Caray, Caray!

velvet

Babachita, after I posted my message to you, I realized that it was almost time for the Thursday Telemundo y Más page, and that you therefore might not see it. So I decided to post it here as well. Thanks very much for identifying the actor who plays the dress buyer as Roberto Escobar. I guess it's no wonder that he looked familiar to me--I've seen him in at least two of the novelas you cited, and perhaps all three.
 

Velvet

Ana just can't stay away from Al, and vice versa .... So if Raul gets fired who becomes chief designer. Initially I thought maybe Ana would move up, but she so needs to get out of that place.

Poor Luisa. School cites her for tardiness in picking Michael up from school. This is a valid complaint though. She must have a back up babysitter as she seems to spend most of her evenings at the bar singing. Ramon sure is doing a job on her reputation. Too bad she never took photos of her bruises nor went to the police. A past DUI in a parking lot incident, sexy photos ( posted by Ramon), I guess if she loses custody they don't have to use the child actors much. Peter is off in Philadelphia and we only here from him via phone calls to Pedro.

Carla at least was savvy enough to get herself out of the photographers clutches. I enjoyed her threatening him with his '82 bottle of wine. At least the guy had an upscale seduction feast. I almost worried she would get drugged like Jenifer. Guess they didn't want to reuse that plot.

Silly scene with the spewing water in Blanca's apartment. I guess it was a way to get Max shirtless and set up her kissing him.

Enrique sure seems to be set on sabotaging the business. I looked up Gloria Trevi. She is a real latina rock singer born in '68. She was compared to Janis Joplin. So that white fru fru dress looked totally too young for her and likely out of character for her to wear. Did they just send her the belt to the dress and she is off to velvet to find the rest of it?

Isabel is being released. Looks like Gloria needs to watch her back. When she tells the guy if you say a lie often enough it becomes the truth....at least in her mind. I guess she isn't letting people know she is in NYC. Enrique spilling the beans to the paparazzi backfired. I thought Val would turn on him but she's ready for whatever he wants to give. Was that seduction scene before or after the Trevi revelation. I've forgotten. I watch this and Karsu simultaneously switching from one to the other during commercials so things get out of order in my memory.

There was more but I'll leave it to others to touch on the episode. I don't think we have a set Thursday recapper.




 

Velvet
Second to last paragraph got out of order. I was elaborating on Enrique's sabotage and went back to add it to the paragraph about the dress and it got put in the Gloria needing to be careful paragraph. Anyhow, that's the downside to commenting from the phone and only seeing the first 5 lines of text without constantly scrolling down.
 

Velvet
Second to last paragraph got out of order. I was elaborating on Enrique's sabotage and went back to add it to the paragraph about the dress and it got put in the Gloria needing to be careful paragraph. Anyhow, that's the downside to commenting from the phone and only seeing the first 5 lines of text without constantly scrolling down.
 

"JEFA"
Kat in SC & Novelera: Missed out on last night's episode because I was distracted by Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals on ABC 12 KSAT-TV San Antonio.

 

OT

I went through seven days with no internet connection. Then I needed to catch up. The recaps and comments were very helpful. Thank you all. I see novelera is having internet issues again. I empathize with her. I'll put up some notes on Thursday's Jefa and Velvet.

 

jefa #80

I don’t know who else is still following this mess, but here are a few notes from Thursday’s episode.

Gloria survives surgery but, of course, the next hours are critical.

Mau and Dario come to the hospital and speak with Yadira and Gael. Nacho, in disguise as a masked nurse, also comes to the hospital with some disguised men. Nacho eavesdrops on their convo and hears that Debora set up Gloria and shot her and used Mateo for bait. He wants Mateo found and killed right there in the hospital. He calls Duque and wants him to find Debora and bring her to him.

Nacho sneaks into Glo’s ICU room and we hear his usual craziness over her complete with flashbacks of her being nice to him when he was a young fruit seller.

Matilde enters the ICU and tells Nacho to leave Glo’s room. She gets him to leave by saying there’s DEA at the hospital and she doesn’t want any bloodshed. Do it for Gloria, she says.

Debora makes it back to Nacho’s house, packs a bag, and tells the guard she’s going on a business trip.

Miguel has turned into an aspiring thug. Laura is alarmed she doesn’t know how to handle him.

Dario and Alina get it on in a supply closet. Yuck. They are caught exiting the closet by Mau, Gael, and Yadira. Later, Dario confesses his feelings for Alina to Mau. Mau is pissed that Dario is risking the operation. Dario says Mau can take him off the case but he’s not giving up on Alina.

Fercho helps Mateo escape from the hospital. They go to Laura’s. Laura tells Mateo it’s too dangerous for him to stay there, especially since Miguel is there.

Duque finds Debora. Deb tells Duque that Yadira fooled him, she didn’t betray Gloria. Yadira needs to die before she rats on them.

Duque brings Deb to a warehouse. He stabs her and she dies. He asks Mono to take her to Pozolero and make sure he gets rid of every inch of Deb! Yikes! Stay away from that batch of pozole!

Dani is at the hospital, too. He wants to see his mom so he can say nice things to her like she did when he was in the hospital. Then she will feel better. He needs to look after her.

Matilde tells Erna that she found Nacho in Glo’s room. Erna realizes that Mateo was telling the truth about Nacho’s obsession with Gloria.

Luisa arrives at Gloria’s. She says she’s not staying for long, she’ll be staying at a hotel. She just wants to find out what’s going on. Violeta is there taking care of the baby. Luisa introduces herself. Violeta fills her in—Glo was shot and is in critical condition. Luisa looks stunned.

Gael and Yadira ask the doctor if Dani can see Gloria. The doc says it’s against the rules. Gael and Yadira explain and beg for an exception. The doc relents.

Dani goes to the ICU with Mati. He talks to Gloria. His tears fall. He asks her, do you know who the love of my life is? It’s you. I love you, mom.

And we are out.

 

velvet #24 part 1

Albert faints in his office in front of Ana. He’s wheeled out, unconscious, through the store! [Was there no other way out?] Cris arrives and rushes to Albert’s side.

Yes, Michael was with Ramon. Luisa warns Ramon but he warns her back. This is the second time she’s been careless with Michael. The kid is excited. He says he’s going to live with his Dad. Ramon informs her he’s going for custody and not even the best lawyer in the world will help her win.

