Relatively overdue post... but here's my excuse

The thing is... I get caught up. Not in anything that's especially pressing like family or work matters.

I simply go through phases that come on every few years and apparently, this year... it's back.

My irrational fixation on telenovelas, courtesy of Univision.

It started back in 2000(?) when I got caught up with Carita del Angel and later Abrazame Muy Fuerte, which is, to date, my all-time favorite telenovela. Federico Rivera and Racquela... probably my favorite telenovela villains/heavies. But Carlota from my current fixation, En Nombre Del Amor, is gaining.

I readily admit that I didn't watch En Nombre from the beginning. Hell, that's my usual methodology when it comes to telenovelas. I'm usually channel-surfing and a visual grabs my attention, whether it's a confrontation or oddball comic relief character, or maybe it's a snippet of the telenovela's theme song. Usually, it's the theme song that pulls me in. That's certainly true with En Nombre Del Amor. Here's an early version of the opening credits (it ends abruptly as all telenovela opening credits seem to do) :



The opening tells you everything you need to know - this show will be top-heavy with love triangles, teenaged/young adult and middle-aged angst, and that the severe-looking green-eyed woman with be the very devil to anyone who crosses her path.

That's Carlota, by the way. Very severe hair and and her make-up palate is very frosty in nature. I can't help thinking that if someone would've bumped her hair and offered her a better, more warm color selection, she would've been in a better mood. I have to say, though, she looked exactly how I felt after my hairdresser decided to give me a Pineapple Scrunchy. Couple that with the rampant stinger/musical cue, even an non-Spanish speaker like myself can understand that Carlota is no kinda good.

The actress - Leticia Calderon - apparently, this is her first foray into being a villain and I have to say, she's doing a very good job. This week, she bumped off (or tried to) a doctor (I think), but according to wiki, a lot of characters lost their lives at her hands. I did, however, see that she was responsible for bumping off Victoria Ruffo's character via flashback. Ruffo's Macarena (yes, like the dance craze) met her end months ago, at the hands of sister Carlota, due to Carlota's obsession with Macarena's long ago secret love, Cristobel, who was a priest, and the result of Macarena and Cristobel's tryst, Paloma, who was, apparently, adopted by a rich family. Anyway, Paloma found about her link to Macarena, but soon after, Macarena bit it. And Carlota been doing everything to get complete control over Paloma by blocking anything that could bring Paloma independence and sustained romantic happiness.

Apparently, this telenovela is due to end around March 5th, so a lot of $h*t is due to hit the fan. Already, Emilliano, Paloma's true heart's desire, found out that Romina, the chick he had to marry because he thought she was pregnant with his kid, has been screwing around with one of his friends. Romina, who was Paloma's friend, knew that her boyfriend and best friend had some sparks between them, but she had to be stubborn about things and eventually manipulative, even seeking counsel from Carlota. Clearly, Romina belongs with the dude she's been screwing with, but it will take some time for her to figure it out.

Another telenovela caught my attention. Actually, it's the reason my schedule has been thrown off. Recently, Univision added Hasta Que El Dinero Nos Separe to their primetime line-up resulting in En Nombre being pushed up an hour. Hasta Que El Dinero Nos Separe has a much different tone than En Nombre. It's definitely lighter and funnier in many ways. And I've definitely taken a shine to Rafaell. He comes across as a good-natured soul, caught between a rock and a dragonlady, in the form of Alexandra. Mind you, she has cause for being salty; Rafael is the reason why she's in a neck brace and on crutches. Eventually, Rafael and Alexandra will end up together, but right now they're grappling with Bellamys in the form of a batshit crazy girlfriend with an overly protective father and his toadies, and a mustached cheating fiance. Still, the opening credits and theme song got me: