Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Tues 11/20 Destilando Amor: A piñata of anvils
The word "piñata" refers to Italian pine-nuts and is also related to the word "piña," which refers to pineapples like you get from Hawaii, as well as the fruit of any type of bromeliad, as well as the agave. Just as a piñata is filled with candy, a piña is filled with juice.
A couple of years ago, I went to a birthday party for my nephew; I heard there was going to be a piñata. I was surprised to see Spongebob hanging from the ceiling with strings coming out of his square pants.
Today's kinder, gentler piñata technology lets each kid pick a string and pull, rather than swing a baseball bat around while blindfolded and hopped up on sugar. One of the strings opens the piñata, and then candy rains out of Spongebob's bottom.
The world's biggest piñata has been drizzling little anvils for weeks, but the heaviest anvils are still trapped inside, waiting for some poor sucker to pull the one string that rules them all.
Who will be the lucky string-yanker?
And what noise will he make when he is crushed?
Nestor Videgaray, Pilar, and Dani talk about Rod moving to England. Nestor predicts that Rod will come back periodically to take care of things. Pilar talks about Rod's problems (the few she knows about) and says it's a good thing he has the woman he loves at his side - she will infuse him with the strength to solve all of his problems.
Dani and Nestor exchange such obviously pained looks that Pilar becomes alarmed. They quickly assure her that she's right and everything will be fine. She is too tired to push it.
Meanwhile, Gavi finishes a conversation with Rodrigo and updates her mother:
Gavi to Mom: Rod's still at his Granny's and the big family dinner is canceled.
Clarita: ¿Como así? (ha-ha, that never gets old, does it?)
Gavi: He'll take us out afterwards.
Clarita: Yay! Love is great!
Rod shuffles into Pilar's living room looking like the living dead and tells Pilar he's going to take Gavi and Clarita out for dinner. He suggests that Pilar go to bed. She agrees, but first asks Dani to help her fix up Rodrigo's room. (I wondered where Imelda was, but realized that they probably have to let her sleep once in a while.)
Nestor wants to leave too, to prepare for tomorrow. But first, Rod wants to figure out what they can do for Gaviota. Nestor says there's nothing to figure out - she'll have to appear at the hearing tomorrow. They need to face Aaron's accusations. He warns that until Rod and Gavi clear their names, they might be "detained" and probably won't be allowed to leave the country.
Rodrigo hates putting Gavi in this situation, but Nestor thinks she'll understand that they're victims of circumstance. As for the idea of putting Gavi on that plane, she'll lose her job if the CRT thinks she's trying to flee from justice. That will only make things worse.
Rodrigo very rashly decides that the absolute only way to solve this problem is to confess to everything and claim that he was just using her. He can't let her go to jail. He figures he's going to lose everything anyway, what with all the hacienda problems and debt, so he's got nothing more to lose; while Gavi still has her brilliant career. As for himself, he doesn't care if he ends to prison. He just wants to get her out of the country. He'll take all of the blame so they won't even need to talk to her.
Nestor gets steamed - I don't think I've ever seen him nearly this angry before. They yell and scream at each other. Nestor is furious that Rodrigo won't let him do his lawyerin'; that he's going to ruin his life for something he didn't even do. Aaron's been leaning on the judge to hurry this case, and Rod's just going to make it easier for Aaron to get his way, when Rod and Nestor should be looking for evidence to incriminate Aaron.
Dani comes in to report that Granny suspects that they're hiding something. Nestor asks Rod, "Have you thought about her?" Rod shrugs and says she'll find out sooner or later anyway. Nestor insists that Rod share his cockamamie plan with Dani. Rod tries to weasel out of it. Nestor says he would like to hear Dani's opinion of it, because he doesn't want any part of this decision on his conscience.
Dani tells Rod she won't leave until he tells her, but Nestor loses patience and tells her himself. Rod grinds his teeth in frustration. Dani is speechless.
It is getting late. Clarita begins to worry that Rod has chickened out on them again. Gavi is sure that is not the case. She tells Clarita they're practically married already, because of their little ceremony at the waterfall. They'll be together forever. The cheap seashell necklaces are as good as engagement rings.
Clarita reports that she has a bad feeling about this. Gavi complains about her mother's superstitions, but begins to get a bad feeling too. They try to soothe their troubled souls with some tequila, but for some reason it doesn't work. Clarita tries fanning some imaginary bad-luck vultures away from Gavi's head; Gavi tries to fan away her mother's gloomy omens.
