Series / El corazón nunca se equivoca

Doesn't matter who you are if love motivates you.

Juntos el corazón nunca se equivoca (in English, "Together the Heart Is Never Wrong"), better known as El corazón nunca se equivoca, is 2019 Mexican telenovela produced by Juan Osorio for Televisa as a spin-off of Mi marido tiene más familia. It premiered on 23 June 2019 and is the first telenovela to focus on a same-sex couple.

Ari and Temo (also known as Aristemoinvoked) leave Oaxaca and move to Mexico City to follow their dreams. However, they encounter many challenges in the form of prejudice, among other things.

Although the series focus on Ari and Temo's relationship, each episode also follows other members of the cast as they navigate their own problems and how it affects them and the people surrounding them.

It stars Emilio Osorio and Joaquín Bondoni as Ari and Temo, respectively.

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El corazón nunca se equivoca provides examples of:

• AB Negative: Temo mentions that Ari has A- type and that he isn't a compatible donor. Ubaldo, on the other hand, has a matching blood type.
• Abusive Parents:
  • As far as the public is concerned, the Ortegas are the perfect family. Behind closed doors, however, Ubaldo has no qualms on belittling Diego and showing blatant favoritism toward his son's best friends, simply because said friend decided to go into politics and Diego didn't. He goes as far as to declaring that the only reason he cares about Diego's depression is because it might affect his reputation.
  • In Episode 7, Ari opens up to Diego about everything his own father put him through: belittling him, insulting him, humiliating him in front of the whole family, controlling his mother, kicking him out of the house, hitting him... The list goes on.
• Accomplice by Inaction: Diego accuses Temo and Ari of abetment after learning that they knew of Carlota's relationship with Ubaldo.
• Actor Allusion: One episode has Arqui declaring that Ari didn't shower back in Oaxaca, referencing the old joke that Emilio Osorio doesn't like to shower.
• Aerith and Bob: You have standard names Elsa, Mateo, Nora, Dora, Ubaldo, Carlota, Diego, Soledad and Eduardo. There's also Cuauhtémoc, which while a little weird, isn't all that out of place in Mexico. Then there's Olegario, Amapola, Arquímedes and Aristóteles. It's no wonder Temo and Ari usually go by their nicknames. Ari first gets asked by Thiago if that's his actual name or if he's joking.
• Affectionate Nickname:
  • While there's the usual shortening of their names, Ari (or Aris) for Aristóteles and Temo for Cuauhtémoc; the two of them also have pet names for each other, such as amor/mi amor (Spanish for "love/my love") when they're being more serious and "Temocles" and "Aristocles" when they're being more playful. There's also the special pet name Temo came up with when they were still in high school, tahi, an acronym for the phrase "te amo hasta el infinito" (I love you to infinity) and that they seem to use pretty much all the time.
  • Temo's father, Pancho, is often referred to as Papancho, a portmanteau play on his name and the Spanish word for "dad", papá.
• After Action Patch Up: Temo cleans and treats Ari's injuries after the latter's fight with Mateo. Ari even cracks a joke, saying they won't be able to kiss for a while because of his split lip.
• Alliterative Family: The Córcega Castañeda family: Amapola, Aristóteles and Arquímides. Ari's father, Audifaz, also fits.
• All Gays are Promiscuous: Deconstructed. Temo and Ari do have sex, however, it is treated as it would with a straight couple in a similar setting (unless it's part of a Grand Romantic Gesture). Diego, on the other hand, seems to have a different date every other episode, although this is done to show how lonely he really is and he doesn't actually have sex with any of the guys he picks up (he mentions that Ari and Temo are ahead of everyone else in that field).
• Amicable Exes: Diego and Temo remain amicable thanks to their friendship existing for a long time prior to their short time as a couple. Unfortunately, Diego is still in love with Temo.
• Ascended Extra: Ari and Temo went from being secondary characters to having their own series focusing on them. Likewise, Diego goes from being simply Temo's friend and ex-boyfriend to being one of the main characters and having his own storyline here.
• Awful Truth: The fact that Ubaldo is having an affair with Carlota, a girl his son's age.
• Bearer of Bad News: Soledad is the one to inform Elsa that Carlota has been shot.
• Berserk Button:
  • Mateo doesn't like it when Temo suggested that perhaps he was actually jealous of Temo.
  • Never pick on Temo in front of Ari. Or in front of Diego, for that matter.
• Better as Friends: Diego and Temo stay as friends, thanks to Ari and Temo being the Official Couple.
• Better Manhandle the Murder Weapon: This is the reason Mateo is initially accused of attempted murder. What actually happened was Mateo went to the apartment so he could have a word with Aris but the lights had gone off and he got there right behind the actual culprit. The stranger shot Carlota in the shoulder, then shot Aris near the heart, prompting Mateo to fight him for the gun. He won the fight, grabbed the pistol and shot the other man. Then the man left and Mateo rushed to help Aris. Predictably, police finds his fingerprints all over the weapon.
• Big Fancy House: The Ortega Household is a fancy mansion, as some of the aerial shots can prove.
• Big "YES!": Thiago arrives at the apartment only to find everyone but Carlota basically naked. As well as Ari and Temo covered in soap and shaving foam. He arrives at the conclusion that there's a foam party going and instantly takes off his shirt, much to Diego's verbalized pleasure.
