I’m sticking this to the top of the blog and I’m going to try to do it so it keeps the comments open more or less permanently without repeated posting.
Pretty much any conversation goes, at my discretion. Anything Spanish-language is encouraged.
/el koˈete/ A pop culture blog for all things Spanish-language and Spanglish
I’m sticking this to the top of the blog and I’m going to try to do it so it keeps the comments open more or less permanently without repeated posting.
Pretty much any conversation goes, at my discretion. Anything Spanish-language is encouraged.
I took a really long break from Secretos de Sangre and started again from the beginning. I really appreciate how well it holds together on a second watching. People’s reactions make a different kind of sense now.
I’m watching it on NBC.com and there are some missing and out of order episodes, so I’ll have to rely on whatever’s still in my DVR for those, but I haven’t caught up yet to where I was last time.
I’ve noticed that Vix+ has tons of older shows, plus ones we never got here. Univision mostly, but I swear I noticed a few that were very early Telemundo? Telemundo is mostly on NBC, but the more recent ones that they co-produced with Netflix are on Netflix.
I have absolutely no clue what’s on cable currently. I think I saw a promo for MQB the revenge on Lambda Garcia’s social media. That could be fun.
I think I’m gonna kill the Twitter account. It’s outlived its usefulness and I think it’s dying anyway.
Also I’m still watching Secretos de Sangre and still enjoying it. Ilgaz is one of the best galans we’ve seen in a while. There’s no petty fighting over people. My biggest complaint is that they straightened a character’s hair.
Top Chef VIP
Just tell us we’re being pranked already. Nobody can ever figure out how she skates by.
She’s so fricking gleeful! But I know it’s also this:
Re: Top Chef VIP Thursday night
IT’S RIGGED! RIGGED, I TELL YOU!
Absolutely rigged!
WTF show is LZ watching? Because it’s not the same one I’m watching. She always thinks whatever she prepared is the best, regardless of any of the feedback.
Promo on Telemundo: Los 50. I don’t know what that’s about, but if those masks strike your fancy check out Wintercroft Masks.
All 3 seasons of La Reina del Sur are on Netflix now.
The promos for Secretos de Sangre look tempting. I just saw that it starts este martes and I’m like “What?! I thought it was the 23rd!”
Um, yeah, that would be este martes.
Turkish… that’s a plus. Two hour premiere? I’ll give it a try but I bet I’ll constantly be behind.
I mean, there’s murder. That’s generally a good place to start for drama.
TCVIP
I just got to the langosta drama. LAAAAANGOOOOOOOOOSTA!
I really struggle though when they ask participants in cooking shows to kill anything. Especially when it’s amateur cooks. People come to cook, not kill. I guess it makes for compelling television, but I’m not a fan.
Yeah. I’m over analyzing 😂
I just spent too much time figuring out “maíz nixtamalizado and now that I know what it is I feel stupid 😂
Top Chef VIP started last night and it looks like they’re going for the same 2-hours-a-night schedule as last time. Which is cool, but also a lot. New this season is the Cuchillo de Oro which can save someone from elimination, including the person who’s had it awarded to them or possibly also an entire team.
Uff! Tanta drama lo de los cebollas.
That scale is faulty! It has to be. Pobre de Sara. I had to laugh when Laura just turned right back around to slice more onions when she heard Sara was shy of 400 grams.
Top Chef World All Stars did their version, the “Mise en Place race” this week. If somebody’s light, they just do more and add it. And these are professionals! But celebrities–nah, go back and start completely over.
I still need to watch the TCWA episode.
On TCVIP even the participants were like “we aren’t professional chefs!!”
I’m watching TCVIP episode 4 right now and I agree with Sebastian that the ceviche in a cup looks better.
Forgot to say that I like that I’m about to start the third episode and no one has been eliminated yet. That’s probably just gonna make it harder when they do, but I still appreciate getting to know everyone.
Top Chef VIP is back on Tuesday.
I didn’t watch last time. Maybe I’ll peek at it this time.
I’ve been enjoying Top Chef World all stars.
As for Juego de Mentiras, I’ve gotten a little behind and I’m not sure how motivated I am to catch up.
We’ve been watching Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico on CNN Sunday nights. It’s history and culture, but mostly FOOD! Stanley Tucci, who’s an executive producer did one earlier, Searching for Italy, which I’m now interested in watching.
