Caray, Caray!

"HILOS DEL PASADO"
RGV Chick, Kat in SC, Jarifa, UA, Darcy, SpanProf: Did y'all know this Telenovela is based off of the original "CRISTAL" (1985-86) ? 😕
 

A.MAR #86 (Originally #88) Parte 1 Notes from the Couch

Marina's Journey Continues
Marina and Gabriel have a beautiful wedding ceremony where instead of the traditional lasso, he has brought some rope from his fishing boat and binds their wrists together with a certain kind of sailor's knot. He also includes Iker. He has to admit that due to Marina, he now accepts that destiny really does exist and did indeed bring them together. He tells Iker that he is the most important part of their family. Gabriel and Marina sign the marriage contract and are pronounced man and wife.

Iker delivers a lovely speech about how only the day before he had the most horrible day in his life thinking he would never see his father again but the mermaid, his mommy, took him on a great adventure and they went after him. And then just like in the pirate movies, it all changed and now his parents are and married. He knows there will be good days and bad days but as long as he with them, he knows he will be happy.

Nicolás darkens the door of the reception with his presence. Iker is horrified and asks his mother to tell Nicolás to leave. Marina agrees to talk to him alone. Nicolás is angry with her because Felipe told hm that she didn't accept his custody proposal. He accuses her of inventing a new strategy with her marriage. She insists it is not a strategy. She loves Gabriel. He reminds he that she was married to him at one time. He is the father of her child. She informs him that she did get a legal separation from him. She explains that Antonia might have loved him at one time, but she is not Antonia; she is now Marina. He makes it clear that he will never leave her alone or allow that guy to raise his son. He gives her notification of the custody hearing which he moved up to the next day. He adds that she should enjoy her wedding because her happiness will be short-lived. He adds that he gave her the chance to keep custody of Iker but she chose Gabriel.

Nicolás congratulates the bride and the groom when Gabriel joins them. He tells them to have a real good time while they can. He will see them tomorrow.
Marina gives Nicolás the news.

Later, Marina goes to the place where she and Nicolás were living and finds him in bed with her sister Adriana. Marina tells Nicolás that now she knows that his story about how perfect their marriage was only a story.He says she cannot criticize him having married somebody else. . She now remembers it all. She asked him for a divorce. That is how she ended up alone that night of the hurricane because he was with her sister. Adriana wants to call security to throw her out. Marina agrees to leave. She warns both of them that they will not separate her from her son. Adriana informs her she will not have a chance of that at all when she gets done with her in court. Marina leaves. Nicolás is worried she will bring up his infidelity. Adriana smirks. Nobody will give custody to a crazy woman.
 

A.Mar Parte 2

Marina tells Gabriel that she remembered that Nico had been cheating on her with her own sister even while they were married. She left him with Iker the night of the hurricane. Having remembered that means that now more than ever she is ready for the custody fight. Gabriel says they will both fight fort their family. Iker joins them telling them he loves them being together like they are but he is afraid that this could be the only and last time. Gabriel assures him that this is only the first of many evenings together.

Erika's Unraveling
Rosalba is not happy to find out that Erika is involved with Sergio who she considers a very dangerous man. Erika knows him very well and wants to avoid any risks. She sounds like she is in a fantasy world when she tells her mother that she is going to convince Fabián to go on a trip, just the two of them, to a peaceful place good for her pregnancy.

There is suddenly a knock at the door. Estrella, who left the wedding early, wants to talk to Erika ALONE. Erika starts to talk about her pregnancy aches and pains in her back and cramps in her legs. Estrella is quick to correct her saying those side effects usually occur after the fourth or fifth month due to the weight gain. Erika quickly says it must have been something else.
Estrella asks her about knowing Juanjo. At first, Erika is not sure of who he is. Estrella informs her that he is a friend of her Dr. Sánchez. She tells Erika that Juanjo and her doctor were in the doctor's office and were talking about something rather interesting. She plays the recording where Dr. Sánchez says that Erika was not pregnant. Estrella informs Erika that her lies and deceptions are over. Erika insists the doctor is wrong. Estrella knows that Erika is the one who is lying. She asks her how she could have done something so low. Estrella asks what comes next. Is she going to say she lost the baby or start padding he belly with cushions? Why did she lie to Fabián, Yazmín, Gonzalo?? Erika screams she did it all because she loves Fabián!! Fabián belongs to her. Estrella informs her that she needs to tell Fabián the whole truth TODAY or she will. Erika does not understand why Estrella is doing this to her. She accuses her of always taking everything away from her like her father. Estrella reminds her to tell Fabián and as she goes to leave, Erika grabs her arms and attacks her. Fabián happens to be home and breaks them up.

Estrella prompts Erika to start talking by saying either she starts to tell Fabián or she will. In the most oblique way possible, Erika tells Fabián that it would have been so lovely to have his child. It would have kept them joined forever. She asks him to forgive her. Fabián realizes what she said and asks her if it all was a lie. Sobbing, she admits that she pretended she was pregnant. He gets angry and cannot believe it. He asks about the ultrasound. She says it belonged to somebody else. Yazmín has heard it all from the hall.

After Estrella leaves, Fabián tells Erika that she really went over the limit. She whines that she did it because she loves him. He can barely look at her and tells her she is sick. He thinks he was an imbecile to have believed her. He starts packing up her belongings as she repeats over and over that what she did was because of her love for him. He tells her to take her belongings and to get out. She finally leaves.

After listening to Erika, Rosalba is angry that the 100,000 pesos she gave the doctor didn't keep his mouth shut. She will make sure he pays back every cent. Erika is disappointed that she seems to care about the money more than her. Rosalba thinks she has the cure for her daughter. A cruise! Fabián will be a mere memory after a couple of days at sea with all of those good looking men. Erika says there is no money to pay for it.Rosalba thinks that her bad luck could change. She wants the recording implicating Sergio. Erika screams at her to get out until she finally leaves.
 

