Saturday, September 03, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of September 5, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
LA CASA DE AL LADO -- viernes
Gonzalo is frantic.
He is furious at Adolfo for kidnapping Renato. In spite of Gonzalo's objections, Rebeca has called the police to look into Renato’s disappearance. She openly challenges Gonzalo’s decisions and behavior. It seems...
...como si hubieras querido que Renato Conde no apareciera.
(...as if you didn’t want Renato Conde to be found.)
And further...
... como si estuvieras poniendo trabas en la búsqueda.
(... as if you were putting obstacles in the way of the search.)
[Does Rebeca have an inkling of the dark truth? Maybe not. She’s probably thinking Gonzalo is helping Renato find a safe place to hide just as she did.]
Meanwhile, Renato’s attempt at escape has been thwarted and he is chloroformed into unconsciousness, bound and gagged.
Gonzalo phones his brother and tells him exactly what to do next. We don’t hear what he says on the phone but we do see Adolfo dragging Renato away. Then we hear Adolfo taunting his father, Igor, saying that Renato got what he deserved. It doesn’t look good for don Renato.
A gentleman (maybe) caller:
Omar shows up at the Casa Conde looking for Carola. Ignacia hustles him off to her studio to try to pump him for information about Carola’s life outside the house. Omar is spooked when he sees a photo of Ignacia and Gonzalo (that’s my husband, Ignacia tells him) and remembers Carola showing him a phone photo of that same lumpen face and announcing that Gonzalo was her true love. Omar gets out of there fast all the while muttering to himself: She’s in love with her own brother-in-law!
Carola and Ignacia are more easily manipulated than Rebeca. Even so, when Ignacia shows up with another breathless update – Iñaki called her cell phone and threatened her -- Gonzalo realizes his little brother has made a fatal blunder, one that will bring the authorities right to their hideout.
Gonzalo bursts into the Conde home all the while reaming out Adolfo on the phone just as Marisol is on her way down the stairs and out the door.
This is an interesting moment: the crossing of two apparently unrelated malignant beings both too focused on their own dark plans to notice anyone else.
So what has Marisol been up to? (And hats off to Hombre – she sure seems to be Ricardo Merino’s sister!) She has handed the poisoned candy to Pilar:
Pilar’s social smile fades and her eyes narrow when Marisol’s generic compliment about her beautiful house segues into an off-balance rant about how some people cause others to lose everything and yet go unpunished. The open box of chocolates sits on the coffee table, untouched.
Marisol returns to the Conde house and engineers things so she is discovered in Emilio’s arms. Maybe she was hoping for Hilda, but it is Eva who walks in on them. Eva sends Marisol away by giving her the rest of the day off (I suspect there will be a little something extra in her next paycheck) and then gives vent to her great joy! Finally – we can get rid of Hilda!
Later we see Marisol dusting the piano in a house where all the furniture is covered with drapecloths. Her brother’s house. The neighbor lady stops by and is happy to hear that Marisol is planning to live there. Her brother, says the neighbor, is watching desde arriba (from above) and is surely happy too. Marisol answers:
¿Desde arriba? Ricardo no está muerto. Ricardo está tan vivo como tú o yo.
Oh ho!
Let’s follow the poisoned chocolate:
Javier comes home in a foul mood just having learned that Renato’s death was faked. Like Gonzalo, he assumes the trick was aimed at him personally. He roars at Pilar when she tries to suggest otherwise. He sits in front of the candy but ignores it and follows Pilar upstairs.
Diego also ignores the candy – he doesn’t like chocolate.
Once again, Hombre nailed it: it is Karen who can’t resist stuffing a couple of pieces in her mouth before going off to do the marketing. She comes home feeling weak -- but not too weak to stuff another piece in her mouth. The next thing we know, she is in the kitchen with a very bad bellyache. Andrea is hungry and completely unsympathetic. Have some chocolate! I shout at my television.
Karen is in her bedroom, pale and sweaty and doubled up with cramps.
Hilda and Yolanda get to play detective:
Hilda is emptying the garbage under the sink when she notices the baggie that Marisol left there earlier. A dark vial and a syringe. Is Marisol sick? Is she exposing them all to some illness? Yolanda will find out.
Yolanda takes the vial to a pharmacist friend. It’s not a medicine, he tells her. He’ll send it out to a lab. By tomorrow, they will know what it is.
How upset is Emilio by his marital woes?
Not very. He is sulking on his bed but immediately perks up at the news that Iñaki called Ignacia. They can track down the call from the cellphone itself and therefore the caller.
The same thought occurs to Gonzalo who by now he is nearly foaming at the mouth. Over Carola and Ignacia’s objections, he snatches the phone. But Emilio tells the girls not to worry – he can get all the info on incoming calls online.
The police have arrived at the Conde house. Thank goodness Gonzalo is there to take charge of things!
The last goodbye (of the evening):
Displaying his best Lt. Columbo technique, Gonzalo uses a handkerchief to retrieve his gun (now bearing only Carola’s fingerprints). He makes his way to the hideout. He and Adolfo argue. Gonzalo reproaches his brother for all his mistakes while Adolfo whines that he gets no respect, that Gonzalo thinks he’s so superior... Well he’s not!
While Adolfo is whining, Gonzalo is stealthily pulling out and donning a black glove.
We all have a limit! screams Adolfo.
And Gonzalo replies: You’re right. We all have a limit. And I’ve reached mine.
Gonzalo aims and coolly squeezes the trigger. Adolfo takes a hit in the belly. He falls to the floor.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Who, as of Friday, September 2, is the most loathsome character on this show?
1. Iñaki, alpha psycho. We saw him kill one of the few sympathetic characters, Matías. Last night we saw him shoot down his little brother, Ismael... well ok. maybe that one was a public service. But he also killed the only ‘good’ Mora brother, Ivan. He probably ordered Renato Conde’s execution, although we don’t know for sure what has happened to Renato. Everything Iñaki says is a lie. Everything.
2. Ismael, beta psycho. See above. Operates like a slick sociopath when he’s on his own but dissolves into a petulant pre-adolescent when his big brother is around. May already be dead.
3. Javier, bully, narcissist and thief. Murders the dreams and spirits and breaks the backbone of those around him. May not literally be a murderer though.
4. Marisol, the new kid on the psycho block. Marisol’s intended victim is Pilar but she seems unconcerned about collateral damage. Too bad Javier isn’t a chocoholic. Karen is the first victim of – if not death, then very very bad bellyache by chocolate.
5. Eva Spencer, domineering, unfaithful, cold. Uber snob. Last night she was glad to find Emilio and Marisol in a clinch. Time for a little “I told you so.” She has never trusted Gonzalo. Is this because it takes one to know one?
6. The despicable Conde Kids. Their indiscriminate lechery makes them easy prey for loathsome characters 1, 2, 3 and 4.
-- Carola is a druggie and a drunk and gets a special kick out of seducing her sister’s men.
-- Emilio is a lazy, whoring voyeur who is too dumb to know you don’t walk away from your gambling debts unscathed.
-- And Ignacia is a drama queen, the diva in the opera playing in her head.
7. Pilar. So hard to watch the bug-eyed, grimacing victim returning over and over to Javier’s smirking abuse. Psychologist, psychotherapeutize thyself! Did she really do something bad to Ricardo Merino?
8. The servidumbre. Nibaldo lurks. Karen is openly dishonest. The two were cheating on Yolanda. Is Yolanda as innocent as she seems? Is it a sin to be a yenta?
9. Hilda’s innocence has been replaced by resentment which, while justifiable, is less than appealing. Rosa Munita Yen didn’t have to work up much of a sweat to get Hilda on her side. Save your soul, your skin and your baby and get out of that house!
10. Mabel Mora. After Igor had his devastating stroke in prison, she abandoned her little boys. Only Gonzalo was old enough at the time to remember her.
---------------------------------------
Here’s my (much shorter) list of the, if not exactly innocent, then most sympathetic characters of the moment:
1. Renato Conde. I still don’t really understand why he staged his own death. He was testing his not-so-trusted advisors. Maybe he wanted to escape from – and punish – the faithless Eva. He seems to have loved his children. I resist the idea that his kids became monsters because of his over-indulgent parenting. I’m not sure if I feel sympathy for the character or just for the actor who plays him.
2. Rebeca. Locked in a vicious and life-long competition with her half-sister Pilar, she shows up disposed to steal the affections of Pilar’s husband and kids; she sticks around long enough to displace Javier as Renato’s trusted advisor. But then she morphs into a sensitive and intelligent soul who cares about her sister and her niece and nephew; cares about Renato Conde and his interests; and loves and subsequently grieves for Matías.
3. Igor Mora. Helpless observer of the evil being done by his sons. Tries to warn the Conde kids about the Mora boys. Tries to help Renato escape.
--------------------
Your turn, folks.
Gonzalo is frantic.
He is furious at Adolfo for kidnapping Renato. In spite of Gonzalo's objections, Rebeca has called the police to look into Renato’s disappearance. She openly challenges Gonzalo’s decisions and behavior. It seems...
...como si hubieras querido que Renato Conde no apareciera.
(...as if you didn’t want Renato Conde to be found.)
And further...
... como si estuvieras poniendo trabas en la búsqueda.
(... as if you were putting obstacles in the way of the search.)
[Does Rebeca have an inkling of the dark truth? Maybe not. She’s probably thinking Gonzalo is helping Renato find a safe place to hide just as she did.]
Meanwhile, Renato’s attempt at escape has been thwarted and he is chloroformed into unconsciousness, bound and gagged.
Gonzalo phones his brother and tells him exactly what to do next. We don’t hear what he says on the phone but we do see Adolfo dragging Renato away. Then we hear Adolfo taunting his father, Igor, saying that Renato got what he deserved. It doesn’t look good for don Renato.
A gentleman (maybe) caller:
Omar shows up at the Casa Conde looking for Carola. Ignacia hustles him off to her studio to try to pump him for information about Carola’s life outside the house. Omar is spooked when he sees a photo of Ignacia and Gonzalo (that’s my husband, Ignacia tells him) and remembers Carola showing him a phone photo of that same lumpen face and announcing that Gonzalo was her true love. Omar gets out of there fast all the while muttering to himself: She’s in love with her own brother-in-law!
Carola and Ignacia are more easily manipulated than Rebeca. Even so, when Ignacia shows up with another breathless update – Iñaki called her cell phone and threatened her -- Gonzalo realizes his little brother has made a fatal blunder, one that will bring the authorities right to their hideout.
Gonzalo bursts into the Conde home all the while reaming out Adolfo on the phone just as Marisol is on her way down the stairs and out the door.
