Saturday, January 21, 2012

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of January 23 2012: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

¡Bienvenidos a todos! I guess Monday is the big finale for La Casa. I'm not sure if I'll try Relaciones Peligrosas. Over to you. I have to go out and shovel snow!

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Saturday, January 14, 2012

El Mundo de Telemundo, week of January 16, 2012: Discuss Amongst Yourselves!

LA CASA DE AL LADO – as of Friday

In the beginning. this show was delicious. There was so much nervous energy, so much sly malice, so many people we loved to hate. It was great fun trying to guess what crazy secrets would be revealed from one night to the next. And then there were the stylized and stylish sets, each one with its own story to tell. Now, with Relaciones peligrosas slated to begin on January 24, we Caseros are feeling stuffed. The meal should have ended hours ago but they just keep serving new courses, anything to keep the Dish Latino full.

I for one am ready to retire to the study for cognac, cigars and a dénouement worthy of Hercule Poirot.

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Let’s take a look at Friday’s episode. Apparently it’s not quite time to break out the brandy snifters. Sigh.

Et tu Pilar?
Gonzaki sees the microphone in Pilar's jacket and realizes that she has tricked him into confessing. She has betrayed him! He allows her and her children to get out of the car; and then he drives off, completely shattered.

McJustice is served
Emilio delivers the recording of Gonzo’s confession to Javier. In record time, Javier obtains a court order for Carola’s immediate release from prison. A warrant is issued for Gonzalo’s arrest. His apartment swarms with uniformed cops; another team raids the house he co-opted in the country.

Meanwhile, Carola pays a visit to Renato’s grave. So many things were left unsaid between them; her father died disappointed in her for a crime she didn’t commit. She vows that Gonzaki will pay!

She finally makes her way back to the Conde apartment and into Eva’s welcoming embrace. But she’s there only briefly – she has to go to Pilar’s house to thank her personally for everything she has done for her.

Nibaldo brings Rebeca to her sister’s house where, at last, she is comfortably ensconced in smooth linens, her head propped on a soft white pillow. Everyone is thrilled to see she has made some progress towards recovery -- now she is moving her arms and saying more words -- despite the neglect verging on torture she has suffered over the last several months.

Rebeca struggles to tell them about Gonzalo but Pilar explains that the Mora brothers' secret is out and the police know all about it. Pilar also reveals the existence of her own evil twin, Raquel, and the deaths she has caused -- including the loss that seems to affect Rebeca the most -- that of Renato Conde. Finally, Nibaldo, Hilda and the kids leave Pilar, Cecilia and Rebeca alone so they can talk.

Diego and Andrea wander nervously downstairs. They are even more spooked when they notice the front door is ajar. Apparently they still haven’t posted the “No solicitors or murderers” sign
because we see the shadow, the black shoes and trousers ... the peri-homicidal tilt of the head. It’s Gonzalo and he’s out for blood.

Comic Relief No One is In The Mood For
Karen, gotten up in a black spangly figure-hugging tux cum leotard and towering stilettos, shows up on Eva’s doorstep. She turns on her boombox and wiggles her assets, as large as Michoacán. She has heard that Eva is in the star-making business, it seems. If Nibaldo, then why not Karen? Eva finally gets her to leave by saying she can't make any promises but she'll see what she can do. Karen takes that as a firm commitment -- she's on her way to the top!

Is Javier becoming a mensch? He is modest about his contribution to Carola’s release – all he did was deliver the judicial papers -- and generous in giving credit to Pilar and Emilio. Everyone is struck by how much he seems to have changed.

Cecilia’s heart is as black as her eyeliner
When she is alone with Pilar and Rebeca, she finally spills the beans about why she gave Raquel away. It was all Rebeca’s mother’s fault! The bitch expected alimony and child support! It’s expensive enough to raise one child but when Ceci found she was expecting twins ... well! That’s when her cleaning lady gave her the idea of giving one of the babies away ...

Pilar’s cell phone sounds and she walks out of the room to take the call.

Rebeca is left alone with Ceci. She has no choice but to listen to this self-serving tale in stony silence.

The Night is Crawling with Monsters
Pilar recognizes the call is from Gonzalo ... but why doesn’t he say anything? She doesn’t realize he is standing right behind her. Holding a gun. He raises it and aims ... but quickly ducks out of sight when Cecilia, guessing that the call is from Gonzo, comes downstairs after Pilar.

Gonzaki listens as Pilar tells Cecilia how she feels: It broke her heart to see his pain -- and his pain was very real -- when he understood that she had betrayed him. His face crumples and he snot-cries.

Pilar heads over to la casa de al lado to thank Javier for bringing Rebeca back to her and getting Carola out of jail. (Interestingly, she’s talking like Pilar but she’s dressed kind of Raquelishly – tight red pants, sparkly gold top, big hoop earrings.)

Gonzaki follows her out and watches through the wrought-iron fence de al lado. He sees Pilar enter and then, a moment later, sees Javier go inside. Luckily he can’t hear Pilar tell Javier he has turned into the man she fell in love with so many years ago – ¡Qué bueno encontrarme con él una vez más! (How good it is to meet up with him again!)

Adolfael is on the move
He has nothing against Cecilia and he kind of likes Pilar. But Raquel wants him to bring her Cecilia so that’s what he’ll do. Cuz he and Raquel, they're a team.

Ceci is pouring herself a drink when she hears a door open. Is Pilar back already? She’s surprised to find the door wide open. Aha! It’s that bastard, Gonzalo! Show your face or I’m calling the police, says our booze-emboldened Cecilia.

Adolfael has heard enough. Blah blah blah, he mocks in disgust. No soy Gonzalo – soy su hermano, he says, as he presses his gun into the back of her neck. But wait! Carola Conde is on her way to the Casa Ruiz! Will she be Cecilia’s salvation?

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Fans of Una Maid and Flor -- your turn!

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Saturday, January 07, 2012

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of January 9 2012: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

¡Felix Día de Tres Reyes Magos! Ok, that was last week but whatever. I'm filling in for NovelaMaven this week.

Over to you.

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Saturday, December 31, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of January 1 2012: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

Dos mil doce is here! ¡Feliz año nuevo a todos!

There was no Flor Salvaje Friday night and I presume no Una Maid or La Casa either. We'll start up again on Monday. Over to you.

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Friday, December 23, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo: Week of December 26, 2011 -- Discuss Amongst Yourselves

Wishing you all a joyous holiday! See you in a week!

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Saturday, December 17, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of December 19, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

¡Feliz Navidad!

Telenovelas seldom seem to observe the holidays probably because they are broadcast starting at different dates in different countries. This is good because on American soap operas, the holidays always seemed rather dreary with tacky decorations and people always arriving with large wrapped gifts.

FLOR SALVAJE - viernes

Last night's episode was rather depressing - mostly bad things happened.
Catalina didn't lose her baby so she is still trying to get Sacramento.

Flor had sex with Rafa. She believes it is part of her revenge plot but it seems like she might be falling for him - at least Zahra thinks so.

Rafa seems to have had his fingers crossed when he swore to Flor that he didn't want to harm Zahra. He poisons Tío Francisco against her and is nasty about it when she confronts him.

Malicia falls off the wagon big time thanks to the odious Abelardo and Enrique discovers them. Malicia runs away and collapses.

Rocío is devastated to learn that JM is going to marry Ines. The 4P chicas try an help her. All the girls agree that it never works for prostitutes to take up with johns. They can't get past their girlfriend's past activities. So far this has been true for Flor and Sacto, Rocío and JM, Zahra and Francisco and Enrique and Malicia.

Urged on by Flor to get revenge on Mariano, Rocío takes a job as his assistant. This is probably going to turn out badly.

Desperate for money, Mina and CC talk their way into the petrolero and service a couple of the workers before Mr. Peter catches them and throws them out.

Lourdes plans her demonstration against the 4P - getting schoolchildren from all over to march dressed as angels or something.

I think that was it. I'm doing this from memory and I was making bread while the show was on so I might have missed or misconstrued something.

Over to you for Una Maid and La Casa.

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Saturday, December 10, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of December 12, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

LA CASA DE AL LADO – capítulo 135, viernes

So the writers had some surprises for us last night:

Renato’s caller forces us to reexamine the suspect pool; and we learn that Ignacia sí era mamá! – or so it appears!

