María Mercedes

Thalia's soap operas are formulaic. The only thing that changes are the names of the actors; the plots are the same. She is always the poor, uncouth, tragic heroine who miraculously becomes transformed into a tenth-rate Grace Kelley. If you've seen one Thalia soap, you've seen them all. Her talent lies only in her sex appeal as her singing and acting are limited,if existent at all. From an obnoxious refined Thalia in Marimar, to an over-aged Shirley Temple in Maria del Barrio, Thalia's "Marias" are a television travesty. She seems only capable of crying, fighting and pouting. Maria Mercedes have mercy on us, and leave the airwaves.

"Maria Mercedes" was a dismal remake of the 1977 novela "Rina" by director Valentin Pimstein with Thalia in the role originally played by Ofelia Medina and without the macabre flavor. Thalia's sister, Laura Zapata, plays Malvina del Olmo, a selfish and materialistic woman who is disinherited by her late husband as punishment for her greedy and selfish nature. Instead, he has left the house and fortune to Maria Mercedes, a poor and destitute girl he met on the street, on the condition she live there. According to his will, Malvina and her well-meaning but inept sister Filagonia may live there, though they will not inherit anything.

Malvina, along with her bumbling sister Filagonia, schemes a plot to disinherit Rina so they can control the fortune. Whereas the original was sinister the new version drops the supernatural elements and focuses on the comedic talents of Thalia as Maria. Thalia is quite striking and looks terrific but the revised plot is simply not interesting enough to hold much interest. Arturo Peniche as Jorge Luis del Olmo makes a handsome and romantic leading man for Thalia. but the chemistry is missing between the two. This was part of a three novela trilogy--the three Marias--starring superstar Thalia: Maria Mercedes, Mari-Mar, and Maria la Del Barrio. Of the three, Mari-Mar was the most successful.

I'm not watching this on 90's, I watch this around 2002-2003. I start to watch again this month and I think its still good for me. And yes, never judge this series with modern series.

Thalía learned how to be an excellent actress, that's the reason she's the most popular singer of the moment, but her novelas are the best too. María Merecedes was a super hit in the 1992, she played as a poor country girl who raised all her brothers and her drunk father, she met to Jorge Luis del Olmo, who had a bad mother Malvina full of creed and all the sins in the world, They get married and all the show started. First of all: Maria had been married before, with Santiago, cousin of Jorge Luis, This character was in coma all the time, when he back from the hospital met to Maria selling flowers and other things, he proposed her, and she did. Second of all: Santiago died and María was the boss of the family, making to Malvina be more anger, she hated her. Third of all: Jose Luis and Maria fell in love, and they get married. Here start a ball of dilemmas, making by Malvina, who tried once and again kill to María, but she never didn't. This novela is the first leading role from Thalía, showing to her fans, she'll always gonna be the best.

This was a great Telenovela that time. Don't judged and compared with the modern shows and your modern judgement.