This is an interesting moment: the crossing of two apparently unrelated malignant beings both too focused on their own dark plans to notice anyone else.
So what has Marisol been up to? (And hats off to Hombre – she sure seems to be Ricardo Merino’s sister!) She has handed the poisoned candy to Pilar:
Pilar’s social smile fades and her eyes narrow when Marisol’s generic compliment about her beautiful house segues into an off-balance rant about how some people cause others to lose everything and yet go unpunished. The open box of chocolates sits on the coffee table, untouched.
Marisol returns to the Conde house and engineers things so she is discovered in Emilio’s arms. Maybe she was hoping for Hilda, but it is Eva who walks in on them. Eva sends Marisol away by giving her the rest of the day off (I suspect there will be a little something extra in her next paycheck) and then gives vent to her great joy! Finally – we can get rid of Hilda!
Later we see Marisol dusting the piano in a house where all the furniture is covered with drapecloths. Her brother’s house. The neighbor lady stops by and is happy to hear that Marisol is planning to live there. Her brother, says the neighbor, is watching desde arriba (from above) and is surely happy too. Marisol answers:
¿Desde arriba? Ricardo no está muerto. Ricardo está tan vivo como tú o yo.
Oh ho!
Let’s follow the poisoned chocolate:
Javier comes home in a foul mood just having learned that Renato’s death was faked. Like Gonzalo, he assumes the trick was aimed at him personally. He roars at Pilar when she tries to suggest otherwise. He sits in front of the candy but ignores it and follows Pilar upstairs.
Diego also ignores the candy – he doesn’t like chocolate.
Once again, Hombre nailed it: it is Karen who can’t resist stuffing a couple of pieces in her mouth before going off to do the marketing. She comes home feeling weak -- but not too weak to stuff another piece in her mouth. The next thing we know, she is in the kitchen with a very bad bellyache. Andrea is hungry and completely unsympathetic. Have some chocolate! I shout at my television.
Karen is in her bedroom, pale and sweaty and doubled up with cramps.
Hilda and Yolanda get to play detective:
Hilda is emptying the garbage under the sink when she notices the baggie that Marisol left there earlier. A dark vial and a syringe. Is Marisol sick? Is she exposing them all to some illness? Yolanda will find out.
Yolanda takes the vial to a pharmacist friend. It’s not a medicine, he tells her. He’ll send it out to a lab. By tomorrow, they will know what it is.
How upset is Emilio by his marital woes?
Not very. He is sulking on his bed but immediately perks up at the news that Iñaki called Ignacia. They can track down the call from the cellphone itself and therefore the caller.
The same thought occurs to Gonzalo who by now he is nearly foaming at the mouth. Over Carola and Ignacia’s objections, he snatches the phone. But Emilio tells the girls not to worry – he can get all the info on incoming calls online.
The police have arrived at the Conde house. Thank goodness Gonzalo is there to take charge of things!
The last goodbye (of the evening):
Displaying his best Lt. Columbo technique, Gonzalo uses a handkerchief to retrieve his gun (now bearing only Carola’s fingerprints). He makes his way to the hideout. He and Adolfo argue. Gonzalo reproaches his brother for all his mistakes while Adolfo whines that he gets no respect, that Gonzalo thinks he’s so superior... Well he’s not!
While Adolfo is whining, Gonzalo is stealthily pulling out and donning a black glove.
We all have a limit! screams Adolfo.
And Gonzalo replies: You’re right. We all have a limit. And I’ve reached mine.
Gonzalo aims and coolly squeezes the trigger. Adolfo takes a hit in the belly. He falls to the floor.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Who, as of Friday, September 2, is the most loathsome character on this show?
1. Iñaki, alpha psycho. We saw him kill one of the few sympathetic characters, Matías. Last night we saw him shoot down his little brother, Ismael... well ok. maybe that one was a public service. But he also killed the only ‘good’ Mora brother, Ivan. He probably ordered Renato Conde’s execution, although we don’t know for sure what has happened to Renato. Everything Iñaki says is a lie. Everything.
2. Ismael, beta psycho. See above. Operates like a slick sociopath when he’s on his own but dissolves into a petulant pre-adolescent when his big brother is around. May already be dead.
3. Javier, bully, narcissist and thief. Murders the dreams and spirits and breaks the backbone of those around him. May not literally be a murderer though.
4. Marisol, the new kid on the psycho block. Marisol’s intended victim is Pilar but she seems unconcerned about collateral damage. Too bad Javier isn’t a chocoholic. Karen is the first victim of – if not death, then very very bad bellyache by chocolate.
5. Eva Spencer, domineering, unfaithful, cold. Uber snob. Last night she was glad to find Emilio and Marisol in a clinch. Time for a little “I told you so.” She has never trusted Gonzalo. Is this because it takes one to know one?
6. The despicable Conde Kids. Their indiscriminate lechery makes them easy prey for loathsome characters 1, 2, 3 and 4.
-- Carola is a druggie and a drunk and gets a special kick out of seducing her sister’s men.
-- Emilio is a lazy, whoring voyeur who is too dumb to know you don’t walk away from your gambling debts unscathed.
-- And Ignacia is a drama queen, the diva in the opera playing in her head.
7. Pilar. So hard to watch the bug-eyed, grimacing victim returning over and over to Javier’s smirking abuse. Psychologist, psychotherapeutize thyself! Did she really do something bad to Ricardo Merino?
8. The servidumbre. Nibaldo lurks. Karen is openly dishonest. The two were cheating on Yolanda. Is Yolanda as innocent as she seems? Is it a sin to be a yenta?
9. Hilda’s innocence has been replaced by resentment which, while justifiable, is less than appealing. Rosa Munita Yen didn’t have to work up much of a sweat to get Hilda on her side. Save your soul, your skin and your baby and get out of that house!
10. Mabel Mora. After Igor had his devastating stroke in prison, she abandoned her little boys. Only Gonzalo was old enough at the time to remember her.
---------------------------------------
Here’s my (much shorter) list of the, if not exactly innocent, then most sympathetic characters of the moment:
1. Renato Conde. I still don’t really understand why he staged his own death. He was testing his not-so-trusted advisors. Maybe he wanted to escape from – and punish – the faithless Eva. He seems to have loved his children. I resist the idea that his kids became monsters because of his over-indulgent parenting. I’m not sure if I feel sympathy for the character or just for the actor who plays him.
2. Rebeca. Locked in a vicious and life-long competition with her half-sister Pilar, she shows up disposed to steal the affections of Pilar’s husband and kids; she sticks around long enough to displace Javier as Renato’s trusted advisor. But then she morphs into a sensitive and intelligent soul who cares about her sister and her niece and nephew; cares about Renato Conde and his interests; and loves and subsequently grieves for Matías.
3. Igor Mora. Helpless observer of the evil being done by his sons. Tries to warn the Conde kids about the Mora boys. Tries to help Renato escape.
--------------------
Your turn, folks.
Labels: casa-lado, flor-salvaje, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, August 27, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of August 29, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
Hello from the disaster central - the Northeast. We had an earthquake on Tuesday and are now battening down for a hurricane. But back to the crisis-ridden world of telenovelas.
FLOR SALVAJE - viernes
Flor reunites with Sacto. He tells her that he never went far away. He tells her that he sent Pablo to Nueva Esperanza to give her the message that he doesn't care what happened with Urrieta and he never should have left town. He asks Amanda to marry him. Then he tells her that the postcards he sent were provided and written by Pablo. Amanda is impactada. She tells Sacto that it is too late. She can't marry him. Sacto concludes that Amanda has fallen in love with Urrieta.
Pablo meanwhile is having breakfast with Rafael and Catalina. He finds out that Rafael has a beef with Sacto. Rafael promises him a better position in the company. Catalina concludes that Pablo is a spy for Rafael. She decides that she has to go see Sacto and tell Rafael that she is going to Brigida's house to plan for the celebration of the Nativity of the Virgin. Rafael is suspicious of Catalina's sudden devotion to religion but he lets her go - warning her not to lie to him.
Pablo sees Amanda in town and gives her a cheery greeting. She attacks him for lying to her about Sacto. CC appears and warns them not to behave this way in public - someone might gossip to Rafael. Does Pablo want to join the "companía al descabezado" (headless company)?
Sacto is in a funk and Raimundo tries to get him to take his medicine. He gives him the advice of an old man: "Las mujeres de la mala vida sólo tren eso: ¡males a tu vida!" (The women of the bad life only bring one thing: bad things to your life.) Sacto says that he should know that already: his mother lived on 'Consolers Street' and she abandoned him right after he was born. Raimundo asks her name. When Sacto says that his mother's name was Penélope, Raimundo flashes back to an sexual encounter with her, which, in novela terms, is as a good as a DNA test showing that Sacto is Raimundo's son.
Amanda tells CC that Pablo lied to her. Pablo isn't traveling the world with a good job. He barely escaped death from malaria. When CC asks how she knows this, Amanda replies that she heard it from Sacto's own lips. CC is impactada.
Catalina, meanwhile, is trying to convince Sacto that Pablo has switched to Rafael's side. He won't believe it. She then tells him how, in his delirium, he confused her with someone else and kissed her. She puts her hand on his and Sacto looks uncomfortable. Catalina asks who the woman is. Then she gushes about how Sacto set her free from the dungeon and was so brave to face Rafael's wrath. Sacto says that she helped him too so they are even (a mano).
Brígida sees Catalina caressing Sacto's face and goes running to her husband who is looking at a picture of him and Sacto's mother, Penelope. She accuses him of turning her house into a bordello. He asks her how old she thinks Sacto is.
Amanda won't tell CC where Sacto is. When CC asks if she wants all the men for herself, Amanda replies that she is trying to save his life.
Rafael has called Enrique to his office to get publicity from the fact that his company is going to donate money to build a small hospital in NE with qualified medical personnel. He insists that Enrique take a picture of the 'chequezote' .
When Enrique is gone, Rafael tells Peter that he would like to put a bullet between his eyes. Peter changes the subject to the gossip in the bar that Rafael had sex with Zahra. Peter asks if Zahra is exclusive to Rafael like Flor. Rafael says to go ahead and try to get Zahra to have sex with anyone but him.
Zahra tells Olga that she threw Pablo out. Olga replies that Amanda is in love with Pablo and reminds her of the crazy things she did when she was love with Rafael. She also reminds Zahra that she has kept the reason that she and Rafael broke up a secret for many years. Only Olga knows what happened. Zahra tells her to leave it way it is: dead and buried.
Pablo gets into Amanda's room. She accuses him of lying to her about Sacto. He tries to defend himself but Zahra comes in, hustles him out, walks arm in arm with him on the street and makes him pretend to pay her. Malicia asks if Zahra is taking clients again. "Only with special clients," she replies.
