Caray, Caray!

I’m subbing for Jody tonight and in two weeks, I’ll be relieving her entirely of her pasion recap duties so think of this as a trial run. I have been recapping Amar Mondays and will continue to do so for the duration. Since it’s my first night, I apologize in advance for mixing up the characters and any mistakes I make. One thing though, I can’t help myself because I took Spanish Medieval lit in college. I notice Santiago is being called “saintly.” Santiago is the Santo-Iago or St. James, the greater, the patron Saint of Spain. There is a whole medieval mythology about St. James the greater, the apostle, going to northern Spain after Christ died and dying there. That is why there is a city called Santiago de Compostela. (St. James Field of Stars). I have forgotten the part of the legend about the field of stars. The route to Santiago de Compostela is an ancient pilgrimage route, probably dating before Christianity. Anyhow, instead of calling him saintly, we should be calling him Jimmy but as a late entrant to the Pasion recap thing, I’ll go with the flow.

As for the timing of the show. I’d put it a little later than some people have, like the latter half of the 18th century but really, It could be anywhere from 1711-1811 because this is the Caribbean coast of Mexico right? While South America was full of revolutions as soon as Spain started to lose her grip, Mexico was pretty quiescent until later in the 19th century when it exploded. The Caribbean islands changed rulers constantly until well into the 19th century. And the styles don’t matter; they could be a mishmash of several decades because we are talking about the outer reaches of the Spanish empire here not the latest fashion. I think we’ve already agreed that the whole Droits de seignior (first night’s rights) thing was crock although I am pretty sure that in some smaller towns, the local chief did abuse his power and nobody could really do anything about it. We are talking about gangsters basically. This town seems too big and Don Jorge’s power too formal for this to be the case. But I’m willing to spend belief on that one.
Now on to the show.

Fortunata and Ursula meet Vasco, Mario & Ricardo on the road out to buy furniture. Ursula takes advantage of the meeting to invite Ric to her house AGAIN that night. Ric is all, “gee wouldn’t want to wear out my welcome” but Ursula is all like, UR Hawt, please please show up. Even Fortunata is beside herself when confronted with all this male pulchritude and suggestively offers the men strawberries from her basket. Mario takes one. After the women scurry off (Ursula gives Vasco a swat of her parasol just to diss him) Mario and Ric laugh and joke and Vasco sulks and stalks ahead.

Over at Casa Camila, Jimena announces to Camila that she has vistors. Camila is not enthused. She’s had a full day already and doesn’t want to see anybody else. Jimena tells her that the old lady and the blind chick are here. Camila asks her to to give her excuses and send them on their way.

Later, Lisabeta and Aunt Francisca are strolling about in the great room of Don Jorge’s house contemplating their options. Francisca suggests that maybe they should just present the letter from the doctor alleging Don Timoteo’s inabilities to Don Jorge and let him figure out how to annul Camila’s inheritance. Lisabeta is now a bit worried about the consequences of pushing things too fast for Ricardo’s sake and says no, they should wait. And besides, it’s her inheritance anyway. Francisca tells her she’s stupid and a dreamer if she thinks that Ric is ever going to pay HER any attention. This is not what Lisabeta wants to hear and she starts having a tantrum right on the spot, calling Camila a dead mosquito, etc. and that she wasn’t going to let her get Ricardo. Because the room has an outsized mirror hanging behind them, we see Fortunata and Ursula enter from on of the many doors and pause to hear this tirade from the blind woman. Francisca catches them but does not stop Lis in time. Ursula stalks off with Fortunata thinking that Lis was talking about HER and is furious. Here Lis is taking advantage of her dad’s hospitality and she has designs on Ricardo herself. Fortunata tries to intervene saying that really, they don’t anything about the relationships between these people. Ursula blows her off but wonders aloud about what letter from a doctor Lisabet could have been nattering on about. Fortunata helpfully suggests that it’s probably the letter about her dead Uncle not being able to have relations with Camila, hence no valid marriage. Ursula agrees.
Lisbeta is now in a tizzy worrying about what Ursula and Fortunata heard. She and Francisca scurry back to their rooms to figure out what to do. Francisca frets about what will happen if Ursula tells her daddy what she heard.