Rod explains to Dani that there's no sense in both him and Gavi going to prison. (He seems less willing to consider keeping BOTH of them out of there.) He asks for her support. She hugs him and begs him not to ask her to do this. Rod feels it's inevitable.
Nestor, the party-pooper, says the ministry is not going to forget about Mariana just because Rod asks them to. She was a manager there at the time. Rod says that she was still a subordinate and he can claim that he made her sign those things. He says this is the only choice they have, and this is what he's going to do, and Nestor has to go along with it.
Dani says it sounds plausible, but Rod hasn't considered what Gavi might think. (He says "she doesn't have to know.") She will never go along with this. How is he going to explain when he doesn't go to London with her? He should tell her the truth. Rod says he's not backing off from his plan.
Change of scenery: Frankie and Priscilla, the two penniless high-living would-be jetsetters, are making out in his car like a couple of kids past curfew. Pris gets coy with him and says she doesn't want to feel guilty in the morning. Frankie asks if she's having such a bad time. She says no, and that's why she needs to go!
Frankie wants to go to her place. No can do - she doesn't want to annoy her friend that she's staying with. He says he knows a place. She turns him down because she has to get up early and get ready for a trip. He asks if she won't feel guilty about leaving him this way. He knows a place!! She tells him to forget it... but she doesn't stop kissing him.
She suggests that he go with her to Careyes (it's on the coast in Jalisco). He loves this idea and says he'll call her at 10. She hurriedly says no - she'll call him at his suite to make sure he gets up early enough. He says don't worry if a woman answers - it'll be his assistant, a workaholic who always shows up very early.
Priscilla goes into her apartment. Frankie mutters to himself that there goes his poverty.
Gavi is on the phone with Rod while Clarita listens to Pepe Aguilar. Gavi has to ask her to turn it down. She teases Rodrigo for leaving them hanging. (There's an unnecessary close-up of the boom box, which looks just like the one from the drunken night at Isa's place when Minnie was singing the Gaviota song.) Rod says he's tired to have dinner tonight after all. Gavi says they can always eat when they're in London, but her mother might not be so quick to forgive.
There is more silly small talk. When it gets too mushy for Clarita's liking, she turns the music way up. Clarita dedicates the song to Rod and has Gavi hold the phone up to the speaker. Rod laughs in spite of himself. He says he'll pick them up at 10:30. Gavi would like to leave earlier to say goodbye to Pilar, Dani, etc. He bites his tongue and agrees.
He winces as she says, "Never forget I love you, I adore you, I idolize you with all my heart. You are the master of my heart. I am completely yours." (She should know better by now - every time she says that, something awful happens.) He doesn't answer right away. He says he's tired. She tells him to rest and asks God to bless him a thousand times. He just says goodbye.
Gavi tells Clarita that Rod was acting strange. Clarita reminds her that he's tired.
Rodrigo broods late into the night. He tells Dani that tomorrow he's going to have to make up some excuse to Gaviota. He's been up all night thinking of what he's going to say. Dani asks what they're going to say Granny when he ends up not going to London? He says he'll blame it on the hacienda emergency. (I forgot - she knows about the plagues at the hacienda; she doesn't know about the fraud at the corporativo.)
He tells Dani he has faith that God will help him, but he needs Dani too. She hugs him and wonders why everything is going against them. Rod says he doesn't know, but he hopes this curse doesn't affect Gavi too. And that nothing else happens to him.
Meanwhile, Gavi is having a happy flashback to frolicking with Rodrigo in his bumblebee shirt.
Frankie finally gets home. Isa makes an icy remark. He says it took a long time to tour the huge plant. She makes another sarcastic remark. He says the time he's put in has paid off - they're going to sign his contract tomorrow, give him the money he asked for, all kinds of benefits, and three productivity-based bonuses a year.
Isa sits up a bit but does not jump for joy. She tells him to ask them for an advance, because they need to rent a place. As usual, she insists on going with him for his meeting at 10. She'll get a sitter for Ricky. She wants to personally meet his bosses and make sure it's a real job. He says he's getting irritated with her attitude, after all he's done for her (what has he done for her?), blah blah blah. She sarcastically says yes, she can see how much he's suffering.
The next morning, Rodrigo is studying the family photos on his desk while finalizing his plans over the phone with Nestor. Pilar comes in and notes that he's in the same clothes; didn't he sleep? He says he did, but got up early.
He tells her that the plans have changed. He's not going to London. He gives her a hug, says he'll explain later, and leaves to take a bath.