A.MAR Parte 3

Yazmín visits Erika to express her disappointment in having found out how she lied to her father. She feels like Erika used her to get closer to her father. Erika seemed to be her friend when she had none. She even thought that one day she would see Erika as a mother figure. Erika is hysterical as she pleads for her understanding. Yazmín says that she hopes that her father and Estrella end up together. She adds that what Erika did was unforgiveable. Erika will never be able to compare with Estrella. She calls Erika pathetic and leaves.

Rosalba decides to take things into her own hands and calls Sergio who is enjoying a drink with Porfirio. She identifies herself as Erika's mother. She found out about her daughter's pregnancy so Sergio no longer has anything to blackmail her with. Rosalba thinks it would be in his best interest for that recording that Erika has to disappear. He feigns not to know what she is talking about. She identifies that recording as the one where he talks about setting Fabián up.

Erika tells her mother that she is planning on selling the inn to pay for the trip.
Rosalba tells her that Sergio id going to come on by and give them a very good sum of money in exchange for the message incriminating him she has on her phone. Sergio shows up and she tells him he has a lot to worry about if that recording were to fall into Fabián's hands. Sergio laughs telling her they all have something to hide. He informs her that he talked to Porfirio and learned about a very dangerous medicine that can be injected into a man and that will cause him to have an overwhelming heart attack. Erika has no idea what he is talking about. Sergio is more than happy to clarify the issue. Her mother is a cold-blooded killer. She killed Ulises to get the one million pesos given him as a loan from the union. Rosalba is silent as Erika wonders if it is true. All Sergio wants is the recording that Erika has or her mother could end up in jail. Erika hands her phone to him. He asks her if it was back upped. She insists it wasn't.
Sergio tells her the best thing is to sell the inn because pretty soon there will not be a town anymore. As for Fabián and Estrella, they will not end up together. Fabián is going to have enough worries that he will have no time to be rolling around with the mother of his child.

After he leaves, Erika tells Rosalba that she knew her mother was capable of many things but never thought that included murder. How could she kill her father? Rosalba has had enough and makes it clear that neither of them know who her real father was. She never said that Ulises was her father. It could have been him but there were several other men that could have been, too. Rosalba has no idea. Erika tells her mother that she disgusts her!!! Rosalba slaps her hard across her face and tells her to control herself already! She gives her the truth. She killed Ulises and she is not sorry. The way that Erika is suffering over Fabián is the way she suffered over Ulises. Meche stole the man she loved. When she appeared on the scene, Ulises pushed her to the side and treated her like garbage. Not even a million pesos could compensate for all of the pain Ulises caused her. The only thing she regrets is not killing Meche with her bare hands.

Finally Romance!
Estrella sits at home thinking about the sweet things Fabián has said to her.

Fabián is at his house. He takes off his wedding ring and takes a final look at a photo of his late wife. He gently places them in a box and closes the lid.

Both Estrella and Fabián go running along the promenade to get to the other's house. They meet. They both have things to say. Estrella goes first saying that she agrees with Fabián that life is short and that you can't live in fear. Fabián has nothing more to add. They kiss and end up in bed.

Commercial Time!
Valentín makes a big deal of him and Pascual toasting to Pascual's romance with Brisa with a Coca Cola!!! That seems to have been the beverage of he reception. Very funny!
 

Hilos

Thanks, Steve, for the info.
 

A.MAR

Correction: Parte 1 Paragraph 4: Marina gives Gabriel the news.
 

A.MAR

Jarifa, I savored every syllable of your superior summary. Just marvelous. You did masterful justice to an exceptional episode that sewed up so many loose threads.

Marina and Gabriel's ceremony was lovely. They both looked radiantly happy with Iker glowing like the sun.

"Nicolás darkens the door" was perfect. It was crystal clear he doesn't want his son, he just does not want Gabriel to "have" him. Adriana is a killer shark and the custody hearing will be brutal...

When a mother personifies pure evil (as Rosalba does), I sometimes wonder if their child truly has a chance. I did feel a bit for Erika (unlike her mother) but she reaped what she sowed. A chance for a new life elsewhere is a lifeline for her unless Rosalba ruins that for her as well.

"She never said that Ulises was her father. It could have been him but there were several other men that could have been, too". I didn't think Ulises had anything to do with Rosalba after he and Meche got together. Is Erika older than Estrella? So, it is possible Ulises was her father??

Seeing is believing, isn't it? It makes perfect sense that things clicked once Marina saw Nicolas and Adriana in bed. Still, she does not know/remember that it was Adriana who tried to kill her! Hopefully, Marina's whereabouts for the last decade will be explained.

"He thinks he was an imbecile to have believed her". Yes Fabian, true - every word. I did like him putting his wedding ring tenderly away, leaving but yet treasuring the past as he moves forward with his life. His romantic night with Estrella was beautiful.

Yazmin finally learns the whole sordid truth. Now hopefully she and Estrella can build their relationship and become close.

The old jingle things go better with coca cola, things go better with coke was certainly true last night. :)

I just do not want this to end! Jarifa, your illumination of this fascinating tale has made all the difference. Your time and care are evident in every word you write. Thank you.

Diana
 

A.MAR

Thanks, Diana. They are doing an excellent job of tying up all of the loose ends.
I agree that with a mother like Rosalba, Erika probably never did have a chance which just adds to the complexity of her character and makes her tragic in a certain way. Rosalba's seemingly easy confession to Erika about her crimes and ignorance of who was Erika's father, etc. was chilling. It makes me wonder how she was brought up. Maybe it has been case of mama was a rolling stone, for a couple of generations and not only this one. LOL I have really appreciated how the writers have created and fleshed out these characters. The scene with Fabián putting his wedding ring and photo so carefully away was a highlight for me. Could we have two more weddings with Estrella and Brisa? That would be great.
 

A.Mar

Thanks Jarifa, I loved you great storytelling and I love how this show is wrapping things up. They seem to be solving one problem a day. So each show brings us satisfaction!

