Episode 3: "Familia"
English subtitles https://youtu.be/T7TjDbyjgVU
Spanish https://youtu.be/bB94nQeRjbI www.NBC.com app for complete Ep.
For complete capitulos go to www.Telemundo.com All entire episodes of PARIENTES A LA FUERZA can be seen On Demand with www.NBC.com app. Also available on streaming services such as Spectrum.
Of course you know "Cruz" means "Cross". George Cruz's "concrete bunker" mansion seems to me shaped like an X (or perhaps separate segments that form an X shape. Paz--perpetual texter--says "XOXO" (hugs & kisses), which Spanish subtitle translates as "adios" when her mom's friends Sophie & Shar Pei leave Robert's emptied mansion. Hashtag # --to eventually play part in story--looks to me like two superimposed x's. . Juancho asks George if he knows movie stars Antony Banderas & Selma Hayek; writer replies that their paths have "cruzado"; I guess in English, he'd run across or into them. In upcoming episode, Leticia begins giving Paz a "benediction" or sign of the cross when bidding her farewell on departure from Cruz mansion with no known return; her daughter stops her, saying in English "What are you doing? That's like so Mexican!" Leti: "Oops, sorry."
Story is about characters at crossroads, making choices about directions their lives will take. When Andy tells Tenoch his father plans to marry again, his uncle jokes George is taking seriously the saying "third time's the charm". Juancho suggests 3 endings to George's script, the writer is very impressed with the third. (I love that scene! My transcription might not be perfect, but close):
JUANCHO: Lo classico--la guera despampanante, viene aca y obviamente, esta enojada, pues porque el chavo le quedo mal.
GEORGE: Y el solo tiene un oportunidad para convencerla de que lo perdone y no se vaya.
JUANCHO: Exacto. Entonces este "man" sale corriendo, y sale, corre, corre, la pepena, la jala, la voltes--un poquito, que no sea machista--la agarra la mano, le mira al ojo, el ojo bien palpitante, y la recita, diciendole: "Te voy hacer una propuesta injusta, de que a lo mejor mi corazon no merece, pero si te vas ahora, podras llegar a 20 mil destinos--o un million--pero si te quidas, viviras uno solo--y sere conmigo".
GEORGE: Oh my god. Eso si es bueno! (and I suspect George may eventually reenact it with Carmen).
At Orbit Studio, both Andy and Tania are reflected in huge mirror, emblem of disconnect between inner and outward realities. After Carmen walks out on 2nd audition feeling humiliated by what Tania "revealed", Tania makes confession to Andy about her feelings for George, whose career she's devoted herself to promoting because she's secretly loved him for over twenty years. Andy gives her advice he knows he won't practice himself, for her to tell George how she truly feels, but she thinks if George was truly grateful for her support, he would have let her know by now.
In previous episode, Carmen quarrels with George at studio, swayed by what Tania told her, and runs away refusing to listen to George. She packs her suitcase (black & white leaf--or feather?--pattern). Song in English playing in background says something about "the tide will wash away my?) Just as she's leaving George's house to return to Mexico, her entire family arrives on doorstep. Couple put on act of unity to welcome guests and reconsider what to do.
GEORGE: "Carmen, tu me encantas tal y como eres. En Hollywood todo se trata de las aparencias, de la imagen. Por eso me encantas tu, porque eres autentica. Por favor confia en mi." (Carmen, I love you just as you are. In Hollywood, everything is about appearance, image. That's why I love you, because you're authentic, real. Please trust me.)
Carmen replies: "No te creo". (I don't believe you)--a continuing conflict that needs to be resolved by both coming to truly know and trust each other instead of accepting appearances or what other people tell them.
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Margarita interrupts them in kitchen, asking if she can prepare some food. She asks if there's fresh chili peppers (chili de arbol), but Carmen says there's only bottled. Adapting herself, Marga says "Con mi imaginacion, se le da sazon (flavor)." In her own field of cuisine, Margarita is an artist like writer George. Below black and white grid of bulletin board behind her are two yellow emojis--one with dark sunglasses (like those worn by a blind person), the other wide-eyed and worried, perplexed--which seem reflections of Carmen & George in this scene.
Entrance of Cruz house has display case of giant EAR, MOUTH, NOSE, and EYE sculptures, perhaps depicting 4 of the 5 senses. On lower shelf is oversized book with title on cover in rainbow letters THE BIGGEST BOOK IN THE WORLD (I seem to recall that was actual art book from about 1980's). Jurado family seems dwarfed by enormous gray fireplace behind them. Note Lara's necklace of beads in rainbow range. Cell phone cases also seem to reflect personalities of their owners. Light fixtures seem like clouds, dialogue later on rain, water. Odd bedroom lamp reminds me of one in LA MENTIRA when Demetrio talks to Veronica about "their pregnancy".
George's reflection in master bedroom's bathroom mirror while talking on phone to his daughter Paz about true "necessities" of life, illustrates his misunderstanding her situation, the contrast between appearance & reality. He merely assumes Leti is trying to bankrupt him thru kids' credit cards, not knowing trio in fact lacks food & place to sleep because new stepfather Robert is now paralyzed and penniless.
"Necesidades son respirar. Necesidad es comer, es ir al bano, tambien dormir. Pero lo que estan haciendo, perdoname. Ustedes gastan mas dinero en un mes que una familia en un ano entero. Asi que, pues, no."