Rafael tells Peter that he wants to promote Pablo in the company and get him in charge of the newly forming union so that it doesn't do anything management doesn't want.
Raimundo's daughter, Manuela, (and maybe Sacto's half sister) tells Sacto that he can trust her. He says that he wants to get out of the hacienda to find out what is going on. She agrees to help him.
Catalina tells Luisa that Sacto is the 'elegido,' the chosen one, who will kill Rafael for her.
Manuela give Sacto some of her older brother's clothes. Her brother is studying medicine in the capital. She notices that Sacto looks like her brother and even has some of the same gestures.
Amanda decides to leave town with her sisters. She says that Zahra told her to obey her or leave so she's leaving. Bebe actually speaks and says, "mala Amanda." Zahra comes in and reminds Amanda of all she has done for her and her sisters. Amanda goes to Clara's house without her sisters.
Pablo gets CC to arrange a meeting with Amanda. Sacto is in town and he finds CC. She is disgusted that he is only concerned with Amanda so he takes him to see her.
Amanda and Pablo reconcile at the river. Rafael comes to town looking for Flor and Ana tells her that Zahra kicked her out. CC takes Sacto to the river and shows him Pablo and Amanda kissing passionately.
I spend way too much time on this one. I will try and do a recap of Mi Corazon later.
Labels: casa-lado, flor-salvaje, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, August 20, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of August 22-26: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
LA CASA DE AL LADO
Let’s start by importing the terrific comment Hombre made last night on last week’s page:
I couldn't post earlier, because I spent the day at a bluegrass festival (it was fantastic!). But I just wanted to put out my suspicion (which is even more likely after tonight's show) that Gonzalo a) is the older brother to Ismael and Ivan, b) killed Rosa, because he's protecting Ismael, and felt Ismael was jeopardizing things by using Rosa, who was making lots of mistakes with Carola and Hilda. We definitely saw Gonzalo go out for a breath of fresh air and stay out for hours. And tonight Hilda said she thought Rosa was dead BEFORE Adolfo showed up. We also saw Adolfo be upset with Rosa's death. So Gonzalo as the third brother is more and more likely. Of course the Condes think the third brother is Javier. Hah!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As of Friday:
Emilio survives the beating but has “cortical blindness” which may or may not be reversible. Everyone assumes Adolfo/Ismael is responsible but the viewer knows it was one of the guys Emilio welched on in a card game.
Renato slips into the hospital to see Emilio. Emilio senses his presence and tells the family about it but they all think he’s imagining things.
This week Yolanda, fearing that Nibaldo has another woman, follows him to Renato’s secret apartment. Now three people -- Rebeca, Nibaldo and Yolanda -- know that Renato is alive; and Emilio suspects that he is.
Igor Mora has become a kind of oracle in the Conde house. Everyone goes to him for answers and his monosyllables speak volumes. The Conde kids now know the real names of the twins, that Adolfo/Ismael is malo, that Ivan/Leonardo was killed, and that the third sib is a brother. Ismael is desperate to get his father Igor out of there, dead or alive.
Ismael orders Hilda to kill Igor. If she refuses, Emilio will die. Hilda poisons Igor’s soup as instructed but doesn’t have the heart to feed it to him.
Hilda then witnesses a confrontation between Eva and Igor’s wife, Mabel, and hears Mabel say that Eva once tried to kill her.
Using the names Igor, Ivan and Ismael Mora, blind Emilio talks Ignacia through an internet search that reveals a 1976 photo of the Mora family: Igor and Mabel, an unnamed young boy, and twin baby boys, Ivan and Ismael. Hilda sees Mabel in the photo and recognizes her as the woman she just saw with Eva. She spills what she heard. Could the young boy in the photo be Javier?
Eva admits to Ignacia that she did try to kill Mabel but denies knowing anything about Mabel’s family.
Gonzalo’s speculative maneuver pays off and Conde stock rises dramatically.
Javier launches a smear campaign against Gonzalo denouncing him in the legal community for his personal and professional failings; as a result, several clients leave the firm. Javier tries to recruit Matías and Rebeca to a new firm he is starting.
Javier has also hired a detective (recommended by Matías) to follow Pilar and Gonzalo. The goal is to get rid of Gonzalo definitively. Meanwhile, Matías tells Rebeca about the detective. The two will approach him and try to neutralize him.
In the middle of all this Sturm und Drang, Matías declares his love for Rebeca and proposes marriage.
Pilar catches Ignacia in the process of trashing her office and realizes she was the one who destroyed it before. She stands tough in the face of Ignacia’s usual nasty threats. Then she tells Gonzalo – and he’s none too happy at the steely note in her voice -- that he’d better control Ignacia. She visits Javier and tells him what Ignacia has done.
Javier nearly chokes Ignacia to death and warns her to keep away from Pilar.
Pilar sees a picture of Rosa, now known to be Ismael’s accomplice, and realizes this is her patient “Cecilia”, the same one who claimed to be in love with Gonzalo.
Carola and Ignacia speculate that Javier could be the third Mora brother. Matías and Gonzalo agree it’s possible. Pilar is incensed at the suggestion: she’s been married to Javier for more than 15 years and it’s inconceivable that he could have a secret identity, unknown to her. Gonzalo is unhappy at her reaction. Does she still harbor feelings for Javier?
Later, the creepy Rosa Munita Yen is found murdered. (It’s actually Hilda, on her way to a meeting with Ismael, who finds her.) We know Ismael isn’t the killer – he’s actually distraught over her death. The viewer suspects that Gonzalo – looking more and more like the third brother -- is responsible.
Diego has a nightmare that someone is hurting him – Gonzalo!
Hilda asks Nibaldo to take her to see Rebeca. No, she doesn’t want to talk about divorce. She’s in deep doo doo and she needs a lawyer.
On Friday, there are some interesting developments:
1. Despite Javier’s dirty tricks, Conde stock prices hold and Gonzalo goes
into executive mode.
2. On the threshold of the Conde house, Javier overhears Matías referring to his role as the late Renato’s informant. Both enter the unlocked front door and argue heatedly, Matías denying and Javier accusing.
3. Meanwhile, Ismael has also entered the Conde house and gone upstairs where helpless Igor and blind Emilio are alone. He brandishes a hunting knife he seems to have borrowed from Julián in Alguien te mira. Igor Mora’s screams alert Emilio. (How does he know Ismael is there?) Then Emilio also begins screaming for help and Matías runs upstairs, Javier at his heels. Matías momentarily disarms Ismael and shouts for Javier to call the police; Javier stands frozen and does nothing. Ismael manages to break free, stopping briefly to thank Javier. As Ismael runs from the house, he bumps into Yolanda, just back with the groceries, and then is nearly run over by Gonzalo. Matías again catches up with him, wrestles him to the ground and shouts to Yolanda to call the police. Javier stands back and watches. Gonzalo gets out of the car...
In the next scene, the police arrive and arrest Ismael. Everyone but Javier gathers round while Gonzalo explains what happened and thanks Matías and Yolanda. Emilio credits Igor Mora with saving his life by alerting him to the unseen danger.
3. Matías again asks Rebeca to marry him and she accepts.
4. The Conde women are in a truth-telling mood:
Carola admits to the family that she’s in love with Ismael. And she knows he had nothing to do with the attack on Emilio because Ismael/Adolfo said so. (Of course he also told her he was responsible for Renato’s death so the viewer knows that Ismael is a liar, even if, in this particular case, he’s telling the truth.)
Ignacia admits to Igor Mora that her time with Ismael/Adolfo was the happiest period in her life.
Eva is cornered by Carola and Ignacia and says she’ll tell them the truth about Mabel. (We’ll see.)
Hilda admits to Nibaldo and Yolanda that she’s been meeting Leonardo/Adolfo/Ismael and doing things for him... that he asked her to poison Igor but she couldn’t go through with it.
5. Pilar gives Gonzalo an ultimatum: the Conde family or her. Meanwhile Diego, feeling guilty about deserting his sister Andrea, packs up his stuff and returns to the Ruiz house. When Pilar realizes he is gone, she follows him home. Smirking Javier walks in to find his picturebook family intact. He escorts the tearful Pilar up to the bedroom. He knew she’d come back to him, to his arms, her family, safety. He loves her and will take care of her for the rest of her life. He moves close and touches her face...
Pilar and Javier are naked in bed. He’s awake. She is ... unconscious? asleep? (dead???).
Gonzalo bursts in looking for Javier and comes upon this tableau... “Gonzalo ... por Dios” smirks Javier.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay. Your turn. Flor Salvaje? Mi Corazon Insiste?
Let’s start by importing the terrific comment Hombre made last night on last week’s page:
I couldn't post earlier, because I spent the day at a bluegrass festival (it was fantastic!). But I just wanted to put out my suspicion (which is even more likely after tonight's show) that Gonzalo a) is the older brother to Ismael and Ivan, b) killed Rosa, because he's protecting Ismael, and felt Ismael was jeopardizing things by using Rosa, who was making lots of mistakes with Carola and Hilda. We definitely saw Gonzalo go out for a breath of fresh air and stay out for hours. And tonight Hilda said she thought Rosa was dead BEFORE Adolfo showed up. We also saw Adolfo be upset with Rosa's death. So Gonzalo as the third brother is more and more likely. Of course the Condes think the third brother is Javier. Hah!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As of Friday:
Emilio survives the beating but has “cortical blindness” which may or may not be reversible. Everyone assumes Adolfo/Ismael is responsible but the viewer knows it was one of the guys Emilio welched on in a card game.
Renato slips into the hospital to see Emilio. Emilio senses his presence and tells the family about it but they all think he’s imagining things.
This week Yolanda, fearing that Nibaldo has another woman, follows him to Renato’s secret apartment. Now three people -- Rebeca, Nibaldo and Yolanda -- know that Renato is alive; and Emilio suspects that he is.
Igor Mora has become a kind of oracle in the Conde house. Everyone goes to him for answers and his monosyllables speak volumes. The Conde kids now know the real names of the twins, that Adolfo/Ismael is malo, that Ivan/Leonardo was killed, and that the third sib is a brother. Ismael is desperate to get his father Igor out of there, dead or alive.
Ismael orders Hilda to kill Igor. If she refuses, Emilio will die. Hilda poisons Igor’s soup as instructed but doesn’t have the heart to feed it to him.
Hilda then witnesses a confrontation between Eva and Igor’s wife, Mabel, and hears Mabel say that Eva once tried to kill her.
