Caray, Caray!

VENCER LA CULPA #77 GRAN FINAL Part 1


Before we wrap this one up, I would like thank everyone who was on the patio and added so much with your comments. You make recapping worthwhile.


1. In the struggle, Manuela is shot and slides to the floor. Leandro grabs Fidleia who shouts for him to let her go. Everyone rushes to Manuela and Paloma calls for an ambulance. They have a gunshot victim.

2. Back at the hospital, Dulce tells her father that Leandro was the one who attacked her. He threatened to hurt him and also Pablito. He is a very bad man. Pablo is so sorry for having treated her badly. He is going to dedicate his life to making it up to her. He will always take care of her.

3. Pablo leaves the hospital room, where Franco is waiting for him to tell him about Manuela.

PALOMA "In life an inexplicable love can appear, an unforgettable moment or a terrible sorrow that will be very hard to overcome".

DAYS LATER

4. Paloma tells Amanda and Yaneli that every time she visits Manuela she thinks she is going to smile. Amanda cannot understand how life can change so much from one moment to the next. Yaneli adds that when she saw Manuela laid out there with a bullet in her, she thought that she would have an operation and that would be it. She never imagined she was going to be in a coma. Amanda explains that the doctor said that the problem was that the bullet went through her lung which caused reparatory failure. That is why she is in a coma. Amanda adds that all they can do is hope. Paloma says that Manuela has been so brave and so supportive. She has helped seamy when that now it is their turn to support her. The first thing is to see how Julieta s doing. Amanda checks in on her granddaughter everyday. Julieta is heartbroken. Paloma says that Franco and Dulce have told her that Pablo is destroyed. He is taking care of Pablito, Dulce and also goes in to see Manuela. He talks to her. He spends time with her but there is no response.

5. At the hospital, Pablo talks to Franco about how he goes to see Manuela everyday and how talks to her with the hope that she wakes up. He thanks Franco for being there for him.
 

VENCER Part 2


6. Carlos comes to tell Pablo that he is going to be present with Dulce when she makes her statement as they previously agreed. the time has come for Dulce to make her statement. All that Pablo can hope is that Dulce makes her statement against Leandro. He is going to do all he can to make sure that wretch rots away in jail for what he did to Dulce. He is also sure that what happened to Manuela was no accident. He tried to kill her.

7. A still agitated Leandro tells Irineo that what happened to Manuela was a damn accident. An accident!!! If anyone is to blame for what happened it is Manuela because of her past with those poverty ridden people who are now in jail. Irineo says that it looks like Manuela is not going to wake up. Leandro thinks that it would be better for him if she never woke up. He has already asked for sole custody of Julieta. Irineo reminds him that Dulce is awake and she is making a statement today. What if she accuses him of wanting to kill her? Leandro doesn't think she will remember any other that. She was all drugged up. And what is she going to say about Nora Pardo if she doesn't have the evidence that connects them to what happened. Even though they would seem to be implicated, Leandro knows he would win in a court of law. Irineo hopes he is right. Leandro reminds him how he always knows how to find somebody to take the fall. Irineo agrees with him.

8. Paloma tells Dulce how the doctor said that Manuela's condition has not changed. Dulce has noticed that every time her father comes to see her that he has been crying. Since things are going to badly, she hasn't wanted to tell him what she is gong to tell Paloma. She is afraid if he found out, he would go after Leandro. Dulce doesn't want to play the victim card, but ever since she arrived from Guadalajara, she has experienced she tough things. The worst was when she left Damián behind and accepted that she was Dulce. That is why Nora Pardo was so important for her. She was the first person who understood her. She was a very lovely, empathetic and treasured woman who also had many insecurities. She believed that her worth was in being a sexual object. Paloma assumes that is how she met Leandro. Dulce agrees saying that Leandro took advantage of her and they became lovers. Yes, she is the one who connected her to Amanda's shop with the understanding that her name and her relationship with Leandro were not be mentioned to Amanda. Dulce knew who Leandro was but Nora never introduced her to him. She knew they were lovers but he was violent to her. he physically mistreated her. He treated her like dirt and manipulated her. He was good at building her up and tearing her down over and over again but Nora couldn't find a way out.

9. FLASHBACK FROM A YEAR AGO Nora tells Dulce that she didn't know what to do because Leandro wanted her to extort the enemies of his clients. He was also forcing her to be a lover to one of them. She was fed up and wanted to file a compliant against him but he had threatened her and she was very afraid. Dulce advised her to go to the police. They had to do something. Nora told her that she got the evidence against Leandro together. She recorded a video with her phone and confessed everything she knew about Leandro's extortion activities. She wanted him held responsible if something happened to her. All of the evidence was stored in a safe deposit box at a bank. If the evidence came to light, everyone was going to know who Leandro really was. Then they could put him in jail.
 

VENCER Part 3

10. Paloma asks her if she knows where the evidence is. Dulce doesn't know because the day she was gong to tell he, Nora was killed. She cannot prove that Leandro did it either but she knows he did. What Dulce never understood was what Nora was referring to the she told her that she already had the pass code.

11. Leandro is basking in victimhood and tells his mother that he feel like he is dying. Manuela is not waking up. Julieta is suffering and doesn't want to see him. He insists that he never tried to kill Dulce and that Pablo is behind those lies in order to hurt him. Amanda doesn't know where she made a mistake with him but she knows she did. She admits that letting him be exposed to the negative influence of Everardo was the worst thing she could have done. She feels guilty for what he has turned into: a narcissist without the slightest bit of empathy. Leandro gets angry and tells her to save her sermons. He only wants to have his daughter with him. If she loves him, then she will support him because, legally, he has already won that fight. Shea asks if he is capable of taking Julieta by force. He says of course! She can see that he feels no kind of remorse. What she has learned in her life is that guilt arrives and envelopes you when you least expect it.

12. Pablo tells his son that they are going to discharge him and that his mother will not be going home with him. She committed a crime. Pablito knows it is because of the tea she was giving him. Pablito asks if she is going to jail. his father says probably so he needs to be strong. Pablito will.

13. Nancy stops by to say goodbye to Carmina. She told the family about what she did to Pablito and nobody is supporting her. Carmina calls them damn bloodsuckers!! She gave them everything and they knew exactly where the money was coming from. Nancy reminds her she is a criminal and that is why Pablo made a complaint against her because of what she did to Pablito. She will most likely never see her son again . Carmina slaps her and calls her a cretin. Nancy says that is then last time she will ever touch her. She is happy that Pablo hates her and the her nephew will grow up far away from her.

14. Dulce says that one day Leandro was looking through Nora's phone and saw the chat she had with her and read it. He concluded that Dulce knew things about him that could get him into trouble. From then on, he never let her alone. Then he discovered she was a transgender woman and nobody in her circle of friends knew. He used that knowledge to scare her and be violent with her. He wanted to know about the evidence and video Nora had against him. He was sure that she knew where they were. She was tempted to tell Amanda what was going on. It was the day she saw the bruises on her arms. She wanted to tell her that her son had put them there. Paloma says they all thought that a violent boyfriend had done something to her. Dulce says that is when she want to see Manuela to talk about a toxic relationship she had with someone. She really wanted help to get free of Leandro. It was her bad luck that Leandro had followed her. Pablo walks in the room and concludes that if Leandro followed her then that is how he saw Manuela. Afterwards, he pretended to accompany a rape victim to make it look like his running into Manuela was by chance.

15. Andrea Saucedo is not happy that Leandro has her confined to her home. He reminds her that they paid her well to pretend to be Nora Pardo and to claim Brayan's body. Nora must be resting right now in potter's field and if Andrea doesn't calm down , she will be joining her. Hew tells Irineo to keep his eye on her.

 

VENCER Part 4


16. Nancy tells Carmina that Pablo will never get back with her. He despises her and only wants to see her in jail. Carmina says she will never put a foot inside a jail. It is a matter of "he said she said." Nancy says not quite because she is going to testify against her. Since she was her accomplice, she is going to be looking for a good deal for herself. Carmina tries to slap her again but Nancy grabs her arm. Nancy will see her in court.

17. Yaneli tells Genaro how dangerous inis to work for Leandro. He is not going to stop working for him because he has to do some investigating to help Dulce. She asks what at happened the day she disappeared. He says that was when he found out that she was a transgender girl. He reacted so stupidly and became violent. He almost hit her but he didn't. She was so scared she ran to her apartment and he ran after her. He wanted to apologize for how he messed up.

18. FLASHBACK Genaro was outside of her apartment and told Dulce that he wanted to explain things to her. She opened the door and let him. He wanted to apologize for having reacted so awfully. He was just shocked. He was sorry but he could not be with a transgender woman. She thanked him for being honest. She put a red string bracelet in his hand and said she was going to give it to him because she thought that he and she were going to be something more. She asked if he still wanted it. She gave him a glass of water. Then she got a phone call. He thinks it was from Leandro.

19. Dulce continues the story in her hospital room with Paloma and Pablo. She tells them that while Genaro was having a glass of water, Leandro called threatening to do something to Genaro if he didn't leave right then. She was to get rid of him because Leandro was coming over to talk about their dear friend Nora. Dulce got so upset she dropped a glass. Genaro tried to help pick it up and cut his hand. She told him he had to leave, She would only say that she didn't want to put him in danger. That is when she decided to make a statement against Leandro. Amanda and the prosecutor walk in.

20. FLASHBACK Dulce thought she could sneak out the back way but one of Leandro's men grabbed her and threw her in a car.

21. Back in the hospital room, Dulce says while she was kidnapped, they made fun of her, humiliated her, and beat her so that she would tell them where the evidence was that Nora Pardo had. Amanda says Dulce doesn't know how it hurts her to hear that. The prosecutor asks how Brayan ended up with the bracelet and Damián's identification.

22. Paloma thinks that day that they found Dulce's apartment all thrown over it must have been from Leandro's men who had been sent to find something. Dulce thinks they were looking for Nora's evidence. Pablo asks what happened with Brayan. Dulce knew that Pablo was looking for Damián because she saw him at the center. She concludes that Brayan didn't know she had been kidnapped but had found out that that Pablo was looking for Damián. Brayan decided to blackmail Leandro saying if he didn't pay him more, he would look for her father. That is why Leandro had him killed . She was moved to another safe house.

23. FLASHBACK In a darkened room, Leandro tells his men that Brayan was worth nothing to him so he wanted him beaten to death just like so many other strange bugs end up being squashed. It would be be just another hate crime. We see Dulce bloody and beaten on the floor as they leave.
 

VENCER Part 5

24. Pablo asks how long until Leandro is arrested. He says they have the testimony but now they need evidence. They want to talk to Andrea Saucedo who will be key witness in the case.

25. Paloma talks to Franco who wonders why the case against Leandro is not resolved yet. Paloma says that Nora supposedly left Dulce a pass code for a safe deposit box where all of the evidence is . Nora told Dulce she already and the pass code but Dulce had no idea what she was talking about but Nora was killed before she told her. Franco wonders if Nora had given Dulce a gift or anything else. Paloma remembers the ring with that the prosecutor had given her.

26. Angeles tries to lift Julieta's spirits by reminding her that her mother is still alive and she can awaken at any moment. Julieta blames herself for her mother being in a coma. She tells her how much she loves her and misses her every time she visits.

27. Franco looks at the ring and sees a date engraved inside of it. Paloma remembers Dulce telling her that Nora gave her that ring with the date that "Dulce" was born engraved on the inside. That could be the pass code. They decide to bring it to the prosecutor.

28. Leandro comes barging into Angeles' house to pick up Julieta as the judge has ruled and given him custody. She refuses to go with him. He is the worst father in the world. He used her to hurt her mother because she never loved him. Her mother was right. She never should have gotten close to him. She hates him. He doesn't care what she says. Like it or not, she is going to do what he says because her mother is never going to wake up. She goes to her room and locks the door. Angeles asks him to leave. He threatens to break down the door. Angeles texts somebody. Leandro tells Julieta to come out so she and her brothers can go to Korea with him. Angeles pleads with him to leave her alone. He tells her to mind her own business. Nobody tells him no. The uncles arrive. Leandro is screaming that he is going to kick in her door. Julieta unlocks her door and asks him not to take her. When her mother wakes up . . . he tells her again that her mother is never going to wake up. He grabs her by the arm and leads her out of her room. Pablo is there to meet him and punches him in the face. The fight is on!

