Saturday, March 10, 2012
La Que No Podía Amar #53 Friday 3/9/12 Those Troubling, Dirty Little Secrets!
As Viewerville plops into position in front of their screens in living rooms throughout the vast expanse that lies north of the border, Tía Rosaura pretends to have been taken captive in an Edgar Rice Burroughs novel while Ana Paula and little Margarito find themselves once again facing The Ogre of San Gabriel. (Ruh-Roh-h-h!) Yes, once again Rogelio has the love of his life in front of him and his face shows a mixture of personal triumph, relief, and even love.
At Gustavo’s house, meanwhile, Ernesto and Mercedes have just returned to find her Babycakes bro pacing the living room. Miss Mercy wants to know what Ana told Gus when he confronted her. He says she married somebody else, but not the guy Big Sis saw her with at the graduation the night he disappeared; and no, she didn’t tell him who she did marry because they started arguing and broke up. Mersnottys says just as well that he sees the light [desengañarse=disillusion oneself]. Gus says she acted as if he didn’t trust her, but he believes it’s just the reverse and that’s why she wouldn’t give him the truth. He doesn’t care to discuss it any more. “—Well, no use talking about her now…..” He heads out the door, totally depressed and ignores her calling him back. With him gone, she gets to gripe about Ana to Ernie now. (Watch out girl, or you’re going to turn into Gloria!) “—She did it to him again! You don’t know how much I hate that Ana!” Ernie nicely tells her to give her brother some space and fageddabowdit. Okiedokie. Mersnottys now uses his shoulder for moral support. Oh how wonderful she has him now. They kiss and Ernie promises to be there for her from now on.
At the church, Ro-Hell rolls up the aisle towards Paula with his heart in his throat (though she’s too angry at the loss of her freedom and Ol’ Guscakes to appreciate it). Oh-Hell tells her that he thought he’d never see her again and that he looked under every rock to find her. “—You know that no one makes a fool out of me.” She gently but firmly tells him that it’s just such a waste since she’s never going back with him to the hacienda. Not now not never! Pau begs him to let her aunt and Margarito go at least. He says no they’re all to leave together. “—No way. Let’s all do this agreeably, alright? Or, what? Would you rather we cause a scandal here right in the middle of [en plena] God’s house?” Rog has got Ms. Holier Than Thou with that one. She gives in.
Meanwhile, Guscakes has gone to commiserate with Estephan who still hasn’t gotten over being dumped the second time by the ever egocentric Vanesa. Gus tells Stevie that he’s sure Ana still loves him. He could tell it by the look in her eyes. Well, says Stevie, then perhaps it’s just like his Big Sis says, that Ana is putting her family first [anteponer=giving preference to, put before]. “--Well, it’s all over now, so I’m going to work like a fiend at my job in order to forget her.” (Yeah, sure. Who you kiddin’, shortcakes?) He asks Steve about Nessa. She’s gone into business with David. They agree that she needs to be careful of Big Dave, considering he always plays dirty. Yeah, he’s warned her, says Stevie, but Vainessa refuses to listen to him—like usual. (OMG! What a pair of sorrowful Sad Sacks. Where’s the hooch? Pour ‘em a couple o’ beers to cry in and put it on my tab.)
Outside of the church, La Mentirosa tries a quick CYA and apologizes, saying they must have followed her here without her realizing. Rog smirks and tells Rosie she’s worse than even he imagined. She stutters and flutters around. “—I’m worried about my niece’s well-being!” (Uh. Yeah.) Rosie valiantly keeps up the ruse and begs to have a chance to speak to AP alone. Rog—wisely--refuses. “—Why? What? Will you tell her the truth right here in front of everybody?” Paula asks what he’s talking about. (Natch.) He skirts the issue and says that if Rosie was really interested in Pau’s well-being she’d have already convinced her to return willingly. Rosie says she did try, but failed. Rog isn’t buying it and waves her off. He’s had enough of her!
Paula tells Ro-Hell she’s not going back and wants to cancel the contract. (Oh really?) Sorry, he says. “--No way. I’ve come through with my part now you’re going to have to do the same.” (Sounds fair.) “—Please! I don’t want to. I can’t.” “—What do you mean ‘you can’t’?” She stares blankly back at him. He asks if it’s because she still believes he killed her boyfriend. “—No! I know you didn’t kill him.” This hits Ro-Hell in the face like a bucket of cold water. “—So what was it?” He gets it finally. “—You saw him?” He rolls over and suddenly grabs her by the arms and won’t let go. “—Answer me!” She struggles against him, but won’t say a word. “--You were with him!” She finally lets her eyes meet his and the look on her face says it all: guilty as charged. Controlled anger flashes across his face. A look of defiance flashes back at him from her.
Across town at Vainessa’s, she and Cinthia are discussing the pros and cons of helping Paula obtain her divorce so Rog can finally be free. Whatever Nessa does, offers Sinthia, she knows Paula and the woman will play the victim card. Nessa will come off looking like the villain here. Nessa says she’s still so in love with Rog though, and the desire to be held safe in his arms was so intense that she even let him humiliate her again—and for what? For nothing! Sin says leave it up to her. They’ll call Bro-Hell and give him their version of things. She’ll convince him also to let her stay a few more days there with her to keep her company.
Paula tries to deny the charge, but Ro-Hell can’t be bluffed in this. “—How could you have known if you didn’t see him?” Rosie runs over and carelessly tells him that she already told him that Paula spent all the time with her long-lost father. Pau wants to know how she could have told Rog anything. Rosie lies that it was when she went for a candle and he and the others were waiting out in the vestibule. She was sooooo scared that she had to tell them the troooooooth--that Pau (wink, wink) spent the whole time with her daddy! Rog breaks in and tells Rosie to butt out! Rosie scolds him. “--Why? What? Would you rather the gossip raced through the whole of Tuxtla about her and Vainessa being sisters?” Paula grabs that and yells back at Rog that that’s the only reason he wanted her: because she and Nessa looked so much alike! Before Oh-Hell can give a sane reply he’s got to take an urgent phone call from Sin.
Sin starts to tell Rog that she’s just learned Paula and Nessa are sisters. Yesterday’s news, Rog says. Paula’s with him now, and they’re getting ready to head back to Hell-Fuerte so pack her bags! He’ll be by to pick her up for the trip back. Sin is mouthing all this for Vainessa’s sake. Sin puts her foot down and says she’s not leaving her friend in her time of need. Rog just shakes his head in disbelief. Like, what’s with all the uppity women in his life all of a sudden!! (Tsk. Tsk. His daddy certainly wouldn’t have let things get this out of hand!) He growls back that Sin better be packed and ready at the hotel in 30 minutes or else. Period. End of discussion. Click! He throws the phone back at Hugo and turns his attention back to Paula.
Across town, Nessa goes ape-sh!t at the thought of Paula and Rog under the same roof again. “—I can’t believe it! It’s not ri-i-i-i-ight!!!” (Oy vey! Nobody does an aggravating whine better than Nessa does.) Sin gripes that Bro-Hell insists she must pack her bags and that she’s leaving with them. “—What’s his problem? Does he really expect me to pay homage to [rendirse pleitesía] his little woman now? “
Steam starts curling from Ro-Hellio’s ears. “--So, Federico must have told you he’d help you, right? That’s why you’re so rebellious now.” “—Yes! He had lawyers ready because he knew what kind of man you are!!” Before Rog can shoot back another zinger Hugo comes rushing back with the phone again. This time it’s Maria from Hell-Fuerte with the news about Michael trying to off himself. Yeah, he was taken care of and, thankfully, Daniel was there and she knew what to do till the doctor arrived. He needs his family, now, she says. Did he find Paula yet? Yes, says Oh-Hell. He’ll give Pau the news. Click. “—What about my brother? Did he go back there?” Yeah, says Rog, a few days ago. That was Maria to say that he tried to kill himself. Panic sets in with Pau. Is he ok? Rog assures her that he’s out of danger now. “--Clearly he needs his family with him. So what will it be? Are you coming back with me or are you going to abandon your brother to his fate?”
Maria gives the news to Mikey and Dani that yes, Ro-Hell knows the situation, has found his sister, and she knows what happened also. “—Well, he did what he said. He found my sister.” Mikey and Squeaky both look scared to death over what Ro-Hell might do to her now that he has her.
Pau agrees to go back because of Mikey. Mgrito rushes over and begs to be taken back with her. Pau pleads to take him back with her. Rog mulls it over supposedly and in the meantime orders Efrain to fetch his sister and wait for them back at the hotel. He has Hugo get the helicopter for him, Rosi and Pau are to fly back while the others drive back.
Rosi, meanwhile, whispers to Bruno that it’s going to be difficult to control Paula if Gus is still in the picture. Bruno says not to worry; he’s got somebody in Tuxtla ready to make him disappear. That somebody is Rotilio, who couldn’t fight his way out of a paper cell if his life depended on it. He’s apparently been following Gus, but just before Rotilio tries taking Gus down, Mercedes and Erny appear. They invite him to a new pub they just found.
