Recap: En Otra Piel/In Her Skin – Episode 154

It’s the FINAL episode everyone! *sob* I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the readers of these recaps – and especially everyone who has left me comments. It’s been great reading them every week and sharing watching this truly addictive show with you all. Let it be known, we here at Cactus Pop have emailed SBS (several times) asking for a new telenovela to be put on. They have said there’s no plans at this stage but that they have had a lot of similar feedback and they are passing it all on. So fingers crossed. Anyway, let’s recap this final episode! It’s a tearjerker!

So, as I am sure you all remember, the two cliffhangers we we left off with were the DNA letter and the coma news. So, Diego is freaking out because he doesn’t think he can dig up the log necklace on his own. Selma says he has to.

In court, Lorena sees Elena and Elena starts yelling and blaming Lorena for everything that happened. And then this security guy with a robot voice tells her to stand back because she’s in a restricted area. In English. Again, after all the Spanish, it seems weird now they are throwing in random people speaking English. But moving on. Elena’s lawyer tells the guy to back off (not sure that would go down well in real life?). And Lorena tells Elena that Jorge is definitely her father! Geez – we didn’t even get to see Jorge’s reaction or hear it from him! Anyway, turns out the Judge didn’t grant Elena bail and she will be held until the trial.

At Lupe’s, Anselmo has turned up with a gift. HUGE earrings (and fake?) and he tells her got a manager job at the bookshop and it’s hugs all round. He’s in a shirt and everything and he’s like, I’d become a poet for you LOL. And Maite agrees to give him a second chance. Awww. So happy times ahead for these two.

At the hospital, Selma is by Monicana’s bedside and talking about how sad she is that she hasn’t been able to say goodbye. Then Emi and Cami turn up and Emi is so sad. Emi asks Selma if she knew about Moni all along. Selma says nothing (which I find odd – it’s mostly out in the open now isn’t it?) and Cami still doesn’t believe. Come on Selma – just say it!

At the beach, Diego is sprinting to the palm tree to dig up the necklace.

Selma is crying and Jorge and Eileen turn up. Eileen is just the best. She has to leave to go film some stuff but gives her corazon bracelet to Selma for luck. Aww. Selma then tells Jorge she thought she would have had a goodbye with Monicana and starts crying and Jorge tries to comfort her. Then, in an epic change of subject, he tells her that he is Elena’s father and that he feels guilty for being out of her life for all these years. And also that he hates Elena for what she did to his family, but feels he shouldn’t turn his back on her.

Bedside, Emi is making me cry. She’s reminiscing about all the hints there were that Monicana was Monica all along. And Diego sneaks in behind her and asks if he can have a moment with Monicana. And he’s crying, naturally. But first order of business is to put her necklace on and then he takes her hand and he says she needs to come back.

At the jail, Elna is in her orange jumpsuit and her lawyer turns up and says if she doesn’t plead insanity she will be in jail forever. And she says all options haven’t been exhausted yet. And she asks for a pen and paper and says she will be out soon. Intrigue. She scribbles a letter but then freaks out on hearing piano music again. So, are we meant to believe she’s really been insane this whole time? Don’t get me wrong – she’s definitely evil, but I never expected this turn of events where the writers would have us believe she progressed to hallucinations.

At Lupe’s, Eddie gives Valeria in invitation. It’s blank. And he says it’s an invitation to wherever she wants. LOL. What is this? Turns out he’s been upstairs throwing flower petals everywhere! So I guess, really, it was a specific invitation after all. Eddie is awesome. Until he calls her princessa. Because that makes me think of Rodrigo. And I can’t stand him.

 

Morning comes and Diego is asleep at Monicana’s side and her hand moves!!!! She opens her eyes and who is she….? She doesn’t seem to know who she is! Come on! We’ve got 20 minutes to go and there’s more drama ahead?! Ok turns out she knows who she is. She’s Adriana! She was just kidding. So of course, Diego starts crying. Then Emi and Cami turn up. Cami is wearing the best dress! Which is good, because I forgot to mention the hideous dress she had on in 153 that consisted of a hideous brown, cowl-neck, floaty sleeved top with a blue tartan pinafore. Hideous. Anyway, Emi is still trying to convince Cami about how Monicana is really their mother, but Cami isn’t going to believe her. They head into the room and Adriana reveals who she is. And Emi bursts into tears and runs out.

Then we flash forward to two months later, and Lorena is asking Elena if she’s going to plead insanity. And Elena is wondering why Jorge hasn’t been to visit her after all the letters she wrote. So that’s what the scribbling was! With that, Jorge turns up and she’s like Papa, you’re going to get me out right? And he’s like ,no way. Elena then proceeds to blame them for her turning out like this. Looks like Lorena has finally grown a pair and tells Elena not to be so horrible and basically, enjoy your time in jail.

