlier in this TV Show. It was inevitable.

Peter & Camila still together. I guess they had to do that for the sake of their kid (whom Peter thought wasn't his considering Camila had banging Fabri all the time).

I also noticed Dolores kept the millions, but does she know Fabri is dead ?

Deb: My thoughts on the Gran Final:

1.) Damn shame about Martina losing her Daddy like that. I knew it wasn't going to end well for Don Andres when he confronted Jorge.

2.) You're right about Gild the PERV staying loyal to Jorge at the very end. Just happy he got arrested by law enforcement & sent to prison for his crimes.

3.) Peter FINALLY found out about Camila having sex with Fabri. I felt bad for the guy having to find out your wife was cheating on you the entire time & wasn't surprised he went off on her.

4.) Jorge paid off the cops was NOT shocking considering he covered up the deaths of Don Andres & Fabri.

5.) Was Martina having a stroke or something ?

6.) Poncho gets to work at the cafetal.

7.) Does anybody know what the handshake or agreement between Jorge & Peter was all about ?

8.) Maricarmen was a good friend to Andrea. I wonder if she was still in nursing school or something ?

9.) I see that Martina got the note from Thiago, which she finally figured out Jorge whacked Fabri. The confrontation between Psycho Jorge & Martina wasn't surprising....

10.) Jorge was one twisted PSYCHOPATH. He wanted Martina & Andrea being miserable...

11.) Enjoyed watching Jorge getting his Karma when he fell off the cliff to his death once Andrea told him to his face that she's PREGGERS & carrying Fabri's kid, etc.,

The big question is whether she pushed him over the cliff ? We'll never know.

12.) I did enjoy the Happy Ending between Martina (who recovered from her health scare), Andrea & Fabri, Jr., so that was satisfying on that one.


7.)



 

Jugar

Steve...the hand shake came after jorge told pete that fabricio was dead...after pete confronted jorge about fabricio banging both wives. Pete was not in on the assassination but was pleased that it happened

Nett
 

Jugar

I was quite surprised Fabrizio didn’t make it after all. They showed about 35 minutes of him running through the jungle, bleeding from a serious wound. And he got away from all that. It turned out it was Gildardo’s vehicle that he took. So they teased us with the slight movement of the hand and also Andrea calling for Fabrizio at the very end. So I guess there was a woo-woo factor involved, since they repeated that stuff close to the end about his dying if he ever fell in love.

Poncho knowing that Thiago did not know how to drive was a great touch. But, as so often happens with novelas, he spilled the beans in front of the villains so they then stalked him.

I found the business about Martina and the pills confusing. They didn’t seem to do her much good. And Jorge wanted her on them for better control. And apparently everyone in Colombia is on the take: the psychiatrist who wrote a letter supporting the bank freezing Martina’s money. And the police lieutenant who was covering up the fact that they had a recording of Jorge talking about murdering Fabrizio.

I thought I’d write a recap, but I had a report to prepare for an organization I belong to and would have had to work on it late. And apparently so few people were watching it that it was easy to decide not to burn any midnight oil!

Well, Peter wanted a DNA test for his son Diego. But logically it would have been that he thought Camila was a serial cheater. I don’t think Fabrizio had been in Colombia long enough to be the kid’s father.

In general, I thought the series was excellent. I would be totally in favor of shorter novelas with tight plots and more of them. The cast was terrific. The villains were rotten to the core, but without hours of evil that happens in longer ones. I started watching the other one – about a guy undercover at a violent prison. That was also short, but it was too violent and dark for my taste.

I really liked the cinematography in the novela. The scenes of coffee plants and workers harvesting them were quite well done. And the total environment of being partially jungle was very good.
 

Jugar

I wanted fabricio 2 survive but wondered how he cld reconcile his relationship with martina and still keep andrea. Horrible way 4 him 2 go if he was at all conscious when the car started burning.

Half didnt expect poncho 2 survive when he started mouthing off bout thiago not being a driver.

Novelera...I too enjoyed the scenary and thought the production was well done good actors. Fabrcios mom was the mom in bella y las bestias. Her range was limited but she did a good job. Would like 2 see all these actors some more


Nett
 

"JUGAR":

Nett: In other words, Fabrizio had it coming!

Novelera: I wonder if Camila knows Fabrizio got whacked by Jorge & his cronies ? Yes: everybody is dirty in Colombia: from law enforcement to the business world.


 

Jugar

Enjoying all the comments. I too was surprised Fabrizio didn't survive.

The scene between Peter and Camila when he found out about her cheating was so well done. ITA the acting in this TN was first rate.
 

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to stop by and thank everyone for your great comments and insights on this novela. I totally enjoyed it and agree that it was a first rate production with terrific acting. The scenery makes me want to visit the coffee growing region of Columbia (or Columbia in general.) I would love to see the actors, particularly Jason Day (Fabrizio) in another novela :-)

I, too, was surprised and sad that Fabrizio died - I kept on hoping that he might have somehow escaped from the wreckage, especially after he moved his fingers. Well, the curse or prophecy ended up coming true for him. Seeing the car go up in flames fit with the "Jugar con fuego" theme.

I'm glad a few of the characters got a somewhat happy ending. Glad to see that Pancho made it.

Again, thank you Novelera, Deb, Steve, Nett, Niecie (hope I haven't left anyone out). Novelera, special thanks for getting the conversation started and for all your recaps.

Hasta la proxima y muchisimas gracias otra vez!