Ro-Hell looks over at Rosi chumming it up with Bruno and tells her to listen up. If she doesn’t want him to expose her real self in front of her niece then she’d better tell him the truth! He wants the name of Pau’s boyfriend and fast!! Rosie’s too slick for him, though. “—You’re the one who ordered him killed! You tell me!” (When oh when will he learn? I thought he played chess. The idea is always to be a couple of strategic moves ahead of your opponent, big guy.) He grabs Mentirosa by the arms and starts shaking her. “—Tell me her boyfriend’s name! What’s her boyfriend’s name???” Paula and Bruno run over and enter the fray. Rosie gives in. “—Gustavo! Gustavo! His name is Gustavo!” Pau screams back at him. “—As if you didn’t know!! You shameless creep! What are you planning to do? Try it again?” “—But it wasn’t me! I didn’t do anything, Paula!! I’d really love to, though, especially if you provoke me!” She backs off and begs him to leave Gus alone while unconsciously tugging at the shell necklace. Rog suddenly recognizes it. “—You started wearing it again.” “—I did!! It’s because I love him and I will continue to love him till the day I die!” He grabs at it and pulls it off her neck with a harsh, angry jerk. “—Give me that trash!” She and Rosie seem really frightened for once.
Chio is back to try her luck again with Esteban. She invites him out to dinner. He says he feels he’d be rotten company. She takes him by the shoulders, tells him he’ll always be great company for her, and does her best to plant a sensual kiss on the smacker. (Sorry, Chio is just not my idea of a Vainessa stand-in. Apparently she’s not Esteban’s either.) Stevie looks anything but turned on. Yeah, he goes with the flow, like any self-respecting male would, but is there any doubt she’s in for a sh!t load of hurt once they’ve done the deed?
In some other part of the city, Bruno and Rosie are now headed down a rain soaked street together. He’s on the phone to Rutilio, aka Thug Guy, telling him not to risk it with Gus if he’s with somebody. (Duh!) If he gets caught by the police he’s on his own! “--Just keep following him.” Rosie suggests to Bruno afterwards that perhaps AP’s uber-naive belief that Rog is still behind Gus’s disappearance might be useful to them. They need to discuss it. First, says Bruno, he wants to know the particulars about the relationship between Pau and Nessa!!
Back in Sin’s hotel room, Pau waits patiently by and watches as Rog and Sin argue about Sin’s leaving for the hacienda with him. “—For gawd sakes, man! You’ve got your wife back with you so why can’t you just leave me out of it?” She does a quick turn around the room and starts in on Paula next. “—So, are you happy with all the fuss you’ve caused? Hmmph! Don Federico died all because of you!” Pau yells back she had nothing to do with it. Sinthia is feeling righteous, though. She steamrolls right over Paula. “--You’re the disgrace of this family! Can’t you just leave and let your sister have the man she loves?” (Wait a minute, you sh!t for brains b!tch!! I thought that was what she just tried to do!) Paula asks what else she could have done.
Rog looks like he wishes the crack in the floor would swallow him whole. Sin blames Pau’s ambition and greed on the fact that neither her brother nor Pau’s sister is happy now. Rog has finally heard enough from Sin. “--Enough already!” Not quite. Sin comes back to shoot another round of bird shot at her SILINO (sister-in-law in name only). “—And, now I understand what he saw in you! He saw your resemblance to Vanessa! Since the proud bastard couldn’t forgive her, he’s making do with you!” Ohhhh man! The tears in Pau’s eyes must mean that Sin has hit a nerve! The look on Rog’s face definitely makes it seem he agrees and that his kid sis has figured it out.
Back in San Gabriel, Ulises surprises Macaria with the news that he’s taking the prize money and they’re all going on a trip together. (Yawn.) FF>>
In the hotel room again, Paula spits back at Rog that his sister is correct. His problem is that she looked so much like her sister he’s been fixated on her! Rog races over to her side to try to make her see that it’s nothing like that at all! She won’t listen, though. She chides him, and urges him to seek out her sister instead then, and give her back her freedom! She will never be like Vainessa! No way, he tells her and then yells over at Sin to apologize to Paula for the crappy stuff she just laid on her. Sin refuses to. She gets down on her knees and begs him to understand that this woman doesn’t love him and that Vainessa does. Bro-Hell cuts her off in mid-sentence. “—If that woman really loved me then she wouldn’t have left me when I was paralyzed!!” Sin keeps pleading Vainie’s case for her. “--She’s soooo distraught and totally undone by all that has happened--and then on top of it all you got married to her! Can’t you see what you’re doing to her?” Tears flow down Paula‘s cheeks now as she watches the two siblings cling to each other. It’s a strange, shared intimacy of understanding that only their past suffering through a mutual tragedy could provide.
Paula asks Ro-Hell for the chance to make Vainessa see how things really happened and why. Sin says nothin’ doin’. Nessa want’s nothing more to do with Paula and she better make sure she never goes near her again! Sin looks back at her brother and says that Nessa is really in a bad way. If he really decides Sin can’t return to the hacienda even though she is part owner, then that’s his problem [allá tú]; but she’s not about to leave her friend when she really needs her. Rog looks like such a milquetoast at this point.
That night Sin returns to Vainessa’s home. She won the battle. Nessa says well, see! If you confront him and get in his face he backs off and things go better for you. Sin nods and says that he’s gone back with his wife to the hacienda. She of the cat’s meow makes a sour-puss.
The first thing Paula does once they’re back at Hell-Fuerte is to race in to see her brother. She cries and hugs him. She tells him not to blame himself. He does though, and says it’s entirely his fault she’s back at the hacienda again. She tells him all that matters is that he gets well. He asks how Rogelio found her. She tells him not to worry about that and just to get well. They’ll manage together just like they’ve always done before. Squeaky watches tearfully from the other side of the room.
In the kitchen, Maria pours Rog some coffee. She says now that he’s got what he wants and Paula’s back, he shouldn’t take it out on Paula because she ran off. He stirs his coffee and mentions that Paula saw the guy. “—Then he’s not—“ No! He is alive and though she wouldn’t admit, he knows that she saw him. Maria warns him against letting jealousy get the better of him. He loses it and says of course he’s jealous! He’s dying of jealousy and full of rage!! How could he not be, knowing that his wife has been seen with another man—and specifically that man! But how can he be sure, she wonders. “--Good gawd, my instinct doesn’t fail in things like that, Nana! I know they saw each other. My wife is a different woman! I can tell it in her manner. I can see it in her eyes, in the way she moves, the way she walks and talks, in everything! Even her scent, for gawd sakes!” Dani accidentally overhears and watches all of this from the doorway. So she scurries back the way she came, undoubtedly expecting the worst for her BFF now.
The next morning Paula wakes up, gives her brother a kiss good-morning, and then opens the windows. What a shocker!! She glances angrily over at her brother. “—Since when did they put bars on the windows?” He gives her a dejected look like as if she couldn’t she guess and then turns away.
At the same time, back in Tuxtla, Nessa convinces Sin that she’ll never be free of her brother and will be dependent on him her entire life if the two of them don’t do something soon about it. They start planning to join forces for revenge’s sake and for Sin to find a way to get back what’s rightly hers.
The Cupcake, now dressed in authoritative pink--storms into the kitchen, her frosting all tipping over and out of shape. She demands to know why there are bars on the bedroom windows. (Buy a letter and get a clue, dammit! You’re brother was suicidal, if nothing else.) “—This is the last straw! You’re really just too much, you know!” Oh-Hell looks up from the table and his coffee. “—Now what have I done?” “--Why did you put up bars? How could you lock up my brother as if he were an animal? That’s the reason he tried to kill himself!! I hate you! I’ll hate you forever!” She crinkles her nose up at him and sniffs. He grabs her arm and she struggles against him, but it’s useless. “—Well too bad for you because that’s only going to make your stay here worse! “
“--Exactly, it’s going to be hell being here and as soon as I can I’m leaving again!” He grabs the back of her head and forces her face down to his level. “—Being shut up here in this hacienda you will learn to love me.” “No. That’ll never happen!” He doesn’t move his eyes from hers and he keeps hold of her arm. “--I realize that you feel something for me. You left because you thought I was a murderer and you see that I’m not. Your boyfriend is alive, right?“ Paula sneers back. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have him beaten up! Oh-Hell gets rattled. He finally loses it again. “—Stop doubting me already? Can’t you understand? I only tried to help you out because I loved you! I am innocent!!” “—You have a great way of showing your love: locking away my brother, bringing me back here by force! Do you really believe you’re going to get me to love you that way?” “—You don’t really know me—“. “—and I don’t want to, either!!” Rog insists that Pau will eventually understand him and who he really is. She says she already knows and as soon as the damned contract is over she’s gettin’ so fast it’ll make his head spin! She’s leaving and she ain’t comin’ back never, no way, nuh-uh, nunca!
Rog looks her in the eyes; the love and hurt in his face are compelling—but she seems totally blind to it. (Heck! It fairly jumps through the screen, and all of Viewerville joins in a communal swoon. Damn!! Paula may not feel your pain, honey buns, but I sure do!
Rogeliana’s everywhere are on a rant!) “—The day will come that you will be here by my side of your own accord, Paula.”