Using the names Igor, Ivan and Ismael Mora, blind Emilio talks Ignacia through an internet search that reveals a 1976 photo of the Mora family: Igor and Mabel, an unnamed young boy, and twin baby boys, Ivan and Ismael. Hilda sees Mabel in the photo and recognizes her as the woman she just saw with Eva. She spills what she heard. Could the young boy in the photo be Javier?
Eva admits to Ignacia that she did try to kill Mabel but denies knowing anything about Mabel’s family.
Gonzalo’s speculative maneuver pays off and Conde stock rises dramatically.
Javier launches a smear campaign against Gonzalo denouncing him in the legal community for his personal and professional failings; as a result, several clients leave the firm. Javier tries to recruit Matías and Rebeca to a new firm he is starting.
Javier has also hired a detective (recommended by Matías) to follow Pilar and Gonzalo. The goal is to get rid of Gonzalo definitively. Meanwhile, Matías tells Rebeca about the detective. The two will approach him and try to neutralize him.
In the middle of all this Sturm und Drang, Matías declares his love for Rebeca and proposes marriage.
Pilar catches Ignacia in the process of trashing her office and realizes she was the one who destroyed it before. She stands tough in the face of Ignacia’s usual nasty threats. Then she tells Gonzalo – and he’s none too happy at the steely note in her voice -- that he’d better control Ignacia. She visits Javier and tells him what Ignacia has done.
Javier nearly chokes Ignacia to death and warns her to keep away from Pilar.
Pilar sees a picture of Rosa, now known to be Ismael’s accomplice, and realizes this is her patient “Cecilia”, the same one who claimed to be in love with Gonzalo.
Carola and Ignacia speculate that Javier could be the third Mora brother. Matías and Gonzalo agree it’s possible. Pilar is incensed at the suggestion: she’s been married to Javier for more than 15 years and it’s inconceivable that he could have a secret identity, unknown to her. Gonzalo is unhappy at her reaction. Does she still harbor feelings for Javier?
Later, the creepy Rosa Munita Yen is found murdered. (It’s actually Hilda, on her way to a meeting with Ismael, who finds her.) We know Ismael isn’t the killer – he’s actually distraught over her death. The viewer suspects that Gonzalo – looking more and more like the third brother -- is responsible.
Diego has a nightmare that someone is hurting him – Gonzalo!
Hilda asks Nibaldo to take her to see Rebeca. No, she doesn’t want to talk about divorce. She’s in deep doo doo and she needs a lawyer.
On Friday, there are some interesting developments:
1. Despite Javier’s dirty tricks, Conde stock prices hold and Gonzalo goes
into executive mode.
2. On the threshold of the Conde house, Javier overhears Matías referring to his role as the late Renato’s informant. Both enter the unlocked front door and argue heatedly, Matías denying and Javier accusing.
3. Meanwhile, Ismael has also entered the Conde house and gone upstairs where helpless Igor and blind Emilio are alone. He brandishes a hunting knife he seems to have borrowed from Julián in Alguien te mira. Igor Mora’s screams alert Emilio. (How does he know Ismael is there?) Then Emilio also begins screaming for help and Matías runs upstairs, Javier at his heels. Matías momentarily disarms Ismael and shouts for Javier to call the police; Javier stands frozen and does nothing. Ismael manages to break free, stopping briefly to thank Javier. As Ismael runs from the house, he bumps into Yolanda, just back with the groceries, and then is nearly run over by Gonzalo. Matías again catches up with him, wrestles him to the ground and shouts to Yolanda to call the police. Javier stands back and watches. Gonzalo gets out of the car...
In the next scene, the police arrive and arrest Ismael. Everyone but Javier gathers round while Gonzalo explains what happened and thanks Matías and Yolanda. Emilio credits Igor Mora with saving his life by alerting him to the unseen danger.
3. Matías again asks Rebeca to marry him and she accepts.
4. The Conde women are in a truth-telling mood:
Carola admits to the family that she’s in love with Ismael. And she knows he had nothing to do with the attack on Emilio because Ismael/Adolfo said so. (Of course he also told her he was responsible for Renato’s death so the viewer knows that Ismael is a liar, even if, in this particular case, he’s telling the truth.)
Ignacia admits to Igor Mora that her time with Ismael/Adolfo was the happiest period in her life.
Eva is cornered by Carola and Ignacia and says she’ll tell them the truth about Mabel. (We’ll see.)
Hilda admits to Nibaldo and Yolanda that she’s been meeting Leonardo/Adolfo/Ismael and doing things for him... that he asked her to poison Igor but she couldn’t go through with it.
5. Pilar gives Gonzalo an ultimatum: the Conde family or her. Meanwhile Diego, feeling guilty about deserting his sister Andrea, packs up his stuff and returns to the Ruiz house. When Pilar realizes he is gone, she follows him home. Smirking Javier walks in to find his picturebook family intact. He escorts the tearful Pilar up to the bedroom. He knew she’d come back to him, to his arms, her family, safety. He loves her and will take care of her for the rest of her life. He moves close and touches her face...
Pilar and Javier are naked in bed. He’s awake. She is ... unconscious? asleep? (dead???).
Gonzalo bursts in looking for Javier and comes upon this tableau... “Gonzalo ... por Dios” smirks Javier.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay. Your turn. Flor Salvaje? Mi Corazon Insiste?
Labels: casa-lado, flor-salvaje, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, August 13, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of August 15, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
¡Hóla a todos! A new week begins.
MÍ CORAZÓN INSISTE viernes - This had to have been the shortest novela pregnancy ever! As we saw on Thursday, Lola decides to go to Panama to try and find traces of her mother. When did Soledad escape from Tiberio and presumably leave Panama? Lola must be at least 22, if she spent 4 years in an adult prison. It has to have been a long time ago so it is not surprising that she spends seven months showing Soledad's picture to people who don't remember her.
At some point, Tiberio decides to go to Panama, too, parking Soledad in the same whorehouse as the seemingly permanently strung out Adela. He follows her around and finally has someone give her some information about her childhood and passes on the news that Soledad killed Tiberio with the acid attack, the evidence of which is a tombstone.
Lola goes to the cemetery and sees the tombstone. Since Soledad presumably has a tombstone, too and Lola is sure that she is still alive, this doesn't seem like really strong proof that Tiberio is dead. Lola doesn't know what to think. She calls Etelvina and tells her that they are returning to LA. Right after that, her water breaks and Chabela, not being real, isn't much help. Tiberio is following and he takes her to the hospital where she give birth to a baby girl. She names her Isabel, in honor of her aunt.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo has been going to every town along the US Mexican border. He finally finds the security guard who used his ill-gotten gains to buy a taco stand but isn't interested in working there. We know this town is in Mexico because there are Mexican flags everywhere and Rodrigo puts on a sing-song Mexican accent. He pretends to be a cop to the disgruntled taco stand worker who blabs the whole story about how the guard was given the choice to accept money and testify falsely or be killed.
Andrés has adjusted to prison life and is teaching drawing and poetry writing, I think, to his fellow inmates. While he is manhandling a large piece of meat in the kitchen, he flashes back to the trial and the two murderers theory put forward by Camilo at the trial. At the time, he had rejected it because it seemed to incriminate Lola but now as he stabs the meat with both hands, he believes that there were two different people attacked Marcelo.
Andrés tells Camilo that this insight plus the new testimony by the guard will get him out of jail. [I'm not exactly sure how that helps. Showing that Marcelo had two assailants would only suggest that Andrés had an accomplice and I don't believe the guard saw who hit him. Of course, if the guard testifies that he was paid to perjure himself, that might cast doubt on Andrés' guilt.]
Andrés and a very business-coiffed Débora a have their usual argument about Lola. Andrés asks Débora to deposit some money in Rodrigo's account because he has spent all his savings searching for the security guard. Ramon is reluctant to do this and finally he points out to Débora the big disadvantages for both of them if Andrés gets out of prison.
Camilo is still coming on to Sofía without much success. We find out that Danny is in Amsterdam- the drug capital of Europe.
I think that was about it.
FLOR SALVAJE - viernes
We have the big initiation spectacle with Flor dancing with the support of the other girls. Rafi gets up and tells the rest of the crowd to look but not touch. This one is his alone.
La Trepadora, aka Rocío is back in town. Zahra asks why she is so concerned with Amanda's fate.
Meanwhile Clara swears that she will go after anyone who gets between her and Mariano.
Amanda's other older sister, Susanna, helps Olga in the kitchen, in contrast to the bitchy Ana. Their arguing upsets Beba.
Meanwhile Sacto is leaving town. He says goodbye to Amanda and then goes and frees Catalina and also buries the last bit of Alirio. Catalina's idea of revenge seems to be ripping up Rafi's shirts.
The father of Amanda & her sisters appears to have regrets about abandoning them.
Rocío asks Zahra not to let this happen to Amanda. Zahra replies that Amanda has no choice and is doing what she has to to protect her family. She says Rocío had a choice and came to the 4p's voluntarily to punish herself and that is why she doesn't have many customers.
Rafi takes Flor to her casita with it's own special colored light bulb. It turns out that Flor is not willing to 'cumplir,' go through, with her bargain. She uses her mother's herbal knowledge and drugs Rafi with the extract of a flower.
The reporter want Malicia to be his model. He tells her that he has never paid for sex. He only sleeps with a woman if they both want it.
Cataline gets help in leaving town from Raimundo who appears to be the husband of the snooty school mistress, Brigida.
The maid discovers that Catalina has escaped.
Rafi wakes up and figures out that Flor drugged him. He is about to get what he wants by force when he gets the news about Catalina.
Sacto stumbles upon a line of guys waiting to try and get work in the oil fields. When someone in the line pushes another one out saying that he is too old to work in the oil fields, impulsive Sacto demands respect for the aged and starts a big fight. Things are not looking too good for him until he is helped by another job seeker, a former sailor named Pablo Aguilar and José Luis Resendez makes his appearance in the novela.
Rafi brutally flogs the maid about where Catalina is. He finally figures out that if Alirio's remains are missing, it must have been Sacto who freed Catalina.
With Raimundo's help, Catalina gets to Timoteo. She is about to get a on a train to the capital when Mariano announces that the train won't leave unless she is found.
COMMENTS: I'm not sure what Amanda thought she'd gain if she drugged Rafi other than to make him angry and more likely to take what he wants by force. It's not like she can go anywhere.
Since Rafi is in the oil business, it wouldn't seem that working on an oilrig is not going to be a great way to for Sacto to stay away from him and Amanda. He was on foot. How far could have gotten from Nuevo Esperanza?
Over to you now.
