Caray, Caray!

No episode on TV Wednesday because of holiday schedule with a La Fea Mas Bella special and a Jose Jose homenaje! Hola!
But only 70 episodes left!

Alternatively, you might want to tune in to the Nathan's hot dog eating contest. This year, they say, the defending Japanese champ may have some serious competition. It's pretty disgusting viewing, however. But no more disgraceful than the appearance of Niurka on the Cristina show, for those who caught it! (P.S. to above: the results are in--the challenger won, 66-63 hot dogs.)

Now, back to our show. Every time you want to kill the writers, they give us a good episode like this. There are some moving scenes. There are even some interesting new vocabulary words. Bonus: no Kike or Diego or Fedora!
(BTW, remember that where they cut back and forth before finishing a scene, I am often compressing into one complete recap of the scene.).

We open with a recap of scenes from Monday. Max and his roommate Pedro discuss Nurse Ratched. Samanta is quickly revealing herself to be a perfect replacement for Bruno. We needed a new sirvienta with all the resentful class-consciousness of our late lamented lunatic.

Samanta catches Diana chatting with another nurse and castigates them for moving like turtles. She asks Diana whether it's true that Max has "baptized" (bautizar) her Azucena (white lily). Por favor, she sputters (English: "puh-leeze"). He may have lost his mind, she says, but he has not lost his "cursi" (pretentiousness or affectedness).

Diana asks why she has to be so venemous.


Larry and Rene talk about how it will be hard for Gaby to go against her mother.


Diana and Samanta continue to wrangle. Samanta wants Diana to obey (acatar).


In the manicomio office, Diana greets Fiona, who wants to visit Max. Diana puts the kibosh on that and talks to her about Eduardo. I love how Diana is becoming Eduardo's Cyrano.


Granny M calls Larry to tell him that Gaby went on a two-month honeymoon with KickMe. Larry looks impactado. Back to Granny M. The camera cuts away to reveal a stricken Gaby lying on the bed, looking close to comatose. She says it is better that Larry believe she is gone for a long time so he won't call. Fans, let's hope that Lunkhead works his two brain cells to see through this ruse.


Over at Casa Paco, Paola is trying to break down the front door with a hammer, and Octy is trying to stop her. Octy is having trouble because the cleavage on her black halter is too low and she might fall out. Not to mention her stiletto heels are keeping her off balance. Paola manages to knock her over and starts a great screaming fit. She rivals Debora in her best weasel-on-crack days. She also starts choking Octy. Finally she lets go and manages to get out the door. Octy staggers to her feet and runs after her. Paola runs out into traffic, Octy screams, and oh, no, Paola has been run over. It looks to be the same street where Paola and Silvia had their accident two weeks ago. Paola lies on the street with a lot of fake blood on her face and the orchestra of doom swelling.


Cut to Paco. He is chatting with that old guy at the bar (I don't even know his name) about the Paola situation. At the same instant as the accident, he hears Paola's name and is startled. He drops his glass. Paola--this crazy girl, he says, who I hate. Why am I hearing her name?


Back at the manicomio, Max and Pedro are talking about how much Max wants to kiss Diana. Pedro eggs him on. Diana comes in. Followed by Samanta, who sneers that she figured Diana would be there.


Now for some fun stuff: We cut to Miami's only jail cell, where our orange-clad Puncho is weeping bitterly while Caramelo visits. (I wonder why Puncho is the only prisoner who has been given the orange jumpsuit. All the others have worn their street clothes.) She is finally dumping him! He says he only wanted two women to be happy. She reminds him that two women can never be happy with the same man. He's really turning on the waterworks. He begs forgiveness. But she says no. She is burying their love (enterrar-ah, Eng. cognate inter).

Octy gets into the ambulance with Paola. She mutters that Paola can't die. The camera cuts to a poignant picture of Paola's flipflops on the street next to the bloodstains. Octy now calls Paco to tell him about the accident. He asks how Paola got out of the house. She says it doesn't matter--just call Larry and Yolanda. The Irascibles will pull together!


Back at the manicomio, Diana tells Max that she loves him but they have to be professional. No kissing. He wants to know why he can't remember.