At the breakfast table again, Nessa says she’s calling Big Dave to see what the three of them can do together against you-know-who. Elsa La Vaca, looking and acting like those in Command Central have recently vacated her brain, greets Sin. Elsie starts gibbering about bad dreams and not giving Nessa’s Daddy his medicine. She wanders off and they chalk it up to depression, and losing him after their living together for so many years.
Back at Hell-Fuerte, Paula asks if Ro-Hell is planning to lock her up like he did with her brother. He says yep, if it’s necessary. Maria walks in on the two of them. Pau makes a crack to Maria about him. “—I don’t know why I ever trusted this man to help me save my brother.” Maria defends him and says he’s a good man. Pau tells her not to waste her breath defending him. After all, he locked up Mikey and he, in his desperation, tried to kill himself. That is something she’ll never forgive! After Paula struts out of the room, Maria asks why he didn’t bother to clarify that the bobo had to be locked up to keep him from drinking himself to death. Oh-Hell answers that it simply wasn’t the right time to bother with explanations. Paula is too angry to have listened anyway. At least for now she’s back at the hacienda and will end up doing what he tells her to. Maria agrees that he was right that Paula isn’t the same person she was before. He looks back at her, totally exhausted by the whole affair. “—I told you. She saw her boyfriend.”
In Mikey’s bedroom, Dani listens to AP complain that she’s married to the man her half-sister loves (¡Qué horror!) and so now they’re enemies. Her daddy died hoping his two daughters would make nice, but they won’t --and it’s all Rogelio Montero’s fault!! They agree that they should not tell Mikey yet that he and she didn’t have the same daddy. Oops! Mikey’s in the hallway walking towards them and has heard it all! “—What?” Cara de impactado de Miguel.
At Casa de los Durán, Miss Mercy asks Sugarcakes if he’s done with the proposal he’s been working on for Sr. Montero. Yup. Almost there. He’s hoping to bury himself in his work and forget about his broken heart. The phone rings and it’s Sinthia hoping to come by for a chat. She hands the phone over to Gus, who on the rebound is ready for any pleasant distraction of the female persuasion, is suddenly smiling. “—Hey, Sinthia! What’s up, girl?” Sin can’t believe the terrific change in his attitude.
Paula takes a couple of minutes to quickly explain to BoBo that their mother was separated from his daddy when she met and fell in love with her daddy. She learned about it and spent time getting to know him while she was in Boca del Cielo. She was sure that he was going to help her get her divorce, but he can’t now because he died recently. “--Daddy was Federico Galván”. Mikey is like totally OMG impactado.
At the same time, Rog is in his office doing paperwork when he gets a phone call about the proposal Gus just sent. Gus is hoping to communicate long-distance about his suggestions and simply e-mail him when he needs to, but Rog says he doesn’t trust electronic communication. He’d rather see him in person to talk over things like they’d agreed. Gus says well, fine. He’ll be travelling between Tuxtla and there to finish up something for the Water Commission. They agree to have him contact Rog the next time he is in the district. Gus tells himself afterwards that by losing himself in the wilds of Hell-Fuerte it will be much easier forgetting about Ana. (Sorry, Bucko. There’s an anvil there waiting to fall and it’s got your name all over it!)
Pau and BoBo agree they still love each other and that nothing’s changed. FF>>
Macaria has dropped by the kitchen with supplies or something and tries getting some juicy gossip out of Consuelo about why she broke off her engagement to Effer. All Conned will admit to is catching him with another girl. Maria walks in on them at this point and Macaria gets the hint to make like a tree and leave. Once La Bocota Esa is gone, Maria warns Connie that the term “gossip-hound” was created especially for the likes of Macaria. However, she can tell her madrina who it was. It was Sinthia, right?
Speaking of the Queen of Roma, Effer has her in his sites and is asking her if she’s decided yet. The two of them are made for each other. Nope. He’s got his sights set way too high. Big Dave and Nessa walk in on them; she pulls rank and tells him to hop to it about something. He leaves. Vainessa tells her she’s made Big Dave current with all that’s happened and leaves. He tells her he’s happy she is confronting her brother and that she trusts Dave to help get her portion of the inheritance. They will do whatever is necessary. She won’t regret it at all. No, she won’t and she’s willing to do whatever to look after her own interests now.
Back in the kitchen, Connie lies that she doesn’t even know the woman Effer was with. She’d rather not discuss it any further, either, because it’s just too painful. Maria gives her a hug and tells her to cry her eyes out. It’ll make her feel better. Connie does.
Meanwhile, Rog is having a Big Bro chat with Mikey about how sick it was to try what he did. Mike says not to worry about it. It won’t happen again. Fine, says, Rog, but Mike’s got to see that these things hurt Paula. They may have different daddies, yes, but they’re still siblings and still love each other. Now, Rog says he hopes Mikey won’t take it the wrong way, but because of what happened he’ll now have to have somebody watching him night and day. No he won’t, says Mikey. He’s got to stick around now to help his sister. “She’s very sad here.”
In the meantime, Hugo finds Margarito and brings him inside to speak to Ro-Hellio. Mgrito is certain he’ll be scolded and beaten. Hugo talks him into it by telling him they’ll both be in trouble if he doesn’t go along willingly.
Macario runs into Mikey on his way through the back yard. He asks her to do a favor for him.
Inside, Margarito tells Rog that if he’s angry and wants him to leave the hacienda because he ran away with Paula, then fine. He’ll leave because he refuses to let him beat him. Rog says no, he isn’t upset. In fact he’s got something for him and hands him a whole jar of candy. (That’s it. Ply the kid with candy, Rog.) “--Actually, I’m glad you’re back. You may not believe it but I missed your foolishness.” Mgrito grins at the candy. “—Really?” “—Yep.” They both start sucking gumballs. Rog asks him if he knows he wanted to adopt him. Well, yeah, says Margarito, but considering he ran away he figured things were different now. No, Rog says, he still wants to. “--Don’t you worry about it now. Why don’t you tell me what happened with you and Paula while you were in Boca de Cielo.” Margarito takes a seat and puffs up. “—I took care of her, you know? She was really scared.” Rog raises his eyebrows but manages to keep a straight face. (Finally the kid shows us he can do something besides screech lines!)
Outside, Paula asks Mikey what Rog wanted him for. He explains it was only to make sure he wouldn’t doing anything stupid again and he assures his sis that he won’t. He asks her about the time she spent with Guscakes. Pau says it was wonderful being there because she was able to forget everything. No, Gus doesn’t know she’s a prisoner here, and she couldn’t tell him about much. She was afraid Rog would try to have him killed again. She thought it would be better to wait until she was already divorced and then tell him; but, now that she’s got to wait out the contract she’s sure by the time she finds Ol’ Sugarcakes he’ll have forgotten her and found somebody else.
That night, Bruno and Rosie are kvetching over what a shame it is that Paula didn’t manage to get Federico’s name or to get his money. Yeah, says Rosie, all that effort for nothing! Well, says Bruno with a self-satisfied grin, he realizes they’re both alike. They both will take advantage of whatever comes their way. And Bruno, he’s not going to let the chance to get back his hacienda pass through his fingers. Rosie wants to know if legally AP can fight for her portion of Feddy’s funds. Nope, admits Bruno. Elsa and Vainessa seem way too clever. Well, says Rosie, they’ve got to be prepared for whatever they can in order to a better outcome…er…income somehow. What will they do about Gus? Bruno says they’ll soon see whether it’ll be better for them to kill him or not. Just then Rog comes rolling by and sees the two of them huddled together. They look a bit sheepish being seen like this, but oh well.
“—Let me talk with Rosaura!” Bruno excuses himself and leaves. Rosie does her best Cheshire cat impression. “—Whatever you say, Sr. Montero.” “—I’ve just spoken to Margarito and he’s told me the whole truth. So now I want to hear it all from you.” Rosie is skip-a-heartbeat-or three impactada and she sucks in a deep breath.
Back in San Miguel now, Macaria sits down with Maripaz and tells her Mikey’s doing better; he’s seemingly sorry for trying what he did. She hands Maripaz a letter he wrote to her and leaves so she can read it.
“Thanks for worrying about me, but it’s better that I’m alone. I have so many problems to resolve to be with anybody right now. You deserve better. Maybe things will be different in the future but for now, no.”
She cries at the Dear Juana letter.
At Hell-Fuerte, Rosie insists Paula spent all her time with father. Yeah, but she saw her boyfriend, says Rog. Oh well, Rosie wasn’t with her the entire time, she says. Pau even got away from her a couple of times. Perhaps that was when she saw that guy. Rog warns her that he’s wise to her skill for lying; and if he catches her in one it’ll be her neck!! Daddy Fed and AP were together at the beach. She tells him to go ask Vainessa if he doesn’t believe her! Oh, he plans on it for sure. Rosie manages to skillfully turn the 20 questions back on Rog. “—Why did you bring my niece back here? To fulfill the contract or because you love her?” Rog realizes he is going to have to measure his words before he answers.
Labels: no-podia
El Mundo de Telemundo, week of 3/12/12: Discuss Amongst Yourselves!
