Saturday, October 13, 2007
Destilando Amor, 10/12/07: Counterpoint Confidential
We are once again at the retreat to treat Rod. This is the point of this weekend and we find that he and Erika are heavily into discussing the specific traits of Gavi's which have made her so attractive to him, and why other woman don't seem to possess them (I think). Bottom line, all those things rolled into one and wrapped with a bow, she's a babe-magnet for guys and he can't get enough of her. It gets him at the gut level like no other woman ever has and brings out the caveman.
Back in the D.F., Alonso is picking up Gavi for a day of Galloping Gourmet. He, as Rod's suave and savvy nemesis, shows us all how it's supposed to be done: instead of sniffing and snorting all over Gavi's upper torso like a panting pet mastiff to declare there's something inebriating in her scent, Alonso smoothly comments to Gavi about her delicious perfume. Hoh-boy!
It is tame so far and Dr. Erika has managed to remain professionally detached and to keep her cool despite Rod's odd responses and actions. They discuss his lack of a relationship with Isadora and how any friendship they initially had fell apart early on, little by little. She draws out that he's never had a female as an actual friend before, except perhaps his sister, Dani. Rod say he feels that despite the professional barrier there is between him and Dr. Erika, he considers her his first true female friend. They agree to meet back in the garden in the middle of the afternoon since she has other sessions and professional meetings to attend till then. Before they go their separate ways he embarrasses her when he says that it's her female scent that is like perfume to him.......uhhh-huh.
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Minnie, Fedra and Isa are in the penthouse waiting for their gossipy guests to arrive. Minnie mentions to Isa in a side conversation what a shock to see her with a couple of drinks in her the night before get so flirty with those two "gentle little lambs" so obviously looking to get racked. Isa plays dumb and apologizes for any inappropriate behavior. Minnie asks her then if she thinks Rod's really having a weekend away with Gaviota, but Isa says he called specially to check in and says he is there with the lady psychologist with every intention of forgetting Gaviota forever, and more power to her if she gets the job done!
Time for the Gaviota gossip fest Fedra had planned in Minnie's penthouse pad. Nobody shows. They note the time and since nobody has arrived yet Minnie flies off into another rage saying Mariana Franco has managed to make them the laughing stock of the entire association. It galls her that they're being humiliated by a woman who should be the CRT's cleaning lady instead of their Assistant Director of Public Relations.
Fedra says she hoped to gain the support of the executives' wives with this little luncheon, but it seems she's thrown a party and nobody's come. So Fedra calls Sra. Urbano to see where she'd gotten to. Dorita tells her she pretty much believes her husband's version and has decided she's got better things to do with her time. Fedra is shocked she told her husband when Fedra had asked her to keep it just between "us girls".
Dorita says there was no way she could do that to her husband. Just then Demetrio takes hold of the receiver and tells Fedra flat out that she'd better stop scandalizing the CRT continually with stories about Mariana Franco because the CRT and everyone who works there hold Mariana in the highest regard. They don't appreciate the Montalvo women's constant attempts at wrecking her reputation with insinuations that are both base as well as baseless. CLICK!
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From here on out it is all point, counterpoint as we switch back and forth between the two couples. Alonso and Gavi arrive at his place and she sees the photo that Meinsdrucken took of her, Rod, and Alonso as the third wheel that day of the tour. Nervously, Gavi says she'd rather forget that day ever happened. Just then Nancy, practically in tears, calls Alonso's to say she's down with a bad cold and can't come over to join them and was too sick to even get over to the university.
Qué awkward for Gav. She can't hide that she's a bit uncomfortable being stuck there alone with her boss in his bachelor pad. Alonso, seeing that Gavi is a bit up tight, gallantly offers to take her home. She is a trooper and swallows hard before saying this is her job and no reason to stay couped up in her apartment all day, so let's get started. He insists that while she's at his home she call him Alonso and they drink to the gourmet dishes they are going to prepare.
Back at the retreat and treat, the mechanic calls Erika to tell her that the car won't be ready until the following day because they had to call a second auto parts place further away for the part. It'll take a day to get there to him. Rod heads for the reading room to look for an encyclopedia. He wants to look into the differences between aroma, essence, smell and perfume and some other gibberish about making the connection between these words and their sensations.
Casandra informs Hilario that she's hired on San Juana and not to get shocked if he comes by and finds her there. Hilario says he will never step foot in her place again then.
