Caray, Caray!

Alvaro has caught Soledad trying to sneak out of the hacienda. She is carrying a big purse and a heavy, cumbersome suitcase. Some sneak. Alvarado asks her where she thinks she's going, to town to meet her lover? They bicker about who's causing whom more pain. Soledad tells him if he thinks she's a traitor then it's best they separate. Alvaro doesn't buy this extremely sound logic. He says she won't get away so easily. "How are you going to stop me?" she demands. He thrusts his hip out and shows her his gun. She is impactada.

Mexico City - Mariana's friend Malena asks Mariana if she thought that Alvaro had discovered her with Jose. Mariana says yes, but luckily Adela, keeper of the keys, said he was angry at someone else. She was frightened for a while, especially when she heard a gunshot, but luckily Jose escaped. He's looking for work up North. He's a good man. He wants to settle some business so that she no longer has to depend upon Alvaro.

Malena says none of this would be happening if Mariana's father had left her part of his fortune instead of leaving everything to Alvaro. Money is the least importantthing says Mariana. Jose has compensated her with his love and tenderness. But for her papa Alvaro was always the favorite one. Furthermore, both papa and Alvaro treated her mother very badly and Mariana doesn't know why. Malena looks around suspiciously as if she might know something.

The one thing that worries Mariana is her daughter Marianita. She doesn't look well. Tomorrow she'll take her to the doctor and then she never wants to be separated from her.

Soledad tells Alvaro to go ahead and kill her. Alvaro tells her if she insists on leaving he will kill not her but her daughter. "Are you crazy?" she asks, "She's your daughter too!" Alvaro shakes his head and has a flashback...he asks little Alina (maybe 3 yrs. old) to play with him but she wants to ride her pony and Soldedad lets her. It is proof of their mutual perfidy! (I admit I laughed out loud that a grown man would hold something like this against his daughter for all these years, but I guess we need to advance the plot. I just started laughing again as I wrote this.)

Back in the present Alvaro tells Soledad to shut up. Her father was right. He warned him about her but Alvaro believed in her, why, why? Soledad caresses his face and begs him, "Please Alvaro, please!" But Alvaro remains hard. She can remain there with or without her daughter, her choice. Soledad wants to know what he is planning but he orders her to return to her room, she'll find out very soon what his plans are. Deflated, she grabs her bags and returns to her room. (Um...I can think of at least 25 things I would be doing if I were Soledad and going up to my room would NOT be one of them.)

Alejandro tells the servant Adela that he wants to talk to her and Sergio. Adela gives him a card from Mariana. It says she left last night for Mexico City. He wonders why nobody told him, however he is happy that she is with Malena. It's better that Mariana not be at the hacienda right now.

Alina's godmother Blanca is fussing, she tells Alina not to go to the ocean, it's very dangerous. (?) Alina wants Blanca to keep trying to locate Soledad, she's worried about her mother. Alina says she spent the whole night thinking about Emilio, he's going to the beach too! Blanca tells Alina to be careful with that young man, don't believe everything he says. Boys always lie when they want something. "Emilio's not like that," Alina gushes. Even though they just met she knows this because her heart tells her. I'm guessing first boyfriend.

Emilio is packing for his trip to the coast. He's sure he'll run into Alina because he knows the parents of Sofia (Alina's friend). Just then the phone rings. Angel answers. It's Thelma, Emilio's "girlfriend." Emilio shakes his head and finger at Angel who speaks into the phone, "No, Emilio's not here, he left early. Where? Gee, he didn't tell me." Emilio tells Angel the only thing that interests him is Alina Montellano. He grabs his bag and leaves. Angel, with wool scarf around his neck, coughs.

Thelma's aunt or friend or roommate is singing "Figaro" which irritates Thelma (and me). The friend wants to party and Thelma wants to pout. The friend wonders if Thelma no longer interests Emilio. "Of course I interest him," Thelma insists, "he loves me and I'll be Mrs. Valtierra sooner than you think!" The off-key friend reminds Thelma that Emilio is a real ladies man. They have a conversation that I didn't fully understand.

The friend advises Thelma that she needs to marry soon because the fortune her parents left her will soon be gone. Thelma needs to marry a rich guy if she doesn't want to be poor. Thelma insists money isn't important to her. She wants Emilio and he has to want her, and she always get what she wants.

Split screen of Alina and Emilio flying to and arriving at the coast. Emilio is in his rental convertible either singing with a phantom backup chorus or lip-synching with the radio to the tune Quien Sera? (AKA "Sway"). He's really getting into it as he fantasizes about Alina. As the song ends he screeches to a halt, faces the camera as it closes in on his face and says "Won't it be Alina who gives her love to me?" He peels out again as the 60's style music concludes. It's incredibly cheesy and so far my favorite scene. Someone get me my hot pink sunglasses and polka-dot scarf.

Alvaro tells Adela and Sergio that Soledad is not allowed to leave her room. He asks Adela if she ever saw anything between Soledad and the foreman Jose. "Never!" Adela insists. Alvaro presses, clearly Adela is Soledad's accomplice. He reminds her who is in charge as he juts out his jaw and hip for emphasis. He walks out as if his boots hurt his feet.

Alina and Sofia are hanging out at the beach hoping to run into Emilio. Meanwhile Emilio calls Sofia's house and is surprised that they're not there. He wonders where they are. (Um...how about the beach?) A treat for the gentlemen, Alina and Sofia are walking along the windy beach in their bikinis and sarongs.

Adela tells Santiago that the patron has become loco. Sergio says Alvaro always has his reasons. (Yeah, what she said, loco.) Adela asks Sergio if he thinks it's right to lock up Soledad. Surely he doesn't believe Soledad and Jose were lovers? Sergia says where there's smoke there's fire. Jerk. They go on a bit more but Sergio ends it by saying the patron pays them to do what he says.

After Sergio leaves, Alfonsina, wearing a bright orange halter top-peasant blouse-table doily thingie, steps out from behind the door. Adela tells her to get back to work but Alfonsina says Adela shouldn't be talking about Alvaro. The patron would be very mad to know that Adela was talking about him behind his back. Alfonsina smirks. Adela harrumphs.

Alina and Sofia are in their bikinis having fruity rum drinks and yummy-looking shrimp cocktails. Alina is STILL talking about how enchanting Emilio is. Suddenly we hear music and masculine crooning. Any moment now I expect Frankie Avalon to come walking around the corner, but no...Emilio is nearby.

Sofia tells Alina that Emilio's parents were good friends with her parents. His parents died in a plane crash and now he lives with his brother whom he adores. Angel isn't like Emilio. He's not as handsome. (What a dumb thing to say.) Alina goes on about Emilio in his uniform but it's just too sappy for me to repeat.

Scene change to Emilio (crooning continues in background). He has a flashback to when he met Alina. "Yes, I like her, I like her a lot!"

Alvaro visits Soledad in her chamber/prison. I'm already weary of these two. "What do you plan to do with my daughter?" she asks. "Aha! YOUR daughter! You said it, that proves it!" says the crazy man. He says HER daughter cannot live the life of a Montellano; she is the daughter of a foreman and that's how she's going to live. As of right now the lives of Soledad and HER daughter are going to change forever. Blah blah blah. Soledad tells Alvaro he's going to regret this, he's not to lay a finger on their daughter, not while she, Soledad, is alive. Alvaro says she should have thought of this before betraying him and having a child with another. "This is going to cost you a lot, Soledad!"

Alina's godparents Blanca and Elias are talking about moving to Canada. Blanca wishes she could take Alina with them, she's loved having her live with them for the past three years. Elias says Alina has her own parents and Alvaro probably wouldn't let her travel anyway. Blanca says, "Alina would be your daughter if Soledad had decided to marry you." Elias tells Blanca that he is happy with her by his side. "Liar," she says. "No really," he answers. They kiss. Hmmmm...?

Alvaro stalks out to the field to rant and whack plants with a machete. He tells Hugo that he plans to go to his ranch in Sierra Escondido. It will be a great place to lock up Soledad, no phones, no lights, no motorcars, not a single luxury. Hugo wonders about Alina. Alvaro has the perfect place for her. He'll keep her close enough for Soledad to suffer as she sees Alina. (I think that's what he said.)

Now even Hugo thinks Alvaro might be going too far. He asks how is all this Alina's fault? She's innocent. As Alvaro whacks Hugo tells him not to cut off his nose to spite his face. More of the same crazy talk from Alvaro, Alina was only a tool to win and torture him. Hugo tells him not to act crazy. Alvaro brandishes his machete and says he is rabid with jealousy, he's going to unload the woman who deceived him! Hugo shakes his head, the patron is a nut case.