Alone in the room, Pilar glances around nervously. (Don't be scared, Granny. It's probably just the anvils rattling.)
Elsewhere: Aaron in casual clothes, chatting with Larry "The Snake" Oñate on a very frightened telephone. He tells Larry to stay in the Caymans for a while, and don't call. Aaron will find him. And of course Larry should go on distributing their "special" hooch. All of it. They've already got a couple of suckers to pay for the "broken plates."
Aaron smiles coldly; the phone breathes a sigh of relief, having cheated death for the time being.
Doña Jose is saying goodbye to Clarita and Gaviota and saying how much she will miss them. They talk about the furniture (are they letting her keep it?) and Gavi says she'll send her some tickets in a few months so she can visit. She begs them to call her as soon as they can.
At the Public Ministry: Nestor tells the judge (?) he doesn't need to see Gaviota - Rod's coming over voluntarily and is pleading guilty. He hopes to spare his family, the corporativo, and Gaviota any trouble.
With a tiny scoff, the judge says that's not up to Rodrigo. They still need to do an investigation. Nestor argues that Gavi's taking a big job in London for the CRT, so he would appreciate it if they'd at least listen to Rodrigo before issuing a warrant against her. That's Rodrigo's condition for giving himself up and cooperating fully. That way they can resolve the case as quickly as possible. He has no prior offenses, and he'll be there in just a couple of hours.
The judge agrees to this and tells his clerk not to issue the warrants yet. The judge doesn't exactly lick his chops, but he looks quite happy at the prospect of landing such a big fish.
Gavi and her mother are now saying goodbye to Liliana, to whom they have given a potted plant. (I don't know who she is - maybe she's the neighbor who warned Rodrigo away all those many months ago when he was stalking Gavi? Whoever she is, I certainly feel better now that we have closure.)
Gavi assures Clarita that they can bring Clarita's santitos on the plane as carry-on luggage. Clarita's nervous about moving so far away.
At Pilar's, Rod is saying goodbye to Dani and telling her to tell Sofie what's going on. Pilar comes in and he tells her he's going to meet with Nestor and then go to the hacienda. Pilar is concerned that Gavi and her mom are going alone. He's like yeah, he'll catch up with them in a few days.
She looks at him intently and asks if everything's okay. "Oh sure, everything's great! And it's going to get better! You'll see!" She gives him a blessing. He gives Dani another hug, and Granny another hug. Pilar shivers slightly, in spite of the sunlight shining on her from the window. Dani tries to cheer her up.
Up in the Presidential Suite, Isa answers the phone before Frankie can reach it. It's Priscilla Llorente! He whispers to Isa that she's his future employer's HR director. He makes a date with Priscilla right in front of Isa, who must be wondering if anybody at this unnamed company has an actual office with desks and chairs. She asks why he didn't tell them she's going too. He insists she can't go with him. The meeting's in an hour! She says no problem - she'll be ready in 15 minutes. He says he'll give her an extra five.
Gavi is getting nervous. She wanted to leave early to say goodbye to Rod's peeps, but now it's getting late. Clarita suggests calling, but Gavi doesn't want to pressure him. The she sees him waiting outside. She tells Clarita to say goodbye to the house. Clarita gives the magic telenovela-machine a big hug. (I guess nobody told her that they have TVs in London too. I bet she'd love Benny Hill reruns.)
Frankie is packing up his things as fast as he can. He takes the money out of the safe in big sloppy handfuls that he stuffs into his pockets, ignoring the knocking at the door.
The baby catches his eye. Frankie backs away from him warily, like a vampire catching a whiff of garlic. He tosses a few bills back into the safe. "That's for your milk." He seems almost ashamed to be leaving money behind. He zips his bags shut, and catches the baby staring at him innocently again. Frankie sighs - probably just from the stress of the moment - and hurries out the other door as the baby starts to fuss.
The window-washer at Gavi's building helps put their things in Rod's car and refuses a tip. Gavi gives him a hug goodbye. (Yes, the window-washer. We are truly saying goodbye to everyone. We totally mean business.)
Rodrigo is subdued. She asks what's wrong - "you seemed a little depressed last night." He says he can't go - something suddenly came up! Gavi asks if it's about the agaves.
Clarita, who is clutching her Big Box O'Saints nervously, greets Rod and complains of anxiety. Rod tells her to breathe deeply and she'll be fine. Gavi practically has to shove her down the sidewalk.