The wedding was sweet and Iker’s speech made the reception special. Loved the beverage of choice-coke! Of course Nicholas had to ruin the reception but loved Marina finding them in bed and remembering the affair!

Great way to expose Erika, making her confess. So much better than tattling on her. Finally Fabian is aware of how she is! Loved how disgusted he was with her, even packing her stuff.

Don’t like Sergio but was pleased he turned the tables on Rosalba, and Erika knows the truth about her mother.

I did feel sorry for Yazmin, but at least she knows the truth.

I also hate to see the show end, it was the kind of telenovela I like. Light on violence but plenty of drama.

Liz
 

A.MAR

Thanks, Liz.
" . . . I love how this show is wrapping things up. They seem to be solving one problem a day. So each show brings us satisfaction! " Exactly. I have no doubt that this will be tied up with a bow on top! ". . . it was the kind of telenovela I like. Light on violence but plenty of drama." I agree totally. This was great entertaining family fare. They, also, did a great job with the love scene between Fabián and Estrella. Just long enough without showing too much. Loved Fabián packing Erika's bag for her, too!

 

A.MAR #87 Parte 1 (Original #89) Notes from the Couch

FORECAST: A strong possibility of multiple anvils dropping from the sky!

1. While Fabián and Estrella were making love, Erika was alone in her room on the floor crying her heart out. She is all alone.

2. The next morning, Estrella wakes up to breakfast in bed courtesy of Fabián. She says she could get used to that. He tells her to get used to it since he plans on doing it for the rest of his life. They kiss. She has to go home because she told her mother to tell Azul that she had to go to the capital for union business meeting. They agree they want to be together forever and to talk to their daughters about their relationship.

3. Perla and Valentín are doing better in their romance since she tells him that he made her touch the stars last night. He always aims for the stars and beyond to make her happy. (oo la la!)

4. Estrella arrives home and Azul quickly tells her, her sisters, mother and Valentín that she is a smart kid and she knows that her mother spent the night with Fabián so they do not have to try to make up any kind of story. She reminds her of the operation she and Iker created to try to get them together. Estrella says Fabián is very important in her life. Azul is happy they are together because her mother is at her happiest with Fabián.

5. It looks like Felipe is representing Marina at the hearing after all. He tells Marina and Gabriel to trust him. He informs them that the judge will take into account very seriously what Iker has to say. His testimony can be a game changer. He says that Adriana and Nicolás will attack Gabriel for having acquired his son illegally even though that isn't the case and that they will attack Marina by saying she is crazy and unable to care for a child. It is important that they stay calm with their heads up high and the truth

6. Erika goes to see Sergio. He has the title to her property ready to be signed over to him. She is ready for all of it to be over once and for all.

7. In court, Nicolás (the perennial boo hoo victim) recounts experiencing the worst pain a father can have: the loss of his child. His soon was barely a few months old when he went missing during a hurricane. He spent ten years thinking his son was dead but it wasn't the hurricane who robbed him of his son, it was really Daniel Arenas. Felipe finds it odd that Adriana worked for Gabriel in establishing his custody of the boy and now she is working for Nicolás.He doesn't know if he can have confidence in her. She explains that in the case of Gabriel, they didn't know the true identity of the boy. Now with the new information they have about the boy's identity, the situation has changed. The case continues. She insists that only Nicolás is the only one who can give Iker an adequate and stable environment. Marina's therapist attests to Marina's emotional fragility and vulnerability due to her memory loss. For that reason, she cannot recommend tat Marina should have custody of her son. Nicolás goes on about how hard all of this has been. Marina was the love of his life, she made him a father and he knows she loves Iker. He is looking out fo the welfare of his child.
 

A.MAR Parte 2

8. At the same time, Rosalba is confronting Porfirio for selling her out to Sergio. She reminds him that he was an accomplice so she will not go to jail alone. Porfirio tells her that is not happening. They only need six more house sales and then they can get their money from Sergio and get out of town and out of the country.

9. It is time for Marina's testimony and Adriana questions her. She asks her what she remembers about the hurricane. marina says only a moment. Marina says that she is remembering things but it has been little by little. Some of the memories are very painful and some are incredibly happy like her pregnancy and the great love she felt waiting for her child to be born. Adriana reminds her that a couple of weeks ago she was with Nicolás and had an anxiety attack and could not b calmed down. Marina says that was the moment when she found out that Iker was her missing son that she had lost in the hurricane. She does not see her reaction as being odd at all but that of a mother, maybe imperfect, but open to anything to be with her child. Adriana remarks she disappeared for ten years and has no idea where she was all that time. Marina agrees she has not one memory. Snide Adriana wonders if maybe shedid things she would rather not remember.

10. Suddenly, Marina remembers being in a hospital bed and Adriana telling her she had been there for ten years and had finally woke up. Marina is asking where her baby is. Adriana tells her she will be with him soon again.

11. Adriana addresses the judge telling him a woman with such memory issues poses a serious risk for a minor and offers again Nicolás as the safe and stable option.

12.Marina looks stricken as she remembers being on a boat. Adriana hit her in the head with a piece of wood and she fell into the water. Adriana told her she would take everything from her. She laughed seeing Marina float away saying she was dead now. Marina jumps up in the courtroom and tells Adriana she knows it was her. She remembers that Adriana tried to kill her. Nico makes things worse for Adriana by asking her if what Marina is saying is true. Adrian tells him to shut up. The judge calls for science. Adriana thinks Marina's outburst shows her instability. Her accusations are crazy. Marina disagrees It was Adriana who tried to kill her. Nicolás asks Adriana what is going on. Marina adds that Nicolás and Adriana were lovers. Was Nicolás in cahoots with Adriana to get rid of her? Nicolás denies that. Marina knows that Adriana did it to get Nicolás for her own and to get her inheritance from her mother. Adriana tries to shut Marina off by lunging at her and calling her crazy. Gabriel defends Marina saying whatever she remembers is true.