Sundown in Cancun, Quintana Roo - Emilio is still looking for the girls. They are in the disco having drinks. Alina doesn't want to dance because she's worried about Soledad. Suddenly Emilio shows up, he and Alina are ga-ga about each other. She agrees to dance with him, guess she forgot about mom. In an unusual twist it is the guy, Emilio, who dances while the girl, Alina, stands like a petrified log. Shake it Emilio!

Soledad weeps on her bed. She has a flashback of being young and kissing Alvaro. Her dad says she's a discgrace and she's not going to marry Alvaro, not while he's alive. Young Soledad vows that Alvaro loves her, he's a good man and the love of her life; nothing will separate them! (Feh.)
Adela arrives with some tea and tells Soledad that Alvaro went on a little trip. Soledad begs Adela to help her look out for her daughter.

Back in Puebla Orlando tells Thelma that Emilio has disappeared but Thelma thinks Orlando knows where he is. Orlando says it's been days but Emilio is probably at the Cabaret called The Devil's Cavern. Emilio is a regular there. He likes Coral, one of the dancers. Orlando tells Thelma that Emilio is a hardened ladies man. "Thelma I love you and Emilio doesn't deserve you," Orlando says as he tries to kiss her. Thelma turns her head away and wonders, "A dancer, eh?"

At the Devil's Cavern men are whistling, pounding and yelling "Coral, Coral, Coral!" Coral leaps onto the table wearing black and red fringe. Her hair is Run-Lola-Run Red. She shakes her bootie and drives the men wild.

Adela asks Soledad what more can she do? Sergio is guarding the house and she must obey the patron. Soledad says that's OK, she doesn't have any hope anyway. What a couple of wimps! I would be so out of there by sunrise. But wait...Adela returns. She says she'll forget to lock the door. Well it's a start anyway.

Soledad grabs a wad of cash and, oh no, not the gigantic suitcase again! Think stealth, not clunk clunk clunk down the stairs!

Back at the Devil's Cavern Coral is chatting up an elderly patron. She sees Orlando and asks about Emilio. Unfortunately Orlando hoped to find Emilio there. He wonders where his friend is.

Santiago dozes at the bottom of the stairs with a gun in his hand. Soledad, wearing a long cape and carrying a big purse AND her heavy suitcase starts to descend the stone stairs. She sees Santiago and turns back.

Border town of Juarez, Chihuahua - (The following conversation was very slangy and difficult for me to understand. If anyone can add some enlightenment please comment!) Jose is in a bar with some shady-looking dude. I think he's a coyote. The shady dude tells Jose the cost to get across is five here and five on the other side (Five hundred? I don't know what the going rate is these days.) The bad dude tells Jose when he has enough dough then they can talk. Jose asks about going across on foot. Bad dude (BD) says that's how the illegals get hunted and filled with lead. When Jose gets enough money he is Jose's best chance. BD says he'll help Jose get one of the many maquiladora** (assembly or shipping) jobs that are found along the border. If he applies himself he'll get what he needs. After Jose leaves BD's pal walks up and asks if Jose gave him the "billete," slang for bill I think. BD says not yet but soon. They will follow Jose very closely.

Marianita has a bad fever. Malena thinks it's serious but Mariana hopes not, she doesn't have money to pay for a doctor and medicine. Malena suggests calling Alvaro for money but Mariana refuses. Alvaro would never forgive her for having Jose's child. Get some backbone lady!!

The doorbell rings at the house of Alina's godparents. It's Alvaro and he's looking for a good lawyer. He wants to do whatever is necessary to take his surname away from Alina. The godparents are impactados but I'm wondering, this guy is a landowner, doesn't he already have a lawyer or lawyers?

Soledad is now trying to sneak down the back stairs, staggering under the weight of her gigantic luggage. She sees something that shocks and startles her. It is Sergio of course. Busted. She begs him to let her go but he says he's only following orders.

Sofia is out walking on the beach with three guys she just met at the disco. She tells them she's afraid of the water so of course they start to throw her in. She cries for help and Emiliano singlehandedly beats the guys to a pulp. He manages to keep his entire outfit sparkling white throughout. Our hero! However he did not sing while beating them up. Maybe next time.

Godfather Elias tries to calm Alvaro down but Al insists Soledad was unfaithful. He shows Elias the letter. Elias says the letter doesn't mention Soledad's name, Alvaro should be very certain before accusing her. Alvaro says the proof is that Jose, coward that he is, ran away. Elias continues to urge Alvaro not to accuse Soledad, he needs more proof. Alvaro asks himself "Could I be wrong? But her father made me doubt her. I've not had peace of mind since that day. Am I letting that influence me?"

Soledad is back in her room and begging Adela to help her, she's worried about Alina. Adela says as hard as the patron is surely he wouldn't lift a finger against the girl. Adela says she's going to pray to God that Alvaro opens his eyes and sees things clearly. That's all she can do, it's better than nothing. Technically, I think that would be nothing.

Elias and Blanca whisper very loudly behind the door that Alvaro has crazy ideas and he quite possibly deserves to be cuckolded. Alvaro hears and gets all blurry and dizzy and their voices sound funny. After his head clears Alvaro insists to Elias that he's not wrong about Soledad and nobody can convince him otherwise. They are all in cahoots with Soledad. He doesn't believe in anything except the words of Don Manuel, Soledad's dad, who warned him against her. Alvaro's eyes bug out and he shouts to Elias, "Now where is that damned bastard Alina?!?!?"

**The following is from my dictionary: Maquiladora = bonded assembly plant set up by a foreign firm near the US border. In the 1980s many non-Mexican companies set up assembly plants in areas along the US-Mexican border. They were attracted by the low wages, special tax concessions and the proximity to the US market. They produce many kinds of products, but usually by assembling parts manufactured elsewhere, and by law they must re-export 80 percent of their production. Today these maquiladoras are an important source of income for Mexico and they employ more than a million Mexicans, mostly women. The managers are usually foreigners, whereas the hourly-paid workers, who have little job security and few benefits, are Mexican.

Labels: duelo

EPISODE 75 - Jan. 16, 2007:
* Otilia is talking with MA at MA's apartment - Otilia offers to help her with whatever financial and travel arrangements that she needs for her son's health care. Otilia tells MA to pack her suitcases, she will return to pick her up so they can leave immediately. Otilia leaves - MA prays to her home altar.

* Gabriel presses Jossie for details on what happened to Luisito - Jossie tears up and tells him that Luisito suffered a horrible accident and died. Gabriel is so shocked that he can't believe it and thinks she is lying. He runs out of the room, down the hall and into Luisito's room.

* Gabriel enters Luisito's room, sees the boxes, the empty shelves and the bed with no pillow and no Luisito inside and realizes it is true - Luisito is dead. Gabriel hugs the bedpost and starts to cry. He kneels beside the bed, grabbing the bedspread - he cries and wonders what happened and why as he remembers all the happy memories with his little "campeon". Gabriel grabs the photo of Luisito from the nightstand and pulls it towards him on the bed and prays to the photo for blessing and strength. Gabriel cries and wonders how he will be able to go on. (He remembers Luisito telling him he was the best dad in the whole world.) Gabriel sits on the floor crying and lets out a gut-wrenching wail.

* Jossie sits at her desk in the bedroom, thinking about how Gabriel reacted to the news, how to keep him with her forever (and how to use Luisito's death and MA's child to do so.)

* Otilia tells Soraya at the store office what to do with the store and the website and club while she and MA are out of the country. Otilia gives her the phone numbers and itinerary to reach her in case of emergency. Soraya wishes her good luck for the trip. Otilia leaves to pack.

* MA tells Leo and Candy in their apartment about the specialist they found to help treat her son's defect. MA and Otilia are flying her son out tomorrow. Leo and Candy are happy to hear the good news, they are sure with the blessings of G-d and the Santa Maria, everything will be fine and her son will survive.

* Miriam talks with Jossie in Jossie's bedroom about next stage of their plan to keep Gabriel with Jossie - Jossie wonders how they are going to keep Regina, Pau and Dolores from interfering. Jossie also informs Miriam what happened when she told Gabriel about Luisito's death.

* Gabriel visits the Cervantes-Bravo family mausoleum and kneels in front of Luisito's vault. Gabriel prays his thoughts to Luisito and cries.

* Elsa comes home with her suitcase - Candy is excited to see her - she says she promised Leo and is keeping that promise. Candy goes to the other room to get it ready for her - Elsa sneaks a swig of booze while Candy's not looking.

