Tag: telenovela

La Sombra del Pasado: Cristóbal and Aldonza Are Brother and Sister, Not

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Yes, the writers have finally done it. They have introduced the brother and sister storyline. I knew it was coming, but had hoped something would happen and Aldonza and Cristóbal would find out the truth before the bogus DNA test came back. It didn’t happen.

Now, we must watch Aldonza and Cristóbal cry over this lie for several episodes until Father Jerónimo saves the day. I’m not sure he’ll be the one to uncover the truth, but it seems likely because he found out the truth about Emanuel.

We will also have to suffer through the many attempts by Candela to get Cristóbal together with Valeria. Everyone keeps telling Candela that Cristóbal will never love Valeria, but it’s not enough. It’s not even enough for Valeria. How many times does Cristóbal have to tell her that he’s not into her? You would think by now she’d be embarrassed at how many times she’s thrown herself at him and he’s rejected her. But for Valeria, Cristóbal is nothing more than a piece of property. She wants the status and money that would go along with being his wife.

Frankly, I would love to see Aldonza and Cristóbal happy for a little awhile before being split apart. It’s been torture. We get a few episodes of happiness and then another obstacle gets in their way.

Please don’t make us wait until the last few episodes to finally see Aldonza and Cristóbal together.

What do you think of the latest twist? Do you like Valeria?

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La Sombra del Pasado – A Modern Day Romeo and Juliet

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Let me start off by saying I’m a sucker for a good Romeo and Juliet story. What’s not to love? A couple finds love in the face of their feuding families. It’s classic and it’s the story behind La Sombra del Pasado.

I’ve been watching for a couple of months. I wasn’t sure if I would get hooked like I did with Lo Que la Vida Me Robó, but every time Cristóbal looks at Aldonza, I melt a little bit with her.

Cristóbal is the son of Candela and Severiano and they hate Aldonza. Why do they hate Aldonza? Because as Cristóbal and Aldonza recently discovered, Aldonza’s mother, Roberta, and Severiano were once lovers. It is also because of Roberta that Severiano lost his arm.

Even though Roberta is dead and the affair was 20 years ago, Candela and Severiano have placed the sins of her mother on Aldonza.

Aldonza lives with her aunt and she grew up hearing her mother constantly say how much she hated Severiano and that Severiano ruined her life. Later, to keep Cristóbal away from Aldonza, Severiano raped her, a fact Cristóbal is not aware of because she hasn’t told Cristóbal. It’s a huge secret and one I hope she tells Cristóbal soon. Aldonza left town because of what Severiano did and broke Cristóbal’s heart in the process. Cristóbal needs to know that his father is a monster.

What I love about their relationship is that they both realize that neither one of them is to blame for their families’ faults and the ongoing feud has nothing to do with them. Despite everything his mother has said, Cristóbal’s feelings for Aldonza haven’t changed. In fact, he’s told his parents that they should respect Aldonza. Yes, Cristóbal has a back bone and he’s shown it in recent episodes.

The one unbelievable aspect is that Cristóbal asked Aldonza to marry him and she said yes. They haven’t dated and have barely had any relationship at all. Cristóbal claims he knows that there will never be another one for him. She is the love of his life. I’m a romance wirter so, of course, I love the romance behind that notion.  But I would have liked a tad bit more in the relationship department before they got engaged.

I’m sure something will get in their way before the wedding. After all, it is a novela. But I’m confident that Cristóbal and Aldonza will always find a way to each other and they will have a happy ending.

What do you think of La Sombra del Pasado?

Farewell Amor Bravío

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In August 2012, I watched the first episode of Amor Bravío. I was learning Spanish and thought it would be a good idea for me to watch television shows in Spanish. I never expected to get hooked, but I did. I couldn’t miss an episode and started recording it. Even though I could barely understand what they were saying, the story of Daniel and Camila drew me in.

As a writer, my fascination with this show has made me wonder why this telenovela caught my attention and kept it. I blame it on the characters and good storytelling. The hero and heroine, Daniel and Camila, are everything a super couple should be.

Daniel is kind-hearted, he’s a protector, and he always tries to do the right thing, even if it means sacrificing something he truly wants, like Camila. His one fault is that he lies, but for the most part, he does that to protect people.

Camila is strong and independent. She doesn’t need a man to take care of her. But Camila is stubborn and will never ask for help, even when she needs it.

Together Daniel and Camila are magic. Of course, like any romance, the writers had to find a way to tear them apart and that’s where the villains come in, Isadora and Dionisio.

Isadora is all about the money. She killed her first husband by poisoning him over time so she could inherit his money. She tries to kill her second husband in the same way to get his money and ranch.

Dionisio is obsessed with Camila. He wants Camila and her ranch all for himself. When Daniel and Camila finally get married, Dionisio finds Daniel’s first wife, Miriam, who was supposed to be dead and brings her to Mexico. I admit as a former soap opera fan I should have seen that one coming, but I like everyone else that night was saying, “No está muerta!” (She’s not dead!)

Dionisio then arranges for a doctor to tell Daniel that Miriam has an aneurysm and she’ll die if anything upsets her. Daniel doesn’t want anything to happen to Miriam so he leaves Camila and doesn’t tell Miriam that he’s in love with Camila and married to her.

With only a few episodes left before Amor Bravío ends, Camila and Daniel are still apart, but I know that they will get their happy ending and I will celebrate when they do.

I learned more than Spanish from this telenovela. Despite the language barrier in the beginning, I kept watching because of the sexual tension between Daniel and Camila. It was so strong that it was almost tangible. It taught me how important that sexual tension is to any romance story and to up the ante to keep that tension there. I realize that sexual tension is an obvious element to any romance story, but it’s not always easy to write and keep fresh. Amor Bravío did it well. I’ll miss this telenovela.