29. Franco and Paloma have delivered the ring to the prosecutor's office. Paloma says they make a good team but why torture themselves with what will never be. She is leaving very soon so it will be good for them to finish with her proposal and then they each can go on their way.
 

VENCER Part 6


30. The fist fight continues. The uncles break them up. Leandro says he will not have his child raised in a household of sick degenerates. Julieta says heT is the degenerate. Her uncle and grandma know how to make a family. Leandro tells her to be quiet and if she doesn't come with him, her grandma and uncles will end up in jail. The fight is suspended when the police arrive. Leandro is happy to have police support in taking control of his daughter but then he sees Lorena and Amanda.

31. Genaro tells Yaneli and Axel how he gave Amanda a hand . She knew that he worked for Leandro and asked him to find evidence against her son. He copied documents that Irineo sent to their clients' enemies to extort them. He gave them to Pablo and his lawyer because they also wanted to see Leandro get what he deserves.

32. Amanda tells her son that she herself found out everything that he was doing. Lorena and her family helped her by filing charges against him because he has to pay for all the bad things he has done. Leandro is incredulous that is own mother is doing this to him. She says it is her duty. She is not like him. With the charges against him, he no longer has custody of Julieta. That will be shared by her and Angeles while Manuela is in a coma. Leandro remarks that she is not as stupid as he and his father always thought she was. She slaps him. He laughs. She reminds him she is his mother and deserves respect. He doesn't think he owes her a thing. He calls Lorena a crazy woman who got that way because he doesn't love her. Lorena doesn't care how he feels about her because she has filed charges against him for having her admitted to that psychiatric hospital. She has all of the evidence and he is going to pay. He calls them all imbeciles. They have no idea whom they are dealing with. He is arrested, handcuffed and marched out. He screams that he always gets what he wants.

33. Carmina has her trial. She is found guilty of neglect of her son and is sentenced to four years in jail. She also loses custody of Pablito. She cries and apologizes. Pablo and Carlos ignore he and leave.

34. Paloma's parents are finally going to open their restaurant. It will be named "Paloma". The three of them are a team again.

35. Leandro is telling Irineo that nobody has any evidence against him. The prosecutor appears and Leandro thinks he is going to be let out but he is wrong. They now have the evidence that Nora Pardo had against him plus a video of Nora explaining how they extorted their clients' enemies. Leandro is shocked but thinks his influence will get him off. The prosecutor tells him not this time. He will be spending a lot of time behind bars.

36. Franco calls Paloma to tell her that the date inside of the ring was the pass code and they were able to retrieve the evidence. Her parents asks her why she didn't tell him she is leaving for Madrid tonight. She says she couldn't stand saying goodbye to him. They don't agree. She says she made her decision.
 

VENCER Part 7

37. Nico is caught by a police officer when he tries to con her on the street with a bracelet to make some fast cash. She arrests him. They have been looking for him. There are several complaints of robbery and fraud filed against him.

38. Paloma's parents tell Franco that Paloma is leaving. It turns out she couldn't leave him and they are reunited in the airport. They love each other.

39. Amanda visits her son in jail. She tells him that she and Angeles now have custody of Julieta because it seems less likely all the time that Manuela will ever wake up. Leandro admits that he is being weighed down by something he never knew he would feel. She says that is called guilt. She hopes he can forgive himself someday because guilt will pursue him for the rest of his life. Shen ells him goodbye.

40. FLASHBACK We see the fight with Fidelia for the gun. Leandro had control of the gun and his finger was on the trigger when he shot Manuela. He looked Manuela in the eye. She knew he shot her.

41. Amanda and Enrique have a nice civil wedding ceremony. He gives her a female version of Chimichurri.

42. Yaneli is going to university and Genaro is gong to manage Amanda's second shop.

43. The uncles get engaged.

44. Pablo tells Manuela he loves her one more time and she wakes up from her coma. He calls Julieta who spreads the good news at the wedding reception. It is a happy ending.


FIN
 

VENCER

Sorry for any typos that remain.

What a gran gran final!

What a surprise with the role that Genaro played in all of this.

They really did a wonderful job tying up all the loose ends.


More later.
 

Vencer Finale

Great work, Jarifa. You have done heroic work recapping this and its predecessors.

Obviously Leandro never loved Manuela at all. It wasn't entirely clear to me at that moment that he shot her deliberately, but since this happened as fast as it did it could easily have been interpreted as an accident. Very clever, but not quite enough. Good writing made this happen.

At least Nico got what was coming to him. Not sure about HeLiberto.

It was good to see Julieta finally maturing emotionally and seeing Leandro for who/what he really was. Ditto for Susanna the Elder who finally saw Amanda's true worth as a person.

I loved seeing a wedding with a senior couple and an adorable new furbaby.

Paloma and Franco should go to Madrid together. They would love the place.
 

VENCER

Thanks, Urban. I have really enjoyed the Vencer franchise and “Vencer el desamor” still is one of my all time favorite novelas. Yes, that was a shocker at the end when we see Leandro willfully shoot Manuela and her realizing it. These last couple of episodes were masterly written including all of the flashbacks and the same topic being recounted chronologically by different characters in different settings. Yes, I would have liked to see what happened to Fidelia and her son. I also enjoyed the senior wedding and the new puppy was a highlight.
 

VENCER

I loved Nico being picked up trying to pull a fast one on a police woman. That was poetic justice. He was such a jackass.

There was great growth in a variety of characters. I especially appreciated the growth in Amanda. I could not stand her at the beginning of the novela being a doormat for her husband and her family but she did grow and change to be an independent woman of value.

One thing that did annoy me was the casting of Julieta. The actor Sammy Schoulund was excellent but was too young looking to be a fifteen year old. That could have been easily solved by having her be a middle schooler. They could have had her have a big birthday party and Leandro still could have managed to spike the punch. It could have been an easy fix.

Jesusa Ochoa was outstanding as Dulce. I hope we see more of her.

With this whole Vencer series, it seems that sometimes the characters are almost too realistic. No real galán here and so many unlikeable characters but they gave us a good story.

I still think that opening sequence with the women taking their luggage up all those stairs to throw it off the roof was the best ever.
 

VENCER

Jarifa, your ingenuity shone in every recap throughout these many months and last night was a tour de force. You crafted the quintessential recap; your dedication and devotion are so truly appreciated.

There was so much I could not understand last night, I’m still struggling to absorb everything that happened.

“Leandro is basking in victimhood” was perfect.

I fully expected it was Leandro who was shot. I was shocked it was Manuela. Throughout last night I kept thinking back to that scene, struggling as to whether or not Leandro intentionally pulled the trigger. “FLASHBACK We see the fight with Fidelia for the gun. Leandro had control of the gun and his finger was on the trigger when he shot Manuela. He looked Manuela in the eye. She knew he shot her” answered my question.

Enrique and Amanda’s wedding was lovely. Happiness for most. I too was delighted that Genaro played such an important, pivotal role.

“FLASHBACK In a darkened room, Leandro tells his men that Brayan was worth nothing to him so he wanted him beaten to death just like so many other strange bugs end up being squashed. It would be be just another hate crime. We see Dulce bloody and beaten on the floor as they leave” was hard to comprehend and brutal to watch. Leandro is a monstrosity. Was justice served by simply seeing him stride down the prison corridor? I was unnerved and feel it fell short there. Also, we needed to see Fidelia and Heliberto’s fates. Hopefully, they are in the circle of hell.

I was enthralled by this telenovela from start to finish. The gradual slow unmasking of Leandro was marvelously done. Dulce’s story was such an important one, needing to be told. Hoping there is nothing but happiness ahead for her and Pablito. And Julieta!

I don’t believe I saw “FIN” flash at the end. Did I miss it? If not was this a TN first? 😊

Jarifa, this was stellar. Thank you, thank you.

Diana
 

VIDA Ep 26 Part 1 (didn't proofread, so 'scuse the typos)

Paula tells Pepe that she is continuing her plans to marry Rol two. Pepe thinks Paula is doing this because he is getting back with Makena, but no. Paula tells him that she is doing it for her kids just like he’s doing it for his kids. When he adds that he has come to an agreement with Mal, Paula tells him that she has an agree with Rol too…she’s not marrying him because she loves him…Rol has always been there for her and her kids. After Pepe asks what he was for Paula, she replies that he was the most wonderful thing that happened to her in a long time, she wil treasure what they had. They KISSSS…and Diego and Andrea are elated. Diego is glad he could distract Andrea from her sadness and invites her to go for some ice cream.

After the looong kiss, Paula pushes Pepe away because this can’t be! If it were up to Paula, she would choose Pepe and she could make all the plans with him. When Pepe asks what is stopping her, Paula replies that she has a reason but won’t elaborate.

When Marcos asks Gracia if she had children, she gets nervous When Maxine wonders why, Gracia doesn’t want to talk about it.

Lot tells Rosa that he knows she stopped working because she was ill. She assures that she is fine now. He asks Rosa that he wants to know how she survived her illness because he has someone very close to him that has a brain tumor.

Rol thinks Paula is the most beautiful woman he knows and he won’t let her disease eat her up. Nat tells him that Paula will soon join her husband and Rol will have control of her inheritance…it will be easier for her to get the company and lastly they can take all the money from the snotty kids. Rol reminds her that there are others that will want the money.::like Rafa. Nat tells him. It to worry…she has a plan that will make Paula and Lor want to wish they never met Rafa.

Mal tells Rafa that Andrea threatened her. She tells Rafa to take care of the problem…because she won’t let anyone ruin her plans!

Pepe continues to grill Paula because...he needs to understand. When she blurts out that it is something very serious, Pepe asks if she is going to die or what?! When Paula remains quiet, Pep! grunts in frustration and tells her that the silence is why he prefers to be alone and not open his heart to anyone. After Paula blurts out “except Malena” Pepe starts to leave but then they both (heatedly) wish each other happiness.

Lor pleads that Rosa explain how she fought against her illness. Rosa tells him that the first thing she did was erase the word “fight” from her vocabulary…because fighting wastes away a person since it is like fighting an enemy…and she would be fighting against herself. She started by making a deal with her illness—she would accept it, but would forgive it but get rid of it…with love. She changed her way of thinking, ate better and did some therapies that were with her (financial) reach. She couldn’t afford to die because me she had a day go tee who was just finishing her studies at the university. Lor thinks her daughter must a grand woman and offers to give her daughter a job at the company. Rosa lies and tells him that her daughter lives in the USA.

Isabel is upset that Lor is making them pay millions for the property.she wants to go talk to Loe but Alex says NO! He has already gotten a loan. Isabela worries about the man he is borrowing from.

Chipmunk Susy squeaks that she wants Rosa to help her comb her hair.
 

VIDA Ep. 26 Part 2

Marcos apologizes for asking questions that made Gracia uncomfortable. After he leaves, Gracia wonders how much longer it will hurt…

Reni goes along to buy the wedding dress. Paula meets Rosa.

Emi works on a project but thinks about Lucia.

Isabela complains to Gracia that Lor is asking for much more money than he had said. Gracia asks Isabela to talk to Pepe about hiring Marcos, but Isabela sees that Pepe is upset. He tells her that Paula is getting married …and it hurts him.

Emi goes to thank Lucia for the classes she suggested…and brings her a gift…a rock from their dock…so she will never forget him since he is leaving and they will probably never see each other again

Diego finds out that Paula has gone to look for a wedding dress…QUE??? He tells Andrea that their plan didn’t work!

Paula looks at her list and writes Rolando’s name next to “find a father for my children.” She then makes a video for Pepe explaining why she couldn’t have a future with him…and her agreement with Rol. She will marry Rol loving him (Pepe)…until her last breath.