Rose
 

"BETTY":

I see Sabrina Seara will be the Major Antagonist.
 

jugar

And thank you, Rose, for dropping by with your kind comments! I could have watched many more episodes of Jugar con Fuego, but part of what made it so good was that the plot rushed along.
 

jugar

You're welcome, Novelera! I, too, would have loved to see more episodes, but you are right, it probably wouldn't have been as compelling if the plot hadn't been as tight. I had been wondering about Jorge's fall from the cliff and if Andrea had anything to do with it. I watched episode 10 again and saw that there was a rock he tripped over. Maybe it was meant to be a little ambiguous, but I do think she was shocked and later we see her cradling him.

I don't think I'll be watching Betty, but hoping that another quality novela comes along again soon.

Rose
 

Telemundo

Anon:

Keep watching.. but I will watch BETTY on repeats...
Like you I am waiting for SIN NO/SI SUENOS HAY ….SEASON 5


CASA CERRADO !!!?? WHAT HAPPEN??
 

HALIMACANDY: Welcome Back.
 

Betty

I saw the premier of Betty last night, and having seen all other versions, I loved how the first chapter expanded on the back stories of the characters before the original story began. It was a great difference. I am excited as to how they are already developing the characters. And how the complicity between Betty and Armando begins before they even know each other.

EC
 

"BETTY":

I see the Protagonista in this one is new right ?
 

betty

Thanks very much, EC, for your comment. I have seen only a much abridged version of La fea más bella and so I didn't realize how much episode one of the present version adds. I'm glad to know this, since much of the plot seemed quite similar to what I recall (hazily) about the earlier version.

Here are a few things that happened last night. They're somewhat out of order, and MUCH has been left out. But I thought perhaps listing some of these events may get a discussion started. Hope so.

Someone named Armando proposes marriage to someone named Marcela. She loves him but doesn't trust him, since faithfulness and loyalty are not among his strong points. She nonetheless accepts his proposal.

Betty fails to get the position she was hoping for at Kauffman's, where she has worked, losing out to a more physically attractive woman. Betty gets a small thank-you plaque and a letter of recommendation. (Gee, thanks.)

Betty's father has a heart attack. He's concerned about how he'll pay for the lawyer he has hired to defend him against a lawsuit filed by his neighbors. Turns out he's been an accountant for 30 years, but last year he changed software, and the software failed to send the tax returns to the IRS. Hence, the lawsuit by the neighbors, whose taxes he had prepared. Betty now has more motivation to find a job that will pay well, so she can help her father pay for the lawyer.

We now see that Armando (son of the current president of V&M) and someone named Daniel (brother of Marcela) are the two candidates to take over the presidency of V&M Fashions. The president, Roberto, tells Armando that even though he is his son, he will not vote for him to be president. He feels Daniel is the better candidate. The vote occurs, and it's tied at 2 to 2. Marcela casts the deciding vote in favor of her new fiancé, Armando. Daniel predicts that Armando is just using her and will leave her stranded at the altar.

Betty, desperate to get a job that pays well, interviews to be Executive Secretary at V&M. The personnel director is impressed with her over-the-top qualifications, but then in breezes Patricia Fernandez, Marcela's friend, whom Marcela recommended for the position in spite of Patricia's total lack of experience. Patricia promises Marcela that she will keep an eye on Armando 24/7, which is the only qualification that matters. So Betty loses again. She goes to the ladies room before leaving.

Betty is in the bathroom when sexpot Naomi enters. Betty hides in a stall. In comes Armando and starts to get it on with Naomi, thinking that no one else is present. Standing on the toilet seat, Betty slips and is discovered. Armando and Naomi quickly dress. Just then, Patricia and Marcela come knocking on the door. Armando is terrified of Marcela's finding him there. Betty notices an air duct and suggests he hide there. He seems not to understand her suggestion. "What?" she asks, "don't you ever watch action movies?" She explains, he hides, and when Patricia and Marcela come in, both Naomi and Betty claim that no one else has been there, just the two of them.

Armando refuses to accept Patricia as his secretary, realizing full well that she'll be spying for Marcela and also has no qualifications for the job. The personnel director tells him that there was one other candidate for the job, who was immensely well qualified except for one defect: she's ugly. Hire her, says Armando. How ugly can she be?

Betty, who has left the building and is sadly on her way home, gets a phone call asking her to return to V&M. She comes back, and the personnel director introduces her to Armando and Marcela. "¿Usted?" asks Marcela in surprise. "¿Tu?" asks an astonished Armando. Episode ends.
 

betty

Very well written recap, Juanita! You got it all. I'm sure it's a relief to have no bleeps and a straightforward plot. I set the DVR up to record this week. We'll see. It's not awful, but the same things that bugged me about earlier versions are present here: the pretty girls are all nasty, full of themselves, and treat Betty like crap plus there's more slapstick than I like.

Erick Elias is playing the same sort of role he played in Porque El Amor Manda. He was the head of the company where Fernando Colunga played a male secretary. Blanca Soto played a role like that of Marcela: a highly placed female executive who was Elias' character's girlfriend/fiancé. Elias was fairly humorous and bug-eyed a lot. And he was unfaithful and actually ended up with the "side woman", while Colunga, as always, got the girl (woman).

Of course, the presumed difference between PEAM and Betty is that Elias is supposed to end up with the girl.

I doubt I'd be up for recapping or even watching past this week. I HOPE someone else is willing to put up recaps.
 

reina2

There was a very intriguing preview of La Reina del Sur 2 shown last night on Telemundo. I can hardly wait! It certainly won't be at 8:00, the kiddie hour. Maybe El Barón isn't that long and that's what it will replace.