Caray, Caray!

I don't think I've mentioned how much I like the credits that run at the beginning of this show. Interesting light, beautiful scenery, exciting editing of very telling scenes, good music, and of course Miss Celery Stalk 2006-2007, she's never limp.

Baby Rod loses points with all of us, sending a rude letter to CRT. Gav is distressed but Dr. Blondie says, "Too bad for him," and gives her a hankie.

Blondie's in process of creating his tequila based menu, which reminded me of Roz Chast's cartoon, 'Recipes from the American Cheese Council.' (You'll have to click on the image to see it big enough to read.) He invites Gav and Nancy to spend their precious Saturday with him, cooking delicious tequila muffins etc. I think it's se zafó un tornillo which Nancy mutters happily, I believe we say "he's got a screw loose," but I'm happy to be corrected.

Gav continues to look behind her wherever she goes. Can't believe Rod isn't calling and stalking. People point out she demanded this of him so she should be grateful he's complying. Careful what you wish for.

Rod is happily packing up to get the hell out of town. He tells all his honchos Patricio and James can help them - "don't bother asking Aaron, he's got his own thing going on."

Next he calls Dr. Erika and asks if she has the straitjacket ready for their intimate weekend at "Villa Serena" (Serene House, aka the Screw Loose Spa). He wants to pick her up but she says she has to get there early to see other patients so they need to take two cars.

Rod has a very happy chat with Dani and Elvis. Dani susses out he's mighty excited about his weekend with Dr. Erika - or else she gave him some mighty good pills. "I'd like some of those pills," muses Elvis. Rod burbles on about the good times he's had with the sexy Doc. Dani: "Are you really leaving without saying goodbye to Gaviota?" "That's the whole idea of this weekend, without the distraction I wouldn't be able to resist calling her."

He goes home, where Minerva is hanging around with Isa (she lies, "I couldn't go with Aaron to Miami because I am so afflicted with MORNING SICKNESS from my PREGNANCY"). He gives Isa the number at Screw Loose Spa, and leaves with a mumbled goodbye.

Minerva keeps trying to get Isa riled up again - if not about Gaviota, then about the sexy Doctorcita - but Isa is counting on Rod's getting cured by the shrinkette, and even if he doesn't get cured, she'll still end up with the apartment and her jewels etc. so what's the problem.

Phone rings, Isa claims it's her dad and leaves the room to talk to him. Minerva picks up the little tyke and croons menacingly: "Poor luckless little Ricky, you'll end up with nothing."

Well actually it was Frankie on the phone - after trying to suck up to his wife a bit by taking her on a tour of the agaves (she, unsurprisingly, having seen them all her life, was unimpressed - he called her boredom "sacrilege" - she just wanted a bath - he said he'd get the wine and goodies ready) he called Isa to say (as Sofia, in her terrycloth bathrobe, sneaks up behind and hears every word): "I won't be able to call you much, she's on me like a shadow." Isa shrewishly demands he must find the time, several days a week. Sofie screws up her face but says nothing.

In the mall, Fedra whispers loudly to Demetrios' wife that Mariana Franco made free with all the CRT husbands and must be stopped. Fedra is hard to discourage. "I can hardly believe this! My husband thought so highly of Mariana."

Told by his indignant wife about Fedra's gossip, Demetrios (this is one of Gav's former bosses, the one who was into agave diseases) goes to Dr. Blondie. Exact rerun - Blondie tells Gav the harpies are at it again, she goes ballistic despite a promise to remain calm, he looks on in admiration and then says, "Now I understand why Engineer Montalvo is so crazy in love with you ... I will support you no matter what, your work is impeccable and you're a great dame too. Have some coffee." She rejects the coffee several times but he keeps offering.

Dani, Elvis in tow, arrives at CRT: Gaviota had summoned her to find out what was going on with Rod, but now there's the new Montalvo Witch Project to rant over. In a righteous rage Gav has removed the harpies from another guest list, and wants to give them computer viruses... She tells Nancy not to erase Dani or Pilar from the invites list and Elvis adds his own name to the do-not-erase file. Gav compliments his picture, he says she has good taste.

Somebody complained we don't give enough space to Elvis in these recaps. The problem is, he is rarely given any lines which advance the story, or indeed, which are not embarrassing. For instance, in this episode he is given to saying happily, "I like that!" every time something "black" is mentioned. I think the guy's a good actor and wish they'd given him a better role.

Dani reassures Gav that Rod is feeling better, is calmer and even happy, and that is as it should be. She points out that, as a consolation prize, the Doctorcito would do pretty nicely - why, Dani herself would be tempted to fall into his arms.

The more she says Rod is doing well, the less happy Gaviota looks. [Remember, folks, these people are supposed to be in their mid-twenties. That's all I can say in their defense. -- Ed.]

While Dani and Gav are having their heart-to-heart, Elvis sneaks around the corner to spy on the Doctorcito. Soon Blondie spots him, and finding out he is Dani's sweetheart enthusiastically invites him in for -- coffee! And an amazingly boring lecture on where the good coffee of the world comes from, and how Africans have some of the best coffee! He goes on and on, Dani and Gav arrive to find Elvis's face frozen into a rictus of boredom. Leaving, he tells Dani he is much relieved to discover what a gasbag the Doctorcito is (that's a paraphrase). He's not so jealous now.

Blondie asks Gav, yet again, to have a cup of coffee; this time she wearily accepts. He tenderly pretends to be concerned for her emotional state - "Maybe you're feeling too poorly to cook tomorrow?" She says no, so he instantly says he'll pick her up right after breakfast for a nice working weekend making tequila crepes and cabbage.

In the little apartment of horrors, SanWanna is all bouncy and happy that Hilario has come home on time. She presses tasty little treats on him and makes him some special drink which appears to be 65% Worcestershire sauce. He doesn't want any of it. She asks, "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?"

He says he's going to Acapulco for the weekend, she wants to help pack his clothes, he says the wardrobe people do that. He has a look on his face like Acacia used to have before she disappeared. Robotically and with menace, he suddenly asks: "Would you like to come to Acapulco with me? Pack your bags, we're leaving in five minutes." She bounces out, gets ready, they get on his motorcycle, but instead of going to the airport he takes her downtown and dumps her at the bus station with money for a one-way ticket home.

"You can't treat me like garbage," she wails, her stuff scattered all over the ground." "You're worse than that," he mutters and roars off on his motorcycle as she shakes her little fist and curses him. [Oh Hilario, they were right, fame has warped you. Or maybe it was, as Susanlynn put it, Love Potion Numero Nuevo that did the trick. --Ed.]

Rod arrives all happy at the Screw Loose Spa and is mildly impactado to find Doctor Erika has not yet arrived. He sits at the restaurant and orders a tequila. He is more impactado when the waitress says they don't serve liquor at the Spa! He starts getting agitated the way I do when they keep delaying my plane.

Well, as you know if you were watching, Doctor Erika's car broke down, there was no cellphone signal, and the public phone at the restaurant where she was stranded did not work. It takes a while for her to get the message to Spa that she needs a ride. Rod of course offers to go fetch her.

Finally, Gav comes home to an empty apartment (Ma is at the hospital, maybe volunteering) and thought-bubbles: "Rod, are you really going to leave without seeing me?"

Tomorrow: Isa and Minerva pick up a couple of mansos corderitos (tame little lambs) at a restaurant; Hil tells Gaviota about his love for Isa; Rod gets all excited because Dr. Erika wears the same perfume as Gaviota.

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