History Series / MariaLaDelBarrio

* DisabledLoveInterest: Alicia, for Nandito.

[[caption-width-right:300:''[[GratuitousForeignLanguage "Y tú qué me andas vicenteando, mi buen?"]]]]''

->''[[AppropriatedAppellation "Y a mucha honra]], [[TitleDrop María la del barrio soy..."]]''

* RelationshipUpgrade: Luis Fernando and Maria get married about halfway into the series.

* TheyDo: Luis Fernando and Maria get married about halfway into the series.

%%* {{Yandere}} - Soraya and Penelope. Soraya eventually evolves into AxCrazy.

* RichIdiotWithNoDayJob: Luis Fernando began as one, but got a job as part of his slow redemption. Maria refused to become this kind of rich and insisted to have a job; but gave it up when she lost her son and started looking for him all day (which became her job). She finally found her son, but did not return to work then.

-->'''Soraya:''' Are you rejecting me?!
-->'''Luis Fernando:''' I ''have always'' rejected you! Don't you remember?

* EightiesHair: On the main cast, only Luis Fernando, but his ex-girlfriend Brenda had huge poofy 80s hair. Surprisingly not a case of TwoDecadesBehind, and actually a JustifiedTrope: his series was from the ''mid-90s'', but a FreezeFrameBonus reveals that Soraya's [[spoiler: pregnancy certificate]] was delivered the 16th of June 1980, which has to be the exact day the events of episode 9 unfold. Therefore, instead of starting at the time of filming in 1995 and ending in a putative, 90s-like 2010, the show started depicting events that would have been a flashback to the eighties and went forward from there organically or through time skips until it reached the then-present, at the end of filming.

* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas - Horribly averted. [[spoiler:Soraya treats Calixta with disdain and contempt for being a maid, even after she confessed that she's her mother.]]

* IllGirl: Alicia, the infamous [[MemeticMutation MALDITA LISIADA!]]

* KnifeNut: Penelope's weapon of choice, at least in prison, is a switchblade.

* [[PsychopathicManchild Psychopathic Womanchild]]: Soraya is basically a spoiled little girl in a grown woman's body. She has no impulse control, no empathy for others, and throws tantrums when she doesn't get her way.

If you want to think about a TropeCodifier of the modern audience's view of a Spanish telenovela, look no further. The show contained several catfights, staged pregnancies, faked deaths, and heaps of drama. ''María la del barrio'' also had a recent resurgence in popularity among Spanish speakers because of ridiculous antics of the main villain Soraya, as well as a remake for Filipino audiences in 2011.

Literally: ''María from the Ghetto/Neighborhood'', English title: ''Humble Maria'' (1995-1996). A popular Mexican {{telenovela}} starring singer Thalia, which skyrocketed her to international fame, as well as Fernando Colunga and Itatí Cantoral to a lesser extent. It is a remake of the popular 1979 telenovela ''Series/LosRicosTambienLloran'' (''The Rich Also Cry'').

Literally: "María from the Ghetto/Neighborhood", English title: "Humble Maria" (1995-1996). A popular Mexican {{telenovela}} starring singer Thalia, which skyrocketed her to international fame, as well as Fernando Colunga and Itatí Cantoral to a lesser extent. It is a remake of the popular 1979 telenovela ''Series/LosRicosTambienLloran'' ("The Rich Also Cry").

Literally: "María from the Ghetto/Neighborhood" (1995-1996). A popular Mexican {{telenovela}} starring singer Thalia, which skyrocketed her to international fame, as well as Fernando Colunga and Itatí Cantoral to a lesser extent. It is a remake of the popular 1979 telenovela ''Series/LosRicosTambienLloran'' ("The Rich Also Cry").

