Caray, Caray!

[This is my last Pasion recap--and my last recap for awhile. Thanks for all your splendid comments and help. It's been a wild ride and I have various thoughts on the show which I will post to Cheryl as she requested. On with the show!]

We start way back with La Paisana’s arrival , with the little orphan boy. Paco runs right over to him and gives a ball to the bewildered child. Like any other toddler, he’s already learned his first word—“no!” when they try to get him to give it back. Camila hands the little boy off to Ines, while Paisana gives her Foreman’s logs which contain his dealings with LaFont, which Foreman had promised Ric.

Next we get the dramatic carriage scene with Ric, Mario and LaFont chasing the carriage with Lis, Fran, Clotilde and the baby. LaFont shoots at the carriage and wounds the driver which causes the carriage to careen dangerously. (I agree with Jardinera—it’s amazing that LaFont hit the guy at all). Ric jumps aboard heroically and gets control over the horses and stops the carriage. Al demands that Lis give up the baby but she refuses and Al tells her to never come home then and she’s pretty much OK with that. He demands the papers of Ric and Ric throws them at him. I am not sure if he catches them and drops them or lets them flutter away in the wind. (Either way, seems like he would be wanting to make sure that they were destroyed or at least verify that they were in fact the docs, not just some scrap paper or something.) He rides away like the devil he is. Ric then demands the baby of Lis and she gives him up to him. Mario tends the wounded driver.

Ric holds the whimpering baby while Fran complains that “They wanted to kill us!” “They wanted to kill us!” referring to LaFont, I guess. Ric ignores her and asks Lis simply “why? Why?” Lis explains choking through tears that she thought he was dead and she wanted something to remember him by. And she says that for sure Camila would have gotten rid of him. He asks how she did it and she tells him the whole story—Fran took the money to the midwife, who substituted the baby with a dead one and gave Ric’s baby to the dead baby’s mother to nurse. Then when the baby was 2 months old (weaned?) they brought him to her (Lis). She finishes up that she did it for his sake (the baby’s).

Ric notices the elaborate pearl necklace with a cross around her neck and asks her where she got it. She tells him it was a wedding present from her husband. He says nothing but obviously recognizes it from his collection.

Fran breaks in to make a pitch for letting them go. She says if he denounces them, they’ll go to jail or worse, end up back with evil Al, who will kill them for sure. Ric asks Mario about the condition of the coach and Mario says it’s drivable. Ric tells them to go now. He turns away from the women, to hug his son close. Lis bursts into tears and reaches out for him once last time but he steps away from her and Fran and Mario drag her away from him. She yells that she always loved him, she never meant to harm him and “that woman that you chose is bad! She never loved you. She doesn’t deserve you!” Mario gets her to step up into the carriage. She keeps screaming “I love you, Ricardo!” over and over and Mario taps the carriage door after he puts her inside and gives a sign to the driver that it’s time to hit the road.

Mario turns to Ric after they’ve gone and asks “did you find out…?” Ric kneels to the ground with the baby and sobs: “It’s my son.” His tears turn to joy and he laughs and says to the bewildered baby “You’re OK! You’re OK.” Mario kneels beside him and helps him hold the baby.

Back in San Fernando, Col. Jose Maria Valencia is a man on a mission. He and a group of soldiers stride up to the government house. They meet Ascanio outside his office. The Col. asks him if he is the intendente named by Don Jorge Mancera. Ascanio says that the post was offered to him but he never accepted it. The Col. asks why “pangs of conscience?” Ascanio remains silent. The Col. continues that he’s come to investigate the veracity of some permits for importation. Ascanio ushers him and the men into his office.

Over at Mansion Mancera, the Manceras (Sofia, Jorge, Santiago, Fortunata, Ursula and Tita) are having a nice birthday dinner for Sofia. Jorge is up walking around with a glass of wine and expansively tells his wife that he has her to thank for opening his eyes about Santiago. He says he’s proud of his son and pats him on the shoulder. Santiago looks less than enthusiastic. Jorge next turns to Ursula and says that he’s also proud of her. All of her faults she’s inherited from him but he knows that along with those there are a lot of good qualities within her as well, thanks to her mother. (Sofia smiles proudly.) He tells her she’s free to pick who she wants to marry, only that he be a good father for Tita. Ursula smiles broadly and claps. (Tita looks happy at this news too.) He thanks Fortunata for the fine meal since she apparently organized it. Jorge remarks that it’s been years since they’ve had a family dinner, without guests. Sofia agrees and thanks them for it.