Albert will be okay, it was just a panic attack. Cris and Mateo are with him when he wakes. He wants to leave, but Mateo says he should stay and rest. Cris says Mateo and Enrique will handle things at Velvet.

Marga and Clara’s mom and pop have reconciled. They are returning to Miami to restart the restaurant. Mom will teach Pop how to cook this time. Clara tells her fam about her photo shoot and becoming a model. She’s hedging her bets in case Velvet goes under.

Ana speaks with Marga. She needs her help. She wants to see Albert. She doesn’t know if Tio is telling her the truth about Albert’s panic attack.
Yep, Kat, it’s just like Mateo warned Clara. The photog hits on her and she threatens to hit him with that 1982 bottle of wine.

Ana sneaks into Albert’s room. Albert says try as they might, they can’t get rid of the feelings they have for one another. Even if we never get back together, he tells her, it will always matter. Give me your hand. I need to tell you something. He apologizes for everything he put her through. He wanted it all—to save his family, save Velvet, and keep her by his side. He didn’t realize how much he was hurting Ana. Worst of all, he made her give up her dreams. He asks for her forgiveness. Marga rushes in and warns the nurse is coming. The ladies leave.

Luisa visits the lawyer with Blanca. The lawyer says the case looks bad for her. She’s been late picking up the kid, a 10-year-old DUI after an accident, and Ramon uploaded some explicit pictures he took of Luisa years ago on a dating site that he created to frame her. The ladies bring up Ramon’s abuse. Unfortunately, Luisa never pressed charges.

Albert is back at Velvet. The store is shut down in anticipation of the top secret visit from Gloria Trevi. Valeria welcomes her with a hug. Gloria is impressed with Velvet. She loves Raul’s designs. He gushes all over her. She tells them she needs something unique to promote her new album, “El Vuelo”. She’s got a red carpet to walk. Raul introduces Gloria to Albert and Mateo. She hopes no one else knows of her visit. Premios Latinos brought her there incognito. No leaks. Valeria assures her.

Luisa fills Marga and Ana in on her situation. Marga says Luisa should report Ramon for the dating app.

Gloria tries on Tokyo Autumn. She feels like a princess [no comment.] Raul explains why he named the dress. Something about shedding fears like trees shedding leaves and starting something new. She loves the dress, but unfortunately, Gloria is informed that the paparazzi are outside. She needs to leave asap, sans dress.

If you want to see Gloria in action, here is a YouTube link to her performing her big hit, “Dr Psiquiatra”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8PfSwK6bx4 It was mentioned in a previous episode.

 

velvet #24 part 2

Albert, Mateo, and Valeria wonder how the leak happened. [Isn’t it obvious?] Enrique enters the room and admits he did it. He thought everyone should know that Gloria Trevi was shopping at Velvet, even if she didn’t buy anything. Mateo says Gloria was going to wear that dress on a show. Valeria accuses Enrique of sabotage.

Enrique wants Albert to fire Raul. Albert refuses. Enrique threatens, either fire Raul or start laying off staff. Enrique is disgusting.

Cris has come to see Enrique at Velvet. She asks him for a favor. She wants her bro to create a position at the company that requires daily participation.

The Velvet Ladies plan a night out to support Luisa and give her an amp because she likes to sing. Ana and Marga offer to contribute a bigger share of the gift. Clara becomes suspicious and asks if the two have a side business. Pedro walks in before the ladies can answer. Marga asks him to buy something in Chinatown.

Enrique tries to discourage Cris. She just wants to be close to Albert. Enrique says he’s already keeping an eye on Albert. He adds that the Orteguis don’t chase others, others chase after them. Valeria interrupts the convo and Cris leaves. This gives Enrique the opportunity to boink Valeria on his desk.

Emilio addresses the troops. No one is to know that Gloria Trevi was in the store. Focus on the new collection.

Emilio gets good news from Isabel. Her sentence was commuted and she’s getting out! Emilio asks if he can help. Isabel says she’s coming to NY as soon as she can. She tells him Gloria is to blame for everything and she’s going to make her pay. Justice will prevail. Emilio looks worried.

Cut to Gloria and that guy at a restaurant. Glo says Isa can’t be released. Guy reminds her that Isa already served half her sentence and besides, she didn’t kill anyone. He asks Glo, does Isabel know you were behind this? She does. The guy says that Isa is Albert’s mother, she will come for you. Glo reminds him they’ve been lying about Isa’s death for 25 years.

Albert notes that shoppers are looking but not buying. Mateo says it might be time to listen to Enrique. This is a war with the Orteguis. Maybe you should let them win occasionally and get them off your back. It’s about what’s best for the company.

Cris arrives and Mateo leaves. Albert tells Cris that Enrique wants Raul fired. She looks surprised. She wants Raul to stay at Velvet, but if it’s not working out for the company… Albert is still reluctant to fire Raul.

Oliver the photog shows up at Velvet. He claims he’s not there for Clara. He just wants his paycheck. Oliver insults Clara. Mateo has been eavesdropping and intervenes—respect Clara! Mateo punches Oliver. He threatens to sue Mateo. Clara gives Ollie his check and he leaves.

Albert comes into the workshop while Ana is there alone, working on Cris’ wedding dress. He’s pulled a button off his shirt and asks Ana to sew it back on. She remembers that was his excuse for coming to see her. She sews it. He flirts and recalls their times in Miami. She reminds him he’s getting married in a few days. Cris walks in. She was looking for him. They’ll be late. He tells her about the button. She thanks Ana.

 

velvet #24 part 3

Blanca has a plumbing problem. The kitchen sink is spouting all over. Max comes to the rescue.

Pedro brings Luisa’s gift to the bar. He asks, where’s Clara? Marga replies, something came up. Pedro snarks, something with her boss and she has to stay late? Luisa is thrilled to receive her gift.

Mateo and Clara are at dinner. They talk about the photo session incident. Mateo warned her. She should listen when he gives advice. She replies, you’re such a big liar that I never know when to believe you. He says he’s always been honest with her. Clara asks him, what do you want out of this? He stutters, uh… well… to be friends. She immediately gets up from the table. He pulls her back and says, I miss you, Clara. She agrees to stay for a drink.

Luisa sings at the bar.

