Telenovela Alborada, #16
This is one in a series of recaps of the Univision telenovela Alborada.
In order to read the whole post, you must now click "read the rest" at the bottom of this summary! If you are new, please visit the recaps in ORDER - see the bottom of this post for information.
In order to read the whole post, you must now click "read the rest" at the bottom of this summary! If you are new, please visit the recaps in ORDER - see the bottom of this post for information.
Monday: Luckily, characters kept telling each other things they've told each other before, so there is less for me to tell you! Luis, for instance, having finally gotten back from the beach, is told he must be careful what he tells amnesiac Hipólita. He storms out to go see her and Isabel says, "He'll terrify her with that look."
Hipólita, with bandages carefully arranged so as not to cover any part of her face, is surprised to see Luis come into her room alone. "Are we relatives?" "No, but we've known each other a long time." "What am I to you?" "More than you imagine." "Are we engaged?" "No, but ..." Luckily Luis is saved from further bogus explanations by the arrival of breakfast.
Sara, in an odd kimono, is trying one more time to keep her daughter Victoria the Pirate Queen from barging over to the Palacio Guevara to find her daughter. "Don't be an idiot, given the slightest provocation they'll burn you to cinders! Besides, decent women don't go through the streets alone." "But I'm a fugitive, remember?"
Luis, swishing his sword around and squinting thoughtfully, flashes back to happier times (well, actually, Hipólita was crying then too - even her happier times weren't THAT happy) when he declared his love for her and they kissed.
I see Diego has a guy help him wash his hands. Gee, my kids could wash their own hands with no help when they were three years old... Juana comes in to ask him to call off the duel ("NO!") and then asks that the duel be to "first blood" rather than to the death, he says OK.
Juana says she let Isabel bring Hipólita to the castle in hopes of placating her so she'll accept the plantation, Las Tunas, in payment for the debt Diego and Juana owe her. (Las Tunas is not nearly valuable enough to pay the debt completely).
Then Juana asks Isabel to just PRETEND to accept Las Tunas, until the duel is over. Isabel says ok, but for love of Cristóbal, certainly not for Diego, who "is a lot of noise and not many nuts." Is this like "the elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor?"
Francisco, that creep, has come for his blackmailing appointment with Juana. He says he knows "a guy" who will "spread it across the city" that Diego got his sister-in-law Esperanza pregnant unless he gets paid off. Juana throws Francisco a bag of money which is less than he asked for - "I'll give you the rest in a couple of weeks."
Mirtha tells Esperanza Hipólita is alone with her maid Ada. As Hipólita is musing after Luis's visit - "That man, Luis - does he love me? I'd like that. Did I love him?" - in busts Esperanza, Mirtha in her wake, and when Ada says desperately: "We need to protect her, she's lost her memory!" Esperanza screams "I'LL REFRESH HER MEMORY!!!!"
There is a too-brief girl-fight, broken up when Juana sails in and shouts at Esperanza to leave. When Esperanza starts to bluster, Juana threatens her with being sent back to her home town - or being sent along to the Grand Inquisitor along with the information about her unborn child's father... Juana calmly tells Hipólita, "Every family has its problems." Hipólita is, sensibly, wanting to get the hell out of the Palacio Guevara, but Juana tries to reassure her that "that woman" is sick in the head and is the family's "cross to bear."
Back in her boudoir, Esperanza is screaming like a banshee and clutching her gut. "So much attention for that whore, and me they treat like garbage! I wanna die! No, she should die. I want her to die!"
Juana, who is pleased Hipólita no longer remembers they are arch enemies, is feeding her information. "You lived in Panama, you have a sister, you are not married, but you have an admirer named Antonio, also from Panama." She sighs later, "How I miss Modesta!" (Modesta is off with the hidden baby Rafael in the boonies.) She needs help with all the dastardly schemes.
Cristóbal, Luis, Isabel, and Felipe are confabbing. They plan a search for Rafael, and then Cristóbal tells them about the edict he found, accusing Victoria (daughter of Sara the Jew) of killing her own husband, the brother of the Grand Inquisitor.
Isabel recalls that she knew Sara, who had been a friend of Aurora (Luis's true mother, killed in the big fire).
Luis offers to take Cristóbal's place in the duel but is refused. Luis and Felipe will be the seconds.
Victoria shows up at the Palacio and finally meets Marina, who is extremely fetching in this scene and has completely lost her post-rape hang-dog expression. Marina tells her, "Nobody will marry me, I'm nothing, but Isabel is very kind and even wants to adopt me. I like it here and don't want to leave."