Back at the government house, the col. stands over a crown official wearing a powdered wig who examines the accounts. He pronounces the docs forged. The Col. asks Ascanio if he noticed this and Ascanio says he did. The Col. asks why he didn’t report it and Ascanio says “Report it to whom? Don Jorge?” The Col. nods and announces that they will go arrest Don Jorge Mancera and Alberto LaFont. He leaves. The crown official says he’ll stay and keep on examining the records. Ascanio follows the Col. to LaFont’s house. There he tells Manuela that they are looking to arrest her Dad. She tells him that he’s not there, she doesn’t know where he went. She asks him if he was the one who turned in the documents. He says no, although he is responsible. Manuela tells him not to worry, it had to happen. They embrace. The Col. comes into the room and orders half his men to stay there and the other half to come with him to arrest Don Jorge. Manuela sobs into Ascanio’s shoulder.

The Col. and his men show up mansion Mancera and he announces loudly to the guards at the door that he’s there to arrest Don Jorge Mancera y Ruiz for fraud against the crown. They open up immediately and inside we see the Mancera family still enjoying their meal. Jorge tells them that that very morning he awoke to a good feeling about the day (not just because it was his wife’s birthday) no, he woke up thinking about the new day and the future in front of them. (Fortunata says that sometimes that happens to her too) He tells them to raise their glasses in a toast to the family and he calls them each by their title, wife, daughter, son, niece and granddaughter and they clink glasses. All of the sudden, we hear the magnified sound of his heart beat and see him grimace in pain and clutch his left arm in the unmistakable sign of a telenovela MASSIVE CORONARY. He grabs at the table, pulling the cloth and goes down before his shocked assembled family. Even Santiago cries out “Papa!” and kneels beside him. “His heart isn’t beating!” he says. (Sofia’s look is anguished.) “He’s Dead!” says Santiago unbelievingly. Ursula screams “Papa!” His whole family runs to him, crying and screaming, including Tita. The female servants come in, one drops a tray in surprise and they too begin crying. The male servants, come in and make the sign of the cross. Finally Col. Jose Maria comes in and upon seeing this tragic tableau, doffs his hat out of respect for the dead as does his lieutenant. A flood of tears and wails ends the scene.

Ric finally makes it over to Justo’s house where he is greeted by Paco. Paco tells him that his cousin arrived. Ric says, yes, I’ve brought your cousin. “No,” says Paco. A lady came and brought him and Aunt Camila says he’s my cousin. Ric then says this is also your cousin! Inside, Cami is with Ines bathing baby Mijo—short for “mi hijo” (That’s what LP called him since Ric hadn’t given him a name). He is chatting up a storm, saying “mama.” Camila explains to Ines about his Mother dying in the plague and her intrusting him to Ric. Ines makes appropriate noises. Camila remarks that the baby still seems afraid. (He looks more rambunctious to me.) In any event, he starts to scramble away when they put him on the bed and they have to catch him. She picks him up and gives him to Ines when they hear a knock at the door and Ric says it’s me. Camila is excited and runs to the door—instantly impactada by the sight of baby Pedro in Ric’s arms. “You did it!” She exclaims and takes the baby from him and kisses him. She breathlessly asks if he’s really their son, “if it’s him.” Ric says “Yes, it’s him.” Ric says Lis “told him some things.” “Later,” he says, “he’ll tell her.” The coo and fuss over the baby, while Ines tearfully stands back and watches the happy scene of the reunited family.

Meanwhile, LaFont rides back to his house. While still on horseback in his own courtyard, soldiers, led by the lieutenant, surround him with guns and announce his arrest for fraud. La Font is impactado.

