Caray, Caray!

Zowie! What a lot of plot developments, all in one night! Threat of murder, Mario’s back-story, Fred’s true colors, a mafia connection (or two), the best and worst of Pat, and Santi hopes the third time’s a charm. And to add to the emotion, we have fighting between:

• Ricardo and Catarina,
• Arturo and Margarita,
• Candy and Santiago,
• Isabel and Paulina, and
• Charly and Federico.

Santiago, the detective. Santi, in a hot leather sport coat, shows Paulina the panuelo and asks if it’s her lipstick color. Of course she denies it. It doesn’t match her lip color, and it doesn’t match the lipstick he finds in her purse. Pau gives herself a satisfied smirk.

Ed, the caveman. Ed brings Lucía home to explain about the condom Chayo found in his pocket. He brings out Chayo, caveman-style (how appropriate) and Luc explains about the party. Ed says he’s going to take Luc home, and after that he’s coming back for the apology he deserves.

Meño is sitting with Ricardo and Catalina, in the restaurant all decorated for her birthday party, but no guests have shown up. Cat explains that all their friends avoid them because Ricardo fights with her all the time. Methinks it takes two to tango. It front of Meño, she yells at him that he yells at her in front of people. Meño has had enough. Basta!

At dinner, Santi tells Roc that he won’t be there to put her to bed tonight because he’s going out. Pau asks, “With your novia?” and Roc wants to know all about this news. Santi says, “When I have a novia, you two women will be the first to know.

Candy puts Chava to bed, and again he tells her that he wants his parents to live together.

Pat, the hero. Pat is taking care of the baby while his parents fight. Finally he puts his foot down and tells them that if they want to fight, take it outside, because he is raising a child. Go, Pat! Friday he kicked Pau out of his office rather than ally with her, and he defended his mama against Art. Tonight he defended his son’s best interests against his parents. And he did it all in a really great necktie. I never noticed an attractive necktie until I started watching novelas (LFMB).

Santiago’s first attempt. Candy sends Chava to bed and commiserates with her mama about what man-haters they both are. Watching TV later, they continue their rant, until the doorbell rings, and each hopes it’s the man she just complained about. The moment the door opens, Santiago rushes in a lays a big kiss on.. Gregoria! Realizing his error, he backs out sheepishly, and she thinks to herself, “what a shame I’m not young again.”

Pat, the super-hero. Chava dreams that Santiago, the Nazi officer speaking fake German, kidnaps Candy, the French Resistance maiden. Who should answer Chava’s cry for help, but Patricio as Indiana Jones, complete with a cracking whip. Hauptman Santiago takes one look and beats feet, whimpering “I’m scared,” in Spanish with a German accent, mimicking the voice of the guy from the popular YouTube clip.

Raúl shows up early in the morning at Soledad’s apartment. He brought her breakfast, but Ceci shoos him out before Sol discovers that he was there.

Santiago’s second attempt. Santiago shows up at Candy’s house with a sandwich board. The front says “I’m innocent,” and the back says, “Apologize” (pídeme perdón). Candy thinks he should apologize, but he says, “I don’t ask forgiveness for things I didn’t do.” She won’t relent (are we surprised?). He admits that he became a womanizer when Pau abandoned him, but not anymore. He insists that he’s honest and innocent, and he has never lied to her. When Meño sticks up for Santi, Candy tells him this is between the two of them. But when Gregoria starts tearing Santi apart, Candy takes it all in. She doesn’t want to talk to him again until he apologizes. Santi leaves, Candy goes to her room to cry, and Meño tells Greg to butt out of Candy’s problems. “Santiago isn’t Arturo. Don’t hundir (destroy, demoralize) her anymore.”

Jaime brings Isabel tea, and tries to get her to tell him what has been bothering her for the past two days. She doesn’t want to talk about it, but at the mention of “Paulina” she throws a rod.