Ignacia Conde died the way she lived – a selfish fool and a coward. Instead of alerting the cops to Adolfael’s plan – and she knew very well he was a serial killer and a continuing threat to herself and her family as long as he remained free – she went along with him, agreeing to lure Gonzaki to his death. So it’s hard to grieve her fate. Like Sebastián’s death, (he stood by quietly and watched Pilar drink from what he suspected was a poisoned champagne glass), hers was an ironic turn-around. But the grief of the people she has left behind is devastating.

Over her dead body
Almost everyone appears at the velorio: the men in their black shirts and suits looking like mafiosi; Pilar in funereal black, but in a short, asymmetrical shoulder-baring dress that is, you should excuse the expression, drop-dead glamourous. And when Mabel stands outside the church clutching a bouquet, she brings to mind a jilted bride.

Gonzalo and Javier glare accusingly at one another and even come to blows outside the church. But Eva, her sharp edges blunted by grief, says Javier and Ignacia loved each other and she would have wanted him there. And Carola always loved Adolfo, she adds in a nearly inaudible aside.

Gonzo is still trying to get someone to reveal Carola’s hiding place. He just wants to help her, he insists. Emilio warns Eva not to give up Carola’s whereabouts to anyone, especially Gonzalo.

Renato’s grief has turned to rage and a thirst for vengeance. He believes Pilar’s alibi for Gonzo but nothing can quell the fury he feels towards Javier for stealing his whole life out from under him. It is Pilar who convinces him to let Javier pay his respects to Ignacia; the sooner he does so, the sooner he’ll be gone.

Now Renato’s rage is focused on Adolfo. When Mabel shows up proffering condolences and flowers, he rejects them furiously. What he wants to know: Where are Mabel’s sons, Iñaki and Ismael?

The creepy voice on the phone:
Friday’s episode opens with the phone call Renato receives outside the church. Renato listens in horror as the voice – mechanically distorted to prevent recognition – announces that he (or she) is the person who killed his daughter and his unborn grandson; and he is going to do the same to the rest of the family.

Mabel runs into the church for help. Gonazaki, on the scene in a flash, takes the phone from Renato, who looks like he’s about to collapse. “Who are you?” barks Gonzo to the caller. “You’re the last person to demand explanations”, replies the voice. “You were there! Can you guess who I am? I’m very close to you. Right now! Right where you are! Have you guessed who wrote the books?”

The camera pans the faces of the small group: Renato, Eva, Yolanda, Pilar – and Mabel, standing alone on the church steps holding the funeral bouquet. [Let’s think about who’s not there: Adolfo, Carola, Carmen, Hilda, Nibaldo. And the “tourists”.]

After the velorio, the mourners return home:

Carola in her glammed-up cat burglar outfit, is still in Ignacia’s room when Javier stumbles back to the Casa Conde. She hides herself, sliding under the bed, and he throws himself on top of it. Tears stream down his face.

Carola waits until Javier is asleep – his limp hand dangles in front of her face – and then crawls out with her trophy, the locked blue box. As she is leaving the room, he sits up but doesn’t seem to see her.

Carola runs downstairs and then pauses. She senses that someone else is there and calls out: ¿Quién está ahí? She sees a shadow but before she can investigate she hears Javier coming down the stairs. She runs out the door.

Javier finds the front door open. He glimpses the shadow of a long-haired woman. The shadow disappears. “I saw you” he cries into the darkness. “And sooner or later I’ll find out who you are!”

Pilar, long hair loose (just like the shadow woman’s), is back at home. She heads upstairs and swallows some pills. Lots of pills. From a prescription bottle. It broke her heart to see how Renato and Eva are suffering, she tells Hilda.

Emilio stops by to pick up the baby. Everything went fine with “tu hija”, Hilda tells him. “Nuestra hija” corrects Emilio. And Hilda repeats: “Nuestra hija”. She is more insistent than ever that they get married at the end of the month as planned. Then they can all be together and he won’t be torn between her and his parents. Surely his boss will understand he needs a few days off.

Mabel returns to the Slaughterhouse in the country. Adolfo is on his way out, ignoring her warning of the danger out there -- Renato is gunning for him.

Carmen’s surprising skill set:
Carola, now back at Carmen’s place, puzzles over how to open the locked blue box. “I have some tools...” offers Carmen helpfully. She breaches the lock in seconds. [Oh really? And what is it exactly that you do for a living?]

Carola looks inside and then reaches for her phone. She calls Emilio – she needs him right away!

Si no por las buenas, por las malas
Now we follow Adolfo as he drives up to the car rental agency. The clerk wouldn’t give him the info on the tourists when he asked him nicely, so he'll get what he needs by stealth. He cuts the power outside the building (presumably shutting down the alarm system), breaks in easily and finds what he is looking for.

Say what? Mabel is a writer?
Gonzaki comes to the Slaughterhouse looking for Adolfael. Mabel tells him his brother is out investigating Ignacia’s death. He’s welcome to wait for him. Would he mind if she kept reading? Gonzo is surprised. He didn’t know she was so fond of reading. “Oh, I love to read” she replies. “I write too, but that’s something no one knows about”.

Gonzaki narrows his eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?” asks Mabel.

At the Casa Conde, we glimpse a shadowy intruder in Ignacia’s room, the room where Javier wallows and drinks and remembers: “Ignacia estaba embarazada. Ignacia iba a tener un hijo mio”.

He stumbles to the bathroom to splash water on his face. He looks up and is spooked by Pilar’s reflection in the mirror. He makes his way back to the bedroom and finds his whiskey bottle lying in shards on the floor.

Javier is beside himself. As drunk as he is, he manages to negotiate his way down the stairs, out the door and across to his old house. He muscles inside, pushing Hilda and Karen out of his way, and runs up to Pilar’s room. She appears to be sleeping, all covered up except for her loose hair and one bare shoulder. “No puede ser” mutters Javier. He leaves the room, still convinced that Pilar was just in his house.

Was she? As soon as Javier is gone, she opens her eyes. Her face is unreadable. Is she fully clothed under that blanket?

Javier returns to the Casa Conde, enters the study and takes a gun from the desk drawer.

Ignacia’s Secret is revealed
Emilio has arrived at Carmen’s and he and Carola try to make sense of what they have found in Ignacia’s mysterious blue box. A baby’s pacifier. A card, crudely hand-lettered, as if by a small child. On the outside: “Te quiero mucho”; on the inside, a child’s drawing. A photo of a young boy. A hospital bracelet. And a card issued by a public hospital. Child’s name: Luis. Date of birth: 4/29/06; Mother: ICS. As in Ignacia Conde Spencer. Emilio and Carola are stunned: Ignacia had a child and they never knew!
[And here, gentle reader, a confession: Until the child’s birthdate was revealed, I was sure the child was Emilio. But we all know Emilio isn’t a five-year-old, even if he sometimes acts like one.]


Adolfael is back home with the spoils
Gonzaki has been waiting and now follows his brother to the cellar. Mabel sits placidly on the couch and keeps on reading but we can’t quite make out the title of the book she is so engrossed in.

Adolfael has the info on the tourists and the address of the cheap hotel where they are staying. But Gonzaki interrupts him. He’s anxious to share his latest suspicion: “Suppose mamá wrote the books ... maybe she’s the person we’re looking for.”

Where was mamá?
Gonzaki tells Adolfael all about the anonymous phone call outside the church. Mabel was one of the people there. And think about it – why did she come back to Miami? Of everyone, she has the strongest motive to do harm to the Condes. But the most important question:
“¿Dónde estaba mamá cuando mataron a Ignacia?”

Adolfael listens wordlessly and then runs upstairs. Now Mabel is reading at the table and we can see the title of her book clearly: Interpreting Personality Theories. She glances up. “Qué te pasa?” she asks, her face the usual affectless mask.

The nameless baby is getting a name
Back at the Conde apartment, Emilio tells Eva he has finally chosen a baptismal name for his daughter: "Le voy a poner Ignacia ... es una manera de mantenerla viva entre nosotros, de recordarla. ¿Te parece?”Claro que sí”, answers Eva, very moved.