• Big "NO!": A heartbreaking no issues from Temo when he sees Ari covered in blood and on the verge of death.
• Birthday Episode: Episodes 6 and 7 are this with Temo's birthday. Both episodes dedicate some time to showcasing the surprises Ari has prepared for his boyfriend. Starting at midnight and lasting the whole 24 hours later. This episode brings back characters from Mi marido tiene más familia: Dani, her triplets; and Temo's little siblings, Lupita and Julio.
• Bloody Horror: Carlota and Ari's gunshot wounds bleed considerably, especially the latter, since he was unfortunate enough to get shot in the chest. It gets worse each passing second and at some point Temo's hands even end up covered in blood.
• Broken Pedestal: Temo can't see Ubaldo the same after finding out he's sleeping with Carlota. Much less after he learns that Ubaldo might've had something to do with the death of Carlota's brother.
• Broken Glass Penalty: Temo and Diego accidentally break a window while playing soccer with Arqui. Of course, Dora immediately takes notice and is quick to scold them for it.
• But Not Too Gay: Unfortunately, the series often falls back on this, due to the stigma surrounding homosexuality still being very present in Mexican society, particularly in the most conservative groups.
• Camp Gay: Although not in its full glory, Diego leans toward camp. Ari and Temo stand on a more balanced place between camp and straight.
• Can't Take Criticism: Mateo doesn't take it well when Temo responds to his mocking with a "The Reason You Suck" Speech. A fight ensues shortly after.
• Chastity Couple: Thanks to several issues regarding Mexican society and television, Ari and Temo are chaste, with them usually only going as far as to kiss each other's cheeks. It's even stated in their origin series that they spent months dating before it occurred to either of them to share their first kiss. Averted after Episode 8, where it's implied they've had sex before. Episode 11 even goes as far as to show scenes confirming that they do have sex and it's not the first time either.
• Cheerful Child: Arquímedes, Ari's little brother, is cutely upbeat. No one is immune to his charm.
• Childhood Friends: Temo and Diego. They've known each other since primary school and are close to the point where Diego's family knew Temo was gay way before his own family did.
• Cliffhanger: Episode 10 ends with Ari losing Arqui in the market. Episode 11 ends with Polita suddenly passing out on the kitchen floor.
• Comatose Canary: Aris falls into a coma after being shot. Temo sits next to him and sings one of their Love Themes, "Si Me Dices Que Me Quieres". Aris, being in some kind of spiritual plane, hears his voice and gives a little squeeze to Temo's hand.
• Continuity Nod:
  • Ari still is not over Temo almost leaving Oaxaca for Toluca.
  • Episode 13 shows that Pancho hasn't forgotten about Ari and Temo getting tattooed behing everyone's backs.
  • Ari mentions the bench where he and Temo had their first date, as well as the tree where they carved their Sweetie Graffiti.
  • Nora asks Ari and Temo how they met, and they just awkwardly mutter something about a cake.
  • Temo at some point tells Carlota of the time he first confessed to Ari... and was rejected. He even makes fun of Ari's wording of it in the same way fans have been making fun of it.
• Convenient Coma: A more realistic variety. Aris slips into a coma, since, you know, he's just been out of surgery for a bullet in the chest. He wakes up after a day or so, though he does react to Temo by briefly squeezing his hand. When Aris wakes up, he speaks first, slightly opens his eyes and then closes them again.
• Cool Uncle: Invoked by Diego, who reasons that if they're all taking care of Arqui and are also a Family of Choice, then he gets to be a cool uncle.
• Corrupt Politician: Ubaldo only wants to win the election so he can be more powerful, is in cahoots with some rich men that could lend their influences, accuses Olegario of slander when the latter tries to expose him, only wants Temo close because it may very well make him seem like an open-minded politician. He also ordered Andrés's death, allegedly after he found evidence that could bring Ubaldo down, then hires the same man that killed Andrés to get rid of Ari and Carlota, since they also found out about his malicious intentions. He also accuses Elsa of laundering money once he doesn't have any use for her.
• Dark Secret: Carlota is in a relationship with Ubaldo. Ari unintentionally finds out and becomes a Secret-Keeper. Temo is told after Ari begs Carlota to do so, since he doesn't want to lie and sneak around his boyfriend.
• Death Glare: Ari usually sends one Mateo's way. Most prominent on Episode 4, when he arrives uninvited to Diego's party and begins insulting Temo.
• Death Wail: Ari delivers a heartbreaking wail, complete with him calling out for help, while holding his mother's body.
• Dirty Business: Carlota doesn't want to have a relationship with Ubaldo, considering that it would hurt Soledad and Diego, however, she believes it's necessary in order to find out what really happened to Andrés.
• Disappeared Dad:
  • Ari's father is never mentioned and doesn't appear, outside of someone recalling the bastard he was. Polita and Audifaz got divorced following Ari coming out of the closet, since Audifaz refused to support him.
  • Audifaz does appear in Episode 13, showing up for Polita's funeral. It's clear he's had a change of heart and is now a more understanding and loving man to his sons than he was before. He promises to support Ari and Arqui, no matter what.