In a kitchen fit for an amateur Emeril Lagazza, Gavi laughs at seeing Alonso use his chef's hat and apron while he cooks. He pulls out an extra hat he just happens to have for her to use. He plumps it over her perm and as he adjusts it on her head he looks wistfully at her. Then the two begin to chat and it's a relief to hear it is in Spanish rather than Swedish, and my competing Muppet flashbacks of Miss Piggy and the gang quickly fade away as he of the piercing baby blues --or maybe it's actually haunting hazels--mentions the house will be so much nicer the day a woman he loves starts living there, which truly does bring a whole new meaning to the phrase "cookin' with gas"......
Alonso and Gavi put together the various ingredients for the dishes he's going to prepare and gives her a mini lesson on cooking them. She starts crying as she chops the onions and he tenderly dries her tears with a napkin and says he's glad this time it's only the onions causing her tears and begins racking up points against the away team. A bit later she calls Clarita to ask if "you know who" has called and Clarita says she hasn't gotten a one. Alonso listens in frustration to the conversation and politely pretends to ignore it.
Meanwhile, Erika suggests to Rod that Gavi is his obsession because perhaps he has a fear of failing sexually with other women. She asks him to define the difference he sees between Gavi and other women. He cannot express it in words, becomes agitated and walks off repeating the mantra that she is his ideal just because she is.
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It's time to try the first set of gourmet dishes they've prepared and Alonso and Gavi finally sit down at the table. He opens the wine and begins to play 20 questions. He tells her that although he has never asked her before and understands there's a deep love that she and Rod share together, he must admit he is interested in her past.
Gavi ends up explaining that Rod's marriage is only one of convenience, that Raging Rod is not as randy as other guys and why it seems he cannot go out and play with the other girls the same way he does with her. Alonso is impactado and more than a bit confused. "There were no other women in his life?" She explains then, rather uncomfortably, that Rod is obsessed with her because she is the only woman who he has been able to love. (Dunno, but I think the last thing Rod would appreciate is her telling his rival about his "little problem".) She confides that Rodrigo Montalvo has been the only man in her life and says they've lived through things together that have marked them forever.
Rod insists to Erika that aside from the great sex with Gavi, he actually loves her and would never worry about failing with her. He's happy and complete when she's together with him. That's why she's his ideal love, and lover, because he doesn't need to wonder about doing the deed with other women then. To him that is what love, true love, is all about. (Too bad Gavi isn't a gadfly in that garden right then. I'm sure she'd appreciate this reaffirmation of his feelings for her. 'Course, it still remains to be seen if Erika may have her own agenda prejudicing her approach to his therapy.) Rod assures Erika that Gavi is the ideal lover for him and becomes agitated when he tells her that that they will not be able to be together while he works through his economic problems because of this.
Erika wonders why Gaviota isn't there for him now and he explains her inability to live with the thought of being the cause of his separation from his family. Gavi is telling Alonso at the same time pretty much the same thing: she feels guilty knowing that if she'd never inserted herself back into his life, Rod and his wife and child would be living happily together ever after. (WRONG!)
Rod takes the blame for committing mistake after mistake after mistake with Gaviota in their relationship. Erika has him to consider whether she is honestly helping him at this point. He explains that Gavi feels very guilty about the breakup of his marriage with Isadora. Erika realizes that he's been unreasonable with Gaviota. (Uhhh, okay.) He continues that sure he'd love to have her there with him, supporting him during all this financial and family upset, but it just isn't possible and he/she cannot deal with it anymore. He's looking to Erika to help him avoid going crazy during the remaining period of time he cannot see her while his problems are being resolved.
Meanwhile, Alonso is on his 3rd(?) glass of wine and asking Gavi if she is certain Rod is the one man she wants to spend the rest of her life with. She doesn't hesitate. "Yes." Gavi has to admit though, that Rod's aggressiveness, his obsessive jealousy and outbursts as well as the many sudden changes in their plans have tired her out, so she doesn't know if she can put up with much more.
Gavi continues to explain that they'd agreed not to see each other while he worked out his problems without a lot of added pressure. She couldn't stand the thought of Rod doing something crazy simply on account of his extreme urge to be with her. He might do something he would regret later on.
Erika asks if Rod trusts Gavi working with his rival. He replies that he trusts her, but not that little doctor guy of a boss of hers. That's the reason, he says, he begged her to quit working for the CRT, and now that he's there, away from her he fears he might lose her to him at any moment. Erika says, "Then why don't you just put shackles on her and place her under a bell jar? Where's the trust?" "--Whose side are you on, huh? Hers or mine? She would have left the CRT, too, if I hadn't had to eat my words. You'd think she would have at least thought to change departments, but no! She stayed right there! Right there! Together with that little doctor guy of hers!" ''--And where's the trust? The trust in her?"