Nibaldo’s recovery is remarkable. He should be out of the hospital in time for Hilda’s wedding. “At least there’s some good news among all the tragedy”, says Yolanda. “What tragedy?” asks Nibaldo, clearly unaware of Ignacia’s death. “Why, what happened to you, of course” Yolanda sputters.
[Man... why couldn’t they trot out a miracle cure for someone like Matías ... or Omar ... or Igor? I guess we have to keep our hopes up for Rebeca.]

Carola visits Ignacia’s grave.
“I found your locked box”, she says. “Why did you hide so many things? I have the feeling now that I never really knew you. And that feeling is killing me ... what can I do to understand who you were? ¿Cómo hago?”

Adolfael goes rogue – so what else is new?
The plan was to hunt down los turistas together. But cowboy Adolfael drives to the motel alone and then calls Gonzaki to tell him he’s there. Gonzaki takes the call in his office. While he’s arguing with his brother, Renato walks in. Without missing a beat, Gonzo pretends to be talking to the police, addressing his caller as “comandante”.

Renato is consumed with frustrated fury. “Help me”, he begs Gonzaki. He’ll go crazy if Ignacia’s killer isn’t caught. He’s ready to kill Adolfo with his bare hands.

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Okay guys. Sorry for being so verbose today – I get that way sometimes. Just skim through for what interests you and feel free to ignore the rest.

Fans of Flor and Una Maid, it’s your turn.

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Saturday, December 03, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of December 5, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

Sorry for the delay in posting. I also haven't had a chance to see any of the novelas so over to you.


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Saturday, November 26, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of November 28, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves.

LA CASA DE AL LADO

The casa of the title can refer to the Conde mansion with its stylized black and white interior; or it can be the Ruiz digs, where no one talks about the elephant in the room. Literally. It depends on the perspective of the speaker. This shifting perspective is especially evident now that Javier Ruiz inhabits the Casa Conde and Pilar has moved in to keep an eye on him and take care of her sister, Rebeca.

The transition hasn’t been easy for Javier. Intruders – including the entire Conde family – enter as easily as they did before and evil still lurks in every corner.

And then there’s the whole servant problem:

Where’s Nibaldo?
The viewer has seen him lying, bloody and inert – though not necessarily dead – in a public park. The police are called after a young couple spot him. But the only one of our characters who knows about Nibaldo’s misfortune is the one responsible: Ismael.

Hilda is gone too (but only to la casa de al lado, thank goodness).
She agrees to help look after Pilar’s kids – it’s only right. After all, Diego saved her from Javier and Andrea also helped to fend off her monstrous father.

Back to the Future:
On Wednesday we saw Renato accepting a mysterious shipment of books and then “accidentally” dropping a copy of Condenados in front of Emilio. We were nonplussed, especially when we noticed the conspiratorial look Renato and Eva shared.

Then Carola finds her copy of the new book snuck into her handbag and guesses correctly that it must have come from her parents.

But from what we learned last night, it seems as if Novelera’s brilliant deduction was correct – Renato has rewritten Condenados, at least in part. One thing we know: in this new version, Ignacia survives. We’d know a lot more if these people weren’t all such maddeningly slow readers. We’d know, for example, if veneno is still in Sebastian’s future in this edition. (And again, hats off to Hombre for guessing that one!) And of course we don’t know if a murderer’s plans can be derailed by writing out his evil deeds.

The red tongue of the stairway swallows them up and spits them back out, over and over and over. And the house just keeps on laughing.

Pilar marches up the stairs in those wild lemon-colored stilettos. She’s going to check on her sister. But when she hears Rebeca say the word Pilar , she races back downstairs to share the miracle with Javier. She wants him to call a doctor to come and evaluate her. Gladly, he says -- now neither manic nor depressed but rather back at baseline bastard – just withdraw your domestic violence accusation and I’ll do whatever you want.

Meanwhile Ignacia arrives at the front door. Just as she is declaring her love for Javier and begging him to admit he feels the same way, Gonzaki bursts in looking for Pilar: She’s living in this house now, right Javier?

Poor Ignacia. She races angrily up the stairs closely followed by Gonzaki. Fuera de aquí, she screams at Pilar.

Are you nuts? asks Pilar (though we all know this is just a rhetorical question.) You think I’m here because of Javier? ¡Te lo regalo! ¡Quédate con él! I’m here for Rebeca!

Then Pilar turns to Gonzaki: I’m here to protect my sister. And like you said in court, you’re just my lawyer. So butt out, buster!

Pilar struts off on the lemon stilettos and Ignacia clumps back down on her impossibly steep wedgies.

Now Renato bursts through the open door and tells Javier to get lost. Ignacia asked her parents to protect her and that’s what they’re going to do. He insists she come back home with him.

Javier smirks and preens here, telling Renato: You’re the one who needs to get lost. ¡Esta es la casa de papi!

Now the red tongue spits Gonzaki back into the foyer. Javier reflects ruefully that the house is filled with people who hate him. (And the viewer reflects that the trick would be to fill the house with people who don’t hate him.)

Gonzo leaves with these words:
Cuídala, Javier – es la única cosa que tengo en la vida.

And the viewers finally let out their collective breath – Amazingly Pilar hasn’t blurted out Rebeca’s progress to Gonzaki. Yet.

It was a dark and stormy night...
Hilda and Emilio are hosting a party to celebrate their upcoming wedding.
So what if Emilio hasn’t told Hilda he turns tricks for a living?
So what if Hilda still can’t bear to be in the same room as her baby?
So what if the party house has no water? (Sure, you can buy ice and get food delivered – but are they planning to bring in Porta-Potties?)
And so what if crazed killer Ismael is lurking in the shadows?

The heavens weigh in with an opinion – fierce winds, rain, bolts of lightning.

The usual suspects file in ...

While in la casa de al lado, Pilar tells Rebeca she’s just going to pop in on the party and toast to Hilda and Emilio’s happiness. (Better let Sebastián taste the champagne first, Pilar.) Javier is safely in his room and all is well. Va a ser una noche muy tranquila coos the oblivious Pilar to her helpless sister. But the frantic expression in Rebeca’s eyes tells us she knows better. She remembers the terrible things that have happened to her already ...

Outside the storm rages. Pilar stops for an umbrella and steps into the wild of the night.

Inside, Javier, fully dressed, emerges from the shadows.
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OTHER SHOWS

Fans of Mi corazón insiste know that por fin, el fin is on Monday. Then the new Eugenio Siller novela begins on Tuesday: Una Maid en Manhattan. I think I’ll pass – don’t think I’m their target demographic. Anybody in on that one?

Fans of Flor salvaje and Mi Corazón -- les toca a ustedes --

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Saturday, November 19, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of November 21, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

¡Feliz día de acción de gracias!

MI CORAZÓN INSISTE: viernes

I think most of us watching this show are thankful that this turkey is almost over. Since I'm super busy right now, I'm thankful that the filler and flashbacks leaves only about 10 minutes of story in a 42 minute episode. Anyway, Vicky and Soledad are successful in getting free without waking up Felix. They get his gun, car keys and the key to Soledad's handcuffs. Vicky wants to just abandon Felix but Soledad insists on taking him with them 'cause she is a good person. But the car runs out of gas in the middle of nowhere and the ladies set off on foot - Vicky in very inappropriate heels.

Vicky is depressed because they are lost without water or food in a totally unpopulated area but Soledad, understandably, is ecstatic to be free at last. This is understandable since she has been locked up, tied up, chained up and sometimes gagged for a year or so.

Nobody lets the folks at Lola's house know what is happening until the next day when Camilo comes over and Andres calls him. Pretty inconsiderate.

Diana's mother is told that her daughter died and her grandson is being held hostage. She is upset, naturally.

Ángel pays a coyote to take him, Lola and Marcosito across the border to Mexico and they end up at Tiberio's place in Tijuana. It's not the best hideout since the police know about it but maybe Ángel doesn't know that. Rodrigo and Andres go to Mexico and try to enlist the help of the local Mexican cop. He wants evidence that there was a crime and says he has to fill out paperwork and send it up the line for permission from his bosses, etc. Andres explodes. [In a more clever novela you could have the cop say to Rodrigo, "Badges? I don't care about your stinking badges..." (See here for Wikpedia entry on this quote/misquote/parody.]