Blanca and Max have removed their wet clothes. They are face to face. They can’t take their eyes off each other. He tells her she can’t stay in the apartment without water and offers her dinner at his place. She can shower there, too. He tells her not to worry, he knows how to respect a woman. She refuses but it looks like she’s weakening. She asks him to leave. Is that what you want, he asks. She grabs him and kisses him, and they go at it.

And we are out!

 

velvet

Thanks VERY much, Kat, for getting us started with this helpful mini-cap. The out-of-order statements didn't trouble me, probably because I'm often uncertain what happened when, even though I'm watching only the one novela.

I can try to add a few more things that happened, or what I thought about them. And not in any order.

It never occurred to me that if Ramon gets custody of Michael, Telemundo can save money by not having to continue to use child actors. I suspect you're right...but, of course, it remains to be seen whether Ramon will actually get custody. Does Ramon even have a job? I wouldn't be surprised if he has a police record. Or perhaps that's just my wishful thinking. I guess we'll see.

Speaking of Luisa, I was quite impressed by her singing--both her voice and her graceful movements. I wouldn't be surprised if the actress playing Luisa does indeed also make money as a singer.

Arrgh...Cris asks Enrique to find her a position at Velvet. She says she wants to be close to Alberto (and probably keep an eye on his dealings with other women).

As for Enrique...no, I don't think I can say anything that won't pass the censors.

Valeria continues to drive me nuts. One minutes I really like her, and the next she sucks (thanks, K). For example, she rebuffs Enrique's advances and tells him "I'm not your puppet. I'm single. You're recently married." But when Enrique asks whether that's a problem, she seems to say it is, and then immediately the two of them are kissing passionately. Yuck!

Gloria says about Isabel, "We've been saying she's dead for 25 years. And if one says it often enough...." I took that to mean that Gloria is going to try to kill Isabel.

I was glad to see Blanca fight all her reservations, grab Max and kiss him. I confess, though, that at the same time I share some of Blanca's reservations.

OK, enough said. Or, given my last statement, perhaps too much said. :-)
 

velvet

Oops, I didn't see that dondi has done a 3-part recap of last night's episode until I had put up my remarks. Wow! I will now go back and read her recap.

But let me also correct one sentence in what I wrote above. In talking about Enrique, I should've said, "no, I don't think I can say anything that will pass the censors."

 

velvet

Wow! MANY thanks, dondi, for this stellar recap.

You've covered everything so well, there's very little I can add. I do wonder about the diagnosis of a panic attack. Actually, I know very little about panic attacks, but I didn't think they were as serious as what Alberto seemed to be experiencing. And when he fell to the floor, I think he may have hit his head, complicating matters further. Of course, I could be all wrong about panic attacks and about what happened to Alberto.

And YES, I definitely agree that Enrique is DISGUSTING. There are several nasty characters in Velvet, but I think he is by far the worst. At least, he bothers me more than even Gloria does.
 

OT

My internet is back. The provider is very good and would have come sooner, but I had things scheduled for Wednesday AND Thursday so couldn't be home during the day until today, Friday. Not only is it fixed, but they also said my router was old and gave me a fancy new one.

I'm not normally so booked, but coincidentally the 18th was the whale watching trip (for two and I brought my oldest and dearest friend) my granddaughter gifted me for Christmas. It wasn't until June because that's when the whales are most active in the Monterey Bay. AND, months ago a buddy who's also a San Francisco Giants baseball fan invited me to a day game. Phil is in my Spanish class on Zoom, and we frequently show off our Giants gear to the rest of the class. He's a season ticket holder and married to someone else, so it's not a romance thing, just a buddy who loves learning Spanish and also loves baseball. He turns up his nose at telenovelas, though.
 

jefa

That's the one I fell behind on. At first I didn't think the DVR worked without internet. Then I saw it did. But I've gotten hooked on Karsu on Uni. And I'm also watching Vevet. La Jefa fell behind. I'll catch up this weekend.
 

velvet

Terrific recap, dondi. Boy did we miss you! Glad you're up and running as am I, as I said in an OT comment.

Luisa marrying deadbeat Ramon has to be the worst decision of her life. I was surprised he has some wealth in his family. He looks 100% street thug to me.

For a change I didn't figure out the photographer was going to try to bed Clara. It seems obvious in retrospect. I thought he might have been a reasonable alternative to Womanizer Mateo.

I am enjoying the Blanca/Max attraction. Good on her for not pushing him away. It might not last, but it will surely be fun!

I was familiar with Gloria Trevi's music, but I don't think I ever saw her in person.

That's gotta be the dumbest kid in NYC if he's excited about going to live with Ramon. Kids are not that dense. He'd have been somewhat aware of the abuse going on.

I kinda stopped disliking Alberto when he apologized so fervently to Ana for "wanting to have it all". Now I wonder if they might end up together in the end. I was certain they would not. If the marriage doesn't happen for some reason, then they could be together at the end.

Sheesh! Alberto is marrying Cristina in a couple of weeks, and she still wants to spy on him, err work at Velvet?

I would really hate the Enrique/Valeria hookup a lot more if he weren't cheating on the snotty Barbie.

I think Clara should run from Mateo. Once a womanizer.... They might fall in love and be faithful for quite a while, but once boredom with the loved one sets it...

Yes, Enrique has quite the punchable face. I saw him not long ago in a Uni novela, Vivir de Amor, where he was also a nasty piece of work. He does have gorgeous eyes. There's a Spanish dicho that kind of suits him: de tal palo, tal astilla. It literally means: that splinter comes from that tree trunk or piece of wood; i.e., chip off the old block. I find Gerardo Otegui to be a bully.
 

velvet/jefa

I can post some notes on both shows later today.

 

"JEFA"
Dondi356: Not shocked about Debora getting whacked! We hardly knew you!

Whacky Luisa has more cards up her sleeve because of her hostility towards Gloria.

Dario still cannot get Alina out of his mind LOL.

Miguel becoming more & more likely as a thug. Laura: Just give up on your damn annoying kid.

Can somebody please kill off Nacho & Duque ? Sick of seeing them.

 

jefa #81 part 1

Dani’s words reach Gloria, and she opens her eyes. He promises to be good and help her with whatever she needs. I love you, he tells her, I’m going to take care of you.