Antonio comes to visit his wife, Hipólita, but first encounters Luis and shouts at him, convinced he was behind the robbery and mugging. "Who else cared to have the child remain behind? You're capable of it - after all, you adulterated the cochinilla!" (No doubt this lie originated with Diego, who was the true cochinilla adulterator, as well as being an adulterer!) Luis, insulted, threatens to kill Antonio! Antonio mocks, "Is that how you guys solve everything?" Juana sweeps them all off to the salon before anybody gets stabbed.
Tuesday: Through the episode people frequently say: "Where's Rafael? We must find him!" and "Hipólita has lost her memory. It may come back, it may not. The mind is a mysterious thing."
Hipólita, still in bed, tells her maid Ada ("Have I known you for many years? Why don't you tell me more?") that she likes Doña Juana, a discomfiting declaration! Ada evades all questions. Hipólita asks for a mirror ("What do I look like?") and admires her excellent teeth.
During the pow-wow in the Salon, Juana says it would be best if Hipólita never recovered her memory, and Isabel agrees! "We'll construct a wonderful new past for her, she'll be happier never knowing [the rotten time she's had since birth]."
Antonio, however, is irritated that Juana insists he describe himself not as a husband, not even as a fiancé, but as merely a suitor! If he demurs, Juana will rat him out.
Luis: "Mother, you can control a lot of people but not all of them." Ojala. To Felipe: "My mother has a Machiavellian mind!" They agree Juana may have planned the kidnapping of Rafael.
Juana hopes that "Esperanza, that shameless nutcase, is going to die; then Luis can marry Hipólita and Rafael will stay here!" Isabel: "But Hipólita is already married!" "Oh, well, there aren't any papers to prove that ..." "How are you going to convince Diego to stay quiet?" "That's where you come in, my dear sister-in-law." Having failed to blackmail Isabel into forgiving the huge debt in exchange for stopping the duel between Cristóbal and Diego, Juana now suggests that in return for Isabel's forgiving this huge debt, Diego may be convinced to keep quiet around Hipólita. "OK, but if he says anything, you pay in full or you abandon your palace to me." "You're a dog." "So are you."
Luis visits his wife Esperanza. She's in bed, gasping and crying and clutching her womb. He says her pain means the midwife should come look at her again. He's inclined to be tender but she wrecks it by shouting shrewishly about his whore and his bastard and saying "If I lose this baby, IT WILL BE HER FAULT!!"
Hypothesis: they who mugged Hipólita and Antonio and stole Rafael had to know WHEN the trip to Panama was taking place! Marcos finds that the tickets to Panama were purchased by Malaquías. Malaquías denies having told anybody, but Team Luis knows he is "a faithful dog" to Diego and Juana.
Caressing the little bag of money Juana threw him (to pay off "the gentleman" who threatened to spread the news about Diego's adultery across town), Francisco says he has enough to start a business. (Don't worry, I'm sure he won't actually WORK.) Asuncion whines: "Doña Juana knows we don't have anything - if you suddenly have money, she'll suspect." "She's no innocent, she knows perfectly well I'd keep 'part' of the money."
Concerning Antonio's not being able to tell Hipólita they are married, Rodrigo asks: "Why isn't this better for you? If she doesn't remember she has a son, you won't have to take him with you."
Diego arrives with the news that New Grenada has closed its borders due to uprisings and nobody can get in or out. "Our relations aren't cordial - even if the embassy could get you new documents, you couldn't travel." Rodrigo must not have been listening carefully because he says HE can cause he has his papers. "Only if you're willing to take a pirate ship. Antonio - if you had gotten to Vera Cruz, you wouldn't have been able to set sail."
Luis and Felipe go to Sara's, where Victoria is telling ma: "I didn't like Isabel, she's capricious and bossy and she ignored me." Victoria's going back to see Marina again the next day. Sara: "Tell me about my grand-daughter. How I would like to see her!" "She's pretty as a doll, educated, she's a lot like you. It's sad she feels so insignificant and has had to live on charity. It's Ignacio's fault! I hope he pays for his sins in life or in hell after death."
Sara to Luis and Felipe: "Why do you think I can help you?" "Because you have eyes and ears in the underworld." Sara doesn't like that term. They have a conversation at cross-purposes... She asks: "Have they lifted the charges against that woman, oh, what was her name, uh, Victoria?" "No, but we went back to the beach settlement and I killed the man who killed my son." "One likes to avenge the unfair deaths of loved ones," comments Sara as she agrees to help them. Leaving, Luis and Felipe tell each other that this Sara and Victoria are indeed the ones mentioned in the edict Cristobal found.