• Distracted from Death: Realizing she was leaving behind some food for their day out, Polita says to her family that she'll be right back. Minutes later, Temo remarks to Ari that she's taking long; Ari agrees and goes to look for her. He finds her unconscious body lying on the floor, probably already dead.
• "Do It Yourself" Theme Tune: Emilio Osorio and Joaquín Bondoni sing the show's main theme "Es Por Ti".
• Dope Slap: Temo ends up on the receiving end of a slap after joking about what he and Ari will be up to now that Carlota and Diego have moved out, thus essentially living alone..
• Downer Ending: Episode 12 has Ari and the rest of the cast preparing for Polita's funeral. In their origin series, Polita was one of the most beloved characters and the episode was a massive Tearjerker to several fans. Adding to that, she was a woman that had learned to value herself, divorced her controlling husband, had just gotten engaged to her loving boyfriend, was putting herself through college and left behind her two sons, one of which is a three-year-old and the other was barely eighteen.
• Drowning My Sorrows: After being told Carlota had a relationship with his father, Diego begs Mateo to take him somewhere nobody will recognize him. They end up at a taquería and Diego downs tequila shot after tequila shot, in an attempt to forget all about it.
• Dysfunctional Family:
  • Following Andrés's suicide, Elsa focused on her work, Carlota blamed her mother and got estranged from her, and Olegario left his wife and daughter because he couldn't deal with the grief. They are slowly working on it.
  • Soledad is trapped in a loveless marriage, Ubaldo is an abusive bastard and cheats on her, while Diego is depressed and feels like no one will ever love him.
  • Dora is a bitter old woman with controlling tendencies, her brother Ubaldo is a Manipulative Bastard and Nora is an insecure woman with Extreme Doormat tendencies.
• Entitled Bastard: Mateo sees Temo as entitled, due to Ubaldo's blatant favoritism. Temo got the job immediately because Ubaldo said so, never mind that he has no experience. Mateo on the other hand, while the same age as Temo, has been working there for longer and his pragmatism contrasts with Temo's compassion and idealism. Mateo's got a point in that they way Temo got the position is unfair, but Temo isn't all that comfortable with Ubaldo's favor either. They end up on better terms.
• Et Tu, Brute?: Diego is angry at his two best friends, Carlota and Temo. The former slept with Ubaldo (Diego's dad) and the latter knew but kept quiet. Although, in Temo's defense, he did want to tell Diego.
• Evil Plan: Ubaldo wants to be the new governor so he can enjoy all the power and privileges. He also entrusts Mateo to drive Temo and Ari apart, so that Temo will get back together with Diego and the Ortegas will seem like the perfect family. He also has no qualms about killing anyone who might get in his way.
• Eye Take: Ari and Temo's reactions to Diego dyeing his hair blond are just in the eyes, particularly because they can't even find the words for it.
• Facepalm: Ari facepalms upon witnessing his mother's introduction in college. He's actually rather glad she's there, since she married young and never before had the chance of attending university. Never mind that she's in the same field as him.
• Fall Guy: Seeing that Galván failed on his assassination of Carlota and Aris and Ubaldo is under scrutiny due to having won the elections, Isarnio Caballero comes up with the plan of taking the blame for it.
• Family of Choice: Invoked by Carlota on the first episode after it turns out that she, Temo, Ari and Diego will be living together. She wants all four of them to get along because she hopes they might grow to see each other as family.
• Family Theme Naming: Ari and his little brother Arqui are named after Greek historical figures that both start with an A.
• Family-Unfriendly Violence: Aris and Carlota get shot by Galván, on Ubaldo's orders. Carlota gets off easy, with an injured shoulder, but Aris is shot in the chest and the viewer is treated to him losing consciousness and bleeding out on his apartment floor.
• Faux Affably Evil: Ubaldo seems like a compassionate, kind, thoughtful and understanding man who genuinely cares about other people. In reality, he's an abusive and manipulative bastard whose only concern is rising to power; he pretends to be noble in order to gain the trust (and votes) of others.
• First Love: Ari and Temo are each other's first love, rather sweetly. Temo is also Diego's first love (unrequited, obviously, since Diego is Temo's Unlucky Childhood Friend).
• Fist of Rage: Ari clenches his fist when Mateo drops in uninvited to the party and begins insulting Temo.
• Fisticuff-Provoking Comment: Interestingly, Temo suggesting Mateo is jealous of him causes Mateo to shove him, but it's Ari who ends up fighting Mateo on Temo's behalf.
• Flowers of Romance: Ari gives his boyfriend Temo a sunflower on his birthday.
• Forbidden Love: Nora mentions that her relationship with B was forbidden, though she doesn't elaborate any further. It is eventually revealed that B is a woman, so at the time they were together their relationship wasn't considered acceptable.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Ari complains to Eduardo that he feels Polita is being overprotective. Eduardo answers that he should be thankful his mom loves and supports him, because she won't always be there. Polita dies some episodes later.
  • Aris has never been on good terms with Mateo, but his face doesn't show any kind of fear or anger towards Mateo after being shot. Next episode would prove that Mateo didn't shoot Carlota and Aris, but had actually tried to help.
• Frame-Up: Ubaldo frames Elsa for stealing money from various sources, just so he can ruin her life after she calls him out for accusing Olegario of Malicious Slander.
