Las Aparicio (The Aparicios) was a Mexican drama/telenovela produced by Argos Comunicación and aired by cadenatres. It lasted 120 episodes, from April 19th to October 15th, 2010. After cadenatres signed off the air, effectively ending re-runs, the series can be streamed on Netflix Latin America. A sort-of follow-up film was filmed in 2015 and released in Mexico in spring 2016.
It tells the story of three generations of women, the titular Aparicios. What's strange about them is that men who marry them die early deaths, and the children they have are all girls. Of course, people think they're either Black Widows or just plain cursed.
Rafaela is the matriarch and mother of Alma, Mercedes, and Julia. Alma, the oldest, is a businesswoman with shady dealings and a past that still haunts her. Mercedes was a lawyer turned stay-at-home mom, until the sudden death of her husband leaves her trying to balance her career and parenting Isadora. The youngest, Julia, is always in the company of her best friend Mariana and has no idea what to do with her life. Ileana, Alma's only daughter, is hell-bent on going against her mother's wishes. Things get complicated when Leonardo, using business proposals as an excuse, starts getting close to Alma and Rafaela so he can gather more information about the family and the background of the "Aparicio Curse".
This article is under construction. Feel free to contribute if you have watched the series!
This show provides examples of:
- The Atoner: Mariana's father came back to Mexico to try and make ammends with her.
- Avenge Me!: Leonardo's motive is Máximo's ghost telling him to find out the truth behind his death.
- Black Widow: all of the adult Aparicios have been suspected of this trope; but the most explored example was Alma's arrest and interrogation after Máximo's death.
- Brainy Brunette: all Aparicios are brunettes; but Rafaela, Alma, and Mercedes are, arguably, the smartest of the family.
- Break the Cutie: Mercedes took her husband's death in stride, but Isadora was pretty shaken by it - and what was revealed after her father's death.
- Cool Old Lady: Rafaela, who must be well into her sixties, is very tolerant and accepting of things most people her age wouldn't be.
- Crusading Lawyer: Mercedes is willing to take on cases that will help someone, even if the rest of her firm won't back her up or even flat out distance themselves from her and the case alltogether.
- Disappeared Dad:
- The fathers of Alma, Julia, and Mercedes all died when each one was a young child; same for Isadora when Mercedes' husband died.
- Mariana's father also fits the trope, except it's assumed then confirmed later on in the show he's still alive.
- Good Adultery, Bad Adultery: Due to the premise of the show, women cheating on their partners is usually considered the former and men cheating on their wives, the latter. Obviously, this is somewhat of a double standard.
- Lipstick Lesbian: Mariana is an out-and-proud lesbian and while not fully feminine, she's still soft and feminine enough that she can qualify at least for the Chapstick version of the trope.
- Madonna-Whore Complex: invoked by Alma while discussing one of her clients' cases.
- Meaningful Name: Aparicio means "ghost" in Spanish. Máximo's ghost hangs around a couple of the Aparicio women.
- Mood Whiplash: the first five minutes of the first episode makes us think it's a fun, if large, dinner party of sorts. Then we find out it's really the wake of Alberto, Mercedes' recently deceased husband. Oy.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: Máximo's ghost appears to three people in the series. He can only be seen by one of them at a time, and seems to have the same relationship with them they had while he was alive. He is also dressed differently, depending on who can see him.
- Romancing the Widow: any time a man gets close to an Aparicio
- Took a Level in Kindness: Claudio's initial goal was to oust Mercedes from her rightful place in the firm; it takes a handful of episodes to start softening up and change his mind about her.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: Claudio's older sons have outgrown this stage; but he's still well aware the way his marriages ended and devotion to his job has kept him away from them.
