Caray, Caray!

Life isn't fair, is it? Everybody wants Candy....Patricio, Santiago, Raúl, Toño, even Ceci....while other women sulk and fume, scheme and smoulder, cry and lament. Reminds me a bit of a situation in my brother's first grade class (eons ago). All the little boys were in love with ONE girl, in spite of the fact that there were many charming little girls in the class, including this girl's IDENTICAL TWIN. But all the little guys converged on one. (I think fruit flies do the same thing. Don't quote me though).

Anyway, it's the same old same old but here we go again. First the brief rehash of Paulina trying to wheedle Santiago into letting Rocio go with her back to New York. Nothin' doin'. The previews led us to believe that Rocio might say she wanted to go, but she doesn't. And Santiago packs her off to her room and gets down and dirty with Paulina, saying that there's no way she's going and no way he's going. When Paulina raises the red flag of motherhood, he sneers, You were just the incubator. In no way were you ever the mother. And if you keep pushing this, I'll prohibit you from seeing her at all. Okay...Dr. Plastico is coming on strong. Will Paulina kidnap Rocio now that she has two airplane tickets? We'll see.

In the meantime, Marissa is communing with her inner Nazi. This voice (we all have one, alas) is torturing her by replaying the conversation of Santiago declaring his love for Candy. All this while doing the mirror dance that we women do (don't know about you guys) where we hold up various outfits, realize "they make us look fat", lament our bodies and generally go on a pity party. Since she's pregnant, Lord knows she's allowed to have a belly but evidently this is no consolation. More grievous thoughts about being "stupid" and "everyone mocking me" and so forth. She vacillates between positive self-talk...Everything is going to be fine...to self-downing...he only cares about Rocio and the baby. Once the baby is born I'll be nothing to him. More misery with the clothes that don't fit. This poor woman is in total Hell. I don't like her but I feel sorry for her.

Okay, as prescribed, our little light-hearted break from this miserable scene. Zamora and Toño have been tarted up for the makeover. Zamora doesn't look too bad. Toño is simply awful with some kind of Julius Cesar/Marlon Brando comb down over his forehead.

So now, on to romance. With Candy, who else? She's waiting for a taxi and a white stretch limo pulls up. A huge bouquet of flowers emerge, followed by Patricio's squirrely face. He's begging for another chance and emphasizes it by addressing her as Señora Molina. He's pretty eloquent in his pleas. Points out that they have fought more than they have talked. But it's a miracle that she's here...alive...and he begs her to come along with him. You're crazy, she says. You're beautiful, he replies. She gets into the car.

Oh yes, we're waiting with bated breath but the writers are all for delayed gratification, aren't they? We get a little verbal scuffle with Meño and Charly. Meño voicing what we've all been thinking....motorcycles are dangerous and there's no way he's going to buy one for his son. A friend of mine who worked in the Emergency Department called them "Donorcycles". That alone should give one pause. Meño concludes the discussion by saying I prefer an angry son to a dead son.

Alright, back to romance. And it's big-time. A table set for two on the giant heart from their parachuting/will you marry me? days. Champagne. Romantic music playing in the background which we can hear even if she can't. He starts to sing the Mana song but she stops him. Too painful. He wants to kiss again, she refuses. I need your kisses to live, he pleads. And if you leave this heart, it will break. And I will break. Don't go. It's dangerous, he adds, for a beautiful woman to be alone in this park. There are wolves, bears, scorpions, snakes....(she's starting to smile, maybe there's hope...) And you can't leave without kissing me. If you grow old here, waiting to kiss me, that's alright. Because my dream was to grow old with you.

Whew. Patricio had some good lines there. I'm feeling all mushy and forgiving and I don't even like the guy. We break for an ad while I get ahold of myself.

When we come back, it's to the Eduardo/Chayo story. Chayo has received a second delivery of flowers (thanks to Barbara) and Lalo's worried enough now to track his wife down at the Institute. But they've already sequestered her and told Soledad to inform him that she left several hours ago, looking very excited. Now she's sent off to spend a couple of hours at the movies. I find this whole scenario manipulative and stupid but hey, they didn't ask me. We'll see how it plays out.