In yet another example of wasting the dramatic potential of a scene, we cut to Vicky and Soledad sitting in a cafe having coffee. Moreover, this cafe seems to be a totally different place than the wilderness where the girls were wandering. There are green lawns, lots of cars, palm trees. Whatever. Vicky and Soledad declare that they are soul mates, best buddies after their terrible experiences together. Soledad wants Vicky to stay with her but Vicky doesn't want to be reminded about what happened and after a lengthy and tender farewell, she hitches a ride with a trucker and is gone.

That was about it. I didn't get a chance to see Flor Salvaje so I'll have to pass on that one. Over to you. (Oh, and thanks for the nice words about my recap, Hombre. I am not nearly as good at doing funny clever ones as some others but sometimes the material is just a gift.)

A ustedes...

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Saturday, November 12, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, week of 11/14/11: Discuss amongst yourselves

¡Hola amigos! Como siempre, voy a empezar con mi novela preferida, Las familias sin suerte:


LA CASA DE AL LADO – as of Friday


Who is Anderson Chuncler? --or-- The Trail of the Red Herrings

Earlier this week:

It’s Adolfo!
In Ismael’s hideout, a snapshot of Ismael himself and “Anderson Chuncler” falls out of a copy of La Casa de al Lado.

(Also let’s not forget: it was Ismael who many months earlier was reading And Then There Were None, the Agatha Christie murder mystery that was such an inspiration to our psychos. Could “Leonardo” have secretly been writing his own homage to the Christie classic during the hours he was confined to his room, supposedly motionless?)

No ... wait ... it’s Javier!
We learn of Javier’s secret journals, those green-bound volumes recording, in exhaustive detail, everything about his family and the Condes – rich source material for La Casa. Not only that, he has taken to closeting himself in the study where he consults these journals and writes and writes ... something.

Or ... is it Ignacia? Or Ig’s shrink?
The sequel to La Casa, Condenados, has just appeared. One copy was delivered to the public library and Emilio and Ignacia have begun reading it. They make a troubling discovery: the dedication is a transcript of Ignacia’s recurrent nightmare, the one where she wakes up terrified because someone close to her is about to kill her. You were never faithful to anyone ... not even to yourself. Who knows the dream script? Ignacia does. And so does her psychiatrist, a woman we haven’t seen on camera for a while.

Last night:

Emilio is puzzled by what he has read in Condenados so far. Unlike La Casa, which describes recognizable occurrences in the lives of the Condes, this new book talks about things which have never happened. Maybe, suggests Sebastián, this book is talking about what is going to happen. Uh oh. In the new book there are three siblings. And the oldest sister is going to die...

A sweaty, creepy kind of guy we’ve never seen before tells a black-gloved figure that the first copy of Condenados has been delivered to the library. Now what are they going to do with the other nine copies?

We see a shadowy figure slipping into the Casa Conde (the big house, that is) in the dark of night and leaving another copy on what is now Javier’s desk, next to his copy of La Casa. And we see Javier’s surprise at finding it there in the morning.

And then we get a little jolt which leads us to wonder ... could the writer be the new age nerd, Sebastián?
We see Dr. Reasonable wake up still wearing his street clothes – he seems to have fallen asleep on the couch. And on the table in front of him is a copy of Condenados as well as several notebooks filled with hand-written entries. (The herring trail is pointing to Sebastián. Is he really involved? Interesting. That would make each and every one of Pilar’s suitors evil and/or insane. No exceptions. None.)

Later on at the office Hilda is futzing around her boss’s desk and notices a snapshot of Sebastián with an elderly man (Mr. Chuncler, I presume). Nice picture, she says: Is that you and your dad? Her question appears to make Sebastián squirm.

Let’s check in with the Conde kids:

Carola pulls the old sneak-in-and-pop-up-in-the-backseat-of-the-car trick on Sebastián and persuades him to drive her to her bio-mom Carmen’s place. Carmen agrees to let Carola hide out there for now.

Carola fills Carmen in on Gonzaki – she’s not just suspicious of him, she is certain he’s Iñaki, the worst man in the world, the person behind all her family’s suffering and the person who framed her by planting drugs in her bag.

Against Carmen’s better judgment, Carola puts on a pair of lentes oscuros and a gorra (not exactly an invisible cloak, but they will have to do) and heads out to do some detecting. She has to find proof of Gonzaki’s guilt.

She’s convinced that Ismael’s old girlfriend, Lidia, can help her. You remember -- Lidia’s the one who was run over and nearly died the last time she talked to the Conde girls. Yes, Lidia is back in Miami, she is told by a waitress where the girl used to work; she doesn’t want to be found; and she certainly wants nothing to do with Carola or Ignacia. (And who can blame her? Has anyone been involved with these women and come out unscathed?)

Ignacia accepts Javier’s deal. She agrees to abort her pregnancy if he’ll return the house to Renato. How does she know he’ll do what he promises? She has his word!

Emilio poses for the Silver Boys website. Since he’s wearing a cute little mask over his eyes, no one will recognize him. Right. Meanwhile Yolanda trucks on over to Silver Boys headquarters to see what kind of service the business provides. Unlike innocent Hilda, Yolanda seems to recognize – and be scandalized by -- the product they are selling.

As for the rest of the gang:

Adolfo is off-stage at the moment -- everyone but Mabel and Ignacia thinks he’s dead. Or so it seems.

Gonzaki keeps up the pressure on the cops to hunt down Carola Conde.

The Ghost of Igor Mora keeps up the pressure inside Gonzaki’s head.

Pilar tells Gonzo the move to the new house will have to wait. (As Alex pointed out yesterday, this probably comes as an enormous relief to Gonzaki.)

She is undaunted by Javier’s ever more shameless threats and posturing. She is going forth with her charges of domestic violence against him. Gonzaki helps her prep for her first appearance before the judge. It’s a shame Rebeca can’t testify, says Pilar wistfully – she would have made a compelling witness.

Rebeca is still Javier’s captive – or maybe we should think of her as being in protective custody? He keeps taunting. Her eyes keep haunting. (And I keep hoping that she’s going to pull a “Leonardo” – that she is secretly recovering some mobility and at the right moment will use it to escape.)

And lastly there’s Hilda. She’s going to need a new job since Sebastián’s regular secretary is coming back to work. (Will Hilda leave the flat screen in the office? It’s probably too large for her room in the pensión where we (finally) learn she is living.) Is her glimpse of Sebastián’s snapshot with his “dad” going to have unpleasant consequences?

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Ahora te toca a ti --

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Saturday, November 05, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of November 7, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

¡Hola a todos! Welcome to the wacky world of Telemundo novelas.

Empezamos con Mi Corazón Insiste, capítulo de viernes:

Another episode where not much happened and what did happen was silly.

There was silliness in the hospital between Sofía, Camilo and some of his ex-girlfriends.

Rodrigo's boss tells him to stop investigating people like Diana and Andres' former lawyer. The lawyer filed a complaint saying that Rodrigo harassed him. Rodrigo says ok but the next thing we know he is at Diana's mother's house disguised as a guy from the electric company trying to get information about Diana from the mother and the kid. He finds a picture of Diana graduating from Harvard. But this is all totally unnecessary: Diana applied for a job at Exportex. Andres was impressed by her qualifications so presumably he has a resume that details all her education and previous employment.

Andres strong arms his ex-lawyer and gets him to confess to Lola that he disobeyed Andres' instructions by telling her that he was filing a custody suit. Lola and Andres establish a truce. Lola agrees to let Andres see Chabelita if he keeps Diana out of Chabelita's life and Andres asks that she do the same with Ángel.

More bonding between Andres and Diana's kid. Andres tells Marcosito about his daughter and invites him over to meet her. Lola is annoyed that Andres has brought Diana's kid to her house but she seems moved by the heart to heart conversation Andres is having with the kid about life and love. The grandmother notwithstanding. I see this kid ending up with Lola and Andres at the end of the novela.

Ángel is angry when he comes to check on Felix and the prisoners. Felix asks what is going on and Ángel reveals to Felix that he has another person working for him who has p*ssed him off. Felix is surprised and wants to know who it is.

Then for some reason, Ángel brings Diana to where he is holding Vicky and Soledad and introduces her to everyone and specifically tells Vicky that Diana is the person who killed her daughter, Débora.

I think that was about it. I didn't get to watch Flor Salvaje last night so I'll leave that to Novelera is she is so inclined.

Over to you.