Luisa gets nasty with Violeta. Violeta tells her that the family went to the hospital and asks her to keep it down so as not to wake the baby. So Luisa speaks louder. As she takes the baby away, Violeta snarks, no wonder why Gloria never talks about you.

Luisa calls Mati but Erna has the phone. She heard about Gloria and asks about her condition. Don’t pretend you care, Erna replies, you’re probably thrilled. Luisa doesn’t care what Erna thinks. She says, tell mom I’m in the city and I’m expecting her. Erna calls her heartless and asks Luisa to stay away from her son. Luisa hangs up.

Laura shows up at the hospital. She tells the others that Fercho brought Mateo to her home and that she asked Fercho to find another place for him.
Mateo is still a bit fuzzy from the ketamine. He tells Fercho he figured out a way to see Gloria in the hospital. Fercho thinks he’s crazy. Mateo would be killed, and Gloria would be in danger. Mateo is determined to carry out his plan. He asks Fercho to bring him some equipment he left at the salon.

Estrada asks Bocho for the latest on Gloria. Estrada wants to move Glo to an exclusive private hospital, maybe take her to the US if necessary. He wants the best for Glo. Bocho notes they can’t do anything. Nacho will know that Glo is working with them. This puts a serious complication on the deal with Montoya. Estrada claims that Gloria is irreplaceable.

Duque tells Nacho he couldn’t find Debora. He searched everywhere and even checked with police contacts. Nacho wants to hear why Deb decided to attack Glo before he kills her. He asks Duque to find out why the DEA was at the hospital. How did they know what happened to Glo? What do they want with her?

Mau and Dario are still discussing Alina. Dario trusts Alina won’t spoil the operation. He repeats the offer to step back.

Duque notes that shootings are reported to the police. Nacho knows but he senses something fishy. He overheard a convo, and they were worried about Gloria. They questioned a friend, Yadira. That’s how he learned about Debora. Duque thinks back to Deb telling him that Yadira played him. Nacho continues, according to the conversation, Yadira saved Gloria. We must thank her. Duque’s thinking otherwise.

Mau tells Dario he doesn’t have to quit the op. Just don’t tell Alina anything about the work. Dario agrees. Mau says they need to be very careful. Dario questions Mau’s feelings for Gloria. Mau claims he admires Glo but doesn’t love her. [yeah, right.]

Mati tells everyone that Gloria woke up and she’ll be okay. Nacho’s man strolls by and listens in. He contacts Nacho with the news. Nacho tells him to stay close and tell him everything about Gloria’s recovery. He wants to know when Glo can have visitors.

Nacho tells Duque it didn’t work out for Debora. He’s decided to move up his wedding day with Gloria.

Mati, Dani, Erna, and Yadira visit Gloria. Yadi apologizes to Glo for almost getting her killed. She asks for forgiveness.

Mateo has found some random motel to stay at. Fercho brings him the equipment.

Duque tells Mono they’re screwed if Yadira talks. We have to shut her up, she can’t talk to Gloria. Let’s go.

 

jefa #81 part 2

Glo tells Yadi there’s no need to apologize. She reminds Yadi they were plotting against Duque. Yadi says she never believed Duque would kill Glo. Mati asks Glo, what about Mateo? After this, Glo replies, I realize I have strong feelings for him. Mati thinks that Mateo really loves Glo. He wanted to save her. Yadi asks, are you going to forgive him? Glo says despite her feelings for him, she can’t forgive what he did.

Yadi asks Glo, what will you do about Nacho? Glo says she’ll keep playing along for now. She has to wait for the tunnels to be destroyed and for the DEA to come. If Nacho learns of my betrayal, she says, he will take it out on me or you. I won’t allow it.

Mateo manages to hack into the hospital cameras. He pulls up a camera near Glo’s room and sees and hears the family talking about Gloria. Fercho asks, what are you looking for? Mateo pulls up another camera and there’s Nacho’s guy, probably waiting for Mateo to show up. Mateo plans to track this guy and sneak in to see Gloria when he’s not around. Fercho thinks Mateo is crazy.

Yadira and Gael arrive home. Unfortunately, Duque and Mono are waiting for them. Duque wants an explanation from Yadi. Mono pulls a gun on Gael to keep him at bay. Yadi admits she stopped Deb from killing Glo. Duque accuses Yadi of fooling him. Yadi sticks with her original story. She wanted Gloria’s power, but she didn’t want her killed.

Duque is not convinced yet. He’s pissed that Yadi ruined the plan. Yadi replies, I never played you. When the cops questioned me, I never mentioned your name. Gael interjects, that’s true. Duque tells Gael not to talk. He tells Mono to shoot Gael if he speaks up again.

Mati, Erna, and Dani are home and Luisa wheels in. Mati is overjoyed to see her and rushes to hug her. Luisa complains about being there alone all day. Erna fires back, you knew we were at the hospital with Gloria. Mati tells Dani to greet his aunt. Dani answers, she’s not my aunt. She hates mom and I hate her. [Lol.]

Duque says he appreciates Yadi’s discretion with the DEA, but she screwed up the plan for Glo. Yadi explains, I couldn’t be an accomplice to Gloria’s death! Nacho would hunt me down and kill me! Please believe me! Good argument but Duque is still not convinced. Yadi gives him her word. A prostitute’s word is worthless, Duque replies. Gael takes exception to that. Duque orders Mono to beat Gael. Yadi begs for Gael to no avail.

Mateo arrives at the hospital. He scans the hallways.

Gael is a beaten to a bloody pulp. Duque blames Yadi for this. Didn’t she think of the consequences? You will respect me and obey me, he says. Let’s go. They head to the bedroom. This is horrible, I won’t drag it out with details. Duque torments Yadi. He smacks her when she begs. Then he rapes her.

Mateo enters Gloria’s room. He needed to see her. He asks for forgiveness. He tells her Deb and Duque set him up. He was drugged and couldn’t control himself. She understands he didn’t want any of this to happen. She tells him he needs to leave, Nacho is out there. Mateo tells her he’s watching the cameras. He’s not afraid of Nacho. He’s terrified of seeing Gloria marry Nacho. That would kill him.

