Caray, Caray!

In the pretty, fog-enshrouded town of Real del Monte, in a big house, creepy horror-movie music plays as a woman (Carlota) takes a lace thingy out of a cabinet, wraps it around her shoulders, and admires herself in the mirror.

Down in the kitchen, Carlota’s sister Macarena finishes decorating a birthday cake and tells Rufi, the older servant woman, that Paloma will love it. Macarena says that Paloma is the most important thing to her, but Rufi says she should start thinking about herself more...maybe look for a man. It’s not too late to get married and have children. Macarena says that’s not in her plans. Carlota comes in and says they’ll be late, so Macarena goes off to change her clothes for the party, and Carlota criticizes her cake.

A bunch of kids play musical chairs in a balloon-filled backyard. The happy parents (Javier and Sagrario) call away their young daughter to give her a gift. It is a puppy and Paloma is thrilled. They also give her a Virgencita medallion bracelet, and the whole family is so glowing and happy you can just feel the anvil hanging over them. Paloma runs back to her party.

Macarena is dressed and comes back to the kitchen for the cake, but Carlota has already taken it and left for the party.

Over at the party, Carlota shows up and presents the cake as her own. She also gives Paloma a framed picture of the two of them together (Javier and Sagrario exchange disgusted looks), criticizes her attire as too casual for a party, and is in general trying really hard to suck all the joy out of everything. J&S thwart her attempts, send Paloma back to watch the magician with the other kids, and escape to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Sagrario and Javier have differing views on Javier’s sister Carlota. Javier agrees that she’s domineering but thinks it’s just because she cares about them. He says she has done a lot to help them. Sagrario doesn’t believe that gives her a right to mess with their daughter.

Macarena finally arrives at the party and happily meets the new puppy. Paloma is way more excited to see her than Carlota, and loves the gift she’s brought. I couldn’t quite tell what it was—something knitted and something like an album or some such. Mac says to hide it, because Carlota will be mad if she finds out about it. Carlota is eavesdropping and overhears all this, and rolls her eyes and looks annoyed. Paloma tells Mac that she knows she made the special dessert, and not Carlota.

Mom and Dad come out with the big cake for everyone and start off “Las Mañanitas.” Paloma blows out the candles, then tells her mother that she wished for a little brother or sister. The adults all look uncomfortable. Witchy Aunt Carlota says too bad, wishes don’t come true.

In another house, little girl Romina looks at a photo of her parents and cries. Her mother, Camila, walks in and asks why she’s crying. Romina wants to know why her daddy left. She thinks it’s her fault. Camila assures her that she’s not to blame, but tells her she needs to accept that her dad is not coming back and it’s just the two of them from now on. Romina doesn’t want them to be left all alone and sad, but Camila says that won’t happen. They are going to be very happy. In fact, right now they are going to start planning Romina’s birthday party.

Paloma’s party is over. Javier and Sagrario ask Carlota to let Paloma stay with her and Macarena for the weekend while they go to a wedding out of town.

Camila dials the phone and asks to speak to Licenciado Mondragón. She tells whoever is on the other end not to tell her he’s in a meeting or traveling, because she needs to speak to him about their daughter.

Samuel Mondragón sits in his serious business office, furiously signing papers, and looks totally put out about having to answer the phone. Camila tells him he needs to come see Romina on her birthday; it’s very important to her. He rudely says he’s too busy with work. He might try to stop by sometime, but he’s not making any promises. Camila yells at him to make some time for his daughter before it’s too late and slams down the phone. Romina has overheard all of Camila’s end of this and throws a fit, blaming her mother for everything and screaming that she hates her.

Paloma is crying because she doesn’t want to go stay with her aunts. Sagra tries to convince her that it’s only for a few days and that she likes Macarena and Rufi. Paloma displays a ridiculous amount of separation anxiety for someone her age and begs her mother not to go, or to take her with them…okay at the very least come home just as soon as the wedding is over. She must REALLY hate Carlota.

Carlota and Macarena return to their gloomy dark murder-mystery-ready mansion. Mac is delighted that Paloma is going to stay with them. Carlota thinks Paloma is a poorly-raised capricious brat who needs to be straightened out. Mac tells her that she won’t get anywhere with her rigid judgy attitudes; she’ll just drive Paloma away and make her hate her. Carlota tells Mac that she’s delusional if she thinks Paloma likes her any better; she just likes the gifts. As Carlota snits her way upstairs, Mac alludes to something in the past, and Carlota says they don’t need to talk about that, because fortunately HE isn’t around anymore. Ooh, mystery.