Nat suggests to Reni that she and Emi stay in Europe for 5 years…and maybe they can have Diego join them. Reni tells Nat that Diego is gay…she doesn’t have proof but her “gaydar” is never wrong.

Paula tells Lor that there are things that she won’t be able to do if she marries Rol…but she viiid do them with Pepe. She then tells him that she is going to get treatment after her wedding.

Rosa calls Nat and tells her that Lor asked her for advice for a person who is also ill. When Nat tells her it’s Paula, Rosa thinks Nat was sooo nice to ask her to work for the family…so she can help them indirectly (clueless!!)

Paula cries that the treatment will only give her a little more. Lor cries too; he tells her that she will sit down and will talk to that illness...accept it, then tell it that that she forgives and ask it to leave her body...he promises that she will get to do all the things on her list. He continues that her illness came to teach them something---she has formed a beautiful relationship with her family...that is an important part of her learning. When Paula wishes that she could believe in miracles, Lor assures that they exist. He then looks at the list and sees that she want to sing a duet with a rock star, get a tattoo (which he frowns upon)...then he sees that she wants to learn to play an instrument...this he can help her with!!

A montage ensues--Lor teaching Paula to play the piano, Paula learning sign language...you saw the rest so let's move on because TWO WEEKS PASS!!! And there was a beautiful song playing but I couldn't find it...it started with "There are loves that cross timelines and arrive so as not to be let go, to live freely within your heartbeats...there are loves that touch the skyline and color the entire universe and arrive to discover the immensity, to stay and breathe in your heartbeats..."

On the day before her wedding, Paula is again with Lor saying that she can't believe she will be wearing a wedding dress and complaining of having to wear high heels...something that she is no longer used to. She then goes into several what ifs--if she had listened to her body..if she had met Pepe months ago... Lor reminds her that she needs to move forward...she should live in the "now". After Lor walks away, Paula's head starts to hurt.

Marcos goes to ask Pepe if he can steal away Gracia for a day...so she can go make finger foods for Paul's wedding...tomorrow. Pepe agrees, but then goes home and crouches as he cries in (emotional) pain. And there we end...

 

"VENCER 5" GRAN FINAL:

Jarifa: Thank you very much for your long detailed recaps of this Telenovela with an outstanding cast. I wasn't shocked to seeing the downfalls of Leandro & his group of cronies.

Diana: Whatever happened to Leandro & Tamara's father by the way ? It made me sick watching Leandro beating poor Dulce like a dog SMH. What kind of jackass does that to a teenage girl ?

I also loved seeing Carmina getting her Karma. What exactly did she do to Pablito by the way ?

UA: Julieta FINALLY saw Leandro for the monster he truly was. That dude was EVIL to the absolute core 100 percent. Seeing the flashback of him shooting Manuela said it all. I wonder if he got that way from his father ?

PS: I KNEW I recognized Manuela Imaz from "Amigas y Rivales" in this Telenovela. Had no idea Psycho Lenadro had Lorena sent to a mental institution.


 

VENCER

Thank you, Diana, this was so much fun to recap. I thoroughly enjoyed doing it.

"Leandro is a monstrosity. Was justice served by simply seeing him stride down the prison corridor? I was unnerved and feel it fell short there. Also, we needed to see Fidelia and Heliberto’s fates. Hopefully, they are in the circle of hell." I so agree. I especially would have liked to know how long Leandro was put away for even if they needed to do another flash forward.

"The gradual slow unmasking of Leandro was marvelously done." Yes it was. Also, Leandro's comments on Brayan and what was to be done to him were beyond disgusting.

"Dulce’s story was such an important one, needing to be told." You can say that again. I think that is what I enjoy about these more contemporary novelas that they attempt to reflect and deal with life like it is in the present day even if some of the topics might be controversial.

I didn't notice a FIN but then I wasn't looking for one. Now that I know it is customary, I will have to start looking! ; )

 

VENCER

Steve, you are welcome. "I also loved seeing Carmina getting her Karma. What exactly did she do to Pablito by the way ?"

Carmina stopped Pablito's kidney meds and gave him some herbal tea that ended up ruining his kidney function all to keep him ill as a way get her ex hubby back. There has to be a special place in hell for her


 

"VENCER" GRAN FINAL:

Jarifa: I hope we get to see Paulina Trevino (Tamara) in hopefully leading Protagonista roles in future Telenovelas down the road.

It took Tamara awhile long to come around in this chaotic Telenovela. Big question is whether Televisa cooks up a 6th installment ?
 

Vencer

Stalwart Jarifa, can’t thank you enough for cranking out these stellar recaps, day after day. When my head was spinning, meant a lot to know you’d cover it all, with style!

Gran Final, a rapid-fire unraveling of the mysteries with a boda tacked on. Impressive how it developed through the points of view of the different characters.
Glad to see Lorena. Nice surprise from Genaro. Great scenes with Amanda and Leandro. Another twist with him pulling trigger on Manuela.
As for Leandro walking down prison hall, thought he was walking stiffly, and intended to show rough for him inside? Or am I dreaming.

Overall, satisfying tale of psychological suspense and sisterhood. I’ll remember it for the clever D-D reveal, stunning, and for Gabriel Soto’s chilling performance, his cold eyes turning on a dime and his mocking ways.

And for the amazing recaps!
To everyone who commented, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Clara
 

Vencer

Thanks so much Jarifa, what a great final! I’ve enjoyed this telenovela so much and i owe a big thanks to you for your great, detailed recaps. I saw Manuela looking at Leonardo when he pulled the trigger but wasn’t really sure if he did it on purpose. He portrayed evil so well. He never thought he’d get caught, or he’d get off if he did. One of my favorite parts was when Amanda just said “adios” and walked away.

It was good to see Carmina alone and in prison garb. After reading the recap I can say she won’t be getting any visitors. Good for Nancy for spreading the word about her sister.

I didn’t understand what Nico was doing but good to know he was arrested too. He won’t be getting any money from Tamara.

How neat that Género was helping Amanda and will be managing one of her stores. That was something I didn’t see coming!

The wedding was lovely, the dog a nice surprise! It was fun to see everyone together having fun.

I kind of wish Manuela had woken up in time for the wedding. But that kept the suspense until the very end.

I loved the way everything fell in place, the ring having the pass code via the date, all the people we like having their HEA. I liked how everyone was there to help Angeles and Julieta against Leandro, especially the punch Pablo got in! And how great he thought the police were there to help him get Julieta! But they arrested him!

I enjoyed this show, all the great comments and Jarifa’s recapping! Thanks everyone.

Liz
 

Vida

Thanks Rgv Chick. I enjoyed reading and getting filled in on everything going on.

When Pepe said “are you going to die or what” I was sure Paula would tell or Pepe would figure it out. How frustrating!

So Lor is asking millions for land he told them he was giving to them, and Alex won’t let Isabela go speak to him. We all know this is not Lor asking for the money. Another frustrating moment.

I think Rosa will be good for the family, and maybe she’s naive enough to not tell Nat the things Nat wants to know.

Nat suggesting to Reni to stay five years and take Diego too. I guess Rol is for this too. They can do what they want with Paula’s money. Poor Suzy, I wonder what they’ll do with her. Hopefully nothing will get that far.

Hoping something will stop the wedding from happening. Paula’s head hurting too bad. Rol would probably move the wedding to the bedroom.

Gracia apparently had a child, or children. I’m guessing Isabella knows, but maybe she doesn’t.

Rafa seemed upset when MAL was complaining about Andrea. That might turn Rafa against MAL.

I guess there’ll be a wedding tonight or another postponement.

Liz
 

VIDA

Thank you for your recap, RgvChick, and the translation of that song; it is very pretty.

I was all but yelling at Paula to tell Pepe the truth. Arghhh.

>>>"she doesn’t have proof but her “gaydar” is never wrong."
Nor was mine. ;-)

Paula always gets a headache or faints when the stress level is high. Here's hoping she will pass out and we'll have bodus interruptus.

Does Natalia own any other type pants besides those spray-painted shiny vinyl ones? Oh, excuse me Nat, I meant pleather. Cow.

Natalia is bad, but Rolando is evil. I keep thinking he will kill Nat, if she oversteps her opinion of her power, before this is all over. JUST a Crockpot Theory©.
 

VIDA

Rgv Chick, your recap was lovely. I was quite lost through much of this and you explained everything perfectly.

The lyrics to the song were so beautiful! Thank you for recounting them here.

I loved all of Rosa’s sage advice and that Lor paid close heed relating it to Paula. “Lor cries too; he tells her that she will sit down and will talk to that illness...accept it, then tell it that that she forgives and ask it to leave her body...” How uplifting and such a strong, positive, proactive way to handle a dire diagnosis!! I so believe in the power of prayer, of faith and that miracles exist as I know of what I speak.

Ahh, another mystery! “When Marcos asks Gracia if she had children, she gets nervous When Maxine wonders why, Gracia doesn’t want to talk about it”. Hmmm, red lights flash. “Gracia wonders how much longer it will hurt…”, bells now ring. Could it be true and could her child be in the midst of this?

It is frustrating that Paula will not tell Pepe the truth. I can’t believe she is actually going to go through with the wedding?! Diego and Andrea better ramp up their plans.

Are we sure Rosa is Nat’s mother? Also, could Nat’s leather pants have been any tighter? They looked ready to burst at the seams.

Thank you so much for this fantastic summary Rgv Chick.

Diana
 

Vencer la culpa
The recaps were outstanding, Jarifa! You always found something I didn’t catch.

I thought the writers put together a great finale! I wanted Nico to be mauled by a pack of rabid dogs, but at least he was arrested.

It was great to see Leandro slowly realizing he was found out, and his mother’s explanation about guilt left him abandoned with hopefully many sleepless nights. I guess his boast that he never lost was finally proven false.
I loved Genaro’s newfound fulfilling life, the wedding, everything about Dulce!

I have seen all the Vencer novelas. Each has strengths. They all are fast moving (well, this one did drag a bit), show current issues, characters evolving, and some characters unable to evolve: some truly evil villains.
I liked all of these productions. Heaving their baggage off the roof is a great visual!

Babachita
 

Vencer

Jarifa, Bravo! I was shaky about watching this TN at first, but your recaps reeled me in. Thanks for sharing your talents with all of us.

I'm pretty happy with the finale. My favorites:

- The flashback of Dulce and Genaro when he apologized for going off on her (glad he didn't hit her, which allows him in the good guy group) when she told him she was trans
- Pablo socking Leandro
- Dulce revealing what happened with Nora Pardo and Leandro
- The bridal couple looking so fine

I'm satisfied with Nico getting nabbed by the bunko squad and Leandro being powerless in prison.
 

Gender

Dear Jarifa, what can I say ....you are the queen ! Thank you for this wonderful final recap in addition to all the recaps you presented so unfailingly and generously . You put in so much time and effort to bring these detailed recaps to the patio. I am so appreciative .

It was fun sharing the ups and downs of this show with everybody here .

I had no idea that awful Leondro shot Manuela . Leondro never truly considered her his one and only .Leondro's only forever love was himself. Everrude evidently had a devastating influence on Leondro ...tree>>>>> rotten apple .

When they first started showing promos for this show , Genero was featured in the group along with Gabe and the actor playing Enrique. Then, they substituted the actor playing Fausto for Genero . I wonder why .


Well, I love a HEA....A courtyard wedding, A little dog, mysteries solved .

So.. .okay....NEXT ...to quote the Patio's beloved Dr.Carlos. Susan
 

OT. Mujer ...I know that people here are not watching this show ,but I cannot stop watching . It is a sea of tears, but the acting is so good, and I love the long suffering galan who has a heart of gold and a face that displays every emotion he is feeling . I also enjoy the scenes of Turkey and the look inside the Turkish culture . Susan
 

Vencer Finale

I was disappointed at not seeing Fidelia and her hellspawn get their just desserts. That felt almost like Ursula in YNCELH.

The actress playing Julieta looked about 12 years old... and played her at that age.

I don't think there will be a 6th Vencer or it would be in production by now.