Gavi says it seems like Rod is trying to get rid of her. At first he gives her a line about not wanting to make problems for her at her new job. Gavi reminds him of their pact to stay together through good and bad. She'll stick with him no matter what, and to hell with her job. She'll help him out.
But he insists that he will solve it alone. She says she can tell he's hiding something and lying to her. He says he really wants her to go and refuses to tell her anything more. She asks if he wants nothing more to do with her; he says no he doesn't - not for now. He's still the same immature idiot she's been with for the last four years. He's not ready for the responsibility. "But you told me a thousand times yesterday that you loved me." "That was yesterday!"
Gavi tells her mom to call for a taxi. Rod still wants to take them to the airport; I don't know why Gavi doesn't punch him.
She wonders where this is coming from. Was it the psychologist? He says no, he just realized that he made a mistake, and he doesn't love her enough to marry her.
"So you were just fooling around with me?" She hits him, calls him a liar, etc. He is holding her as she screams at him. She tells him he's changed; he denies it and says he's the same jerk. He kisses her, but she pulls away and screams that she hates him. She rips his necklace off, then her own and throws them both at him. (The fact that he hadn't taken his off yet disproves most of what he's tried to tell her today.)
Gavi curses the moment they met and leaves with her mother, who is too nervous to understand what's happening. Rodrigo picks up the necklaces and crushes them in his hand as the womens' taxi speeds away.
Isa comes out of the bathroom. Someone with remarkable knuckles and patience is still knocking. It's the sitter, who hasn't seen Frankie. She takes the baby.
Isa tells herself she's not going to sit around in the apartment all day. She goes to the closet for some clothes, and it takes a few moments for her to wrap her mind around what she's seeing. Or not seeing.
She calls the front desk and asks if he left a message for her. Yes, he did! We don't get to hear what it was, but from the way the phone slips out of her hands (another one bites the dust) we can guess.
"Francisco abandoned me!"
Back in Montalveña, Sofie gets the bad news about Rodrigo from Dani. She's impactada. They worry about what will happen if their grandmother finds out about this.
At the public ministry, Rod calmly answers yes to all of the charges (did it behind Aaron's back, knew it was illegal and did it on purpose, and sold ten times as much product as he actually exported). Then he gets fidgety when he claims that he wanted the money to finance a personal venture. The judge gives him a funny look. Nestor wrings his hands.
Gavi and her mother are at the airport. Gavi is grumpily ordering her mom, who is still lugging the box of santitos, to hurry. Clarita is still confused by the change in plans and wants Gavi to call Rodrigo. Gavi says she has nothing to say to him. Clarita says she should give him a chance to explain. Gavi says that he already told her all he had to say - he screamed it in her face.
There are no more next-episode previews, so I leave you with this quote from G. K. Chesterton:
"I caught him, with an unseen hook and an invisible line which is long enough to let him wander to the ends of the world, and still to bring him back with a twitch upon the thread." from The Innocence of Father Brown
Labels: Destilando
As for Rod, I have never seen anyone (even on tv) cause himself so much unnecessary grief. This man refuses to learn anything. He doesn't need help messing up his life. Ha, he was born with so much and he's managed to systematically destroy everything, including the love of his stupid life...
jb
Now that Rod has "confessed", I wonder if, when the supposed real truth comes out, he'll be charged with perjury? Maybe they don't do that in Mexico - or at least not in telenovelas.
On my way up to Lookout Mountain. Hope I am able to watch tonight's episode. If not, I look forward to tomorrow's recap. From lower Ala
I mean, seriously... it's been four years for them... how many months for us?... and Rod still hasn't learned a damn thing about Gavi. After all the problems she's overcome, he still doesn't realize that the girl practically has super-powers and can get out of any mess?
He tells himself that he's doing this for her, but he SHOULD be doing what's best for both of them. He should be thinking of them as a team; instead he's just trying to protect his own conscience at any cost, including the cost of her happiness.
BTW you can still get the smackable piñatas. We tried to make our own in Spanish club ("La Tertulia") back in high school. The damn thing was so sturdy we eventually had to take it down and stomp on it.
I loved your anvil-filled pinata description. I wonder myself who will be the unlucky stinker to pull the "winning" cord.
Oh, and just so you know. Gavi ripped Rod's necklace off first then ripped her own. Then she threw them both at Rod before joining Clarita at the waiting taxi to take them to the airport. When the taxi drove away, Rod clenched the broken necklaces in his hand and grumbled, "Gaviota."