Victoria wants her mom to help Luis. "He seemed like a nice man," says Sara, "but being the son of Juana, he probably doesn't keep his promises. Hmm, I'd like to see the other one, Diego. When they were babies, the son of the Count looked just like the, and Juana's son looked just like her dead husband. ... this one looks like the count."
At the estate, Juana interrupts a confab between Isabel and Hipólita to announce that Esperanza is having her fifth miscarriage. "My poor son, without descendants and married to a demented woman who put the horns on him!" News to Hipólita! "Luis is married?" So much for holding back upsetting information! Nobody can follow the baroque twists of Juana's intentions.
Later, Juana's unsuppressed glee at Esperanza's possible death bothers family members.
Juana hypothesizes that the kidnappers (ie herself and Modesta) are holding back on the ransom note in order to get everybody hysterical and willing to pay hugely. Isabel says: "Of course we'd pay anything, even the pearls of the Virgin!" Juana rolls her eyes happily at that notion.
Hipólita asks Ada (rhetorically): "How could a wife cheat on a husband as sexy and genteel as Luis?" "It happens more frequently than you'd expect." Hipólita cleverly remembers that Juana threatened Esperanza with being ratted out to Fray Alvaro, and talked of Diego. "Could it have been one of Diego's servants?"
Cristóbal tells his sister the nun about the duel. She says it's against the laws of God! He says he lives among men! He could have swallowed an insult to himself, but not to Catalina. "Jesus said turn the other cheek." "He also threw the merchants from the temple."
Diego is practicing stabbing his sword right through the eyehole of one of his masks. I'm not sure Cristóbal will survive this maneuver. Juana tells her son: "Isabel will forgive our debt if you merely keep your mouth shut around Hipólita." He agrees.
The midwife ("I TOLD her not to get pregnant again!") announces that Esperanza will surely miscarry and in fact may die; she's lost much blood. She must stay calm and get lots of rest. Right.
Ramon and the mute recount to Sara their entire history with Diego and Luis and the whole mishpocha. What registers unfavorably with Sara is the kidnapping of Hipólita without her son. "You should never separate a woman from her child."
Sara is obviously interested when they say Esperanza is daughter to Agustín but she denies special concern. She says she's most interested in Gasca. Ramon doesn't want to talk against Gasca because they're afraid of him, and also Gasca gives them work. Sara asks them to report back if they hear more. After they leave, Higinio the spy says: "They know much more than they said." Sara: "I want to know who took the child, and on whose orders."
Antonio to Rodrigo: "Juana is just like my mother, she wants to control my life." "What does she have over you?" "I don't want to talk about it." "Well, regardless - we're stranded - I have the money Diego gave me, but what about you?" "I need to go to my ATM, I'm short of cash." "Why don't you just renounce your wife and we'll hop on a pirate ship and go home?" "I love Hipólita and don't want to leave her with people who treat her like a rag doll." "For years there's been a rumor in Santa Rita, I never believed it, about your sexual inclinations. Nu?" "It's true." Antonio strokes his hair many times. "Hipolita knows?" "Yes." More hair stroking.
I post the new update every Wednesday and Saturday morning. All Alborada recaps are now listed in the sidebar to the right - below the small picture of Modesta and Doña Juana, just above the elephant. Click on the numbers (ONE TWO THREE ... ETC) to find them!
Amor Real
Entre el Amor y el Odio
Technorati Tags: Telenovela, Alborada, Novela, Summary, Plot
Luis, swishing his sword around and squinting thoughtfully, flashes back to happier times (well, actually, Hipólita was crying then too - even her happier times weren't THAT happy) when he declared his love for her and they kissed.
I see Diego has a guy help him wash his hands. Gee, my kids could wash their own hands with no help when they were three years old... Juana comes in to ask him to call off the duel ("NO!") and then asks that the duel be to "first blood" rather than to the death, he says OK.
Juana says she let Isabel bring Hipólita to the castle in hopes of placating her so she'll accept the plantation, Las Tunas, in payment for the debt Diego and Juana owe her. (Las Tunas is not nearly valuable enough to pay the debt completely).