Now I have to catch up to Vida. I don't know how I will manage to watch 4 novelas from next week on.
 

VENCER

Thanks, Clara. "Overall, satisfying tale of psychological suspense and sisterhood. I’ll remember it for the clever D-D reveal, stunning, and for Gabriel Soto’s chilling performance, his cold eyes turning on a dime and his mocking ways." You said it! "As for Leandro walking down prison hall, thought he was walking stiffly, and intended to show rough for him inside? Or am I dreaming." I am hoping he had a rough time on the inside. : )

Thanks, Liz. This turned out to to be quite entertaining. " I liked how everyone was there to help Angeles and Julieta against Leandro, especially the punch Pablo got in! And how great he thought the police were there to help him get Julieta! But they arrested him!" I had to laugh at his arrogance and the realization that he was done for. His threats sounded so hollow as they led him out. " One of my favorite parts was when Amanda just said “adios” and walked away." Me, too. That was cold for Amanda especially after lecturing him on guilt.

Babachita, thanks! "I wanted Nico to be mauled by a pack of rabid dogs, but at least he was arrested." Would that not have been priceless? Too bad they didn't go there for the revenge of Chimichurri. "I have seen all the Vencer novelas. Each has strengths. They all are fast moving (well, this one did drag a bit), show current issues, characters evolving, and some characters unable to evolve: some truly evil villains.I liked all of these productions. Heaving their baggage off the roof is a great visual!" ITA

Niecie, "I'm satisfied with Nico getting nabbed by the bunko squad and Leandro being powerless in prison." The" bunko squad" has me laughing. Wonderful. "The flashback of Dulce and Genaro when he apologized for going off on her (glad he didn't hit her, which allows him in the good guy group) when she told him she was trans." I was happy to see him remain in the good guy column and not dragged to the dark side by Leandro.

Susan, thanks. Your so right. "Leondro never truly considered her his one and only .Leondro's only forever love was himself. Everrude evidently had a devastating influence on Leondro ...tree>>>>> rotten appl" It was almost funny when he talked about how much he "loved" Manuela and how she was his "one and only" and then in a split second was so eager to kill her for payback because she hurt his fragile ego. Ah, yes, Dr. Carlos. I have fond memories of him and his appreciation of the bad girls in any novela. Yes, it is time for NEXT!

Urban, according to what is out there on line, " supposedly" Rosy Ocampo is giving the Vencer franchise a rest. Will it be a permanent rest ? Who knows. She is "supposedly" working on a new novela with Ariadne Díaz and José Ron for some time this year.



 

VIDA #27 - Part 1/2

Here are the highlights, not necessarily in the order it happened, with typos etc. Some parts I wasn’t sure what they were saying, so if I messed it up, please post the correct version in your comments.

TEO finds Pepe crying. Pepe denies anything is wrong and puts on a happy face for his son. Bless his heart, Teo tells Pepe that if he reconciles with Mom, then he (Pepe) won’t be sad anymore. Ah, the naivete of children.

DIEGO and ROLANDO -- Diego is snooping around Rol’s room (or was that Rol’s house???) Rol walks in. Diego tells Rol he won’t stop until he finds out Rolando’s secret, that Rolando hasn’t been honest with them since German’s death and that he doesn’t trust Rol at all. Diego even asks, “Who are you?” (smart young man) We are shown a flash back of the argument between Rolando and German, Rol attacking German, and ending with Rolando drowning German. Apparently Rol resented German from the day he introduced him to Paula and thinks German stole his girl from him.

-- Diego says he will never (jamás) quit trying to find out what Rol is hiding, gives Rol one day to rethink marrying Paula. Rolando kicks him out of his house.

Much later, Rol talks to Natalia ….. what to do about Diego? Nat says Diego has a secret, too. He likes boys. Narrow-minded Rol grimaces. Nat says if he tells Diego that he knows his secret, Diego won’t try to stop the wedding. (good luck with that...Paula will love her son anyway.)

ANDREA and RAFA – (lots of screen time with these two tonight) Andrea tells Rafa he has until tomorrow to tell the truth about him, Mal, and the baby. Isa approaches, overhears, and asks them “what TRUTH?” Rafa covers and says theyré talking about Pepe and MAL reconciling. Andrea states she knows Mal’s baby isn’t Pepe’s. Isa tells her not to get involved in all this.

-- Rafa is standing behind Isa, giving Andrea all sorts of body language signs to tell her to stop talking. Andrea says she’s sick and tired of all the secrets, people not talking about stuff and telling her she’s too young to know the answers, including where the heck is her mother! She is so tired of the lies (including the ones of omission).

-- Later, after much more conversation/discussion/arguing, Rafa asks Andrea to forget about his affair with MALena. Andrea says she will always know the baby is her brother. She stands firm.

PEPE and MAL – Mal answers the door to Pepe in her underwear. ( Good thing it wasn’t a vacuum cleaner salesman!) He says he wll give them another chance and he’s moving home. She is excited and we actually (gasp!) see Malena smile. MAL is trying to seduce Pepe, who is distracted by her hot body in lingerie and a translucent robe. (Men! Right?) But Pepe doesn’t fall for it. (Yay!!!) MAL is still all smiles and sugar.

PAULA -- Rosa the new maid finds Paula unconscious on her bedroom floor. An ambulance is called. At the hospital, the doctor says Paula needs more tests. Today. Not in two weeks. Paula says she is getting married tomorrow and she leaves.

Paula tells Lorenzo that she is afraid. Lorenzo says she should cancel the wedding, that she collapsed because of the stress. Stubborn Paula says she is. getting. married. tomorrow.

Lorenzo tells Natalia and the family that the wedding is postponed (I think that’s what he said) and that Paula needs rest. Paula says instead of a bachelorette party, she prefers to be with her children tonight. Reni and Nat are disappointed. (Nat’s party top reminded me of a monochromatic Piñata)
 

VVIDA #27 Part 2/2

FAMILY FEUD – Pep tells the kids they’re going home. Lucia is not a happy camper. Andrea says NO, that before they go back to MAL there is something they need to know. Lucia is telling her, telepathically, to stop talking. Andrea gets the message, backpedals, and says Mal isn’t going to change. Pepe makes it clear that the. baby. is. his. Andrea backs down. After Pepe leaves with his kids, Rafa tells Andrea that she won, and tomorrow he will tell Pepe the truth. Andrea wanted it done *before* they moved back into Mal’s house.

PEPE & ISABELA -- Isa asks Pepe if he’s sure about what he’s doing, reconciling with Mal. He counters, telling her she has to talk to Alex and have him come home. (well, who can see Pepe and all his family living with Alex under that roof, too?). Pepe asks Isa if she is still in love with Alex. She says she loves Alex but doesn’t want to make Alex return to her; it has to be his decision. She will talk to him and see if they can work things out.

-- Later, Pepe puts his wedding ring back on. He looks at his wristwatch, the one he lost in the field that Paula found for him, and puts that back in the drawer. Pepe looks like a guy going to face the firing squad.

-- Good-byes as Pepe moves out of Isa’s house. Lucia mutters, under her breath, “We’ll be back faster than you can imagine.” Andrea tells Rafa to tell the truth before he moves back in with Mal.

ROLANDO – tells Natalia that German stole the best years of Paula’s life, and that it’s not fair he’s stuck with Paula now that she is sick and dying…it’s just not fair. He says tomorrow (his wedding) should be the happiest day of his life and it isn’t. Bless his heart.
-- Later, Natalia again reminds Rolando that she knows he murdered German and he could spend his life in a jail cell if she decides to spill the beans.

ANDREA and MAL -- Andi tells Mal that Rafa is going to tell the truth about them and their baby, that Pepe won’t come home without knowing The Truth. And if Rafa won’t tell, she (Andrea) will. Mal counters with offering Andrea: he will let Mal tell her the big secret --- who her mother is – if she’ll keep the secret about her and Rafa. MAL says she knew Andrea’s mother, who’s name shall not be spoken by anyone in the family, very well.

NATALIA --- Paula tells Nat that she had a massive medical event today, and that she needs to write her will and get it signed ASAP, and she knows she can count on Nat to get it done. Viewerville knows we can count on Natalia to write her own version of the will had trick Paula into signing it.

 

OT

On my never-ending Televisa/Univision wish list: would they please provide a list of ALL of the characters and actors for a novela on line somewhere.? There are always several unauthorized lists online but they are rarely complete. The lists for the latest Vencer were annoyingly incomplete. Got that off my chest! ; )
 

vida
Thanks, Doris.
I think Lorenzo suggested they cancel the bachelorette party becausethe girls were like nooo.
I find it pretty hard to watch sceneswhere Paula records those videos. I remember a similar plot from Eternamente and it was unbearably sad.
Can anyone tell me what else Paula did during that time skip in the previous episode?
I hope Isabela makes up her mind about who she wants to be with. I find her a bit tiring.
I cannot stand the thought of having to watch Malena with Pepe. It's not just because he doesn't love her, but because she doesn't love her children and this is supposedly all done for them.
Someone here mentioned believing in miracles. I sometimes wish I could.
 

Did anyone watch the premiere of Vivir De Amor?
 

VIDA

Doris, your fantastic recap answered questions I had and provided important details I didn't understand.

So not only is Paula going to forge ahead and marry Rol (whom she cannot even look in the eyes with squemish distaste), she gives Nat control over her will.

I still stubbornly say that the wedding won't happen. Someone will surely object right??

Likewise, will Pepe actually "move in" or will one of the seemingly scores of folks who know the truth stand up and speak?

"ROLANDO – tells Natalia that German stole the best years of Paula’s life, and that it’s not fair he’s stuck with Paula now that she is sick and dying…it’s just not fair. He says tomorrow (his wedding) should be the happiest day of his life and it isn’t. Bless his heart" perfectly encapsulated that scene. They are both loathsome.

I like Diego's persistence. His strong intuition is right on the mark. Natalia is going to blackmail him because he's gay? Good luck with that as no one will care...

So, finally...a clue that Andrea's mother is alive and likely ready to return. I cannot wait! MAL may be meeting her match.

Diana
 

VIDA

Thanks waterlily and Diana.

It will be interesting to see Andrea's mother. She is never refereed to as Rafa's ex, so thee is a lot to this backstory. One thing is for sure: Rafa has terrible taste in women.

OT
Paula recording those videos reminds me of a wonderful Hallmark Drama channel movie based on a true story: The Color of Rain. The dying father recorded videos for his wife and children before he passed. The movie was so beautifully done (and a bit of a tear-jerker) that after watching it, I borrowed the book (same title, written by Michael Spehn) from the library and read it. For a Hallmark movie that lasts 1.5 hours, they stuck amazingly pretty close to the book. I highly recommend it.
 

VIVIR DE AMOR

I watched...I don't think I'm going to continue but here are a few brief notes from memory if anyone is interested...

A couple, she pregnant, seemingly very much in love are enjoying the afternoon with their two daughters, Frida and Angelli. We get a bit of insight into their characters when Frida takes Angelli's doll and throws in over some hedges. The parents leave the two girls alone on a park bench and go to purchase food. As Angelli goes to retrieve her doll, Frida is kidnapped by a man and woman who had been stalking her! Her parents return and her father reports her disappearance to an officer and all begin searching for her. Unfortunately the kidnappers are prepared and spirit her away to their car. Frida's father sees them and is shot dead as he tries to rescue her.

Frida's mother returns home with Angelli and her new son. We see her huge, expansive estate and realize they are very welathy.

The car is being followed and as the nefarious couple and Frida flee on foot, they step in some sort of quicksand/sinkhole but Frida manages to stay on the periphery. Her hat falls into the pit so when the police come upon the scene think she is dead. Friday is taken in by a couple who recently lost their daughter. Against the husband's wishes, they never tell her she is adopted. They live a rather squalid existence.

Twenty years later, Frida has turned into a rather unpleasant but pretty young woman.

Elsewhere, her sister is riding horses and loving life with her boyfriend, Jose Emilio. Everything is idyllic and he proposes!!