Labels: casa-lado, flor-salvaje, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, August 06, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of August 8, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
I’m going to post the page so we can get the conversation going. I’d especially like to hear what everyone thinks of the latest primetime novela, Flor Salvaje. (I’m not sure I love the premise of the show, but I guess I’m still on the fence.)
In La Casa de al Lado, everything is spinning out of control for both the Conde and the Ruiz families. Adolfo is a terrorist who kills without a backward glance. Pilar finally breaks away from Javier the Jorrible but she may be done in by her own kids. Renato is not only on the brink of financial ruin, he is now on the brink of death. Matías and Rebeca are trying to put out fires but Adolfo and Javier may extinguish them before they get a chance to do any good. What a mess.
Mi Corazón Insiste: Sorry, I’m not watching this one.
Thanks to Hombre, Novelera, NJ Sue and Jean for all the great mini-recaps last week. (I have a hunch you have a lot of appreciative readers out there.)
In La Casa de al Lado, everything is spinning out of control for both the Conde and the Ruiz families. Adolfo is a terrorist who kills without a backward glance. Pilar finally breaks away from Javier the Jorrible but she may be done in by her own kids. Renato is not only on the brink of financial ruin, he is now on the brink of death. Matías and Rebeca are trying to put out fires but Adolfo and Javier may extinguish them before they get a chance to do any good. What a mess.
Mi Corazón Insiste: Sorry, I’m not watching this one.
Thanks to Hombre, Novelera, NJ Sue and Jean for all the great mini-recaps last week. (I have a hunch you have a lot of appreciative readers out there.)
Labels: casa-lado, flor-salvaje, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, July 30, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of August 1, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
¡Hóla a todos! Bienvenidos a agosto.
Flor Salvaje starts on Tuesday. I am going to check it out. I read that the lead actress in Flor, Mónica Spear, was the star of three successful novelas in Venezuela and has now signed an exclusive deal with Telemundo. Ya veremos.
After Herederos and Clon, my new standard for a novela is: does the story move along? I can take about anything else (not the hammy acting on Univisión) but an attractive, talented cast, a beautiful setting and a good initial idea are all worthless if the writers just put the story in a repetitive loop.
CORAZON- Andres exhibited an annoying schizophrenia in judgment. He refuses to believe any of the logical arguments that Lola makes to him about how pushing Débora down the stairs would have been totally against all her previous statements and actions but to no avail. Andres says that they are over. He never wants to see her agian.
Andres then finds out from the maid that Marcelo came to see Débora and that they had a terrible fight. He confronts Vicky and Ramón about this and he can tell that they are lying. He is unable to get the truth from them, however.
Lola tells Rodrigo that she didn't push Débora down the stairs and he says that he knows that she couldn't do something like that. Rodrigo tries to convince Andres but with no success. Meanwhile, Andres is all smarmy over Débora - gag.
The police question Marcelo about Verónica's murder but get nowhere. Rodrigo's boss tells him that he has learned from Interpol that Tiberio ran an operation that trafficked women for prostitution but then he disappeared and could be anywhere. He warns Rodrigo not to go after Tiberio without permission from Interpol. Right.
Marcelo shows up at Apolo's funeral and Lola tells him to get lost.
Etelvina tells Lola that Adela is sneaking out at night. Then Adela brings home a (used but low miles) Mini Cooper for her grandfather and claims that she bought it from her tips at work. Lola replies sarcastically that Adela couldn't even have made the down payment for a car like that from her tips.
Ramón, probably unwisely, taunts Marcelo about the fact that Tiberio won't take his calls.
Marcelo, I think, orders a hit on Rodrigo but it is unsuccessful. I think he kills or wounds one of the matones.
Lola inherits even more money from Apolo and Adela is jealous.
Camilo appears to be getting nowhere with Sofía but he is probably wearing her down. Andres finds out that Sofía is Camilo's love interest. Sofía asks Andres to help her do an intervention on Daniél and get him into treatment.
Soledad is still tied up and gagged in the pool supplies room.
That was about it. Over to you.
Labels: casa-lado, flor-salvaje, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, July 23, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of July 25, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
Hola, Telemundo fans. Last week we said goodbye – or maybe good riddance – to Herederos. One week from next Tuesday, we’ll be welcoming the latest primetime novela, Flor Salvaje. This August 2 debut is no accident. Univisión starts its latest 9pm/8C novela, La Fuerza del Destino, on that date as well. (Interestingly, La Fuerza’s protagonista, Sandra Echeverría, is a Telemundo actor – Jade, from El Clon) Clearly, they want us to pick a team. Me, I’m going to watch a few episodes of each and then decide...
Blog del Escritor
Telemundo definitely has some hidden treasures on its website. [And I do mean hidden. Have you tried navigating this thing?] Anyway, Telemundo has these little writer interviews tucked away among its “Videos Exclusivos de La Casa de al Lado”. Here are links to the three I found:
http://tinyurl.com/3fkjtzh
http://tinyurl.com/3mkzpq7
http://tinyurl.com/3mj3mz2
Boyishly engaging, wild-haired Chilean writer José Ignacio Valenzuela talks about his creative process and discusses his cinematic and literary inspirations for the novela. Among other things, he tells us:
He intends La Casa as an homage to Alfred Hitchcock.
He is a great fan of detective novels, especially Agatha Christie’s.
The culprit in La Casa is obvious from the beginning but presented in a way that throws the viewer off track. Well. That’s a challenge if I ever heard one. I’m definitely going to watch the first episode again to see if I can pick up on what I missed the first time around.
Oh, and since the story is loosely based on the Agatha Christie classic, And Then There Were None, here’s a link to a free PDF of a Spanish translation of the original:
[Caution: Here, unlike in later versions, the shameful racial and ethnic epithets are exactly as Dame Agatha wrote them]
http://literatura.itematika.com/descargar/libro/66/diez-negritos.html
Fans of Mi Corazon Insiste – There’s a writer’s video blog of your novela too, I think. Good luck finding it!
LA CASA DE AL LADO – as of Friday
Carola and Emilio figure out that Eva is somehow involved with Matías. Girl Detective Carola sneaks a look at Matías’s driver’s license and feeds the demographic info to Boy Detective, Emilio. Conclusion: Matías is NOT the third brother. He must be Eva’s lover!
When Ignacia shows up for her meeting with the fortune-teller expecting to learn the identity of her pursuer, she discovers the woman has been murdered. Then an anonymous caller tells her the third “hermano” is a sister, not a brother.
Gonzalo is still in bad shape. Even so, he manages to croak out to Renato that he can’t name his attacker, but he knows the intended target was Ignacia because her name was called out just before the shot was fired. Gonzalo also confirms to Renato that Eva has a lover.
Yolanda, who saw how viciously Javier treated Pilar in the hospital, tells Nibaldo she’s worried about her. If Javier behaves like that in public, imagine what he’s capable of in private.
Carola has another Leo and company nightmare and calls Pilar who promises to come right over. Javier insists on tagging along.
Diego and Andrea – yes, Andrea the brat – encourage their mother in her plans to set up an office for her practice. They just want her to be happy. Pilar is overcome with emotion. She flashes back to Javier trashing the office she used to have.
Hilda and Eva go toe to toe and it’s Eva who backs down.
Ignacia comes home in her usual hysterical state, rushes upstairs screeching for Emilio, completely ignoring Hilda, of course. The three little Conde’s compare notes: The bruja knew the truth and now she is dead. The third sibling is a sister, not a brother. The wheels in Carola’s alcohol-addled brain are turning: Of course! Everyone involved in Adolfo’s past is dying! That’s it!
Javier challenges Matías. He must have had an ulterior motive for taking the job as Javier’s assistant. Matías feeds him the story he and Renato prepared, that he wants a shortcut to power and money, that Javier is his hero and he can imagine the two of them pulling off a job together, a seamless embezzlement. Having confessed what a bad boy he really is, Matías offers to resign. Now that Javier knows the truth, of course he won’t want him around. Quédate, says Javier sharkily. Todavía no hemos terminado de hablar...
Later, Javier walks in on Renato, Matías and Rebeca just in time to hear Renato say they don’t want Javier to find out. Find out what? asks Javier.
Then Eva walks in on Matías and Rebeca just in time to see them kissing. (Eva doesn’t know that Matías is forcing himself on Rebeca but we do.) Se puede saber, asks the ever-imperious Eva, ¿qué significa esto?
Mi Corazón Insiste – The page is yours.
Blog del Escritor
Telemundo definitely has some hidden treasures on its website. [And I do mean hidden. Have you tried navigating this thing?] Anyway, Telemundo has these little writer interviews tucked away among its “Videos Exclusivos de La Casa de al Lado”. Here are links to the three I found:
http://tinyurl.com/3fkjtzh
http://tinyurl.com/3mkzpq7
http://tinyurl.com/3mj3mz2
Boyishly engaging, wild-haired Chilean writer José Ignacio Valenzuela talks about his creative process and discusses his cinematic and literary inspirations for the novela. Among other things, he tells us:
He intends La Casa as an homage to Alfred Hitchcock.
He is a great fan of detective novels, especially Agatha Christie’s.
The culprit in La Casa is obvious from the beginning but presented in a way that throws the viewer off track. Well. That’s a challenge if I ever heard one. I’m definitely going to watch the first episode again to see if I can pick up on what I missed the first time around.
Oh, and since the story is loosely based on the Agatha Christie classic, And Then There Were None, here’s a link to a free PDF of a Spanish translation of the original:
[Caution: Here, unlike in later versions, the shameful racial and ethnic epithets are exactly as Dame Agatha wrote them]
http://literatura.itematika.com/descargar/libro/66/diez-negritos.html
Fans of Mi Corazon Insiste – There’s a writer’s video blog of your novela too, I think. Good luck finding it!
LA CASA DE AL LADO – as of Friday
Carola and Emilio figure out that Eva is somehow involved with Matías. Girl Detective Carola sneaks a look at Matías’s driver’s license and feeds the demographic info to Boy Detective, Emilio. Conclusion: Matías is NOT the third brother. He must be Eva’s lover!
When Ignacia shows up for her meeting with the fortune-teller expecting to learn the identity of her pursuer, she discovers the woman has been murdered. Then an anonymous caller tells her the third “hermano” is a sister, not a brother.
Gonzalo is still in bad shape. Even so, he manages to croak out to Renato that he can’t name his attacker, but he knows the intended target was Ignacia because her name was called out just before the shot was fired. Gonzalo also confirms to Renato that Eva has a lover.
Yolanda, who saw how viciously Javier treated Pilar in the hospital, tells Nibaldo she’s worried about her. If Javier behaves like that in public, imagine what he’s capable of in private.