* Gabriel stops by MA's apartment while MA finishes packing. He is sad and distraught about Luisito. MA sits to listen to his confusion. He is so depressed - MA gives him reasons to continue living, for his children Rogelio, Pau and his new little baby with Jossie. Gabriel asks about MA's baby boy - she says he has a defect and she will be flying him to see a specialist in a foreign country. Gabriel wants to go with her and her baby - MA does her best to convince him not to accompany them.

* Regina is confessing to Demian at the office about her worries over Gabriel. Demian is sick and tired of hearing about Gabriel this, Gabriel that, and explodes.

* Tiberio is working in his office - Dolores enters - Tiberio makes a sarcastic remark about Nick not being with her. Dolores tells him that it isn't funny and she's tired of his attitude towards her.

* Demian is furious with Regina's worries about Gabriel - Regina tries to explain and convince him that his brother needs all the support he can get right now - Demian doesn't want to hear any more about Gabriel's needs, and tells his wife that he needs her now also and storms out of the room.

* Dolores leaves the office - Tiberio sits and thinks about what she said when Demian storms in and barks orders to Tiberio - Tiberio is scared and panics as he tries to find the report Demian is demanding at that moment. He can't find it. Dolores watches as Demian scolds Tiberio for his ineptitude and disappointment. Demian leaves.

* In Demian's office, Dolores scolds Demian for his abusive treatment of Tiberio, and tells him he is your son too! you better start remembering that he is your eldest son and start to treat Tiberio and JC equally.

* Gabriel is sitting on the sofa of his condo crying some more and hugging the photo of Luisito - he has no reason to live, he's lost his son and MA.

* Candy and Leo wish MA luck before she leaves on her trip. Candy gives her a blessing, MA thanks them for all their support and love - Leo gives her a baby teething rattle for the little baby. They kiss, cry and say good-bye. Leo escorts MA outside - Candy prays to her home altar for MA's trip to be a success.

* Pau visits Gabriel at the condo. She hugs her dad and comforts him. She reminds him that he has two new sons that need him. He says MA told him that her baby wasn't his. Pau says it isn't true - MA must've said it because she was hurting and heartbroken. They continue to talk about his confusion - Jossie's baby being his - the irony of losing one son and gaining another. He has to accept the crazy reality and learn to live without MA's love. (DUH!)

* Otilia is in the car with MA holding her son as they drive to the airport. MA thinks about her promise to fight and protect him with all her might.

* Jossie talks with Miriam about how she will make MA's son the center of her life and that the pain and suffering MA is going through with Jossie's son is worth it; and Jossie hopes that the kid dies so MA won't have anything to use to get Gabriel back.

* Tiberio waits to see Dolores in the front hall - Dolores has her bags packed ready to leave the house - Tiberio swallows his pride and says thank you to his mom for defending him against Demian's tirade.

* Leo talks with Candy about his idea to open a small neighborhood clinic to help everyone - he thinks of maybe locating it at or near the taxi stand and asks Candy to help him set it up. They laugh when Candy calls him a "half-metrosexual". As they talk, Candy tells Leo that Elsa moved back home. She leaves to check on Elsa in her room - Candy comes back worried, Elsa has disappeared. Leo calms Candy down and leaves to search for Elsa.

* Elsa is in a back alley getting completely drunk.

* Karen and JC are having coffee and talking at a restaurant. JC calls Pau to tell her where he is and that he is with Karen. Pau says she loves him - he loves her - they hang up - Pau is dying of jealousy over Karen and JC.

* Leo and Sylvester are out searching the streets for Elsa.

* Candy is at the apartment praying to the Santa Maria for help in finding Elsa.

* Elsa shows up at the strip club with her t-shirt and blue jeans on - she climbs up on stage and starts to dance around the poles (she is completely drunk.) Leo and Sylvester arrive and pull her off the stage - she doesn't want to stop dancing - Candy shows up also - Mastin (the manager) yells at the group and tells them to leave immediately and that Elsa is fired and to never return. They leave.

* Karen talks with JC about how she never had a real childhood - how her mom and grandma always treated her like an adult even as a little girl - she pours out the sob story really thick so JC believes it (and my stomach starts to churn).

* Miriam and Jossie are still in Jossie's bedroom - Jossie tells Miriam about Karen's plan to separate JC and Pau by making Pau jealous. Jossie says just think of how it will also hurt Regina.

* Regina stops by the condo to comfort Gabriel. Gabriel is still crying and depressed. They talk and Regina listens as Gabriel vents his confusion and desperation. She brings up his two babies - He says only Jossie's baby is his - Regina is shocked and screams that isn't true - MA's child is his, MA was so excited to find it out she told everybody about it being his; however Regina's not so sure about Jossie's baby. He's confused about why MA lied to him.

Labels: mundo

Marcia wakes up to a half empty bed. She quietly calls out Fernando’s name.

Labels: fea

A reader sent me an email that the most recent page of "La Fea" recaps at delicious (the links in the left sidebar) was not coming up for her. But they're coming up fine for me. Any ideas?

Labels: fea

Omar is reminding Fern: "We have to talk with Lety's father." "No no Carvajal, that man makes me very tense." Teresita comes in and puts on the pressure - Fern promises he'll have talked to Lety's family by the next day. After she leaves, Omar calls him Staffordshire (some kind of fighting dog?) and says, "Don't tell me you still feel pity for Lety?" "No, I don't. She's out of my life, I hope she marries, far away."

Bustling about in the big conference room: the cuartel and all possible hangers-on and spouses and children and finally el chavo (the kid) (which is, not one of the actual kids, but Simon) and popcorn and whatever, and eventually the bald creepy guy and even Celso, who has no interest in guarding the premises when there is beauty ogling to be done.

In Acapulco: the girls gossip that guapisimo Aldo only has eyes for Lety. Lety demurs, "No, we're just friends!" "Very! Good! Friends!" the girls titter. "He's so handsome and enchanting, you're lucky." Lety fusses over the girls as they prepare to go on the air: "Don't forget your inner beauty." They sashay out and Anais, the MC, grins at Lety: "There's nothing left of that opaque, sad Lety." "Well, the world turns," says Lety. "I quit Conceptos, that work was killing me." "Now you look so enthusiastic, full of life, content." "That's how you see me? I'm revived. Aldo showed me there's more to me than first appears." "Oh, so he's like your fairy godfather! You illuminate the world." "Well, for now maybe just 10 watts..."

At the Padilla Palace: Julieta, Erasmo, Moty, and of course Tomas are lined up in front of the tv. The phone rings, Julieta picks up, it's Omar asking for Mr. Padilla, "it's personal." "He's not here." "When might I talk to him?" "He won't be here for a few days." "But I can hear his voice." "No! I imagine you're Mr. Mendiola's messenger, so tell him not to bother us." Fern grabs the phone, shouting and babbling, "Don't complicate things, esta poniendo esto color de hormiga [sez my captions: HELP! what does "ant color" signify??], don't hide your daughter..." Julieta firmly insists: "Respect my family!" and hangs up. She sidles over to Tomas and asks him to distract Erasmo while she disconnects all the phones. Tomas sez to Erasmo, "How about them beauties?" and Erasmo scolds, "I don't care about them at all, I just want to see my queen, my daughter." [I loved how he said that so much, I had to rewind and listen again!] "Gee, you're an optimist, is that a characteristic of being in your dotage, do you think you'll see her modeling?" "Don't be a BOBO, you're only good enough to put sugar on your mother's donuts." Erasmo's jaw goes slack over some model or other and Tomas sighs and pulls out his photo of Alicia, whom he claims to be superior to the tv beauties. Erasmo sees Lety on tv!

Alicia barges into Marcia's apartment and exclaims over the mess. Marcia stops dead at the sight of Fern's unpacked suitcase still sitting there. She says tenderly, "that's where it belongs." Alicia posits, "still ready for your honeymoon in the Middle East?" The TV goes on and Alicia begins criticizing the Bellezas and doing her own cat-walk stalk, talking constantly. "SHUT UP!" suggests Marcia. [Note that Alicia has to put a pillow across her lap in order to sit down.] Alicia criticizes the contestants' crooked legs. Again, "SHUT UP!" [And again with the pillow across the lap. That's when you know your skirt is too short.]

Omar and Fern consider the fact that Erasmo, unemployed as he is, undoubtedly spends all day every day at home. Just then Marcia calls. "Did you talk to Lety's family? No? Well, another thing - you didn't take your suitcase, why not?" Fern's answer ("I uh was in a hurry and didn't have time.") chills her and she snaps, "well your stuff is bothering me, come get it this very day." She hangs up. Fern: "Omar, the whole world hangs up on me."