• Freak Out: Diego freaks out after Carlota confesses to having been Ubaldo's lover. It begins with shouting and crying, then Diego leaves the apartment and goes to a taquería so he can drown his sorrows.
• Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Discussed. Aris and Temo point out that no matter what happened to Dora and Ubaldo during their childhood, it doesn't justify being as mean, manipulative and controlling as they are.
• Friendly Rivalry: Ari and Diego's relationship is shaping up to be this and Vitriolic Best Buds. Ari is Temo's boyfriend and together they form the Official Couple. Diego is Temo's best friend, ex-boyfriend and is still in love with him. While Diego completely supports and respects Aristemo, he'll still get way too close to Temo or mock Ari just because the latter's reactions to it are incredibly amusing. Currently, they're on good terms but aren't above being purposefully annoying to each other.
• Frivolous Lawsuit: Mateo attempts to sue Ari over a busted lip, courtesy of the latter. It doesn't go anywhere, since Mateo punched Ari first and thus anything Ari did was in self-defense. Mateo doesn't actually want monetary compensation (he doesn't need it), he only does it out of dislike for Temo, and by extension, Ari.
• Gendered Insult: Mateo calls Temo a princess at one point and mocks him for being a sensitive guy. Not only does it make Temo deliver a powerful "The Reason You Suck" Speech, but it also ends up riling Ari up on behalf of Temo.
• Getting the Baby to Sleep: Aris and Temo end up singing and dancing for Arqui after the latter refuses to go to bed. It results on a pretty heartwarming scene once the three of them fall asleep.
• Gilligan Cut: Olegario offers to give Elsa a ride on his motorbike. She vehemently refuses, only for the next scene to show she ended up agreeing to it anyways.
• Good Parents: Polita Castañeda. Polita is a well-meaning woman who supports her older son, Ari, no matter what and is happy to provide advice if needed. In the original series, she divorced her husband after Ari came out and fought tooth and nail to provide for her family, as well as to keep custody of little Arquimedes. Currently, she still takes care of Arquimedes and supported Ari's decision to go live with Temo (even if she did move to live close to them). She's also the first one to find out about Diego taking antidepressants and the first thing she does (after making sure it's not the dangerous kind of drugs) is tell him she will be there for him if he ever needs her.
• Grand Romantic Gesture: Ari and Temo are incredibly prone to grand gestures, something that Mateo lampshades in Episode 7. Examples include: Ari chasing after Temo when he leaves in the middle of class, Ari fighting Mateo on behalf of Temo and Ari preparing about three different surprises for Temo's birthday, starting at midnight. Unfortunately, Ubaldo ruins Ari's last surprise by insisting Temo work late on that particular day. Episode 11 has Temo stringing lights together and hanging them in their room, as to give Ari a surprise and make the night really special.
• Grief-Induced Split: Andrés's death causes Olegario to leave his family, unable to properly deal with his grief.
• Group Hug: The Chosen Family tend to hug after difficult times. Episode 7 has another one, after Temo's serenade to Ari. A sadder example is found in Episode 12, after the cast finds out about Polita's death, everyone gathers to hug Ari and show their support. There's another big hug with pretty much the whole cast when Ari comes home from the hospital.
• Gun Struggle: Mateo arrives just in time to see Galván shooting Aris and Carlota so they fight for the gun. It goes off and a bullet hits a panel glass, but Mateo ends up with the gun in his hands, shoots Galván and rushes to call Temo and help a bleeding Aris.
• Happy Marriage Charade: Ubaldo is adamant that his family must be seen as perfect, so he and Soledad have a marriage that outwardly looks happier than it is.
• Headbuttof Love: Pressing foreheads together is frequently seen between Ari and Temo.
• He Knows Too Much: Ubaldo orders his lackey to get rid of Carlota and Ari; since they are aware he had something to do with Andrés's death. Of course, Temo is also aware of this, but Ubaldo doesn't know that.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: Elsa appears to be cold, mean and to completely hate Temo. It turns she's actually pretty reasonable, fair and is simply a very strict teacher. She doesn't personally hate Temo or want him to fail; she's just upset her boss hired him without consulting her (or anyone, for that matter). Also, she's been grieving for her son's death for the past years.
• Hypocrite: Ubaldo is furious after finding out that Collins is in love with Soledad, so he threatens her to never even consider cheating on him. Keep in mind that Ubaldo has spent half the series sleeping with Carlota.
• I Did What I Had to Do: Carlota insists that becoming Ubaldo's mistress was the only way to get information on her brother's death.
• I Kiss Your Hand:
  • Ari once kisses Temo's hand as they say goodbye before going to work.
  • Later, Temo kisses Ari's hand in relief after the latter wakes up from his coma.
• I Miss Mom: Arqui acting out and behaving in a rude way is because he misses Polita. Ari responds that he misses her too.
• I Shall Taunt You: Mateo taunts the group when he crashes the party in Episode 4, but what he actually wanted to accomplish is anyone's guess. He just doesn't expect Temo to deliver a "The Reason You Suck" Speech or Ari to actually punch him.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Diego's still existing feelings for Temo means he is currently stuck in this.
• Imagine Spot: Ari reads a letter from his recently deceased mother, which has him imagine what his and Temo's wedding would be like.
• Implied Answer: Diego asks Temo what he and Ari did all night, after Temo is hurriedly finishing work during breakfast. The looks on their faces are enough for Diego to figure out that he's better off not knowing.
