Caray, Caray!

Sorry to be late with this; the blog site was down all day and wouldn't let me post! OK, here we go...

Vera-nica is wearing the sluttiest dress ever. As far as I can tell it's a backless dress that's on...backwards! She's blathering happily that finally stupid Veronica and that "babosa" (twit?) Violeta have gone so that she can put her makeup on in peace.

It's raining in Montreal and Federico is running around bumping into locals looking for the casino.

Remember the dress that J-Lo wore to the Oscars? The one that almost had no front? Well this is Vera's dress only pink, and she's wearing it along with her platinum wig into the casino.

Gustavo Arrives at the Vallodolid hacienda and is looking for Remedios. He wants to know the story of Eloisa.

Federico sees Veronica, does the cartoon bug-eye, asks her what she's doing there and what's with the wig? In French Vera says she doesn't understand what he's talking about. Then they speak English to each other. Federico sounds like he has marbles in his mouth. He says she looks just like a friend of his. Quelle surprise, she comes onto him! She speaks perfect English; I wonder where the actress is from?

Remedios tells Gustavo she, Eloisa and Griselda were the Three Amigas. Eloisa fell in love with an out-of-towner. Even though the townspeople said terrible things about her she was a good woman. Gustavo asks if perhaps the same thing hasn't happened to Maite. Remedios always believed Maite was innocent of the terrible things people said about her, but some things happened to give her doubts. One night she ran away with her daughter in her arms. She left a note explaining that she was leaving her husband for another man. She would have left but she missed the train. "Yes," says Gustavo, "I remember the scandal. Was there more?" "Yes, years later, just before Adolfo died in the car accident Maite was arrested by the Mexican civil authorities for being in a house of ill repute." Gustavo remembers reading about that in the papers. (That’s because Manola was waving the paper under his nose for days and even took a copy to Unibrow in Ensenada, remember?) "It was a round up and the photographer got a picture at the Very Moment she was arrested among the other women, hmmm..." a light bulb goes on over his head. "Why do you ask," wonders Remedios, "do you think she’s innocent? It WAS the perfect excuse for Jacinta to get rid of her once and for all." Gustavo wonders if there is another explanation. He wants to investigate but he needs absolute discretion. "Tell no one, not even your son." Oops, too bad his confidant is that bocoza (blabbermouth) Remedios.

Gustavo's maid Evelia is at the winery picking up Don Gustavo's favorite wine that doesn't give him a headache. Baldo arrives and informs them that Jacinta and Federico are in Canada for the girls' graduation. Teodoro and Baldo wish they could be there. Evelia says "el amor no lo frena ni el tiempo ni la distancia" or "love restrains neither time nor distance." They agree that even though they are many kilometers away Juanita has all their love. "And Valeria", adds Teodoro. "And Veronica," thinks Baldo. He's got it bad.

Maite and Victor arrive in Montreal. They are happy even though it's raining. She wants to take him to a special place, it's a surprise.

Valeria and Juanita are in their dreadful play costumes. They are nervous about the play and wonder where Veronica is. The director tells them to chill and to "rompete una pierna." Juanita is shocked, "Huh? Break a leg?"

Vera wins a few coins in the slots. Federico helps her scoop them up, using this as an excuse to nose-dive down her cleavage for a peek. Hey buddy, GROW UP!!!

Jacinta telephones Madre Consuela. She's tired and not used to travel, but she looks forward to seeing the Madre the next day. She says she's too tired to attend the girls' play (whew, that was close!), but she can't wait to see Valeria's face when she shows up at the graduation.

In Ensenada Unibrow tries to console Nutria but she's sick of his crap. He wants her to forgive him for continuing to obsess about Maite for the duration of their marriage. She says she thought their relationship was based on honesty. "But I have never lied to you," he reasons unreasonably. Silence. He leaves. "And you have never loved me," she replies to the empty room.

All of a sudden I think I'm back at La Fea. This slapstick scene features the long-suffering Don Jose and his household of wacky characters, the Joan Rivers lookalike (his sister?) with her doggy, his partner or friend, an old deaf dude serving dinner, and the old dude's nephew who is a portly middle-aged guy cast as a stuttering excitable kid running around in circles. I'm not sure what this scene is all about and how these people are all connected, but if it means anything I’ll get back to you later. For now let's continue with the very serious Barrera.

Ahh, it's a happy family scene at Gustavo's hacienda. Rodrigo in his do-rag is playing solitaire on his lap top and smoking a cigar, Manola alternates between pouting and looking bored, and Gustavo is cutting a deal on the telephone. Gustavo wants his clients to come to the hacienda for dinner but Manola says better to take them out to a nice restaurant. Rodrigo pipes up "better for them to see what a charming hostess you are." Gustavo wants his clients to see what a loving family they are. Manola replies that it may not work out, she has decided that she and Rodrigo have a Moral Obligation to travel to Canada for Valeria's graduation. "A moral obligation???" Even Gustavo has a hard time with this one. Of course! Manola's dad works for Jacinta and Gustavo knows how Jacinta hates to travel and what an experienced traveler Manola is. She can help Jacinta who doesn't speak English or French or anything. "But Federico’s with her." "Oh he’s great company," she sarcastically retorts. Gustavo, knowing he's losing this argument, turns on Rodrigo and yells at him for playing Solitaire instead of working.

In the casino Federico tells Vera about the coincidence of her looking like his friend who actually lives in Montreal, but of course Vera is much more beautiful. She likes this and lets him lay a big smooch on her. He wants to go somewhere where they can get to know each other better. She leaves to exchange her chips for money and he muses "No, she can’t be Veronica, but she sure looks like her." Federico is the grand poobah of sleaze in these scenes!