Omar tells Fern he has three options tonight: go to Marcia, which will resolve some problems; go home, sleep, and go a little more crazy; go to a bar and get some guys to beat him up on the other side so both sides of his face match. "Nice choices, Carvajal. Leave!"

Back to Acapulco. Aldo shows up muy guapo in his tux and looks anxiously for Lety. They sit together and listen to Shayla's pretty, happy love song and both their faces shine. [I don't care, Aldo-haters: Aldo looks utterly adorable! I wish some guy would gaze at ME like that! OK, enough of personal reflections.]

Luigi, looking for Irma (he needs some music she has on a disc) mocks Fern and says he's like the dolls in Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Fern hears shouts in the conference room and goes in, where everybody is fascinated with his beatup face and he tells more random lies about how it got that way. He asks Simon to go get his car, and while he waits he watches the tube. He SEES LETY AND ALDO! He is MUY IMPACTADO! However, he thinks he's overheated and seeing mirages - he doesn't believe his eyes - so it was just a tease.

Then Luigi enters the conference room, exclaims at the profusion of unbeautiful people, then grows enchanted with the show - "look at that gorgeous - gown! Who designed that? That's why HE gets the big bucks and I'm stuck here. It should be ME doing that..." He spies Irma hiding behind the potted plant (trying to avoid having to go work when everybody else is ogling beauties on tv) - she says she is just cleaning it.

In Acapulco, "Lu" sings a sad song and Lety and Aldo grow pensive. There is a lovely, moving montage of past moments of love, happiness, and betrayal. We see Marcia having her own wistful remembrances as Lu sings, "I want to forget you ever made me happy. Life without you is a punishment..." Lety cries as Aldo looks at her tenderly and sympathetically, like a guy who understands trouble.

Fern stares at his beat-up fish-eye lens photo of Lety. "I have to stop deceiving myself, Lety won't come back because she doesn't love me. It's my own fault I lost her, through my stupidity she's lost forever."

And the winner is! Uninterestingly, Miss Puebla, whose speech is as follows: "I don't know if my parents are proud, but I'm satisfied with myself. Thanks to the very beautiful woman who helped me fulfill my dream." She shows us every one of her 88 teeth. Lety beams proudly.

[Editor's aside: every contestant is incredibly white. Where are the darker-skinned beauties? I am tired tired tired of the kneejerk racism of telenovelaland.]

After the winner is announced Alicia babbles and pretends (poorly) to be Garbo. Sarcastically Marcia suggests: "You should be the queen." Alicia misses the sarcasm since to her this is self-evident. "Marcia, when we lived together, we'd watch this show and snark the contestants. This time you didn't utter one criticism! Are you sick? You don't even know who won." Marcia says she's distracted because she's going to be seeing Mr. Mendiola. "Marcia, you need a vacation, let's go to Acapulco, breathe pure air, find ourselves some millionaires."

Caro comes up to Aldo and Lety and says she's beat and will turn in early, since they're heading back to Mexico City in the morning. Lety says she'd like to go say goodbye to Acapulco at the beach and Aldo is most eager to accompany her. Aldo kisses Caro, saying, "Thanks for bringing me Lety." Caro leaves and Aldo tells Lety: "This will be an unforgettable night, I promise!"

How can you guys get on Lety for enjoying a guy like this? If your heart were broken, wouldn't you enjoy a distraction of this magnitude? Cut them both some slack! I'm sure Fern and Lety will end up together so let's just relax and enjoy the ride...

Labels: fea

Hi! I've been recapping Heridas de Amor on my blog, Trying to Translate. Now Melinama has asked me to do recaps here for Duelo de Pasiones on Thursdays, so I'm going to give it a shot. I freely admit that my Spanish isn't very good, so if I make mistakes (and I will) please point them out! That's why I'm watching telenovelas: to learn.

So far I've only seen three telenovelas start-to-finish: Piel de Otoño (my favorite), Peregrina, and Heridas de Amor. I also watched the last few weeks of Apuesto por un Amor and Inocente de Ti, and I'm currently watching La Fea Más Bella a few days a week.

Thanks to telenovelas, I've learned how to say all kinds of really useful things in Spanish, like "I am pregnant" and "I want a divorce" and "Who killed Anibal?" So if I ever visit Mexico, I'm all set!

Labels: duelo

This was indeed episode slow on action, but big on information...At least big on information for Gabe...

The tale begins with crowds surrounding Gabe's hosptial bed, Paulina & JC, Regina & Demian, Dolores & Nic, Rog....& a supporting cast of 1000's....awww just kidding, everyone is giving Gabe a two thumbs up on his recent return to the land of the living. Even Demian gives Gabe good wishes, though I am sure this dashed any plans Demian had of harvesting organs from his not-so-brain dead twin. Gabe asks where Lil Lui is and this brings up awkward glances between his well wishers, but before this sad topic can be broached, Joselyn comes in the room, pulling along her IV (which I seriously suspect is a liter of appletinis, cause it sure isn't truth serum).

Gabe gets this total WTF look on his face, which sadly is to remain as a fixed expression throughout this episode....
Joselyn does that breathy voice...like her next word may be her last. She tells Gabe she has just birthed his baby....Ay Carumba is his expression....No Puede Ser, No Puede Ser...leaving no doubt the lovin was seldom with those two....Time for nods & murmers from the background players....yes Nic says "The kid is yours". A doctor appears and tells the cast that time will have to be limited to two at a time. Paulina & Regina remain with Gabe, they console him about the birth of his child with Joselyn, by informing Stallion Boy, that he never shoots blanks and MA is also in the hospital, having delivered more fruit of his loins. Gabe wants to get up and rush to talk to MA...anticipating he has some splainin to do, but he is forced down by Regina and Paulina. I guess he has had some muscle mass loss during his coma.

Meanwhile over in the nursery, Leo & Candelabra are all ga-ga over the two new boys....They make a special point of remarking how similiar the two are....Remember this as it goes along with the silliness that is about to ensue.
Leo and Candelabra go skipping off, so thrilled about the births. Miriam is lurking outside the nursery. Oh NO shades of Entre EL Odio Y Amor, someone is switching the babies, healthy MA's kid gets swapped with unhealthy Joselyn's kid....sneaky sneaky....who would do such a hienous crime? Oh okay it is Miriam....A Nurse catches her leaving the nursery, but she just gives the excuse that she is the happy grandma.

Now go to MA's room Leo & Candy are visiting her. MA has the baby & she remarks the baby looks different. Leo says babies change rapidly....MA has a brief moment of hysteria where she doesn't believe this is her baby...Then she notices the baby's color has changed....
Eeeeekkkkkkkk....the baby has a heart condition and must be placed in an incubator....

Meanwhile Miriam insists...Joselyn and healthy kid leave the hospital pronto.

MA is with the baby in the nursery, Candy stops by with a cup of coffee & good karma, she informs MA that Gabe is out of his coma.

Later MA is in her hospital room when muy impacto Gabe comes in. She does not even want to have a conversation with him. Really people are dumping alot on him considering he was not the brightest bulb on the marquee & on a good day it took him quite a while to process information. He's like "I love you". MA is tell it to the hand cause the head ain't listening. She tells him "Listen and Listen good, cause this is the last time I am going to say it, my son is not your son, you are not the father, go & have a good happy life with Joselyn". More confusion...Leo & his bedazzled jacket come in, he tells Gabe "I followed your case and I am all shades of thrilled you are out of a coma". Gabe just looks forlorn, you can tell he is thinking, could Leo be the father of the boy? ****Process this Gabe, now that would be more of a miracle that you waking up to two hijos*****

MA vows she must spare the two innocent children and carry on with her lie. Her son has only one parent & that would be her.

Over at the Good Mansion, Joselyn is laying in bed. Miriam basically tells her, okay I gave you the good kid, the sick kid is now the burden of MA, so suck it up and try to pretend to be a good mother. Later the kid is crying and you can see this is totally stressing Joselyn, the chunky Naca maid/cook comes in and takes over care of the child. Okay so in this case third kid is not going to be a charm.

At some point during this....I don't know if it a public service announcement against being a stripper and sitting around suckin hooch out of a bottle all day or what, but Sylvester stops in to see Elsa, he loves her, she loves booze.

MA is at Leo/Candy's house...at least I think it is their apartment, when Otilla stops by with a little present and well wishes. The hospital calls with good news about the sick kid.