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Saturday, October 29, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Halloween Week: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

¡Hola a todos! Since every day is Halloween at la casa de los Conde, it’s fitting to start our conversation in everyone’s favorite haunted house:

LA CASA DE AL LADO – viernes

Those Fabulous Mora Boys, Iñaki and Ismael, were each left in a cliff-hanger on Thursday. What happened last night?

Well, in Ignacia’s taller, with Gonzo’s portrait looking on, Ismael waves a gun in Javi’s face. As usual, when confronted with real danger, Javier melts into a sniveling, mewling pool of cowardice. To the rescue – an unlikely hero! Nibaldo slips in unseen and conks Ismael over the head, knocking him out cold. [There’s no shortage of blunt objects on Telemundo sets, is there?]

Javier won’t let Nibaldo call the police – he plans to exact his own justice. Traeme una cuerda (Bring me some rope), he tells Nibaldo.

Somehow the new team of Javier and Nibaldo (not quite Batman and Robin) manages to get Ismael back to the house and lock him in Leonardo’s old room, painfully hog-tied, his mouth sealed with duct tape. But the getaway isn’t clean. Ignacia catches sight of Javier locking the door. What were you doing in that room? she asks suspiciously.

He half-drags her back into her bedroom and ravishes her saying: Quiero que celebremos tú y yo el hecho de que no hay nada de temer. (I want us to celebrate – you and I – the fact that there’s nothing to be afraid of.)

Later, when Javier is sleeping fitfullly, Ignacia slips out and tries the door across the hall. It is securely locked.

Thursday, we left Gonzaki in the driver’s seat with Omar trying to overpower him from behind. Omar grabs the wheel, the car swerves and comes to a stop. Gonzo is slumped in his seat. Is he hurt? Is he ... dead?

Omar gets out of the car; Rebeca gets out too, leaning heavily on him for support – she still can’t walk by herself. Omar reaches cautiously into the front seat and to Rebeca’s relief, extracts Gonzo’s cellphone from his jacket pocket. But Gonzo suddenly kicks out, catching Omar off-balance and knocking him down; then Gonzo sets on him, pummeling him over and over. He has him in a chokehold while Rebeca looks on, helpless and horrified. Omar breaks free and starts to run – only to be shot in the back!

Gonzo leaves Omar’s bloody body prone on the ground and grabbing Rebeca by the hair, he drags her back to the car.

Pilar brings Sebastián to Diego’s bedside in the hospital so he can begin his initial diagnostic session. She also tells him unequivocally that Gonzo is the man she loves, the person she plans to spend her life with. But when she gets home, she replays uneasily what Gonzo said to her earlier: Pilar, vete, vete lejos – huye de mí. (Go far away – flee from me.) I’m not who you think I am!

Karen, who has returned from her tryst with Nibaldo early enough to see Pilar come home, then watches her go out again.

Carola is dying for a drink so idiot Emilio escorts his alcoholic little sister to a club for a trago – his treat! When Carola steps away for a moment, a well-dressed woman in her 40’s sidles up to Emilio and startles him by asking: ¿Cuál es tu tarifa? (What’s your price?) Emilio, both embarrassed and flattered by the proposition, tells her gently that that’s not his thing. Too bad, says the lady: Con ese cuerpo y ese rostro, serías millonario. (With that body and that face, you’d be a millionaire.)

He remembers those words later when he is trying to figure out how he will pay for the expensive treatment the doctors have recommended for his poor, (and still nameless) baby girl – daily growth hormone injections.

When Gonzo stumbles back to his apartment, frazzled and filthy from his latest excursion into madness and evil, he’s not prepared to find Pilar waiting for him and full of questions. He explodes at her and then apologizes and convinces her to come to bed. But later she has a vivid nightmare in which her beloved Gonzalo tells her he has murdered her daughter, Andrea – and now he’s going to kill her too. Pilar startles awake to find Gonzalo sleeping peacefully at her side.

The next day:
A cyclist happens upon Omar, still sprawled out and bloody on the ground. He calls for help.

The doorbell sounds at Casa Conde. It is Pilar and she is there to talk to Javier about Diego.

Upstairs, Ignacia spots Nibaldo lurking outside the locked bedroom door and she forces him to admit that Javier has Adolfo imprisoned within.

While Pilar and Javier are in the midst of one of their vicious arguments – he has just said he’ll only participate in Diego’s therapy if she agrees to withdraw her domestic violence complaint – Ignacia comes flouncing angrily down the stairs, ready for a confrontation.

Now Pilar has just the ammunition she needs to get a unilateral divorce from Javier – he is living with the Igster! Javier denies that he is living with Ignacia and repeats that he will never, ever let Pilar get away: Hasta que la muerte nos separe. (Until death do us part). Pilar turns to Ignacia: Te compadezco (I feel sorry for you), she says and leaves.

A woman scorned – make that a double!
Ignacia runs back upstairs, pries open the locked door with a letter opener (or a chisel) and takes in the sight of Adolfo painfully tied and gagged on the bed. She removes the duct tape from his mouth and he sweet-talks her into setting him free, swearing that once she does so he will disappear from their lives forever.

Of course as soon as he is free, he pops up, and grabs Ignacia in a headlock. That’s your mistake, he tells her: Siempre confias en el primer imbécil que te promete algo. (You always trust the first fool who makes you a promise.) But people like me don’t keep our promises!

The DNA test:
Renato has decided to satisfy Eva by demonstrating that Fake Iñaki is really his son: he will get a DNA test. And he asks Gonzo to be in charge of testing. Gonzo makes a show of reluctance and even appeals to Mabel for help. Somehow, he’ll have to take the test too and then switch his results with Fake Iñaki’s. (Of course we don’t know for sure that Real Iñaki is truly Renato’s son.)

So Renato, Fake I and Real I all go to the clinic. Fake I leaves with Renato while Real I hangs back, has his own cheek swab taken and arranges for the results of both tests to be given to him and him alone.

Carola shows up at Sebastián’s office. Hilda explains that he’s not in yet and no, she hasn’t seen Omar either although he was there the day before. Oiga, says Hilda, are you guys, like, together? Before we can hear Carola’s answer, the cops arrive looking for Sebastián. There’s an urgent matter concerning Omar Blanco...

The problem with Diego
Pilar, Javier and Sebastián meet at the Ruiz house to discuss Sebastián’s initial diagnostic impression. Javier’s facial expression goes from smug and condescending to I can’t believe this is happening to me before the words are completely out of Sebastián’s mouth: Diego tiene problemas de identidad – tiene una clara tendencia a homosexual. (Diego has identity problems; he clearly has homosexual tendencies.) [Because come on, this is going to be all about Javier – it’s not possible that a son of his could be gay!]

Not dead. Yet.
Carola phones Gonzo to say there’s tragic news about Omar. What can I do about it if he’s dead? barks Gonzo nastily. And Carola replies: ¿Muerto? No, ¡está vivo! (Dead? No, he’s alive!) And no one can understand how he managed to survive the attack he suffered.

Will Emilio take up the world’s oldest profession?
Will Omar live?
Is Rebeca still alive in Gonzaki’s killing house?
Will Fake Iñaki pass his DNA test with the help of Real Iñaki?
Will Diego survive his horrible father now that Sebastián has planted doubts about the kid's sexual orientation?
Will Pilar take her doubts about Gonzaki seriously and get away before he harms anyone else in her family?
And now that Adolfo is on the loose again, what new mischief will he be up to?
Will Ignacia ever, ever get a clue? [Well okay, that last one was just a joke.]
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Ahora te toca a ti --

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Friday, October 21, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of October 23, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

¡Hola a todos! Bienvenidos á una semana nuevo de discusión de las novelas de Telemundo.

I'm running a little late today so I'll post this and do the recap of Corazón later. So over to you.


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Saturday, October 15, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, week of October 17: Discuss amongst yourselves

¡Hola a todos! Hope you’re all enjoying the weekend. We have another glorious, sunny fall day – my favorite time of the year.

La Casa de al lado – viernes

Okay. I admit it. I was faked out by Thursday’s teaser scene of Ignacia waiting in the shadows of her taller for ... Ismael! Well it turns out that he’s stringing her along just as he was doing with Carola. She’s not so much his accomplice as his groupie. Don’t fail me, she begs him. He’s her last hope. Will he help rescue her family from ruin? Will he help save the house?