%%* CinderellaCircumstances

* BreakTheHaughty: Wondering about María's constant activities in the street and her sudden and unexplained happiness, Tita discovered the phone of "Fernando Pérez" (Nandito) in her locker, and heard her talking nice with him. She was sure that María was cheating Luis Fernando with her, and became a complete jerkass. And one day, she took things too far, so that María told her the truth. The COMPLETE truth. That Luis Fernando left her during pregnancy, that his request for divoce drove her nuts, that she had her son then, that she gave him away to another woman during her madness, that she was placed into a bedlam house, that she spent more than 15 years searching for that woman, that she finally found her, and that Nandito is her son. Tita started to cry, asking María to forgive her.

* AdultsAreUseless: In the infamoust "Maldita lisiada" scene, after Nandito gets stabbed and Esperanza badly beaten up both by an out-of-control Soraya, there's a group of 5-6 adults simply standing around wondering if there's anything they could do.

* BreakTheHaughty: Wondering about María's constant activities in the street and her sudden and unexplained happiness, Tita discovered the phone of "Fernando Pérez" (nandito) in her locker, and heard her talking nice with him. She was sure that María was cheating Luis Fernando with her, and became a complete jerkass. And one day, she took things too far, so that María told her the truth. The COMPLETE truth. That Luis Fernando left her during pregnancy, that his request for divoce drove her nuts, that she had her son then, that she gave him away to another woman during her madness, that she was placed into a bedlam house, that she spent more than 15 years searching for that woman, that she finally found her, and that Nandito is her son. Tita started to cry, asking María to forgive her.

* [[PyschopathicManchild Pyschopathic Womanchild]]: Soraya is basically a spoiled little girl in a grown woman's body. She has no impulse control, no empathy for others, and throws tantrums when she doesn't get her way.

* BigBadWannabe: Penélope, who replaced Soraya as the BigBad. But, unlike her predeccesor, she never had any master plan in action other than trying to seduce Luis Fernando. It took her more than seven years to get any results, and she was immediately fired.
* BlackWidow: Soraya seduced the doctor that healed her, got married with him, and killed him at the first chance she got, to receive his money.
* BondVillainStupidity: In the final episode, Soraya had María at gun point. The JustBetweenYouAndMe gloat took HOURS, and allowed the police to locate her. And even yet, she could have ended things before they enter to the house, but no.

* BreakoutCharacter: Soraya

* EasilyForgiven: The maid just tried to stab her employer? It's okay, she was just having an off day.
* EightiesHair: On the main cast, only Luis Fernando, but his ex-girlfriend Brenda had huge poofy 80s hair. Surprisingly not a case of TwoDecadesBehind, and actually a JustifiedTrope: his series was from the ''mid-90s'', but a FreezeFrameBonus reveals that Soraya's [[spoiler: pregnancy certificate]] was delivered the 16th of June 1980, which has to be the exact day the events of episode 9 unfold. Therefore, instead of starting at the time of filming in 1995 and ending in a putative, 90s-like 2010, the show started depicting events that would have been a flashback to the eighties and went forward from there organically or through time skips untill it reached the then-present, at the end of filming.

%%* FakingTheDead

%%* HappilyAdopted: Maria

%%* LoveMakesYouEvil
** Soraya had a genuine love for Luis Fernando, even if a little twisted, but it only led her to manipulate him to get married with her against his will, attempt revenge schemes when he rejected her, and more revenge schemes against María, that she blamed of Luis Fernando's rejection.

* MrFanservice: Luis Fernando, who had no less than three romantic interests in the series and was often shown in either shirtless or swimsuit scenes, at least in the first half of the show. The actor, Fernando Colunga, is often seen in Spanish gossip magazines and is still playing lead roles in novelas nearly ''20 years later''.

%%* WigDressAccent

Literally: "María from the Ghetto/Neighborhood" (1995-1996). A popular Mexican [[SoapOpera telenovela]] starring singer Thalia, which skyrocketed her to international fame, as well as Fernando Colunga and Itatí Cantoral to a lesser extent. It is a remake of the popular 1979 telenovela ''Series/LosRicosTambienLloran'' ("The Rich Also Cry").