At the mansion, Susana is strutting around the house and welcomes…basically the whole cast of the show inside. Turns out she’s the housekeeper now! Marta has left, she’s happy and Rodrigo is spending forever writing his telenovela and is super famous now.

In the study, Adriana is telling Emi not to cry because she’s going home to Mexico with Diego. Adriana says she dreamt about Monica last night. And that she loved Emi so much. Adriana asks if she would like to talk to Monica, and goes to take off her necklace.

Outside, Cami is telling Jorge, Selma and Eileen how much Monicana has changed and how she will only allow them to call her Adriana. Omg, wake up Camila! Eileen, is like, ex-rival, I agree something mysterious is going on. Then, this super attractive guy turns up and Eileen is like HOLA and then tells everyone he’s an actor on the show and she invited him to make Camila jealous. LOL. I am going to miss watching Eileen every week!

Inside, Adriana says she will try and bring Monica back and she sits down with Emi. They hold hands and concentrate. And Adriana takes her necklace off. And Cami walks in and watches from a distance. Then Adriana faints.

Meanwhile, Diego has just turned up looking hot in a white shirt. He’s been at the consulate and all his charges have been dropped and he can go home to Mexico and open the beach bar he always wanted to open. Right. So…charges were dropped fairly easily it seems. And he’s not going to become a cop I guess. Which is a shame for the legal system because with the exception of Eddie, the police have been fairly hopeless.

Then Eileen accosts Jorge and asks him if Australians are very slow to act, and he’s like, I don’t think so, why? And she asks him why he’s taking forever to ask Selma to move in with him! haha! And he laughs kind of stiffly. It’s super awkward.

Inside, Monicana wakes up and Cami is still standing there in silence. And then they realise their mum is back and everyone’s crying. And I’m crying. This is very emotional. Then Cami comes closer and embraces her mum and now I am absolutely bawling. And she wants forgiveness for treating her so badly. Monicana tells them to find the safe in the basement, and that all the answers are in there. (And I can’t remember what this is even in reference to? Anyone else?) But anyway, it’s just so bittersweet and beautiful! They’ll love each other forever. And then Monicana has to go. She faints. And Cami is super upset to lose her again.

Outside, Gabriel is telling everyone how, because Rodrigo is famous, publishers were scrambling to publish his comic and he sold it to the highest bigger and he bought a house for him and Jennifer. And Jennifer’s pregnancy belly looks great, but her exams kept her from coming to visit. Which is a shame given how much of the cast are “back” for this party.

So, Jorge tells Selma he loves her and wants to spend the rest of his life with her! Geez! That was quick! And they grin at each other and he needs to know if she feels the same. Aww they’re so cute. I think that was actually a proposal! And she accepts and they kiss.

Then Adriana, Cami and Emi head out and Diego and Adriana give a speech. Adriana wants to toast to Monica Serrano for never resting until her loved ones were happy and everyone cheers and claps.

In jail, Elena is seen hiding under the bed, scared of the music. Then someone in a long green gown appears and says “Elenaaaaa”. Hallucination? Or are we meant to believe it’s actually Monica’s ghost?

Speaking of ghosts, we end with a montage of Emi running around the mansion AND THEN, Monica the ghost appears and starts talking about living her life the way she knew how etc etc. And Lorena comes in and the girls hug her – I guess all is forgiven. And Monica is saying she can rest in peace. And she sees Gerardo’s face in the lake which actually makes me laugh because it’s super corny.

Then, finally, in Mexico, Diego and Adriana are making out in a shack on the beach. And he’s professing his love for her. And that’s the end.

This is the first telenovela I’ve watched and I was curious to see how it would end. Would there be a cliffhanger at the end leaving it open for another season? Would it wrap everything up in a shiny bow? Would I be satisfied with how it ended? Well, I was definitely satisfied and thrilled there was a happy ending. It was probably predictable but I think I loved it for that. All the happy couples! The emotional reunion with Monica and her daughters was everything I was hoping it would be – and it was cathartic crying in front of my tv watching it. No judgement! 😛

I’m not completely sold on how things were wrapped up with Elena. I feel like the writers almost wanted us to feel sorry for her in the end – like they played the insanity card and that was supposed to excuse her in some way. Or maybe she’s driven herself insane by realising all the things she did? Either way, I would have found it more satisfying to see her angry and sulking in jail, livid at being caught. And left it there.

There were a few things I wish we’d had more closure with. For example, seeing Jennifer one last time. To be honest I thought there might have been a flash forward to when she had her baby. I also think Jorge and Julian’s back story wasn’t fleshed out enough. I still have questions. But they’re only minor things.

Overall it’s been a really enjoyable experience and I truly hope we get to do this again sometime soon. Don’t forget – email SBS! The more requests they get, the more they will listen. Just remember a por favor at the end! Thanks again, fellow fans.

questions

• Were you satisfied with the ending?
• How do you feel about Elena now?