Next we see that Camila has found Conchita and is having a talk with her. She tells her about Ric’s house on the edge of town, that it’s big and if she wants, she can come there to live with them. And Ric is back and he has the baby! Now for the bad news. She asks Conchita if her baby was full term. Conchita says yes and Cami explains to her that the baby they have was premature. She gives her the rest of the story—that Auxi switched babies so that Cami and Ric’s baby would have a wetnurse and so that she could later give the baby to Lis. Conchita isn’t listening or buying any of it. She insists that they are trying to take her baby away from her. She collapses on the ground crying. Camila promises her that they can take care of the baby together but she wanted her to know the truth. She thanks her for taking care of her baby and nursing it. Conchita wails that it’s not true. She says her baby can’t be dead but she sounds like she’s softening up. Camila holds her and tells her she knows what she’s going through.

La Font is now in a jail cell in San Benito prison, propped up on his crutches. He’s also lost his stylin’ eye patch. He claims that He was only following orders—the orders of Don Jorge Mancera. Col. Jose Maria tells him unfortunately for him, Don Jorge isn’t available to corroborate his story. “He passed away.” La Font is impactado—“He’s dead….how?” He asks. Col. explains the heart attack. LaFont laughs sardonically and says “the bastard (maldito) escaped!” The crown official points out that he may have escaped jailtime but not the fiery furnace of hell. LaFont spits in disgust at the official’s religious reference. The Col. asks who else was involved in the fraud besides Uriel, Mateo, Marcellino and himself. LaFont says without hesitation that Santiago knew and covered it up.

Santiago is with Ofelia telling her of Jorge’s death. Santiago remarks that by dying this way, he saved himself and his family the disgrace of being arrested. Ofelia asks after Sofia and Santiago says that she’s inconsolable. He himself came to feel real affection for him. Ofelia says she understands and says at least he was able to make his final days happy.

Ascanio is with Manuela who is upset and wants to know what will happen to her father. Ascanio explains that he’s in prison. She wants to go visit him and he says tomorrow he’ll see what he can find out. Ascanio says he feels guilty but Manuela assures him that it’s not his fault. He says what he really means is that her pain is also his. She says that although LaFont never been a good father and she knows that he deserves what he’s getting; it’s still making her very sad. He tells her to be strong and accept fate. She says “At least I have you.” He tells her that she can always count on him. Always. They kiss.

At Ric’s country estate, Cami and Ric are settling in for the night. Cami asks about Lis and Fran and Ric says that they went on to Veracruz and from there, they will probably sail to Mariana. They won’t lack for money because he saw that they brought their money chests with them. Ric says that tomorrow he must go to San Benito and turn himself in as he promised. Cami says maybe not for long—she shows him the logs that Foreman gave to LaPaisana. Ric looks them over and is pleased. He says it’s his salvation. He says “Thanks John!” There’s a knock at the door. It’s Mario. They start to make out anyway but Mario insists through the door that they come into the great room quickly, there’s something going on. When they get there, Ofelia is there with Vasco and she tells Camila that Don Jorge died and they’ve arrested Santiago. Cami asks why and Ofelia says they don’t know.

Ric and Mario ride again. Ric complains that he’s exhausted. Mario urges him on saying it’s the last swig from the bottle. (jalón)

The visit is to Ric’s padrino, the prelate. Ric explains that Santiago had nothing to do with the criminal activities of his dad. Don Gaspar says it’s a problem that he knew about it. Ric points out that it was his father. Don Gaspar says just relax and wait. They’ll get to the bottom of it. Ric says that there are two anguished families waiting. Don Gaspar asks if he found his son and Ric smiles and says yes. Gaspar is happy to hear this. Ric takes advantage of the moment to hand over Foreman’s log that has details about the stolen silver and the money paid out. Gaspar is excited when he looks at it and exclaims that this is Ric’s ticket to complete freedom. Ric turns the subject back to Santiago and says that although he’s never been a fan of his (santo de su devoción) Santi’s not guilty and it’s not just for him to pay for something he didn’t do. He turns away. Gaspar asks about Lis and Fran. Ric says he let them go. He bids his godfather goodnight and leaves. Gaspar returns to his bedtime reading of Foreman’s log.