* TheBabyTrap:
** In the first half of the show, Soraya pulls this on Luis Fernando to force him into marrying her (while [[FakePregnancy not actually being pregnant]]). Luis Fernando still falls for it at first, but quickly figures it to be a ruse when he notices the lack of pregnancy symptoms on her.
** Luis Fernando thought that Maria was pulling one with him, that their son was actually Vladimir's son. Eventually, he accepts the truth.

* FakePregnancy: Soraya got married with Luis Fernando with this trick, as he already hated her.

** In the first half of the show, Soraya pulls this on Luis Fernando to force him into marrying her. He falls for it at first, but quickly figures it to be a ruse when he notices the lack of pregnancy symptoms on her.

* TheBabyTrap: Luis Fernando thought that Maria was pulling one with him, that their son was actually Vladimir's son. Eventually, he accepts the truth.

* TheAtoner - [[spoiler: Penelope after María's HeroicSacrifice.]]

* BeautifulAllAlong - María isn't by any stretch ugly, but she is given lessons in etiquette and language to turn her from a simple country girl into a ProperLady.
* BelligerentSexualTension - Between María and Luis Fernando, although this mostly faded as they both grew up. Luis's bouts of anger are definitely not played for laughs later, though.
* BettyAndVeronica - María (Betty) and Soraya (Veronica) for Luis Fernando and Vladimir (Betty) and Luis Fernando (Veronica) for María.

* BreakTheCutie - Most of the show consisted of bad things happening to either María, Alicia, or Nandito.

* ChewingTheScenery - Soraya during the infamous ''Maldita Lisiada'' scene.

* ConflictBall - At times.
* ContrivedCoincidence - María kept continuously running into Nandito, who was the son that she had abandoned shortly after she gave birth.
* DealWithTheDevil - Soraya has a scene bragging about how Satan is the one who had always been there for help when needed. Ironically, [[spoiler:she is burned to death in the finale]].
* DisabledLoveInterest - Alicia, for Nandito.
* TheDulcineaEffect - A kindly doctor decides to take in María [[spoiler: during her bout of amnesia.]]
* DrowningMySorrows - Fernando after Brenda breaks up with him.
* EasyAmnesia - María has two such instances of amnesia, [[spoiler: the first of which after her pregnancy when she gives up her child, and the second after her time in prison.]] Esperanza also had it for some time.
* EasilyForgiven - The maid just tried to stab her employer? It's okay, she was just having an off day.
* EightiesHair - On the main cast, only Luis Fernando, but his ex-girlfriend Brenda had huge poofy 80s hair. Surprisingly not a case of TwoDecadesBehind, and actually a JustifiedTrope: his series was from the ''mid-90s'', but a FreezeFrameBonus reveals that Soraya's [[spoiler: pregnancy certificate]] was delivered the 16th of June 1980, which has to be the exact day the events of episode 9 unfold. Therefore, instead of starting at the time of filming in 1995 and ending in a putative, 90s-like 2010, the show started depicting events that would have been a flashback to the eighties and went forward from there organically or through time skips untill it reached the then-present, at the end of filming.

* ExpositoryThemeTune - Sung by Thalia herself.

* EvilIsHammy - Soraya just ''loves'' to be a LargeHam when she describes her new master plan, or when she voices her hate for that [[MemeticMutation MALDITA MARGINAL!!!]] or that [[MemeticMutation MALDITA LISIADA!!!]]

* FishOutOfWater - María in the De la Vega household, at first.

%%* GigglingVillain - Soraya becomes one eventually.
* GirlsBehindBars - Not sexualized at all and is simply played for drama. María becomes ruthless in order to survive in prison.
%%* GoldDigger - Both Soraya and Penelope.
* GossipyHens - Carlota. She's always staying behind the doors to try to spy the things going on, discover some nasty secret, and then go triumphant to the cook and tell the other maids "Did you know that...?"