Gabe is released, apparently he became as uninteresting to the medical staff as he has always been to me, cause they certainly have not prepared him for any of the changes in his life over the past nine months.

Gabe goes in to see Joselyn who is holding the kid and acting like she likes the kid, she starts in talking about the happy little family in that breathy cloying voice. Come meet your son. Gabe picks up the kid and is instantly enamoured, he realizes it is his kid as soon as he picks it up, I saw the same thing on animal planet with sheep. Anyway thank god not all men are so intuitive or Maury Potavich wouldn't have a show. Gabe questions her about how could this have happened, apparently Biology was not his strong suit. "A night of passion, nine months ago", Joselyn says. FLASHBACK...Joselyn putting a powder in Gabes wine, Rog carrying a sick, yet capable of "LOVE" Gabe off to his room, Gabe seeing Joselyn, no MA, no Joselyn...
A serious acid trip. At this point Joselyn hands him one of the 1000's of DNA results she carries with her. Gabe is getting that stunned look of confusion again...He wants to go see Lui. Joselyn tears up, "you can't", she says "he isn't here". "Where is he?" Gabe counters. Joselyn tells him there was a terrible accident and Lui is dead. Gabe can't believe it and runs to Lui's room, boxes are piled up and Gabe begins to cry...I wasn't sure but he looks like a heart attack may be in order. He hears Lui's voice, "you are the best Pa in the whole world"...

Gabe is broken....

ADVICE to GABE: Inhale....Exhale....close your eyes, let your mind go blank, (like that is a stretch), go back in time to Entre El Odio Y Amor...think Gabe think...you were there, same plot...okay that is the best I can do to help you..

Labels: mundo

Beginning countdown 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...and five minutes of a montage of dramatic scenes presumably we'll see in future episodes: lots of gunshots and smoking revolvers, horses at full gallop, men slapping women, women slapping men, women crying, a woman falling into a river looking like she is drowning, men vowing they love women, men vowing they'll never trust another woman again. More scenes of a pretty girl bathing in a river water up to the neck. Presumably the heroine. (A familiar shot to fans of Heridas...)

The novela opens and It's dawn. Don Alvaro Montellano is in a rage. Dressed all in black he rides up to his hacienda and dismounts, pistol in one hand, whip in another. He goes from room to room looking for his wife, Soledad. He storms into a chapel where a young boy is placing a vase of callaliliess on the altar. He waves his gun in the air. Frightened, the boy drops the vase and it smashes on the chapel floor. [I think this means something bad is going to happen.] A little later, a gunshot is heard. The boy runs away to fields and finds the manager. "The owner has killed the Lady!" "I heard a shot, he killed Senora Soledad!" he cries hysterically. The manager (whose name I am not sure of, so I'll call him bandana guy) grabs him and shakes him. He doesn't believe him but goes to find Don Alvaro.

Meanwhile Don Alvaro is in a room with his spouse Soledad both afraid of him and angry. "I want you alive so that you can pay for your betrayal!" he says. There's a bullet hole in a portrait of her on the wall. Don Alvaro has a letter crumpled in his hand. It's a love letter from a guy named Jose Gomez who works at the hacienda and it says as soon as he can make some money he will come and get her and THEIR daughter. He says, as soon as he can he will get her out of that prison and it's jailer [verdugo=hangman, executioner?] Alvaro Montellano.

Alvaro is in a rage not only because Soledad has been unfaithful but also because he thinks that Alina (who we haven't met yet) is not his daughter. Soledad tries to defend herself but Alvaro isn't listening. She tells him that she is tired of his continual jealousy and suspicion of her and is offended that he would think that Alina is not his daughter. He grabs her arm and a piece of jewelry falls on the floor. [an earring? a charm from a bracelet?] He yells at her that she is Jose Gomez' lover and who knows how many more...and he is sure Alina isn't his daughter. Soledad says he's crazy.


Meanwhile, somewhere else, another couple are in a panic. The woman, Mariana is telling the guy, Jose, "Why did you have to write a letter!" "You shouldn't have done it. My brother will kill you!" Jose says "because I needed to tell you that I was going away and to wait for me to come back for you and our daughter." Mariana is shouting. "How are your going to abandon me? Me...and your daughter?!" "Don't leave me!" "Don't go!"Jose's plan is to go to El Norte and make some dolares after which he can come home and they will live happily ever after. Mariana wants to go with him. "No, no! The crossing is too dangerous" says Jose. "Wait for me in Mexico." Mariana tells him that she'll leave right away for Mexico [City]. They are all lovey dovey kissy kissy again.

Alvaro locks Soledad up in the room, which has Spanish style barred windows. It's like a jail cell. She begs him to let her out. Through the window she sees him grab some string or wire? and hold it like he's going to garrotte somebody with it. He gets back on his horse and rides away.

The scene changes to the city of Puebla where we get the slow feet to head shot of the pretty young Alina who is looking in a mirror. Someone calls her name and she turns around in slo mo so we can see her face.

[Editorial comment: Ludowika Paleta is not what I would call beautiful. She doesn't have the model good looks of Jacky Bracamontes nor Africa Zavala. I think she's cute, maybe elfin? with a button nose and kind of unusual blue eyes. They are so light colored she looks like she could play a blind person. I can see why she was a child star. ]

Alina is getting ready for a goodbye party for a friend, Sofia. She lives with her godparents who arefriendss of her mother's in Puebla. The wife, Blanca brings in a bright yellow dress which has just arrived for her. Blanca says that she's going to be the prettiest one at the party. Alina says no, the prettiest is going to be Sofia because it's her party. The party is to celebrate her going away to school. Theyreminiscee about Alina's going away party back in Veracruz when she came to study in Puebla. Alina says yes, and remember how my Pop got into a big fight with Mom? Fortunately, he went back to being his same old sweet lovable self.... [ha ha ha] I miss my mom and dad, Alina says.

Back in Veracruz at the Hacienda, Alvaro sees some workers standing around chatting and he imagines they are talking about how Soledad cheated on him. It stokes his rage. He keeps going and says I always knew this would happen. Suddenly a woman comes up to him. It's Alfonsina, the maid. "Are you sure that the letter was written by Jose for Soledad?" He asks her. "Si, Patron, she says. "Jose gave it to me to give to your wife." Alfonsina asks tentatively if the Patron has killed his wife. "No, but you'd like it if I did, wouldn't you?" It seems pretty clear that the two have some history. Alfonsina protests and Don Alvaro dismisses her and rides on. Alfonsina looks back at him and thought bubbles: "Your jealousy is your worst enemy, Patron."

Back in Puebla, Alina is talking to her madrina, Blanca, thanking her for taking care of her in Puebla. She remarks that she has not been able to reach the hacienda inperjuresz by phone and nobody has called her from there.

It looks likemarinaa and Jose have just had a last roll in the hay.marinaa brings out some pictures from their little girl's birthday. Her name is marianita and she's a real cutie. [But hey, she looks like she's about 3 or 4 years old. How long have they been hiding this relationship anyway?!] More kissing.Suddenly, there's a shout from outside. "It's my brother!, "Quick! let's hide in the closet!" They hide and in comes Don Alvaro kicking the door down. Marinana is his sister and this must be Jose's place since Don Alvaro has come looking for him since he still thinks that he and Soledad are the ones fooling around. Alvaro is about to open the closet when he hears someone shout for him outside. It's bandana guy. He comes running up and says what are you doing Alvaro? Put that gun away! he tells Alvaro says that Jose is no longer working in the Canefields. Alvaro says, "then let's organize a search party for him. Quickly!"Mariana sends Jose out the back door. He gets on his horse and heads down the road at a gallop. Alvaro takes a few shots at him but he gets away.

In Puebla, Alina still can't get through to the hacienda.Blancha says not to worry, it's probably just the rain. Alina is worried but Blanca says she's just thinking about what her father would say if he knew she was going to a party at night. "Also the trip," says Alina. She expresses doubt about going...[Apparently she has a vacation to Cancun also planned with her friends Blanca gets mad and says that she can't remain a prisoner forever and that she should get out and enjoy herself.

InVeracruz, Soledad is getting hysterical, holed up in her cell and the phones aren't working. Mariana talks to the housekeeper Adela. She finds out that Alvaro is fighting with Soledad and still doesn't know about her and Jose. "I am going back to Mexico to stay with my cousin (Malena?) "Take good care of Soledad." she says. "Tell them to get the coach ready for me to go to the station."