Then Juana asks Isabel to just PRETEND to accept Las Tunas, until the duel is over. Isabel says ok, but for love of Cristóbal, certainly not for Diego, who "is a lot of noise and not many nuts." Is this like "the elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor?"
njmotmot writes: "Such an interesting expression called for investigation. My Spanish teacher said that it comes from the noise made in breaking open a nut shell and then you find that there's no nut inside or a bad one. All flash and no substance we might say. Interestingly, this phrase is used as the Spanish title of Shakespeare's play, Much Ado about Nothing."
Francisco, that creep, has come for his blackmailing appointment with Juana. He says he knows "a guy" who will "spread it across the city" that Diego got his sister-in-law Esperanza pregnant unless he gets paid off. Juana throws Francisco a bag of money which is less than he asked for - "I'll give you the rest in a couple of weeks."
Mirtha tells Esperanza Hipólita is alone with her maid Ada. As Hipólita is musing after Luis's visit - "That man, Luis - does he love me? I'd like that. Did I love him?" - in busts Esperanza, Mirtha in her wake, and when Ada says desperately: "We need to protect her, she's lost her memory!" Esperanza screams "I'LL REFRESH HER MEMORY!!!!"
There is a too-brief girl-fight, broken up when Juana sails in and shouts at Esperanza to leave. When Esperanza starts to bluster, Juana threatens her with being sent back to her home town - or being sent along to the Grand Inquisitor along with the information about her unborn child's father... Juana calmly tells Hipólita, "Every family has its problems." Hipólita is, sensibly, wanting to get the hell out of the Palacio Guevara, but Juana tries to reassure her that "that woman" is sick in the head and is the family's "cross to bear."
Back in her boudoir, Esperanza is screaming like a banshee and clutching her gut. "So much attention for that whore, and me they treat like garbage! I wanna die! No, she should die. I want her to die!"
Juana, who is pleased Hipólita no longer remembers they are arch enemies, is feeding her information. "You lived in Panama, you have a sister, you are not married, but you have an admirer named Antonio, also from Panama." She sighs later, "How I miss Modesta!" (Modesta is off with the hidden baby Rafael in the boonies.) She needs help with all the dastardly schemes.
Cristóbal, Luis, Isabel, and Felipe are confabbing. They plan a search for Rafael, and then Cristóbal tells them about the edict he found, accusing Victoria (daughter of Sara the Jew) of killing her own husband, the brother of the Grand Inquisitor.
Isabel recalls that she knew Sara, who had been a friend of Aurora (Luis's true mother, killed in the big fire).
Luis offers to take Cristóbal's place in the duel but is refused. Luis and Felipe will be the seconds.
Victoria shows up at the Palacio and finally meets Marina, who is extremely fetching in this scene and has completely lost her post-rape hang-dog expression. Marina tells her, "Nobody will marry me, I'm nothing, but Isabel is very kind and even wants to adopt me. I like it here and don't want to leave."
Antonio comes to visit his wife, Hipólita, but first encounters Luis and shouts at him, convinced he was behind the robbery and mugging. "Who else cared to have the child remain behind? You're capable of it - after all, you adulterated the cochinilla!" (No doubt this lie originated with Diego, who was the true cochinilla adulterator, as well as being an adulterer!) Luis, insulted, threatens to kill Antonio! Antonio mocks, "Is that how you guys solve everything?" Juana sweeps them all off to the salon before anybody gets stabbed.
Tuesday: Through the episode people frequently say: "Where's Rafael? We must find him!" and "Hipólita has lost her memory. It may come back, it may not. The mind is a mysterious thing."
Hipólita, still in bed, tells her maid Ada ("Have I known you for many years? Why don't you tell me more?") that she likes Doña Juana, a discomfiting declaration! Ada evades all questions. Hipólita asks for a mirror ("What do I look like?") and admires her excellent teeth.
During the pow-wow in the Salon, Juana says it would be best if Hipólita never recovered her memory, and Isabel agrees! "We'll construct a wonderful new past for her, she'll be happier never knowing [the rotten time she's had since birth]."
Antonio, however, is irritated that Juana insists he describe himself not as a husband, not even as a fiancé, but as merely a suitor! If he demurs, Juana will rat him out.
Luis: "Mother, you can control a lot of people but not all of them." Ojala. To Felipe: "My mother has a Machiavellian mind!" They agree Juana may have planned the kidnapping of Rafael.