Speaking of Lis and Fran, they’ve arrived at an inn in Veracruz, now in the darkness. The carriage driver says that he’ll go find out if can catch a boat for La Mariana tomorrow. Fran urges him to come back soon. She turns to Lis and tells her to stop crying—Ric let them leave, they should be grateful. Fran says that she wants to get out and see if they have room at the inn. Clothilde says she will get out too, she has to pee (desaguar). Lis is left alone and crying. As the women leave the carriage, dark figures lurk around. As soon as they are out of site, A band of cutthroats descend on the carriage. One of the men gets inside and begins to assault Lis while another drives the carriage away. Lis struggles and the rapist ominously tells her not to worry—in a little while, she’ll be dead. In her struggle, she drops her doll which rolls under the wagon wheel. A little while later, Clotilde and Fran come back discover the missing carriage and broken doll. Fran screams frantically for Lisabeta and clutches the broken doll. “Lisabeta—don’t leave me!” she cries. (Boy her face looks scary in the moonlight!)

Ric has returned home and explains the case against Santiago. They’ve accused him of covering up the fraud complicity. Cami says that he’s not guilty of complicity. Ric says there will be a hearing and judgment. They will have to see what happens. Ric asks if she is going to Don Jorge’s funeral. Camila says yes, for Dona Sofia’s sake. Ric says he’d like to go to but he wants to stick around to find out what happens with the hearing. He tells Camila to give his condolences to the family. They agree that what’s happening with Santiago is a great injustice.

The next morning, Santiago is giving his testimony in the hearing. He says that he found out about his Dad’s illegal activities but he believed that his Dad could make it right, (following the parable of the good shepherd, bringing back the lamb that had gone astray.) The Col. points out that his Dad’s sin isn’t a little one but grand theft against the crown. He asks whether Santiago shouldn’t have considered it his responsibility to turn him in instead. Santiago says that it would be hard to turn in somebody who gave him life. The Col. asks whether, if instead of (conveniently) dying, Don Jorge had gone on robbing caravans, if Santiago would have continued to support him. Santiago says he wouldn’t have supported him, because he never had. Gaspar asks if he would have turned him in. Santiago says He doesn’t know but he doesn’t think so.

Jorge’s funeral is an elaborate affair. He’s laid out in full dress on a bier surrounded in flowers. All the townsfolk are there and the padre says that Don Jorge left them and they aren’t there to judge him, only to say goodbye. He’s a member of the human family and they should all pray for his soul. Sofia and Ursula are silently weeping. The padre announces that Don Jorge’s body will rest in the church of San Fernando. (A crypt in the church rather than burial?) More shots of the townsfolk, Ursula, Sofia and Fortunata. The priest says the “Our Father” in Latin. A shot of the Darien extended clan in black, looking sad.

Back at the hearing, LaFont is giving his testimony. He’s standing on crutches but he’s got a rope around his neck. He says that he knows that he is guilty and will be judged but this guy he says, indicating Santiago, is a “sanctimonious hypocrite!” spitting out the words. He relates how after Santiago was recognized as Jorge’s son, he turned to a life of dissipation and vice, just like the rest of us. Jorge escaped judgment through the back door but “this one is as guilty as I am and deserves the same as that wretched pirate!” LaFont is screaming now and claims that the only reason that Ric isn’t going to hang is because he’s Don Gaspar’s godson. (Way to go bouffy! Insult the most powerful guy in the room). The representative of the crown tells him to pipe down. La Font yells that he knows that they are going to kill him but if he has to go, he’s not going down alone. He wants to take Santiago with him, in place of his father (that disgraceful coward!) who should be standing there with him. After this outburst, the Col. commands the guards to take the prisoner away. Even then LaFont continues screaming insults at Santiago and tells him that he’ll be waiting for him in Hell.

Don Gaspar has been pretty much grimacing all the way through this.

Next we turn to the mourning Mancera women. Ursula kneels before her mother and says she knows that she’s never been a good daughter. Sofia says she would have preferred her character to be different—but if she was happy….(being a ramera). Ursula says that she hasn’t been happy either. She would have preferred to have found a man like her Father. Sofia asks “in what sense?” Ursula says somebody refined and educated—who made her feel protected and safe. Fortunata adds that he was always a gentleman. She asks her mother if she loved her father and Sofia says very much, in spite of everything, she loves him still. She tells Ursula that they will have to resign themselves to this disgrace. Ursula asks her mother if she loves her. Sofia replies unhesitatingly that she has loved her since the day she was born. Ursula laughs and cries, as does Sofia and Fortunata.