• Insecure Love Interest: Ari is afraid that he won't succeed as a musician and Temo will dump him for it. Temo reassures him that, no matter what, they'll wait for each other and support each other. Following Polita's death, Temo is worried that his love might not be enough to support and help Ari with what he's going through.
• In-Series Nickname:
  • Aristóteles and Temo get Ari (or Aris) and Temo as shortened versions of their names, aside from all the Affectionate Nicknames they use for each other.
  • Ari's mother, Amapola, is called Polita by her friends and family.
  • Arquímedes gets called Arqui.
  • Diego uses Lota for Carlota.
  • Aristemo also get their Portmanteau Couple Name invoked used as a nickname by other characters.
• Instant Web Hit:Downplayed. Ari gets quite the number of views on his new videos and he chalks it up to Temo appearing on those, even though he already had a small internet presence prior to living in Mexico City and was popular in Oaxaca.
• Intercourse with You: The show's main theme "Es Por Ti" has lyrics that, while not all that explicit, are far from innocent.
• Internal Reveal:
  • Ubaldo realizes Carlota doesn't actually love him and is only using him to find out what really happened to her brother.
  • Diego is later told about Ubaldo's affair with Carlota, while Soledad figures it out after Elsa accidentally lets it slip that Ubaldo cheated.
• Intertwined Fingers: Ari and Temo intertwine their fingers on occasion. They're our Official Couple.
• In Touch with His Feminine Side: Temo, more so than Aris or Diego: he doesn't like getting into fights, tends to cry more easily, his body language is a lot less threatening, and is shorter and more delicate than Aris. Extra material also reveals that he tends to nag Diego about housework. Meanwhile, Diego is closer to being Camp Gay.
• Ironic Name:
  • Aristóteles, named after famous philosopher Aristotle, is pursuing a musical career. Episode 13 implies that Arquímedes has a knack for painting and drawing, unlike his namesake.
  • Ari lampshades that he should be the one named "Cuauhtémoc", since he isn't that good at school and has had more serious accidents than Temo.
• Lame Pun Reaction: Thiago delivers a terrible pun upon meeting Olegario. Carlota and Olegario's reactions to it are completely devoid of emotions.
• Last Kiss: Eduardo delivers a brief kiss to Polita, after she dies. They'd just gotten engaged.
• Life Will Kill You: While the Córcegas (plus Temo) are preparing to spend the day at Chapultepec, Polita goes back inside after remembering she left something behind. She walks into the kitchen and promptly passes out. Her son, Ari, finds her and later on, a doctor informs the family that her death was caused by a stroke.
• Like a Son to Me: Ubaldo very clearly views Temo as this, just because his actual son, Diego, refused to go into politics and Temo did. Ubaldo evens goes as far as to outright ignore Diego calling out for him and instead congratulating Temo, with the latter carefully pointing out that Diego is right there.
• Limited Social Circle: Pretty much all the named characters know each other and have some sort of relationship through coincidence.
  • Diego and Temo are childhood friends (and also exes), Ari already knew Diego through Temo, Carlota knew Diego because her mom works for his dad and the four of them live together. Not to mention their landladies are Diego's aunts. Elsa (Carlota's mom) hangs out with Soledad (Diego's mom), Nora and Dora (Diego's aunts) and Polita (Ari's mom).
  • Ubaldo is Carlota, Mateo and Temo's boss, not to mention Diego's dad. Mateo is also on the same career path as Temo, so they see each other with more frequency than they'd like.
  • Thiago seems to be the exception, but he coincidentally meets Ari while the latter is at work, and then later turns out to have been hired by Ubaldo, and so he meets Carlota.
• Limited Wardrobe: More noticeable during Polita's or Andrés's funerals, where the characters wear their usual outfits but in black.
  • All of Ari's outfits are a pair of jeans, a pair of sneakers, a t-shirt, a jacket and a neckerchief.
  • Temo usually wears jeans, sneakers, a shirt and a cardigan.
  • Carlota wears blouses or t-shirts along a pair of short pants.
  • Diego's wardrobe can be resumed in a plain t-shirt under a patterned shirt. He also rolls the cuffs of his pants.
  • Mateo wears a shirt and a sweater over his shoulders.
  • Ubaldo always wears a nice suit.
  • Polita rarely wears anything other than a long skirt and embroidered blouse, along with sandals.
• Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: Diego has a different date every other episode, but none of them are serious and he is actually scared he'll never be truly loved. Mateo actually discusses this with him and mentions this trope word for word after seeing Diego using a dating site.
• Love Confession:
  • Diego declares that he is still very much in love with Temo.
  • Thiago declares his love for Carlota, not once, but twice.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Ari and Temo know that Carlota is in a relationship with Ubaldo, but the three of them agree that it's better to not let Diego find out about it.
• Love Hurts: Diego's unrequited love for Temo hurts him, particularly because he knows Temo will never return those feelings.
• Love Theme: Romantic scenes between Ari and Temo will have either ''Amor Valiente'' (Brave Love) or ''Si Me Dices Que Me Quieres'' (If You Say That You Love Me), performed by Emilio Osorio and Joaquín Bondoni, playing in the background.
