Caray, Caray!

Hi, this is my first recap. I’ve seen some earlier episodes that we haven’t done a full recap for, but I'm putting in some back story with comments where appropriate. This show is incredibly action- packed, I must say! Since we are used to watching LFMB, which has so much filler, this is a change. This may be too detailed, but I am figuring out how to do this.

Opening on the bar.
Gaviota is reading the gossip about the wedding and laughing. This is a major story in the paper—the headline actually reads something like “Heir to Irazabal fortune is left standing at the altar.” I suppose the NY Post would have a headline like that, for those who know the Post.
This old guy who works in the bar (I don’t know his name—anyone?) asks what she is laughing at. She tells him—they’ll have to pay like I did.
Where is Paco, she asks
In his office. He’s not always doing accounts, you know, he uses it as a refuge, where he thinks of her . . .
Who, Carmelo’s mother?
No, someone he loved from before with all his heart . . .
Why did they separate?
Something happened.
What was her name?
Alicia?
Is it obvious that Gaviota must be Alicia? If so how could they not recognize each other? Or does she know but he doesn’t? This is my first melodramatic novela, so I guess these are conventions, but I am not used to them.

Back at the house of horrors:
Diana is bringing breakfast for D/M, and it is intercepted by Bruno. Bruno looks over her shoulder at Diana with an evil glare.
Octavia is drinking tea in her gold-encrusted living room. She has a photo of her children and an ugly reproduction of a Rembrandt painting. How classy!
(This setting reminds me of the old days of watching Dallas. That was the only show I’ve ever seen where the servants dressed in real maid’s uniforms.)

She sees Diana and says “What did I tell you the first day? I told you I didn’t want you wearing any makeup. Who are you to disobey me?” Then she goes over with a napkin and wipes off Diana’s lipstick and tells her to fix her hair so it is in a dowdy braided style. “That’s how I like you.”
There’s a whole undercurrent of humiliation here. In an earlier episode, Octavia told Diana not to look her in the eye! This is a really feudal approach to employer/employee relations. It’s like master/slave relations.

On to the gym
Pancho/Franciso is working his triceps and talking to Carmelo. She is upset because he won’t marry her, and her father has said she cannot leave the house unless she is married. He says “Don’t worry, I really love you, I want to marry you but I need more money.” (That’s an old one.) Maybe we’ll do it in six months.
She says: But the police might get us first. I am not sure yet what this refers to, but he is doing something illegal? She says” You can’t convince me with your kisses.
He says: No one tells me what to do, especially a woman. He storms away like the abusive clod he is.

Back to the mansion
Octavio is still holding the lipstick smeared napkin. I hope this is the last time I will have to tell you about this. You are protected by my son.
Diana denies it, and Octavia says “Don’t answer back.”
Just then our friend Bruno comes in and puts in her two cents (how come she can talk like an equal? Another unexplained phenomenon)

Bruno pipes up: This nurse is disobedient and an “igualada.” (It means “equal,” but also the dictionary defines this as an idiom for someone disrespectful. It is interesting, because it sounds like it means “uppity,” or someone who acts like she’s equal to us when she shouldn’t.) She never stays quiet.
Octavia says: Evidently your parents never taught you anything. But I never had parents says Diana. What happened? They died. Octavia exits.

Bruno gives an evil cackle. Now she looks like the Joker. “I love it that you got a scolding. Boo Hoo.

Upstairs, Gaby brings breakfast to Larry, who is splayed on the bed in his pajama bottoms and wife-beater undershirt. She says he must eat or he will be too skinny and not get any work. He says he doesn’t care. He wants to find Pilar. Gaby tells him to forget. I want to die, he says, and flings himself on the bed face down and fake sobs. Puh-leeze.
Gaby reaches out to touch him and pulls away.

Max walks in on Diana, who is crying. I didn’t know you were here. Don’t cry. I don’t like to see you like this. You are so pretty. He tries to kiss her.

On the beach
Paola talks to her friends about Pilar. And how her brother was humiliated. Suddenly, here comes Diego, her piano teacher. The other girls start flirting with him. She says that he really likes Diana.

Back to the kiss: No, she says. He says, okay go in the garden and take care of my wife, Marfil. What a guy! (I’m going to put my two cents in here and say that this Max is just not all that attractive, even if he did win some himbo contest in real life. His character is also a drip who always just looks bewildered. He never says much of anything. I don’t see how there’s supposed to be chemistry here between these two as the main love interest. His lovemaking technique seems to consist of standing unnervingly close to the naïve girl and forcing her to kiss him. Moreover, there’s still that odd class difference, in that he uses “tu” with her but she uses “usted” with him. Yuck.)
Diana asks D/M if she wants thereapy or to remain in her room.
D/M says: I want you to be sncere. You want my husband!
Octavia walks in: Is something wrong, D/M tells her that she just doesn’t like the nurse. She’s a flykiller! Do me a favor and throw her out of the house.