Jose has a brother, Misael (drop dead gorgeous) who is involved in some shady business that his wealthy father is well aware of.

Frida overhears her parents discussing her and realizes she is adopted. She is livid and despises and disowns them. She is seeking clues as to her true heritage and begins her sojurn to find the truth.

Diana
 

Vivir de Amor

I watched the premiere. I don’t know about a show that kills off Christian de la Campa in the first episode! My feelings are hurt!
 

[b]Vivir De Amor[/b]

Thank you Diana!

Two small corrections: Jose Emilio and Misael are actually cousins. He refers to Jose Emilio as "mi primo" during his phone call when we find out about his shady business. Also, Don Emilio is the grandfather of Jose Emilio and Misael.

Frida was a bratty kid so it's no surprise that she grew up to be so unpleasant. Even if she had grown up with her real family I am sure she would have also grown up to be such an unpleasant person.

I loved how the kidnappers got their comeuppance so quickly by falling into quicksand.

What? So Angelli and Jose Emilio already know each other. We don't get to see them meet and fall in love at first sight?

Did anyone else immediately know that Misael was a bad guy when they saw how he combs his hair?

I think I will continue watching for now.

 

Vivir de Amor

Gracias, Diana. Your summary is very helpful.

I like the setting of this one. I enjoyed the lush land and grand house.

Darcy, ITA a shame about Christian de la Campa.

Nice to see Eric Castillo again too, but it looks like his character won't last either.

Anon@11:56, ITA Misael's hair. Grandpa shouldn't have been shocked about his embezzling because it's written all over his hair.

Surprisingly, the adult kidnapped sister doesn't seem all bad -- yet. I like that she stood up to the hombres heckling her and the "date" who drove off and left her in the woods. But why the sharpness with her adopted parents, who seem to love her?
 

VIVIR

I watched the first episode but it will be my last. Palomares as the leading man isn’t my cup of tea. I did get a kick out of Frida/Rebeca being a bad seed from the get go though. Also, it was good seeing Eric del Castillo.Here is hoping that “El amor no tiene receta ”is more what I am looking for.
 

MUJER (Susan!)

I’m watching the OUTSTANDING Mujer too, Susan! It’s one of the very best telenovelas I’ve seen. Actual complex characters instead of cartoon-style ones, a fabulous story line, and every performer astonishingly good. No telenovela tropes! The only kisses have been tiny pecks and yet this is such a tender and moving story.

Me, I’m on team Arif, how about you?


 

Vivir

Technically Rebeca’s ‘adoptive’ parents didn’t adopt her, they kidnapped her! They found her after her original kidnappers died and then just claimed her as their own instead of going to the cops and reporting her found. I can see being mad about that though I think Rebeca’s main anger is in not growing up with luxury like she thinks she deserves!
 

Vivir de Amor

Hi, Folks!

Diana, Hi! Long time no see :-)

I also watched this novela and doubt that I'll continue, but I will watch another two or three episodes before deciding. But I have to admit that it seems too much like too many other novelas that I have watched, with some quite not nice people. We will see. Maybe if they bring in some more decent eye candy.

I very much appreciate your recap! It helped me understand some points that I just did not get on my own, as is usual. I have always found your recaps very helpful.


Anon_11:56, use angle brackets for html.
I'm not sure I realized Misael was a bad guy because of his hair, but I did take a dislike to him because of it. But then, young guys do all sorts of weird things. I long ago burned any pictures I had of myself from my youth :-)

No digital photos back then, thankfully.


Darcy, really? "I don’t know about a show that kills off Christian de la Campa in the first episode!"
Come on, Darcy, guys are a dime a dozen in telenovelas. Some are a little eye candy for the ladies, especially if they look good shirtless, but really only the women count. (not to be taken too seriously)

:-)

Andy
 

Vida

Doris,wow, thank you for that bouncy, sassy, snappy Doriscap. Loved your side comments . You are making this show a good ride despite Paula's sad circumstances which I find so sad .

It's hard to watch this show . Poor Paula.

I have to focus on the crazy evil ones .

Go, Diego, go. I dont know how Diego knows that Rol and Nat are bad apples, but I am enjoying his relentless suspicions and anger . I need him to give vapid Ren A good pushback soon.

I cannot wait to meet Andrea's missing mom. If she and MAL were pals, I suppose we will get to see more bare midriffs and hottie wear .

Pep is good as gold....too good for MAL. Ho hum.

I find the living conditions very interesting . Are the restaurant , Isabela's house , MAL' s house , and the adventure venture all in the same park like area? Pep and his dad Alex seem to go back and forth between the two residences, and neither seems to spend much time " working " in the restaurant . Does Rafa work in the restaurant ? If so ..when ?

Lorenzo's scarves give me hope and keep me tuned in. He even used his scarf to wipe away tears while he and Paula were having a sad heart to heart. I like scarves,

Susan
 

Vivir De Amor

Diana, thank you for the helpful recap. I watched last night and checked out the trailer online .

I am mostly here to see how Kim dos Ramos plays a good girl after seeing her chewing up scenery as the bad, bad girl in several shows throughout the years.

I like the galan , whom I first saw as the brother in Herencia who had nonstop hissyfits . He played a good as old good romeo in the next show I saw him in .

Darcy, I thought that was the actor who played sweet Diego in Vuelve A MI on Telemundo . ...but now he is gone unless we see him in flashbacks .

I will keep watching this show, but I am looking forward to " El Amor No Tiene Receta" starting next Monday . I am very interested in seeing the pairing of Mi telenovio Daniel Elbittar and Claudia Martin . I am looking forward to them smiling and maybe dancing .

Susan
 

VIDA

Just dropped by quickly to thank Doris for her recap of this frustrating episode. I’ve been busy and have only had time to read the recap and comments. A belated thank you tot Jose who commented yesterday.

I can’t believe Rol actually physically killed German…I thought maybe he just hadn’t helped German when he was drowning. I worry about Diego now…Nat, not so much. Rol can kill her. Surely she’ll turn him in for murder and try to stay with all the money.
 

VIDA

Uphhh.. “ a belated thank you TO THOSE of you who commented yesterday…
 

Mujer ( Maggie). Yay ..so nice to find a fellow fan. I think we connected a little while ago.

I thought I had missed the ending months ago . Then I went online and discovered that there was another season . I must confess that I watched the ending Online .

I share your thoughts about the excellent acting and original storylines . I don't understand what they are saying except a few words , so I try to figure things out from the visual. I have to guess about storylines .

Nezir and Sarp's father in law are villains. Kismet suddenly appeared . They have the same father ,but Arif's sketchy dad would not acknowledge her . She seems to have gotten Arif out of prison . I guess he and his dad were framed by someone .
Nezir is a bad guy who hates Sarp for some reason , but sweet Doruk loves him . Seder is on fire . She yelled at scary Nezir and pushed Sirin's face into something that burned her !!!!!! Wow.

Sarp's wife is so jealous of Bahar.

Did Sarp and crazy Sirin really have an affair ?

I dont understand the Seder \ Emre storyline . I think that had a son that he didn't know about . His mother was rude to Bahar and her mother for some reason .

Its a lot . Finally , I love Arif and his heart of gold. I also love Enver .
Susan
 

VIDA


Susan - thanks. The living space seems almost like a family compound, all within walking distance.

I forgot to mention, the other day, about the front door to either Andrea's or Lucía's home. There is a good 1/4" vertical gap between the boards of that door. Daylight was visible. I hope they live in a moderate climate. Otherwise that house would be a nightmare to heat in winter... likely just a door thrown together by the Telerisa Prop dept. but still...
 

Vida

Thanks so much Doris, I love having my gaps filled in. Especially with the addition of your remarks to liven things up.

I was shocked ay Rolando murdering German. It was brutal and premeditated. I thought he probably had just not saved him but he gave his all to kill his friend. And still doesn’t have Paula. But I am afraid for Diego. He has good intuition. Too good!

Paula should have listened to the doctor and stayed in the hospital. A perfect excuse to postpone a wedding! I keep waiting for Lorenzo to pipe up and tell Paula not to worry, he’ll take the children.

Pepe is not going to have it easy with Mal. She’s relentless in trying to seduce him. At least she’s already pregnant.

Andrea is obviously younger than Lucia, or less mature. She’s not thinking of how revealing Rafa as the dad can destroy the family.

It will be interesting to find out what happened with Rafa and his wife. Maybe too many in-laws around 🤣

I wonder if they’ll be a wedding tonight.

Liz
 

Vivir

Thanks Diana, I watched too. Not sure if I’ll keep watching. I want to watch El Amor and it’s hard to do three. Plus this started out with big tragedies and plenty of bad guys. But I’ll give it a chance. I want to watch El Amor no Tiene Receta. Those 10 pm shows are rough on me. Might end up watching half in the morning.

It was interesting that Frida was a mean kid from an early age. And her kidnappers got justice quickly but I wonder why they kidnapped her in the first place.
The parents she ended up with never should have kept her. The husband knew it was wrong. I’m surprised she didn’t remember any of her early years. I think she was four.

Liz


 

MUJER (Susan!)

All about Nezir: Nezir hates Sarp because Sarp killed his beloved son. When Piril had fished Sarp out of the water she was just getting him out of the boat and into her home when her ex-fiance, Nezir’s son, high on drugs, showed up. He mistook water-logged Sarp for a lover, and gunfire ensued. He was going to kill Piril, but Sarp grabbed a gun and shot him.

The storyline of Nezir’s vengeful wrath being melted away by little Doruk was very moving. The Nezir actor is amazing.

Kismet got Sarp arrested because she thought she was doing Arif a favor, getting him away from Bahar.

No, Sarp and Sirin didn’t have an affair. She had a massive obsessive crush on him, and invented the affair in her mind. I don’t think she still has the crush, but she lives to torment Bahar.

Emre’s mother thinks Ceyda is trash and is trying to get Emre to pay child support. In actuality, Ceyda hid his paternity from him until his sister figured it out and blabbed. Emre’s mother threw a scene in the coffee house because she thinks Ceyda is trying to take Emre for a lot of money.

I recommend turning on the captions! Since the actors aren’t speaking Spanish, lip reading is useless.


 

VIVIR

Andy!! So glad to see your post.

Thank you for your kind words and thanks to ANON, Niecie, Susan and Liz as well.

Darcy,thank you for noting that technically, it wasn't an adoption but rather another abduction.

I am on the fence about watching further. I am already watching Vida and will likely give the "Daniel" show a look at 10 when it starts next week.

Diana
 

vivir

Thanks, Diana, for your recap. Wow, I'm used to being on the Telenovela pages where it's easy to find the one you're watching. And it was also the grand finale of another novela, so lots of comments on that one.

I also thought that showing Frida as pretty self-centered from the beginning was well done. Her mother even told the sadly long-gone Christian that he spoiled her.

Quicksand? That was high drama. And of course, that hat put on Frida's head to hide her girl's hair ended up sitting on top of the quicksand.

Frida/Rebeca also saw a photo of Angelli and Jose Emilio in the newspaper and vowed to marry him. Wonder if she'll manage to steal her sister's man and a new galan will come forth for Angelli.

Just watched Kimberly Dos Ramos as a very evil woman on Vuelve a Mi on Telemundo. It's interesting that, as the good girl, she wears a LOT less makeup.

We'll see. My socks are still on my feet; i.e., not knocked off. But I'll surely watch the rest of this week.
 

Mujer
I have watched some of this off and on. I miss having a good dizi to watch, so I may go back and pick it up. Not sure I will watch either new Univisión story, so I have some time. I’ve heard (and read here) that it is good! Thanks for sharing this!
Babachita
 

Mujer ( Maggie...my new bff)

Thank you so much for making things clearer for me.

Unfortunately, I havent figured out how to turn on captions.

The actors are so good that I can often understand a lot just by watching their facial expressions and body language .

Doruk's party was pretty intense with Arif Wandering around looking uncomfortable ( as he so often does) and then Nizer ( Is it wrong to love a villain ? This actor is amazing as every emotion plays out on his face . His scenes with Doruk are so sweet.)