13. Erika comes to see the Contreras family to say goodbye. She will be leaving town for good. She sold her inn to Sergio. She hands Meche a check for the amount that Ulises had borrowed from the union. She explains that her mother stole it from Ulises. She is there to tell them the truth. Her mother and Ulises never were lovers. It was a lie her mother made up. Ulises was never unfaithful to Meche. He always was a man of integrity, a good husband and exemplary father. She has a good idea she is not Ulises' daughter because her mother was with other men also at that time. Ulises didn't die cheating on Meche at the inn. Her mother with her accomplice Porfirio injected him with some medicine so he would suffer a heart attack. He did. Erika is telling them because Porfirio told Sergio and her mother could not deny it. Meche concludes that her Ulises didn't die in that wicked woman's arms. She apologizes to Ulises' photo. Estrella says they will have to file a complaint with the police for the murder of her father. Erika agrees. They deserve justice. She leaves.
 

A.Mar Parte 3

14. Estrella runs after Erika and thanks he for telling them the truth. Erika says there is something else she wants her to know. Fabián never cheated on her when he ended up at her place. She put some dangerous drug in his beer and he couldn't remember anything about what happened the next day. She adds that Fabián has always loved her. She asks Estrella to forgive her and to remember all the good times and the good friends they were when they were young. She starts to cry and leaves.

15. The hearing takes a strange turn when Adriana says that after the hurricane they found her "perfect" sister, her father's favorite, Nicolas' "chosen one" in a coma in a hospital. Marina was so vulnerable. She couldn't talk or even more. Adriana realized she had the power to keep her in that bed and she could have everything Marina had had. She went to see her constantly knowing that she had the power of life and death over her. She could disconnect her oxygen whenever she felt like it. She didn't do that, though, because she saw Marina's situation as the perfect punishment. She was stuck in a kind of limbo between life and death where her soul would have no rest. Nicolás was happy with her. Everything was great until her damn sister woke up. So, she took her on the boat with the promise of taking her to see her son. That is where she tried to kill her. She was sure that Marina was dead and gone but somebody always showed up to rescue her sister and this time it was that miserable Gabriel.
The judge has heard enough and has her arrested on the spot for the attempted murder of her sister. Police officers take her away,

16. Meche, her daughters and Azul visit Uises' grave to give him his due and to tell him they will not rest until justice is done. While they are there, Matilde and her officers stop by and Estrella tells them that she wants to file a complaint against Rosalba and Porfirio for the murder of her father Ulises Contreras.

17. Erika stops by to see Erika who explains that she just came from the Contreras house. Rosalba cannot believe that she ratted her out. Erika says it is likely that at this very moment Estrella is most likely filing a complaint against her. She has probably less than an hour to get out of town and disappear unless she wants to end up in jail. Rosalba yells for Porfirio.

18. Marina and Gabriel have good news for Iker. They won custody! Now they are aways going to be together. They all hug.

19. Estrella is upset walking the beach. Fabián joins her and she brings him up to date on he father. He tells her the police are already out looking to bring in Rosalba and Porfirio. She also tells him that Erika told her that she put something into his beer that night he was there with her. Fabián says now it makes sense why he felt so bad the next day. Estrella admits she felt bad for Erika. She tells him she sold her inn to Sergio and is leaving town. Nemesio is also selling and Sergio already acquired Gabriel's place. She is upset. If only three more people sell, it is over.
 

A.MAR Parte 4

20. Nicolás goes to see Adriana in jail and blames her for him losing the custody battle. She caused him to lose Adriana and now his son because of her envy and jealousy. Adriana starts telling him how much she loves him. He cannot believe she tried to kill her own sister. He is going to make sure that Marina gets everything that Adriiana snatched away from her. He tells her to rot in jail and leaves. She calls after him saying she loves him and needs him.

21. Porfirio and Rosalba are happily driving out of town on a dirt road with great plans for a future away from that trashy town. They are on their way to a new life!!! Unfortunately for them, Matilde is on the case and they are stopped by a road block and arrested for the first degree murder of Ulises Contreras.

22. Estrella decides to go talk to Sergio. She won't put up with his plans to destroy the town. She accuses him of doing this only to hurt her because she chose Fabián and not him. He shouts that he offered her everything and promised to stop his business in town but she chose garbage. He doesn't care if she wants to end up with a mediocre fisherman. She asks how could she ever choose him when he doesn't even want his own daughter. He only cares about himself. He tells her that she is not worth what he offered her and her daughter doesn't deserve his name. She slaps him. He laughs and explains that the only reason that he was so interested in being a father was because his father was requiring it of him in order to gain control his company. Now that the miserable old man is dead, he has it all so he doesn't need her or Azul anymore. He screams at her to get out. He will destroy the town house by house. She swears she will stop him.

23. Estrella goes to see Fabián to let him know what Sergio had to say. Fabián thinks that Sergio may win the battle but they will win the war. They agree they cannot give up and they will fight for their love, their town and their people until the very end. They kiss.

24. Erika is still crying in her room. She thinks back on beautiful moments she had with Fabián. In desperation and pain she looks for pills. She opens multiple packets of pills but doesn't seem able to take them and end it all.

25. Instead, she walks to the beach and continues walking into the ocean until she is overcome by the waves and is gone.
 

A.MAR

Well, they sure took care of the villains tonight and so very efficiently! They ended in jail or dead. It looks like the only villain left to be dealt with is the biggest baddie of them all: Sergio. Perhaps, losing the custody fight is enough of an anvil for “it’s all about ME” Nicolás.

I think tomorrow night needs to be fish tacos for supper as I watch the gran final. It is the best I can do to get into the A.Mar fishy vibe!
 

A.MAR

Jarifa, you captured this night of shock and awe brilliantly. Tonight's episode roiled the choppy seas of life, love, hatred, revenge and death. Your pitch perfect summary reflected all of the emotional and physical events masterfully.