Juana hopes that "Esperanza, that shameless nutcase, is going to die; then Luis can marry Hipólita and Rafael will stay here!" Isabel: "But Hipólita is already married!" "Oh, well, there aren't any papers to prove that ..." "How are you going to convince Diego to stay quiet?" "That's where you come in, my dear sister-in-law." Having failed to blackmail Isabel into forgiving the huge debt in exchange for stopping the duel between Cristóbal and Diego, Juana now suggests that in return for Isabel's forgiving this huge debt, Diego may be convinced to keep quiet around Hipólita. "OK, but if he says anything, you pay in full or you abandon your palace to me." "You're a dog." "So are you."
Luis visits his wife Esperanza. She's in bed, gasping and crying and clutching her womb. He says her pain means the midwife should come look at her again. He's inclined to be tender but she wrecks it by shouting shrewishly about his whore and his bastard and saying "If I lose this baby, IT WILL BE HER FAULT!!"
Hypothesis: they who mugged Hipólita and Antonio and stole Rafael had to know WHEN the trip to Panama was taking place! Marcos finds that the tickets to Panama were purchased by Malaquías. Malaquías denies having told anybody, but Team Luis knows he is "a faithful dog" to Diego and Juana.
Caressing the little bag of money Juana threw him (to pay off "the gentleman" who threatened to spread the news about Diego's adultery across town), Francisco says he has enough to start a business. (Don't worry, I'm sure he won't actually WORK.) Asuncion whines: "Doña Juana knows we don't have anything - if you suddenly have money, she'll suspect." "She's no innocent, she knows perfectly well I'd keep 'part' of the money."
Concerning Antonio's not being able to tell Hipólita they are married, Rodrigo asks: "Why isn't this better for you? If she doesn't remember she has a son, you won't have to take him with you."
Diego arrives with the news that New Grenada has closed its borders due to uprisings and nobody can get in or out. "Our relations aren't cordial - even if the embassy could get you new documents, you couldn't travel." Rodrigo must not have been listening carefully because he says HE can cause he has his papers. "Only if you're willing to take a pirate ship. Antonio - if you had gotten to Vera Cruz, you wouldn't have been able to set sail."
Luis and Felipe go to Sara's, where Victoria is telling ma: "I didn't like Isabel, she's capricious and bossy and she ignored me." Victoria's going back to see Marina again the next day. Sara: "Tell me about my grand-daughter. How I would like to see her!" "She's pretty as a doll, educated, she's a lot like you. It's sad she feels so insignificant and has had to live on charity. It's Ignacio's fault! I hope he pays for his sins in life or in hell after death."
Sara to Luis and Felipe: "Why do you think I can help you?" "Because you have eyes and ears in the underworld." Sara doesn't like that term. They have a conversation at cross-purposes... She asks: "Have they lifted the charges against that woman, oh, what was her name, uh, Victoria?" "No, but we went back to the beach settlement and I killed the man who killed my son." "One likes to avenge the unfair deaths of loved ones," comments Sara as she agrees to help them. Leaving, Luis and Felipe tell each other that this Sara and Victoria are indeed the ones mentioned in the edict Cristobal found.
Victoria wants her mom to help Luis. "He seemed like a nice man," says Sara, "but being the son of Juana, he probably doesn't keep his promises. Hmm, I'd like to see the other one, Diego. When they were babies, the son of the Count looked just like the, and Juana's son looked just like her dead husband. ... this one looks like the count."
At the estate, Juana interrupts a confab between Isabel and Hipólita to announce that Esperanza is having her fifth miscarriage. "My poor son, without descendants and married to a demented woman who put the horns on him!" News to Hipólita! "Luis is married?" So much for holding back upsetting information! Nobody can follow the baroque twists of Juana's intentions.
Later, Juana's unsuppressed glee at Esperanza's possible death bothers family members.
Juana hypothesizes that the kidnappers (ie herself and Modesta) are holding back on the ransom note in order to get everybody hysterical and willing to pay hugely. Isabel says: "Of course we'd pay anything, even the pearls of the Virgin!" Juana rolls her eyes happily at that notion.
Hipólita asks Ada (rhetorically): "How could a wife cheat on a husband as sexy and genteel as Luis?" "It happens more frequently than you'd expect." Hipólita cleverly remembers that Juana threatened Esperanza with being ratted out to Fray Alvaro, and talked of Diego. "Could it have been one of Diego's servants?"
Cristóbal tells his sister the nun about the duel. She says it's against the laws of God! He says he lives among men! He could have swallowed an insult to himself, but not to Catalina. "Jesus said turn the other cheek." "He also threw the merchants from the temple."
Diego is practicing stabbing his sword right through the eyehole of one of his masks. I'm not sure Cristóbal will survive this maneuver. Juana tells her son: "Isabel will forgive our debt if you merely keep your mouth shut around Hipólita." He agrees.