Wouldn’t it be better to have the most recent comment at the top of Launch Pad? And for the comments to descend to the oldest at the bottom?
Under the comment box, there’s a triangle after “Oldest” that has Newest as an option.
I’m still behind on Juego de Mentiras, but I just wanted to document the known aliases of whatever-her-name-is (and I’m not sure about the last names)
Adriana Molina, wife and mom, bookstore clerk (quit three months before she disappeared)
Mariana de Molino, non-profit volunteer
Diana de Nadie, Colombian dancer
Ana Rivero, Colombian supermodel, spokesmodel for sports cars
I’m caught up. My head is somewhere between spinning and exploding.
I’m finally giving a serious effort to watching YSBLF. I made the mistake of watching LFMB on another streamer and I probably shouldn’t have. It really doesn’t hold up to YSBLF. At least to me it isn’t. Did Angelica Valle sort of settle in eventually? One day I do want to watch the Mexican version but I don’t think I can handle the sound effects and Angelica’s eye twitch right now.
Rebecca Jones died.
Oh that’s sad 🙁
I adored her! She’ll be missed.
Still watching Juego de Mentiras and this male cop is SO FRUSTRATING! And so are the writers for thinking we wouldn’t know that a minor can’t be interviewed without a parent or guardian or a LAWYER.
I am a few episodes behind but yeah, that was ridiculous. If Elvis wants to get a conviction he’s gonna need to follow rules a little better. Not to mention actually investigating. Cesar and JF seem to be doing a better job.
I’m still enjoying the show but I’m starting to wonder if the writers are trying to manage too many plot lines.
I’m a little behind, but it feels like they don’t have a resolution in mind, which always leads to plot twists that don’t hold up on a rewatch.
I’m two episodes behind and I’m not paying super close attention either. I’m afraid if I do the resolution won’t hold up on the first watch. It’s still entertaining enough. Especially watching Klitbo and Yáñez scenes.
We’re watching the premiere of Top Chef All Stars, or World All Stars or something…with contestants and winners of all the different national/regional versions of Top Chef and, y’all
THERE WAS A SECOND SEASON OF TOP CHEF MEXICO!
Did I miss it or did they not broadcast it? I only recognize the contestants from the US ’cause the one contestant from Top Chef Mexico was on the second season 🙁
I don’t think I even made it through the first season.
I had no idea there were international versions of Top Chef and now I want to see them.
I’m not gonna lie, I was kinda glad the guy from France got eliminated first. I bet he makes it through Last Chance kitchen though.
I would like to amend my prior statement about Noelia. Not volunteering information because no one asked is different from finding something suspicious and hiding it.
Episode two was just as good as the first IMO.
Now it seems that Camila is the only one not lying.
Does Abue count as not lying?
It seems like they can’t decide whether Noelia was supposed to be 8 or 18.
I watched the first episode of Juego de Mentiras. Definitely mysterious. Fabulous cast with lots of familiar faces. I’m always here for Cynthia Klitbo and I don’t think she will disappoint. It’s only the first episode, but I was impressed (for what it’s worth. Hopefully the show won’t let me down.
We just got done with the first episode and yeah, not bad. I think maybe Camila and her younger brother were the only people not lying about something? The little girl too, maybe, but what else does she know besides that mommy has a Likebook profile that she’s not going to say anything about until someone else brings it up?
I’ll give the girl a pass. Not giving up what she knows isn’t exactly lying.
I won’t have any time to watch it for the next few months, but I set up to “record” (actually, “add to my library” in YouTube TV lingo) the telenovela that begins tonight on Telemundo: Juego de mentiras. They’ve been promoting it like crazy. Sounds like the kind of mystery I enjoy, and the cast is appealing. Still, until LCdLF is over, I truly don’t have an extra minute for TV.
Thanks for the reminder! I totally forgot that new one was starting and I agree the mystery is what sounds interesting about it.
I just finished up my rewatch of Corazón Salvaje 1993 in preparation for this novela. I’m all for a good mystery.
Guess what I’m watching again? La casa de los famosos! There is something seriously wrong with me.
Whoops! I didn’t see this earlier. Are they still in the second season?
This is actually season 3. No real scandalous characters this time (a la Niurka or Laura Bozzo). Pretty dull stuff, but I can listen while doing other things.