Santiago is in jail when he gets a visit from his mom, Ofelia. He tells her that she shouldn’t have come, even if it is a great consolation to him. He tells her that he told the truth at his hearing and now must await judgment which he will accept. He did wrong, out of jealousy and pride. And he feels guilty about the death of Camila’s child. Ofelia fills him in on that—they found the baby. It’s the child that he baptized with Lis. Santiago is emotional at this news and drops to his knees to thank God. Now at least he has one weight off his conscience. He adds that he would hate to leave her and his baby daughter but if it’s his destiny to die here, let the will of God be done. Ofelia and Santiago embrace. Tears roll down her cheeks while he sobs on her shoulder.
Next we skip ahead to the charges being read by an official in the town square. Don Jorge and LaFont are guilty of the robbery of the crown’s silver and contraband. Santiago is guilty of the cover-up. Capital punishment is indicated for LaFont and will occur within 3 days. For Santiago, 10 years of breaking rocks at San Benito prison. All of the properties of the LaFont and Mancera families will be confiscated. San Fernando will get a new Lord. The families are stricken. Cami who is there with the baby asks Ric to do something. He says he will.

Candida is out in the crowd and spies her Aunt Clotilde, who is trying to disguise herself with a shawl over her head. Candida asks what happened, she thought she had left town with the ladies and Clotilde explains about the carriage robbery and kidnapping of Lis. Fran went crazy and had no money so Clotilde decided it was time to head back home. She warns her niece not to tell anybody she saw her and sneaks away.

Ric has gone to plead the case of Santiago to his godfather. He complains that they are punishing him for following the commandment about honoring his Father. He asks why the pirates who did plenty of bad stuff could get a pardon, but not Santiago who was trying to do the right thing. Gaspar explains that the pirate pardon was an act of diplomacy—piracy was a problem that affecting a bunch of different countries economies and ending it benefited them all. Ric romantically asks why isn’t the fate of one man as important as the fate of a bunch of economies? And why should Santiago pay (such a heavy price) when plenty of corruption (porquerías) happens all the time today. Don Gaspar tells Ric that he’s right. Ric says “Do something…OR I will.” Don Gaspar gets angry at this and tells him not to dare risk his freedom again. Besides, says Gaspar, this guy was your rival, he persecuted you and tried to steal your woman. Ric says he might have tried to do the same in his shoes and besides, he saved Ric’s life once. Ric begs him to save Santiago from hard labor.

Next we see Don Gaspar in Col. Jose’s office telling him that he’s not in agreement with the sentence on Santiago. He says that he’s sure that LaFont’s motivation was revenge in implicating Santiago. The Col. agrees that , with Jorge being dead, LaFont decided to attack his son. But the law is still the law. Gaspar says that there is a law above the law of man, the law of God, where they weigh virtues like compassion and piety. He thinks it’s wrong for them to use the obviously motivated testimony of a demon like LaFont. Even if Santiago is weak, it’s not right to make him pay such a heavy price. Col. Jose complains why didn’t he speak up during the trial? Don Gaspar says simply that the wise man knows when to go back and fix things.

It’s execution day at the San Benito Prison. In a blowing wind, Manuela, Agata and Ascanio wait for LaFont to come hobbling out. He does and pauses to curse his daughter “and her next 6 generations” of offspring. He hobbles away leaving the women in tears. The soldiers make him kneel before a big tree stump and bind his hands. Manuela screams and tries to run forward but Agata and Ascanio restrain her. LaFont makes muffled screams like some kind of animal. An executioner in full medieval attire (black balaclava) comes forward with a giant axe. He orders two soldiers to pull the ropes binding his hands so that they cross around the stump (to expose his neck). With a mighty chop, LaFont’s head goes flying and blood spurts across his still crossed hands. Manuela wails, “Father!” still held tightly by Ascanio. Ascanio looks stoic.

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Next time: GRAN FINALE!

Labels: Pasion