Despite her cruel lies and machinations, I was startled and admittedly sympathetic as Erika "...In desperation and pain she looks for pills. She opens multiple packets of pills but doesn't seem able to take them and end it all...Instead, she walks to the beach and continues walking into the ocean until she is overcome by the waves and is gone". Perhaps she was doomed from the start, born from a bad seed who poisoned her mind and heart. She likely never stood a chance.

Loved "Nicolás (the perennial boo hoo victim)". Although bereft of a conscience and petty and vengeful, at least he was not complicit in Adriana's malevolent schemes. That gives little comfort though, doesn't it?

"Suddenly, Marina remembers being in a hospital bed and Adriana telling her she had been there for ten years and had finally woke up". One of the biggest mysteries revealed! "She couldn't talk or even move. Adriana realized she had the power to keep her in that bed and she could have everything Marina had had. She went to see her constantly knowing that she had the power of life and death over her...a kind of limbo between life and death where her soul would have no rest". Chilling and inhuman, but that wasn't enough. Next she decides to take her on the boat so she could kill her. Pure, unadulterated evil.

At least Meche now knows Ulises did not betray her and Estrella knows Fabian was not with Erika on that much lamented night. May Erika's soul now find a quiet place to rest.

With Porfirio and Rosalba about to have justice meted out, that leaves only Sergio (and minion Juanjo) to be dealt with.

Hopefully, we will see more of Gabriel, Marina and Iker and the happy family they will now have. I still suspect Nicolas might fade away, if not in death, just quiet departure.

How many weddings can the writers squeeze in during the finale?? Meche, Estrella and Brisa? Can't wait to find out.

Jarifa, this was amazing. Thank you so, so much.

Diana
 

A.Mar

Thanks so much Jarifa, what a great detailed recap. I think maybe Marina told Felipe that Adriana and Nicholas were sleeping together, that’s the only reason I can think of for him deciding to take the case.

I loved how they wrapped everything up. Marina remembering in court what her sister had done, and a coma to explain the lost years. I can’t believe I never thought of that.

Estrella now knows Sergio never really loved her and his daughter. I’m sure she suspected it. I think Azul will bounce back with Fabian in her life.

Erika telling the whole truth was unexpected. But made her more likable, she really was a victim of her mother. But I never expected her to end her life.

Loved Porfirio and Rosalba driving down the road and then surrounded by police cars!

So far everything has ended perfectly. Now for Sergio and Juanjo. I wonder if Adriana will be the one to bring them down. She knows all their secrets.

I’m going to be greedy about the last night. I want three weddings and a couple of pregnancies. I think Marina and Estrella should give their children a younger sibling. For Yazmen too, as she was so happy when she thought Erika was pregnant.

Liz
 

A.MAR

Liz, love your idea about siblings for Iker and Azul!!!

What fun you, I and Jarifa have had. I cannot wait to see how all is wrapped up.

Diana
 

A.MAR

Jarifa, I also meant to mention how essential and helpful all of your dialogue translations were!

The only thing Felipe said that I understood was "etc. etc.". LOL!

I also loved the expression on the social workers face (I can't remember her name) when Adriana was on her murderous rant/confession. It clearly said "holy crap." :)

Love it if Sergio's sordid storyline was wrapped up and gone in 10 minutes leaving time for us to celebrate the weddings with our beloved characters.

Enjoy your fish tacos tonight Jarifa! Only 6 hours til showtime (NOT that I'm counting :)

Diana
 

A.MAR

Diana and Liz, thanks so much. We have had a very lively patio and it has made all the difference to me.

Diana, "How many weddings can the writers squeeze in during the finale?? Meche, Estrella and Brisa? Can't wait to find out." me either. It promises to be
a good one. As for Nicolás, "Although bereft of a conscience and petty and vengeful, at least he was not complicit in Adriana's malevolent schemes. That gives little comfort though, doesn't it?" He is quite the odd duck. Glad you enjoy my lengthy translations. The writing is often too good to ignore.

Liz, "Estrella now knows Sergio never really loved her and his daughter. I’m sure she suspected it." You and me both. I was happy he came out and said it so there was no possibility of a misunderstanding. I NEVER expected Erika to end her life either but expected her to move to maybe Mexico City. Her ending scene was well done.

Yes, some siblings would be great. Maybe we will have a flash-forward. I have always liked those. You never know with these final episodes.

Uh, oh. Now its 5 hours till show time! See you on the patio.

 

A.MAR #88 (Original #90) Parte 1 Gran Final! Notes from the Couch . . .

An Unlikely, Reluctant Hero Saves the Day

1. Estrella gets everyone left in town to gather on the beach where she informs them that any time now Alfa Sur will be arriving to raze the houses they purchased. We see Nicolás and his construction team with their equipment ready to get to work. She adds that they want them to stop fighting and that is something they cannot do. Fabián reminds them that it is not only land that they will lose, but their ships will take over their fishing grounds and catch as much fish as they can. They cannot compete with those ships BUT they have something that they will NEVER have: the strength of a united community. They need to be shown that if they want to raze their town they are going to have to get their hands dirty and run them over because they will not allow them to come through. They chant "They will not come through" over and over again. They are going to divide themselves in two groups. One group will be with Estrella on land where they will block the street the construction equipment needs to use. The other group will be at sea with Fabián blocking the Alfa Sur ships from their fishing grounds. They chant "United, we will never be over come!"

2. As everyone goes to position themselves, Estrella checks with Marina to make sure she is up for participating in this war. Marina says she is because her son grew up here and she won't let a shameless person like Sergio get his way. Azul and Iker also want to participate. Estrella gives them jobs with signs, etc. but she wants them both to go home when things get started. Iker argues back saying they want to defend their town , too. Marina tells him to pay attention to Estrella since they do not know what could happen and they want them to be safe. A boy comes up to Estrella and hands her a note. Marina will take care of the kids as she goes to investigate.

