Caray, Caray!

The previews for tonight's show were sexy, weren't they? Mario digging his own grave while Paulina shouts "Kill him, kill him!" Santiago and Candy in the church, getting married in "the eyes of God". Soooo promising but honestly, the plot wasn't advanced much tonight. Still, the trip was a pleasant one. So let's look at what happened...and what didn't.

After the brief rehash (which you don't really need, do you?) we see Patricio and Arturo talking over why Patricio is sure Santiago's connected to the local mafia and why it's dangerous to Arturo's grandchildren for him to stick around. Arturo agrees to go.

Switch from there to the Alizée concert. Our French chanteuse looks more like a mom and less like that enchanting nymphet that danced so bewitchingly in the video Sylvia linked last Thursday. But no matter. Santiago is wild with enthusiasm and jumping up and down like a teenager. Candy is looking embarrassed. (Lord! what a wet blanket she's going to be in this relationship.) Fortunately, he ignores her and goes on shaking and baking.

Soledad, Cece and Barbara are back at the apartment commiserating that they can only buy the Alizée CD. Lucky Candy is actually at the concert. (But not enjoying herself. He should have taken someone else, honestly. Like maybe Lulu...or Hortensia. Oh well.) Anyway, the talk soon turns to men. Soledad's raving about how tender and thoughtful Raúl is. Cece's trying to douse her enthusiasm and Barb weighs in with some therapy. Soledad's earlier hurtful relationships were "her fault". Jorge left because Beto wasn't actually his son. And she should never have fallen for Patricio because he was married. Sooo...upshot. No reason for her to be afraid to fall in love with Raúl. Follow that? I didn't, really, but whatever.

Back to the dressing room. Santiago's babbling his praises of Alizée in Spanish and Candy's translating into French. Some words she pronounces well, others badly. Then she pulls a fast one on Santiago and makes him believe Alizée wants him to take her around Mexico for 2 weeks and show her the sights. He gets nervous; plants a big kiss on Candy to show he's taken, and off they go. Just as well since our French chanteuse was tired and needed a break.

Now, shades of MEPS. We have another partially dug grave and tough gunmoll Paulina is ordering Mario into it so he can finish digging his final resting place before Lozano shoots him. As if! He manages to talk his way out of it by handing her his cellphone and pointing out that he calls his lawyer every three hours. If he misses a call, the lawyer has the papers of a full confession which he'll deliver to the authorities. Paulina and Lozano decide to let him live (they'll fake his death by taking a picture of him in the grave with blood all over him) but tell him he has to get out of Mexico.

These scenes are broken up with some humor. Eduardo's drooling at the thought of Santiago being in the same dressing room with Alizée. Seems he's not getting any at home and he's feeling....well....deprived and depressed. Santiago fakes a gay accent, then a French accent and pretends to be Alizée dancing. Dancing superb. Accent not so much.

The last scene before we break for the first round of ads is Patricio confronting Candy in her office. He's convinced Santiago has mafia links and insists on keeping Chava away from him. Candy threatens him that if he tries to take Chava from her he'll be sorry. We've had this conversation before and will probably have more of the same in the future.

When we get back, Isabella and Donato are pondering Jaime's lack of recognition of the photo. Donato has it all figured out. Men don't like their wives going through (hurgando) their affairs and their secrets so maybe Jaime really did recognize the lady and is just faking confusion. Isabella is the one looking confused now! (But I agree with Donato.)

Same office, same lady, different galan. Santiago is now talking to Candy about the threatened custody and has a plan. They get married pronto! As a stable family, they'll have a much better chance of custody as opposed to a single guy. He tells Candy "no tengas miedo" (there's that theme again) and to come with him. They're off to the chapel and gonna get married...if only in the eyes of God.

Romance is in the air elsewhere as well...at the study table. Chayo's tutor has brought her flowers but she wisely refuses them (how do I explain this to my husband?) and vamooses, leaving him with the posies and the bill.

So back to church. Candy loves the idea of getting married but remember, she's not yet divorced. Santi assures her that God sees, not the laws of man, but the hearts of men...and their hearts are so full of love right now that they're in the perfect condition for getting married. The romantic music swells and so does the emotion. Santiago begins to pray....Lord, I haven't always been a good man (Candy interrupts...What? I need to know more about that...) Santi brushes that aside. This is just "in general" and goes on quickly to inform God that he loves this lady with "locura" and pasión (he's crazily, passionately in love!) and asks God to watch over them, protect their children, and help them to be as happy as he and Candy are together. Now it's your turn, Candy.

But you've already said everything replies our sweetheart. But she manages to add Thy will be done. I love this man with all my heart and please God, take care of us and help us. Amen. Short but sweet.

In the meantime, less happy scenes are taking place. Arturo is bidding good-bye to Margarita, giving her a letter for Patricio, and adding sadly, Tell the children they had a grandfather who loved them very much but wasn't able to stay around to see them grow up. And Lucia and Charlie are feuding again. He wants advice on how to handle this icky new friend of Meño's and she manages to spill the beans about Fede being in her room kissing her. That does it! When Fede calls, Charlie grabs the phone as says If you're ever in her room again, I'll kill you! (Go Charlie! We're on your side.)