Dani Who? is starting tonight on UniMás. I really loved this show and the spooky/scifi vibe but it’s definitely a one-season-wonder. Ten episodes are all there are.
I enjoyed that one very much!
I’ve been listening to Scott Patterson’s Gilmore Girls podcast and I am loving it! He never watched the show before he did the podcast (which started in 2021) and I’m listening to him turn into a fan and have really strong opinions and it just cracks me up.
¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Kat, thanks for keeping El Cohete going. You’re my only link these days to the world of telenovelas.
Merry Merry everyone! Happy vibes for whatever you celebrate.
I just finished watching Warrior Nun on Netflix and it was badass!
Does it end with a cliffhanger? I just saw that Netflix canceled it. I don’t know if I have the courage to start a show with no ending 😂
The story they were telling was complete, but there’s still room in the universe for more.
Unlike Midnight Club, which was so full of stuff that needed answering that when the series was cancelled they put up a blog post talking about where they were going and how they had planned to resolve everything.
I can handle that. I just don’t want to invest in a show only to have it end with a whole bunch of loose ends.
Random thoughts for today- I’ve been thinking about my Spanish tv habits and there was a time where I could stick with a show for 100+ episodes. These days I can’t imagine doing that. I realize I’m missing out on some good shows (Pasión de Gavilanes comes to mind as well as YSBLF), but I just don’t want to invest that much time in a show any more…even if I am knitting while I watch.
Totally agree with you! I’m not sure when my tastes (or tolerance?) changed, but we’re in the same boat.
In my case I’m going to go with tolerance.
Do you all know anything about the new Uni novela that starts in January? Cabo:
https://www.univision.com/shows/cabo/cabo-como-cuando-donde-ver-estreno-univision-dia-hora
From the description it sounds like Sortilegio, or as Mr. 5ft calls it “The one where the galan has a brain.”
I’m intrigued that they managed to find an actor other than Gabriel Soto. I really haven’t seen any of these leads before. I’ve liked some of the Castro productions I’ve seen before. I’m willing to give the first few episodes a try.
Edit: I just read the Wikipedia entry and oh yeah that sounds like Sortilegio.
Thanks for the comments! I also like the idea of a less familiar cast. Even though we know these leads, we haven’t just seen them in a dozen consecutive productions.
Exactly. I’m ready for some new faces. Maybe not every time because I do have favorites (Like Susana).
I wish I knew how casting decisions get made. Is it solely ratings? Do people only turn in for Sabastian Rulli and Gabriel Soto?
I’ve wondered the same. Uni used to sign a lot of stars to exclusivity contracts, but most were dropped in recent years. I suspect that Rulli and Soto are still under contract, so it makes financial sense to use them repeatedly.
My brain read “It makes financial sense to use them responsibly.” Which also applies 😀
I vaguely recall the story about contracts being dropped.
Yes, even mainstays like Eric del Castillo were dropped. He was pretty outspoken about it.
Oh wow. I would think the more veteran actors at least would be kept on contract. Not sure I’m going to explain it well but I’m sure the audience for many telenovelas is “of a certain age”. It’s not for nothing that there’s the stereotype of watching with your abuela (kind of the same stereotype for US soaps too). I would think producers would not want to alienate the abuelas 😂
At the same time part of me gets a laugh out of older gentleman getting out out to pasture. It happens to female performers way too often and when they are much younger.
This film will be available to watch online for a week. You just need to request a password.
https://www.chathamcountync.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/38326/1445?curm=12&cury=2022
Defiant Lives is a triumphant film that traces the origins of the world-wide disability rights movement. It tells the stories of the individuals who bravely put their lives on the line to create a better world where everyone is valued and can participate. Featuring interviews and rarely seen archival footage, the film reveals how these activists fought to live outside of institutions, challenged the stigmas and negative image of disability portrayed by the media, demanded access to public transportation, and battled to reframe disability rights as a social responsibility relevant to us all.
I finished El Reemplazante. I’m a little sad that there isn’t a third season. There were lots of loose ends that didn’t really get resolved, but at the same time it was a satisfying ending.
I also found the Paquita la del Barrio bionovela on Amazon Prime. I might give it a try eventually. I can’t remember if that’s come up here on the blog or not.
I’ve been watching Rise of Empire: Ottoman on Netflix. It’s pretty cool, but lacking in tiaras.
