Vidas de Fuego (Spanish for "Lives of Fire") is a fictional show-within-a-show telenovela featured in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. The series is watched by the Suarez family at home, mostly by the main character's father, Ignacio, and sister, Hilda. The telenovela takes places at the wealthy cattle ranch of the Rivera family, where the priest and maid are secret lovers and a soccer player is seduced by his privileged stepmother.
Contents
Production
A clip of each chapter of Vidas de Fuego is aired in episodes of Ugly Betty. During the clips, English subtitles are shown while the actors speak Spanish. The full chapters, which are approximately two to four minutes long, are dubbed in English on ABC's website. The first webisode debuted on ABC's website on November 24, 2006, and each consecutive episode was added every Thursday thereafter. In addition, each episode was also available via Verizon Wireless's V Cast the Thursday after it debuted on the website. The entire mini-telenovela lasted six chapters and was succeeded by "Muchas Muchachas."
Vidas de Fuego was filmed in Mexico and starred Mexican telenovela actors. The chapters were written by Ugly Betty staff writers Veronica Becker and Sarah Kucserka. The pair also wrote episode 10, "Fake Plastic Snow".
Part 1
The story begins with Esmeralda, a maid, and Pedro, a local priest, passionately kissing. Esmeralda suddenly slaps Pedro. The camera pans back to show Esmeralda is pregnant. She tells him she plans to give her child the name of its father -- the priest. She asks him to run away with her. Pedro wishes the world were as sweet as Esmeralda. Eva, a nun and Esmeralda's twin, enters the room suddenly, stating she wasn't aware that Esmeralda was there. Pedro states he is visiting and excuses himself. Eva points out Esmeralda's growing belly, but Esmeralda tells her the lady of the house believes she is fat and lazy. Eva states she can help if she knew who the father was. Esmeralda cries stating she cannot reveal his identity.
Part 2
Eva secretly enters Pedro's room and begins looking for a love letter to prove Pedro is the father of Esmeralda's baby. When she searches his desk, however, she finds a shocking newspaper clipping. In the church's confessional, Galo, a soccer player admits to Pedro that he is in love with Eva. Later, Eva confronts Pedro with the newspaper clipping, which shows he is really Ramon Castillo, a thief and murderer. Pedro says he did the crimes to help a woman. Eva believes the woman is Esmeralda, but he replies it is actually another woman.
Part 3
Continuing the conversation from the previous chapter, Eva demands to know the identity of the other woman. Pedro tells her it is not her business to know. She threatens to reveal his identity, but he counters by threatening to transfer her to a convent in the desert. Afterward, Galo is watching a soccer game in the living room while Esmeralda is cleaning, when his stepmother, Sofia, enters the room in a sexy bathing suit. She seductively asks him to accept her as part of the family and call her "mama". Pedro enters the living room as Sofia leaves. He gives Esmeralda an envelope of money from Eva. Esmeralda accuses him of taking the money from the church coffers because her insticts tell her he's a thief. Pedro convinces her it's not true and then kisses her.
Part 4
Patricia, Galo's mother and the former lady of the house, arrives to pick up Galo for church. At the same time, Sofia enters the room. Patricia chides Sofia for her sinful ways, but Sofia responds by seductively revealing her bathing suit to Galo. In Eva's room, Esmeralda seeks her sister's comfort. However, she still refuses to tell Eva who the father of her baby is. Eva informs Esmeralda that she knows Pedro is the father, as well as a thief and murderer. Esmeralda refuses to believe it is true. In a hallway at the church, Patricia takes Pedro aside to talk. Meanwhile, Eva seduces Galo, and they begin kissing passionately. It is implied that they made love.
Part 5
Galo enters the room of the sleeping Eva, hoping for a kiss when she wakes. Eva tells him that she made a mistake. Galo confesses his love for her, but she tells him that they can't see each other any more. Galo responds that he will never see her again. Before he leaves, Eva stops him and asks for his soccer ball. Later, Esmeralda finds Pedro in the church hallway. Pedro tells her they cannot be seen together for their sake and the sake of their child. When he touches her belly, a soccer ball falls out of her dress. A confused Pedro asks if she was never pregnant at all, but she replies that she's not Esmeralda -- she is Eva!
Part 6
Galo meets Sofia in the courtyard at night. Sofia sees that Galo has been crying. He tells her he realized someone was not who he thought she was. Sofia comforts and seduces him at the same time. They begin kissing, but are interrupted when Patricia finds them. Patricia calls Sofia a whore, and attempts to attack her. Sofia escapes to the courtyard doors. When the doors open, a surprise party is revealed. Galo then daydreams of romantically eating his birthday cake with Sofia. At the party, Patricia stops breathing after she drinks from her champagne. Sofia calls for a doctor, but then looks away as if trying to avoid suspicion.