Carola has another Leo and company nightmare and calls Pilar who promises to come right over. Javier insists on tagging along.
Diego and Andrea – yes, Andrea the brat – encourage their mother in her plans to set up an office for her practice. They just want her to be happy. Pilar is overcome with emotion. She flashes back to Javier trashing the office she used to have.
Hilda and Eva go toe to toe and it’s Eva who backs down.
Ignacia comes home in her usual hysterical state, rushes upstairs screeching for Emilio, completely ignoring Hilda, of course. The three little Conde’s compare notes: The bruja knew the truth and now she is dead. The third sibling is a sister, not a brother. The wheels in Carola’s alcohol-addled brain are turning: Of course! Everyone involved in Adolfo’s past is dying! That’s it!
Javier challenges Matías. He must have had an ulterior motive for taking the job as Javier’s assistant. Matías feeds him the story he and Renato prepared, that he wants a shortcut to power and money, that Javier is his hero and he can imagine the two of them pulling off a job together, a seamless embezzlement. Having confessed what a bad boy he really is, Matías offers to resign. Now that Javier knows the truth, of course he won’t want him around. Quédate, says Javier sharkily. Todavía no hemos terminado de hablar...
Later, Javier walks in on Renato, Matías and Rebeca just in time to hear Renato say they don’t want Javier to find out. Find out what? asks Javier.
Then Eva walks in on Matías and Rebeca just in time to see them kissing. (Eva doesn’t know that Matías is forcing himself on Rebeca but we do.) Se puede saber, asks the ever-imperious Eva, ¿qué significa esto?
Mi Corazón Insiste – The page is yours.
Labels: casa-lado, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, July 16, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of July 18, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
HEREDEROS - Gran Final
This train wreck finally ended. Can you believe that this was the one day my TiVo failed to record the program? I had to go over to my Mom's to watch it. But I had to turn down the sound at the end, it was so ghastly. This was perfect example of how bad writing can ruin the advantages of a talented and attractive cast and a beautiful setting. And they didn't really have any excuse. This novela was based on a Chilean one called Los Hijos del Monte. After Herederos had been on for a while, I looked up Hijos. Based on the two sentence descriptions of each episode, Herederos followed its plot or should I say non-plot exactly except for the fact that Emilio del Monte wasn't dead. Once Emilio/Pablo showed up, the story veered away from that of Hijos but by then it was too late. No basis in the story or characters had been laid for new plot developments. The two villians - Jose and Julieta were pathetic. There were zero interesting or surprising developments about the back story of the brothers, or the loans Juan made to Miguel and his business problems, or anything. It was pathetic and the finale was typical.
Consuelo tells Johnny that she was raped and he says nothing. She decides to leave and sort of goes into labor.
Paula finds out her baby was stolen. Fortunately, Consuelo shows up at the hospital to tell her that she saw Julieta leaving with a baby. Juan calls out the cavalry and there is a lot of footage of guys and then Paula too, driving around. There is an exciting chase scene when Jose threatens to throw the baby off a cliff and then he and Julieta leap to their deaths as Juan grabs the baby. Ooops, wrong show. No excitement. We just see Juan demand the baby from a stopped car and then being handed the baby without protest.
Meanwhile Consuelo is in labor in the hospital waiting room and no one is helping her. 'Don't they have any staff at this hospital? asked my Mother. Johnny tells Consuelo that he will love the baby like his own child. Finally, Consuelo is wheeled off to the delivery room. The baby is two months premature. Are there any problems with that? Apparently not.
Then we pop ahead one year to have a repeat of the opening episode - an engagement party. They show Juan, mercifully hatless, on a horse with the baby but fortunately don't show him galloping along like that. Lupe and Berta are both preggers and Gaspar has had a complete personality transformation. Beatriz is happy with Pedro; Adela is with Efrain. Only poor Amador gets nobody.
There is an extremely stupid attempt at suspense when two women arrive by helicopter. One of them who is dressed in red like Paula when she arrived announces that she is Lulu del Monte, Juan's sister. But it's just a joke by those funny del Monte brothers. The other woman is a judge come to marry Juan and Paula.
We see Nacho and Jose working on the rockpile in prison. Then Julieta in jail for five years. But her lawyer looked just like Juan and he proposed marriage to her. So we don't even get the satisfaction of having Julieta die. I was hoping she might collapse after giving back the baby and then die of a recurrent brain tumor. No such luck.
I guess I'll watch Flor Salvaje. The others are too far along to start on now.
Over to you.
Labels: casa-lado, herederos, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, July 09, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of July 11, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
¡Hóla a todos! I had a great time in Iceland. Thanks to Novela Maven for taking my turn to do our weekly post.
Here are some pics from my trip.
A seaside town in western Iceland.
Everybody's favorite: a Puffin! You can't tell in this picture that the Puffin is on the edge of a cliff where the wind was blowing 50 miles/hour.
Typical Iceland scenery.
Ditto.
Ditto.
A Red-throated Loon and her chick. Red-throated Loons are common breeding birds in Iceland. I've seen them in States in their winter or non-breeding plumage.
This is me facing the camera with some of our group looking for a Snowy Owl on a typical summer day in Iceland. We couldn't get to where the owl was because the road was closed by snow. (This was a relatively high elevation in the north of Iceland - sometimes it gets to 60 degrees in Reykjavik.)
These are female Common Eiders and their chicks. Eiderdown is made from the downy feathers they line their nests with.
Typical Iceland scene.
This is the geysir Strókker erupting. You only see one little string that keeps people from going right up to where boiling hot water shoots out. This would never happen in the US.
There was a guy from Venezuela on the tour and he would not speak Spanish to me. He was the only Spanish speaking person I have met who wasn't interested that I spoke Spanish. It was disappointing.
This is the geysir Strókker erupting. You only see one little string that keeps people from going right up to where boiling hot water shoots out. This would never happen in the US.
There was a guy from Venezuela on the tour and he would not speak Spanish to me. He was the only Spanish speaking person I have met who wasn't interested that I spoke Spanish. It was disappointing.
OK on to Telemundo:
HEREDEROS - viernes
One week to go on this one and Friday was an episode of revelations.
Juan, Paula and Sofía returned to La Arboleda. Juan and Paula had a private interview with Emilio while the other brothers waited impatiently downstairs. Jose tried to convince the others that J & P were cutting some special inheritance deal with Emilio but nobody was buying.
Emilio told Paula that he had always known that she wasn't his biological daughter. He fathered Juan and then had an illness that left him sterile. Big relief for Juan and Paula (but I would still get a DNA test.) Emilio said that he liked Sofía and wanted a daughter so he accepted her as his child.
Then Paula leaves and Emilio tells Juan about his mother. She was a peasant (campesina). He took her baby from her and then she committed suicide. Juan is really bummed that the father he respects so much could have done such an evil thing. Later Modesto tells Juan that his mother was unstable mentally and might have hurt Emilio or him.
Paula is with Adela and Sofía when Jose comes up and accuses her of pretending to be Emilio's daughter to get an inheritance. Adela scornfully replies that Emilio has always known that Paula was not his biological child. Both Jose and Sofía are impactados at this.
Lupe is still in domestic abuse victim denial mode and Berta is still trying to talk her into accusing Gaspar.
Johnny tries to figure out what is going on with Consuelo. He concludes that she doesn't love him. She denies this and finally admits that she's pregnant but not that she was raped. He is not that excited about the news because he believes (but of course has not told Consuelo) that he is sterile.
Finally, Miguel overhears Rosario and Consuelo talking about the fact that they were both raped. He goes ballistic.
Over to you for Corazon and La Casa.
Labels: casa-lado, herederos, insiste, telemundo
Friday, July 01, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of 7/4/11: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
Have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July, everyone! Jean is off on a birding adventure in Iceland. And I’m not. Oh well. The page is yours!
Labels: casa-lado, herederos, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, June 25, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo – Week of June 26, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
Herederos del Monte is in its últimas semanas and according to the station promos, Flor Salvaje is on deck as its replacement. The new novela is being produced jointly by Telemundo and RTI in Colombia. Starring Mónica Spears, a gorgeous former Miss Venezuela, the novela also features several actors familiar to fans of El Clon, most notably Roberto Manrique (Alejo in El Clon). Further down the cast list are Indira Serrano (Dora in El Clon); Geraldine Zivic (Cristina in El Clon); and Juan Pablo Raba (Said in El Clon). And Herederos fans will recognize José Luis Reséndez (José del Monte).
The Flor of the title, Amanda Monteverde, is driven by desperation to look for work in a down and dirty cabaret where she will find love and lust and envy and friendship and malice – (there is even a character named ‘Alicia’ whom everyone calls ‘Malicia’!)
So. As we’ve learned – sometimes to our delight, as in the case of La Reina del Sur, but more often to our chagrin, as in Aurora – it’s the writing, stupid. Stay tuned.
La Casa de al Lado: I’m still following this one but for how long, I don’t know. The plot twists have become irritating rather than suspenseful or shocking. We’ve all remarked, in one way or another, that there are no truly likeable characters even if there are a few pretty good actors. There’s not even a good musical hook, a theme song that grabs you and keeps you watching, even when you know the song is better than the show. I just know it’s not a good sign when a lead character walks suicidally into the water (Like Ignacia did last night in what I can only assume is a weird homage to Virginia Woolf) and all I can think is: You’re not gonna sink – you have to put stones in your pockets! Sigh.
Fans of Mi Corazon Insiste and Herederos – a fresh page for your thoughts.
The Flor of the title, Amanda Monteverde, is driven by desperation to look for work in a down and dirty cabaret where she will find love and lust and envy and friendship and malice – (there is even a character named ‘Alicia’ whom everyone calls ‘Malicia’!)
So. As we’ve learned – sometimes to our delight, as in the case of La Reina del Sur, but more often to our chagrin, as in Aurora – it’s the writing, stupid. Stay tuned.
La Casa de al Lado: I’m still following this one but for how long, I don’t know. The plot twists have become irritating rather than suspenseful or shocking. We’ve all remarked, in one way or another, that there are no truly likeable characters even if there are a few pretty good actors. There’s not even a good musical hook, a theme song that grabs you and keeps you watching, even when you know the song is better than the show. I just know it’s not a good sign when a lead character walks suicidally into the water (Like Ignacia did last night in what I can only assume is a weird homage to Virginia Woolf) and all I can think is: You’re not gonna sink – you have to put stones in your pockets! Sigh.
Fans of Mi Corazon Insiste and Herederos – a fresh page for your thoughts.
Labels: casa-lado, herederos, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, June 18, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of June 20, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
¡Hóla a todos! Happy midsummer! It seems like the folks that are watching Casa and Corazon are enjoying them. Thanks for the recapettes. I'm only watching Herederos right now. Let the discussion begin!
