Caray, Caray!

preso

PRESO NO. 1 – JUEVES – Parte 1 de 2

In the past, 25 years ago, Carmelo has come home to Chiapas for two weeks, as he told Carolina he’d do. He embraces his sister Chinta and then his mother. He asks after his brother Evodio (Voyo). His mother says he’s working. They show Carmelo his picture in the paper and are proud of him.

We see Voyo sitting with his friend Concho. [I’m confused about what Voyo has done. Somehow he owes money to Ramsés Cota. At first I thought he’d borrowed, like from a loan shark, but later I think it’s drug money he owes.] Concho says he’s in a pickle.

A pickup pulls up with, I think, Ramsés riding shotgun and one Tato driving. So we have a bunch of young thugs who, we suppose, will grow up to be the older thugs in D.F. Later on the truck returns. Tato calls Concho to the truck and tells him to quebrar Evodio (kill). Concho doesn’t hesitate to pull a gun on his good friend, but Voyo struggles with him. We don’t see how this turns out.

Chinta tells Carmelo that his brother is trafficking. Some bearded old man, who is blind, tells Carmelo where Ramsés’ guys hide out. Carmelo goes there. Three thugs show up and wonder where Concho is. Carmelo overhears them say that Concho had been ordered to kill Voyo. Carmelo kills all three and later buries them.

In the present Emanuel is in a car with Miranda on the way to visit Carmelo. He tells her that he knows she told someone about the escape attempt and that Carmelo has suspected her for a while. He says last night was the last time he’s bedding her.

Miranda and Carmelo talk in the prison, glass between them. They’re both a bit sad. Carm says they haven’t trusted each other for a while. She asks him to get Francisco Canales working on a divorce.

In the past Carmelo goes to confess his sin to a priest – the three killings.

Also in the past Salvador sends Caro to Chiapas to cover the peace and reconciliation meetings between the Zapatistas and the Federal Government. Carmelo looks for his brother for 3 years and, while he’s posting a photo of his brother, Caro finds him. It appears she’s been working on this story the whole time.

Carm and Caro head straight to bed and we see scenes of the two of them making love, both in the past and interspersed with scenes many years later.

The conspirators are talking about the picture of Carmelo making headlines all over the world. When Pia arrives Pedro Islas slaps her hard. We learn that his son is named Juan or Juanito.
 

preso

PRESO NO. 1 – JUEVES – Parte 2 de 2

The older, white haired and bearded prisoner has become a friend to Carmelo. His name is Antonio and Carm calls him Don Toño.

Watermelon Guy is passing out flyers in the street, wearing a mask, inviting people to a march in favor of Carmelo. Apparently this has been a ruse because he intercepts Carmelo’s elder daughter, making her believe he’s a supporter. He almost gets her to come to his apartment for more flyers, but she has another commitment.

Pia meets with Madrigal, who expresses disgust at the mark on her face. He wants her on his side. Well, he wants more than that. He wants to seal the deal and starts to unbuckle his pants.

Carolina goes to see the Procurador (Attorney General) upset about Cota being sent to Carmelo’s same prison. She’s also wanting to know about the peritaje (expert’s report) about the time of death of Virginia Carranza. Viewerville is pretty sure she was killed after Carmelo was already in prison. However, this guy says that the report isn’t conclusive.

Emanuel tells Carmelo there’s no good news. He also tells him, when Carmelo asks about an independent autopsy, that the body was cremated.

Back in the past Carmelo talks with Carolina about coming to D.F. to try to get authorities to help with missing people, including his brother. Young Ramsés drives up in a pickup and appears to offer Carmelo a choice. He doesn’t want him to keep talking about missing people. If he shuts up he’ll give him some seeds for his land. [I think they were talking about land the family already owns, but I’m not sure. Maybe he offered him the land where they were talking that his family doesn't own and the seeds.]

