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‘Betty La Fea' S2: Ana María Orozco, Jorge Enrique Abello Talk What To Expect
Betty la Fea: La Historia Continúa — Prime Video's global smash series, the sequel based on the hit late 1990s Colombian telenovela — returns for its highly anticipated second season, upping the stakes for its leading protagonists.
The story picks up with Betty (Ana María Orozco) facing difficult choices about herself, her family and the future of Ecomoda — where she has returned as president. She makes another life-changing decision regarding Armando (Jorge Enrique Abello), who she admits is the love of her life, and continues her efforts to reconnect and build a stronger relationship with her daughter Mila (Juanita Molina), who is herself recovering from a romantic disappointment and betrayal.
For Orozco and Abello, the revival is both joyful and challenging, as they ensure the show remains true to the essence of the story that audiences remember and love.
"We're very pleased to return with this story that needed new chapters for fans around the world," says Abello.
A Record-Breaking Return
The return resulted in a record-shattering first season, with the largest global viewership for a Latin American title in Prime Video history and the most‑watched series or movie of all time on Prime Video in Colombia. The success was driven by nostalgia, curiosity around what happened to the beloved characters, and most of the original actors reprising their roles, with on-set chemistry and camaraderie enriched by time.
"Reuniting with Jorge and the entire cast is a joy," says Orozco. "They're all wonderful actors. We have a lot of fun working, and we bring out the best in each other. Everyone contributes so much and the magic truly happens on set."
Both stars now serve as associate producers and describe their role as guiding the spirit of the show — making sure the show's direction stays aligned with Betty's true essence, while big decisions remain a broader team effort.
Streaming Format, Timeless Appeal
The sequel's streaming-first format gives the 21st century series momentum without straying far from its origins. Abello contrasts the original telenovela pacing with the new version's episode length.
"We always did 30-minute episodes where nothing and a lot of things happened, because the arcs would take 20 or 30 episodes to unfold so there could be real transformations within the narrative…. Now we have the same time but with greater punch."
Orozco agrees. "Everything is tighter, more to the point…there are things you won't see but are told another way."
Strategic flashbacks help old audiences remember and new ones catch up with history that provides context to the current story.
Female empowerment anchors the narrative, reframing beauty, success and staying true to oneself. Orozco frames Betty's most visible transformation from Season 1 — abandoning a polished image to return to her original appearance — as a deeply personal reckoning.
"The glasses and the look symbolize going back to her essence, back to herself," Orozco explains. "She's wondering whether the polished path she took was faithful to who she is, or a response to external pressures and a search for social approval from Armando's world. She's at a point in life where certain events trigger a crisis where those questions surface."
But she isn't the only one doing some introspection as Armando's world crumbles under the weight of poor life decisions.
"I don't know if Armando has fully evolved," admits Abello. "Armando is a product of a society where the discourse completely changed for men — where everything you've done from the past until now is wrong, so you have to reinvent yourself... He's trying to learn a language of norms he never grew up with, one his upbringing didn't prepare him for, which leads to mistakes and a real sense that he doesn't know where he belongs."
Those internal questions intersect with the show's larger themes. The series continues to address female empowerment and the tension between change and continuity. Even as beauty standards and workplace culture have evolved over time, some negative attitudes persist. There are still characters who call Betty ugly, reflecting real-world resistance to change.
At the end of the first season, Mila discovered she was used to bring down Ecomoda — her own family's company — by a vengeful member of Marcela's (Natalia Ramírez) family. She also found Betty's younger‑self diary detailing the painful past with Armando before his change of heart and her mother's forgiveness.
Furious yet newly empathetic, Mila — strong, sometimes snobby, once dismissive of her mother — now understands Betty more and is determined to help her be happy again, away from her father, who is now on her blacklist.
Betty, torn between her daughter's expectations and her enduring love for Armando, wants to reconcile her family and find a way to save Ecomoda from bankruptcy, a takeover, and legal consequences tied to Armando's failed investments during the pandemic. Armando, meanwhile, struggles with his own reinvention, burdened by his father's shadow and a need to prove he can be better for his family and everyone who depends on the company.
"I feel we've done a great, conscientious job, with a lot of love, and we've had fun—and that will surely come through," Orozco says of the new season, which she hopes gets picked up for a third installment.
The series is produced by RCN Estudios and written by Marta Betoldi (Ciega a Citas), César Betancur (Rigo), Valeria Gómez (Manes), and Luis Carlos Ávila (La Reina del Flow), and directed by Mauricio Cruz Fortunato (Manes). Season 2 is executive produced by Yalile Giordanelli (Ana de Nadie), Alexander Marín, VP of Distribution at RCN Estudios, and Juan Pablo Posada (Manes), RCN Estudios production VP.
Betty la Fea: La Historia Continúa premieres today, August 15, exclusively on Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories.
The new season has 10 episodes, with two released each week.