J.R. :)
It would have been fine if they could have done the whole scene without her interrupting, and then had her say something dumb afterwards to lighten the mood.
But you're right - she plays (or is being asked to play) Clarita way too dopey, and it's very irritating. That time on Christmas Eve when she got hammered at the party - except for her being a little clumsier, you almost couldn't tell the difference. She babbles nonsensically all the time anyway, so what's the point?
A phrase from a book I just finished kept popping up in my head as I watched: Supercilious Sacrifice. Rod seems to think he is being chivalrous by breaking Gavi's heart -- yet again!
...I know I know, it's just a novela....
I agree that Rodri is a mezcla of bad judgement and bullheadedness about his bad judgements. Poor Gaviota, at least she gets on the plane and doesn't do a melt down on the street besides Rod's crushed necklaces. Ohh, sad episode in all. Julie, thanks for handling it so well. I agree it couldn't have been easy to type what we heard.
"Supercilious sacrifice" - I love it. Martyrdom born of arrogance. What a concept!
Does anyone know why Clarita always asks “como asi” instead of “porque”? Is it some class or regional thing?
I don't know how long all this would take in real life but on TeleNovela's you are in jail right after the commercial break.
Rod knows if Gavi is detained any job with the CRT is done, even if she could get out of criminal charges, she would never be able to work for the CRT again. It just smells bad and looks like conflict of interest.
Until other evidence is recovered (which you know it will be) they got them dead to rights.
Rod knows if he tells Gavi she won't leave and most likely she will end up in jail.
Now before I crawl off in self hate to the corner, I gotta admit, the fight brought a tear..okay a really small one to my eye. I got thru LFMB without so much as wet eyelashes and Rod/Gavi you got me.
I too felt a twinge for Isa when she found out the snake oil salesman had split on her and the baby. I couldn't help thinking that Jose would find her sobbing in the halls with the baby and somehow the two of them would end up raising the baby while Isa gets a decent job and makes something of herself.
Loved the frightened phone comment. I keep picturing a phone somehow attaching itself to Aron's ear like a barnacle and refusing to allow itself to be thron to the desk, the floor, the wall, a basket of tortillas or a nearby pool.
I’m looking at it from Gavi’s point of view, or maybe just mine. I’d rather have my career aborted by the forces of evil than to be left in pedazos by the Love of My Life telling me that never mind, I never meant it. Plus I always think honesty is the way to go and that the best solution to a problem is straight through it.
It’s not like Rod can hide this. When Gavi gets to the her CRT office on Monday, the news is going to be flying around.
Videgaray told Rod there is a chance after meeting with the authorities, that they would not be released.
If Gavi chose to stand by her man, and you know she would, Gavi would be imprisoned as well as Rod and who would take care of Clarita? Rod is well aware the family fortune has just gone down the drain. Gavi's life would once again be ruined by the Montalvo family.
I don't think he will charged with perjury, because he was basically blackmailed into protecting Gavi.
Still, when you think of how good these people usually are at lying to one another, it's surprising when they screw up so horribly!
Yeah, of course he had no plan. I thought maybe after their "honeymoon" he would return ready to face anything and show how he had matured. But, no. How can they make these behaviors okay for Rod to do? And he's going to end up being the hero???
Since I'm on the soapbox... Clarita is carrying a box tied with rope on a transcon flight. Gavi can't afford a bag with a handle? She knows this isn't a bus trip-- she's got to go through customs and untie the rope...
jb
FYI everyone, the Destilando Amor series has not yet been released on DVD, I tried to find a complete set to buy, but there is nothing. Everyone said it will be several more months until maybe it will be released for purchase, though no one seems to know for sure that it will be.
Also, FYI, many of the individual main characters now have prime commercial spots for all kinds of products on TV, while wearing their DA outfits and personalities. This was REALLY a hugely popular telenovela, absolutely everyone --including men -- was hooked on it. Look forward to re-entry tonight!
La Zorra in SF
===========
I agree with desti about the performances of the two leads. It was such a painful scene and more so because their portrayal of their characters' individual anguish came through so well that I totally forgot I was watching a screen. Definitely a 4 hanky!
The custom spread to Spain, and become more elaborate in their contents but were still used before Lent-as a preparation for giving up sweets, etc.
When the Spanish priests saw the Mexicans breaking gourds around Christmas time, they incorporated the 'pinata'into the Posadas. Thus the'pinata'became the fun it is today enjoyed by all. Naturally they gave it the 'dote mexicana!, colourful paper & unlimited designs
Lisa from Alpena
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