The love flowing from innocent Nissan and Doruk is wonderful to see. These kids have been through so much , but this story shows how the unwavering love of their mother is what keeps them goodhearted and loving people . Then, we get to see other people stepping up to help the family...Enver,Yeliz, Arif, Seder , finally Bahar's mother .

I think that Sirin is one of the most despicable , annoying villains I have ever seen. Her smirks and giggles make me want to throw something at the tv .

I have been enjoying the Turkish dizis ever since Dondi suggested some to me . Have you watched "Fatmagul?" That is my favorite telenovela now. I also liked " Amor Eternoa", but it tore me up.

Can t wait to see what happens tonight . Susan
 

Babachita...Hey ...jump in ....Maggie and I are enjoying "Mujer" . We can
Probably answer some questions for you . The main love story in this show is actually the strong, enduring love between a mother and her children .
Susan
 

Vivir

Hi, Novelera, great to see you here to jump on a new train. Yes, Kim is wearing less makeup and doesnt have those annoying bangs that were always in her crazy eyes. It is always fun to see these familiar faces in new stories. Too bad they killed off the actor who played Diego in Vuelve a mi. I wonder if he is typed cast as a good guy.
Susan
 

Vida #27

Also hoping this wedding doesn't happen. Rolando is a monster of entitlement. If Paula loved German her "best years" were well-spent. Did he actually tell Nat that he killed German? Not too bright of him.

If I were writing this I would have Nat privately gloating over this while scheming to knock him off.

She definitely wants Emiliano out of the way when Paula dies so she can hijack his inheritance. He needs to get his hormones under better control because Renata is likely to be chasing him for his family's fortune.

Pepe is now walking the Green Mile and he knows it.

MALena is like MALtitol, a sugar substitute that can taste sweet but can also send you running for the porcelain throne because... it's used in Ex-Lax.
 

Vivir

Diana, I apologize in my hurry to lament the loss of Christian de la Campa, I forgot to thank you first for the recap! I love reading your recaps and I appreciate it especially on a first episode. I have such a hard time keeping everything straight in a premier episode and am an aw of anyone who can! :)

Like Novelera and Susan, my main curiosity in watching this is seeing what Kimberly dos Ramos will do with a good girl role, and I know I have to at least give it some time for that since I just can't see her as good right out the gate...

Andy, I stand by my previous comment! :)

Susan, having watched most of Christian de la Campa's novelas, I can tell you that he is cast in the good guy role more often than not. He has had a couple of villain roles mixed in, but I personally thought he was more wooden and one dimensional trying to be evil, whereas he brings so much emotion and heart into the good guy roles so it's a good type casting for him.
 

Vivir Estreno

Thanks, Diana. I also watched, having recapped EP's previous novela. It looks like he's being groomed to be a nice-guy type here.

How the hell could Frida's parents ignore basic safety rules in public? You don't even turn your back on your children let alone walk away. I have no doubt that the original kidnappers would have sold this child into hell and I agree that the couple who found her in the woods did wrong to not have contacted the authorities. However, we wouldn't have a story if they had.

Frida could have suffered some memory loss because of the trauma of the situation. If she really suspects she is Elena's daughter all she would need to do is to go to police and say so. From there it could be only a DNA test away. As it is her scheming from here on will be against the mother and sister who would have done anything to get her back.

Misael is such an obvious villain with that haircut and facial hair.

I will probably continue to watch but muting out the opening music.
 

VIVIR

Novelera, so nice to hear from you! Loved "We'll see. My socks are still on my feet; i.e., not knocked off. But I'll surely watch the rest of this week". Well said! I feel the same way.

Ahhh, so Rebeca is already vowing to steal her sister's man! It's obvious she is a woman on a mission.

I've only seen Kimberly as a villain so this is a complete change of pace for me!

Diana
 

VIVIR

Darcy, thank you for your very kind words.

I am usually completely confused after the initial first episode but did understand more than I usually do so thought it might get the discussion started and am glad that it has.

Yes, Kimberly is always the very, very bad girl and her new roll takes some getting used to!! Gala Montes is sliding into her role with surprising ease. I thought both were being cast against type initially! :)

Diana
 

VIVIR

Urban, great point about Frida's parents leaving the girls alone to begin with. Tragedy can strike in an instant and indeed it did here.

"Misael is such an obvious villain with that haircut and facial hair".Completely agree. But oh, those eyes!

Gee, I love the opening theme music :)

Diana
 

VIVIR #2 Part 1

Some very quick flashes for discussion…If I have gotten anything wrong, please let me know.

Frida lambastes her “adoptive” parents.

There is a flashback of Frida’s mother searching for her in the darkened woods. In “real time” her mother and sister lament her loss.

Alma tries to tug at Rebeca’s heartstrings, reminding her of how much they love her but to no avail. Rebeca wants to know who her parents are. Alma is heartbroken.

Jose Emilio talks to his friend Luciano (Juan Diego Covarrubias) when he gets a call his grandfather is in the hospital. Later, Luciano’s wife Romina packs her bag as she explains she is leaving him and their children. Luciano is befuddled and upset.

Angel Angelli bestows a random act of kindness.

We then met Jose Emilio’s family. (Eugenia Caudero) Cristina, his mother. His sisters are (Gabriela Spanic) Monica and (Mariluz Bermudez), Fatima. There is also a pregnant woman but I’m not sure who she is. Adolfo, Cristina’s husband (Rene Strickler) later joins them.

Jose Emilio has flashbacks of his beloved grandfather.

There are several scenes of Santiago, Cristina’s son. He is obsessed with cards, getting a tattoo of cards and then playing and losing at a high stakes card game. He is being beaten up and threatened. He tries to sweet talk his mother into giving him money.

Antonio brings a box to Rebeca as she packs her bag. It contains clippings of her abduction. Her father feels sure she is Frida! She flashes back to her abductors falling in quicksand. Alma enters Rebeca’s room but she is gone.

Jose Emilio and Angelli pledge their love as they look at a family picture with Angelli’s father and sister. They wonder if her sister is still alive. No spoiler but I don’t think they have long to wait to find out. 😊

Diana
 

VIVIR #2 Part 2 of 2

Rebeca returns to the amusement park where she was abducted, reliving what happened, crying at the memory.

JE overhears Misael on the phone and is a bit suspicious. Misael listens as Santiago talks with JE seemingly knowing Santiago is full of it.

Luciano has to explain to his children that their mother has left.

I think the pretty girl that Angelli helped shows up in a sparkly gown at some woman’s home but I was lost in that scene.

In front of Angelli’s home, a red-hot sports car with Angelli as a passenger almost hits Frida leading to an angry exchange of words. Frida tells the security guards she lives there!

Santiago’s mother is missing a necklace!

Cristina confronts Misael..

In the last scene, Rebeca’s non-parents (who apparently have still not learned any lesson) has arranged a surprise party for her. She is contemptuous. Tells them off in front of the guests, ruining the party.

Diana
 

Viver

Diana, thank you for the helpful recap . I am starting to sort people out, but I am confused about the cousins' families . Gaby Spanic is always an over the top hoot. Is she bad apple Misael's mother? Also, is Rene Stickler the father of JE or Miserable ? There was a very pregnant girl and another girl ( Her used who looks familiar to me , but I can't recall where I saw her before .) Are they the sisters of one of the cousins ?

I thought the girl in the sparkly dress was Angeli ,and I thought the blonde woman with the fan was her aunt . I am still confused but interested .

Looks like that sweet newborn is now a gambling teen Santiago who steals from his mother .

I noticed the galan now has black hair . And how do you turn an actress who usually plays vampy villains into A good girl ...pastel colors and lots of smiles and besos . ...and a random act of kindness. Kim evidently will not be Seducing, shooting , or setting anyone on fire in this one. Susan
 

VIVIR

Thank you Susan!

You asked some excellent questions. Perhaps I misspoke identifying the girls as sisters rather than cousins. I know there are two families but not quite sure who is who including who Misael's mother is either! I had no idea who the pregnant girl is but like you, I've sen her before.

I thought there were two girls in a sparkly dress, Angelli at her party and someone else (?) I have no idea who the blonde woman with the fan is. Perhaps someone on the patio can clear our questions up for us.

"Looks like that sweet newborn is now a gambling teen Santiago who steals from his mother" was perfect.

Diana
 

vivir

The mother of Frida/Rebeca is sort of a nutcase. She was like a robot at the funeral of her child. But at least she didn't make up the fact that Frida/Rebeca had been beaten. The father confirmed it, and the ones who stole her in the first place had probably hit her.

That Romina is a piece of work. Gets a good job offer and walks out on her children. You can bet Luciano will find a good woman later on.

Oh, boy. We're already getting some nastiness and scene chewing from la Spanic. We see that Misrael takes after his mamí. I think Rene Strickler plays the father, but didn't catch his name.

Santiago is quite the gambling addict. Looks like the thugs he owes money to kept the valuable watch his mother was going to sell to pay "his tuition".

Looks like there are two daughters of the founder of the company (Erik del Castillo). Cristina seemed me to me to be Jose Emilio's mother, while Gabriela Spanic plays Monica, the mother of Misael.

Santiago was lying to Jose Emilio, telling him the money was for the debts of his mother's restaurant and that they'd lose it without help. But JE wouldn't just give him a check, said business norms required a bank transfer.

I expect we'll see Frida/Rebeca barge into the big anniversary of the company party when the show resumes on Friday.
 

vivir

Whoops! Forgot to thank you for your recap, Diana. Well done!
 

Vivir

Thank you, Diana, for another incredible recap and for getting the conversation started.

I was confused by all the extra ladies in the waiting room too! But I do believe Novelera is right and that Gaby Spanic (Monica) is Misrael's mom and married to Rene Strickler's character. It didn't seem like they like each other very much. btw, I forgot who said it but I agree the actor playing Misrael is gorgeous, minus the stupid hair cut! I've seen him once before and he played the same kind of slimy character he's likely to play here.

At the event, Angelli asked the pregnant girl about Sebastian (not to be confused with Santiago) so I'm guessing that she is Sebastian's wife? I don't know if we've seen a Sebastian yet, but wiki as a Sebastian listed with the same last name as Angelli, and since she only has Frida and Santiago as siblings, I'm going to guess they are cousins?

Speaking of Santiago, he definitely needs a new profession, zero poker face!!! I actually laughed out loud at the look on his face with those cards! He needs that tattoo removed, stat!


Also, the lady in pink who drove with Angelli to the party, if I heard right, she referred to Angelli as her goddaughter. I think she's the same friend who was holding Angelli as Mom looked for Frida in the forest way back when.... but I could be wrong.

The last couple of roles I saw Gaby Spanic in she actually was playing the good girl. A good girl who was kind of a mess, especially in Si Nos Dejan, but still good. It will be interesting to see her back to scheming. She seems to be looking down on Angelli's family as low class, not enough money; but they can afford that house somehow!


The 'adoptive' parent's explanation of saving Rebeca from an abusive family who abandoned her sounded all well and good until 'dad' admitted in the next scene that they were aware of the abduction at the amusement park within days of finding her and he's always suspected she was that abducted child! So, they knew the truth, however much they'd like to justify themselves with the abused and abandoned version of the story.
 

VIVIR

Novelera, thank you so much!

OK, so Monica ("la Spanic") :) is Misael's mother and Adolfo (Rene Strickler) is his father. Thank you for clearing this up!

Romina seemed to leave her home and children with nary a second thought. "You can bet Luciano will find a good woman later on" will surely be true. I hope her career aspirations were worth it.

Santiago is pathetic. So, so sad.

Thank you for explaining the big gathering is a company anniversary party. Appreciate all you added.

Diana
 

VIVIR

Darcy, thank you so much for your (always) kind words and support.

I was raving about Josh Gutierrez who plays Misael; he is one of the handsomest men I've ever seen. He and Sabine Moussier played an unlikely couple in La Malquerida and the contrast in her sparkling blue vs. his dark eyes was mesmerizing. His hair here is so unattractive but oh those eyes.