At the bar
Gaviota is trying to find out about Alicia.
Now Camila barges in wearing a skimpy top. How does she just get in? Have no idea. Shse finds Max and starts kissing him. Of course, who should pop in but Diana!

Back at the beach, Diego tells Paola how he likes Diana. They have a boring conversation about love. Paola encourages him to tell Diana he loves her. Love means suffering and sweetness together, blah, blah, blah. For those watching LFMB, he is the Aldo of this novella. He has the scruffy beard, the daisy dukes, and the sleeveless sweatshirt—and the new age ideas!

Back at the bar, Paco tells Gaviota all about Alicia. She was someone I had a grand passion for, but she disappeared. She was married and pretended to be single. She abandoned me. Gaviota says maybe something was wrong. Paco says I never loved anyone since, until I met you. My love for Carmelo’s mother was not the same. She was a good woman, but not the great passion.
Gaviota asks: What would you say if you saw her now? I would not know what to say. Now I love a woman who knows the hardness of life and has suffered for love.

Back at the mansion, Max is pushing Camila away. “I respect my wife,” he says. That's a joke. Camila is really angry. Marfil is my worst enemy, she says.

Diana is now talking to Gaby and telling her how awful Max is because he was kissing Camila. He is playing both of us, she says. Gaby (the sap) says surely it was Camila kissing him. Camila is a lizard. No, all men are unfaithful. Don’t generalize—look at Larry!. They talk about keeping quiet about these things so they don’t lose their jobs.

Octavia is now complaining to D/M. I’d love to fire her, but my son is protecting her like fine crystal. D/M: My “marriage” is in danger while that cat stays here. Octavia promises that they’ll watch for her first mistake and fire her.

Back to Larry pining away for Pilar. Boo Hoo.

Now cut to Mexico City! How did they get there so quickly on a scooter: Anyway Kiki and Pilar are there, Kike is trying to force her to get an abortion, he punches her.
Back at the mansion, Max is trying to sweet talk Diana. What’s wrong. She tells him she saw him kissing Camila. She throws a glass of water on him!
Oh, you’re jealous he says. Tries to kiss her again. Yuck. She complains that he is throwing himself at her while he has a wife. He says, you may not realize it, but youj are jealous. Tries to kiss her again, she pushes him away.
Just then, D/M calls him. Coming, dear!
Mom wheels D/M in. Why are you all wet? He says it’s hot and he threw water on himself! Good one! Gee, wouldn’t you want mom interfering in your love life?

O leaves, and Max suggests they walk in the garden. D/M says “oh, I’d rather play blackjack” Max freezes. You always hated card games. Uh-oh. D/M realizes she made a big booboo. Cut to close up of D/M with wild eyes trying to figure out how to get out of this one.
Cut to the bar: Gaviota is consoling Caramelo, who is unhappy about Pancho’s perfidy.

Back on the beach, Paola continues her boring discussion with Diego about love. Paola says she really doesn’t want love. Here comes Diego’s bad brother, Pancho. Oolala. Diego says, meet my student. Pancho says oh, we’ve met. She’s the loony who totaled my car.
Back to the bar: more consoling.
Back to Max and D/M: He asks how she learned to play blackjack. She says: Oh, no, I was confused: I meant I wanted to learn. (Nice save).
Now back to the beach where Pancho and Paola are heavy breathing with each other.
Suddenly we see a small house. Inside we see the real Marfil in a coma. She is being cared for by some woman I don’t know. The bell rings: It’s Andre, the henchman of evil Dr. Montiel. He’s her nephew. She chides him for being out of touch. Oh, I’ve been so busy caring for the doctor, who almost got killed. She doesn’t buy it. Then he asks about her. She says, well since I lost my license I can’t get work in a hospital, but now I’m a nurse here. I have the patient in the next room . . . (so someone will eventually find out about Marfil.)

Back on the beach, Pancho and Paola have moved past flirting into active making out and more. (they were flirting in the past on the beach and when she totaled the car!) Pancho utters this odd locution like Oy Oy Oy. How fast you are. She says, when I like a man . . .so you like me. Well I think you’re hot, so I want to kiss you. See, I know how to kiss.
You like to play with men, don’t you. I like to play with fire. What are you looking for? To live! He says: I think you will break me (or break my heart?) but I can’t wait. She says she wants a man that doesn’t bore her. I know many ways to avoid being bored . .. More kissing.

Now back to the mansion:
Octavia to Max: Marfil says you don’t want to sleep together. You really want to sleep with the nurse, don’t you. Mother, please. O: I want to fire Diana! Close of episode.

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