Mati scolds Dani for his attitude towards Luisa. Erna sticks up for Dani. Luisa tells her to shut up and exclaims, so I’m the bad guy? I’m stuck in a wheelchair because of your mom, she tells Dani. Dani says that’s a lie. You’re evil. You hated us since Dad died. You’re a witch! Luisa shouts, I’m not putting up with this! I’m going to a hotel!

 

jefa #81 part 3

Stupid Mati begs Luisa to stay at least until Gloria comes home. She can’t be in two places at once to look after Dani and her. Dani pipes up, don’t worry about me, Grandma. You look after her and I’ll stay with Tia Erna. He leaves.

Erna tells Luisa, if you expected to be greeted with open arms like nothing happened, you’re wrong. Luisa reminds Erna that she once sided with Jacinto against Gloria. Erna replies, I haven’t forgotten but I do regret it. On the other hand, you haven’t changed. You became Duque Medina’s lover, the man who killed Dad and JJ. Go stay in a hotel. She leaves.

Duque puts his clothes on and tells Yadi that they have a deal. She’s proved she’d do anything for him. She’s earned his trust… and affection. She cringes at his touch. He whispers, is our deal clear? Yes. He tells her to stay away from Gloria. Don’t disobey. If you do, he says, you and your boyfriend will die. Duque leaves the room and Yadi becomes hysterical.

Nacho speaks with his henchie. Glo is resting, visiting hours are over. Nacho says keep an eye out. And stop by Gloria’s room to check on her.

Mateo tells Glo he’s not returning to Colombia. Duque almost killed her, and Nacho is obsessed with her. Gloria worries for Mateo and adds he’s putting her and her family in danger, too. He promises to protect her with his life if necessary.

Glo doesn’t want promises. She says, don’t get confused. I looked for you out of basic decency. I thought you had overdosed. But I haven’t forgotten what you did. Mateo explains he stopped feeding Duque and Nacho info. He pretended to work for them, but he’d never hurt her. He says he never met Nacho. Duque only asked him to spy on her. When he learned they were allies, he didn’t tell because he didn’t want to lose her.

Glo says it’s her fault for trusting him. She thought he was just a hacker who stole money. He admits that but says he’s changed. Back then he only cared about money and having fun. You changed me, he says, you helped me see how empty my life was. I dreamed of a future by your side. He kisses her.

On his way out, Duque taunts Gael with what he did to Yadira and gives him a kick for good measure.

Estrada tries to smooth things over with Montoya, who is concerned that their deal is headed for failure. Gloria’s out. Who’s going to talk to the new governor? Estrada assures him that he will contact the governor. The shipment will reach the US one way or another. Montoya is having regrets about teaming up with Estrada. He only agreed because Gloria was involved. He doesn’t want a war with Nacho because of Estrada’s mistakes. Estrada asks for trust and patience.

Gael makes his way to the bedroom. Yadi is rocking back and forth on the edge of the bed. He tells her I’m here. That bastard is gone. Do you want to go to the hospital? He touches her shoulder. She turns on him—don’t touch me! Leave me alone! She sobs. Why are all men like this? They treat me like crap and hurt me. They are bastards! They treat me like this because I’m trash. Gael reaches out again and Yadi shouts—leave me alone! I don’t want to be touched! Yadi brings up her uncle, Martin and Duque… I hate them all! There’s nothing poor Gael can do.

Nacho’s henchie heads to Glo’s room under the pretense of checking the trash. A nurse tells him he can’t enter the room, he needs to come back later. Glo and Mateo overhear this exchange. Mateo checks the camera. He gets up and gives Glo a kiss. He says, remember I love you. Mateo checks the camera again and gets ready to exit.

The henchie heads off. But then he turns back and makes a dash for Gloria’s door. The nurse heads after him.

And we are out. We’re in últimos capítulos! Bahar starts in about 3 weeks.

 

"JEFA"
Dondi356: Thanks for the recap of last night's episode.

Disgusting to see Scumbag Duque violating Yadi like that SMH. 😔
 

velvet #25 part 1

Slight rewind of Blanca and Max.

Luisa sings at the bar. Two men in the audience are admiring her. After the song, she heads to the bar for a soda. The men hear her, and one says to the other, pay up… I told you she’s Puerto Rican (es Boricua). Luisa looks at them and realizes who they are—Alexis & Fido aka Los Reyes del Perreo. She introduces herself. [I confess I had to look them up. They’re a reggaeton duo from Puerto Rico. And, yes, they sound very Puerto Rican.]

The duo complement her and note that she sang with passion and with pain. She tells them about her sad situation. She’s a wannabe singer, who’s a seamstress, who’s about to get divorced and must fight for custody of her son. They listen and encourage her. They make a bet on her fave Alex & Fido song. [I hope these guys reappear later to help Luisa with her singing career.]

Blanca and Max in the afterglow. Max says this was the best night of his life. Blanca feels a bit embarrassed. He’d do anything for her. He stayed because he wants to be by her side. There’s a knock at the door and Blanca panics. Max laughs, it’s just the food delivery.

Two weeks later.

Velvet board meeting. Time so see how the new collection sold. Mateo says it’s not good. It’s dreadful, Enrique declares, the warehouses are overflowing with Mexican made dresses that no one will wear. The poorest selling collection ever. Gerardo agrees. He realizes Albert had good intentions, but his plan didn’t work. Enrique wants to pile on Albert, but Gerardo tells him to shush. [Ger gets some points from me for that.] Gerardo thinks it’s time to let Raul go. Enrique smirks.

Ana has been invited to visit her alma mater. [Is it supposed to be FIT?] The woman she meets asks her about Velvet. Have you been promoted? Ana says she’s still a seamstress. The woman thinks this is a waste of Ana’s talent. Then she gets to the point of the invite. We just signed a deal with the biggest European fashion houses, she says, and writes something on a paper she gives to Ana. She warns, don’t tell anybody. We signed a confidentiality agreement. Ana asks, why are you telling me? We’ve chosen the school’s best alumni to present projects to them, the woman replies, they are looking for a creative director. That job could be yours. Ana is all smiles.

Francisco the peeper comes to Velvet with his wife. Rick greets him. The peeper asks why the new collection is being moved off the floor. Rick says it’s the usual rotation of items. Francisco introduces his wife, Teresa. He says his law firm is having a party and he wants his wife to look spectacular. He also asks if Luisa could join them. Rick goes to get Luisa.