Thank you for explaining that the pregnant woman (do we know her name??) is involved with a "Sebastian" as well as the woman who is Angelli's godmother may be her mother's stalwart friend from years ago. Whew! So many characters.

The couple who found Rebeca should have let the authorities that they found her right away. I agree there is no justification. Real love is always putting the person's needs before one's own.

Thank you for all the terrific information you provided!

Diana
 

"VIVIR":

Darcy: Good job on the recap of last night's episode. Why do I get the feeling that the Body Count will be increasing very soon ? 🤔


 

Vivir

Diana, I watched La Malquerida , but I can't remember much about it . I know that I have seen Josh in several novelas, and he is very good looking ...yes, the eyes and the black hair . His hairstyle is ...lets say unique . That strand of jet black hair is very distracting . I feel like I have to push it out of his face . Also that teeny, tiny ponytail ...QTH?
Well, here we go .....
Susan
 

Vivir

Thanks so much for your recap. I’m going to have to get a cheat sheet started with all the names! It seems like a lot of people all at once!

Jose Emilio’s mother seems nice, while her sister seems like she’ll be a trouble maker. So Misael comes by his rottenness naturally.

It seemed like Frieda’s “dad” felt she was the missing child but never told his wife. He was glad she was coming back to life after the death of their child.

I thought Frieda had left home so that whole party scene was totally confusing to me. You’d have to know when someone was going to show up to throw them a party!

Santiago is another bad guy. Stealing a watch(probably his dad’s)to pay gambling debts. And then lying about why he needs so much money.

Freida’s real family doesn’t seem to be rich. If the restaurant is struggling, or in debt, and Angel Angelli and her mom both work in it. Freida probably would have had to work too. Plus the not as nice aunt said something about Angel Angelli marrying for money. At least I think she said that, after Santiago tried to get money from Jose Emilio. But he did tell Jose Emilio that his mom didn’t have the money because of debts from the restaurant.

At least Misael didn’t sneak in the hospital room and kill his grandfather!

Liz
 

VIVIR

Thanks very much Liz!

You added important information that I hadn't understood, especially that Angel and her mother's fortune has deteriorated. The beautiful horses and idyllic setting mislead me.

"So Misael comes by his rottenness naturally" had me smiling away. So true!

I'm still trying to figure out who half of the characters are :)

Diana

 

VIVIR

Susan, there were so many great couples in La Malquerida. Do you remember Osvaldo de Leon and Africa Zavala?? Oh, so romantic...

I just don't "get" or care for the any version of the manbun or quirky long tendrils on galans or villans. Nopis.

Diana
 

Vivir

Is Rene Strickler (Adolfo) Gaby Spanics's (Monica) hub or Christina's hub? Adolfo and Cristina have the last name Pastrano.

Fatima is played by Mariluz Bermudez. She looks familiar to me , but I can't remember where I saw her .

Diana, I dont remember much about La Malquerida. Was one of our favorite actors a pimp who got an unusual anvil in that show ?Now that you mentioned it , I remember Africa and Oswald playing a sweet couple . Josh was very young in that show.
Susan
 

VIDA Ep. 28 Part 1

Andrea asks for proof that Malena knows who her mother is, so Mal gives her a name—Zaida, but she won’t give the whole name until she is sure Andrea won’t open her mouth. As Mal leaves, Rafa approaches and asks Andrea what they were talking about. Andrea replies that he already knows.

Rosa tells Paula that she too had a very aggressive tumor but she has survived. She too was very afraid and advises Paula to stop doubting…they can’t control everything, but what Paula can control is to do everything she can to cure herself. When Rosa shares that her cancer was found early enough and they were able to remove it, Paula tells her that her cancer is inoperable. Paula them confides that she wouldn’t care to die if she didn’t have children, but she fears leaving her children alone. Rosa advises that Paula should use that to motivate her to fight for her life. If Paula feels angry, sad or loses hope, she should cry, yell…she shouldn’t keep those feelings inside because those emotions make her more ill. The doctors may tell her that she is going to die, but right now, she is alive. Paula thinks Rosa is right and thanks her for telling her all those things. Rosa assures that what Paula is going through will only make her stronger; and Rosa will be there for her to encourage her when Paula sees everything as dark.

Mal welcomes Pepe and the kids. She is muy feliz. Alex comes out and tells them that Isabela wants to talk to him. When Pepe enters the bedroom, he can’t sleep on that bed; he'll sleep on the couch.

Paula joins everyone for her bachelorette celebration. Lor begins the toasts; he toasts the family and apologizes for being away in his travels for so many years. Diego also makes a toast—for his dad who would be so disappointed to see Paula marry a man she doesn’t love. After Diego walks out, Paula follows him.

Isabela tells Alex that she wants them to talk like two people that have loved each other for many years.

Paula enters the bedroom to talk to Diego. She doesn’t want him to be angry with her, but he needs to respect her decision. Diego admits that he saw her and Pepe and asks why she would marry without being in love. He knows she is very courageous, but right now she is acting like a coward. He asks her to fight for her true love and not disappoint him.

Rafa insists that what Andrea know should be kept a secret. When she mentions all the secrecy about her mother, Rafa comments that those secrets were buried in a coffin and they will stay there. Andrea tells him the name of her mother and adds that not everything stays in the coffin. Andrea then tells him about her agreement with Mal. Rafa pleads that Andrea stop investigating…for the family. Andrea tells him not to worry; she’s not going to listen to Mal. She was raised in a house that values family…something that Rafa has forgotten. A determined Andrea then assures that if Rafa and Mal don’t tell the truth the next day, then she will.
 

VIDA Ep. 28 Part 2

Mal fixes up the bedroom so that hey can sleep on the floor (the woman is relentless!)

Lor worries that Paula hasn't returned to her so-called party. When he goes to look for her, he can’t find her.

Isabela and Alex both admit that they have missed each other. Isabela reminds him of their promise to be together for many more years. They are interrupted by Paula who needs to talk to their son.

Rafa and Andrea continue to argue. Rafa just wants things to get better for them…he suggests that they both go live in Mexico City where Lor has a job for him.

Pepe asks Mal what it is that she was lacking if they had everything; why did she have to look elsewhere. (Get your puke bags!) Mal tells him that she wasn’t lacking anything. She felt jealous of their kids because he was spending so much time with them…but she now realizes that the kids are only an extension of their love…she can’t live without them…

Paula apologizes to Alex and Isabela for being there so late…she only needs 10 minutes to talk to Pepe. Isabela tells her that Pepe is not there; and Alex sternly tells her that Pepe has returned to his wife and children.

The family can’t find Paula.

Alex continues to sternly (and rudely) point out that Pepe is with his family. Paula cries and starts to leave but Alex stops her to tell her that the property is now under his name, so he doesn’t want her or any of her family there. After Paula leaves, Isabela questions why Alex had to be so rude. Alex asks what happened between Paula and Pepe; so Isabela tells him that Pepe is in love with Paula. Outside, Paula recalls Diego’s words…and calls Pepe.

Mal is all over Pepe like a leach when his phone rings.

Andrea and Rafa continue their talk. Andrea tells him that sooner or later Mal will hurt Pepe again. Rafa is looking for the easy way out and if he cares about his family and her, that’s not the way to go.

The family still can’t find Paula. As everyone worries, Diego smirks.

Mal urges Pepe to answer Paula’s call…and to put the phone on speaker. Paula pleads with Pepe to talk to her in person. She needs to talk to him…if she can’t talk to him before tomorrow, she will never be able to talk to him. She promises she will never bother him again.

Nat sends Rol a message that Paula is missing.

Emi wonders why Diego is all smiles; so Diego tells him he just “feels” that their mother is fine. He then tells Emi that Paula is with Pepe…because they are in love… (BTW I hate Emi’s nickname for Diego, “Piojo” which translates to “louse/lice.”)

 

Viver

Wikipedia names : Cristina Pastrano Rivera Cuellar Adolfo Pastrano
Monica Rivero Cuellar

Susan
 

VIDA Ep. 28 Part 3


After Lor leaves to look for Paula at the restaurant, Rol calls Nat who tells him that Lor thinks Paula is with Pepe and mockingly asks if Rol thinks that Paula is celebrating her last bachelorette night in a hotel with Pepe.

Alex is upset that Isabela has known about Pepe and Paula and didn’t tell him. When Isabela argues that a person can’t control what their heart feels, Alex wonders if she is talking about Pepe or herself. He ends up storming out.

Mal is (w)itching about Paula coming to talk to Pepe.

Paula tells Pepe that when she thinks about him, she starts having doubts; she asks, “What should I do with all these things I’m feeling, mi amor?”

Isabela tells Lor that Paula was there, but she already left. As they hold hands, Rafa walks in and asks what Lor is doing there.

Paula tells Pepe that she has been thinking about him...all the time. She knows they agreed to not see each other, but that doesn’t stop her from loving him. They never gave themselves a chance to to get to know know each other…to share special moments. Pepe struggles to resist his feelings and reminds Paula that they agreed to follow their respective paths. Paula cries that it hurts her to not see him. Pepe also cries as he admits that he is hurting too, but reminds her that she said that they have no future. He asks that she stop talking, but Paula needs to be sure…and she needs him so that she can live. Mal has approached and thinks it is sad that Paula needs Pepe…to live.

Rafa offers to take Lor to Pepe’s house…then threatens Lor that if he sees Lor touching his mother again, he will smash in his face!

Pepe asks Paula to leave. When he adds that he is giving Mal another chance, Paula reminds him that he doesn’t love Mal. Mal scoffs and tells her that Pepe returned to his home for his children…and for the baby that they are expecting. When Paula questions Pepe, he regretfully replies that, yes, they are expecting another child.

And that's EL FIN...
 

VIDA

Rgv Chick, your recap of this very emotional episode was excellent.

Rosa is such a positive, bright light. “The doctors may tell her that she is going to die, but right now, she is alive”. Yes!! Where there is life, there is hope. As I always say, sometimes that is all we have. But sometimes, it is enough.

Your comments on Mal were perfect: “Mal fixes up the bedroom so that they can sleep on the floor (the woman is relentless!)” Oh my yes!! And then the cringeworthy “She felt jealous of their kids because he was spending so much time with them…” and abysmal lie that “…she now realizes that the kids are only an extension of their love…she can’t live without them…” Malicious MAL was hard to watch.

That said, was anyone else uncomfortable watching Paula’s begging and pleading with Pepe right in front of MAL? Overly emotional, fiery and teary eyed, she STILL unfathomably withheld the fact she is dying! When MAL said “…and for the baby that they are expecting” with Pepe’s acknowledgement, it was too late.

Alex’s loyalties are with MAL so his coldness to Paula was no surprise. Isa though might have been a bit more sympathetic seeing the state Paula was in.

Rafa has warned Lor off…Will Andrea reveal the truth? Teetering on the precipice…

Diego pouring the wine on the floor was so childish. He has the right ideas and thoughts but his delivery is dreadful.

Diana
 

Vivir

Gracias, Diana. Your recap delivers exactly what I needed.

So much extended family. I count four villains: Misael, Gaby Spanic, the gambling son, the long-lost daughter. Wondering if any of them will form an alliance.

I notice the opening credits lead with the two sisters, not the main couple. Maybe this will be more sibling warfare than love triangle?

I was touched by the scene of the bio-dad showing Rebecca the news clippings he'd saved of her kidnapping. I like Franciso Gattorno so I hope he stays in the plot.

I remember La Malquerida. Sabine Moussier and Joshua Guttierrez had great chemistry as a May-December couple. When both sets of eyes were in the same frame, it was electric.
 

VIDA

Thank you for the snarky recap, RgvChick!

My favs were ---
"(Get your puke bags!)
Mal is all over Pepe like a leech.." Indeed, she was.

Good on Pepe for not wanting to get into that bed. He will always know that is where MAL was unfaithful to him. But sleeping on the floor... ugh... My back hurts just thinking about it.

It seems that Paula literally missed the boat with Pepe. Is she the only person who didn't know MAL is preñada? (embarazada is to good for her)

I really like Rosa and her attitude toward her own cancer fight. This in itself is a PSA.