The midwife ("I TOLD her not to get pregnant again!") announces that Esperanza will surely miscarry and in fact may die; she's lost much blood. She must stay calm and get lots of rest. Right.
Ramon and the mute recount to Sara their entire history with Diego and Luis and the whole mishpocha. What registers unfavorably with Sara is the kidnapping of Hipólita without her son. "You should never separate a woman from her child."
Sara is obviously interested when they say Esperanza is daughter to Agustín but she denies special concern. She says she's most interested in Gasca. Ramon doesn't want to talk against Gasca because they're afraid of him, and also Gasca gives them work. Sara asks them to report back if they hear more. After they leave, Higinio the spy says: "They know much more than they said." Sara: "I want to know who took the child, and on whose orders."
Antonio to Rodrigo: "Juana is just like my mother, she wants to control my life." "What does she have over you?" "I don't want to talk about it." "Well, regardless - we're stranded - I have the money Diego gave me, but what about you?" "I need to go to my ATM, I'm short of cash." "Why don't you just renounce your wife and we'll hop on a pirate ship and go home?" "I love Hipólita and don't want to leave her with people who treat her like a rag doll." "For years there's been a rumor in Santa Rita, I never believed it, about your sexual inclinations. Nu?" "It's true." Antonio strokes his hair many times. "Hipolita knows?" "Yes." More hair stroking.
Amor Real
Entre el Amor y el Odio
Technorati Tags: Telenovela, Alborada, Novela, Summary, Plot
by melinama @ 12:05 AM
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I have a theory about the clothes in Alborada. First of all, you are watching a TELEVISION SHOW—it doesn’t reflect real life. In the second, the clothes are very nice reproductions of the clothes of the period, but they are also used to make some interesting statements about the characters and the times.
The only reason the women’s clothes are so low-cut is for ratings. What the producers must have decided was that to make up for the comparative lack of skin, they would make up in cleavage, and make the costumes as beautiful as possible. The silk and satin dresses, adorned with lace and fringe, the gems that adorn the actresses, are those that a woman would have worn to a ball, not on an errand or a family visit. And indeed, the portraits of the period show wealthy women dressed exactly like these characters, but of course these women would have posed in their best. It is doubtful that even a woman as rich and powerful as Doña Juana would wear such elaborate costumes every day (and a totally different dress every day and sometimes twice a day!) In general, no woman would have worn such outfits and hairdos in going about her daily business. She would also not have left the house without a good deal more coverage in the form of shawls and cloaks. This is the period of Jane Austin, and respectable women were far more protected and covered in the Mexico of this period than in England. The revealing costumes are wishful thinking.
The men’s costumes form a part of the social commentary of the novela. Diego and the other nobles dress in somewhat effeminate, gorgeous embroidered suits that hearken back to a slightly earlier time period. Diego’s clothes and hair are very old-fashioned (I’m surprised he doesn’t powder his hair!) he clings to the old ways when a noble was like a little king. The “real men”—Luis, Felipe, Marcos, wear suits of a different cut entirely. Instead of the knee breeches, long coats and fancy neckwear of the late XVIII century, they wear the dress of the modern man—the plain-hued long trouser, short jacket and vest, top boots, and open collar of the man of action of the romantic period. They also show that these men are not vain and do not care for making themselves pretty.
¡Por lo menos, ésa es mi opinión!
Catalina
I have a theory about the clothes in Alborada. First of all, you are watching a TELEVISION SHOW—it doesn’t reflect real life. In the second, the clothes are very nice reproductions of the clothes of the period, but they are also used to make some interesting statements about the characters and the times.
The only reason the women’s clothes are so low-cut is for ratings. What the producers must have decided was that to make up for the comparative lack of skin, they would make up in cleavage, and make the costumes as beautiful as possible. The silk and satin dresses, adorned with lace and fringe, the gems that adorn the actresses, are those that a woman would have worn to a ball, not on an errand or a family visit. And indeed, the portraits of the period show wealthy women dressed exactly like these characters, but of course these women would have posed in their best. It is doubtful that even a woman as rich and powerful as Doña Juana would wear such elaborate costumes every day (and a totally different dress every day and sometimes twice a day!) In general, no woman would have worn such outfits and hairdos in going about her daily business. She would also not have left the house without a good deal more coverage in the form of shawls and cloaks. This is the period of Jane Austin, and respectable women were far more protected and covered in the Mexico of this period than in England. The revealing costumes are wishful thinking.