The new novela,
Corazon valiente, started strong this week with a fast-moving story and some excellent work by the Telemundo troupe of actors.
Doña Barbara's daytime run is done and now they have replaced it with
Más sabe el diablo. I missed that one the first time around and am trying to keep up with it. (But those two-hour time slots are killers.)
Here's your page, my friends. Let's hear what you have to say about your favorites.
Labels: barbara, relaciones, telemundo, valiente
Friday, March 09, 2012
El Talismán #28 Fri 3/9/12 In which Tal*Mart announces a Fire Sale. And the paper? FUGGEDABOUTIT!
Haiku recap. Crap.
Qué tal those limpid pools now
only AlcaTrash.
It’s true, dear Talismaniacs. Our comedy has been elbowed out by the new Televisa melodrama and we are now relegated to the midday Slot of Shame, subject to the vagaries of our DVRs and finding time to watch what is recorded.
On our ultimate Friday night together
ALL THE PIGS ARE WALLOWING AT ALCATRASH TONIGHT
LuCrazy defies the Pig. She refuses to sign over her part of AlcaTrash in return for his help in winning over Pedro.
The Pig is undeterred. He musters up the now drunken Valentín and trots over to the bordello looking for the Madame. He needs Brigitte to dig up that crooked notary public she knows, Lucas somebody. He has a document that needs tampering.
Doris finds Antonio waiting for her when she gets home from her shift at the boink mill. He’s mad that she’s trying to turn the F-girls against him. She provokes him, almost exactly as LuCrazy did earlier, by calling him less of a man than Pedro. But Doris gets the reaction we all know LuCrazy only dreams about. First he smacks her around and then he throws her down and ravishes her. Crazy Doris wins a round.
LuCrazyIsAnUnderstatement looks plenty jealous when Alberta tells her the Belt Buckle and his wife are fighting.
Lu meets up with the postcoital/postbeatdown Buckle and tells him about the Pig’s thwarted attempt to get her share of AlcaTrash. If Antonio does his part by getting Camila out of her way, her AlcaQuarterTrash is his. If not, she’ll sell it – or just give it – to Pedro.
Grrrrrr says Tony’s frowny face.
The F-girls comfort each other. Fabi gets a call from Armando and that makes Flor even sadder because it reminds her of her tragic break-up with her imaginary suitor, José.
THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY -- OR -- TRACY TELLS ALL
Armando and Camila don’t get it. A civil ceremony in a week? Why the shotgun wedding? Camila has serious doubts about this Renato guy.
Pedro pretends to be oblivious to El Viral's glares and verbal digs. He keeps on smiling, quietly taking in everyone's measure. [Perhaps he is mentally fitting them for the straightjackets for which they are clearly candidates.]
Pancho finally emerges from the kitchen bearing a tray of drinks. (Keep those hands where we can see them, buster.) He greets Camila and Pedro and then reveals that Tracy is the secret chef responsible for the high class food El Viral has just been raving about.
Now it’s Tracy’s turn to make an appearance. She and Camila exchange girlish hugs and go into the kitchen to catch up on old times.
Meester Renato gives Tracy the stinkeye and thought bubbles: She’d better keep her mouth shut.
El Viral gives Camila the stinkeye and thought bubbles: Just what I needed. My daughter “tuteando” with the help.
It takes a bit of squeezing (Camila has to promise she won’t reveal her sources) but Tracy finally spills – Meester Renato thinks Camila’s ma is loaded and that’s why he’s courting her. He himself doesn’t have a penny. Why he takes money from her! He’s a complete phony!
Camila respects Tracy’s wishes and doesn’t confront Renato at the party. She and Pedro take their leave so coldly that even El Viral notices that the temperature has gone down. Which she blames on Pedro, of course.
AT EL TALISMÁN
Sarita is wearing a kinky catwoman maid’s uniform and she and Gabriel are just getting warmed up when ...
Tía Patricia pounds on the door. Pedro has called and asked after Lu and now Tía realizes the suicidal gate-crasher is missing. Damn. Everyone stops what they are doing to go Lu-hunting.
LuCrazyButPitiful finds them all in the livingroom and feigns surprise that her absence has caused a stir. Expressing a tear from her boundless teat of self-pity she asks if it’s a crime to fall in love. Because that’s her only offense – being in love with Pedro.
Look closely and you’ll see that dopey Claudio is buying it.
AT THE ONLY HOTEL INN™ -- OR -- EL VIRAL DENIES, DENIES, DENIES
Pedro’s hand is poised to knock on El Viral’s door but he stops when he hears raised voices inside.
Camila has served up the unpalatable truth – Renato is a complete fake. He’s not a millionaire. Not even close. “Check him out yourself” pleads Cami.
El Viral simply will not believe her. Not only that, she would marry Renato even if he had no money. You heard it, folks. She’s that into him.
But of course that’s not the case. He DOES have money. She saw his house, his butler, his car. For the love of all that is holy, He has a YACHT.
Where did she get that story anyway?
Avert your eyes, dear viewers, from the flash of the lightbulb that goes on over El Viral's head: "It was that maid, that TRACY person, wasn't it?"
Oh it wasn't that
criada??? Well then it’s obvious. Camila’s just making up lies out of jealousy because she’s stuck with the low-class rancher, Pedro Ibarra. And she doesn’t want her mother to be happy.
In that case, Camila can forget she has a mother. She has to choose – Pedro or Mommy Dearest! Now go!
Here El Viral flings open the door ... only to find Pedro standing on the other side, calmly waiting for Camila.
Avances: There are none. Now that the show has been banished to the daytime Slot of Shame, no one can be bothered to cobble together the re-views they have been calling pre-views.
Labels: Talisman
La Que No Podía Amar #52 Thursday 3/8/12 The Woman Who Couldn't Get The Alleged Love of Her Life to Believe in Her
Sorry, all, it's another late recap in installments today. When it's complete you'll get a for realz title. On to the show:
Vanessa tells Rog he can't get back together with Ana Paula…she wants another chance.
Rosaura talks to someone about finding the notario. He tells her they'd have to exhume the body to do a DNA test. And it's going to be a long, expensive process to fight for what she thinks AP deserves. And this guy wants 30% of the inheritance if they get it. Fed was a rich guy…if he's taking the case, it better be worth it.
Rog says it's way too late for him and Vanessa. They've each gone their own way now. "Well, yeah, but we're both miserable!" Vanessa says she's really sorry for leaving him. Too little, too late, sister. Rog gently tells her they can't be happy together. And he doesn't hate her anymore, either, but there's no reason to keep discussing this. He says he's married to AP and Vanessa flips her wig and screams at him that he CAN'T be with her!
AP has put in some job applications. She's worried about Mercedes hating her and wanting her out of the house. Mercedes comes home and asks AP to let her talk to Gustavo alone. Gustavo doesn't like Mercedes' attitude. She says she doesn't like how she keeps hearing that Ana is only after money. She tells him that AP didn't even marry the guy she kissed at the graduation…she married another, richer guy…a sick one! Gus doesn't look happy.
Vanessa continues throwing her tantrum about how Rogelio CAN'T be with Ana Paula…he CAN'T be in love with her! Rogelio makes the mistake of saying he liked her at first because she reminded him of Vanessa. Jajajajaja! That really makes Vanessa ratchet up her screeching! "Don't ever compare me to her!" It brings her cow of a mother running to ask qué the hell Rogelio is doing to her daughter!
Mercedes tells Gustavo to just freakin' ask Ana about it already (or maybe that was me)…or ask her aunt, who's suffering over her niece's behavior. Now, that Gustavo won't buy--he knows what Rosaura is like. Mercedes begs him to get the info before the relationship continues. Gustavo's going to ask her, but he insists that he will stick with Ana because she's so honest and pretty and she smells like fresh-baked cookies all the time and little birds dress her in the morning.
Rog sees Cynthia, David, and Bruno and tells them Vanessa's even more upset than before. When Cyn hears that he's looking for Ana Paula, she starts hassling him about that. He tells her if she ever leaves the house without his permission again, she won't be leaving with anything more than the clothes on her back. This gives David another opportunity to make a bid for husbandship. Cyn looks like she's thinking about it.
Ana Paula and Rosaura come back into the house and Gus hears Rosaura weeping and wailing about how AP can't get Fed's money because he's been cremated, so they can't do a DNA test. AP says she sold the engagement ring and they have a little bit to live on, but they're going to have do so something else. Margarito comes bounding out of the bedroom and suggests a fabulous gourmet dinner of PB&J, which excites no one but him. Gus, who only comes in 2 flavors--Bland and Furious--comes to the wrong conclusion after hearing ONLY the ever-TACKY Rosaura and makes his "Damn you, Ana Paula" face while puffing up his chest and heaving his shoulders.
Cin tells Vanessa that rather than forget AP, he's probably going to insist on getting her back just to make her suffer. Cin suggests giving her money to get rid of her so she gets out of their lives forever. Vanessa agrees and hopes she can find her at the hotel.
Rosaura won't tell Rogelio where they are. He reminds her if she doesn't play nice, he'll have Miguel sent back to jail.
