http://www.m571.com/blog A Blog on Novelas and Other Topics en http://www.m571.com/blog/2005/06/05#June 3 Friday night's show began a turn away from the pursuit of Camila and the return of the Plateados to robbing for social justice and for the poor, as they took a money shipment that was bound for the Bashur's "Star of the Orient" store, where the money was to be divided between the Bashurs and Emilio. There was a reference by Emilio to who might have tipped off the money shipment to the Plateados, but whether this is a portent of things to come or simply an off-hand comment remains to be seen. Now the Bashurs are put in a very tricky position, since they were the only townspeople to have doings with the Guerras. This is bound to look suspicious to Emilio. Additionally, Kemal throwing Emilio out of the store at Samia's request is not likely to allow Kemal to continue to depend on Emilio's good will, such as it was. The Bashurs again symbolized the struggle between the old and the new orders. Kemal attempts to maintain a status quo that accepts blindly whatever the privileged class demands to maintain its position. Yasir combines this same attempt to fit in with society by controlling other members of the family, in a way combining Kemal's attitude with Ofelia's. Halim, on the other hand, sought to go back to his "rebellious" state with Yamile and Ishmail, but found that door closed to his return. Samia is understanding, but stands by her husband, while Laila's future is in the balance. It seemed that, in keeping with the show's felt necessity to present everyone with faults that challenge the viewers' sympathies, they had to have her do unpalatable things. If she really loved Manuel, one wonders why she didn't object when Arturo and Yasir ganged up on Manuel. However, she didn't say a word until Manuel proved to be more of a man than both of those two put together. Now, the only romance in the show is Isabel and Andres. Looking at other characters, Ofelia now turns to help from Irene to protect her world woven from lies and hypocrisy. Emilio has the governor's permission to become a dictator in the San Diego area, and the whole Gallardo estate apparently recognizes that Tonita is Emilio's child. Luciana, representing some form of justice, now seems to be in as much of a stupor as she helped sentence Camila to, and without the need of drugs. Juan Carlos Mart’n del Campo and Eduardo Victoria were particularly effective in Friday's show. http://www.m571.com/blog/2005/06/03#June 2 Camila is now beginning to develop into a more mature character. Her fickleness in rejecting Gabriel from the moment that Manuel explained what had happened to Andres put her in a juvenile and petulant light, and that direction of character development has been a bit of a cloud over the better path taken recently. Until the "fickle" Camila gets sorted out from the one that is growing more mature, we will be left with a certain ambiguity about who she really is. Camila's selfish, immature nature was evident when she was feeling sorry for herself in describing her situation to Xochitl. It is hard to find such a a character compelling, especially when the lifestyle she seeks is obtained from the oppression of the people Gabriel is trying to help. One of Camila's statements last night was a real clue to the story line of the show: she told Ofelia that all of the difficulties and situations seem to revolve around her, and in many ways, this is true, as Emilio's actions to protect his mujer have driven much of what has happened with the Plateados, the Bashurs, and even some aspects of the Villegas household. Camila comes across seeming to want the elegant lifestyle, like Ofelia, with fine houses, fine clothes, and self-indulgent laziness. She seemed to be totally unable to connect with Gabriel's desire for promoting some form of social justice. Still, she does have a somewhat realistic recognition of the improbability of her love for Gabriel. Camila also recognized that her life has a strong parallel with Ofelia's. Ofelia was incredible in her propensity to lie. She reminds one of the statement Douglas MacArthur once made regarding Franklin Roosevelt: "He is a man who never told the truth when a lie would suffice." She lied to Irene, Camila, and Andres without the slightest regard for their obvious disbelief. As she has insisted that Camila do, Ofelia has chosen to be socially acceptable, following the path that was planned and expected of her, rather than pursuing her own dreams. Camila's condemnation of this trait in Ofelia was easily the most scathing attack of the entire show to this point, chiefly because it was so accurate. There was a certain satisfaction in seeing Ofelia receive the fruits of her own hypocrisy from Camila and Luciana. Still, it may be expected that she will be rehabilitated by the end of the show, embracing the Plateados as "family." Ofelia's admission that she is a coward to Irene sums up her character quite well. Irene, however, is not a person to shrink from doing the right thing, no matter the difficulty. Her new interest in the murder of Aurelio's father and Sebastian Campuzano cannot help but be heightened by Ofelia's statement that Sebastian Campuzano could never have murdered anyone. Coming from a coward like Ofelia, this unequivocable statement could hardly fail to impress the curious Irene. Both Irene and Leonardo are the types who will not let go of a search for justice in this matter. The "doubting disease" has now spread to Manuel and Laila, since Manuel has seen her with Arturo. Of course, when Manuel accused her father Kemal of being the one who told Emilio that the Guerras were friends with the Plateados, Laila did lie to him and denied this. It may also be expected that Luciana's dashed hopes of being with Emilio may turn to the benefit