Meanwhile, Mario, Ric and the sulking Vasco are still out on their furniture buying expedition. Ric says he likes the Chinese and Florentine pieces and to tell his Dad the shopkeeper to get those for him and send them to his address. Vasco agrees. Suddenly Paquito runs up asking for his daddy. Vasco picks him up and cuddles him (first time I’ve seen him do that) next he’s introducing himself to the two other guys and proudly telling him that he’s 8. Ric and Mario tell him they are impressed. Vasco gives Paquito another kiss and sends him on his way. Mario inquires about a wife and Vasco explains that she died along time ago. Ric gingerly inquires about whether the “discussion” in the cantina the other night was about Ursula and Vasco sheepishly admits he was drunk. Clearly the little boy’s appearance has softened the feelings between the men a bit. Ric tells Vasco, just to be clear, there’s nothing between him and Ursula. Vasco looks confused and kind of skeptical. Mario slaps him on the back and he and Ric go on their way.

At Casa Don Jorge, Ursula tells her Dad that she invited Ric over for dinner. Don Jorge tells her she was wrong to do that—he’s got another engagement. Ursula says no biggie, the women of the house can entertain him. She adds that she just saw the blind girl and the old lady and what do you know, blindie is in love with Ricardo. Don Jorge looks up half interested, “She told you?” Ursula explains that she and Fortunata overheard her tantrum and her oath that nobody, including Ursula, was going to take Ricardo away from her. She’s not the helpless waif she pretends to be. Ursula adds that the old lady intends to give the letter from the doctor to Don Jorge to have him take care of their Camila problem. Don Jorge wants to know what letter and Ursula fills him in about Don Tim’s documented ED problem and Jorge is either distracted or a bit uncomfortable about the discussion (maybe recalling that his own night with Camila did not go as planned either) . In any event, he tells Ursula that she needs to uninvite Ric to the house tonight. She tells him that she doesn’t see anything wrong with him being accompanied by the ladies but Don Jorge disagrees and tells her flatly no. Ursula leaves in a huff. Don Jorge looks thoughtful.

At Casa Camila, Camila finds Ascanio about to leave for the blacksmith’s shop to get a knife sharpened. (Yes, really ladies). Camila has a look at it. She asks him if he’s going to Santiago’s shop and he says yes but he can go elsewhere if she would prefer it. Camila says no. After she asks, he reports that Claudio is in his room with Jimena.

Camilia goes to Claudio’s room and finds Jimena there talking quietly with the stricken teenager. Camila comes over to him and whispers that surely his Mama is now with his brother Angel. Claudio gets up and he isn’t willing to let this go. Thanks to his (Cousin?) Don Alvaro, he’s lost his entire family and his rights to his land. Justice won’t permit this outrage. Camilia tells him that he can’t do anything about it right now and that he doesn’t have any proof of what his cousin did. Claudio counters that you don’t need proof to fight injustice. He looks determined.

Ascanio arrives at Santiago’s shop and asks if he can have the express while-you-wait service to fix his knife. Santiago says sure. Santiago takes advantage of Ascanio being there to ask him how he ended up with Camila. Ascanio explains that he was in service to her dead husband and after he died she set him free and he decided of his own free will to stay with her. Santiago asks if he knows this Ricardo Lopez de Carvajal guy and Ascanio says no. Santiago tells Ascanio what he knows and adds that he doesn’t trust the guy. He asks Ascanio to keep an eye out for him because “women are too susceptible.” Ascanio says that he’s very grateful to Camila and he will do everything in his power to make sure she and Jimena don’t fall into danger. Santiago gives Ascanio a hard stare and decides he can trust him.