Vanessa tells Cin that her mom doesn't want her to give money to AP or get back together with Rogelio. And right now, she's not even sure if she still loves him or if she hates him, but she's sure she doesn't want Ana Paula to have him! That, and she wants him to suffer for her. Cin says she needs to spend more time near him. "Set up a company office in San Gabriel!"
Dany brings Maripaz to see Miguel. Before they can go into the room, Dany takes a call from Bruno.
Consuelo lets Maripaz into the room and they both get treated to the sight of Miguel's cut wrists, bleeding all over the bed. Dany, as if she doesn't have any medical training, just stands there staring in shock.
Rogelio tells Bruno that Rosaura won't tell him where they are until she gets more money out of him, as usual.
Dany checks Miguel's pulse. It's weak, but still there. She yells at Maripaz to shut up and starts ripping sheets to make tourniquets.
Daniel pays off Juan, who lets him know that the young lady asked who sent him, but he kept quiet about it.
Maria prays for Miguel to be saved. For his own sake, for Paula's, and so they don't have to find out how Rogelio's going to react to that! Maria doesn't plan on telling him until the doctors have checked him out. Maripaz's parents are there and Consuelo begs Maria to deal with them.
Maripaz's mother admits she gave permission. Her father starts yelling at her the minute she walks into the living room. Maria comforts Maripaz and tells her parents that Miguel's not doing well and she doesn't know if he'll live through the night. That shuts Maripaz's dad up quick.
Mercedes comes home from an interrupted date with Ernesto and finds Gustavo still awake. He tells her he hasn't talked to Ana, because her aunt was feeling sick, but he did overhear a conversation about the inheritance and it seems to him like it's Rosaura who's a TACKY, money-grubbing ho. Mercedes finds it suspicious that Ana hasn't told Gustavo everything. She reminds him that he can't stand being lied to, so she knows he won't be happy with Ana. Gus ponders.
Maripaz is back at the store, begging to at least go see the doctor and find out how Miguel's doing, but her dad tells her she'd better stay put.
Rosaura and Rogelio lay their cards out on the table. Rosaura wants money, as usual. This time she wants to know she'll be taken care of beyond the year of the contract. Rogelio shows her a huge check and offers to trade it for Ana Paula, but only if he gets her TODAY!
Ana Paula comes downstairs and notices Gustavo is grumpy. He asks if it really hurt her to lose her dad, or if she's upset to lose out on his name and his money. He's confused and says she hasn't been honest with him. "Why didn't you tell me that the man my sister saw you with at the graduation isn't the one you married?" OK, now I'm confused, because I thought he was the one who kept saying he didn't want to hear her explanations?
Miguel makes it through the night and wakes to find Dany watching over him.
"First of all, at my graduation, things didn't go the way your sister thinks they did. There was a misunderstanding." "And why didn't you trust me enough to tell me about it?" "Are you insinuating that I've lied to you?" "You've told me half-truths, which is the same thing." She's pissed that anyone can talk smack about her and he believes them. Gustavo feels his distrust is justified. "I asked you not to accept anything else from your husband and yesterday you pawned your engagement ring." Ana says she can explain, but he doesn't want to hear it. He says she did it behind his back and justifies yelling at her by saying she's giving him plenty of reason to. AP says if he's going to believe anyone but her, then it's better they break up.
Rogelio asks where Paula is, but Rosaura still won't tell him. She doesn't want AP to know that she gave her away. "I'll get her to some place where you can just show up like you'd been following her." Rogelio grins, saying he gets it…"You don't want her to know you traded her in for a house."
AP says she doesn't want to break up, but he always believes anyone else but her. He's yelling at her that she doesn't speak clearly. "Are you sure you're not planning to go back to your husband because he has money and I don't" AP has had it! She hopes in time he'll see how wrong he's been. "But you are right about one thing." "Oh, that you're hiding things from me?" "No, you dolt! That I'm still married. And I've got a lot of things to deal with before I can think about starting a new life." Gustavo grabs her, insisting on knowing where she's going. "That's not your problem anymore, is it?" AP says she kept quiet to protect him.
Rosaura is offended that Rogelio's making her sound like she's pimping out her niece. Well, you TACKY broad, you ARE pimping out your niece. So go cry in a big bag of money over it. The usual explanations about how tough life is for the poor. She gets weepy and Rogelio takes her hand. "If you don't want to go back to that kind of like, then do what I say. By my side, you'll never want for anything. But if you screw me over I'll take away all my support. Got it?"
Bruno finally gets a call from his hench. He's all ready to get Gustavo…once he sees him.
Ana hesitates to tell Gustavo what she hasn't told him and he accuses her of needing time to make up more lies. He keeps grabbing her every time she tries to leave, including in front of Margarito, saying she's not going anywhere. He even yells at Margarito. AP thanks him for all his help and says she'll pay him back for the hotel. She insists she's willing to tell him everything, but she needs time and he won't give her time. Gee, that doesn't sound suspicious at all. AP runs upstairs, leaving Gus and Margarito scratching their heads.
Miguel doesn't remember what happened. Dany tells him he lost a lot of blood and he needs to rest and recover. Miguel says he wants to die, but Dany tells him not to say that. She tells him Maripaz and Consuelo found him, thankfully. "I know it's not right, but I don't want any more problems. I don't want to cause any more problems." Dany tells him we've all got problems and he's going to find solutions, not take the easy way out. "The doctor says you need professional support and also support from everyone who loves you. Think about how much Paula loves you. Think about beautiful things so you can smile again and love life." Miguel doesn't look convinced.
Ulises tells Macaria he doesn't want her and Maripaz to think he's an ass, he just wants to take care of his daughter is all. Macaria says the best thing could be to let Maripaz be around Miguel long enough to come to her own conclusions. She's sure Maripaz is a sensible girl and will make the right decision. Ulises doesn't agree.
Bruno visits Vanessa and gives her his condolences. She says she'll need his help now that she's heading up the company. She and Cin tell Bruno that she's opening an office in San Gabriel and needs his help. They go to talk about the plans to for the office, leaving Cin to be accosted by Efrain. He demands to know if she's staying for Vanessa or David and kisses her, saying she likes the risk…it makes her feel alive! And the way she keeps coming back for more, I'd have to agree with him.
Margarito says goodbye to Gus and says he'll take care of Ana. Gus approaches her, but his phone rings. It's Rosaura asking to speak to her. Ana tells her she's had a problem with Gus and they broke up. Rosaura can barely contain her glee. She asks what happened and AP says "He thought I got married for the money and if he doesn't trust me, there's no point staying together." They plan to meet somewhere.
Rosaura hangs up the phone, giving Rogelio a smug grin.
AP gives Gus back his phone. "I'll show you I'm not a gold-digger, but by the time you realize that I'm not sure I'll be able to forgive your dickish behavior." AP and Margarito leave the house. She stops by the door and Gus starts to go after her, but nothing happens yet.
Rosaura holds her hand out for the check, but Rog won't hand it over until he actually has AP. He tests Rosaura's "loyalty" by asking her to tell him where AP's been and who she's been with.
Cin breaks away from Efrain, lamenting that she's not free. He reminds her half of the hacienda is hers and encourages her to fight for it and then marry him. "Oh, really? You think I'm going to maintain you?" He says he's the only one who's man enough for her. "The only one who knows you, knows how you are, and can meet all your needs." His phone starts ringing and Cin says "Not my economic needs. Go on. Answer the phone. It might be important." "The only thing that's important is you. I know how to run a hacienda. No one's going to look after you as well as I will, even against your brother." Cin insists he answer the phone. It's Rog, summoning Efrain. Bruno has been summoned as well and the two guys take their leave. Cin wonders why Rog called them. Vanessa figures it's to help find AP.
Rog can't believe that Fed is AP's dad. Rog feels like this explains why AP and Vanessa…he remembers how he thought they look so alike. He says if he'd known he wouldn't have pulled the crap he'd pulled. Rosaura tells him Vanessa knows and refuses to acknowledge it and how Van and Elsa wouldn't let AP go to her father's funeral. As much of an ass as Rogelio is, it's worth noting that between him and Rosaura, he's the one who's sympathetic to how AP must be hurting right now, while Rosaura is just seeing everyone as walking dollar signs.
Maria tells Miguel she assumes that since AP is such a devotee of St. Francis, Miguel must have some faith too. Miguel says they're very different. Maria tries to ask what he was thinking, but Miguel was just thinking that AP would be free, finally. Maria refuses to keep quiet and says she has to tell his family what happened, and tell Rogelio.
Rosaura points out the difficulties in proving that AP is Fed's daughter. Rog puts $ and $ together and realizes that Rosaura was hoping that Fed would be her new ATM. She denies it, of course. He asks for more details about what Paula's been up to while she's been away from him. Rosaura begs off, saying she has to go meet her. As soon as she leaves, Rog snaps at Hugo to go follow her. "Vanessa and Paula," he muses, "this isn't good." You've got that right!
AP and Margarito walk along with their rolling suitcases. She tells him they're going to go meet up with Rosaura.