We next see Lucia coming home, spotting Paulina and Rocio playing on the lawn with a dollhouse and standing up to Paulina quite effectively, swearing that she'll "never help Paulina stay at the house". Of course Paulina later uses this confrontation to manipulate poor Rocio some more. Your "sister" is just jealous because she doesn't have a mother. She's all alone and wants you to be alone too. Rocio tearfully vows that she won't like Lucia anymore. What a clever witch this Paulina is! Comes out smelling like a rose no matter what!

Brief restaurant scene with Lalo and Mario. He's telling him to relax, he's getting out of Mexico, all will be well for Eduardo and Santiago. As far as Gambino knows, Mario is dead.

Brief office scene with Meño and Candy. She's babbling on a mile a minute about the secret wedding and the promise of true love they made to each other. Simpers and 7th grade giggles. On both sides.

After the ads, we see Fede again. Ugh. He's still trying to seduce Lucia. She's still resisting. Good.

Now we're in Santiago's office and Alicia has handed him the baby while she discusses the possibility of a boob lift. Does she take some kind of fiendish pleasure in watching Santiago hold his own son? Dunno. But the interaction is great. The bambino has an enchanting smile and is radiating comfort and well-being in Santi's arms. Santi however, nixes the idea of being her plastic surgeon. Not with the current unpleasantness between him and Patricio. Better that she see another doctor. At this point, a hostile Candy walks in and wants to know what Alicia is doing there. Why, lining you up as Patito's godparents, quips Alicia. Dubious as they are, she assures them she'll talk Patricio into it.

Switch to Arturo loading suitcases into his trunk and the omnipresent Gambino catching him at it. No running away, Arturo. If you do, I'll pick off your grandchildren one by one. Which one do you want to go first? Guess he's make Arturo an offer he can't refuse.

Candy stays after Alicia's exit and does her usual blah blah about how Santi will find his son soon and everything will be okay. (True of course, but she has no way of knowing that) She offers to stay with him the rest of the day but he (perhaps remembering those hives of the other night) begs off, saying he has to see some patients and pay the rent after all. So off goes Candy and in comes his true love, Eduardo....who gives Santi the hugs and the comfort he needs by reassuring him that Mario has left and ain't nevah coming back. Santi muses that Mario sure has changed. He didn't used to be like that. Wonder what happened?(In a word, the evil Paulina.)

Patricio's talking with his mom, feeling guilty about running off his dad but recognizing that it was for the good of the children. The Institutas, meanwhile, are planning their next radio talk which will be about domestic abuse and how to escape from it. The Abandonados are planning theirs as well. What is the place of women in the universe? The kitchen! says Carlos. And he suggests talking about divorced women....they know what they like, they know what they want, there's no wasting time...there's always Susy Spencer. This isn't going over with Raúl who's definitely feeling romantic about women now that he's in love with Soledad.

On to more serious discussions. Patricio is dumbfounded that Alicia wants plastic surgery. There's nothing wrong with her!...he's noticed...even if they're not getting it on together. He's even more dumbfounded that she's asked Santiago and Candy to be the godparents. She digs in the knife, pointing out that they're a marvelous, solid, stable couple (dig dig!) and besides, he'll only have to see them at the baptism ceremony. Well, aren't you sweet?! he snarls back.

Two more scenes wrap up tonight's episode. First, Santiago shows Candy his new prescription pads and then the old ones which should have been the ones used for the prescriptions he supposedly wrote for the botched plastic surgery. She's relieved at the proof but both wonder WHO could have put this shady lady on to Candy.

And the last is the police investigator who confirms that Santi's private detective Leonardo, was also investigating Gambino. And was no doubt killed by him. As to Santi's son's whereabouts....no clues.

So....what happened? Arturo planned to leave but couldn't. Mario was slated to die but didn't. Santiago and Candy got married....but not really. Fede tried again to seduce Lucia but failed. Cece tried to discourage Soledad from falling in love with Raúl but was unsuccessful. The tutor tried to make some headway with Chayo, but she discouraged him.

The only person who seemed to make any headway was the execrable Paulina, who is turning Rocio away from both her father and her sister. Ugh!

Previews: Paulina threatens Isabella and tells her to get out, and take her husband with her....or she'll tell Santiago that Rocio is not really his daughter. Lucia overhears this.

Candy gets tough with Patricio and tells him to get out of her office and out of her life!

Vocabulary:
Algo que no me cuadra = something's not right, Donato, musing about Jaime not recognizing the picture.
hurgando nos secretos = burrowing into our secrets
no hay gato encerrado = Isabella stating that there's nothing fishy going on
meto las manos al fuego por él = I'd put my hands in the fire for him (using present tense)
yo di de más= I gave more (to the relationship) Soledad complaining before Barbara set her straight.
jugar chueco =playing dirty, Gambino threatening Arturo
burdo intento de fuga = stupid attempt to flee. more Gambino to Arturo
el tiempo es un cruel amigo = Santiago musing on the changes in Mario (time is a cruel friend)

Dicho of the Day:
Siempre se rompe el hilo por lo más delgado (lit. the thread always breaks where it is thinnest) We say "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link."
So who's the weak link in episode?...this story? We shall see.

Labels: Tontas