3. Nemesio fills Sergio in on the latest. Estrella and Fabián are organizing to fight them off. Sergio says if they want to do things the hard way . . .Nemesio is sent off on an errand so he can tell Juanjo to run the fishermen over especially Fabián and his crew.

4. Estrella goes running to Fabián on the beach thinking that something happened to him. He says he only wanted them to have a moment of their own before the battle starts. He needed to give this to her this first. He shows her a ring he bought at the artisan market. (It is silver with a turquoise colored opaque stone.) He says It is not gold nor does it have diamonds but he is giving it to her with his whole heart because when this is over there will be nothing stopping them from being together. She smiles as he gets down on one knee. He asks her if she wants to be his woman (wife). She helps him up and says will not be his woman or anyone else's BUT nothing would make her happier than sharing the rest of her life with him. He puts the ring on her finger and kisses her hand. They kiss.

5. The construction equipment and trucks are arriving. Sergio arrives in his own vehicle saying that when he is done there won't even be a shadow left in this place. Estrella has organized all of the women. They will not move from where they are. They chant "We will not move from here." Brisa films the trucks and equipment approaching. Sergio is leading them all and is the first to arrive. He jumps out of his car and demands to know what is going on. Estrella asks if he doesn't like the affectionate welcome they prepared for him. He tells her to get her people out of the way or this will have a bad ending. She has a better idea. Why doesn't he take all of his equipment and go back where they came from because they aren't going to move to let them through. Nicolás is silent as he stands next to Sergio.
 

A.MAR Parte 2

6. At sea, Fabián and the local fishermen have five boats headed out to confront the Alfa Sur ship. When they arrive at their fishing ground, Fabián tells them to stop. Gabriel has spied one Alfa Sur ship headed in their direction. Fabián says they will wait there for them. Fabián tries to contact the ship. Perla says they won't answer. Fabián knows but they have to go through protocol. The ship continues advancing and blows its horn. 7. Sergio tells Estrella that they have no right to close the street down. She tells him he has no right to bribe people to build his fish processing plant and to threaten the people living at the port. Marina asks Nicolás to stop it all by removing his equipment rather than destroying the town. It is his son's home. He tells Marina he has nothing left to lose. He cares nothing for the town or its people. Estrella adds a bit of news. Porfirio has been arrested by the authorities who, along with Gonzalo, are trying to convince him to give evidence against Sergio. With his evidence. they will prove that Sergio bribed authorities to bring his business to town. Sergio tells Nicolás to get his machinery on the move as the chanting continues.

8. Out at sea, Fabián has has two flares shot as warnings. Gabriel assesses the situation with binoculars and determines that the ship is still on the move. Fabián says they have done all they can. Pascual has recorded it all on his phone. Oliver says the coast guard is not answering. Valentín says Alfa Sur and them bought and paid for. Perla says at the rate they are going, they are going to run into them. They cannot stay there. Fabián says if they allow them into their fishing grounds, they will be there over and over again. Perla says the Alfa Sur ship will destroy them. Fabián warns the Alfa Sur ship again and Juanjo, who is on that ship, can only laugh. Nemesio doesn't like what could happen. Juanjo tells him that he is following Sergio's directions. They are the ones who will have to move to let them pass. If they don't, they will be sorry.

9. At Sergio's and Nicolás' direction, the construction machiney starts to move down the street toward the crowd.

10. Fabián tells all of the fishermen on their boats that the Alfa Sur ship looks like it isn't going to stop. They all could be in danger and get run over. He would never want them to be at risk. He tells them to start their retreat. He will remain to face off with Sergio. Gabriel insists on joining the fight with him.

11. Most of the demonstrators, seeing the approaching equipment, run off in fear. Estrella remains and Marina joins her. They tell Sergio and Nicolás that if they want to get down the street, they will have to run them over. Soon, Meche and Brisa, with her phone recording, join them. Sergio starts to threaten them again. Estrella interrupts him and tells him to speak louder so they can record the threats he is making. Sergio says he isn't making threats. He has every right to knock down the houses he bought. NIcolás tells Marina that they are only doing their job. He tells her to get out of the way. She tells him NO. Sergio insists they are going to knock down the houses. Estrella says he will have to run them over. The machinery is on the move again and the women are holding the line. A bull dozer gets closer and stops. Sergio goes berserk. Nicolás asks how this can go on with the women standing in the road. Sergio says let them pay the price and orders the bulldozer to start moving again. All of the other demonstrators join Estrella and her line.
 

A.MAR Parte 3

12. Only one boat remains with Fabián and Gabriel. Fabián tells the Alfa Sur ship to stop again.

13. NIcolás starts begging the protestors to move. As Sergio orders the bulldozer to start up again, Azul and Iker come running out horrified with seeing what is going on. Azul begs her father to stop. Sergio tells Meche to remove her and Iker and she does. Iker breaks away and approaches Nicolás. Crying, Iker begs his father to show him that he really loves him. He is his son. Nicolás turns around and tells the bulldozer to stop. Sergio tries to get the driver to start again. Nicolás reminds the driver that he works for him. Nicolás tells Sergio it is over. Sergio won't take no for an answer. He gets in the bulldozer to drive it himself. Iker begs his father to do something. Nicolás goes running and jumps into the bulldozer. He tells Sergio to get out of there. They wrestle for control. Nicolás punches Sergio in the jaw and puts him out of commission

14. Fabián and Gabriel get surprised when the Alfa Sur ship turns around. They celebrate.

15. The police show up with Gonzalo who tells Sergio that Porfirio spilled the beans on him. Sergio is arrested and screams at Estrella that she will be sorry for this, she and the whle damn town. He tells "snot nose" Azul that she will be sorry, too. Gonzalo tells them that he notified the coast guard and they did turn the Alfa Sur ship around.