Diego pouring out that red wine....all I could think was "will it stain the carpet?"

We now have a name --- Zaida. This character is on the cast list, so it will be interesting.
 

Vida

Chickie, thank you for delivering Every uncomfortable moment . This show is becoming harder and harder for me to watch .

The idea that Paula is still running after Pepe instead of focusing on her health and her children forces me to , like Rafa, pull on my beanie and struggle to suspend my disbelief . That scene between Paula , Pepe, and MAL was cringe worthy.

Diana, yes, Rosa was the bright spot as she gently talked to Paula advising and encouraging her. Nat had no idea that she was actually going to help Paula by sending her mother into Paula's house as a maid . By the way, how does a kind, empathetic person like Rosa have a daughter like Nat ????

MAL is winning and smirking . How long before she gets restless and bunnyhops with Rafa or some random. MAL is a maneater...cue Hall and Oates who said it best.

Ren and Nat hooting and laughing and guzzling as Paula entered the room was disgusting. Also, Emi seemed to be getting his drunk on . Diego somehow knows Rol and Nat are not to be trusted , but he didn't have to spill his wine on the floor for someone else (Rosa) to clean up . That was just bratty . I would have mopped it up with that bucket hat.

Susan

 

Vivir #2

Thanks, Diana.

Alma was almost catatonic when they found Frida and I think she was completely delusional for at least a while. Antonio probably held back any urge to report to police about finding Frida for Alma's sake. They're not dirt poor but I doubt that psychiatry is free.

They were clearly deficient in teaching "Rebecca" anything about empathy or manners. Her ugly scene at the birthday party was disgusting. My question is: When did she begin remembering anything about her abduction? It should not have taken 20 years.

She should be happy to be alive and not trafficked into white slavery. Antonio and Alma saved her. So why is she still a bitch with nuclear-powered wings?

I can see her teaming up with Misael down the road.

Monica has less class than Eliza Doolittle prior to Henry Higgins' instruction. This is par for the course for Gabriela Spanic who is a prime target for Fashion Felonies. I need to start screen-shooting for those. It looks like she will often be mutton dressed as lamb.

Josh Guttierez' head shot photos mostly show him with light blue eyes. That looks eerie.
 

Vida

Thanks so much Rgv Chick, this was another frustrating episode.
Paula showing up and begging his parents’ to let her talk to him was just embarrassing. And then talking about their love while Mal looks on. Then MAL announcing their baby. Which Pepe did nothing to deny. If I were a betting person I would not bet on Pepe and Paula being together. Paula needs to tell him the truth so he’ll understand what’s going on.

Diego was using his head when he told Paula to fight for her love. But when he poured the wine out all I could think of was where it was landing. A rug, or piece of furniture?

Maybe it’s me, but I see a resemblance between Paula and Rosa. And I love Rosa. How did she raise that awful Nat!

I don’t know how Pepe is going to stand living with MAL. He’ll soon see she has no interest in the kids and he’ll be struggling constantly as she tries her best to seduce him. She really never fully learned sign language either.

Alex confuses me. At first I thought he was all for Mal and Pepe getting back together then he seemed to want Pepe to think carefully. Now he seems all for it. Maybe I’m remembering wrong and he was always for MAL. But he’s confusing with Isabella too. He left, but last night I thought he’d come back. Then he gets mad over Isabella knowing about Paula and Pepe and not telling him. He deserves to live with MAL, although it will be awkward with Pepe resisting MAL and MAL chasing him!

Liz
 

VIVIR

Niecie, thank you so much!

"Sabine Moussier and Joshua Guttierrez had great chemistry as a May-December couple. When both sets of eyes were in the same frame, it was electric". It certainly was and you captured their synergy perfectly.

Great point about the sisters being the focal point of the opening credits. I think the rivalry and quest for vengence will be the primary plot line.

I like Gattorno too! I wish he had a larger part here.

Diana
 

VIVIR

Urban, thank you for your razor sharp observations.

Yes, Alma did seem catatonic when we first saw her.

In all honesty, Alma's home seemed like a hovel so I did indeed think they were dirt poor. Did I judge too harshly??

I fear Frida and Misael will be in cahoots the moment they meet!!

"Josh Guttierez' head shot photos mostly show him with light blue eyes". YES! I think I wrongly referred to him being dark eyed but no, they were crystal clear blue eyes as Niecie also referenced. He and Sabine together were literally refracting light with their baby blues.

Diana
 

Vida #28

Great work, RGV Chick.

I don't see how Pepe will be able to deal with MALena in this arrangement. She can't pretend to love her children convincingly enough to fool him.

Just as Rolando doesn't love Paula's children. If that wedding happens he will avoid them to the degree possible. He might hope for her condition to worsen just so she would be less aware of everything around her.

Pouring out the wine was supremely childish on Diego's part. Not to mention wasteful. ;)

As for Rosa having a nasty daughter, this sort of thing happens all the time. How do abusive, controlling parents produce children who become decent humans?
 

VIDA

Thank you, Doris, Diana, Susan and Liz!

Diana, I really like Rosa too! And I just can’t see how such a sweet, caring woman could have produced such a heartless, wicked witch. Someone asked if we knew that Nat was really her daughter…I can understand why someone would asks that! and Diana, I was uncomfortable with Paula’s pleading to Pepe. I thought she would stop and leave when MAL came over but Paula just kept on and on…SO awkward and to quote Susan, I “struggle to suspend my disbelief,” yet MAL did not hold back on her clawing Pepe and claiming her ground.

Doris, I can’t wait till Zaida shows up…and we get the whole back story.

Liza, so many characters here are so confusing. They keep changing their stance on just about everything. Rafa is another that is confusing. He keeps telling Andrea that his thing with Mal is over and he feels so guilty, yet it’s obvious that he doesn’t want Pepe to get back with MAL. Pepe is another one—he goes back and forth with his feelings and really doesn’t do anything to stop
MAL from clawing him.

 

vida
Thanks, rgv chick.
So where is that miracle we've been waiting for? What is Paula's plan here? What exactly did she want to tell Pepe? If it was just to pour her heart out, she should just have told him the whole truth.
Alex was angry he didn't know about pepe and Paula. Why? He'd just have been more insistent Pepe should get back with Malena. It's a pity his own issues mean he doesn't care about his son's happiness.
From the previews it appears Andrea will follow through on her promise to tell the truth. I only wonder if it will work.
I don't know how Malena expects to manage to pretend she loves her kids. She couldn't do it for long, let alone do it so convincingly that it would be believable. Even Pepe knows she is not interested in them. I still don't understand why he thinks things will change.
Is it too early for Rafa to know the truth?
I felt so sorry for Paula and awkward at the same time.
I wonder where the writers got the idea about talking to your illness.Is there any evidence your attitudes impacts your chances ofsurviving something like this?
 

"VIDA":
RGV Chick: Gut feeling we'll be seeing more roadblocks for the lovebirds before this Telenovela ends in a happily ever after.

Assuming the leading Protagonista (Susana Gonzalez) doesn't get killed off before then.

 

VIDA

"I wonder where the writers got the idea about talking to your illness.Is there any evidence your attitudes impacts your chances ofsurviving something like this?"

Waterlily, I'm not sure what inspired the writers. I've always believed in prayer and faith first. Still, I do think strength and belief in overcoming an injury or disease helps immeasurably. I really like the idea of talking yourself into healing...

Diana
 

VIDA

Waterlily, thanks for your commentary! You ask some very good questions. What has me stumped is Paula's plan...does she even have one?! Seems to me Paula is acting too quickly on her emotions (whatever they may be) and doesn't think ahead. When Pepe pointed out that she was to get married the next day, Paula replied, "YES, but..." So does she still plan to marry Rol the next day??? ...and try to get to know and spend more "special moments" with Pepe while married???

And I. like Diana, also believe in the power of positive thinking, prayer, and faith. When we were told that my mother had cancer (for a second time), we asked the doctor to not tell her because we knew that it would affect her emotionally and she would not want to "fight". My mom surpassed the time that the doctors said she had left by 8 months! So definitely--positive thinking and faith work...IMHO.
 

VIVIR

First of all, Diana, you are amazing!! You just finished with Minas and now you've taken on Vivir...wow, what a woman!! Thank you so much for all you do for Caray and the patios!!

I finally watched the first two episodes. There isn't anyone in the cast that really draws me in, but the storyline seems pretty good so I'll give it a chance.

You all had mentioned Misael's hair...but oh my! It was really worse than I imagined!! LOL I was really expecting him to let Don Emilio die since Don E had threatened to turn him in for embezzling money. So maybe he does have a (very small) heart ;-)

The pregnant woman is Dulce (Josselynn Garciglia), JE's sister. And I think Fatima (Mariluz Bermudez who was in Disenando Tu Amor and Vencer La Ausencia) is also JE"s sister.

The blond woman is "Gi" (Gildarda). Angelii has referred to her as "Tia" and "madrina" so she's an aunt and godmother (I think because in the past [20 years ago] she and Elena would refer to each other as simply "amiga." ;-)


 

VIDA


"I wonder where the writers got the idea about talking to your illness.Is there any evidence your attitudes impacts your chances of surviving something like this?"

It has been known to work.

- Decades ago, someone we know was diagnosed with a somewhat rare type of cancer (I forget what). Upon suggestion by someone, she faithfully visualized the chemo killing the cancer cells and it worked. No relapses.

- Another friend was diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis (through routine pre-op bloodwork for ankle surgery) and given eighteen months(months!!!) to live. She took whatever treatment(s) Mayo Clinic had to give, did everything the doctors suggested she do including regular cardio exercise, kept a very positive attitude and stayed active, working part-time by choice, traveled abroad, ignored the pandemic once restaurants opened back up in 2020, buried her husband who died of old age in summer 2020, and she lived twelve years (years!!!) after her diagnosis, in spite of congestive heart failure. She died unexpectedly, in her sleep, three months ago and it was a shock to all of us. That same day, she had been to lunch with eight friends and posting on Facebook. We thought she would live forever. She truly was a miracle who lived with her disease but didn't let it slow her down.

Paulepe's relationship reminds me of a pinball game, ball bouncing all over the place ...ping...ping...ping...

I'm looking forward to The Return Of Zaida. ;-)
 

VIDA

How heartening to read real life experiences where those whom we love have fought to survive!

Rgv Chick, although eight months is a relatively short time, I'm happy that you and your family had your mother with you for a bit more time. Every day of life is a precious gift!

Doris, your stories reinforces the power of positive thinking. And courage. "We thought she would live forever. She truly was a miracle who lived with her disease but didn't let it slow her down" was so touching. What a brave, resiliant woman.

We often forget that time is finite. We need to savor every second and tell those whom we love that we love them. Every day.

Diana
 

VIVIR

Rgv Chick, thank you for your kind, supportive words.

I thought it might be helpful to get a discussion started as a few seemed to be interested in following this, at least through tonight.

Thank you so much for identifying a few more characters! Initially, I can only identify the characters if I know the actor portraying them. And when there are "extended" families as it appears there is here, it's even more confusing! 😊

"I was really expecting him to let Don Emilio die since Don E had threatened to turn him in for embezzling money. So maybe he does have a (very small) heart ;-)" was an excellent point. I thought surely Don was a goner and was shocked he has survived. Thus far. Recent TNs have featured villains that were monsters. I wouldn't mind someone who is bad but with a shred of conscience, "villain lite" would be just fine with me!

Diana
 

Vida


Hello friends, well I am having a hard time watching this show because of Paula's diagnosis,. I wasnt going to share why this show is so hard for me to watch, but then I read the comments today. I have lost 6 loved ones in the last five years , including three friends to cancer. The last five years have been a difficult time for me . Oddly, one of the things that has helped me is the caraycaray community and these crazy telenovelas. I hope Paula has a miracle .

There is an old book by Norman Vincent Peale called " The Power of Positive Thinking". My aunt gave me her copy after our first baby died unexpectedly the day after he was born. It helped a lot.
Susan