Luisa has to go to court later and is scared to death of the outcome. Blanca and Marga try to reassure her. She has a great lawyer, and the ladies gave statements on her behalf.

Ana can’t believe this opportunity. Working for them would be any designer’s dream. The woman says the execs will be there in 2 days. It isn’t much time, but maybe there’s something already made that you can show them. Ana replies, I have. I’m working for Alondra’s boutique. I’m using a pseudonym. Velvet can’t find out. The woman is happy. Ana is the most talented student she ever had.

 

velvet #25 part 2

Luisa helps Teresa, under the watchful eye of Francisco. Teresa is pleased. Francisco senses something is wrong with Luisa. She doesn’t want to tell but they ask. She explains about the custody fight. Her ex is playing dirty. Teresa says her hubby heads a well known NYC law firm. Francisco pulls out his business card. He says he could help her pro bono. [I fear he will want some other sort of payment.] She takes the card and thanks them, but she has her own lawyer. The talk turns back to dresses and Francisco gives Luisa a creepy once over.

Cris comes to see Ana and check the progress on her wedding dress. She loves it. Ana gives Raul most of the credit. Cris asks, where is Raul? Ana says he’s meeting with Albert. Cris hugs Ana in lieu of Raul.

Albert gives Raul a drink. Raul realizes this is the end of his time at Velvet. Albert is very sorry. Raul says the collection was a failure, so he should be the one apologizing. Albert says he still believes in Raul’s ideas and talent. Raul proclaims, you’re a good man, Alberto Marquez. Albert says it wasn’t his idea for Raul to leave. Raul knows. He tells Albert, the war’s not over until the last soldier goes down. Sometimes one man can change the future of a whole country.

Ana speaks to Emilio. That woman she met with was Nicole, her college advisor. Ana gushes, can you imagine if I were a creative director for one of Europe’s most renowned fashion houses? Emilio says it was fate. It sent you to Alondra to give you this opportunity. Ana says she will show them the Alondra designs.

Raul shows up in the break room. Ana comes over to him and asks what’s wrong. Cris asked him to invite Ana to tonight's rehearsal dinner. Emilio answers, Ana’s not going. Raul says that Cris insisted. He adds, and I need Ana more than ever. Ana accepts. Emilio tries to talk her out of going. Ana says she has to move past her relationship with Albert. She can’t always run away.

Oh no… Luisa has lost custody. She is distraught. The lawyer says there’s two options. They can appeal the ruling or negotiate with Ramon. Ramon comes over to gloat and to warn her to abide by the ruling or go to jail. He orders her to start packing Michael’s belongings.

Blanca is in storage, putting dresses on racks [she keeps her hair down all the time now.] Max comes and asks, what can I do? Take these dresses to the atelier, she replies. Be careful, she warns, they are delicate. They are the bridesmaid gowns. He hits on her. You know I can be delicate… but I can also be rough, if you ask. She steps back—no, not here! I haven’t stopped thinking about you all morning, he replies. She can’t resist and kisses him.

Pedro is fixing something in the store. Marga is on the stairs. They catch each other’s eyes. Rick sees what’s happening. What’s up, he asks Pedro, you’re going on vacation in 2 days and you haven’t told Marga how you feel. If you like her, confess your feelings. Pedro explains, Marga is my ex’s sister. She sees me like a brother.

Rick thinks it’s not brotherly love. He warns Pedro, if you don’t tell her soon, someone’s going to walk through the door and sweep her off her feet. Pedro realizes he was stupid. Marga was so close, but he never saw her. He says Rick is right, he’s going to talk to Marga. He crosses himself.

Marga looks at Pedro. We hear her inner voice, you’re so handsome, Pedrito. The cutest ever. Marga tumbles down the stairs. Pedro and Rick rush to her. She’s okay except for her pinky. It’s going sideways. A man rushes over to help. He IDs himself as an orthopedic surgeon. He resets her finger. Marga shouts and faints in the man’s arms.

 

velvet #25 part 3

Mateo is at the hospital with Clara. Ana is there with Pedro. Mateo is sure Marga will be alright. Clara is still upset with Mateo. He hides her as if he is embarrassed to be with her in public. He invents excuses not to let her see his house. He promises that it will change. He asks her to be his date at Albert and Cris’ wedding. She’s thrilled.

Marga comes out on the arm of the ortho. Pedro separates Marga from the doc.

Mateo asks Ana if she’s going to the dinner. She says yes but it’s only because Cris insisted.

Emilio greets Isabel at the airport with a bouquet of flowers. [Wow, that’s Itatí Cantoral.] They embrace. She says he’s the same gentleman from all those years ago. He says she hasn’t changed a bit. She answers he’s still a flirt. Time denied us our chance, she tearily tells him, thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Don’t cry, he replies, your life has changed. You’re free! Isabel says she’s scared to meet her son. Scared of how he will react. Some truths can completely change one’s life. Emilio kisses her hand.

Gloria is drinking. Val notes, you’re starting the party early. You’re drinking a lot more lately. Gloria says don’t worry, our family is about to have one of its best moments. Alberto is marrying Cristina. You’re the PR for Velvet. What more can I ask? Val looks disgusted. Before leaving, Gloria overturns a framed photo of Gerardo. Hmm…

Party time. Ana can’t take her eyes off Albert, who is with Cris. Gloria notices and so does Mateo. Albert looks over at Ana.

Raul makes his way over to Ana. He gives her a shot of alcohol. She’s resistant to do more, but he tells her he was fired today, and she can’t refuse his last wish as her boss. She downs more alcohol. Raul takes her to the stage where he addresses the crowd, wishing Albert and Cris the best, in his own inimitable style. He announces, Ana and I are dedicating a song to you. Their voices are nice together. Some people are not as appreciative. [Is Ana’s dress made from some sort of vinyl? It’s weird.] Uh, oh, Cris notices Albert staring at Ana.

Raul pulls Gerardo aside. Alberto gave me the news, he says. Gerardo thinks Raul will have a great career elsewhere. Raul admits he was wrong. He didn’t design the collection Velvet needed. Gerardo didn’t expect Raul to say this. Raul has another surprise. He asks to stay at Velvet. He wants to design the most beautiful collection, specifically for Velvet’s usual customers. And he’ll do it at no charge. He needs to vindicate himself. [Is this an offer Gerardo can’t refuse?] Enrique is watching them from a distance.