The men’s costumes form a part of the social commentary of the novela. Diego and the other nobles dress in somewhat effeminate, gorgeous embroidered suits that hearken back to an earlier time period. Diego’s clothes and hair are very old-fashioned for this period (I’m surprised he doesn’t powder his hair!) he clings to the old ways when a noble was like a little king. The “real men”—Luis, Felipe, Marcos, wear suits of a different cut entirely. Instead of the knee breeches, long coats and fancy neckwear of the late XVIII century, they wear the dress of the modern man—the plain-hued long trouser, short jacket and vest, top boots, and open collar of the man of action of the romantic period. They also show that these men are not vain and do not care for making themselves pretty.
¡Por lo menos, ésa es mi opinión!
I have a theory about the clothes in Alborada. First of all, you are watching a TELEVISION SHOW—it doesn’t reflect real life. In the second, the clothes are very nice reproductions of the clothes of the period, but they are also used to make some interesting statements about the characters and the times.
The only reason the women’s clothes are so low-cut is for ratings. What the producers must have decided was that to make up for the comparative lack of skin, they would make up in cleavage, and make the costumes as beautiful as possible. The silk and satin dresses, adorned with lace and fringe, the gems that adorn the actresses, are those that a woman would have worn to a ball, not on an errand or a family visit. And indeed, the portraits of the period show wealthy women dressed exactly like these characters, but of course these women would have posed in their best. It is doubtful that even a woman as rich and powerful as Doña Juana would wear such elaborate costumes every day (and a totally different dress every day and sometimes twice a day!) In general, no woman would have worn such outfits and hairdos in going about her daily business. She would also not have left the house without a good deal more coverage in the form of shawls and cloaks. This is the period of Jane Austin, and respectable women were far more protected and covered in the Mexico of this period than in England. The revealing costumes are wishful thinking.
The men’s costumes form a part of the social commentary of the novela. Diego and the other nobles dress in somewhat effeminate, gorgeous embroidered suits that hearken back to an earlier time period. Diego’s clothes and hair are very old-fashioned for this period (I’m surprised he doesn’t powder his hair!) he clings to the old ways when a noble was like a little king. The “real men”—Luis, Felipe, Marcos, wear suits of a different cut entirely. Instead of the knee breeches, long coats and fancy neckwear of the late XVIII century, they wear the dress of the modern man—the plain-hued long trouser, short jacket and vest, top boots, and open collar of the man of action of the romantic period. They also show that these men are not vain and do not care for making themselves pretty.
¡Por lo menos, ésa es mi opinión!
i have re read the past recaps and can not find out when the topic of the duel came up... i know diego insulted catalina in cristobal's house..and i did miss a couple of episodes. can some one fill me in... when is the duel taking place? this is my first novela and i love it... thank you for the recaps.. you do such a great job... they really help me to better understand fully
in the last episode you said Diego was washing his hands...and a servent helped him.. that is too funny...It looked to me like he was peeing...I could not believe this and i called my girlfriend who watches and she thought the same thing too...who knows...
In addition to cracking me up...again, you saved my butt.
I left my vcr to tape 3 days of novelas and ran out of space into the 2nd day. I'd really be in a pickle without your recaps.
Muchas gracias.
Diego WAS peeing.
Diego is such a fop! When it comes to one of the characters being "efeminado" I think that better describes him than Antonio. And what is it with the masks? And why does Juana believe that he will never have a son? It's not as if rakes don't marry and have children even as they continue their affairs.
I think the business with Antonio's hair is meant to make him more feminine (that and the beautiful embroidered suits he wears.) He fusses with it just like some teenage girls I've seen--or my students!
And Juana missing Modesta--could it be that SHE is gay?! (Just kidding.)
I too, am sorry that it will come to an end; I am really enjoying it. Thanks for the recaps--I don't get a chance to see all of the episodes so they are a great help.
Wow, Catalina, what great commentary! I agree, although I hadn't thought it out in anywhere near such detail. I would also add that there are anachronisms in head and facial hair that do not entirely match the period. A (relatively) respectable lady like Hipólita would not run around in public (or even in private) with her hair down. Also, most well-to-do men of that period did not wear facial hair, but went clean-shaven. Diego's odd little goatee is appropriate for either the seventeenth century or today, but not IMHO for the early nineteenth century. But as this is a popular work and not intended as a historical treatise, the hair and wig designers go with what will look most natural and sexy to the audience and not according to "pure" historical accuracy.