That crooked judge has Carmelo for an “audience”. He starts off saying that all further communication with Carmelo will be in his cell. Carmelo: “Is this according to the law?”

The fat judge talks over him and calls his full name, preparing to add something. Fire in his eye, Carmelo shouts ¡Presidente de la República! and then Carolina shouts this and Emanuel shouts it, then the whole group of spectators.
 

preso

Many thanks, novelera, for another very helpful recap.

I don't have much to add. I may be mistaken, but I thought that Voyo had given money to Ramses for his drug trafficking but now wants it back. I guess Ramses thinks it's easier to have Voyo killed than return the money.

Also, the blind guy that Carmelo talks to was apparently blinded by Ramses, who shot him in the head. The blind buy points on his head to where the bullet went in and where it came out. Carmelo says this blinded him. Yes, says the man, but I'm still alive. And apparently being blinded enhanced his sense of smell. After Carmelo shoots the three thugs, he returns to the blind guy, who tells him that he smells of gunpowder. Carmelo says he is planning to turn himself in after he finds his brother. The blind man tells him that he should confess to the priest but tell no on else.

Also, the love relationships are getting even more complicated. Francisco, Carmelo's lawyer, is working hard on Carmelo's behalf, but he apparently loves Carolina, who loves Carmelo, not Francisco. Francisco observes, "I'm doing everything I can to free the man who, once he's free, will take the woman I love." I gotta say, Carmelo hasn't done a great job of picking friends. One has been sleeping with his present wife and the other is lusting after the woman Carmelo most loves (Carolina, his ex-wife).
 

"PRESO":

Novelera: I'm assuming this is based on the corruption at Los Pinos ?
 

preso

There was much more I could have included in the recap. However, I might have burned up too many neurons on the first episode and lacked energy.

Also, my home computer is giving off signs of a wasting disease. It froze up typing the recap, which it also did for the long one Tuesday night. Last night I lost half of what I'd already typed when I had to force shutdown. So some of my insights didn't make it onto the page.

In general, I'm interested in Preso. But also suffering from Reina withdrawal as many of you have also stated. I have yet to watch the program with the cast members because the combination of a new novela and the Democratic debates have sucked up a lot of time.
 

preso

novelera, you did a fine job with last night's recap. There's no reason to feel badly about not including still more. What you did was very interesting and helpful! My assumption is that recaps are a starting point, where others can comment and contribute.

And wow, I can really sympathize about your computer woes. I usually write recaps first in a text editor and then copy and paste onto the blog site. On Tuesday night, I finished what turned out to take three pages and went to post them. I went to part 1, and instead of finding everything I had written, I found just a paragraph I had deleted! I groaned, let out a few expletives, and started over. Fortunately, before getting very far, I wondered whether it was possible that I had saved part 1 somewhere along the way. Sure enough, I had! I was too tired to do a happy dance, but I was very, very relieved. But I know well how you must have felt when you had do to a shutdown. I've been there more times than I like to recall.

I'm hoping that some other folks will step up to recap, even if it just takes the form of "here are some things I remember about the episode."
 

Preso

thanks so much novelera for the recap, so helpful at the start to put things together.

(computers are only wonderful when they do what they are supposed to do)

I'm liking the old story and those two younger actors, they are both tough as nails.

three years later when they meet by chance, she has his briefcase, stole it did you, yup.

the english caps went with Voyo investing in Ramses business, now he wanted the money back.

the three thugs Carmelo killed, one was a policeman.

Ramses meets young Caro, and old Caro had a nightmare of him raping her, although it wasn't clear I got that the land Ramses was referring to might have been Carmelo's and the seeds he was referring to might have been poppy or marijuana.

old Caro sees that the DA, who appears to have been an ally in the past, is going with the corrupt autopsy and allowing Ramses to be placed in the same prison as Carmelo.

young Carmelo's mom seems to know about his killing those guys, although it is only implied, says no one told her, she figured it out by herself, young Carmelo says he planned to turn himself in after he found his brother, she discourages him, saying God has already judged him.