Alvaro is in the local bar doing tequila shots. He is having an orange flashback of when he was a little boy and his mom cheated on his dad and left him. His dad tells him "this won't happen to you son, you'll find a wife who respects you." Bandana guy sits down at the table with Don Alvaro and pulls the bottle away from him and tells him he should stop drinking. Alvaro pulls it back and says this is a big deal, since his father too was cuckolded. Bandana guy tries to argue with him that maybe the letter wasn't meant for Soledad. There is no mention of her name in the letter. No, Alvaro is sure they were lovers. The thing that hurts him most is that Alina isn't his daughter.Bandana guy says he needs proof. Alvaro thinks the proof is that Jose took off running. Also Alvaro has another orange flashback of himself and Soledad eloping to get married. Soledad's brother is running after them yelling that Alvaro is making a mistake, that someday Soledad was going todeceivee him just like shedeceivedd her father. Bandana guy suggests the letter might be for someone else in his household. Maybe it could be for Mariana? Alvaro shakes his head in disbelief.

Mariana asks Adela if her brother is back yet. No (he's still drowning his sorrows at the bar). She gives a letter to Adela to give to Alvaro. She tells Adela to make sure that Soledad has something to eat. She pauses and says, "Tell Soledad.....no, don't tell her anything." She leaves for the station.

Alina has put on her party dress and is sitting in front of the mirror. She thought bubbles about the romantic possibilities of the night to come. Switch to tall, handsome Emilio, shirtless getting ready for the same party while his runty, sickly unshaven brother Angel is watching. They exchange something like this: Angel: "All the women are gaga over you. Nobody ever looks at me." Emilio: "Angel, you know I don't like it when you put yourself down." Emilio thought bubbles that maybe he'll meet the woman of his dreams tonight.

Now we are at the party. Sofia, the guest of honor stands up to a microphone asks Emilio to sing a song. He's wearing a military uniform, dress whites, I guess. He sings a jazzy, classic ballad with a complete orchestra just as Alina walks in in her pretty yellow dress. It's love at first sight although she isn't the only woman in the audience swooning. Alina daydreams about them dancing together. Alina asks Blanca who he is. "Why he's Emilio Valtierra, son of a rich and important family in Puebla."

Back at the Bar in Veracruz, Bandana guy and Don Alvaro are still smoking, drinking and talking. Alvaro is starting to show the results of the empty booze bottle. Waving his cigarette around he says that the letter couldn't be for Mariana, she's too decent to run away with the likes of Jose Gomez. Also the letter talks about a daughter and Mariana has none. The only woman with a daughter in his household is Soledad. Bandana guy is still skeptical. He reproaches Alvaro for treating his wife like he treats other people [badly, I would guess]. Alvaro starts to get mad and Bandana guy talks off his hat and shows his bandana underneath. He apologizes. Alvaro goes back to feeling sorry for himself.

Sofia sees Alina outside on the terrace. Alina says she just went outside to get some air. Emilio pops in to tell Sofia he's leaving and sees Alina and stops dead in his tracks. Suddenly he's not leaving. Sofia hands Alina a shawl and warns her to be careful, that Emilio is a little wild. They chit chat while staring and smiling at eachother.

Adelea takes food to Soledad. Soledad tells Adela she's not hungry. She must get to Puebla to talk to her daughter.Adelea tells her not to go, it's too late to travel. Adela says to help her pack a suitcase, she's going to leave in the morning.

Back at the party, more dewy eyes and staring between Alina and Emilio. Emilio wants to know when he can see her again. She explains that she's going to school in Puebla but that her real home is in Vera Cruz. And she's going to Cancun with some friends. "What a coincidence says Emilio, I'm going to Cancun too...!"

Emilio's sickly brother Angel is at the party. In contrast to his brother wearing his manly uniform, Angel is wearing suit that looks too big for him, and a dress shirt with a foppish looking cravat around his neck. He bids Sofia goodbye and says he's feeling ill and needs to leave.


Bandana man is back at the house talking toAdelea, he has brought Don Alvaro home to sleep off his drunk. Adela is concerned about what the Patron will do when he finds out that Mariana has left for Mexico. And what about Soledad, Bandana man asks. Adela pauses and tells him that she has left for Puebla. (Actually, she's still at the house packing a suitcase and waiting to leave the next day). Bandana man thinks that this is really bad. It makes Soledad look guilty.



Back inside the main house, Alvaro isn't sleeping off his drunk. He's wide awake and fully dressed. He takes the portrait of Soledad off the wall (the one with the bullet hole in it) and smashes it frame and all. He pours himself another drink. The flashbacks about his Dad and Soledad's brother's words come back. He shakes the letter around some more and throws it on the floor.

Soledad is alone in another room. She vows that she has had enough of crazy Alvaro's jealousy and she shakes a photo of them together at a happier time.

Cut to another scene. Two women are talking. One of them, Telma is walking around sulking and demanding to know where Emilio is, like he stood her up. The other woman, who is her aunt, snarkily says that her relationship with Emilio isn't going anywhere. As Telma stomps off, the Aunt says, "she's never going to marry Emilio Valtierra."

Back to Emilio and Angel. Angel is trying on Emilio's uniform jacket. He looks like a hippy with a nehru jacket. The briefly discuss his illness. He has some kind of mystery bacteria which has infected his lungs. Emilio is confident that Angel will get better and with time and exercisee, he get stronger again. Angel is not so sure but he bids his brother goodnight and hands him the jacket.

It's the early the next morning, at the hacienda. Soledad is struggling down some steep stairs with a huge suitcase. At precisely the same time, Don Alvaro comes outside and spies her and shouts at her. "Soledad, where are you going?"

Labels: duelo

I'm happy to say we have a new blogger premiering tonight with the grand opening of "Duelo de Pasiones." Margaret was following Heridas at her own blog, here is her final post on the novela, which includes some praise of our own little operation here. Hurrah!

And a big, big thank you to Jardinera who has been pulling down two slots a week for untold weeks! I bet she's relieved to be down to one...

Labels: duelo, heridas, recapper-intro

I'm in finally! I had to create a separate account on blogger for this blog but at least I can post now. Caray! Caray! is the 4th blog I am an author on. I am the primary author on a blog about Minneapolis Crime (I live in an area of Minneapolis which has always had some crime problems but has experienced a boom in crime lately.) I also have a personal blog with my husband, Our House, which is how Melinama found me, I occasionally posted reviews of telenovelas there. The third blog is a political discussion blog called State of Nature, although I owe them a post.

Here's a list of all the novela's I've watched, at least the ones I can remember. I was in Venezuela off and on in the 80s and early 90s while I worked on first an undergrad then a grad degree in Poli Sci. My first novela was Topacio, with Grecia Colmenares and Victor Camera. Later I watched Por Estas Calles, which was a smash hit over there for while since it was very political at a very difficult time in the country's history. I think it was too political , too local and too long! so it's likely that it never got shown outside Venezuela. When I got back, I mostly watched the Mexican novelas on Univision: Agujetas de Color de Rosa, Marimar, Maria la del Barrio, Canaveral de Pasiones, Esmeralda, Prisionera de Amor, Sentimientos Ajenos, Vivo por Elena (then after a hiatus) La Madrastra, Sonar no Cuesta Nada, Peregrina and last Heridas de Amor, during which I started reading this blog.

I don't have the Fernando Colunga fever that other people seem to have here but maybe I will develop it when he is next on. Guy Ecker was more my speed and I'd like to see more of him.

Labels: recapper-intro

If you're interested in recapping Duelo or picking up a day of Mundo, write me. caray@mappamundi.com - thanks! Melinama

Labels: duelo, mundo, recappers-needed

Carmel wrote: I did find the Nati scene ridiculous. I think the writers of this episode (a) hated the actors (b) hated the show's producers, and/or (c) hated the audience, because this is the most idiotic ending to any show I have ever seen.

Cesar getting killed in a random car accident? Gee, why didn't George Lucas think to kill off Darth Vader that way? Just have a space ship accidentally fall on his head. And Sauron, maybe he could have tripped on a pebble and broken his neck and saved Frodo the trip to Mount Doom!

This episode made even silly "Peregrina" look like Shakespeare. What a letdown. Oh well.


From J. Landry: "Chris, I wanted to personally thank you, Gloria, Sylvia, Lynn, and Jardinera for doing such a fabulous job recapping Heridas, and sticking with it even when the novela got particularly dull and/or stupid.

Thanks, and good luck with Duelo. I don't really find the previews all that enticing, but if anybody can make it interesting, it's you bunch!


Good work, crew! Our first start-to-finish novela! On to the caves!!

P.S. We will hit the 63,000 mark for visitors sometime today...