Ric and Mario are out walking again. They are laughing about Ric’s being a target for the females of the town but he’s now a bit worried that somehow the entire town is believing that he’s engaged to Ursula and that’s a problem. Mario says it’s only a problem if he’s really after Camila. Ric gets mad but Mario insists it’s true. Before they can finish this discussion, they see Ascanio back from the blacksmiths and they sneak up behind him and walk him off at knifepoint for a little talk. They arrive back at the hotel and Mario distracts the clerk while they sneak him up to their room. They sit him in a chair for an interrogation. They ask him what he’s doing there and what Claudio is doing there. Ascanio replies that he’s Camila’s servant and that Claudio’s freedom was bought by Camilia, although his brother died from the beatings and hunger. Ric gets upset at this news. Apparently this wasn’t supposed to go down this way. Ric had fixed it that they were supposed to be bought and set free but some other guy showed up with more money they were taken to the plantations as field hands. Ric is not pleased.
Don Jorge shows up at the hotel and asks the clerk if Ric is in and the clerk says yes. “But he’s got visitors.” “Women? “ asks Don Jorge. The clerk says no and Don Jorge smiles and marches on up. The clerk looks nervous.

Mario and Ric have a brief discussion about how Ascanio knows Ric’s true identity and whether that’s a problem. They present the situation to Ascanio with an implied threat. Ric adds that he wishes no harm to Camila. Ascanio asks if he has his word on that and Ric acts surprised that he would take the word of a pirate who is already living under an assumed name. Next Ric starts to ask why Ascanio came to warn him the night that he went to see Don Timoteo and the Don called the cops on him. Before Ascanio could answer, Don Jorge knocks on the door. Ric and Mario pretend to be laughing when they open the door. Don Jorge explains his visit that he has come to apologize that he won’t be able to entertain them this evening, as he has another engagement with Alberto and his other buddies. He invites him for another meal or for lunch the following day but Ric tells him he can’t make it, he has to leave town to buy furniture for the house and he wants to take a look at the lands that Alberto was telling him about. They leave it at when he gets back. Ric introduces Don Jorge to Mario and Ascanio although Don Jorge notes that he met Ascanio before, at this same hotel in Camila’s room while she was staying here. He leaves.

Mario is worried that now Don Jorge knows that Ascanio knows them. Ric is more worried now that Ascanio knows that he’s Ricardo de Salamanca the pirate and that Camilia knows as well. He wants to know if he will tell her that he’s admitted it. Ascanio says no, for now. Mario doesn’t like this answer and starts to draw his sword and rush him. Ric puts his hand up. He wants to know where he went with Claudio the other day and Ascanio relates that whole sad story about his cousin-stepfather possibly killing his mom. Mario shakes his head and says “and they call US the bad guys.”

Night falls and Don Jorge takes a ride to Camila’s house. Camila is still not wanting to see visitors. Jimena says she’ll see him. She goes out and offers Don Jorge a glass of wine which he accepts if she’ll have one too. Don Jorge starts asking her lots of questions, like how she met Camila and where she’s from. There’s a commercial break and when we come back, Camila’s made it to the drawing room. Don Jorge asks if her dead husband ever mentioned Lopez de Carvajal. She says no. “But he did mention the pirate cousin?” asks Don Jorge. Camila says yes he did. Don Jorge notices her reticence and complains that Camila still doesn’t seem to trust him. She feigns that that’s not true. It’s just that Don Tim didn’t really take her into his confidence all that much. Don Jorge puts a hand on her shoulder. He tells her he knows that her biggest problem is this letter from the doctor. He’s going to get it and keep it so that “nobody can make bad use of it.” Camila thanks him but looks nervous as does Jimena. He tells them that he wants them to take it as a sign that he’s on their side. Jimena chimes in that they have complete confidence in him. Don Jorge takes advantage of the opportunity to mention that he saw Ascanio at the hotel talking to Lopez de Carvajal and his bud. Camila tells him that surely they knew eachother since he was in service to her dead husband. Don Jorge takes his leave.