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Margarita has private talk with George in his study, intuiting that everything isn't going as smoothly as couple is pretending, telling him she knows "el amor no es color de rosa. En las parejas hay discordias".
In contrast to his own distant and depreciating "close" relatives, George tells Margarita when she apologizes for interrupting him at work, "para la familia, siempre hay tiempo" (for family, there's always time). She gives George set of gold plated cufflinks worn by her late husband Mario on their wedding day which depict masked heads of Lucha Libre fighters. (Reminds me of ancient Greek drama masks representing Comedy &Tragedy), asking him to wear when he and Carmen marry, as her father can't be present to give her away. George is deeply honored.
She says she knows he owns things much more valuable; he tells her that what he most values is her daughter. "Believe me, I will guard her with my life." "La mas valiosa es su hija. Creeme, le voy a quidar con mi vida."
(Should I mention now there will be other statements that seems foreshadowing? Watch, or rather listen, for more).
When Carmen's mother tells George her dream for her daughter is to see her get married at home in simple ceremony "dressed in white", he nervously touches spring leaf green post-it notes on desk to draw viewers attention to suggestively shaped object. (If you don't get what it stands for, may explain along with other visual representations in upcoming episode, and usage in other telenovelas & famous American tv series.)
Carmen's dressing room at Orbit Studios is number 12. If she is Cinderella, watch out for bell tolling Midnight! (In future episode, another character will liken herself to becoming pumpkin at the stroke of twelve, and has self-described Fairy godmother who doesn't really have her best interests in mind. "Dar calabaza" is Spanish idiom meaning to jilt, or fire someone from a job, lose something. I first heard in American Girls JOSEFINA books.
In Episode one, George tells Tania on phone that he will return to LA with "Un ace bajo la manga" or "an ace up my sleeve" (meaning Carmen as star for new script he sent). Leti often wears asymmetric, one sleeved tops or dresses, I think usually the left wrist covered. Doing things left-handed is (stemming from Latin root word) "sinister", also Spanish idiom for being wily, crafty. Noticed more suggestive left-handedness in eps to come.
Paz mistakes black and white pig Chicharron (Cracklings) for a dog; reminds me of when black pot-bellied pigs were trendy indoor pet in 1980's or 70's in USA. As well as forms of references to dogs, listen for use of pig synonyms for the human variety: cochino, marrano, cerdo--people not as adorably cuddly as Jurado pet porker.
Another bilingual joke: George says he wants to drink some tequilas with "the one and only" Juancho, who puzzled, queries "lonely"? George translates as "el mero mero" which pleases his prospective in-law. Glimpse of things to come or "coming attractions": Juancho quotes song "Soy un hombre muy honrado"--ironic or true?
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Because English borrowed many words from numerous languages, I think it's more difficult to learn as 2nd language than Spanish, being not as consistent and having many "exceptions to the rule". French professor of mine described French as "claire et logique" (clear and logical), and comparing possible lyrics of song in PALF ("Your color satisfies" OR "You're colored satisfied"??) which sound similar but have different meaning, I agree.
Yet I recall mix-up of French words is how Cinderella's original FUR lined slippers became GLASS slippers. Famous homonym sentence (words that sound same but have different meaning) goes "Le ver vert va vers le verre vert". (The green caterpillar/furry worm goes towards the green glass).
Watching telenovelas--especially clever ones such as PARIENTES A LA FUERZA--is fun way to up your language comprehension of either English or Spanish. My French prof provided increasingly complex grammatical framework for mystery novel to be used as textbook, authored by famous French film maker of Nouvelle Vague (New Wave), which sound like stuff Andy would be interested in. Experimental novel wasn't as fun as PALF tho!
PARIENTES A LA FUERZA uses many traditional Spanish sayings and idiomatic expressions, often giving these visual representations. I'm hoping teachers and students can both use as entertaining ways to learn, and therefore, increasing audience & appreciation for this innovative TV series.
If English-only speakers can expect people whose mother tongue is Spanish to become fluent in English, why can't more Americans (USA born, as there's a whole other continent south of US border) become more familiar with a language that according to one projection, by 2030 could be language with 2nd highest number of native speakers on the planet, and by mid-century USA "will become the largest Spanish-speaking country on Earth".
These and other good reasons to learn Spanish (i.e. language learning seems to help prevent or slow Alzheimer's) are cited in "Preface to 20th Anniversary edition" of amusing and helpful book BREAKING OUT OF BEGINNER'S SPANISH by Joseph Keenan, who also wrote book collecting (mostly Mexican) DICHOS.
As mentioned before, lead character of PARIENTES A LA FUERZA, Hollywood screenwriter George Cruz is played by actor who is fluently tri-lingual, having been born in Brazil to North American parents and grown up all over the Americas. Interview with Guy lasts about 17 minutes at start of Festival en Casa, October 15, 2021 https://peopleenespanol.com/noticias/eventos/festival-en-casa-2021/ Guy talks a little about difficulty at beginning of his career as actor trying to get work, falling between two worlds because he looked "gringo", although he grew up in Latin culture. (P.S. I received gift card for completing questionnaire after Festival to give input for next year. I hope future event may include Guy's writer wife talking about creating projects for Latinos like her husband.
#LatinosAreOnTvToo
For complete capitulos go to www.Telemundo.com All entire episodes of PARIENTES A LA FUERZA (so far) can be seen with www.NBC.com app