Rebeca, gagged and bound securely hand and foot, languishes in the sótano of the isolated house. And then with some effort she twists herself around and she sees it ... the body of the too trusting realtor, Ximena, hangs from the rafters! A creaking of a door, footfalls on the stairs ... Gonzaki, killer face in place, dumps the contents of Rebeca’s purse on the floor and removes her gag:
¿Dónde está? ¿Dónde está la maldita foto que encontraste en el banco?
Rebeca doesn’t know – maybe it fell to the floor in the bank vault. And after seeing Ximena’s body, she has lost all hope:
¡Mátame, te ruego Gonzalo, mátame!
And the monster replies:
No te voy a dar ese gusto.
Gonzaki cuts down Ximena’s body and carries it away. He leaves Rebeca to scream all she wants. No one will hear her.

Nibaldo begs Karen to let him spend one more night hiding in the Ruiz house.

Across the way at Casa Conde:
Despite Ignacia’s indifference, Emilio begins to tell her about Carola’s birth mother – she shouldn’t meet her! But before he can go any further, Hilda interrupts the conversation. She has agreed to take care of Diego over the weekend and she wants to say goodbye to Emilio before leaving the house. Emilio asks her to say goodbye to the baby too, but Hilda refuses to do so. She doesn’t say anything to Yolanda either.

Omar is still in the hospital and still in very bad shape but at least he can talk. And he repeats to his friend Sebastián what he told Carola: that he was attacked deliberately. The intended target was Sebastián himself.

The Ruiz family, minus Diego, is having one of their angry family dinners. Andrea gets banished from the table for asking where Diego is. (Is that why she’s such a skinny marink?) Pilar stands her ground. Her son is somewhere safe, she says. Dare to put a finger on Diego, she tells Javier the Jorrible, and I’ll kill you!

Javier heads to Gonzalo’s apartment where he has guessed, correctly, that Diego is hiding. Perhaps Hilda hesitates to open the door. But then she remembers she’s in a telenovela and that’s what she has to do.

So Javier strides right in and spewing soul-killing sarcasm, he heads right for Diego. Diego runs away and locks himself in a bedroom. But now Hilda remembers she’s there to protect Pilar’s boy and that’s what she’s gonna do. She gets right in Javier’s face and tells him to leave or she’ll call the police. (Go Hilda!) And leave he does.

Hilda’s image is further rehabilitated when we overhear a conversation back at the Casa Conde. Carola tells Emilio that the baby is fussy because she senses Hilda’s absence – their daughter needs Hilda and so does Emilio.

Gonzalo is back in the office. Priscilla, the clerk who attended Rebeca in the bank, wants to return something Rebeca dropped on the floor. Gonzalo, Rebeca’s trusted associate, is happy to accept the envelope on her behalf.

Once the bank clerk is gone, Gonzalo opens the envelope and discovers the missing photo inside – the three brothers! Oh man. Did Rebeca’s luck just run out?

Ignacia interrupts Gonzo’s reverie. She wonders if they should look for Adolfo – maybe he could help save the Conde house. (Has Ignacia ever told the truth? To anyone?) Gonzalo explodes at her: He forbids her to look for Adolfo – why he’s at the root of all the Condes’ problems!

Sebastián catches up with Pilar to share his suspicions: Javier was behind the attack meant for him that left his friend fighting for his life in a hospital bed. Pilar is unsurprised (and not all that sympathetic). Besides, she has her own tsuris: her sister Rebeca has disappeared. What? Sebastián just saw her yesterday with Gonzalo in the office:
Rebeca got a phone call; Gonzalo got upset and followed her; and Sebastián heard snatches of Rebeca’s conversation about “una prueba concreta” at precisely 2:30. He’s sure of the time because he was talking to Omar on his own cell at that moment.

Renato meets his fake son, Iñaki, and insists he wants to introduce him to the family. Fake Iñaki can’t lie his way out of this and calls Mabel to tell her things are spinning out of control.

Emilio realizes he left his phone at the home of Carmen, Carola’s birth mother. He calls and arranges to come by and pick it up. Carmen’s not happy about this – she’d much rather get Emilio’s address and deliver the phone in person. But Emilio leaves her no choice. He shows up a while later, claims his phone and leaves. He doesn’t notice that Carmen follows him...

Carola has started thinking again about looking for her birth parents but now she can’t find the information she got from the adoption agency. Ignacia, quite meanly, tells Carola that she should ask Emilio. He’s already located Carola’s mother and talked to her. Says Ignacia oh so innocently: He really didn’t say anything to you?

Pilar gets a call informing her that Rebeca’s car was found in front of the bank. She calls Gonzalo to tell him about it. He, naturally, wants to take charge of things. Against his wishes, Pilar heads to the bank, as does Gonzalo. Once again, he tries to get rid of her, saying he can deflect questions about Rebeca’s criminal activity.

Gonzalo is even unhappier when Sebastián shows up, especially when Sebastián proposes they study the security tapes -- maybe they can see what was actually in the safe deposit box.

Gonzalo gnashes his teeth as everyone peers at the grainy footage. They see Rebeca removing a paper. The time stamp reads 2:45.

Back at Casa Conde:
Yolanda is in the kitchen preparing lunch and catching an episode of “Mi Corazón Insiste” when she has an unexpected visitor: Karen. Karen thinks maybe Yolanda and Nibaldo shouldn’t throw away twenty years of marriage just like that. (I hope Yolanda tells her “no backsies”.)

Carola is furious with Emilio for going to find her birth mother without her permission. But before Emilio has a chance to defend himself, the lady herself shows her face: I’m the woman who brought you into this world, Carmen tells Carola. I’m your mother.

Another Adolfo – Ignacia tryst in the taller. Ignacia repeats the story that master criminal Rebeca has left the country. Adolfo wants Ig to find out exactly what she did before leaving. Ig agrees on one condition: she wants Adolfo to give her a child. (The old-fashioned way? Hard to say with looneytunes Ig).

And back at the bank:
Gonzo runs out and Pilar pursues him. She wants to know two things: Who called Rebeca? And more importantly: why didn’t Gonzo mention the call?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bueno, ¡te toca a ti!

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Saturday, October 08, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of October 10, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

¡Hola a todos! Bienvenidos to another wonderful week on Telemundo. Just FYI, Telemundo has been advertising something called Confesiones de Novelas on Sunday at 6:30 EDT. It might be amusing.

I will recap the two Telemundo offerings I am watching:

MI CORAZON - viernes:

Débora accuses Ángel of killing her father. He feigns innocence. Débora then asks what Ángel knows about a beef between a cop and her father. Felix suggests that the police were after Ramon and he got careless.

Soledad has been left alone and doesn't know what is going on. She screams until Vicky comes. Vicky tells her that their plan to escape died with Ramon. When Vicky suggests that they escape on their own, Vicky replies that she has nowhere to go. They are all trapped.

Lola goes to see Andres. Earlier, Diana, had told Lola that Andres had not accepted her resignation and suggested smugly that it was because she had become too important in his life. Andres confirms that he is keeping Diana on in her job and protests that they only have a professional relationship but in vain. Lola says that she doesn't trust Diana and Andres replies that she hasn't given him any proof against Diana. Lola says that her final word is that Andres has chosen Diana over her. Andres replies that if that is the case, he won't go after her. They are over. (How many times is this?)

Much of the episode takes place at Lopez' memorial service at the police station. Rodrigo speaks, Adelita does too, but she breaks down and Lola has to finish for her. Uninvited guests are: Diana; Daniel and Débora dressed as a cop. I guess they don't have a height requirement for cops in LA. (Why is there a big picture of Benjamin Franklin in the room?)

In spite of being advised to give Adela some time, Daniel tries to comfort her at the service. She tells him to leave her alone. Later, Sofia tells him that it is hard to compete with a dead person - they are always perfect. She advises him to take it slow and try to be Adelita's friend first.

When Andres suggests that that Lola make a complaint of harassment to the police about the photos that Debora sent her of Andres and Diana in the restaurant, Lola replies that Diana was harassing Andres and she knows this thanks to Débora, the crazy person who has been harassing Andres his whole life.

Felix tries to force Vicky to tell him with whom Débora left her insurance policy. Vicky either doesn't know or she is much too smart to tell Felix knowing that it would be a death sentence for her and Débora.