We see more of Fred. Lucía, Fred, and two friends are at lunch at school. Funny, my cafeteria never looked like that. The friends are shooting for long-duration kisses, and they coax Luc and Fred to do the same. Fred pressures Luc some more despite her objections, and I’m thinking Fred got his friend to provide a pretext to kiss Luc. Charly runs up and punches Fred. Kinda’ reminds me of Chava’s dream! Fred has the advantage of reach and high ground, but Charly has rage going for him, and he gets in several solid punches before the classmates break them up. Luc is furious at Charly for what he did, and she reminds him that with his AIDS, he’s putting other people at risk. Going for underdog sympathy, Fred wants Luc to “console” him at his house since his parents aren’t home. “Baby, don’t you like me?” Luc runs off. Fred tells his buddy he’s sure he’ll score any day now, and his buddy answers, “Another one?”

Rambo Grandma. Paulina is up to her usual manipulation of Rocío. Isabel pulls her aside and tells her, “Leave Roc out of this. It’s between you and me. If you want to hurt my son or my granddaughter, you gotta’ go through me first.” Paulina tells her, “Don’t you realize that you could die first? At your age, anything could kill you.” In my book, Isabel is no dummy. But if she lets that threat to her life stand, without telling her son, I’ll nominate her for a Darwin Award.

The detective tells Santi he thinks Mar had the baby somewhere in Central America, and it’s pretty much a hopeless case. Santi shouldn’t get his hopes too high. Santi assures the him, with or without the PI’s help, he’ll never give up, never surrender.

Lulu tries to make Candy see that somebody framed Santiago. Candy tells Lu she’d love to believe that but can’t, and “frankly, Lulu, stuff it” (loosely translated). Lulu answers, “Fine, I’m leaving. When you get stubborn (terquita, from terco), nobody can stand you.” Wow! Did she really say that???

Image-of-Santiago’s attempt. Candy starts crying as she remembers the panuelo incident. The image of Santiago appears over her shoulder.
Santi: You’ll never cry for my fault, Candy. I didn’t deceive you. Quit hurting yourself.
Candy: I swear I want to, but I can’t. I remember, and.. you’re not the only one who has deceived me.
Santi: I’m not Pat. Stop hurting yourself; stop hurting me. We love each other profoundly, and I’m never going to lie to you. I never have, remember?
He kisses her cheek and disappears. Candy is shaken but doesn’t stir.

Meño chews out Charly for getting into a fight with Fred. Like it or not, he has to stop interfering with Lucía’s life.

Barb gives Candy the tickets to Puerto Vallarta, where she’ll be speaking at the Battered Women’s Conference tomorrow. Barb says Santi has called 10 or 20 times; is Candy breaking up? Candy’s lines. Barbara reminds her that plenty of women cheat too. Candy’s answer? “Yeah, but plenty don’t.” Do I smell iocane powder? Candy, truly you have a dizzying intelect. Candy plans to tell what happened, on tonight’s radio show. Barb is moderately scandalized.

THE BOMBSHELL! Pau and Mario are in a restaurant. I’m unsure of my translation on a few points here. Please correct any errors.
Pau: You left Mexico because you did the surgery Santi rejected. The Mafioso died on the table. Santi doesn’t know anything about the death.
Mario: You went to New York with me because you wanted me, not because of what happened.
Pau: You deceived me. You never got paid the million dollars. (Hmm. Does this tell us why Pau went along to New York?)
Mario: Of course I got paid. It bought silence.
Pau: You bought your life. If the son found out you killed his father, you’d be dead too. You should’ve had Ed assisting.
Mario: He wasn’t willing. I paid the million for us.
Pau: Isn’t it risky, coming back to Mexico? Aren’t they looking for you?
Mario: No, they all think he changed his face and disappeared completely.
Pau: Are you sure the bodyguard (guardaespaldas) will keep your secret?
Mario remembers the surgery. He gave the bodyguard a million in hush money. It was all the money the Mafioso gave him for the surgery.
Pau: Go back to NY or they’ll find you.
Mario: I’ll go, but I’m taking you with me.
Pau: If they find you they’ll kill you. (Is that a veiled threat?)