At the same time Gavi is explaining her version to Alonso who is still all ears. She says she was ready to leave the CRT in hopes that it would settle things down, but then came the delay and they agreed not to see each other again till he was separated from Isadora. She isn't about to become his..... mistress. He asks her how long she will wait. She answers that she thought it would be a month or so, maybe, but then who knows now with this trip of his it's hard to know. She admits she doesn't know with all that's occurred what is going to happen and cannot say.
Now Erika tries to make Rod see how unreasonable and unrealistic it is to ask Gaviota to give up her lifestyle and future career just to demonstrate how much she loves him while he searches for a magical resolution to all his problems. That is not an idyllic love, just an impossible one.
Alonso asks Gavi if she still loves Rod as much as at the beginning. She answers that she feels hurt. She's suffered a lot because of him, what with his family, his tantrums, and obsessive jealousy, then the change in plans, and now the trip of his. "I don't know what I feel. I am very tired. I can't say I don't love him, but neither can I say how much, or if I can put up with much more."
Erika suggests that Gavi, the "ideal woman" is not with Rod now because she doesn't want to be bothered with his problems; although he wishes that she would not continue working there, next to the man who causes him enormous jealousy, she thinks of her own economic well-being and future career. He is the "poor victim" in this. (Patience, folks. Dear Dr. Erika has obviously never been left to sleep out on the street hungry and without a peso in her pocket, nor had to shlepp around hawking obsolete encyclopedias for a piddling draw against an even piddlier commission all the while worrying she'd be thrown into jail for defaulting on her debts because she couldn't get a decent paying job.) He gets upset and asks if Erika is mocking him again, but she insists she's not and wants him to understand. "Well, maybe you're right. If she loved me like she claims to, then she'd be with me now, right?"
Erika tries to clarify a bit, though for Rod (as well as for me) it's about as clear as mud about now. She tells him not to jump to conclusions yet, but he should try to be more realistic. She doesn't mean that their relationship is meaningless, but perhaps if he thinks about it a bit, analyzes it and tries to deal with the immense love he feels perhaps he'll discover the root of his problem. (Pardon me while I try to untwist myself from my undies here as I have a WTF??? moment of my own while trying to ponder the prior presented possibilities of existentially perfect people-pairing.)
Dr. Erika doesn't realize the literal-minded lunkhead she's just finished theorizing to. Despite her admonitions, Rod is left thinking to himself still that if Gavi truly loved him like she says, then why isn't she there with him now, conveniently forgetting the obnoxious way he shut her down earlier with that nasty e-mail of his the day before.
Gavi tells Alonso that love alone isn't enough. Too many other things separate them like his wife and child, his whole family, as well as the way he behaves. He tells her she's fortunate to have plenty of time to make any decisions about her future. They make another toast and there is a definite difference in the look they share with each other this time around.
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In the Caymans, Oñate shows Aaron the earnings statement from the sale of his new ersatz tequila and the huge order some fool importer just placed with him. Aaron is most positively impactado at the amount and says he'll be able to buy out his cousin real soon with sales like this. Then Rod will learn fast that he's only an apprentice at this game.
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Isa leaves and Fedra comments to Minnie about what a long-suffering wife she is with a husband like her nephew. Minnie declines a glass of sherry, pretending it's due to her pregnancy and still unaware that Fedra knows it's all bunk. Fedra thinks to herself again that she'll never forgive either her son or this woman for not giving her a grandchild with her family's blood in its veins.
Rod, more depressed and frustrated than before after his therapy sessions, leaves for town and a good stiff drink of tequila.
Alonso and Gavi are cooking round two when he answers his phone again. It's Casandra, who complains that he stood her up for the jazz concert. He excuses himself but cuts the call short after explaining he's in the middle of choosing dishes to cook for the upcoming Gourmet exposition. After hanging up he tells Gavi how much he appreciates her being there at the house with him.
Erika gets word from Eloina that Rod left the hotel very upset. She becomes alarmed and has the chauffeur take her to town to go looking for him.
Gavi calls home again to see if Rod called her yet.
Rod ends up at an outdoor bar, takes a table and orders a shot of tequila, Gavi-style.
Back at Alonso's, he's opening up a bottle of champagne to down with the last set of gourmet goodies he's cooked up. Gavi wonders what he's doing with the champagne. He stops and looks at her very seriously. He says he's going to ask her a question and wants her answer: Can she live without Rodrigo Montalvo?
Labels: Destilando
La Peliroja
http://www.starr.net/is/type/altnum.htm
While we all tend to think that Erika is up to something last night I had the feeling she was being very professional with Rod, of course the previews belie that. There were couple of times I thought she might just pick up a brick and hit him over the head with it since it seems impossible for him to grasp concepts.