Meanwhile, Ric, Mario and Ascanio make their way back to Casa Camila. Ascanio asks what he should say if he runs into Lisabeta or Francisca but Ric says not to say anything, that he hasn’t seen him. Ascanio volunteers that he doesn’t think that what the two women are doing to Camila is right. Ric has a chance to ask Ascanio finally why he took the trouble to warn him that the cops were after him at his Mom’s house. Ascanio says simply that he had always thought that he was innocent and did not want to see him get caught, that’s all. Ric seems unsatisfied by this answer but lets it go. Mario makes sure Ascanio knows that he’ll be in trouble if he opens his mouth. After he leaves, Mario remarks that Ascanio knows more than he’s telling. Ric says that they have to have patience and that if he comes to trust them, he’ll talk. Mario thinks he’ll be talking, but it could be to the authorities about how Ric is a pirate. They have a laugh about Ric’s pirate reputation.

Just as they walk away, Don Jorge leaves Casa Camila. Jimena thinks it’s great that Don Jorge is going to have the letter and he didn’t even ask her for anything in return. And even if he did, Jimena says she’d gladly take Camila’s place to pay for the favor. Camila is worried about something else. She doesn’t like what she heard about Ascanio hanging out with Ricardo Lopez de Carvajal. She rushes off suddenly back into the house dragging Jimena with her.

Back at the hotel, Ric asks the hotel clerk something I couldn’ t quite catch. I think it was if Ascanio had been seen there by Don Jorge before. The clerk responds yes, he had been there with Camila and Jimena, before they got their new house. The clerk leaves.

Downstairs, Camila and Jimena are waiting to see Ricardo. Maybe that’s what the clerk had originally been there for, to announce them. The editing was very close here and I never actually heard him say that. Jimena is still prattling on about how sleeping with Don Jorge is not that bad an idea. The same clerk comes downstairs to tell them that Ric is on his way down and leaves. Camila turns back the discussion about Don Jorge and says that she knows that if Ric’s promises are false, she’s going to have to have to consider it. Jimena turns the discussion to Ric. She says given that Ric is travelling with Lisabeta and he’s their cousin, it’s possible that “Antillano, the pirate” is in fact the same person as this cousin, Lopez de Carvajal. Camila looks thoughtful.

Ric comes downstairs and offers them a drink at the hotel bar. They move over there for some coffee or chocolate. Ric then asks what Camila wanted to see him about. She hesitates but after some prodding from Jimena she tells him that she’s afraid that if Don Jorge has the letter, he’s going to make her sleep with him. Ric agrees that that is a possibility. Ric wants to know what she wants him to do about it. She tells him that since he promised to help her, if he makes sure that Lisbeta doesn’t give it to him, he won’t be able to do it. Ric nods, non-committally. Camila says that although they still won’t have resolved their differences, she’s desperate to avoid this fate. And she doesn’t care about the money, she only cares about not losing her freedom. Ric promises her with moist eyes that she will not be sold again as a servant and that “one way or another, this matter will be resolved.” Camila thanks him. Ric adds that she knows that she has her doubts about him but “Not every bad person is all bad, nor every good person, all good.” Camila looks thoughtful. Jimena looks like she wants to eat him. Quite the little horndog is our Jimena.

At Don Jorge’s mansion, Don Jorge and Francisca meet up by the stairs. After an exchange of how each slept last night (Francisca says fine although she adds that Lis did not) Don Jorge asks about the letter. Francisca agrees to bring it to him right away. At just that moment outside, Ric arrives at the palace and asks to be announced to Lisbeta. Back inside, Francisca is rummaging through the papers and CAN’T FIND THE LETTER! She freaks out screaming “IT’S STOLEN!” She wakes Lis, in her rag curls and clutching one of her multiple dollies. Lis wants to know what’s going on and Francisca tells her, and here she was just about to show it to Don Jorge. There’s a knock at the door and the maid announces that Ric is there to see them. Lis hastily gets her robe on and fixes her disheveled curls. Downstairs, Rick encounters Don Jorge who is surprised to see him since Ric had said he was going out of town that day. Ric said he was just stopping by to see Auntie and cousin before leaving. Don Jorge mentions that he was just talking to the women and Francisca was going to give him the letter so that he could show it to his lawyer to see if it was valid. Ric smiles and pretends that he was going to do the same thing—he doesn’t want to bother the Don. The Don interrupts and says it’s no problem. They are going back and forth a bit when Francisca appears on the stairs and starts shouting about the letter having gone missing. This looks like a surprise to Ric. They regroup in Don Jorge’s office to try to figure out who could have taken it. The servants can’t read, according to Don Jorge and how would they know it was important? A thief would take jewels and valuables. Lisabeta accuses Camila. Don Jorge doesn’t think so, although she has the most to benefit from the letter being gone. He promises to get to the bottom of it.

