Caray, Caray!

The first fifteen minutes: total reruns!

• Gigolo Frankie and Isa in their luxury hotel (he doling out fakely passionate kisses and slobbering, she doling out lots of efectivo, which I think is a great word for cold cash). At the end, she says she has to go home, he can stay longer if he likes, he can't take her to the airport 'cause somebody might see. "But I'll need..." suggests Smarmy, reaching for her purse. She shakes out a pile of shekels with a disgusted look. As she leaves he counts the cash happily.
  
• Minerva stamps around telling everybody Isa picked the wrong time to go on vacation, because Rod took advantage of her absence to run off with Mariana/Gav.
  
• Aaron tells Patricio, "enough already of your scruples, get with the program," and mutters to himself that the investigations Rod and Mariana are making in the ports are costing Aaron dearly - he's having to hold back his illegal shipments, he can't release them till Rodrigo is back in the city.
  
• Also rerun: Pamela shocked at the idea of having Aaron's child, Minerva's wonderful scene with the pillow under her nightie, Dani leaving Pilar's house because of the "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?" scene and Pilar's subsequent unyielding racism.

On the island, I'm happy to report lots of lovely photogenic frolicking in the surf. Rod pouts at the idea of going back to the city - he can't face the mess - Gaviota, adorable in her hat, the voice of reason and responsibility, says they have to deal with his family and the corporation.

Finding out about Amador's will, Gav decides she and Rod should keep things under wraps for a while - she is afraid of Aaron's reaction, and of the wildwomen Isa and Minerva. "Let's wait for the right moment. Tomorrow is the last day of the year - I'm sure your family wants you with them." Rod cries, he's terrified something ugly is going to happen (is that the sound of anvils?).

Gav says they can't go back on the same airplane. Rodrigo watches her leave and sobs with terrible foreboding. He's doing what she commanded, but he doesn't agree with it. "When you told me to go back to England to finish my postgraduate studies, I did as you suggested, and look what happened!" "It won't happen again, nobody will separate us," she reassures him, but of course since we've all seen a lot of tv and movies we know that's the comment made just prior to separation.

After she's gone, he pokes at the sand with a stick saying her name over and over.

Isa gets back to her apartment, opens the door and instantly snaps at the maid. She's disturbed to hear Rod is still AWOL. She calls Elvira who report happily: neither Rod nor Mariana has resurfaced nor called for quite a while. She then calls Minerva, who says "You're losing ground with the family. You have to be with us tonight, forget the idea of going to your parents." Isa says she'll wait for Rod and asks: "Do you think he's run off with Mariana?"

Poor simple Clarita is praying at her altar when Gav shows up, happy and excited, talking a mile a minute as she enters the apartment, announcing: "I'm going to live with Rodrigo."

Ma nearly faints but is revived by Gav's reassurance that all three of them will live together. "It will take some time to work a lot of things out. We'll live on Manzanilla Island." Poor patient Italian Bennie cooks them dinner while Gav burbles on about Rodrigo.

Isa and Minerva call to see if Rod's home yet. After Gav says, "Oh, I thought he'd be back tonight," they hang up. This reminds Clara - an elegant lady came by, while Gav was at the beach, wondering where she was. Didn't leave a name...

Gav announces they're staying home tonight - no more drinking bouts for Clara - and no TV either! - but Clara insists on TV, because it's the final night of her soap opera [I forget the name] "and it's just like your story - they're so in love, they've suffered so much - but in the end, they're happy - he's like Rod, handsome and rich, she's like you, pretty and humble..." [I wouldn't have said humility was one of Gaviota's characteristics.] "... and they go to live together in a castle and ..."

Suddenly, from the tv set a SHOT is heard! The hero is down! Clara and Gav are both impactada, could this by any chance be an omen? "... ah no, they've killed him! It was the ex-girlfriend, she got out of jail! ..." "This story is too cruel," snaps Gaviota as she turns off the television. "Why do they make these shows so violent?" Clara asks rhetorically.

In the country: a fiesta in the town square. Meliton has his arm possessively around Acacia, James is lurking, Acacia looks longingly at a piñata (after her coma she's on about a 9-year-old level), James rushes to buy it for her, she is frightened when he thrusts it at her, Meliton shouts: "Don't abuse my niece!" "I never hurt her, you did!" Acacia wants to go home. After she's gone, James picks up the crushed piñata.

Just so you don't forget they exist, SanJuana and her mother-in-law-to-be are in the kitchen. Ofelia wants SanJuana to learn how to be a good cook - so she'll be a good wife - but SanJuana bounces off to get dressed for partying...

And back in town, it's another joyful get-together at Montalvo's. Isa arrives, alone, kisses Pilar's frozen face, Sofia instantly takes her aside and counsels: "Don't listen to Minerva, she's getting worse every day," Isa says, "No worries, while I was ALONE IN ACAPULCO I did a lot of thinking and I don't want to risk my marriage, I trust Rodrigo completely."

As it happens, Minerva, YOUR husband isn't at the joyful get-together either! ... He's with Rubberlips, telling her he has to leave. She says "Don't go, I cancelled a night with my parents to be with you, and I'm leaving tomorrow - or, I could stay ... ??" But he tells her no, go, he has a lot to do. "I'll see you in a few days." "Won't you take me to the airport tomorrow night?" He says of course he will, and in fact since she begs for some time alone with him they arrange to meet mid-day for some substantive discussions prior to her departure.

Clara is worried about living on an island but Gav reminds her they've picked up and changed their lives before. "Remember when we cut lemons in [I missed the name]?" Not to mention, of course, leaving the agaves altogether in order to move to the city! That worked out ok...

Gav invites Bennie to go live on Manzanilla island with them too, but he announces he's, in fact, going home to Italy next day, for "business reasons."

As Gav and Clara digest this sad news, the phone rings, it's Sofia: "Have you seen my brother?" "No, I thought he'd be home tonight!" Gav scarcely has time to start getting worried when the doorbell rings - surprise, it's Rodrigo in a blue pointed hat with streamers! Oh, how nice, a last batch of sweet kisses before the tequila hits the fan!

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