Miguel begs Maria not to tell AP. He doesn't want her to worry. Maria insists and Miguel is worried about Rogelio's reaction. Maria is as convinced that AP and Rogelio belong together and Miguel is convinced they're terrible for each other.
AP and Margarito meet Rosaura in a church. Rosaura hugs AP and pretends to comfort her. "I'm sorry. You were so excited to be with your boyfriend! But everything happens for a reason." AP says she can't cry over a guy who doesn't believe in her. Maybe she'll give him another chance after she's divorced. Rosaura reminds her they've got nowhere to stay and AP says she knows, but she needs a minute to pray for Fed's soul. Rosaura says maybe she should pray for a place to stay. She goes off to buy a candle for St. Francis and she'll be right back. AP has a silent convo with the Virgen.
Mercedes has received a big honkin' flower arrangement from Ernesto. They're an apology for the date that was cut short. He can't wait to tell his daughter they're together. Mercedes is worried he'll rush it and make her think she's trying to take his mother's place. Ernesto can't wait till it's the three of them. Gloomy Gus comes downstairs. He tells them that he broke up with Ana.
Margarito asks if she prayed to get back together with Gus. She says not until she's divorced. Margarito points behind her where Rosaura is being fake dragged into the church by Hugo and Efrain and Rogelio rolls in.
Tomorrow: AP insists she won't go back with him, she admits Rog didn't kill her boyfriend because he's actually alive, Rog suspects they did the nasty.
Labels: no-podia
NY Times Article on Telenovela filming in Miami
I thought folks might be interested in this:
Spanish-Language TV Dramas Heat Up Miami
MIAMI — Blanca Soto moved to Los Angeles from Mexico to make a better life. After a decade of struggling there, she relocated to Miami where she works 10-hour days, six days a week.
Her job? Being a star.
Hollywood may be losing movie sets to cheaper locations overseas and New York soap opera mainstays like “All My Children” and “One Life To Live” are gone, but Miami is enjoying a boom in the production of telenovelas, daily soap operas that are wildly popular among Spanish-speaking audiences.
Five telenovelas are being shot in Miami up from only a couple a few years ago. Last year producers spent a combined $40 million in the area, up from $11.5 million in 2009, according to the Miami-Dade County Office of Film & Entertainment.
Although telenovelas were long churned out in Mexico, the two dominant Spanish-language networks in the United States, Univision and Telemundo, are increasing production in South Florida, attracted by American marketing opportunities, tax breaks and the growing Hispanic audience in the United States.
Telenovelas imported from Mexico can still bring big ratings on American networks, but increasingly Hispanics in the United States want to watch stories that resonate with their lives here, network executives said.
Actors, producers and writers from Latin America have descended on the city, turning Miami into a telenovela Tinseltown. The design district and its luxury stores and restaurants like Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink have become a hub for paparazzi from Spanish-language publications on the lookout for stars like Ms. Soto, who plays Camila on Univision’s telenovela “El Talismán.”
“We joke that the best thing about Miami is that it’s so close to the United States,” said Luis Balaguer, founder and chief executive of Latin World Entertainment, a talent management and production company.
For many stars, the change is welcome for another reason: the escalating crime rate in Mexico. “Actors have told me ‘I don’t want my kids being kidnapped in my country,’ ” said Roberto Stopello, vice president for novela development at Telemundo.
Considered a mainstay of Spanish-language entertainment, telenovelas run five nights a week and require a breakneck production pace. A 120-episode season costs around $3 million to make, about the same as one episode of a prime-time network drama. Each telenovela employs roughly 95 crew members and 25 actors who often work six days a week.
The shift in production to Miami is a result in part of generous incentives offered by the state, but the housing crisis in Florida has become an additional selling point for local producers looking for cheap sets. Telemundo’s “La Casa de al Lado” (“The House Next Door”), was partly shot in a high-end vacant home in the city’s Palmetto Bay suburb.
While making television in Miami is still more expensive than in Mexico, Univision and Telemundo said Miami productions give the networks the ability to integrate products from a telenovela’s inception, which means they can charge advertisers more.
A character in “Eva Luna,” for instance, worked at an advertising agency creating a campaign for Buick. The ad created in the series became a Spanish-language commercial that ran on Univision. The networks can also make money on international syndication and through DVD sales or reruns.
Mr. Balaguer, the talent agent, said that five years ago he never would have advised actors to move to Miami. Now, he tells them to build a following among Hispanics and then cross over to English-language networks. His most famous client, Colombia-born Sofia Vergara, the ubiquitous actress on “Modern Family,” got her big break on Univision.
“I tell network executives, if you love an actress, but your nanny doesn’t know who she is, that’s a problem,” Mr. Balaguer said.
On a recent afternoon, at a palm-tree lined studio near Hialeah, Fla., Ms. Soto’s wholesome but cunning Camila pointed a finger at Lucrecia, the conniving seductress in “El Talismán.” Wearing a red negligee, Lucrecia tapped a stiletto and swore she did not plot to murder Camila and her powerful boyfriend, Pedro.
“Corte!” the director yelled and the actresses took a break on the set, made to look like a sprawling ranch in Fresno, Calif.
Ms. Soto, a former Miss Mexico World, tried for 10 years to start a film career in Hollywood before she moved to Miami and took the title role in “Eva Luna,” a Univision novela that averaged more than 4.4 million viewers.
“Suddenly, I’d walk into a restaurant and the waiters and staff would all know me and want a picture,” Ms. Soto said.
Running into telenovela stars at the supermarket or on the sidewalk is still new for Miami residents. “I told Aaron you’ve got to be careful walking on the street because old ladies will hit you with their bags,” said Gonzalo Bernal, production manager on “El Talismán,” referring to Aarón Diaz who plays the show’s handsome evildoer, Antonio. Mr. Diaz confirmed that fellow Miamians “are already starting to hate me.”
Telenovelas have always shrouded social messages in old-fashioned melodrama: agrarian reform in Brazil, drug-related crime in Mexico and civil liberties in Venezuela. “Think of them like postmodern Cinderella stories,” said Thomas Tufte, author of “Living With the Rubbish Queen: Telenovelas, Culture, and Modernity in Brazil.”
American-made telenovelas feature social messages about issues that disproportionately affect Hispanics like diabetes, the importance of a college education and generational gaps between assimilated Hispanics and their more traditional Spanish-speaking parents and grandparents.
In Telemundo’s hit novela from 2010, “Más Sabe el Diablo” (“The Devil Knows Best”) a character applied to be a census worker, a subtle message to viewers to get counted. “We want people in the United States to know you’re writing for them,” said Joshua Mintz, executive vice president of Telemundo Entertainment.
Univision, the No. 1 Spanish-language network, also incorporates social themes, but to a lesser degree.
“I’m not going to lie, the three-way love triangle is still the main story,” said Cesar Conde, president of Univision Networks.
Miami is still a long way from Hollywood when it comes to working conditions. In some ways, the industry here mirrors the early days of Hollywood. Spanish-language studios still largely have exclusive contracts with actors, and unions are virtually nonexistent. Actors often work 10-hour days and writers must churn out a 45-page script every day.
Low-budget novelas mean networks cannot spend lavishly on big-name stars. Instead, they pluck them from Latin America or do nationwide talent searches for Spanish-speaking aspirants.
“We’re still Spanish-language television,” Mr. Conde joked. “You win and then we make you put in 100-hour weeks.”
Labels: eva, Talisman, telemundo, telenovelas
El Talismán #27 Thu 3/8/12 Does Pancho Eat Everything With His Hands?
Dear Talismaniacs:
Our dear Sylvia is traveling and is unable to recap this evening. She asked that we put up a header and chat amongst ourselves.
A couple of starter topics:
1. Why did Camila's hair (at the party) stick up like a cockscomb in the back?
2. Why didn't Antonio change his shirt from yesterday?
3. Why is Elvira such a beast?
4. Why didn't we get an invite to the tacky party at the cheese ball apartment?
5. Why did El Tal get moved to 1PM?
6. When shall we start with Julia's challenge of Haiku recaps?
The answer to these and other important questions will be considered in your following posts.
ElnaJune, on behalf on our stalwart Cap'n Sylvia
Labels: Talisman
Una Familia Con Suerte #155-156 Thu 3/8/12 If this is luck, I don’t want any.
*Pancho’s boudoir. Mood: intimate and uncomfortable.*
Pancho: Since we’re novios, let’s be bed buddies.
Chela: Hold yer horsies, buckaroo. How can I hop in the sack with you when I still feel guilty about my teenybopper crush on you that neither you nor my sister would have paid any mind to had you known about it, because who cares? But how did you not ditch Laurita for me, with my alluring clown makeup and saloon girl getup at your wedding? Let me blather on about my soul awhile.
Pancho’s face: This is boring.
*Casa Rebe. Mood: slimy.*
Rebe: You know I’m just snoozling you for spite, right? But qué the hey, I’ll drink the orange Kool-Aid.
IckyMicky: Works for me, bebeh.
*Upscale restaurant. Mood: not as romantic as Lidia would prefer.*
Lidia: DROOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLL. ¡Eres lo máximo!
Enzo: Stop; you’re making me blush. Tell me about yourself.