I like the old blind guy.

when the bad guard gives Carmelo a hard time, Tono speaks up about how Carmelo is a celebrity, and all the other inmates shout in support.

Emanuel tells Miranda that he will spill to Carmelo about them and his suspicion that she leaked about the raid because Carmelo is his friend and he doesn't lie, (but he didn't), interesting that he didn't make a big deal about things the night before because he wanted a roll in the hay, but that is not happening anymore.

I think they are having the actual hearing and the judge says something like there will be no inappropriate behavior from Carmelo or he will be taken back to his cell for the rest of it.

 

preso

Thanks so much, deb, for your usual terrific comments. I had a lot of trouble with that "country boy" speech pattern of pretty much everyone in the Chiapas flashbacks. I have sort of adapted to "narco speech". But the slangy way these people talk in the flashbacks causes me to need to rewind and rewind again at times.

So, what would the hearing even be about? As usual, Latin American justice is a mystery to me. They called it an audiencia. There's no jury, but there appear to be people in the smallish crowd looking on. Do they read off the charges in advance of a trial? Guess we'll find out tonight.
 

Preso #4

ok, from memory here is a short outline.

was the hearing canceled?

young Carmelo and Caro spend the night together in an old house, the first his dad built, the next morning their bliss is interrupted by Carmelo's local girlfriend, Amalia, Caro storms off, but is stopped along the way and raped by Ramses, who wants what Carmelo has.

Carmelo looking for her stops by the old guy who tells him she was crying.

Caro falls off the earth for a week, her boss wants to know where she has been, he won't drop it, she spills.

later it is implied that Caro's oldest daughter Sara is from the rape, she never told Carmelo, but may now if the anger will keep him alive in prison.

present day Sara leaves for school early, makes a stop at watermelon guy's pad, they have a breakfast beer (always the gentleman), she gets the rally shirt, he gets some sex and records it all, shows it later to Bautista and the son Juan.

Pia is making the rounds, gets an engagement ring from Pedro, boinked by Juan, and dazzles the new president with the ring.

the guilty DA arrives home to his daughter and grandson, confesses to being a coward, but wait, the next day Ramses is held at the border and may be sent back, he somehow muddled the paperwork, tells Caro it's only temporary, and also resigns.

old Salvador has lunch with Caro, several trips to the men's room, he looks like he is in a lot of pain, but hides it well.

Pedro is upset about his orders on Ramses being thwarted (in the yesterday scenes the english captions had him calling Pia "a f*cking idiot", where are the censors?) so he transfer a bunch of Ramses guys to Carmelo's prison to do the job, a one eyed guy who looks like he hasn't killed anyone for hours is up to the task.

the rally is on, Caro has undercover security there to watch over Sara, they see her with watermelon guy and recognize him as being with the bad guy americans, most of the protestors were kept from attending, the riot police show up, and a gang of rabble rousers who attack them, this may be the top cops (Mayorga) doing.

Chinta is also at the rally.

 

preso

deb, thanks VERY much for this delightful and helpful "short outline," which is really a terrific mini-recap. I always love your breezy, concise style. This recap is filled with deb gems, such as "she gets the rally shirt, he gets some sex" and "Pia is making the rounds, gets an engagement ring from Pedro, boinked by Juan, and dazzles the new president with the ring."

This has got to be one of the least subtle novelas I've seen. We haven't even had a full week yet, and already there are almost too many bad guys for me to count (or keep straight). And everyone, good, bad, or indifferent, seems to be having sex at a moment's notice. Perhaps the novela should have been called "Rutting Rabbits."

There were things in the episode that somewhat puzzled me. One is where Isabel, Carmelo's younger daughter, tells her mother that she has met someone. Carolina cautions her that "it's easy to be attracted to someone for the wrong reasons." Duh. The person Carolina should be saying this to is Sara, who has been fooled into falling for watermelon guy. Why is she saying it instead to Isabel? Is she really speaking primarily to Viewerville??