• Lying to Protect Your Feelings: The main reason Carlota didn't want Diego to know about her relationship with his dad is that it would hurt him. Things get ugly once she tells him.
• Malicious Misnaming: Ari calls Mateo "Symonski" instead of his actual surname, Symanski. Polita also has one for Dora, calling her "Dura" (meaning "hard") and pretending for it to have been accidental.
• Malicious Slander: Invoked by Mateo and Ubaldo in a Wounded Gazelle Gambit in order to stop Olegario from tearing down Ubaldo's campaign. They release a video revealing Ubaldo's true personality and actions, however, they claim the video to be fake and nothing more than a dirty trick from Olegario.
• Manipulative Editing: The video Olegario allegedly used to expose Ubaldo is this. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Ubaldo's team (sans Elsa, Temo and Carlota) made the video themselves.
• Meaningful Name:
  • Soledad is a common name in Mexico, but it literally translates to "solitude". Guess which character is trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage.
  • Ubaldo comes from the Germanic "hug-bald" and means "bold spirit". Well, he certainly is bold...
• Meet Cute: Implied. When asked by Nora how they first met, Ari and Temo just mumble something about it being a bit "strange" and involving a cake. Nora simply says that it must have been very special for them. Doubles as a Continuity Nod for those who watched Mi marido tiene familia and as a Noodle Incident.
• Memorial Photo: There's one of Andrés at Elsa's house. There's another one of Polita for her memorial service.
• Missing Child: Dora's backstory. She lost her only son when very young and thus is very kind and gentle towards children. The fact that Arquímedes reminds her of her missing son is what makes her get along better with Polita (and tolerate Ari). Arqui briefly goes missing at the end of Episode 10 and is found during the first half of the following episode.
• Missing Mom: Olegario mentions that he never met his mother and that his father never talked about her. Temo brings up the fact that he has lost two mothers so far; his biological one died when he was born and his first step-mother passed away at some point in his childhood.
• Mistaken Confession: Sort of. Mateo does confess to shooting someone, but his wording makes it seem like he shot Carlota and Aris. In the end it doesn't matter, because the three of them tell the truth of what actually happened.
• Modesty Bedsheet: Episode 11 has a shot of Ari and Temo naked under the bedsheets after they supposedly had sex.
• Modesty Towel: Being clad in only towels happens a few times, mainly when the four roommates are fighting over the shower.
• Morality Pet: Arquímedes to Dora, because he reminds her of her Missing Child.
• Motive = Conclusive Evidence: Everyone easily places the blame of Aris and Carlota's attempted murder on Isarnio Caballero. Why? Because Carlota discovered her brother died on Isarnio's property and Isarnio is homophobic so killing Aris must have been a nice bonus. In reality, the hit was ordered by Ubaldo, since they knew too much.
• My Beloved Smother: Elsa's controlling tendencies, as well as how distant she generally is, are part of the reason Carlota suspects Andrés was Driven to Suicide. Elsa kept him from following a career path he was actually interested on, and instead made him work in the same field as her, under Ubaldo's employment. She even forbid him from going with his friends and going to parties, not to mention the pressure she put on both Andrés and Carlota so the two of them would be good students.
• Named After Somebody Famous: Ari and Arqui are named after famous Greek figures Aritotle and Archimedes, respectively. Temo, on the other end, is named after Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec ruler.
• Necessarily Evil: Carlota really, really hates being in a relationship with Ubaldo. She knows it's wrong, because Ubaldo is married to Soledad and is Diego's father, but Carlota saw no other way of getting close enough to get dirt Ubaldo without seeming suspicious.
• Never the Obvious Suspect: Mateo is arrested for the attempted murder of Carlota and Aris. He was the first to arrive at the scene and his fingerprints were all over the gun. It doesn't help that his animosity towards Aris is no secret. Not only did he not do it, but he stopped the actual murderer from possibly doing worse and called for help.
• No Bisexuals:
  • Ari, Temo and Diego are gay. Everyone else is straight. Even the guys Diego is seen flirting with aren't mentioned to use any specific label. Hell, out of those three only one had a name.
  • Mateo is implied to be bisexual, with him interacting with a girl early on one episode and then becoming Diego's Implied Love Interest.
• No Medication for Me: Diego decides to stop taking his antidepressants.
• Non-Nude Bathing: Episode 9 has Ari and Team awkwardly telling Carlota that they're going to shower together in order to save time. And water. While wearing swimsuits. Cue Diego running past them and yelling "They're shy!" before locking himself in the bathroom.
• Not What It Looks Like: Ubaldo and Soledad arrive to the apartment only to find Diego, Temo, Ari and Thiago semi-naked (Carlota is the only one fully dressed). They immediately assume there was some kind of orgy going on. The boys then have to explain that the water ran out while Ari was in the shower and Temo was shaving, while Diego was simply about to get dressed. Thiago, on the other hand, just thought it was some sort of foam party.
• Oblivious Guilt Slinging: Diego frequently tells Carlota how glad it makes him to have her as a friend, and opens up about his insecurities in love. What he doesn't know is that she is sleeping with his dad. Later, when Diego complains to his friends about Professor Collins being in love with his mum, he mentions that he couldn't stand an affair ruining his parents' marriage. It doesn't help that Ari and Temo are also in on the secret.