Remedios pines over Federico's picture. She vows to God to win back his love and respect.

Ick!!! Jacaranda and Nicolas are in bed when his phone rings. Naturally it's his wife who "wants to make sure he's OK." "Of course," he says, "here's a little kiss" as he loudly smooches Jacaranda and hangs up. She laughs at his stupid jokes because she wants something out of him.

Vera slinks out of the casino and catches a taxi. Rodrigo comes out shortly after and realizes he's been ditched. "Looks like that chick left me alone with boiling blood (la sangre hirviendo, i.e. all hot and bothered)." He smirks and adjusts his nads. Dude, gross me out!!

Maite takes Victor to the Notre Dame Basilica. I guess this is the special place. She thanks the Virgin Mother for bringing Valeria back into her life. Now she will have the pride and satisfaction of seeing her daughter graduate.

The girls are on stage. Andres arrives with flowers and Valeria forgets her lines.

Vera counts her money. She has had the best weekend of her life. "Andres, Andre...this time you're going to pay attention to me."

Maite and Victor leave the cathedral. He wants to take her to a marvelous restaurant, "La Cola de Caballo." The Horse's Ass?? I wonder what they serve?

UPDATE: My work pals just laughingly informed me that the La Cola de Caballo means The Ponytail. Whatever.

Andres gives Valeria and Juanita each a bouquet of flowers. He says Veronica told him about the play. They wonder where she is.

Don Jose is talking to Unibrow on the phone. After he hangs up he gets pensive and tells his friend how odd it is that he and Unibrow have such similar histories. "Yes," the friend says, "it's curious that you both had dashed romances in Aguascalientes." "And now he, like I, is back there working," says Don Pedro. His friend adds "sometimes life has surprises and takes us to a place that can heal old wounds." Or something like that.

Unibrow is still sucking up to Nutria who is on the laptop trying to ignore him. He's all excited because Don Jose offered him a larger percentage of the wine sales. He wants Nutria to go with him to Mexico City. "No." "Why not?" "I can't." She won't. Guess it's her last chance to wise up before she's killed off.

At the dorm Valeria and Juanita continue to wonder about Veronica's whereabouts. They worry that if she doesn't show up the nuns will expel her, and so close to graduation.

Cut to the great outdoors, Sacacomie Quebec, where Veronica wanders through the woods and removes a small animal from her head. Oh, it's her wig. She's disoriented and frightened. "Dear God where am I? How did I get here? Why?" She has something in her hand, a hotel key?

The girls wake up and still no Veronica. They're worried but they're afraid to tell the nuns. They decide to search the school one more time.

Unibrow is STILL pressuring Nutria to go to Mexico City with him, and she's STILL using her laptop to ignore him. Remember his belly? Today he is wearing a slimming black shirt. He wheedles. She uses the excuse that she has plans with Reina (the blind lady) and can't cancel at the last minute. He whines. She calls his bluff, handing him the phone and telling him to call Reina himself if it's so important. Gotcha! He leaves. Alone, Nutria calls the Dr. and tells her that after Unibrow leaves she'll come into the hospital for tests.

Vera is still wandering about in Quebec, now closer to a huge lodge. "Hey! It's the hotel that was in the the girls' pamphlet. What am I doing here? Maybe there is a clue in my purse."

Return to the hilarity that is Don Jose's house...Juana Rivers passes her doggie "Cherryita" to the deaf dude so he can feed it its special diet; she says old Tio gets deafer every day, hahaha. The "kid" wants to leave the table to finish or repair the record player. Don Jose rolls his eyes and points out that he has already dismantled every electronic device in the house, hahaha. But Juana Rivers needs help with the musical selection for her next event, a fashion show involving a designer clothing label that aids unwed mothers. It will be in a beautiful place, lots of trees, many flowers on everything. "Just like the beautiful paintings you used to make" says the manchild/electronics assassin. This sets her off talking about her days at the academy of arts and crafts in Barcelona. "Aiieee, again with the stories of art school," sighs Don Jose, "even though they never actually admitted you," hahaha. "You shouldn’t say that, some critics have called my style Neo Primitivism." Don Jose's friend pipes up, "Because it seems to be made by primitive man, but in this era." Hahahaha everybody laughs except Juana Rivers. I still don’t know why these scenes are included but maybe time will tell.

In Quebec Veronica wanders through the lodge, asks to use the telephone and is told she can make calls directly from her room. "My room? Where is it?" In her room she finds her suitcase with the clothes her mother gave to them along with the J-Lo dress that she doesn't recognize. She finds Valeria's card and thinks Valeria must be around somewhere. "Andres and his brother said they were coming here. Did I come with them? Why can’t I remember? I’m going to look for them."

Back in the vineyards Gordo, Teodoro and Baldo are inspecting grapes. Woohoo!!! My prize for the night, Baldo is shirtless and he's ripped, the hunk! Ahem...they are looking forward to exporting their wine to Canada. Remedios arrives with lunch, chicharron gorditas. No! Baldo, don't eat that fattening stuff! You'll end up all gordo!! The guys talk about what a great man Jose Maldonado is. The guys talk about what a great man Jose Maldonado is. The guys talk about what a great man Jose Maldonado is. Oops, that's me rewinding to ogle Baldo some more. Remedios screws up her face, looks all pissed and thought bubbles "Jose Maldonado is the swine who deceived Eloisa, the father of Maite!"

Labels: barrera