The ladies go out in the courtyard with Ric and Francisca suggests that Camila could have paid someone to steal it since there are people walking in and out of the Don’s palace all the time. Lisbeta asks Ric what they should do. If they don’t get it back, they are done for. Ric says it’s possible that somebody took it and turned it into the authorities. Ric says the best thing to do is wait until Don Jorge does his inquiries and see what he finds out. Ric suggests that the women stay at his new pad but Francisca objects, saying that she doesn’t know why he rented a house. They are doing fine at the Don’s palace and besides they aren’t going to be staying in this town very long. Ric disagrees. He says that contesting a will takes a lot of time and they are sure to be stuck there awhile. He doesn’t want them to abuse the Don’s hospitality. Francisca agrees to go but she’s not happy. She doesn’t think it’s time to sit around but time to do something. Ric tells her they need to wait for Don Jorge to look into it. He needs to have that letter back in his possession right away. (i.e. he doesn’t want Don Jorge to scrutinize it too much either) They ask why and he just tells them that it wouldn’t be “prudent.” Lisbeta picks now to ask him why he had to bring up the “pirate cousin” in the earlier discussion during the dinner party. Ric says that it’s always better to tell the truth, even if it’s only half of it. He bids them goodbye and tells them to trust him. He kisses Lisabeta and leaves. Lisabeta is enjoying the memory of the kiss and tells her Aunt that he’s probably right. Francisca is not convinced.

Over at Camila’s, Camila has asked for Ascanio, to come and see her. She tells him to close the door behind him and that she doesn’t want the others to hear them. When he sits down, she tells him that Don Jorge came over last night and told her that he (Ascanio) met with Ricardo Lopez de Carvajal at his hotel room last night. Ascanio admits that Ricardo met him in the Plaza and invited him over for a chat. About what? asks Camila. Ascanio says that he told them that he was there with his aunt and cousin, etc. etc. Camila asks him if he knew him from working at Don Timoteo’s house. Ascanio says yes, his family and Don Timoteo were on friendly terms. Camila points out that all the time she was in Mariana, she never heard of this guy. Ascanio suggests that it’s because he was travelling. Camila looks skeptical. She asks him what kind of person he is. Ascanio says he doesn’t know him well. Camila notes that he seems a bit short on words and Ascanio tries to explain it by saying he was just a servant back then and that people didn’t talk to him much. Camila asks him if he knew her husband’s nephew, the pirate. Ascanio says no. A little too quickly because Camila remembers him talking to him in front of the house the night he sneaked over to talk to Don Tim. Ascanio backs up and agrees that he did meet him. Once. Camila gives him a funny look and then goes directly to the main question. “Are Ricardo and the Pirate the same person?” Ascanio shakes his head and says no unconvincingly. She lets him go. She turns away and looks thoughtful.


We go to the street and in a scene without words, we see Ricardo give a letter to a street urchin and direct him to deliver it.


Jimena and Camila are talking in the courtyard of the house. Camila relates the conversation she had with Ascanio about Ricardo. Jimena asks if she thinks he lied to her . Camila doesn’t go that far but she is suspicious about the bad answer he gave when she asked him if he knew the pirate. Jimena says maybe he forgot but Camila doesn’t think so. The letter turns out to be for Camila as the maid gets it from the urchin at the door. She opens it and yes, it’s from Ricardo and he needs to see her urgently. Jimena wants to know why he didn’t just come over. Camila says that probably it’s because he knows Claudio is here and could recognize him. [I think we just crossed the threshold of the women being pretty darn sure that the two Ricardos are one and the same.] Jimena is hot to make the ID on the suspect by getting Claudio and Ricardo together and that she herself will go to denounce him as a pirate. Camila looks thoughtful some more. Jimena asks her if she is going to meet him. Camila says yes and she wants her to go with her. Just then Claudio and Ascanio show up together. Claudio is looking a little better. Claudio and Ascanio go for a walk. Camila and Jimena arrange to get ready to go out themselves.