Back to our erstwhile lovers. She's commenting on the champagne, the candles, the tablecloth that is the same plaid as her school uniform. But what's this, she says, holding up an ordinary sandwich, rather than the tortas ahogadas and pozole she loved as a girl. We need a miracle, they conclude.

Now some brief scenes. First with Raúl and one of the Iron John buddies, said buddy giving good advice. Stay out of Marissa and Santiago's business. It's their business not yours. Did you like it when family interfered in your marriage?

And then a fast-moving scene with Santiago and the groovy old mom/pal cum wedding planner who's trying to hit him up for a check ahead of time, arguing that all the arrangements will be cheaper if they can be prepaid. He winds Santiago up big-time by referring to mom as the "panther of the Colonia de Valle". All the men were after her until your father came along. By this time Santiago is frothing at the mouth (what if this creep had been my father!?) and bemoaning being trapped into marrying Marissa as well. And then there's Paulina trying to take away Rocio. Donato joins him in some kind of therapeutic blubbering and lamenting.

And that's not the only therapy going on. Evidently Marissa is seeing a counselor (good!) but the lady isn't making much of a dent in Marissa's feast of reason and flow of soul. You pay for everything in life, right? asks Marissa. And then answers herself.... And Candy and Santiago will pay for what they're doing to me!

Are you marrying for revenge? asks the counselor. There's no room for happiness if there is bitterness and rancor. I'm fighting a clean fight, counters Marissa. I love Santiago. All I have to do is get rid of Candy. Candy out. Me happy. (Sounds like a plan, but it's not working Marissa dear).

Back to romance. The tired sandwich that Candy has brought along is being munched on by Patricio. He raises a toast to the two of them and proclaims her a marvelous cook. It's the best sandwich he's ever tasted.

All right, "now we're down to the raisins", or as Hombre de Misterio says, the pivotal scene of the episode. Patricio ask Candy to tell him all that she felt that day of the wedding....all that she felt but didn't say. At first she refuses, but then the words come tumbling out.

C: You were my everything.... everything. You left me with nothing. Nothing but a broken heart that never worked again.

P: Of course it worked again. You love our son.

C: I love him with another heart. The heart I had was broken beyond repair. You destroyed my trust in men.

P: One day our son will become a man. And he'll make mistakes. Possibly like I did. Do you believe that your son won't deserve a second chance?

P: I'm not proud of what I did. But I learned from it. And my heart was broken too. I suffered for both of us (thinking you were dead). My life was broken without you.

C: But you consoled yourself with Alicia.

P: Yes, with Alicia and a thousand other women. But none had the fragrance, the perfume of your body. I tried to anesthetize myself in the beds of thousands of women....but I never "made love" again. You are the only woman in this world for me...in this world in which thousands of women exist. Yes, there were mistakes...but do those mistakes wipe out all the love between us, the caring, the tender moments? If Life works that way...I don't like it....and I don't understand it.

Whew. Another eloquent plea. I'm a basket case again. Thank God there are some ads and I can cool down a bit.

When we come back, we're in Candy's office with weird psychic Jorge guy who's congratulating her on her success (although reminding her she's alone in bed) and giving her some advice concerning a lovelorn woman who took back her cheating husband only to have him cheat on her again. (I guess this means Patricio is toast.)

So here's our loser, happily unaware that psychic guy is taking him out of the picture. He's coaching some goal-scoring moves with his sons and facing up to some tough questions. Like How come Beto and I have one father but two mothers? Did you" dance "with my mom (Candy) first and then with Beto's mom? And my mom got mad 'cause you then "danced" with someone else? Uh, yeah, that's more or less it, mumbles Patricio and then hugs and wrestles with them
both, saying I love you the same and you're best friends. How great is that!?

Okay, we get it. Patricio is a good dad. That will work out. Getting Candy back? Not so much.