Labels: heridas

Juan Cristobal and Paulina get home from the polices station and are discussing Little Lui's untimely death. She tells him the doctor says she can get pregnant again, but he tells her to stop obsessing about the baby. They must learn to wait.

Miriam is remembering Jos telling her that she doesn't care about the baby in her womb, or Little Lui's death since he simply was the last tie she had to Gabe and their former life together when Leo calls Miriam to thank her for donating her blood to save him. She remains rather cold and indifferent in response to this. "I did it because Candelaria came and asked me." Leo tells her he owes his life to her now.

Leo convinces Elsa to come back home to live with them. Elsa only has one condition, and that is for him to shut up about her entering a clinic for alchoholics. She says she will still be a dancer at the strip joint.

Karen comes back home to Mexico City and finds out from a tearful Jos, in shock, that her little step-brother has died.

Ti and Rogelio are upset that JC is out of jail and are griping about it in the office when Pau and he walk in. Rog apologizes that he was unable to find out who got the second rate materials for the project. Pau assures him that whoever it was will eventually be found out.

Rogelio tells Demian he refuses to take the blame for the second rate materials since he had only done what he'd been told to do. Demian tells him never to threaten him and makes it very clear to Rogelio that Juan Cristobal and Regina are untouchable and are not to ever be involved in his shady dealings. He tells him to throw the blame onto the sellers of the construction materials somehow but to keep his son and his wife out of it. Rogelio realizes who is top dog here and obeys, with his tail between his legs.

Regina visits with her son and tells him that Paulina is obsessing with getting pregnant because she is afraid JC wants a baby so badly he will have one with another woman. JC tells his mother that that would be the last thing he would ever do. The only woman in his life is Paulina. He is worried that if she keeps this up they will end up tiring of one another.

Nicolas tells Dolores that her son, Tiberio, along with Rogelio, are owners of nightclub, a strip club. Naive Dolores is impactada.

Dolores intends to make Ti understand that the business he owns is both dangerous and beneath him. Why, he could become involved in drugs or, who knows what! Tiberio tells her to stick her nose out because she, as Nic's lover, has no moral leg to stand on and walks off.

Miriam takes El Coyote his blackmail money and almost begs him to leave her alone from here on out. El Coyote says fat chance. What he knows about Jos is worth too much to him. As soon as this packet of cash is finished with, she can expect another call from him.

Jos has another private nervous breakdown and repeats over and over to herself that she is not to blame for her son's death. It was his for carrying on with David. She determines then that she is not about to wear mourning clothes for him.

Months pass. In fact, nine of them do and we see that life goes on. Otilia dislikes Karen's work and she returns to her grandmother's design studio to work for her. Paulina is still obsessed with having another baby. Jos continues to party and to drink, even during the afternoons, while Mayeya looks on in dismay for the baby Jos is carrying. Miriam's fashion house has not been able to compete against Otilia's and financially she is barely keeping out of the red. Both pregnant woman never bulk up and continue to look like beauty queens simply wearing basketballs under tight-fitting outfits. (Oh, to look that way during pregnancy!)

Eventually Mariangela begins to have her contractions and Leo and Candy take her to the hospital where Leo works.

Jos is disappointed that she's been pregnant all those months yet Gabe hasn't regained consciousness to tell him. Miriam tells her that at least she was able to win her battle with Mariangela. Just then Jos also goes into labor and Miriam and Karen accompany her to the same hospital to deliver her baby.

About this time Gabe, unsupervised and unattended for once, begins to show brain activity and registers higher vital sign readings on the nearby monitors. He starts to wiggle his fingers a bit.

Jos gives birth to a son, but he doesn't cry after birth. She begins screaming at the doctor and asking why her child isn't crying. He looks worriedly over at the nurse who looks back at him and shakes her head and frowns.

In another delivery room at exactly the same time Mariangela gives birth to her baby and he is healthy. They put him in her arms for a couple of minutes so that she and Leo, who attended her during the birth, both see him and she cries and praises God that he came out safe and sound. Later she tells Candy and Leo that she is anxious to hold him again because she barely got a good look at him.

Gabe wakes from his coma just before Regina and Dolores enter his room to attend to him. They are shocked and delighted to see him awake. He continues to look around him while the two women try to explain about his coma and the length of time he was unconscious. They avoid anything abuot the pregnancies or his son's drowning to death. Regina later asks Rogelio to keep quiet about that also and even he agrees.

Jos' doctor advises her that her child has a heart defect. In the meantime, Miriam runs into Candy in the maternity lounge and she finds out that, as chance would have it, Mariangela just gave birth too. Later Candy and Leo are at the maternity ward nursery and looking at Mariangela's new baby boy. They have a discussion about a baby always having distinguishing characteristics despite it seeming that one baby looks like every other. Just then Miriam joins them and she learns which baby is Mariangela's.

Gabe begins to ask to see all of his children and Mariangela as well. JC, Pau, Regina, and Dolores surround his bed.

Miriam returns shortly and is with Jos when the doctor explains that poor care and nutrition by the mother can and did cause this defect in her baby. He is barely hanging on to life and will probably die in a few days or so. When the doctor leaves Miriam tells Jos that Gabe has just now woken from his coma. She warns her that she can not allow Gabe to remain apart from her as Mariangela has just had a healthy baby boy right there in the same hospital at the very same time. Since he loves Mariangela, as soon as he finds out about the baby he will go after her. That baby, if it dies, will be the last link to Gabe and all will be lost. So Miriam tells her of a plan she has.

Everyone is at Gabe's bedside when Jos comes in, all smiles, literally dragging her I.V. bag and pole behind her in order to make another one of her grand entrances. She greets Gabe oh so lovingly from across the room with the most euphoric look on her face and tells him (and of course her audience, everyone in the room) that she just gave birth to a boy, his boy. She has just had his son. Gabe is probably wondering about then if he is still asleep, stuck in his own personal coma nightmare, and wanting to wake up..... He replies, stunned and confused, "That can't be. How can that be?"

Labels: mundo

When Al interrupts the kiss, Fab gets up and asks Al what he is doing here. Al says I guess nothing. He asks to talk to Miranda alone. They snipe at each other about Fab and Babe Lawyer, Al wants to talk about ‘us.’ He says he came to get her back but it looks like a wasted trip. She says it was. She is getting her contractually obligated crying out of the way early today, by the way. They agree that they have suffered much pain and many heridas. Al says she deserves to love freely, or something, then says he’ll give her a divorce if that’s what she wants and leave her the company too. She says what are you talking about? He says it’s a gift, Gonzalo would have wanted it that way. Cry cry cry. She asks what he is going to do next, he says go back to Italy I guess, back to his other business. He says they have come right back to where they started. She’s with fab, he’s alone, he always thought maybe it would end this way. He stands up and says goodbye and leaves. She thinks to herself “tell him stupid! Tell him you love him!” But she just lets him go. Fab stomps over and wants to know what’s going on. She tells him the very short version, Al is leaving her. Fab says to run after him, she obviously loves him, she says no, “I already have an agreement with you.” I had to pause the recording right here from the sheer stupidity of that statement. Her agreement, which I don’t remember her making really, is more important than her HUSBAND? The show is ending and she is just as stupid as the first episode. Al is right, we ARE right back where we started. Jeez. Anyway, Fab says he knows she’ll never look at him like she looks at Al, Fab runs off to go stop Al.

Slutty and Renata discuss that Miranda will be rich from the Chocolate, now she takes the servant to Puerto Vallarta, who will help around the house now that everybody is pregnant? Renata says how they have learned to keep house a bit by themselves, etc etc. Boring conversation. They are trying to cook something but it doesn’t look like they know what they are doing. Slutty finally wants to know who the father of Renata’s baby is, she says she doesn’t know but Juan will the father either way. What is important is that the baby is hers, the baby will be raised to be like Juan. Then she holds her stomach like she’s having pain, uh oh baby trouble.

Back to Bertha and the dead dolls – Bertha is passed out, Guapo takes out her gag. She says “why?” He asks how can she say that, hasn’t everyone else asked that about her as well? He proceeds to name the entire cast of the show. Finally, he says, is me. He prattles on about something, she finally asks him to kill her. He says no, for her dying would be a prize. She asks, “then what?” He says he is going to keep trying to make his smell of fear perfume. Perhaps he’ll keep cutting body parts off. She calls him the angel of vengeance. He traces the cutters over her chest then puts the gag back in her mouth. Then he gives her a good sniff and leaves the room. She whines and groans.