• Official Couple Ordeal Syndrome: This is a telenovela. What did you expect? The question here in regards to Aristemo isn't Will They or Won't They?, but rather if it will last.
• Official Couple: Ari and Temo, understood by everyone in and out of universe, to the point where other characters refer to them by their Portmanteau Couple Name.invoked As of Episode 16, they are engaged.
• On the Next: A sneak peek of the next episode plays at the end of each episode. These clips are not available if you watch the episode on the app or online, though.
• One-Steve Limit: Not a single name or surname repeats here. Not. A. Single. One.
• One True Love: Ari and Temo have called each other, several times, "love of my life", and they even believe themselves to be soulmates. Mind you, they're 18; but they are also in a telenovela, so they're probably right. Even better, they're each other's first everything (except for boyfriend, in Temo's case): first love, first kiss, first serious relationship, etc.
• Open-Minded Parent: Polita and Soledad. Polita doesn't mind that her son is gay and living with his boyfriend and is pursuing a musical career; she's very supportive and encourages Ari's creativity. Soledad takes Diego to therapy, buys him antidepressants behind her husband and sister-in-law's back and completely understood that he needed to live away because their family life was only making things worse.
• Opposites Attract: Uptight, serious Elsa fell in love and married wild, rebellious Olegario.
• Patient Childhood Love Interest: Diego used to be this to his friend Temo. They even dated briefly, before Temo ended it on the grounds of still being in love with Ari.
• Peaceful in Death: Polita simply passes out right before her death, so she appears to be asleep.
• Previously on…: A small montage plays at the beginning of each episode, usually about the previous episode.
• Promotion to Parent: Discussed. Ari wants to become Arqui's legal guardian following their mother's death, and is even shown to be taking care of Arqui alongside his friends and family weeks after the funeral. Once he brings up the idea, however, everyone is quick to point out that he is only eighteen and absolutely not ready to be a father. He does at least want to keep taking care of little brother, though.
• Ready for Lovemaking: In Episode 11, Temo tells Ari not to worry and to let him make sure the night will be truly special. Later, Ari walks into their room only to find hundreds of lights strung together and Temo declaring his love for him. We then see a montage of them having fun, Sexy Discretion Shots included.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
  • After an awful day at work in which Temo got relentlessly insulted and mocked, Mateo crashes Diego's party to insult him some more. Ari pretty much tells him to piss off, to which Mateo says he only wanted to see where "princess Cuahtémoc" lived. Cue an epic telling-off from Temo.
  • Thiago also delivers one to Mateo, calling him a jerkass. Mateo doesn't even know how to react to it.
• Rejected Apology: Diego refuses to accept Carlota, Aris or Temo's apologies once they tell him Carlota was his father's lover. Likewise, Soledad doesn't talk to Elsa after discovering the latter was aware of it.
• Required Spin Off Crossover: Daniela, one of Ari's cousins, appears for Temo's birthday and Polita's funeral.
• Right Through His Pants: Some of the shots of Episode 11 imply that Ari and Temo had sex, however, they are still wearing clothes. Notably, they are wearing each other's shirts.
• Secretly Wealthy: Temo's family and, by extension, Temo are actually rich.
• Serenade Your Lover: After standing Ari up, Temo follows Ubaldo's advice and prepares a surprise of his own: a serenade.
• Sexy Discretion Shot: In Episode 11 we see Ari and Temo kiss lovingly, then it cuts to them cuddling in bed wearing each other's shirts, then to them fooling around the apartment, then to them sleeping naked under the sheets. Notably, it's the first time something like this is done in a telenovela with a gay couple; the writers weren't joking when they said the episode would break "many rules".
• Sexy Shirt Switch: Episode 11 has Ari and Temo wearing each other's shirts in a sequence that clearly implies they had sex.
• Shamed by a Mob: Thiago's groupies tend to shame Carlota and even 'cancel' her because she's 'toxic'.
• Ship Tease: Half of Diego's interactions with Mateo read heavily as flirty on his side, while Mateo doesn't exactly reject him. Mateo also attempts to comfort Diego after the latter leaves the apartment in a rage, while another scene has Mateo tell Diego he is a good guy and suggests that maybe he is looking for love in the wrong places right after mentioning he prefers to have a serious relationship with someone special.
• Shower Scene: In Episode 9 there's a scene of Ari taking a shower; while wearing a swimsuit, nonetheless. The water is cut off before he has the chance to rinse all the soap and shampoo out.
• Sickeningly Sweethearts: Played with. Ari and Temo might appear to fall into this when they're alone but they actually stick to hugging and holding hands when out in public. However, they don't mind loudly declaring to everyone and anyone that they're, in fact, very much in love with each other. They also say what are easily the cheesiest lines in the whole show, beating literally every other character.
• Sleep Cute: Aris and Temo end up falling asleep on Arqui's bed after finally getting Arqui to sleep. It makes for a pretty heartwarming picture.
• Sleeping with the Boss: Carlota is in a secret relationship with Ubaldo, who is married. She isn't actually in love with him and in fact despises him, but she thinks this is the only way she will get information on her brother's death. Ari and Temo are in on the secret, though they'd rather she left Ubaldo.
• Spinoff Sendoff: The first episode has Ari and Temo leaving Oaxaca, as well as the sets and characters from the previous series.