Labels: casa-lado, herederos, insiste, telemundo
Friday, June 10, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of June 13, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
Hola a todos! Here’s a new page for your commenting pleasure. I’ve fallen a bit behind but hope to join the conversation later on in the week. Enjoy!
Labels: casa-lado, herederos, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, June 04, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo - Discuss among yourselves, Week of June 7
Hóla a todos from Minneapolis where I went to my niece's high school graduation last night.
REINA- My final thought is that I wish they would do an interview with the writers because the actors were good but without the great writing, this would not have been the fantastic novela it was and there is no better example of that than...
HEREDEROS through Thurs.- Things are picking up slightly here as we go into últimas semanas. Pablo/Emilio was about to tell Juan that Paula wasn't his biological child when he had a stroke and was rendered mute. Even though he doesn't work there anymore, Modesto appeared when Juan whistled, presumably so that he could overhear Paula say that she is pregnant with Juan's baby. Since he doesn't know about Sofía's scheme, he thinks that Paula and Juan have committed incest.
Sofía tells Jose about Paula's pregnancy and he threatens to harm her unborn child if she doesn't go through with the scheme to get his brothers' inheritance.
As Novelera mentioned in her comment on Thurs., Gaspar has the hots big time for Adela. I agree that his character makes no sense. He seems to be nice guy most of the time but there is no explanation for his lapses into evil.
Julieta finally tells her parents about her cancer. Rosa is in denial.
The big record deal for the Gavilanes trio turned out to be a set up for some pretty inept criminals. Hey Efrain, If you want to impress Beatriz with your smarts, check out folks who offer you deals too good to be true. There is such a thing as the Internet.
I totally agree with you, Novelera about the Rosario rape storyline. There was zero suggestion that this had happened earlier in the novela when Rosario was portrayed as the more conventional but normal sister.
Julieta tells Paula that she and Juan are going to adopt a baby.
That was about it.
Over to you.
REINA- My final thought is that I wish they would do an interview with the writers because the actors were good but without the great writing, this would not have been the fantastic novela it was and there is no better example of that than...
HEREDEROS through Thurs.- Things are picking up slightly here as we go into últimas semanas. Pablo/Emilio was about to tell Juan that Paula wasn't his biological child when he had a stroke and was rendered mute. Even though he doesn't work there anymore, Modesto appeared when Juan whistled, presumably so that he could overhear Paula say that she is pregnant with Juan's baby. Since he doesn't know about Sofía's scheme, he thinks that Paula and Juan have committed incest.
Sofía tells Jose about Paula's pregnancy and he threatens to harm her unborn child if she doesn't go through with the scheme to get his brothers' inheritance.
As Novelera mentioned in her comment on Thurs., Gaspar has the hots big time for Adela. I agree that his character makes no sense. He seems to be nice guy most of the time but there is no explanation for his lapses into evil.
Julieta finally tells her parents about her cancer. Rosa is in denial.
The big record deal for the Gavilanes trio turned out to be a set up for some pretty inept criminals. Hey Efrain, If you want to impress Beatriz with your smarts, check out folks who offer you deals too good to be true. There is such a thing as the Internet.
I totally agree with you, Novelera about the Rosario rape storyline. There was zero suggestion that this had happened earlier in the novela when Rosario was portrayed as the more conventional but normal sister.
Julieta tells Paula that she and Juan are going to adopt a baby.
That was about it.
Over to you.
Labels: casa-lado, herederos, insiste, telemundo
Saturday, May 28, 2011
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of May 30, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
La Reina del Sur – as of Friday, May 27
We viewers are having almost as much trouble as Teresa in saying our goodbyes to this amazing story.
In its last full week, we see Teo finally exposed for the rat he has always been. When Flores and his men lead a raid on the decoy ship, Teresa knows without a doubt: Teo is the Judas. Teo has to die.
When Pote takes Teo from his home and forces him to join Teresa aboard the Sinaloa, he deals with the police bodyguards Culichi style – dead men can’t talk. And Teo earns himself a burial at sea.
Spanish Comisario Flores wants the pleasure of seeing Teresa Mendoza punished. He wants her in jail, on Spanish soil.
Willy Rangel wants Teresa back in Mexico to testify against the now presidential candidate, Epifanio Vargas.
The U.S. Ambassador, he of the atrocious Spanish pronunciation and flawless Spanish grammar, wants to keep Mexico from becoming an official Narco Republic.
We still don’t know what Teresa – and her unborn child – want.
Flores has good reason to hate Teresa – she did threaten his children early on in the story and he felt forced to send his family out of Spain to protect them from her. But now his personal need for vengeance has blinded him to any sense of the greater good.
For us at home, Flores has been one of the bad guys. Willy Rangel, on the other hand, has become more and more sympathetic; and the actor’s portrayal more and more credible.
Flores has been waiting for the judge’s order to arrest Teresa. Now, even though his star witness, Teo Aljarafe, is missing, with the death of the Spanish police guards, the balance tips in Flores’s favor. The police comb Marbella looking for her.
It is Teresa’s soulmate, Oleg, who takes her in – and incidentally introduces her to the wife and child she never knew he had – and then helps her escape out the back way when the wolf, i.e. Flores, inevitably arrives at the door looking for her. By then she has already agreed to Willy Rangel’s proposal – now that she knows it was Epifanio Vargas who ordered el Güero’s death, that instead of a friend, he has always been her enemy – she is willing to return to Mexico and testify against him. She and Willy will meet at the airport where a private jet awaits them.
Twelve years ago, Teresa – hobbled by cheap blue tacones -- ran for her life through the streets of Culiacán. Now once again she runs for her life – still hobbled by ridiculously high heels, even if they are on expensive and stylish boots – this time down a steep flagstone path in the south of Spain.
Last night, in the penultimate episode of our story:
Teresa gets to the airport ahead of Flores. She has had a chance to say her goodbyes to Conejo – Oleg had her brought to his house earlier – but she doesn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to Pote as well. Surprise! Pote is already on board the plane. He scoffs at the danger that awaits them in Mexico: Pa' morir nací, he says plainly. I was born to die. It’s a good thing to be able to choose the place to do it.
Pote reluctantly surrenders his gun to Willy and the plane takes off.
During the flight, Willy asks Teresa what she did with Teo. “What would you have done in my place?” is her answer. “I’d never be in your place”, says Willy rather smugly. “I’m one of the good guys”. (Soy de los buenos.) “De los buenos” repeats Teresa. “¿Cómo ves Pote?” She and the guarura exchange weary smiles.
She acknowledges that learning the truth about Don Epifanio Vargas has turned her life upside down (se me revolvió la vida). But it’s not a thirst for vengeance that is bringing her to Mexico – what she wants is to stop running:
It’s time for her to decide how she wants to live.
Back in Mexico, the President won’t take Epifanio Vargas’s calls.
And Don Epifanio won’t take Batman’s calls.
Batman and his two little boys are being followed by another vehicle. The Batman knows a hit when he sees one. He coolly calls his wife and tells her he and the boys will be home in half an hour. Then he pulls his camioneta into a clearing, inviting a confrontation with the other vehicle. Two guys get out and take aim at the Batmobile. But the Batman proves too wily for these cut-rate sicarios. He starts to drive, gunning down one with his left hand, while steering with his right. Then he runs over (and over) the second. Now we know what “rematar” really means.
Then Batman turns to his sons in the backseat:
¡Qué calor está haciendo! Les invito a una agua de cebada. ¿Qué dicen?(It’s getting hot. How about a cold drink (barley water)? What do you say?)
Both kids nod. Just another day in the family business.
In Marbella, Conejo is telling Ramos and Alberto about her secret farewell meeting with Teresa – she felt like she was in a spy movie, she confesses. She doesn’t think Teresa will be coming back. But the good news – Teresa left them the yacht, the Sinaloa. “¡Que viva México!” says Dr. Ramos happily. The trio’s toast to Teresa is cut short when Flores arrives at the door. He has a judicial order to inventory all of Teresa’s property. The beyond wilted Flores tells them they will have to testify in the proceedings against Teresa; all her property will be seized; and they are not to leave the country.
When Flores leaves, Dr. Ramos says ruefully: Adios, yate! But he brightens quickly when Conejo tells him about the second part of Teresa’s severance package for the faithful trio – a stash of twenty million Euros. She cautions them:
Va a ser muy difícil pillar la pasta.
(It’s going to be very hard to get hold of the dough.)
It’s hidden in plain sight in the living room of Teresa’s house, Las Siete Gotas!
Back in Mexico, Ratas gets the call: the idiots they sent to kill the Batman are dead. Now Ratas wants to do the job himself but Epi talks him down – Batman is old-school, he’d never betray them. [Really? After they just tried to kill him?]
Now Epifanio gets the call: “Hay piedras en el camino” he tells Ratas. Teresa gets in tonight. “Habrá que darle la bienvenida” replies Ratas.
And the Batman tells his trophy wife, who has been waiting anxiously at their NarcoMansion, that things have changed. He used to be the boss and now he’s the black sheep. He knows too much. Epifanio just tried to kill him. Mrs. Batman wants to get the hell out of Dodge. “Vámonos pa’ el Gabacho” she says. Batman agrees but first: “Vamos a medir el agua para los camotes” (Let’s analyze the situation first, let’s figure out what’s what.) If Epifanio gets the presidency, he’ll be able to get to them wherever they are.
Teresa’s arrival is imminent and Ratas is assembling the troops and their weapons. He literally has a small army of men who will cover all areas of the airport and runway. He holds out a million dollar reward to “quien se tumbe la morra” (the one who shoots the girl.)
In the DF, Don Epifanio is ignominiously turned away when he tries to see the president. And he reflects:
Se me hace que el señor Presidente ya sabe de todo.
(I think the president knows the whole story.)
Teresa’s plane lands and she, Pote and Willy walk onto the tarmac, right into the sights of the snipers. But before Ratas can give the order to shoot, Epifanio calls him and aborts the mission. He needs to talk to Teresa in person.
Teresa is introduced to the army officer who is in charge of her security, Col. Ledesma. She and Pote demand – and are given – their personal guns when she reminds Willy that this is Culiacán, not Spain.
Don Epifanio apparently thinks he can BS his way out of this one. He phones Teresa and asks her to meet with him. He waxes philosophical, Culichi style:
Pues ni modo mi hijita, al toro hay que agarrarlo por los cuernos. Mira, mi hija, en esta vida lo que te toca es para ti aunque te quites y lo que no, pues, aunque te pongas.