At the mansion, Renata is laying down and in pain, praying that everything is all right. Begging the virgin to save her baby. We’re 1/3 of the way through and not much is happening, when will we get something here? My wife predicts that at the ¾ mark, it will suddenly be “3 years later” and everyone will be happy with ten kids. Perhaps. She knows more about these shows than me. Slutty had run off to get Juan I guess, the two of them come running in, Juan says she may be having a symptom of a miscarriage. Renata says no way, the baby has to be born. She says if it’s a girl she wants to name it Maria, like the virgin. He says yes, and if it’s a boy they will name it Jesus. Suddenly her pain vanishes. She gives Juan a hug and says thanks to the sky. Oh. My. God. Whoever wrote this episode is mailing it in like I’ve never seen before. You have got to be kidding me. I don’t even know what to say. Yes, it was as ridiculous to see as it sounds.

Al tells Fab that he (Fab) won, so what can he (Al) do? Fab says don’t be stupid, Miranda loves him. They argue back and forth “she loves you. No, you.” Finally Fab tells Al that Miranda is pregnant with Al’s child. Al is so happy that he hugs Fab and says “thank you” before running back to Miranda. Fab dramatically says “Goodbye Miranda, my love” to the open air. Al finds the table empty and asks the waiter where Miranda went, the guy points off somewhere. Al has a non-green flashback to Nati giving him some advice earlier. He runs after Miranda as Fabricio comes back to the table to get his phone, which starts ringing. It’s Cesar! Fab says “Where are you, I was waiting for you back at the hotel.” What? They are up to something? Cesar says he couldn’t wait, he has something important to finish up with Miranda. Fab says no way, and he has the money Cesar asked him for. They agree to meet later where Fab will give the money. Fab tells him after that to forget all about his existence and Cesar promises.

Renata asks Juan, “what are we going to do?” Juan doesn’t say anything. She asks, “what life awaits us?” He says a life of love and work, that will get better. She asks if he will always be with her, he says his whole life. She says she hopes he always looks at her the same way and will protect her and their kid with his strong arms. I guess that wraps up the Renata/Juan story. They talk some more mushy love stuff, lots of declarations of love, etc etc. So Bertha is done, Juan and Renata are done, I think all the minor characters (Luciano, Pamela, Babe Lawyer, and the like) are all wrapped up.

Miranda walks along a balcony deep in thought. She cries some more, I’m sure they asked her to give a little extra for the grand finale episode. She has a flashback of yelling at Fab when he dumped her and Al came up and kissed her. In the flashback he says that one day she will tell him she loves him. Some stuff about stealing a kiss, back in the present she says to herself he stole her soul and heart too. As she looks out on the coasts, suddenly the music skips as a hand covers Miranda’s mouth and pulls her away. !!!! Normally this would lead to a month’s worth of kidnapped episodes but we have about ten minutes to wrap this up. I expect Al to find her pretty quick this time. I hope he has a gun on him.

Mophead is waiting by a car mumbling about “Cesar where are you?” Fab sees her and asks what she is doing here. She says that Cesar is here, he knows, he’s giving him money so he disappears. She fusses and whines that Cesar is still her son. She is disappointed to hear that Fab didn’t hook back up with Miranda.

Up in a room, Cesar is trying to rape Miranda as she yells at him to let her go. He says hateful things and tries to keep kissing her. She says she hates him, he says he hates her too. She wakes up with a start. What the hell? There is an envelope on the bed, the note says “if you want to be free put on this dress, if you don’t, you will suffer the consequences.” I’m getting lost. There is a big red dress on the bed for her. She says “it’s Cesar, but I have to do what he says, I’ll find a way out.”

Back to Bertha, I thought we were done here? Guapo takes off the gag, she mumbles “kill me already” over and over. Guapo has a vial, he says he has the scent of fear now. He puts some on like cologne. He gets close and tells her to smell him. She doesn’t say anything. Guapo says “here we are.” He puts a gun to her head, she says “kill me at once.” Instead, he puts the gun under his chin and shoots himself. She says “no… not you…. No. I was the one who should have died.” So I expect that she will just stay tied to that chair until she starves to death?

Nati is stumbling around outside the hacienda thinking “cocolbosh…..cocolbosh…” in her head like some kind of drunken zombie. I had to pause to have a good laugh. She ends up walking into the forest, managing to keep her clothes bleach-white. She listens to the birds. Finally she sits down and listens some more. Then she starts up again in her head “cocolbosh…..cocolbosh….” She slumps over forward, did she die? We see a white bird wake up and fly away, perhaps that was supposed to be her in her next life now.

Cesar, Fab, and Mophead are sitting together. Fab and Mophead tell him he can’t leave the country, Cesar says he has to, he’s leaving soon with Miranda. They tell him that every way is being watched, he won’t be able to get out. Mophead tells him, “Open your eyes, Cesar!” He replies, “you open your eyes, stupid!” Fab gets up to defend his mother’s honor but Mophead shouts them down. Cesar says he doesn’t know the word ‘limit.’ Mophead says he will run into the law. He says the only he knows is his own. Nobody understands. What a whiner. Only one person understood, that was Bertha, and he’ll never find out where she is. The others go on about the police again. Cesar says if anything happens to him, it will be Fab and Mophead’s fault. Fab says they won’t play in his game. Cesar asks for his money. Mophead finally says that she called the police herself, they know where he is! “They knowwwwwww!!” she cries. Cesar is IMPACTADO. He’s busy looking in the money bag and this admission from his mom stops him cold. He can’t believe it. “What did you do? Imbecile! What did you do?” He gets up and leaves. Mophead begs him to come back, he stops in the street to look back at them, then starts to walk again. Just then, some 1990 Mercury Cougar or something like that, baby poop brown too, plows into him and leaves him dead and bleeding in the street. Really. This is the weakest grand finale episode I have seen. I guess I haven’t seen too many, but jeez, all that and he just gets hit by a car? That’s IT? Cripes.

Miranda is wearing the red dress, all sexed up, and comes out the door onto the deck of a yacht. Yes, somehow she got on a boat. She finds Al driving the boat, she says it can’t be! Yes, it’s him! She asks him why he took her the way he did, he gives her a ring and asks her to be with him forever. She starts to go on about something, he says be quiet, he just wants to hear the secret from her mouth. She tells him that they are going to have a baby. He says strong like him, beautiful like her. They start making out. Who is driving the boat now? So I guess he is the one who grabbed her earlier, but what about the Cesar thing? If it was a nightmare, ok, but that means she never saw who grabbed her. Did he knock her out? Did he drug her somehow with Cocolbosh? What the hell? I am so confused about the logistics of that whole thing. And how did he get an unconscious woman onto his boat? Doesn’t that scream “CRIME” to anyone who might have seen? I am at a loss for words. I am simultaneously let down and thrilled at this episode. It is horrible, which sucks, but it is so horrible I can complain and mock to my heart’s content.

Some medics are loading Cesar into an ambulance. Mophead says maybe he is still alive, the medic rather coldly tells her no, he’s brain dead. So we get brain dead Cesar as our ending for this. What a ripoff. Fab says he’s going to get the baby and they’ll go back to Mexico. Mophead says to tell Miranda and Al what happened, Fab says no, it’s none of their business. Whatever Fab, you have been such a great decision maker so far, again I say WHATEVER. Mophead says fine, then call Fern. She whines fabulously. She tells Fern that Cesar will be able to donate a heart Julio for transplant. Hmm, maybe something came from that ending after all. I didn’t see that coming. What would be better though, is if somebody shot Cesar and ripped his heart out to give to Julio. Or something like that.

Back on the boat, Al and Miranda are making out in slow motion while nobody drives the boat. It’s zipping along pretty quickly Then again, now that I think about it, Al does nothing for himself. I guess he wasn’t driving the boat when Miranda found him, he was just standing at the railing. Well anyway, he proceeds to get busy with her right on the front of the boat, right in front of the window where the guy who IS driving the boat is. The clothes don’t come off yet, but the pilot/driver (what do you call a yacht driver?) gets a show. Al tells Miranda that tomorrow is another day, she kisses him. He asks what she is doing and she says she’s stealing a kiss. They have the conversation from the flashback again but in reverse. Haha ha ha oh those clever Luque/San Llorentes. They make the rest of us look so pedestrian. They declare their love for each other and make out in slow motion some more while the theme song plays along, the long version.
The end.

I would go into some of the unanswered questions or loose ends, but I don’t have the energy for it. I’m wiped out. I’m sure the comments will cover those topics. That’s all folks, Duelo starts on Monday!

Labels: heridas