Lidia: Blah blah Mike Mike Mike blah Rebeca blah Mike Mike Mike. Also, Graciela. But how ‘bout you and me?
{Anyone else find it telling that when she is asked about herself, she talks about IckyMicky?}
Enzo: You think we have a lot in common?
Lidia: DROOOOOOOLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!
*Another upscale restaurant. Mood: Fakey nicey.*
Inez: My near-death experienced changed me! Now I am not a bitter shrewish hag! Let’s forget the past and be besties!
Fernanda: Sure, sweetie, sure.
Inez: Also, I want to go eat, pray, love in Italy. Only you can run my business for me!
Fernanda: Actually, Pancho does all that these days.
Inez: Bwahahahaha! While she is in the loo, I will wave this bottle of poison all over and rant about killing her, then spike her drink!
Octavio: HEY THERE, Inez old bean! How nice of you to supply the condiments! Say, I hear the nosh in prison is to die for!
Inez: Drat.
*Enzo’s automobile, in front of Lidia’s hotel. Mood: Still not as romantic as Lidia would like, although the music is on her side.*
Lidia: Graaaaaciaaaassss. {Flutter, flutter, suggestive slow peck.}
Enzo: Eh.
*Restaurant.*
Police: You’re under arrest, Inez de la Borbolla!
Inez: Don’t you know who I am?
Police: Duh, I just said your name.
Fernanda: Why, Inez, why?
Inez: My husband’s feelings for you are your fault! I’ll get you, my pretty!
Fernanda: Octavio, mi amor! You saved my life!
*Next morning, café. Mood: shock.*
Orangatan: Look at the paper! Inez arrested!
Rebe: Gasp!
*Casa CandyBarbie, sin Candy. Mood: bleak.*
Concepción: Is there any news about Candy?
Vins: She called her brother and said she’s fine.
*Rustic dungeon cave. Mood: antagonistic.*
Deb: Here, call your family and loverboy and tell them you’re peachy keen.
Candy: What if I don’t wanna?
Deb beats the crap out of her own associate, just to demonstrate.
*Casa Lopez, breakfast table. Mood: upbeat. Only about 50 decibels.*
Pepe: Gotta go take my exam. ¡Que el mate no me mate!
Ana: I’m going back to school, too, but for some reason I can’t start again until next term. But the album is actually selling!
Chela: Yes, I hassle everyone about it when they just want to buy a new lipstick.
Candy, via phone: SOB! I’m fine! SOB! Absolutely great! SOB! Gotta go!
Everyone: ¡Hay gato encerrado!
*Avon. Mood: usual exec meeting mind vacation.*
Everyone: Qué the heck was Inez thinking?!
Lidia: She did try it once before. Also, I have discovered Avon’s line of swimwear!
Enzo: Someone better tell Pancho.
Everyone but Enzo: Not it!
Vins, into phone: Pina? You’re at the airport?! Sending the magic carpet ahora mismo!
*University.*
Moni: My mom wants me to go visit her. Ugh.
Pepe: Well, she is your mother. I can’t bring myself to check my test score on this publically posted list.
Moni: Lemme look. Ohhh… I’m so sorry… You passed!
Pepe: Wheeee! Steal the list for my scrapbook!
*Casa Lopez.*
Fernanda: The tests are in. It was potassium chloride. Octavio saved my life! I gotta go to the station.
Pancho: I’ll go with you!
Fernanda: You’d better go to work. Belle Face shares will be bargain basement on this news!
*Pancho’s office.*
Mendoza: Here’s a drawing of the woman from the security video.
Pancho: GASP! Cristián’s wife?! {They hadn’t considered that possibility?}
*Jail. Mood: hostile.*
Tomás, to sad cellmate: You’re still awaiting trial because you can’t afford freaking photocopies?!
Lead thug: I want money, lots and lots of money! Also, I have seen too many gang movies.
Tom: No.
Thug: Let’s discuss our incentive program. Here, have a toothbrush shiv to the gut.
Nice cellmate: Noooo! Help!
*Pancho’s office.*
Pancho, on phone: Lupita! It was Carla! Get over here and bring Pepe!
Enzo: Ya wanna get to the meeting any year now? Look! Belle Face’s shares have plummeted, but so have Avon’s, because of the merger talks!
Mendoza: Got any more of those yummy sandwiches?
*Casa Lopez. Mood: anxious.*
Ana: How’s the hot romance with my pops?
Chela: Ay, I don’t know. I have this niggling feeling an outside observer would find it weird, pathetic, and downright unromantic, if not a little creepy and totally ill-advised. But how about a happier topic? I’m worried about Candy. What if Napoleón has her?
Ana: Egad!
*Dank cave with magical hairstyle-preserving powers*
Deb: Here, get yourself all purdy in this fancy dress. Napo’s on his way!
*Avon conference room.*
Pancho: “(/$UJLDLF )((#//”!”&=$??”OWOEIUBR OIU¨W$/)(/”==)”(#up”#=)(“=nv iouippiuu!!!!!!!
Rebe: Calm down and shut up.
Pancho: shriekety shriek shriek blah blah blah y la manga del muerto. Also, I’m holding a press conference.
Vins: I do not approve.
Lamberto, on phone: Arnoldo! Hie thee to the conference room! We need a calm, mature adult!
Arnoldo: You called?
Pancho: Gimme a press conference! Now!
*Pancho’s office.*
Pepe, Moni, and Lupita: What’s happening? We know whodunit? Can we get Tomás out of the slammer now?
Mendoza: Whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s the rush, kids? There are sandwiches to be eaten at leisure.
Mendoza, on phone: What? Where is he?
Mendoza, to others, dead calm: Well, Tommy’s been seriously wounded. He’s in sick bay.
Lupita: ¿¡QUÉ!?
*Avon conference room.*
Arnold: It’ll take at least two hours to set up a press conference.
Pancho: ONE hour! Before the stock market closes! And write me up a brilliant press release while you’re making all the arrangements and the rest of us sit here shrieking pointlessly!
Vins: Oh, look, here’s your whole family! Where’s the band and the naco food? It’s a party!
Lupita: Daddy! Tommy’s in bad shape!
*Casa Irabién. Mood: pensive (damn, he was going for thoughtful).
Freddie: Oy. What to do? What to do?
Ding dong.
Ado: Hey, Ana! Guess what! La patrona’s coming home! Whoo-hooo!!!
Freddie: Ana, I know you’re all bummed and all, but the thing is, I have this opportunity…
Vins: Ana, any news about Candy?
*Avon conference room, sans Familia Lopez.*
Somehow everyone fights the urge to chuck Vins down the elevator shaft. He leaves, possibly sensing they may not fight it forever.
Lidia: Let’s have a private snoozle over here in the corner, Enzo. Or better yet, in my suite.
Enzo: Hmmm.
Cheez-It: Pancho is such a brilliant visionary, deciding to have a press conference to calm the shareholders! {Who are all these shareholders? Don’t Fernanda, Pina, and Vins hold most of the shares? Do Enzo and Arnoldo have any?}
Rebe: Oh, you Cheese Whiz! Way to recognize Pancho’s awesomeness!
Not-Better Cheddar: Let’s go to Miami ASAP.
*Jail.*
Even Tomás’s shirtlessness isn’t helping this New Luke. He’s unconscious. Lupita flashes back to Alex’s (QEPD) death. Dang, now I miss Alex all over again. Lupita prays and kisses Tom’s hand.
*Absurdly fake-looking cave.*
Deb: There, all fluffed and puffed. Let’s go.
*Teatro Morelos.*
The mafiamobiles park right in front and are joined by Napoleón’s motorcade. He steps out. EW! He’s like three times Candy’s age!
Candy: Whaddaya want?
Nappy: To be your genie in a bottle! I can make you a queen! Make your dreams come true! Fulfil your kinkiest fantasies!
Candy: What I want is for you to leave me alone!
*Sidewalk.*
Temo is trying to hawk CDs, but is getting no takers.
Ana: Temo, you are the best!
Temo: I haven’t actually sold any.
Meli cruises by in her royal chariot and Temo hurries to pack up. Slo-mo run and hug. Okay, enough already.
*Casa Irabién.*
Vins: PINA!!!!!!!
Turns out Yuyis and marido de Yuyis did in fact bite it.
Vins: What about Miniyuyis?
Pina: I want to get custody. She’ll live with us.
Vins: Well, with the rest of you.
Pina is sobbing very realistically.
Outside, Temo comforts a teary Meli, who works up what look like real tears.
*Jail.*
Tomás wakes up.
Lupita: Cristián’s wife did it! We’ll get you out of here! In the meantime, I will not leave your side, even for a minute!
Guard: Time’s up!
Lupita: Good thing you didn’t die! It would be weird copping a feel with a corpse!
Tomás: Almost like Madonna, you are like a Virgen! {Let’s assume he means in the religiously comforting sense. Though why the obsession with those ladies’ sexual inexperience to the point that it is how they are labeled forevermore, I will never understand.}
*Mafia Mansion. Mood: perturbed.*
Napoleón: I hired the orchestra just for you!