When Diana leaves the police station, Débora follows her. Meanwhile, Ángel has an important appointment. When he arrives at where his appointment is, he sees Débora drive by following Diana. This seems like pretty clear confirmation that Diana is working for Ángel. When Diana gets out of her car, Débora runs up and starts shooting at her.

FLOR SALVAJE- viernes:

Rafa gets taken to prison. He meets with his lawyer who advises patience. Rafa can't believe that he could be detained on the declaration of a prostitute. Mariano takes great satisfaction in putting him in a nasty little cell saying that after the incident with Rocío, he is being watched by the Governor and can't play favorites anymore.

Catalina leaves Raimundo's house and asks him to tell Sacto that she is waiting for him at 'their' hacienda.

It's party time at Rafa's hacienda. Catalina is on a tear. She throws out all Rafa's stuff, tells the staff that she will be a gentler and kinder boss. She tells Luisa that Rafa won't be coming back and she will hire lawyers to get her lands back.

Sacto and José Maria are out looking for Pablo's body. They find blood and evidence that something was dragged but that is all.

Flor is still inconsolable over Pablo's presumed death. The priest is making his regular visit to Nueva Esperanza Zahra and Olga meet him at the boat and ask him to help Flor.

José Maria tells Raimundo that he and Sacto are like brothers because they both are devoted to justice. He wonders how anyone could abandon a child like Sacto was abandoned. Raimundo tells José Maria that he believes that Sacto is his son. Raimundo also tells José Maria that there is no way to prove that Sacto is his son but as a doctor, JM presumably knows about DNA testing.

Correcaminos gets word that her grandmother has died. Now we find out that she has a son and he is heading for Nuevo Esperanza. Correcaminos has barely seen the child since he was born and doesn't know how she can raise him in the Calle de Consuelo.

Malicia tells Enrique that she has a new guy - Pirruetas. Pirruetas is wonderfully obnoxious to Enrique about his triumph. He takes Malicia to bed with him. Enrique, meanwhile, tells his uncle that he he believes that Malicia didn't leave him on her own initiative. He says that he isn't going back to the Capital.

Catalina tells Sacto that he is going to live with her and be her right hand man in charge of the oil business and running the hacienda. Sacto tells Catalina that he isn't going to be her kept man.

The priest tries to comfort Flor but she says that all she needs is hate and resentment to give her strength. That is all she has until she dies.

Mina thinks that Malicia is sleeping with Pirruetas to get the main role in the novela.

Flor borrows a gun from Rocío. She goes to the prison and demands that Rafa tell her where Pablo.

Over to you.

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Friday, September 30, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of October 3: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

¡Hola a todos! Here’s a fresh page for chatting about the primetime shows on Telemundo: Mi corazon insiste, Flor salvaje and La casa de al lado.

It’s all yours!

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Saturday, September 24, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of September 26, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

¡Hola a todos! I can't believe it's already the end of September. Below are recapettes of Friday's episodes of Mi Corazón Insiste and Flor Salvaje. Now over to you.

MI CORAZÓN INSISTE - viérnes

The big news is that Lola and Ándres got together. The bad news, of course, is that they pledged never to let themselves be separated again, which, unless it is happening in the gran final means trouble is coming for the couple. Still no últimas semanas.

The happy night of passion was orchestrated more or less by Adelita, Etelvina and the staff in Lola's house along with Camilo. But, as Lola and Ándres were passionately kissing silhouettes in the window, Débora was outside in disguise watching them. She curses them and Ándres actually hears her but fortunately, it didn't quell their desires.

Otherwise, Ándres gets Ramon to make what we call in the law business, 'statements against interest,' that is, Ramon more or less admits that he knew that Débora killed Marcelo and kidnapped Soledad.

Later, Ramon arranges to send a message to someone by an inmate.

Camilo tells Andres that he will be divorced from Débora in 15 days.

Vicky is a very sympathetic jailer to Soledad. Soldead urges Vicky to set her free but Vicky explains that she'd like to but she is afraid of Ángel.

Ángel sees Felix's mug shot at the police station and warns him that the police are looking for him.

Débora tries to cry on Ángel's shoulder after seeing Andres and Lola but he is not sympathetic and tells her that she is completely crazy.

Adelita invites Lola's and Andres' friends to a morning after breakfast party where Andres proposes to Lola.

I think that was about it.

FLOR SALVAJE - viérnes

José Maria goes to see Rafael to get his support to move against Mariano because of what he did to Rocío.

Mariano is threatening Malicia about what happened with the painting when Piruetas interrupts. Piruetas tells Malicia that he loves her and doesn't want her to end up like Silvia, dead in the river. Malicia tells him to stay away from her basically for his own protections.

Frigida finds Rocío and Antonio in José Maria's room. She draws the worst possible conclusions but Raimundo says that if José Maria brought Rocío there, he must have had a good reason.

Pablo and Sacto are by the river. Pablo tells Sacto how his wife tried to tell Rafa the truth about him and Amanda but Rafa misunderstood. Sacto urges Pablo to take his family and get out of town before the truth comes out. Pablo replies that he is nothing without Amanda.

Amanda is afraid of what Lucía might have told Rafa but Ana reports that all is quiet in the town.

Rafa brings José Maria to see the Governor. The Governor doesn't want to believe that Mariano would abuse his own sister.

Mariano searches the houses of the cuatro P's, brutalizes Piruetas and tells Zahra that he will punish her for every man that Rocío slept with. After they leave, Piruetas tells the girls that the knows where Rocío is.

Piruetas is explaining what happened with Rocio to the 4-P crowd when Amanda comes in. They freeze her out cold. Zahra says that she doesn't want Amanda in her house. Amanda leaves and the girls cheer. Later, Amanda breaks up the chicas having a celebratory drink and tells them to get to work. Amanda tells Mina that she wanted to work with Zahra but she is just giving back what she got.

While admiring herself with the dress Amanda wore to the party, Ana sees a veiled figure and runs away in terror. She tells the chicas that the ghost of Clara is after her.

The Governor orders Enrique released and apologizes to him for the mistake. Mariano's face when the Governor mentions that Enrique is the nephew of the owner of the paper, The Truth (La Verdad), was priceless. Enrique is gracious. "Dicen que la justicia cojea pero llega," They say that justice is slow but it comes, he tells the Governor. When Enrique is gone, the Governor tells Mariano that nothing like this had better happen again. He says that Mariano has been accused of abusing his sister. If he so much as touches her again, the Governor will dismiss him from his post.

Amanda doesn't want to talk to Pablo. Pablo says that he will tell Rafa everything. Amanda tells him not to do it. If he talks, Rafa will kill them both. Amanda says that she wouldn't mind dying for love but not for 'un-love.' She says that she hates him and tells him to take his family and go far away.

Frigida tells Lourdes that Antonio and Rocio are at her house.

José Maria comes home. He tells Rocío that thanks to Rafa, the Governor told Mariano to leave her alone.

When Amanda tells Rafa that she is getting some resistance from the girls to her new role as boss, he supports her but witchy little Ana tells Rafa that Zahra won't accept Amanda at all. [I'm rooting for the ghost of Clara to get Ana.] Rafa goes to see Zahra and tells her that he is throwing her out not only from the Cuatro P but also from her house, reminding her that it is his house. Zahra almost tells Rafa about Amanda and Pablo but Olga stops her.

Pablo tells Lucía that she has won. He will quit his job and go back home with her.

Catalina provokes Rafa so much that he tries to strangle her.

Flor wants to make the Cabaret Cuatro P into a class joint that the snooty upper class folks want to visit. Piruetas and most of the girls are in agreement.

Dudi gives Sacto the picture of Jesus that Amanda had entrusted to him before Sacto left town.

Amanda tries to make peace with Zahra but Zahra just drips venom and won't listen. Rafa and his men are throwing Zahra out of her house when Amanda shows up. Zahra curses her.

I didn't do the last part justice but I've run out of time.

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Saturday, September 17, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo – Week of September 19, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

A note to new readers: Jean and I set out a page each week to talk about the primetime novelas on Telemundo. Right now we’re following: Mi Corazón Insiste, Flor Salvaje and La Casa de al Lado.

How our page differs from most on CarayCaray:

1. The recaps are, for the most part, in the comments and not in the text above.
(One exception: whoever starts the week’s page has the option of putting that first summary in the text box. Since it’s my week and I’m watching La Casa de al Lado, I get to put my two cents worth in the text box today.)

