What's up, troper?
Muñeca Brava (Angry Doll) was a 1999 Argentine telenovela, starring Natalia Oreiro and Facundo Arana.Milagros Expósito, called "La Cholito", grew up in a convent. Her mother had arrived to it, gave birth and died; the priest barely knew anything about her, and she never met her father. She could only stay in the convent until she turned 18 years old, then she had to leave. She was hired by the Di Carlo family, to look after the elder Angélica. Angélica is a troubled woman, because 18 years ago her son Federico knocked up a maid named Rosario, but was forced to marry with the fine lady Luisa. Rosario ran away from the mansion, and they could never locate her again. What a coincidence!
Muñeca Brava contains examples of:
- Actually, I Am Him: Ivo first met Milagros in a bailanta (a type of Argentine disco for poor people), dressed like a femme fatale, and tried in vain to flirt with her. He met her again later, with her tomboy clothing, and did not notice any relation. Eventually, he invited her to a romantic date, to humiliate her. She let herself be humiliated, and asked for a bathroom break. She emerged from the bathroom as the femme fatale of the bailanta, so that Ivo knew that he was being mean with the girl he wanted so much... and that he has now lost.
- Animal Motifs: Lina has her clothes all filled with stickers of butterflies.
- Appropriated Appellation: Sor Catalina, a fat nun, was called "Sor Cachete" by La Cholito. She liked that name and used it as well, and the priest does so as well.
- Beleaguered Assistant: All the maids and workers in the mansion are this, to some degree.
- Delayed Reaction: Everybody thought that Ramón had left Socorro pregnant. He had not, as Lina explained to Mili: Rocky was not saying that, he was talking about Ramón's other daughter. Ah, fine, that explains everything... hey, wait a minute! what daughter?!
- Establishing Character Moment: When Ivo and Cholito first met, in the first episode. Ivo kissed her, "to find out if she's really a girl". La Cholito kicked him in the groin, "to find out if he's really a man".
- God Help Us All: Father Manuel was the first one to discover that Cholito was the daughter of Federico. He was very concerned about the risk of a Surprise Incest if she fell in love with Ivo. So he asked Gloria if Cholito likes him, or what. Gloria thinks that they look like a lovely couple, and that perhaps some day they will get married in the convent! Manuel simply made the sign of the cross...
- The Hermit:
- Pablo. His father Damian drove drunk, crashed, and killed his wife, Pablo's girlfriend, and left Pablo crippled. Pablo secluded himself in his room, never left it, and only allowed the butler Bernardo to come in.
- Angélica was also secluded in her room since the departure of Rosario. When Milagros first left the house, she finally found a motivation to leave her room, and go to the convent to ask for her forgiveness and ask her to return.
- Not Under the Parents' Roof: The Di Carlo family are a powerful and conservative family... at least, the adults. They usually enforce strict rules, such as this one. Fortunately for the younger Ivo, as the family is so rich, he has an apartment that he uses specifically for dates and have sex.
- Obfuscating Disability: Actually, Pablo is not disabled. He can walk perfectly fine, but he wants to make his father suffer from feeling guilty.
- Poor Communication Kills: Angélica goes downstairs and congratulates Socorro for her pregnancy... and she's tired of all that: she's not pregnant! Let's clarify all this: Bernardo told this to Angélica. Where did he got that info?Bernardo: Marta told me!Marta: Ramón told me!Ramón: Lina told me!Lina: Rocky told me!Rocky: Yes, I told Lina, but I was talking about Ramón's other daughter. What, did he left Socorro pregnant as well?
- Servile Snarker: Bernardo. He hates both Federico and Luisa, because his sister loved Federico, he left her for Luisa, and she left the mansion (still pregnant) and died. Still, he never attacks them, or insults them... not directly, at least.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: La Cholito, much to the horror of the nuns and everybody in the mansion (except Angélica, who eventually grew to like her, potty-mouth and all).
- Those Two Guys: Ramón and Rocky. Rocky loves Victoria, and Ramón advises him how to seduce her.
- Title Drop:
- Bernardo once described Mili as a "Muñeca Brava". Roll credits!
- Milagros once said that she's going to the kitchen to watch "Muñeca Brava" an excuse to leave the living room.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Cholito is a tomboy, and both her relation with Gloria (a fellow orphan on the convent) and Lina (another maid) are like this.
- Translation Train Wreck: Victoria knows German and French, but not English. Rocky tried to seduce her by pretending to know how to speak it. It worked... until she had a meeting with an American fashion business woman that did not speak Spanish, and who wanted to hire her as her agent in Argentina. Rocky was immediately called to work as a translator; and Victoria ended up signing both to be her agent, and also to be a lingerie model.
- Ultimate Job Security: Luisa, Victoria, Andrea, and even Ivo and Federico at times, all want to fire La Cholito as soon as possible. But she's the favorite of Angélica, it is her assistant, so they can't fire her. The other employees do not have her special protection, but they also risk firing several times and get pardoned each time.