Cris is looking for Albert. Gerardo says he’s in the other room.

Albert is indeed in the other room, and he sits with Ana. He complements her on her talents. She says that Raul forced her to drink, that’s why she made a fool of herself. Albert disagrees and says, everything you do is perfect. He thanks her for coming even though it’s uncomfortable. He tells her his feelings have not changed. They hold hands. She notes he’s getting married in 2 days. She truly hopes he will be very happy. Cris loves him.

This is when Cris walks in. Alberto? Ana? It’s you. You’re the woman Alberto’s always been in love with. Albert tries the “it’s not what you think” line. Cris tells him to stay away from her. She looks at Ana. You’re the on who sent him disgusting cards with kisses. Ana tries to explain but Cris shuts her up. Cris continues, you went to Miami together. How did I not see it? You will regret this, Alberto. And you (Ana) will too. Cris retreats and Albert goes after her.

 

velvet #25 part 4

Enrique approaches Raul. He notes that Raul is taking his exit from Velvet very well. Raul says not so. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve secured my place at Velvet. Enrique laughs. My father… Raul interrupts, It was your father who gave me my job back. Sometimes, when you want something, you have to deal directly with the person who makes the decisions. Everyone has a boss they serve, including you.

Enrique goes to Gerardo and Gerardo confirms. They can talk about it later.
Mateo comes to Ana. He saw Albert chasing a furious Cris. She explains that Cris saw them talking and drew a conclusion from it. Mateo offers an “I told you so”. Is this what you wanted, he asks, so no one would stand in your way with Alberto?

I’m not that kind of woman, Ana replies. I stayed away and so did Alberto. We didn’t want this to happen. You don’t know how much I sacrificed for Alberto. Don’t reproach me. And you? What have you sacrificed for him?
Cris has locked herself in the rest room. Albert pleads with her to open the door. She doesn’t want to talk to him. She shouts and bangs on the door—you cheated on me! He replies, I didn’t cheat. Open up, let’s talk. Cris is in bad shape.

Isabel asks Emilio for forgiveness. She let him down. She knows he still loves her. She made a mistake and chose the wrong man. That’s life, Emilio replies, sometimes you fall in love with someone that doesn’t love you. But that’s the truest love there is.

Luisa is desperate enough to call Francisco. She cries to him about the ruling. He knows the judge on the case. She usually finds for the mother. Luisa explains that her ex lied about her. He calms her and tells her don’t worry. He will help her get her son back. He will personally handle her case. We see this pervert was looking at pictures of Luisa at work on his laptop. Did he take those pics?

Blanca and Max are at the bar. She’s uncomfortable. He tells her to relax, no one from Velvet will be around. He wants their relationship to be out in the open. He doesn’t want to hide his girlfriend anymore. He assures her he’s not playing with her. He raises his voice, I want the world to know I’m in love with you. She shushes him.

Some friends of Max arrive. A woman approaches. Max greets her with a hug and friendly kiss. Max greets the others, and this woman introduces herself to Blanca. I’m Melan… you must be Max’s mother. Blanca quickly excuses herself and hurries off. Max comes back to introduce Blanca to the group and finds she’s gone. Melan tells him, your mother left. Max answers, she’s not my mom.

 

velvet #25 part 5

Emilio puts Isa in an apartment on a non-Velvet floor. He gives her the keys, some cash, and a phone. He asks her to sit. He’s got something important to tell her. Your son and my niece, he says. Alberto and Ana? She covers her mouth in surprise.

Albert is still pursuing Cris, trying to explain. Barbie approaches them. It’s time for Cris’ speech. Cris protests but Barbie pulls her to the stage. Albert follows. Cris is very emotional as she starts by saying, unfortunately….

Albert grabs the mic and continues from there. She’s very nervous, he says and then he jokes about Raul’s singing. Cristina and I want to thank you all for being here. We can’t wait to share the special moment when Cristina and I… join our lives together. We’ll see you at the wedding.

Cris rushes from the stage. Albert follows, Barbie rushes after them. Mateo tells Ana, let’s go. I’m going to show you that I can help my friend.

Cris still won’t listen to Albert. Don’t touch me! She declares, I don’t want to marry you. Ana and Mateo show up. Cris glares at Ana—what are you doing here? Mateo explains, this is all my fault. I was an idiot for not saying sooner, but Ana and I are in a relationship. Shocker. Mateo continues, we had an argument, and I asked Alberto to talk to her. I’m sorry.

Mateo turns to Ana and says, honey, forgive me. He plants a big kiss on Ana. Albert and Cris are stunned.

And we are out.

 

Velvet

Dondi. You covered it all. The one thing I question is I think Gloria turned over a photo of her dead husband, not Gerardo.

Yes, Francisco I think took those Luisa photos. Gee, he would get even more of an eyeful if he finds the dating site Ramon posted her photos to.

Thanks for such a comprehensive recap.
 

velvet

Thanks, Kat. Oops, I meant Benjamin's pic. I guess I had Gerardo on my mind because he's on Gloria's mind. She's blown past all measurements on K's suck meter.

So this is Mateo's way of making a sacrifice for Albert? He's a crappy friend and a crappier boyfriend. Maybe Clara deserves him because she is a crappy sister.

I'm getting a kick out of Max and Blanca. I haven't seen that kind of relationship often in a TN or dizi. Is Blanca too old to become pregnant?

Pedro and Marga are getting too comical.

I'm glad Gerardo is giving Raul another chance. Even if it's because he couldn't resist the freebie. I'll bet Raul comes through this time.

Isabel's return should be interesting. Will Emilio help her get revenge?

How much longer until Albert really has a heart attack?

 

Velvet

Dondi, what surprises me is that Gerardo doesn't have a significant other. Sounds like his wife died a while back, he's a rich handsome middle aged man. Gloria just keeps showing up as his plus 1.

The apartment Isabel was shown to had an interesting bookcase. Anybody else notice the wonky angles to the shelves?

Are we taking bets on whether the marriage will go through? Will Isabel announce herself before the big day or will she be Emilio's plus one. How is Mateo going to pull off bringing Clara to the wedding yet announcing that Ana is the "one that I love" ( dooh, dooh dooh song from Grease). So now Ana will have to attend the wedding. Talk about punishment. Maybe she will ace the interview. Isn't that also in 2 days?

