La usurpadora (1998 TV series)

*La usurpadora*
La usurpadora
	La usurpadora
Written by	Inés Rodena
Directed by	Beatriz Sheridan ; Karina Duprez
Music by	José Antonio 'Potro' Farías
Country of origin	Mexico
Original language	Spanish
Production
Producer	Salvador Mejía
Original release
Network	Televisa

La usurpadora is a Mexican telenovela, which was produced by and broadcasted on Televisa in 1998. It starred Gabriela Spanic and Fernando Colunga. This was one of the last Telenovelas to feature Libertad Lamarque as she played the elder female character.

Plot

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La usurpadora tells the story of two young women who are twin sisters. One (Paulina) is a kind and generous woman who lives in poverty with her agonizing mother. The other (Paola) is the step-mother of two and married to a handsome and successful businessman who hides her hipocrisy, ambition, and evilness under a mask of beauty. As the plot comes to its climax, we find that Paola has forced Paulina to take her place in her home while she takes a vacation with her lover. She manages to accomplish this by blackmailing Paulina (after Paola herself puts jewelry in her sister's purse to accuse her of being a "thief"). Paola never returns after the year that they set as time limit. In that year many things change: everyone has fallen in love with the new Paola, who no one knows is truly Paulina. In the midst of happiness, Paola comes back to haunt the Bracho family and she demands her place as wife and mother. She accuses Paulina of usurpation and she is put onto trial, and later on found not guilty. This angered Paola who wanted her to be found guilty.

Meanwhile Elvira (Paola's private nurse) begins to realise how evil Paola is, after Paola threatens to have her eyes and tongue cut out if she tells grand-mother Piedad she is not actually disabled (an excuse to get back to the mansion). Elvira, terrified, tells Piedad, without realising Paola is listening. The next day she asks Paola to give her the money she owes her, because she didnt need her anymore. Paola then takes her on a ride, and on the way tells Elvira she'll have to learn how to keep her mouth shut the hard way. Realising what Paola meant, Elvira attemps to take over the car, without realising there's a U-Turn just ahead of them. The car gets out of the road and plunges down into the mountain. On the way Elvira is thrown out violently, while Paola remains on the car, and is thrown out just before it stops and explodes.

Farmers near-by find the wreck, and on the other side they find Elvira's body, they realise she died instantly. When the ambulance comes, they find Paola just next to the wreckage. Her body is badly burned, however she's not dead.

On the hospital, she tells Paulina she is sorry for everything she's done, and that she wanted her to marry Carlos Daniel. Paulina however says this is not possible. Paola's last words to Paulina are: "Marry Carlos Daniel, you 2 belong together", with this she goes into a coma. Carlos Daniel returns from his holiday (he wanted to get away from Paola) and proposes to Paulina, who accepts.

In the morning Carlos Daniel and Piedad go to visit Paola in the hospital. Paulina tells Carlos Daniel to forgive her, because it was the only thing that was keeping Paola alive. Carlos Daniel forgives her, and a smile begins to form in Paola's mouth, who then dies. Paulina and Carlos Daniel then get married.

La Usurpadora is followed by Mas Alla De La Usurpadora, which tells the story of what happens after the events of La Usurpadora. Rachel, The Bracho's new maid, is in love with Carlos Daniel and decides to get rid of Paulina (who now has a new daughter called Paulita). However Paulina finds out she has Cancer (in fact she's pregnant).

To get rid of her faster Rachel poisons Paulina's drink, however it is drunk by Rachel. Rachel is sent to hospital, but then survives. Paulina meanwhile, finds out she is pregnant with another child.

Characters

Paulina Martinez (1971-): She is the generous woman from Cancun, Mexico that had to accept the deal and take Paola's place in the Bracho Manor in order not to go to jail for stealing.Everyone, thinking Paola has made a switch, loves her; but, just right before the deadline, she is discovered.

She is put onto trial for Usurpation and, after 2 months of trial, was found not guilty. This angered Paola who wanted her to be found guilty. Over time Paulina developed a crush on Carlos Daniel which then turned into love, however Carlos Daniel was still married to Paola (who asked $1 million to sign the divorce papers) After an attempt to kill Carlos Daniel, Paulina decides he cannot marry him, so Carlos Daniel travels to Monterrey where he meets Isabel, a divorced woman.

After Paola's accident, Paulina decides to go away for good, however when Paola dies, her plans change when Carlos Daniel proposses to her.

Paola Bracho (1971-1997): Wife of Carlos Daniel Bracho, twin sister of Paulina. She desires money, luxury and freedom and usually uses her feminine charms to get them. She is disloyal to Carlos Daniel, who can't see her true nature at first, but later sees her exactly for who she is.

While touring around the world with one of her lovers, she has a vision of the future and has a car accident, however she is prefectly cured afterwards. During her sister's trial, she pretends to be dissabled in order to get back into the mansion.

Meanwhile, her private Nurse, Elvira (who didn't know her very much) began to discover Paola's real self, however it was too late. Paola threatened to have her tongue and eyes cut off. This terrified Elvira who then told Grandma Piedad, however Paola overheard them. The next day, Elvira decided to quit her job, and wanted her money, so Paola told her she was going to go shopping and then they would go to the bank.(when in fact she was going to have her tortured and killed)

On the way Paola admits overhearing Elvira telling Piedad she was never dissabled, this terrifies Elvira who remembers Paola's threat: I will have your tongue cut off and your eyes taken out, is that good enough?". Elvira tells Paola to stop the car, just before a U-turn on the mountain side, Paola ignores this and continues driving. Elvira then takes over terrified, while Paola tell her to let go. Eventually the car turns the wrong way and it comes off the road, plungging down the mountain. On the way Elvira is thrown out violently, dying instantly, while Paola is thrown out (just before the car stops and explodes) and bangs her head so hard into a fallen tree she losses consciousness instanty.

Farmers near-by find the body of Elvira, and eventually find Paola near the explosion. She is taken to hospital. A dying Paola tells Paulina to marry Carlos Daniel, however she refuses. Paola then enters into a coma, and eventually dies on March 23rd 1997. She is seen again in flashbacks in Mas Alla De La Usurpadora and makes a cameo towards the end when she tells Paulina she will die and they both meet in hell. (Paulina just found out she got Cancer)

Carlos Daniel Bracho (1970-): He married Paola after his first wife Elizabeth died, leaving him with two little children (Carlitos and Lizet). He is the youngest of the two Bracho sons, kind, but emotionally weak and for that reason easily manipulated. After he learns the true nature of Paola, he starts to hate her, while at the same time he's falling in love with Paulina.

Cast

Gabriela Spanic as Paulina and Paola

Fernando Colunga as Carlos Daniel

Primeros Actores

Libertad Lamarque as Abuela Piedad

Silvia Derbez as Dona Chabela

Iran Eory as Lourdes

Rene Munoz as Mojarras

Laura Zapata as Zoraida

Supporting Cast

Arturo Peniche as Edmundo

Chantal Andere as Estefania