16. Marina thanks Nicolás for making the right decision. Nicolás tells Iker that he knows it is a lot to ask but he hopes that one day he can forgive him for everything and give him a chance to be near him. Iker smiles and says he is going to try to. He promises. Nicolás smiles and thanks him. Nicolás asks if he can give him a hug. Marina gives Iker the nod to go ahead and Nicolás gets the hug he needs. Estrella says that finally the nightmare is over.

17. A still arrogant Sergio finds that things are much different in jail. Juanjo, after knocking Sergio on his butt, tells him that Beatriz was really his lover and that the baby she was expecting was his. Sergio is at the bottom of the pecking order and the other inmates are eager to show him what that means giving him a beating to remember. Porfirio enjoys watching it.
 

A.MAR Parte 4

18. Meche goes to see Rosalba. She asks her how could she have ruined her Ulises' reputation? All she did was tell her lies. She made her think he had cheated on her and then she killed him. She calls her wicked. Rosalba says he was the only man she ever loved and Meche stole him from her. Rosalba is not sorry for anything she did. She would do it again a thousand times just to see Meche die from the pain. It turns out that Meche came to see her because she thought that it was important for her to know that the authorities found a body on the beach just a few kilometers from town a couple of days ago. It was her daughter Erika. Meche is sorry but life has a habit of making you pay. She leaves and Rosalba starts wailing.

19. Estrella and Fabián gets married by the same justice of the peace at the beach. Estrella doesn't just say I do but adds that there is nothing she would rather do than marry Fabián. Yazmín is happy that her father is happy. He deserves that. Meche is happy she is there with all of her girls on this occasion.

20. The reception has plenty of music and dancing. Oliver and Yazmín are kissing.

21. Time to throw the bouquet. Azul catches it. Brisa tries to talk her into giving it to her. Azul wants to keep it but Brisa is soon given another one by Pascual to assure her that she will be the next bride. Everyone cheers. He is sure God brought them together because that is what He wants. He gets down on one knee and proposes on the spot. She immediately accepts. Everyone cheers. They kiss.

22. Perla tells Valentín she cannot have the beer he is offering her because she has to start taking care of herself. She is pregnant. Valentín is overjoyed and tells everyone.

23. Everyone wonders where Meche is. She is down at the beach where Gonzalo is proposing that they spend the rest of their lives together sailing together in that sea of passion they have. She asks him if he cooks. He says not much. He asks her if she knows about soccer. She says no and concludes that they are tied. She wants to swim and ends up in the sea swimming with him fully dressed.

24. Valentín wants Pascual to be the godfather of his baby. He says of course. They toast to that with a Coke! (of course)

25. Gabriel, Marina and Iker are going to take that sailing trip down the coast.
Iker tells Azul that all of the jewels and gold he finds will be for her. She tells him when he comes back they can be novios. Iker is one happy kid.

26. Gabriel is able to get his original house back and saved from the Sergio fiasco. There is a knock at the door. It is Nicolás. Gabriel says he called him to come over because they have something very important to tell him. Iker comes out and tells Nicolás that he did some bad things so that he would come and live with him but then he did something really good by defending the whole town. He realizes that he did both the good and the bad things because he loves him.He gave him life. His dad says you have to learn how to forgive. Iker forgives Nicolás. They hug. Marina says they know how important Iker is to him. If he would like, he can be a part of their family. Gabriel says Iker has one mother a a couple of dads. Gabriel says they never wanted to cut him out. The more love in their little buccaneer's life the better! Nicolás thanks Marina and Gabriel and then Iker ARENAS for allowing him to be part of is life. Nicolás says he will see Iker when he gets back to hear some pirate stories. We see Gabriel and Marina and Iker ready to sail off.

27. Fabián has a wedding gift for Estrella on the beach. It is a boat named "Estrebián" which was the name of the mission Azul and Iker had to get the two of them back together. She loves it and say this all happened because a woman went fishing. He agrees that women can do whatever they want just like men. He says she made him a better man. Estrella says they are both better for knowing each other. Now they are a family and she loves him. He loves her so much, also. They kiss.

FIN
 

AMAR

Second best ending to a novela ever. (La fea más bella holds the first spot for me) I so enjoyed that all characters were accounted for and there were no loose ends. Also, I appreciated the upbeat ending. It was very satisfying from start to finish.

As a whole, this novela had it all. Great: story, writing, theme song, cast, performances , costumes and location. It was an easy watch.
More mañana.


 

A.MAR

Jarifa, Brava! Your quintessential recap was as wonderful as I knew it would be. You seamlessly guided us through the rough waters and crippling storms at sea in the form of hate, revenge, power seeking and cruelty. You also illuminated the heart and soul of this tale - love, devotion, faith and loyalty. Mesmerizing, insightful and witty, this was superbly written as always. I was frantically trying to figure out what "Estrebián" meant; now I know!

I loved the finale which was delightfully close to perfect. The David vs. Goliath theme was prevalent throughout; our fearless denizens banding together to keep Sergio from razing the town and keeping the ships on the high seas at bay.

Happiness abounded as it seems all those deserving of love found what they were seeking. A luminous Estrella and Fabian wed at last; Perla sharing her pregnancy with a thrilled Valentin (he quickly informing the world :); Brisa and Pascual pledging their love as did Meche and Gonzalo (in their own special way). Gabriel, Marina and Iker (with his pirate hat) preparing for their adventure at sea. Wishing them "Fair winds and following seas"...

And there were surprises yet to be revealed. "An Unlikely, Reluctant Hero Saves the Day" was exactly right! I thought Nicolas would never overcome his jealousy and anger but I was wrong. He was the catalyst that stopped Sergio in his tracks. Having finally found his heart, due to the power of forgiveness, Nicolas was welcomed into Marina, Gabriel and Iker's family.

Justice (or a version thereof) was meted out. Rosalba's desperate cry, learning of Erika's death, seemed raw and real although in a way, she was responsible for her daughter's death. Sergio's first but certainly not last beatdown by a slightly wild eyed and no longer smirking Juanjo was deserved, every inch. Interesting that we did not see anything further on Adriana. We will need to leave her final fate to our imaginations.