Alberto is only 25 in the show (looks much older), I doubt he will have a heart attack (though I had a friend who died at 15 from a heart event, literally before my eyes, we were racing in a field to see the horses when she collapsed and passed away) , and my brother in law died of an aortic aneurysm at 25 so it isn't unheard of....
 

velvet

Thanks so much, dondi, for another of your signature well-written recaps.

I always enjoy hearing other accents than the kind of generic one TNs seem to use. I rewound a couple of times to hear that Caribbean speech of the two singers. Thanks for looking them up; I don't recognize any new performers. Could it be that I'm up there in years? I thought they were Cuban.

Enrique smirks. That is a cut and paste for sure. He had the same constant smirk in the last TN I saw him in.

Is it too much to hope for that Ana will get that fantastic job and not be around Velvet all the time? As concerns Alondra, I guess if you don't have a boyfriend, you can hold down two jobs.

Thanks for identifying Itati Cantoral. The face looked familiar, but I couldn't place her.

Gah! Alberto says over and over that he's going to leave Ana alone and then once again seeks her out, blowing his plan out of the water. But, of course, he managed to get her back in line when she went digging through his wastebasket. Who does that? I'd expect tissues with the results of sneezes on them.

I'm so glad we aren't losing Raul from the cast.

Sigh. Just when I was enjoying Max and Blanca, that kind of snotty little friend of his refers to her as his mother.
 

velvet

Muchísimas gracias, Dondi, for another magnificent recap. It helped me become aware of much that I missed when I watched the episode.

I have very little to add. I found it interesting that Emilio seems to refer to his love for Isabel as "the truest love there is" because it is unreturned. And so if Isabel does wind up returning his love, does that make the love less true?

I was a bit puzzled by Emilio's telling Isabel that "your son and my niece" are...what? In love? Is that a wise thing to say when Alberto is supposedly about to marry Cris?

Interesting question about whether Blanca is too old to become pregnant. I'm under the impression that she was very young when she gave birth to a son who later died. If that birth was ~25 years ago, it may still be possible for her to become pregnant. Though if Jennifer was born years before the child who died, that would probably make Blanca 50 or so, and highly unlikely to conceive. A woman in her mid-40s or more would also run some serious risks if she did become pregnant. Also, I doubt that Telemundo would want the novela's focus to shift to a pregnancy, wanted or unwanted, of someone other than the main character.

Like you, dondi, I think Raúl will succeed in creating clothing that Velvet's customers will like and buy. At least, I hope so!
 

velvet

So sad to hear of your friend and brother-in-law who passed, Kat. I think Juanita wondered whether Albert’s panic attack was an omen to something more serious. We’ll see.

“Dondi, what surprises me is that Gerardo doesn't have a significant other.” I’ve thought the same thing, Kat. Could he secretly be gay? He seems to tolerate Gloria at times but looks disgusted each time she touches him. But then Glo is a disgusting person.

I noticed the wonky bookcase right away. I liked it.

novelera, I probably hear more Caribbean Spanish being from NY. I had a conversation years ago about Spanish accents with a Cuban coworker. He thought that Colombians had the most beautiful and clearest accents. Puerto Ricans and Cubans are similar with their s, r, l, d, but the difference is the intonation or rhythm. Then he laughed and said that no one understands the Dominicans.

Yes, Albert has been very careless about leaving his laptop open and throwing stuff away especially since his office seems to have a revolving door. I thought he made some progress when he apologized to Ana in the hospital… but no.

“And so if Isabel does wind up returning his love, does that make the love less true?” Don’t know, Juanita. She’s grateful to Emilio, but right now she seems focused on her son and maybe revenge. Waiting for her to get a makeover and become glamourous.

Of course someone had to mistake Blanca for Max’s mom.

I think we all like Raul.

 

jefa

I finally caught up. Thanks a million for the double recaps, dondi. Boy, this one is SUCH a downer. I feel like I need a shower after every episode.

I must admit that the Nacho actor is doing a good job portraying a psychopath. The scene where he gets into Gloria's hospital room while she's still sedated was well done. He starts out furious about the humiliation she inflicted during their "big date". It was pretty stupid, IMHO, of Gloria not to play along more. She didn't have to pretend to be madly in love, but she wasn't even very civil.

As we've mentioned, the actor playing Gloria doesn't quite pull it off. They keep raving about how exceptional she is, but I don't quite believe it. Now the one who would have nailed this would be a young Kate del Castillo.

I find Dario repulsive. But then Alina isn't exactly the babe she thinks she is.

Luisa isn't that smart. She needed to get away from Tijuana and the campaign manager who filed a lawsuit for non-payment of his fee. Gloria has committed to pay for her surgery so she can walk again. Couldn't she pretend a little bit of gratitude?

Yes, what happened to Yadira was horrible. I just keep reminding myself that she and Gael were there in the very first scene.

Mati veers wildly between being a wonderful mother and being annoying. Hasn't she been told multiple times that, if Sebastian hadn't interfered, Luisa would have killed Gloria?

They've been hinting lately that the whole plot was set in motion by Nacho to get to Gloria, that he was behind the murder of Gloria's husband and, of course, of Eduardo.

My DVR is recording two basketball games, definite palate cleansers from the dire deeds in this show. I'm a newbie Golden State Valkyries fan. I bought an "inaugural season" t-shirt. And I am kind of hoping the Pacers win. I was neutral at the beginning, but I find Gilgeous-Alexander's foul baiting to be annoying.
 

jefa

Gracias, Dondi. Yes, I for one am "still following this mess." Thanks for the wit you bring to telling this tale. I get to laugh when I'm reading your recap, unlike all the cringing I do when I'm watching an episode.

Poor Yadira has tried so hard to lift herself and to help Gloria. I can only hope that Duque gets an appropriate, slow, humiliating, painful end.

Kudos to Dani laying into his hateful Auntie.

For a while there Gloria, with her hair parted in the middle, reminded me of Wednesday from "The Addams Family" so I couldn't take her so-called cunning seriously. Early on, she also had a habit of thinking silently with her mouth open. She's improved, but no gold star.

Novelera, your whale watching trip sounds fantastic. What a thoughtful granddaughter you have.