of the Plateados, just at the time when both Camila and Emilio have slammed the door in Gabriel Guerra's face. How this might play out remains to be seen. Samia, for the first time, was without her forehead decorations, which is an improvement. http://www.m571.com/blog/2005/06/02#June 1 Yesterday, I'd forgotten to mention that Camila is almost certainly pregnant from her tryst with Gabriel. That seemed even more obvious from last night's episode. Camila will probably be occupying Emilio's marital bed very soon, for the child will almost certainly have to be assumed to be Emilio's (except by Camila, of course). The irony of this and Tonita's situation is especially delicious! There a great parallel between Camila's and Ofelia's situations of being newly married and pregnant with someone else's child. I'm speculating that this whole mother-daughter parallel is itself parallel with Augusta and Isabel: For all of her self-righteous and arrogant behavior, Augusta in her younger days may turn out to have been much like Isabel. As the philosopher said, the older generation begins to criticize the younger when it is no longer able to set a bad example. Augusta's behavior tonight was completely indicative of guilt: She was involved in Sebastian Campuzano's execution and also a plotter against her husband's life. If my Augusta-Isabel guess is correct, this has to say something more about Sebastian Campuzano, but what that might be, I'm not sure. As a very speculative guess, could it be that he was himself parallel to Emilio Gallardo, in that both were vagamundos? Leonardo believing that Sebastian Campuzano murdered his grandfather is bound to create some sparks. He may or may not actually leave the Plateados, however the writers would have much more difficulty in making a "leaving Leonardo" work than if he stayed. If Leonardo left, surely he would be to report the Plateados to the authorities. Even if Leonardo doesn't leave, trouble is on the way for the Banda as soon as Kamal tells Emilio that Gabriel Guerra is involved with the Plateados. The doubting disease has hit the lovers of San Diego: Halim doubts Islam, Camila doubts Gabriel, Leonardo doubts the Plateados. The only couple not doubting is Manuel and Laila. Hopefully, the disease will pass at least one pair of lovers by! I noticed that Emilio grabbed the saddle horn with his wounded arm when he mounted his horse -- whoops! Nicanor should have helped him -- this would have been more realistic. As a matter of fact, Nicanor should have done the shooting. Emilio's arm would have been badly scorched by burning powder at such close range. Discharging a handgun at night will demonstrate this fact. Even a blank would do damage, as a very foolish preacher fatally found out several years ago. Perhaps this is why Emilio didn't want to see the doctor. However, this scene cannot detract from Humberto Zurita's very fine performance tonight. I felt that his acting was truly top-notch. Camila's fickleness was highlighted again tonight. She has been undergoing great trials, and I am very willing to allow for a "Stockholm Syndrome" effect in her case, but her forgetting Emilio's scheme to have Esperanza raped, forgetting Emilio's having Esperanza forge a "Dear Juan" letter to Gabriel, and forgetting Emilio's beating of her is just a bit too much to be credible. Finally, it seems that a change in musical themes has accompanied the change in story line direction. Tonight, the mysterious and foreboding music had a much more modern sound, and the Kletzmer music from the clarinet was absent. http://www.m571.com/blog/2005/06/02#May31_2 I feel that the story is moving toward a realignment of the characters. Ofelia is unwittingly tied to the Campuzanos, now that the long awaited confession that Andres' father is Sebastian Campuzano has been made. I think that Ofelia's questioning look at Gabriel last nite indicated a recognition of Sebastian Campuzano, altho she hasn't put two and two together yet. So, the Castanedas will be moving into the Campuzano camp. One of the pieces of the puzzle that must be in place is for Luciana to figure out that Emilio was behind Nicanor's shooting. Esperanza is already very doubtful of Emilio. Camila would also leave him. Andres will swing over to the Plateado's side when he smells Emilio's guilt at the bottom of all the bad happenings in San Diego. Andres and Emilio have had a running blood feud all along, but we attributed it to political differences. Two things are necessary for Ofelia: The realization that the Plateados are Sebastian's children, and the realization that Emilio is behind Esperanza's attempted rape and Andres' shooting. On the "Dark Side," Augusta may be revealed as someone who was complicit in her husband's death, and it may well be that "Papa Villegas" and the execution of Sebastian Campuzano are intertwined. This secret is most probably what makes Augusta think that she has leverage over Emilio regarding Leonardo's safety. So, Augusta will move into Emilio's orbit outwardly, reflecting her complicity in Emilio's dirty deeds. (It is possible that Augusta doesn't know the whole story regarding her husband's death and that she'll be rehabilitated, but I think that this would be a sloppy story line.) The two big questions are the Bashur and Villegas households. Which way will they swing? Aurelio and Irene are prevented from following Augusta by Leonardo's participation in the Banda Plateado. Irene has opened the door for Aurelio to question his father's death again. Sooner or later, he will figure out Emilio's skullduggery and Augusta's involvement with him, causing Casa Villegas to align with the Plateados in due time. The Bashurs, however, are the real question. Kemal is completely wedded to Emilio by his greed. Samia knows Emilio as an evil person. Yasir is wedded to Emilio