But speaking of cheating husbands and put-upon wives...we're back with Chayo and Lalo, the latter demanding to know where she's been all this time....(at the office. You're lying!) and asking who's sending her flowers. What flowers? The ones I threw in the garbage. You're jealous. GRRRRRRRR. No, I'm not jealous. Jealous? GRRRRRRRR. No I'm not. He IS, she thinks happily.

Candy, via Meño, has sent Santiago back weird psychic guy Jorge medallion. And adds a note, saying It's not good that I have something of yours. As he takes out his own medallion and sadly puts them together, he thinks....once again...She's the woman of my life.

And the woman of his life has been tricked by Barbara into meeting with Ceci. When she discovers Ceci there, she starts to leave, but the poor gal begs her to stay and just listen. I'd never hurt you. I just wanted to be your friend. Yes, but your "friendship" counters Candy.... No, no...I just want to be a loyal friend, work for you. Forgive me. I let things get out of hand. Boom. Just like that, Candy forgives her. It's all hunky-dory. They have apple pie and vanilla ice cream to celebrate (reminiscent of the cheesecake reconciliations in Golden Girls?) and that's that.

I guess we're supposed to see that little by little Candy is growing up and maturing. Frankly I still find her a gigantic pain in the patootie, but that's just me.

Patricio has brought Beto back to the house and packs Beto off for a "bull bath" (only washing ears and tail). And then a sad little conversation with Soledad where she tells him he can only see Beto for a couple of hours every week. She has to distance herself from him and so the visits are restricted. Sad face Soledad. Equally sad face Patricio, for different reasons. Another ad.

Now another pivotal scene. (Can we have two, Hombre?) Santiago runs into Candy in the park and it's just who he wanted to see. He tells her about this strange person (I certainly agree there) who gave him this medallion in order to recognize the "woman in his life". But since she doesn't want to be" the woman in his life."...he guesses he will..... But suddenly the talk stops and the kissing begins. The first one looks a bit smash-mouth but it gets better after that. Much better. Little kisses, Bigger kisses, wraparound kisses, delicious kisses, lingering kisses, drop-to-your-knees kisses. Make this moment last! Well, we do, but only because stalker Alicia is there taking a picture of those kisses on her cellphone.

And suddenly Candy pulls back. I don't want to kiss, she stammers. Alright, then I'll yell, answers Santiago. I LOVE YOU!!!!, he bellows.

I love you too.

Stunned look by Santiago. Feel my heart! he whispers. This is the first time you've told me that. And love is simple. You'll send off Patricio, I'll break up with Marissa and.....Of course Candy says no way.

Okay, back to the easily expendable Marissa (in Santiago's view any way). Barb has just brought in some baby clothes and while Marissa gushes about them and pretends to be pleased, once Barbara leaves, she curls her lip and says What am I going to do with these? Yuck. Evidently she and Barbara do not have the same taste.

Meanwhile Meño and Gregoria are still sparring over her mystery date the other night and he's using it as leverage in their cook negotiations. She wants to be the restaurant chef since Lulu's so busy at the Institute and he counters that she'll get the job if she gives up the name of her novio. Not my novio! Oh, is he married, then, slyly jabs Meño. The scene ends with a near electrocution when she turns on the power as he has his hands in the water of the fountain. Not sure the point of that scene....but there it was.

Our episode ends with our Alicia bringing Marissa a "surprise" but not a pleasant one, and certainly not a baby gift. Instead she shows her the photo of Candy and Santiago kissing and notes that they really seem to be getting along.

Previews: Alicia arrives at the door of Casa Meño saying How great that all the family is together. Candy, I know you don't want to see me after all that's happened, but I want you to know that Patricio is innocent. He's not guilty of anything.

And Candy is telling Santiago to forget the kisses and that she said I loved you.

And Santiago, flanked by a warmly sympathetic Hortensia, is holding a photo of those to-be-forgotten kisses and observing that he's got a real problem.

Vocabulary

alacranes = scorpions

afinelar = to tune an instrument or to tune up a motor

brindar = to toast (with a drink)

atorado = blocked up, jammed shut

Labels: Tontas