And Gavi blabbing all that personal junk to her boss is unreal. I guess she really has no boundaries or else is just obsessively driven to spill her guts to anyone willing to listen particularly after a handful of glasses of wine.
Lisa from Alpena
I guess some people view this as romantic..ahhh me not so much.
Rod is an idiot...Erika needs her own shrink...
I say Isa should get some from guy at the table cause Que the Hell we have already established she is skeezy..so you go girl.
My biggest problem is Dr Blondie is the attentive, good listener, alcohol pouring manipulator who knows just the right things to say, the batting of the eyes..
I'm not saying he is a bad guy..but he has his own agenda.
As a shrink Erika will do the same & she should certainly know better, that or Rod would always resent her for the lost of Gavi.
In real life this seldom works out, if you do help someone through a break-up, they usually move right on past you. Maybe you are a constant reminder of the AssHat relationship they were in prior.
I don't think Erika has done anything for the purpose of getting Rod for herself, as so many seem to think. Her methods are certainly unorthodox and in the real world obviously would be a huge red flag. But if we held everything in this telenovela to the reality test, I'm afraid we would have to throw out most of the show. If Erika does end up falling for Rod I certainly don't see it as something she planned.
Gavi is feeling hurt and rejected by the only man she loves so although innapropriate and unfair to Alonso, she's accepting his attention. She's not the first woman to be guilty of that. And, Alonso is after all perfectly aware of what he's up against.
I was disappointed at another episode filled with Rod mooning over Gavi, Gavi mooning over Rod, and the Brujas still going after Gavi.
I like Alonso's methods much more than Rod's and if he weren't blonde but tall, dark and handsome, I wonder if that would make a difference? ~: >)
I was watching my tape of Grey's tonite and at the end a old LFMB episode came on..Disclaimer..there is about to be a comparision..so if you don't like it..stop reading now.
Like Jardinera654..
this is depressing and boring and hello what frickin flashback..
We are now in the serious stretching it out point.
Reminds me of being a kid in the summertime, you step on that big chew of Bazooka and no matter how you try that big pink string just keeps stretching..
If they were going to recycle the plots couldn't they have used word & find/replace couldn't they have left Gavi with Dr. Plague and brought in some hottie Bio Engineer? find Chef replace with engineer?
Could't they find Carla & replace with lady lawyer or something..Gawd please like I used to tell the students when I worked at a college, if you are going to Plagiarize, for the love of Gawd at least get creative. This is self-plagiarism.
Now then about the replace guy..I never went thru the nursing someone thru a break-up, but watched friends do it & I dated a guy for a year that helped me over a Rat, I stayed in for a year cause he was so nice and I felt bad. I did us both a huge dis-service. Secondly..I have seen too many workplace affairs start due to the teary woman or sad husband confiding in a sympathic co worker, then it becomes the "how could he/she treat you like that", "I wish I had someone like you, I would never treat them like that". Next thing you know it is drinks with the work crowd then nooners..I never saw one of these work out. But they do make for excellent entertain for we co-workers who know, no matter how hard you try to hide it, everyone knows.
literal.
Had I been Aaron watching this show, no doubt the celular would've been hurled at the tele at least 4 times.
No patience.
How is it possible for this show to blow and suck simultaneously?
at least the recap was super, as always. Thanks.
VV
On the positive side, I think the best actors are Sergio and Chantal. I was disappointed when they seem to be relagated to second burner. I'd rather see more of them that Dr. Cafe.
I hated the character of Francisco so much that I didn't realize I hate him so much because he is a very good actor. Someone said he must be having a ball with this role, and I can see that now. I still can't wait for his anvil to fall (actually, he's due more that one)
I can't say I like this part of the novela. So much more could have been done.
Thank you, everyone for the excellent recaps. I love you guys sense of humor.
But I'm not even sure of that. I really did find it confusing. Maybe she was just trying to get him to think. The problem is that he HAS been thinking... just along only ONE track and ONE point of view. If you encourage to think abt it some more, he'll probably just keep thinking of it along the same track and the same POV. I mean, he's had four years to come up with some new thoughts, and it hasn't happened yet.
Maybe what he really needs is to experience it from Gavi's POV. Except I can't really see how that would be possible.