by his social ambitions (but this will change, as Esperanza recognizes Emilio's evil). Laila is tied to the Plateados by her relationship with Manuel. Finally, Halim is strongly bound to Yamile, and Ishmail could well play a "swing vote" position in the Bashur situation. So far, the novela has been bogged down for two months in wasted time and foolishness. The clear decision of the writers to alter the course of the story on May 27th has brought about a rapid flurry of events as the story changes to a new course. I see this in the ploy to engage the viewers in Camila and Gabriel's romance by putting them in a highly unlikely interlude in the Campuzano estate ruins. This whole scene was not badly done, but very unrealistic. Luckily for Camila and Gabriel, Teniente Dimas didn't show up, as he seems to whenever someone is removing their clothes (Kemal and Samia, and Tonita). Also, Gabriel's acceptance of a violent act is a change for him. One wonders how the Plateados could have robbed for so long without an unfortunate occurrence happening sooner. As the pace of the story has picked up, are we going to see the Plateados robbing anyone? The robbing aspect of this story has clearly not been developed at all, leaving us with a clouded view of the motives of the Plateados. One rightfully wonders how such a band of Juan Bobos has even avoided capture, much less become a legend. Now, the writers are moving us into resolving the Campuzano family history (and mystery), so it is unlikely that the "Robin Hood" aspect will ever receive the development it badly needed. Gabriel has been jolted into the recognition that violence is an integral part of the life he's chosen, but the abrupt turn in the story has left Camila's shallow development behind. Her dilemma is realistic, but her fickle about face, while realistic in a young woman does not explain Gabriel's infatuation with her. So far, the story has improved with the adoption of a new direction, but we will have to be satisfied with the insufficient character development we've had up to this point. http://www.m571.com/blog/2005/06/01#May 31 Andres remained in very critical condition while Gabriel and Camila were in bed at the Campuzano ruins. Gabriel promised to give Camila a life without worry or fear. Meanwhile, back at the cave, Tomas admitted to shooting Andres, and then said that he must have. He clearly didn't know, since Nicanor actually shot Andres with his rifle. A rifle bullet fired at that close of a range would likely pass through the body, so it's unlikely anyone will be able to tell who shot him. The next morning, Padre Guillermo gave Andres the last rights. Aurelio and Irene worried about what would happen to Leonardo when Emilio returned, for he would certainly take vengeance on the Plateados, when Augusta entered the room and said that she telegrammed Emilio about Andres. Augusta told the upset couple that she was sure that Emilio wouldn't hurt her grandson. Taking a hint from Padre Guillermo, Ofelia bent over the dying Andres and told him that Samuel Campuzano is actually his father, while Irene walked into the room and overheard this confession. Back at the Campuzano ruins, Manuel rode up to the trysting spot and told Camila and Gabriel what happened to Andres. Camila left in a fury, saying that Gabriel couldn't even protect her for one day. Halim watched as Yamile and Ishmail return home. Nicanor was very worried that Emilio would return and find that he didn't kill Andres. Back in the cave, Gabriel finally dropped his politically correct bandit attitude and recognized that when they confront the law, bullets would fly and there was a possibility of this happening. He settled on a fatalistic view of the situation. Meanwhile, Isabel promised Andres that she will only look at other men if he would only live. Ofelia found out that Augusta telegrammed Emilio and she worried that he would come back and find out that Camila ran away. She became hysterical with Augusta when Camila walked in. Emilio gave the boat ticket to Luciana and told her she had an hour to leave when he received Augusta's telegram. Nicanor talked Isabel into leaving Andres so that he could finish him off, but just as Isabel lefts, Camila came in, followed soon after by the doctor who made everyone clear the room. Ofelia scolded Camila for being selfish and told her that Andres was looking for her, and that's why he was shot. Ofelia told Camila that she tought only of herself. Camila told Xochitl that she and Gabriel trysted the night before and then said that the whole situation with Andres was her fault. She was out in the living room with Augusta and Irene when Gabriel Guerra walked in. Camila was very tense as Gabriel introduced himself. Irene and Augusta left, and Gabriel tried to convince Camila that they could make it together. Camila pointed out that it could have just as easily been her brother that killed Tomas, and that if Andres lived, he would seek vengeance and kill Tomas. She said that she loved Gabriel but that she couldn't live like that. Ofelia walked in when Gabriel was touching Camila. Gabriel made an excuse and Ofelia invited him to stay, but Camila said he was just leaving. Ofelia looked at Gabriel with uncertainty. Back at the cave, Gabriel told Manuel that he's despondent over the way things worked out, but he promised that he would help Camila's family and get her and them out of danger from Emilio. Emilio returned from Vera Cruz with Luciana, who did not sail. He was angry with Nicanor for not ensuring that Andres is dead, but was unable to do anything about Nicanor's failure for fear of arousing suspicion. In the last scene, Irene questions Aurelio about the death of his father. She said that she knew it was never talked about, but she wanted to know about the details of Aurelio's father's murder.