• Stepford Smiler: Diego has shades of this, in the way he acts like everything is fine and life is party, but is actually depressed. Of course, everyone knows already that he has depression, but he acts like it's not so bad.
• Stern Teacher: Elsa, she is pretty reasonable and loves her students, but is also rather strict with them.
• Stood Up: Ari's last surprise for Temo is ruined thanks to Ubaldo's meddling, making it so that Temo doesn't show up until much later.
• Straw Fan: Thiago's groupies. Viewers were quick to notice the similarities and take it as good-spirited fun, so it falls more on the side of Affectionate Parody. A smaller but similar example, Ari's new fans that recognize him while he's shopping for groceries.
• Surprise Party: Episode 6 has one of these for Temo at the drop of midnight on his birthday. Polita, Eduardo, Arqui and Diego put the finishing touches on the preparations, then Ari calls out to Temo (who of course rushes out of the bedroom) and they scream "Surprise!" at him.
• Surprisingly Sudden Death: What seems like a perfectly happy evening comes to an end after Polita has a stroke and dies.
• Suspect Is Hatless: Carlota recognizes her would-be-murderer but never really describes him and only mentions that she'd seen him shortly before her brother's death, fixing the plumbing at her parents' house.
• Talking in Bed: Ari and Temo happen to do this occassionally, though they tend to discuss various matters around the apartment or while doing the dishes.
• Tempting Fate: Ari and Temo get engaged and even talk about spending all their time together. When saying goodbye before going to work, Diego lampshades their Sickeningly Sweethearts routine and says that they're not going to die today, for God's sake. Ari and Carlota get shot that very night; Ari in particular, is gravely wounded.
• The One That Got Away: Nora's past lover, B. She refers to them as the love of her life and the person she's loved the most. She never explains what happened between her and B. They end up reuniting but B's face remains hidden from the viewer.
• The Scapegoat: Ubaldo and Isarnio Caballero invoke this with the latter being a scapegoat for Ubaldo after the the assassination attempt of Carlota and Aris doesn't work.
• This Is Unforgivable!: Diego sees Carlota sleeping with his dad as the utmost betrayal and Temo not telling him as the utmost betrayal. It doesn't help that the two of them are his two best friends.
• Tonight, Someone Dies: Commercial breaks for several episodes prior to Episode 12 have Ubaldo saying "One heart will stop beating", then cutting to several characters crying or in pain. Come Episode 12, Polita dies.
• Tonight, Someone Kisses: The trailer for episode 7 spoiled one for Aristemo. Notably, said trailer aired after a Friday episode, meaning that fans had to wait a whole weekend to actually see it.
• Treacherous Advisor: Having Temo on his side lends Ubaldo some advantages, the favour of Temo's wealthy father, for one. He also wants Temo to date Diego, so that the Ortega family will seem truly perfect and Ubaldo will appear to be an open-minded politician. Too bad he's responsible for Andrés's death and plans to have Carlota and Ari killed as well.
• Unlucky Childhood Friend: Diego has unrequited feelings for his childhood friend Temo, although he'd really like to move on.
• Unwanted Spouse: Soledad is an unwanted wife to Ubaldo.
• Welcome to the Big City: Ari's first day on Mexico City ends with him getting mugged for walking alone at night with his phone on his hand. Notably, Ari is not exactly a Country Mouse (he lived in Oaxaca de Juárez, a state capital), but the scene is used to drive in the fact that this is a much bigger and dangerous place.
• What the Hell, Hero?:
  • Temo is understandably angry at Carlota for sleeping with Ubaldo and asks what she was thinking when she decided to sleep with her friend's father. He only decides to trust her because Ari vouched for her.
  • Diego gets to deliver a well-deserved one on Carlota, Temo and Ari when she finally comes clean about her relationship with his dad. Diego is understandably furious and asks why nobody told him anything, with the three of them saying it was for his own good. At the end of that same episode Diego storms in during a press conference of Ubaldo and calls him out for cheating on Soledad.
  • Soledad also gets to call Elsa out for knowing Ubaldo was cheating and keeping quiet about it. Elsa tries to justify it by saying she found out after Soledad had already decided to get a divorce, but the damage is done.
• White Shirt of Death: The shirt Ari wore when getting shot wasn't completely white, but it was still very light so the blood was pretty noticeable. He doesn't die, but it gets very close.
• Why Are You Not My Son?: Ubaldo, being his jerkass self, actually says he'd rather have Temo being his son instead of Diego. Multiple times.
• Why Did You Make Me Hit You?: Ubaldo slaps Soledad when he thinks she is cheating on him (she isn't) and then has the gall to pull a "look what you made me do" on her.
• World of No Grandparents: Diego has his aunts Dora and Nora, but there is no mention of grandparents for anyone. In Ari's case, we know the rest of his family live in Oaxaca.
• Wrongly Accused: Mateo ends up being arrested for trying to murder Carlota and Ari. He did shoot the gun, just not at them. They end up declaring he didn't do it.
• You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious: Temo and Ari rarely call each other by their actual names. When they're being playful they usually place a playful "Mr." in front of the name, so when they actually call each other Cuauhtémoc or Aristóteles they're being dead serious.
• You Never Did That for Me: Ubaldo attempts to give Temo a car for his birthday. Diego then points out that he's never even gotten close to receiving such a gift from his father.

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