There were so many sweet moments. "Time to throw the bouquet. Azul catches it. Brisa tries to talk her into giving it to her" had me smiling away. We wouldn't expect anything else from Brisa, would we? :) Loved Meche actually diving into the sea in her wedding garb! "Valentín wants Pascual to be the godfather of his baby. He says of course. They toast to that with a Coke! (of course)" was another fun moment.

This was a great ending to a story that was well written and never predictable. We weren't subject to the villains getting together, a departure from many other storylines. Violence was mercifully absent and the overall tone was light and intriguing.

Jarifa, I'm so grateful for all that you've done; your generosity of time and careful detailing were remarkable. Thank you.

I didn't see La Fea but agree this ending was marvelous! More tomorrow...

Diana
 

A.MAR

I really enjoyed this sun-splashed show. I loved the beachy architecture and décor, all the scenes of the ocean and shore. I loved the tuba part in the theme song. I did worry that everyone wore beach outfits, the women going out fishing in little crop tops, the men with their arms exposed. I was glad to see the whole cast wasn’t sunburned to a crisp at the end. They must have bathed in sunscreen.

The cast was great fun. I particularly liked who they chose to play Marina. With her light eyes and tremendous amount of long curly hair she looked just like what you’d imagine a sirena to look like. I was sorry when she went to the city and started straightening her hair. Big kudos to the little girl who did a terrific job. And an over-acting award to Erika’s blond floozy mom.

Great ending. Here in the US it’s considered a serious no-no to propose at someone’s wedding but in the TNs they do it all the time.

I’m sorry I didn’t join in the discussions, but I didn’t have anything on my mind. I just enjoyed the ride. You seem to have had a lively patio!


 

A.MAR

A few more fun moments I recalled...

Fabian and Estrella thisclose dancing away looking so professional to the fast paced music!

A silent Yaz who I don't believe uttered a word in the finale! Her presence and glowing happiness was worth a thousand words...

Estrella's pretty wedding dress...I came to like the starfish hair clips, so fitting for the beautiful, romantic wedding at sea.

Diana
 

A.MAR

Diana, thanks. Writing these recaps was a pleasure because of the quality of the show and writing.

"This was a great ending to a story that was well written and never predictable." Exactly and this gran final had just about everything in it from high drama on sea and land, humor, and plenty of love to go around. I NEVER expected Nicolás to become the hero he became and the fact that Marina and Gabriel could open their hearts to him for he sake of Iker was amazing. It made me smile when Nicolás recognized Iker's new family by calling him Iker Arenas. How interesting that a fisherman would have Arenas (sands) as his last name? I also loved the star fish ornaments in Estrella's hair. "Estrella" in Spanish means star which I thought matched hercharacter perfectly. I also found "Brisa" (breeze) as well as "Perla" (pearl) and "Mercedes" (mercies) appropriate for those characters. They must have done that on purpose. So funny.

"We wouldn't expect anything else from Brisa, would we?" That whole scene with the bouquet was a hoot.

Come to think of it, I don't think there were any superfulous scenes. I even could get behind the toast with the Coke one more time.

Maggie, glad to hear that you enjoyed this "sun-splashed show." That is exactly it was. Yes, sun screen must have been in abundance. I was focused on Estrella's pink shirt that she wore when she went out to fish everyday. Was it cotton, linen??? Did she wash it every night? " And an over-acting award to Erika’s blond floozy mom." If she were not a murderer, she might have been comic relief! This novela was a very good time.

More later.



 

A.MAR

Jarirfa, "I NEVER expected Nicolás to become the hero he became and the fact that Marina and Gabriel could open their hearts to him for he sake of Iker was amazing" - yes!!! In retrospect, it almost seems fitting as the truth is that Iker was lost through no fault of Nicolas (I'm not convinced him being there that night would have changed anything.) I also loved that Nicolás calling him Iker Arenas which was a kind and touching moment.

Thank you for explaining the names, loved that Estrella was "star". I agree it was likely done on purpose, the writers were so clever and inventive. I never failed to learn something new with every single one of your amazing recaps.

I think Pedro Moreno deserves to be the leading galan in the next one. Aside from being blinded by his biceps, he is an excellent actor. He along with striking Sofia Olea with her piercing bright green eyes were perfectly cast. I hope we see her again.

I can't promise this is the last time I'll post. I am so reluctant to leave and can't tear myself away.

Diana
 

A.MAR

I looked at the comments just time to time, so if this came up, I missed it: I looked online at La Peñita to see if I could find that mini-plaza where they were a lot, the one with the big beautiful murals. I didn’t find them! Was that a set, or maybe shot somewhere else?

As I’m sure you know, it turns out La Peñita isn’t a tiny pueblo. I watched some videos tourists had made of driving its streets. There is some cool wall art! But what really struck me and delighted me is that I didn’t see any graffiti anywhere. No tagging!

The town has such a wonderful, colorful bandstand. Too bad they didn’t use that!

I didn’t discover the source of the town’s mysterious nighttime glow. The scenes in the night where lovers would be at the shore, the sky black behind them, the sea so dark you could barely make out the waves – and yet the lovers would be brightly lit. That must be some light-emitting pueblo!


 

Los Hilos

Is anybody watching this? I can’t make up my mind whether to stick with it. The cast is terrific, but a big turnoff for me is the stone-faced actress they picked to play Cristina. When Emmanuel Palormares is emoting away, telling her how preciosa she is, she just looks at him with dead eyes. When she’s not smiling she looks like she’s mad about something. I must say she looked fabulous when she was all done up for the fashion show.

Another gripe is that Palomares is constantly telling her she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, but never mentions anything about her inner self. In fact, we haven’t seen that inner self except that she’s strong and persistent. She doesn’t seem to have any inner light and certainly no sparkle.