%%* HappilyAdopted - Maria
%%* HeartwarmingOrphan - María
* HeelFaceTurn - [[spoiler: Penelope, after believing that María died in the prison fire]].
* HeroicBSOD - Maria goes through one during her pregnancy. The first time, at least.
* HeroicSacrifice - [[spoiler: María during the prison fire, although she doesn't die.]]
* HollywoodHealing - Soraya is supposedly dead after falling out of a ''two-story building'', but is later shown undergoing intense physical rehab in Texas and she later recovers miraculously.

* IllGirl - Alicia, the infamous [[MemeticMutation MALDITA LISIADA!]]

* KissingCousins - Nobody bats an eye to Luis Fernando and Soraya getting married, this is because Soraya isn't actually Victoria's niece.
* KnifeNut - Penelope's weapon of choice, at least in prison, is a switchblade.

* LukeIAmYourFather - [[spoiler: Calixta's revelation that she is actually Soraya's mother.]]
* LoveMakesYouEvil

* MakeoverMontage - María's "transformation" into a true lady.
* MamaBear - You ''do not'' want to get in between María and her children.
* MayDecemberRomance - Nandito and Soraya. Luis Fernando also assumed Nandito was María's lover before he knew better.

* MrFanservice - Luis Fernando, who had no less than three romantic interests in the series and was often shown in either shirtless or swimsuit scenes, at least in the first half of the show. The actor, Fernando Colunga, is often seen in Spanish gossip magazines and is still playing lead roles in novelas nearly ''20 years later''.
* MurderTheHypotenuse - Soraya's usual MO for dealing with people, particularly Maria.

* NotQuiteDead - Soraya falls out of a three-story building and is believed to be dead, but we later see her in intensive recovery in Texas later on.

* ParentalIncest - Luis Fernando thought that Nandito, ''their son'', was actually Maria's lover.
%%* ParentalSubstitute - Esperanza for Alicia. Lupe and Don Fernando for María.
* PlotHole: Nandito lost his wallet at Soraya's house the same day [[spoiler:Calixta]] died, which made him the main suspect. María claimed to be the murderer, to prevent Nandito from going to jail. Some days later, the police officers told that there was no reason to suspect from nandito, and that María had clearly lied to protect him. Still, it was never specified ''which'' new information arised to deny such a heavy smoking gun against nandito.
%%* PluckyGirl - María
* PoliceAreUseless - The police only ever turn up at the right moment twice.
* PutOnABus - Vladimir mysteriously disappears forever after María turns him down. According to the actor, there was going to be a further plot-line where he became involved with Soraya, but it never happened.

* RagsToRiches - Maria starts off in the series as a destitute orphan girl and eventually becomes a wealthy lady.
%%* RichBitch - Soraya

* RuleOfDrama - Of course, it's a soap opera.
* SelfMadeOrphan - [[spoiler: Soraya, after she kills Calixta.]]
%%* SmugSnake - Soraya
* SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome - At least they used a time skip to explain the kids getting older.

* TalkingYourWayOut - María tries this [[spoiler:when Soraya has kidnapped her and she regains her memory, but by then Soraya has completely lost her shit.]]

* TheyDo - Luis Fernando and Maria get married about halfway into the series.

* TitleDrop - María is often called "María, la del barrio" as an insult.

* TroubledButCute - Luis Fernando is introduced in the show as a bitter and angry alcoholic, mostly because of his breakup with Brenda. He takes out most of his anger on either Maria or Soraya.

* UnwantedHarem - María attracts just about every eligible bachelor on the show. Luis Fernando does the same with most of the women.

%%* WhatCouldHaveBeen - Vladimir's aforementioned planned storyline.

* WickedStepmother - Soraya eventually. She marries the doctor that helped her recover after her fall and later had him killed, leaving the doctor's daughter Alicia with Soraya.