Since my reading comprehension of Spanish is much better than my listening, I read the Capitulos on Esmas.com for August 1, the episode that corresponds to what we saw Friday. It reads “Erika dice a Rodrigo ……… que él desea que no esté con Alonso, sin pensar en su bienestar económico y su futuro laboral, por lo que definitivamente él es la victima”. I read this as Erika telling Rod that he wants Gavi to stay away from Alonso without he, Rodrigo, thinking about her economic well-being and career; that Erika is sarcastically saying therefore poor Rod is the victim. So according to this, Erika wasn’t being clueless about Gavi’s need to protect her current and future income. Unfortunately Esmas didn’t clear up anything else for me.
Anyway, in the long run, he took it to mean that Gavi has let him down because she hasn't been honest about her feelings for him which puts him back at square one again. She tried to be emotionally "supportive" when she couldn't be logistically there at the retreat by making that last phonecall to his office, but he refused to talk to her then, another rash decision leading to more mental anguish for him ..... 6 /:>(
And, how come Gavi seems so competent in the kitchen, didn't Mama Clarita tease her about her lack of cooking skills and interest??
I do think Erika started out trying to be ironic and subtle with Rodzy to encourage self questioning instead of constant self-absorption. But, there are subtle changes happening with her and perhaps modulated by his liquid silver ability to concentrate on his own resposibility and his true goals in this quest. Gee, wouldn't I just fall to my knees (read bed) and beg for mercy with that soulful look and awesome body begging to be indulged for his whacky, unreasonable thinking. He does seem to have absolutely no recall that he was big asshat with that snotty and really ungrateful e-mail, resulting in hurting everyone's feelings at Dept of PR, not just Gavi's.
Dr. BlueEyes has lots of intellectual appeal, some soulful appeal although not redhot sex appeal and is such a better ballanced non-judgemental confidant than dewy lipped Erika but her job can't be easy to be fair to her.
So thanks again for all your comments with more than honorable mention to VV for the how can the show "blow and suck simultaneously". I have a stitch in my side from LOL. Caray, it's good to be home again. Buenas Noches.
I'm wondering if this scene would have been much clearer to a native speaker, or if it would have been just a confused jumble to anyone's ears.
As for the captions, I find that they are often inadequately punctuated (plus I never see accents, which would also be helpful). Most of the time it doesn't matter, but times like this it's very inconvenient!
The recycling of scenes, conversations, etc. is boring, tiresome, etc. I would think the actors are bored, too.
Still, I'm not as sick of this as I was of Esmeralda being in the secret prison in "Zorro". That was awful, far worse even than LFMB.
I'd like to see more machinations by Aron, more screen time for him. Bad guys are always more fun than good guys.
I think Dr Erika started out being objective and really trying to help Rod (for himself & withGavi) but I've been noticing changes in her approach that leads me to believe that she's starting to poison the well so to speak. Feeding Rod's insecurities by making him think that Gavi should have stood by him and understood his problems (financial and otherwise) if she really loved him. She is presenting herself as another woman with the keys to solving his problems...just a "friend"...for now. But I'm sure it will evolve into her being a better choice for him because she understands and support/help him solve his problem and further more the "aroma de mujer" that he associated with Gavi is just a perfume that she (who knows Gavi and Rod's story) just happens to start wearing now. She wasn't wearing it before....he would have noticed it. Once he started talking about all the private stuff about Gavi....suddenly doctor lady (with the inside info about Gavi) brings out the same perfume Gavi wears.
And how come she doesn't tell him that she had a few sessions with Gavi before?
Maybe I'm just not as trusting of her as others are, but something stinks with this lady.
Also why would she, as a psychologist, turn to double mean and innuendos now instead of just talking plain and straight? And when she sees that something she has said to her client is confusing him she makes no effort to correct it...but rather feed the suspicions.
Yep....she's feathering her nest and making her bed for the booby she's setting the booby-trap for....Rod.
She and Dr S are both manipulative and playing the same game. Unfortunately Rod & Gavi have two people who are even more dangerous than the brujas ever were at trying to break them apart forever. And they might just do it two because Rod & Gavi are so trusting & naive and they really think these poeple are going to honestly help them.
Which of course is referring to drugs & alcohol..but this dragging story is already making me think of drugs and alcohol..
Anyhow I thought that Rod meeant the "Good Vibrations" he was getting from the amazing freshness of the awesome air was really the odor of Ericka hair...not that she smelled like Gavi.
I really doubt Gavi was wearing anything other than sweat when Rod was first taken in
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beckster:
"I really doubt Gavi was wearing anything other than sweat when Rod was first taken in" --True,so true LOL! That was something he mentioned about what made Gavi sexy to him: "pearls of sweat" all over her body after a hard day of cutting jima.....wet earth and humidity were all a part of his discriptors in the episodio before. Ha! Ain't no way Erika, with her red baby beemer, frosted locks and frilly frocks is gonna let herself smell like that!
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