One thing I did like about last night's episode was the Procurador's turn around. He's clearly ashamed of what he did in facilitating Ramses' transfer. He tells his daughter that he's worried about how he'll tell his grandson some day that he (the grandfather)was a sell-out and a coward. He continues, "Carmelo should be free but he's not, because of me. He's in danger." And then, overnight, his better self wins out, and he messes with the paperwork, causing at least a delay in Ramses' transfer to the Mexican prison where Carmelo is. In a novela so filled with betrayal and violence, I'll take even this crumb of decency. Whether his actions will mean he's not long for this world remains to be seen.

I'm still having problems knowing who's who and telling the characters apart, but for now, I'm interested enough to stay with the novela, especially thanks to the wonderful recaps from you and novelera.
 

preso

Terrific concise recap,deb! I'm pretty sure my computer is dead. I am the worst at typing on my tablet, so this is just to say thanks and then radio silence! Juanita I am glad it's your week to put up the pages. If you send me an email I could read it on the tablet, but typing is HARD. I am a touch typist and hunt and peck is painful!
 

Computers

novelera- my computer died last fall, 2 tips,

if you buy a new computer, get it with a solid state hard drive, SSD, so much faster and smoother, it can be small with a regular second hard drive for your data stuff.

if your old drive is still good, you can buy a "hard drive docking station" at Best Buy, drop in your old hard drive, plug into a usb port on any computer and have access to all the files on it, just like any external hard drive.

 

PRESO
Thank you, novelera and deb--the recaps prepare me to watch the episode! And I do want to continue to follow this story. It finally grabbed my attention. If any of you watched La Candidata on Uni, it ends with the Silvia Navarro being given the Presidential sash after winning the popular vote. She was in the same sort of situation as Carmelo. She learned almost too late that her father, husband and father-in-law were corrupt through and through. She was a fighter for social reform. I kinda like thinking that this is a semi-continuation.

Can't add anything. Have read the two recaps carefully, jotting down all the new characters. Now it's off to watch the episodes.

Novelera, let me know if I can help you. I have admin authority and can post pages and even recaps for you. (P.S. My sympathies on your computer. I know what you mean about Tablet. My son convinced me to go the Apple route, so I have to switch mental gears between my beloved PC and Tablet.) Deb your advice is something I'll jot down for future needs.

Thanks again, both of you for your work on Preso, and Juanita's unfailing contributions to understanding what is going on. All the comments added something new.

I'm going to try to keep up, at least until my next trip in mid-August.
 

Preso

thanks Juanita!

yep, a lot of bad guys, it's hard to see that every other person in Mexico is rooting for the President.

watermelon guy might have a soft spot for Sara, hmm, they implied he had something going with Virginia as he was the guy she called when she decided to spill the truth.

not sure but I think Isabel was talking about how Sara has met someone, and the discussion was about her.

Caro and Carmelo are a classic Gran Amor, too bad neither seems to have the time for it and resents the other for not making time.

 

General

Thanks so much for the encouraging words, all!

I do have a plan. The compny where l have worked for over 25 years has an outside IT firm keeping us moving along. I do have Norton backups SOMEWHERE. I assume the money I paid them all these years means my data is somewhere safe. Walt, the IT guy can probably find me a good computer. Nothing I do is that difficult. I do work 4 days and check work e-mails on my day off. I tried to check them on Go-Daddy, but I don't remember my @#$%& password. It will let me reset, but sends the link to my work email which I can't get into on GoDaddy!

So,here's hoping data can be retrieved and put in a new computer!
 

General

Sorry to hear about your computer woes. I won’t even get started by one too many passwords. : ( Hope you are up and running soon!
 

General:

Jarifa: I've been where you are.