(Let’s take the bull by the horns. In this life, when it’s your turn it’s your turn, no matter what you do. [literally, ‘it’s yours although you may try to take it off and what’s not…well … although you may put it on.]
We see Ratas in what I think of as the Culiacán branch of the Bada Bing Club where he channels Scarlet O’Hara: Tomorrow is another day, he tells himself. Then they can eliminate all of their enemies: Teresa, Pote and Batman.
He heads to the bathroom. We see the pointy-toed black boots and the black trousers of the man following him. Then we see Batman himself reflected in the mirror. Batman aims at Ratas but doesn’t take the shot. He pauses and listens to Ratas’s phone conversation and learns that Teresa Mendoza is in Culiacán.
Now a black camioneta drives up to the secured property where Teresa and Pote will stay. That the army is guarding the outer periphery and the federal police are inside the grounds reassures neither Teresa nor Pote. She knows the Sinaloa cartel can buy off the guys who are there to protect her.
She announces, to the chagrin of both Col. Ledesma and Willy, that she will need transportation tomorrow. She’s going out. She’s not a prisoner, is she?
Tomorrow: The Last Goodbye
Tuesday: Cristina and the cast at 9pm/8central
-----------------------
Mi Corazón Insiste
This is the replacement for Aurora. I watched a bit of it and realized it’s not for me. Jean, are you going to watch this one? Hombre, thanks for getting the discussion started on this show.
------------------
Aurora
Just in case anyone missed it, Urban Anthropologist wrote a terrific wrap-up on the last few episodes of this oddly ill-conceived novela. You can find it in the comments of last week’s Telemundo page.
--------------------
La Casa de al Lado
This is the replacement for Reina. It looks intriguing but if I watch it, I’ll be a day behind in the conversation because I’ll be watching the online version. (My dance card is full at 10pm/9c.)
Ok. Your turn!
We viewers are having almost as much trouble as Teresa in saying our goodbyes to this amazing story.
In its last full week, we see Teo finally exposed for the rat he has always been. When Flores and his men lead a raid on the decoy ship, Teresa knows without a doubt: Teo is the Judas. Teo has to die.
When Pote takes Teo from his home and forces him to join Teresa aboard the Sinaloa, he deals with the police bodyguards Culichi style – dead men can’t talk. And Teo earns himself a burial at sea.
Spanish Comisario Flores wants the pleasure of seeing Teresa Mendoza punished. He wants her in jail, on Spanish soil.
Willy Rangel wants Teresa back in Mexico to testify against the now presidential candidate, Epifanio Vargas.
The U.S. Ambassador, he of the atrocious Spanish pronunciation and flawless Spanish grammar, wants to keep Mexico from becoming an official Narco Republic.
We still don’t know what Teresa – and her unborn child – want.
Flores has good reason to hate Teresa – she did threaten his children early on in the story and he felt forced to send his family out of Spain to protect them from her. But now his personal need for vengeance has blinded him to any sense of the greater good.
For us at home, Flores has been one of the bad guys. Willy Rangel, on the other hand, has become more and more sympathetic; and the actor’s portrayal more and more credible.
Flores has been waiting for the judge’s order to arrest Teresa. Now, even though his star witness, Teo Aljarafe, is missing, with the death of the Spanish police guards, the balance tips in Flores’s favor. The police comb Marbella looking for her.
It is Teresa’s soulmate, Oleg, who takes her in – and incidentally introduces her to the wife and child she never knew he had – and then helps her escape out the back way when the wolf, i.e. Flores, inevitably arrives at the door looking for her. By then she has already agreed to Willy Rangel’s proposal – now that she knows it was Epifanio Vargas who ordered el Güero’s death, that instead of a friend, he has always been her enemy – she is willing to return to Mexico and testify against him. She and Willy will meet at the airport where a private jet awaits them.
Twelve years ago, Teresa – hobbled by cheap blue tacones -- ran for her life through the streets of Culiacán. Now once again she runs for her life – still hobbled by ridiculously high heels, even if they are on expensive and stylish boots – this time down a steep flagstone path in the south of Spain.
Last night, in the penultimate episode of our story:
Teresa gets to the airport ahead of Flores. She has had a chance to say her goodbyes to Conejo – Oleg had her brought to his house earlier – but she doesn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to Pote as well. Surprise! Pote is already on board the plane. He scoffs at the danger that awaits them in Mexico: Pa' morir nací, he says plainly. I was born to die. It’s a good thing to be able to choose the place to do it.
Pote reluctantly surrenders his gun to Willy and the plane takes off.
During the flight, Willy asks Teresa what she did with Teo. “What would you have done in my place?” is her answer. “I’d never be in your place”, says Willy rather smugly. “I’m one of the good guys”. (Soy de los buenos.) “De los buenos” repeats Teresa. “¿Cómo ves Pote?” She and the guarura exchange weary smiles.
She acknowledges that learning the truth about Don Epifanio Vargas has turned her life upside down (se me revolvió la vida). But it’s not a thirst for vengeance that is bringing her to Mexico – what she wants is to stop running:
It’s time for her to decide how she wants to live.
Back in Mexico, the President won’t take Epifanio Vargas’s calls.
And Don Epifanio won’t take Batman’s calls.
Batman and his two little boys are being followed by another vehicle. The Batman knows a hit when he sees one. He coolly calls his wife and tells her he and the boys will be home in half an hour. Then he pulls his camioneta into a clearing, inviting a confrontation with the other vehicle. Two guys get out and take aim at the Batmobile. But the Batman proves too wily for these cut-rate sicarios. He starts to drive, gunning down one with his left hand, while steering with his right. Then he runs over (and over) the second. Now we know what “rematar” really means.
Then Batman turns to his sons in the backseat:
¡Qué calor está haciendo! Les invito a una agua de cebada. ¿Qué dicen?(It’s getting hot. How about a cold drink (barley water)? What do you say?)
Both kids nod. Just another day in the family business.
In Marbella, Conejo is telling Ramos and Alberto about her secret farewell meeting with Teresa – she felt like she was in a spy movie, she confesses. She doesn’t think Teresa will be coming back. But the good news – Teresa left them the yacht, the Sinaloa. “¡Que viva México!” says Dr. Ramos happily. The trio’s toast to Teresa is cut short when Flores arrives at the door. He has a judicial order to inventory all of Teresa’s property. The beyond wilted Flores tells them they will have to testify in the proceedings against Teresa; all her property will be seized; and they are not to leave the country.
When Flores leaves, Dr. Ramos says ruefully: Adios, yate! But he brightens quickly when Conejo tells him about the second part of Teresa’s severance package for the faithful trio – a stash of twenty million Euros. She cautions them:
Va a ser muy difícil pillar la pasta.
(It’s going to be very hard to get hold of the dough.)
It’s hidden in plain sight in the living room of Teresa’s house, Las Siete Gotas!
Back in Mexico, Ratas gets the call: the idiots they sent to kill the Batman are dead. Now Ratas wants to do the job himself but Epi talks him down – Batman is old-school, he’d never betray them. [Really? After they just tried to kill him?]
Now Epifanio gets the call: “Hay piedras en el camino” he tells Ratas. Teresa gets in tonight. “Habrá que darle la bienvenida” replies Ratas.
And the Batman tells his trophy wife, who has been waiting anxiously at their NarcoMansion, that things have changed. He used to be the boss and now he’s the black sheep. He knows too much. Epifanio just tried to kill him. Mrs. Batman wants to get the hell out of Dodge. “Vámonos pa’ el Gabacho” she says. Batman agrees but first: “Vamos a medir el agua para los camotes” (Let’s analyze the situation first, let’s figure out what’s what.) If Epifanio gets the presidency, he’ll be able to get to them wherever they are.
Teresa’s arrival is imminent and Ratas is assembling the troops and their weapons. He literally has a small army of men who will cover all areas of the airport and runway. He holds out a million dollar reward to “quien se tumbe la morra” (the one who shoots the girl.)
In the DF, Don Epifanio is ignominiously turned away when he tries to see the president. And he reflects:
Se me hace que el señor Presidente ya sabe de todo.
(I think the president knows the whole story.)
Teresa’s plane lands and she, Pote and Willy walk onto the tarmac, right into the sights of the snipers. But before Ratas can give the order to shoot, Epifanio calls him and aborts the mission. He needs to talk to Teresa in person.
Teresa is introduced to the army officer who is in charge of her security, Col. Ledesma. She and Pote demand – and are given – their personal guns when she reminds Willy that this is Culiacán, not Spain.
Don Epifanio apparently thinks he can BS his way out of this one. He phones Teresa and asks her to meet with him. He waxes philosophical, Culichi style:
Pues ni modo mi hijita, al toro hay que agarrarlo por los cuernos. Mira, mi hija, en esta vida lo que te toca es para ti aunque te quites y lo que no, pues, aunque te pongas.
(Let’s take the bull by the horns. In this life, when it’s your turn it’s your turn, no matter what you do. [literally, ‘it’s yours although you may try to take it off and what’s not…well … although you may put it on.]
We see Ratas in what I think of as the Culiacán branch of the Bada Bing Club where he channels Scarlet O’Hara: Tomorrow is another day, he tells himself. Then they can eliminate all of their enemies: Teresa, Pote and Batman.
He heads to the bathroom. We see the pointy-toed black boots and the black trousers of the man following him. Then we see Batman himself reflected in the mirror. Batman aims at Ratas but doesn’t take the shot. He pauses and listens to Ratas’s phone conversation and learns that Teresa Mendoza is in Culiacán.
Now a black camioneta drives up to the secured property where Teresa and Pote will stay. That the army is guarding the outer periphery and the federal police are inside the grounds reassures neither Teresa nor Pote. She knows the Sinaloa cartel can buy off the guys who are there to protect her.
She announces, to the chagrin of both Col. Ledesma and Willy, that she will need transportation tomorrow. She’s going out. She’s not a prisoner, is she?
Tomorrow: The Last Goodbye
Tuesday: Cristina and the cast at 9pm/8central
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Mi Corazón Insiste
This is the replacement for Aurora. I watched a bit of it and realized it’s not for me. Jean, are you going to watch this one? Hombre, thanks for getting the discussion started on this show.
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Aurora
Just in case anyone missed it, Urban Anthropologist wrote a terrific wrap-up on the last few episodes of this oddly ill-conceived novela. You can find it in the comments of last week’s Telemundo page.
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La Casa de al Lado
This is the replacement for Reina. It looks intriguing but if I watch it, I’ll be a day behind in the conversation because I’ll be watching the online version. (My dance card is full at 10pm/9c.)
Ok. Your turn!
Labels: casa-lado, herederos, insiste, reina-sur, telemundo
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