Seriously?! There’s going to be *another* season of ESDLC??
I saw the promo and I couldn’t help thinking “are they about to reveal he’s a robot? El Señor de los Cyborgs?” The guy’s gotta die sometime, right?
Other narconovela franchises have died but this one refuses to go. Except for this and LRDS I thought we were done with this genre.
It must really be working for them. Or they’re being incredibly stubborn.
I’m going with stubborn.
I was reading the season synopsis on Wikipedia and one of the seasons began “Everyone thinks Aurelio is dead”. Apparently that’s how this new season starts as well. It can’t be good that they are recycling plots 😂.
You’ve probably heard about the actor’s substance abuse problems and how he hit “rock bottom.” After a successful rehab stint, Telemundo started capitalizing on his reappearance by interviewing him at every opportunity. I just knew they’d figure out a way to further exploit his personal situation.
Yuck. One of the (many) turnoffs I had about The Ambassador’s Daughter was knowing the actress was ill. I couldn’t watch her performance without feeling ghoulish. Nothing against her–she was just trying to stick it out and do her job–but it felt like the production took advantage of her situation.
I have no idea what’s on TV. I haven’t kept up with LRDS3 (and I don’t know if I will). Twitter is probably going to fall to pieces soon, which means I won’t have a convenient way of even pretending to keep up with what’s happening on TV. I came on today to change my settings so comments on this post will stay open and apparently I never changed the settings for comments to close in 14 days to begin with, so I could have been a total slacker and everything would have been OK. I am sunk in a deep depression and I’m trying to knit and crochet my way out of it, or at least not sink any deeper.
I’m going to try to attach a photo and see if that’s working
Well, that’s cool!
“Cool” is an understatement for that project! Is it another one where you sort of made it up as you went or did you use a pattern? It’s gorgeous!
Depression sucks. Super sucks.
I don’t really know what’s on TV either. I really find myself looking more at what’s on streaming services (free and paid). I’ve got a list going of what I’m going to try after El Reemplazante.
Made it up. Although, not in the same way I had the idea in my head. It’s on my list to try the original idea sometime.
That is gorgeous!! Thanks so much for sharing it.
From what you saw of LRDS3, how would you say it compared to 1 and 2?
More actiony, for sure, but I didn’t get very far.
I know that they want Kate to be a kick-ass action heroine, but I hated all the promos for Season 2 that had her constantly wielding firearms. It was a real turnoff for me. I decided to skip Season 3.
I’ve only watched the 1st season. I thought it was great and had as much of a happy ending as it could. I haven’t watched any of the other seasons because I don’t want to ruin my enjoyment of season one 😂
Book note: I’ve been reading “Todas las hadas del reino” by Laura Gallego. It’s really cute. It’s got 4/5 on Goodreads and 8/10 on Casa del Libro. According to Amazon it’s for grades 8-12 (ages 13-17) so I guess my tastes run young. It’s close to 500 pages but the Spanish is uncomplicated.
Oh. I forgot there’s an election tomorrow. Maybe that’s why I’ve been feeling extra-depressed.
And from what I’m hearing you’ve got extra depressing races.
At least I got to vote at home in my pajamas. One thing Arizona does right.
At least the big red wave (which I picture as a skin rash!) never materialized. 🙂
LOL! Hooray, we’ve avoided an inflammatory reaction!
I read a comment somewhere that called it “light spotting” 😂
LMAO!
Thanks for this new discussion forum, Kat! I wish we didn’t have so many of the same faces in new telenovelas: Gabriel Soto, Sebastián Rulli, David Zepeda, José Ron, etc. Surely, there’s a big talent pool out there that remains untapped.
PS: I’m sort of debating whether I want to give Mi Camino es Amarte a try. I did like MFEA, however, I am not a bit Gabriel Soto fan. MCEA is based on the Chilean novela El Camionero that I started watching back when it aired (2017ish?). Even though I didn’t really stick with El Camionero (It didn’t wow me), I can’t help but compare casts and the Chilean cast wins for me (Except Susana Gonzalez and Maria Elena Swett are both tied).
I like this idea!
I’m still watching El Reemplazante. I’ll finish the first season today. It feels like maybe a grittier version of the original Degrassi Junior high? At least in the sense that the stories seem to revolve around the students as well as el Reemplazante.