(formerly known as njmotmot)
Concerning peeing and washing, it was both. At the beginning of the scene, Diego is doing something behind a waist-high screen that immediately suggested a man peeing to me. This is confirmed when a few seconds later, a servant heads for the door with the chamber pot. The servant has to quickly conceal the pot behind his back as Juana enters the room. Meanwhile, Diego follows modern public health advice and immediately goes to a basin and holds out his hands while another servant pours water over them from a pitcher and then drys his hands.
While I enjoy the historical aspect of the show, I watch for entertainment and to improve my Spanish. As far as the clothing styles, the exact dates of the era, etc... I don't worry about it.
Yes, Diego peed then washed his hands (good boy!)
Speaking of Diego... remember when Juana told him the news of Esperanza loosing the baby?... he seemed very upset. Could it be because he sincerely was hoping for the baby and he "feels" something for Esperanza (he did visit her in her room to talk about it with her a while back) or maybe that in Esperanza loosing the baby, and possibly dying, he has "helped" Luis? Hmmm...
I would be surprised if Diego has feelings for anyone but himself. Having Esperanza pregnant with his baby allows Diego to:
1) make a cuckold of Luis (wears the horns);
2) prevent Luis from divorcing Esperanza; and
3) might give him a male heir.
(He might also have gotten pleasure from humiliating Esperanza.)
All of that is lost if (when) Esperanza loses the baby and dies so he would be upset that his great plan is going awry.
I agree with Rosie. The Arellano's are doing a rotten job of perpetuating their line. Whether he prefers prostitutes or not, it was Diego's duty to marry after he lost the first wife to get a male heir.
Here's an interesting question. Let's assume that ultimately, Luis becomes Conde de Guevara and he and Hipólita surmount their problems, marry and have a legitmate male child. Does that put Rafael out of the sucession? You would think that the law would favor the legitimate heir over the one born out of wedlock.
on the light side of historical accuracy... in yesterdays episode Luis (and one of the other characters) exclaimed "Hey!" several times. I thought it was kinda funny as I didn't realize "Hey!" was Spanish. could be wrong... it could very well be a spanish exclamation for all I know but it struck me as humerous... lol...
Rosie--speaking as the history professor--
Spanish law favored legitimate heirs but society was very accepting of illegitimate heirs, unlike their treatment in the rest of Europe. Such children were often acknowledged by their fathers, i.e., recognized, given their father's name; allowed to inherit, and in the absence of a legitimate male heir, inheriting a father's title as well as his property. In the New World, such a son often acted as his father's property manager.
As I recall, the automaton child Rafael had his little lamb with him when he was kidnapped. Now in tonights segment, the camera shoots past this toy in two shots in the palace. Is this a hidden clue, or just sloppyness in stage setting? Is this what will trip up Juana and Modesta.
On the question of the wardrobe, remember that Mexico was always way behind Europe in fashion. Mexican fashion was always of more practical nature. But fops are fops wherever they are.
I place the time period at somewhere between the War of Spanish Sucession (Queen Anne's War)and the Mexican War of Independance, that is 1701 to 1810.
Bob Gill
Ok, I have not seen tonights episode or read any posts about what will happen in tonights show so this isn't a spoiler, just a wild guess at what may happen tonight...
I think that the duel will take place, Cristobal's gun will jam (remember from yesterday he didn't try shooting it, just the practice one) and Diego is such a bad shot that he will hit Cristobal but not kill him. Then, because Luis is Cristobal's 2nd, Luis and Diego will have the duel we see in the intro to the show (the one in the chest high field of grass). Now, I did miss most of the first three weeks of the show so that particular duel may have already happened. But, anyway, that's my guess for tonight. Personally, I can't wait to see Luis kick Diego's rear end!
I just saw the duel episode. Omigod. Only because you'd all kill me, I won't say another word...
Without alluding to tonight duel and its outcome, I just had a question: Why is La Poderosa--Sara--called "La Poderosa. I mean, it means "The Powerful One," and she is said to be surrounded by underworld figures, and her daughter was the queen out there at the beach, but she is a little old lady who stays in bed, wearing a veil and hasn't been out in 15 years?! Am I missing something? How does she exercise this power if she won't leave her bedroom and her dwarf with the funny stick he carries around?
I think she's supposed to be like Marlon Brando in the Godfather - she just twitches her finger and people go murder other people. Except we're supposed to like her so they aren't showing us scenes of her getting people murdered. I think she got this power from Don Ignacio. It's like an underworld franchise.
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