Pat takes one step back. We need to cut Pat some slack. As weak as he is, he’s been doing well. But not perfect. In Pat’s office, Candy asks him why he hasn’t signed the papers. It’s because he doesn’t want to divorce her. She says that she’ll just have to file it alone. He plays the Chava card, and Candy wonders if he’s threatening to take her son. His answer is vaguely encouraging, he reminds her what a wonderful love they had.

Was it Hortensia? In surgery, when they are supposed to be paying attention to the patient, Ed keeps interrupting Santi, telling him he’s sure that Hortensia planted the lipstick panuelo because she’s jealous. Santi admits that Hort is crazy about him, but he also knows she would never do anything to hurt him. He’s sure it wasn’t Hortensia. Back in the office, Ed interrogates her. He has her lipstick, and the color matches. Hort looks Santi in the eye and says, “I swear by my love, I didn’t do it.” That’s enough for Santi. He is convinced she’s innocent.

Surprise visit. Pat is at his desk when two goons escort their boss, Gabino, into his office. Gabino takes the comfy desk chair and says he’s having trouble locating Pat’s dad, so he decided to find him through Pat. Pat is not about to take some stranger to his dad. (Go, Pat!) Fair enough. Gabino tells Pat to pass his card to Art because he wants to talk to him. Pat answers, “Cuenta con ello” (count on it). See “Grammar note” after this recap. When Pat gets home that night, he asks Art, “Who is Gabino Lugo Estevanéz?” Art is visibly shaken, and Pat lets it drop for now. At dinner Art is a real wet blanket, and Margarita’s jabs don’t help any. Surprisingly, Alicia is the one who tries to lighten things up.

Santiago’s third attempt.In the radio studio, Candy goes on air and says that tonight, she’ll talk about Candy the idiot, who still believes in fairy tales. And she’s talking to all the women who have been deceived. Santiago enters the sound booth and waves to everyone as if he’s in the second grade school play and sees mama in the audience. Candy asks her audience, “Why do men need otras? (She points to Santiago.) Yeah I’m talking to you. You say you don’t, but you do. Tonight I don’t know what to do. I love a man who deceived me. Tonight I’m the idiot.” The staff is horribly embarrassed.

From the sound booth, Santiago breaks in. “The subject of the intro is me. Greetings. Yes I’m a fool because I didn’t know how to explain to the woman I love, the lipstick-marked panuelo in my bata (lab coat). I said it wasn’t mine, and she wouldn’t believe me. I’m talking for all the men who’ve been the victim of a cruel joke. I don’t want to be with another woman because I love HER. I don’t have to go outside to look for what I have in my own be.. (he almost says “bed” but corrects himself) in my own heart. Candy, I can’t refuse you anything because I love you. I’ll always answer you yes to everything. I was mujeriego. Was. Abandonados don’t hurt you, because they know the pain of love. I want you to know that without you, my heart is incomplete.

In formulaic writing, the hero, striving for his compelling goal, attempts two things that don’t work, and he succeeds with the third thing he tries. For Santiago, is the third time a charm? Is Candy moved? We’ll see.

Grammar note:
People think that Spanish has only masculine and feminine genders, but no neuter like Latin. Actually it has neuter. “Cuente con ello” is an example of neuter. It is used when the pronoun refers to something that is not a specific noun and therefore has no gender. Another usage is “lo” for “the” before something that is not normally a noun. Examples:
Lo barato sale caro. The cheap becomes expensive.
A lo contrario.. On the contrary..
Por lo menos.. At least..

Vocabulary:

• hundir – destroy, demoralize
• terquita – stubborn. Root: terco.
• guardaespaldas – bodyguard
• bata – lab coat, robe, work smock
• The suffix –azo denotes a hit or blow with the root word.
  portazo – a slam of a door
  manotazo – a hit with the hand
  sarténazo – a hit with a frying pan. e.g. Te voy a dar un sarténazo. I’m going to hit you with a frying pan.
  This doesn’t appear in tonight’s show, but I just learned it today, and I suspected that certain people would be interested.
  
  
  

Labels: Tontas