Larry, Rene and Yolanda arrive at the hospital and get clued in by Paco. Who is going to go in the room. Larry wants to go in, but Yolanda says that Paco should have the honors. Paco goes in, and Larry wants to know why, since they hate each other. Yolanda reveals the secret to Larry. Larry is impactado again today!


Back at the manicomio, Max tells Diana he's beginning to feel better and less confused. He has more nitidez, or clarity. He remembers he has three enemies: Their names are Diego, Ignacio, and Pancholon! He wants to flee (fugarse) immediately and start fighting them.


Over at Emilio's Silvia is sporting a day-glo green wig. She opens to the door to Isabel, who wants to see Diana. Silvia blabs that Diana is no longer at the fabrica, but she's working as a nurse again at the manicomio--the same one where Max is. Who is Max? (it's not clear to me why Isabel can't remember Max's name.) Silvia reveals that she is taking care of the chilpayate (kid). She jumps at the chance to get Isabel as a baby sitter, as it will give her time to land a new boyfriend. (she wants to pescar--fish--for galanes--boys). She will give Diana the message, as she knows Diana will love the idea of Isabel taking care of the escuincle (also kid)since Isabel took such good care of Maxito during the kidnapping.

Octy goes to the lobby. Paco is sorry. He talks to Paola. Although they have their differences, he cares. She is young, and she must recover. The others are all crying in the lobby. They ask why Octy hid the secret for so long. Octy just lays into Yolanda.

It's life or death, and Larry wants to tell Paola the truth.

Debora and Isabel are rehashing Isabel's visit to Silvia. Debora wonders why they would be so trusting, but it's because Isabel gave the baby back safely after the kidnapping. Anyone notice that Debora now looks like Valerie Bertinelli with her new wig? (save for the large face bandage, of course).
Debora thinks they'll have to be very careful, since there are too many people at the mansion. But no, Diana's not at the mansion, etc. Isabel fills her in. This "tipa de pelucas," that is Silvia, or the gal wearing wigs, is a real charlatana (charlatan, but here a slang for chatterbox or blabbermouth). She told her all about Max being in the manicomio, etc. Isabel kind of forgets Max's name again, inexplicably, or is she playing dumb? Debora says they only lack one thing . . .I'm not sure what it is.

Caramelo talks to Emilio at the fabrica. She looks sad. She tells him that she has thrown Puncho over forever. Emilio smiles.

Samanta is supposed to give Max another injection but he escapes her clutches. She gives the injection to the pillow. She calls Iggy, who rails at her incompetence. Here's something I could not understand. He wanted her to put herself in pilas--a sink or basin? I just went through this quickly and didn't review, so if anyone else understands this, please fill in.

Back at the hospital, Yolanda comes into Paola's bedside, and Paco wants to leave. Yolanda tells him to stay, that he has more right than anyone. You hate each other, but you should know the truth. Octy kept this secret for a long time and only I knew. Paola is your daughter, and you are her real father.
Orchestra of doom crescendo. Paco is impactadissimo. What are you saying?

Meanwhile, Larry is telling his mother that it would be terrible if Paola died without knowing. Octy is furious, because if Paola finds out Caramelo is her sister, it would be worse. Rene butts in, saying that if she had known earlier, the whole Puncho thing could have been avoided. (we could add that if Rene hadn't given Paola drugs, she wouldn't have had a drug problem, but they seem to want us to forget that Rene used to be her connection, now that he is new Rene. I'll play along.) Octy just fumes some more.

This is perhaps the best scene ever in this dumb show. I really want to do it justice.
Yolanda is explaining the scheme to Paco. When he and Octy first met 20 years ago, she had a reputation to protect. She had her daughter pass as her husband's. That's why she never told him her name was Octavia.

Paco now has the scene we have long been waiting for. He says he can understand, but how could she not have told him before they got married. It is crazy. He says that Octavia was a mute witness to all the hate between them. He is appalled. She let Caramelo and Paola hate each other for no reason. Octavia's evil knows no limits. Her silence was unjustifiable. Yolanda tells him that she didn't dare to tell him because she was afraid of Octavia.

Now he kneels near Paola tearfully. (She manages not to move a muscle through all this. She has blood painted on her face and a ventilator and bandages on her head.) He addresses her sorrowfully. You were a daughter I hated. And now you are dying. I want you to open your eyes and I will beg forgiveness--Paola, my true daughter. Yolanda cries too, as the credits roll.

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