Candy: I hate classical music! Why would I want to be kidnapped for your stupid concert? Take your cheesy sentiments and shove them, Sappy Nappy!
*Casa Lopez*
Ana: Pollis might go to the U.S. I am friqueando!
Pancho, via phone: Tom is hurt!
Chela: Friqueando!
Ana: Friqueando more!
Temo: Meli’s parents died!
Well, that was calming.
*Casa Irabién.*
Vins is so nice to Pina, she’s perplexed and distracted from her grief.
*Pancho’s office.*
Fernanda: Try to stay calm.
Pancho: Have you even met me? I’m going to announce at the press conference that the merger is off.
Fernanda: I’d never tell you what to do or anything, but no. Now the merger suits us more than ever. Announce it’s a done deal; then the stock price will shoot back up. Only if you want to, of course.
*Avon lobby. Mood: cool.*
Lidia: Oh, hello there, Graciela. Did you perchance take note of the snoozly way in which Enzo and I were strolling?
Chela: Dislike.
Enzo: Good day, madam.
Chela: Good day, sir.
*Casa Irabién.*
Arnold: Oh, my! Isn’t this a surprisingly cozy scene?
Vins: This is a family snuggle only. Git out!
Pina: (YAWN) I’m so tired. I’ll call you later (wink, wink).
Pina, mentally: Oh. Em. Gee! Who to choose?!
Vins sweeps Pina into his arms and up the stairs.
Freddie: OMG.
*Camp Napo.*
Napoleón: Here´s one choice. You leave and return with Vins, and maybe he gets our special spa treatments. Your brother might get a little percussive massage as well.
Candy: Oy.
*Avon press conference.*
Pancho: Avon’s better than ever! Blah blah blah merger is still on!
Fernanda: Pancho is the best!
Rebe: Swoon!
*Pancho’s reception desk.*
Chela: Sooooo, Ketita! You probably hear a lot of gossip, huh! Anything on the grapevine about Rinaldi and what’s-er-guts? Not that I care, of course.
Ketita: Oooh la la!
*Lidia’s suite.*
Lidia: Let’s get drunk in the middle of the afternoon when we’re supposed to be dealing with a company crisis.
Enzo: Why are we doing this?
Lidia: Whatever flimsy excuse suits you. Are you picking up what I’m putting down yet? I’m wearing myself out with the hair tossing and leg crossing and suggestive comments and drooling.
Enzo: Oh, what the heck.
*Pancho’s office.*
Fernanda: Pancho is such a great orator!
Me: Are you deaf?
Fern: I have a good P.I. Maybe he can find Candy.
Me: And look how your missing child case is going. Are you sure he’s any good?
Pancho: I still think the medalla is a good clue. We need to find out how my parents got it.
*Casa Popular.*
Ana: The good news is, we know who killed Cris. The bad news is, your brother’s nearly dead. No, you can’t visit. Only one person could see him, so Lupita did.
Elena: Maldita Lupita!
Ana: Sure, blame her! This is all your fault! Also, it seems to me the wife was trying to kill BOTH of you! Think about that!
Elena: What is this word “think”?
Ana: Let me get you started: If you hadn’t been such a money-grubbing sleazebucket, those poor children wouldn’t be losing both their parents and your brother wouldn’t be dying!
*Mobster Mansion.*
Candy: Fine. For some reason I value Vins’s life, so I’ll tell him I’m in love with you and we’re getting married.
Crappy Nappy: BraVA. Ya gotta be convincing.
Candy: Oh, let me just tell you exactly HOW MUCH I love you.
Napo: Candy, mi amor!
*Casa Lopez.*
Pepe: Here, Lupita, take the magic medal and give it to Tomás.
Lupita: I prayed for him not to die like Alex.
Pepe: Woo-woo! Is that amor I hear?
Lupita: As if. I will never love again! I will wander the moors alone forever!
Pepe and Moni: Good grief. Not literally.
*Sidewalk in front of Cris’s home.*
Wifey Carla: Blasted dude left me alone with kids to care for!
She flashes back to going into the hotel room and seeing him dead on the floor. Carla snaps back as police cars surround her. She’s not excited about the field trip they want to take her on. She rants that this is a mistake.
*Avon.*
Lamberto: The paperwork is ready to be signed for the merger.
Pancho: No time. Gotta jet. Tomorrow.
Lamberto: It will probably be a disaster anyway.
*Avon elevator.*
Pancho and Chela: Are you jealous of how lovey-dovey we are?
Cheese Nips and Rebe: No, no, WE are SO HAPPY TOGETHER.
Pancho. Ha. Rebe looks miserable.
IckyMicky: SO HAPPY. We are going to live together in sexy, sexy Miami.
Pancho and Chela: Sounds dreamy. Too bad you won’t be as deliriously united as we will be.
Cheeto: I will ravish Rebe right here in the elevator if I can manage it, just to be obnoxious.
Labels: familia
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Abismo de Pasión: Elenco y Personajes
I hope you all find this helpful. I know I always like to see and know a little about the characters before the first episode.
They sure sprung this one on us, didn't they?
Information translated from
this site.
Elisa Castañon
played by Angelique Boyer
Daughter of Augusto and Estefanía, niece of Carmina. Elisa has been an orphan from a young age. She grew up with her father and her aunt Carmina, who became the second wife of her father. She is an extraordinarily beautiful and noble young woman surrounded by the bitterness of her father and aunt.
Since her childhood, she has been a very close friend to Damián and Gael. With the passage of years, her feelings for Gael continue to be friendly, but her feelings for Damián have grown into a profound love.
Damián Arango
played by David Zepeda
Son of Rosendo and Alfonsonia. Since childhood he's had a close friendship with Elisa and was separated from her by his mother who sent him away to study.
Nevertheless, when he returns to town and sees Elisa the brotherly affection he felt for her becomes a deep love for which he is willing to fight against his mother and best friend.
As the novel opens, he is the boyfriend of his cousin Florencia Landuchi, a superficial and selfish girl out for herself.
Florencia Landuchi
played by Altair Jarabo
Girlfriend to Damián. Capricious and selfish. She has decided to marry Damián at all costs.
Gael Arango
played by Mark Tacher
Life-long friend of Damián and in love with Elisa since childhood.
He was abandoned at the doors of the church when he was just a baby and was taken in by Father Guadalupe who cared for him like a son. He has always been in love with Elisa, whom he protects from the idle talk and wicked deeds of the townspeople. For her he is willing to fight against Damián.
Alfonsina Arango
played by Blanca Guerra
Widow of Rosendo and mother of Damián. She mistakenly believes her husband was going to escape with Estfanía because they were lovers. In reality, he was going to run off with Carmina. Since then and with increasing anger she has poured all her rage on Elisa.
She was of course not willing to allow her son to have a friendship with the daughter of the woman that robbed her of her husband and sent her son to the capital to study.
Rosendo Arango
played by César Évora
Husband to Alfonsina and father of Damián. An unhappy man in his marriage and madly in love with Carmina with whom he planned to run away and at whose side he planned to start a life.
Augusto Castañon
played by Alejandro Camacho
Widow of Estefanía and father of Elisa. He impulsively married a second time to his sister-in-law Carmina. He mistakenly believes his first wife was the lover of Rosendo and was going to run off with him...an idea Carmina makes sure to reinforce and that Estefanía is unable to refute since she unexpectedly dies in an accident while with Rosendo.
Carmina Bouvier
played by Sabine Moussier
Estefanía's sister and sister-in-law to Augusto, with whom she weds after her sister's death.
She was Rosendo's lover and thought to run away from the village with him; however, he dies in an automobile accident with Estefanía. Carmina takes advantage of the situation and makes her brother-in-law believe his wife was cheating on him.
For years she hated her sister for marrying the man she loved.
Estafanía Bouvier
played by: Ludwika Paleta
Mother to Elisa, first wife of Augusto. She is a woman of great beauty and class.
She dies trying to stop her sister Carmina from running away with Rosendo. Because of events, it appears that she, not her sister, was running away with another man.
Padre Guadalupe
played by Rene Casados
Brother to Alfonsina, uncle to Damián and protector of Gael, whom he raised and took care of in the church all these years. He possesses the horrible secrets of Carmina but has been unable to share them all these years as they were, oh hellz yes, told to him during confession. He has had to remain quiet all these years; waiting for the truth to come to light and guiding the protagonists as they secure their happiness.
Paloma González
played by SQUEEEEEEE! Livia Brito!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She has been the best friend and protector of Elisa since she was a girl. She protects Elisa as a sister would. She is a pretty girl; tan, warm and seductive. She is hopelessly in love with Gael even though he only sees her as a friend. When Elisa accepts marriage with Gael the friendship between the girls cracks.
Ramona González
played by Raquel Olmedo
The town herbalist. Everyone brands her as a witch. She is the grandmother of Paloma for whom she has cared for and raised since the girl's mother died.
Labels: abismo, synopsis-cast
El Talisman recappers: want to bail out?
Hi,
It's been suggested by several people (including my dear recappers) that El Talisman is so bad, why not all y'all jump ship and come on to the Passion Pit? I gather it couldn't be worse. Let me know in the comments...
Labels: Talisman
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