Next we see them out strolling with their parasols. Camila tells Jimena that Ricardo is engaged to Dona Ursula. Jimena is surprised and asked who told her that. Santiago she says. Jimena brushes this off and says that the other day’s meeting with Ricardo seems to have “shaken the leaves off” and that she thinks that Camila likes him. “As much as you like Don Jorge?” Camila shoots back. Jimena says well, not in exactly the same way. Camila notes that funny turn of phrase of Ricardo’s about nobody being completely good or bad. She asks Jimena what she thinks he meant. Jimena says it’s the truth. Like Camila is such a goody two-shoes she wouldn’t know? Camila says that anything they’ve done couldn’t possibly compare with what he’s done. Just then, Ricardo rides up and dismounts to talk to them.


Ricardo, who has changed his clothes, in a dark, pirate ensemble, tells her he has news. She preempts him by asking about the letter but he tells her that somebody has stolen it. When Ric suggests it was Camia obliquely, she tells him she had no reason to do it, he was going to get it for her. Jimena suspects Don Jorge but Ric says no. Camila asks if Francisca could be lying. Ric says no to that too. Ric asks who she told about the letter. Turns out it’s a few people. Her Dad, Santiago, Dona Sofia. But even worse, she tells him that Lisabeta and Francisca gossiped all over town about it. Camila wants to know what to do next. Ric says he has to go out of town but that he told Lisabeta and Francisca to get the letter if Don Jorge finds it. Camila doesn’t think he will give it up if he gets it first. Ric says if it comes to that, he’ll send somebody to Mariana to get an affidavit that the letter is false. Jimena is now skeptical and wants to know how he’s going to do that. Ric tells her, the same way that Francisca got the letter in the first place. With money. Camila just wants to know why he would do all that for her. Ric hesitates and says it’s a good question but he can’t answer that right now. He hurries off on his horse. Jimena notes that pirates know how to ride horses. Camila says everybody knows how to ride horses. BUT IT’S HIM she adds. Jimena smiles grandly at being the first to suss this out.

Claudio and Ascanio go to town and meet up with Santiago and Inez. Inez is a bit standoffish. Claudio and Ascanio ask about the coast and about the rest of town. Inez doesn’t want him to go but Santiago says there’s no problem, these guys are friends of Camila’s.


Jimena and Camila talk over the meeting with Ricardo. Jimena says if they don’t have the letter, her inheritance is safe. The put together the story about how they got their pirate cousin to help them. Camila thinks that Ricardo has something else up his sleeve concerning her, the details of which were a little hard to hear.

Back to Santiago and Ascanio. Santiago reveals his worry about Ricardo and Camila. Ascanio says that he understands his feelings but when he has something to worry about, he’ll tell him. Santiago asks some more about Ricardo, if he’s married or what but Ascanio feigns not to know. Just then Camila and Jimena show up suddenly Inez is all smiles. They head over to Santiago’s house for a big traditional lunch. Mom Ofelia hugs Camila and there are tears and smiles.

Next we are at Don Jorge’s house again with Sofia, Ursula and the Salamanca women bitching about the loss of the letter and Francisca supposing that Camila paid somebody to send it. Ursula suddenly gets up with a smile and says she hopes the letter turns up real soon. Francisca says that Ursula doesn’t seem to like them but Sofia says to pay no attention, Ursula is only interested in herself.

Back at the big lunch over at Santiagos, they are telling funny stories about their childhoods and Ofelia says she’s so happy to have all of them there.

---Tivo cuts off--

Labels: Pasion