2. Jean and I may be doing the posting but right now the most important and prolific writers on the page are Hombre de Misterio and Novelera. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know these are two of the very best writers around here – both of them literate and funny and always listening for interesting Spanish phrases or vocabulary to share. (Hombre has also shown a surprising flair for fashion commentary – check out his description’s of Lola’s sexy outfits in Mi Corazón Insiste. We may need to start calling him Hombre de Modo.)

3. Because we follow more than one novela in a single space, we try to remember to label each comment. That way, people can find what interests them and not get bogged down in the process.

4. And because we post on the weekend, the discussion begins with the previous Friday’s episode; it continues through Thursday’s episode with comments added each day. So, for example, a typical comment might begin –

La Casa de al Lado -- jueves

5. In this space we have been refining the art of the mini-recap or ‘recapette’, a brief review of each episode that acts as a springboard for conversation. Typically, a recapette fits in a single comment space though occasionally it spills over into a second comment.

So if you are enjoying any of the Telemundo programs and want to check us out, take a peek at the comments that are added each day in the course of the week. And of course we’d love to hear what you all have to say!
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La Casa de al Lado – viernes

Extreme birth control
Gonzalo slips into the cheap motel room, chloroforms Ignacia and does a horrifying Psycho number on studmuffin Pedro – no donation will be made tonight.

His knife is raised over Ignacia’s unconscious form but he’s distracted by a knock on the door. Ignacia is saved by the potatoes.

She wakes up hours later to find herself in bed with Pedro’s slashed and bloody corpse. She calls – who else? – Gonzalo. Gonzo races to her side, calls the police, plays attorney and supportive but disappointed spouse. Ig isn’t completely off the hook legally but she is finally free to go home.

Since Ignacia can’t remember anything, it’s easy for Gonzo to convince her that she may well be the murderer. Hey, she might have murdered Adolfo or Leonardo or whatever his name is. Ignacia is ... grateful.

Business as usual at la casa Ruiz
Javier is pretty cranky when he returns home from the fool’s errand Gonzalo sent him on. No one makes a fool of him. No one. He appears just after the still-traumatized Diego has asked his mother if she knows who abducted him. Diego is sent back to his lonely, scary room. Pilar is left to cower and simper.

The next morning Rebeca tries to resist Javier’s blandishments but it seems she’s just a girl who can’t say no.

Tres meses después
Hilda, still in Zacatecas, appears to be going into labor. (Why is she always alone in the Mexico scenes? Low budget or high art?)

Emilio shows signs of recovering his vision but without Hilda and his unborn child, he feels no joy.

Carola, despite Javier's braggadocio, is still smoldering and moldering in jail and still refuses to see her family. The good news: she should be nicely detoxed by now.

Opening Night
Ignacia has been fiendishly busy channelling all her angst into her art. Tonight she gets to show what she has accomplished. It is time for the opening celebration of her new exhibition. The usual suspects gather.

Despite Eva’s tart warning to stay away from Pilar, Gonzalo goes right up to his skittish neighbor and begs for a chance to talk. She refuses, saying she can’t trust herself with him.

Javier slimes over Rebeca. It’s clear that these two are back in their old groove. The new, improved Rebeca didn’t last very long.

Ignacia herself is like a quinceañera, basking in the attention and adulation of the crowd. But then Javier sidles up and reminds her that it was on precisely such an occasion that she first met Adolfo. She is suspicious – how could he know that? And now her bright night is clouded: her mind strays back to that earlier show when Adolfo introduced himself with a scribbled note on a cocktail napkin and asked a waiter to deliver it to her.

She is startled back to the present when a waiter hands her a note scribbled on a cocktail napkin: Estoy muy cerca.

She is instantly sure that Adolfo is back and runs out looking for him. But the only one she finds is Gonzalo. He pretends to be unconvinced – it can’t be Adolfo. But the truth is otherwise. He is also sure Ismael/Adolfo is back.

Las casualidades no existen
The camera shows a strange long-haired figure in a black shirt and green jacket sending an email from an internet café.

Rebeca gets a weird email message (ACh 611938 it says) and no one knows where it came from or what it means.

Karen hears a noise in the house and finds a chair overturned in the kitchen. A window upstairs is open.

Pilar finds a red rose under her pillow and no one in the house knows how it got there.

Javier denies sending Ignacia the note at the gallery opening.

He’s back.
The creepy email guy pulls off his wig and turns to face the camera: It’s Ismael.

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Saturday, September 10, 2011

El Mundo de Telemundo - week of September 12 - discuss among yourselves

¡Hola á todos!

Thanks for all the great comments. In particular, thanks to Hombre, Novela Maven and Novelera for helping me out with the phrase, 'Si pedir por fuera.' It seems like a handy phrase to know.

MÍ CORAZON: It seems like we ought to be getting near to últimas semanas with this one. We're up to 80 episodes so I suppose there are another 50 to go if it runs 130 episodes so maybe we're not that close.

After Tiberio obligingly tells Lola about all his property holdings and that Soledad is enjoying 'fresh air' in the country, she deduces that Tiberio is holding Soledad on his ranch in Tijuana.

It was very amusing to see Débora scared witless and deciding to make a run for it when she believed that  Ángel would rat her murderous plans out to Tiberio. Débora ultimately decides that she can't leave Andres. Her parents think that she is nuts.

Ángel claims that he doesn't believe Soledad's story about his mother Tamara. Later, Felix confirms the story for Ángel and now Ángel turns against Tiberio.

Rodrigo gets his cornea transplant and regains his sight. Everybody is happy.

Daniel turns his life around and is released from the clinic.

Tiberio is having bouts of excruciating pain. He won't tell anyone what is going on. He does unchain Soledad, though.

Ángel goes to see Débora. She tries to back off of her previous proposal but finally Ángel tells her that now he wants to kill Tiberio and become God or something. They hatch up a plan, which involves pretending to discover an illegal shipment of acetone in the name of Carlos Gonzales, aka, Tiberio Guzman.

FLOR SALVAJE-

Pablo succeeds in ending the workers' strike. Management's concessions are not good enough for Sacramento but the workers accept them. The sick worker, Fernando, is taken to the clinic in Timotes and promised his job back when he recovers. I gather that Peter, as company representative,  has basically overruled Rafael on the management of the workers.

Catalina's lawyers are played by the actors who played the priest and the doctor in Doña Bárbara.  They are non-commital about helping her divorce Rafael.

Zahra is still mooning over Rafael but she counsels Rafael to court Flor and she suggests to Flor that Rafael might be the one to make her happy. Flor is curious about what happened with Zahra and Rafael but Olga won't tell her.

Rafael offers to pay Catalina's lawyers to drop her case and then threatens them when that doesn't work.

Enrique and the girls of the 4Ps celebrate their victory. Zahra reminds them that they still have to get Rócio out of the asylum.

Lourdes, Mariano's witchy wife, decides to lead a decency campaign against the prostitutes in Nueva Esperanza.

Raimundo's son, the doctor, is on his way to NE.

Catalina seeks Peter's support saying that business would be a lot easier with her than with Rafael. She goes on a tour of the oil works and makes nice with the workers. Pablo picks right up on her making goo goo eyes at Sacto.

Rafael is given one of Ana's auction notices.

Piruetas is jealous of Enrique and Malicia. Enrique tells Malicia that he is worried about what Mariano will do. Malicia is nervous herself but won't tell Enrique why.

Mariano comes to see Rócio. He offers to take her home if she will express regret for what she did and love him (like a brother?) She spits in his face and he starts to strangle her, only being stopped by the asylum staff.

Rafael gives Flor a horse. She names him, Ángel.

Raimundo's son (I forgot his name), the doctor, comes home and it is the actor Pedro Rendón who played Efraín in Herederos and Carmelito in Doña Bárbara. [DB fans: I just noticed that it was Jencarlos Canela, Andres in Mí Corazon, who played Asdrúbal in the first episode of DB. I remember he was very good looking.]

Pablo takes Sacto to a secluded place to discuss who is taking the biggest risk in romance. Pablo claims that Cat is just using Sacto and he risks being dismembered like her previous lover, Alirio. Pablo says that Flor is different. She loves him and he has enough money to take her away from NE. Just then, both men see Flor and Urrieta riding together.

No novelas on Monday for the Miss Universe pageant they've been promoting, I assume.





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