Romina is still wailing, and Camila is having a nervous breakdown on the other side of the door. Romina tears the picture of her parents in half.

Carlota sits on the bed in her fusty old-lady bedroom and sobs that she doesn’t know why Paloma prefers Macarena. Carlota thinks she is way better than her sister. She makes a Lucy face and cries dramatically.

Mac is in her bedroom, which is slightly less gloomy. She takes a dried flower and a letter out of a little wooden chest and sobs that, fortunately, “he” is not here.

In a fresher, more modern, only slightly gloomy home, Natalia is opening a wedding gift from Sagrario and telling Cristóbal that she’s excited for him to meet her old friend at the wedding. She says she’s still upset with that Javier for taking Sagra away to Real del Monte. Cris’s eyes get wide. “Real del Monte? Why there?” Nat says the Espinoza de los Monteros family has always lived there. Cris is even more stricken. “Is he related to Carlota and Macarena?” Nat doesn’t know. Cris looks faint.

Javier and Sagra drop Paloma off with Carlota and make sure she has their cell phone number so she can call anytime. They leave. Carlota and Paloma go inside, but Carlota says the puppy can’t be in the house. They struggle, and Carlota wrests the puppy away and breaks Paloma’s Virgen protection bracelet off in the process. She yells that Paloma will have to obey her.

Paloma cries and gathers up the pieces of her bracelet. Mac runs in to comfort her. Mac says she’ll talk to Carlota and try to get permission for Paloma to keep her puppy with her, but Paloma doesn’t seem to have much faith that she can overrule Carlota.

Camila cooks breakfast and Romina gives her the silent treatment. She breaks the silence to yell and blame her mom for dad’s departure. Camila tells her that her dad left because he had another woman. Romina thinks if her dad doesn’t love her mom, he doesn’t love Romina either. Camila says of course he does, and he’ll for sure come to her birthday party. Romina doesn’t believe it and cries some more.

They need a spunkier attitude toward deadbeat dads, such as Lorelai and Rory had on Gilmore Girls:
Lorelai: Your dad said he would definitely be there.
Rory: So…like, a fifty-fifty chance?
Lorelai: He sounded REALLY sure. I’d say sixty-forty.

But alas, this show is all about the crying.

Macarena yells at Carlota for abusing Paloma. Carlota says she’s just setting limits. Mac says she’d better shape up or Mac will call Javier and tell him what’s going on, and she thinks Carlota just hates Paloma because of who she is and what she represents. Ooh, cryptic.

Cristóbal is in a bar chain-swilling booze and cursing his misfortune in having his past catch up with him.

Carlota is on the phone arranging for a service to block cell phone reception in her house.

Mac sneaks the puppy into Paloma’s room. She takes off her own chain necklace and strings Paloma’s pearls and medallion onto it since Paloma’s chain is broken. Carlota passes by in the corridor and overhears Paloma telling Mac she loves her. Her face is a total Miss Hannigan “do I hear…happiness…in here?”

Javier and Sagra check into their hotel. Sagrario calls Carlota and asks to speak to Paloma, but Carlota says Mac took her out for ice cream.

Camila is still trying to push the happy birthday-party-planning agenda but Romina isn’t into it. Mac and Paloma walk by with their ice cream and say hello. Paloma and Romina smile at each other. New friends?

Sagrario and Javier are waiting outside the church with the other wedding guests. The clock on the front of the church says it’s midnight. What kind of wedding is this? Sagra is wearing a white dress, which seems like a faux pas. A friend introduces them to Cristóbal. He does not look pleased to meet them.

Paloma is using a cell phone to try to call her parents, but somehow can’t get through. Carlota tells her to give it up and come to dinner. She also says that the dog may NOT come in the dining room, although she has conceded his presence in the house.

Cristóbal sits alone on a bench reminiscing about a funeral, kissing the hand of some woman, putting a white rose on a grave…this is all making him tremble and sweat.

The priest says they’re ready to start. Cris looks sick. In the church, they’re saying their vows. Natalia agrees to accept him as her spouse, but Cris declines, says he can’t marry her, and runs out of the church as Nat and everyone else wonder what the heck happened.

At Casa Creepy, Carlota won’t let Paloma eat dessert, and gives her a lecture on diabetes instead. Carlota taunts Macarena some more about something that happened ten years ago.

Natalia is crying and confused. Javier and Sagrario try to comfort her and convince her that she should at least get Cristóbal to tell her why. She tries to call him, but he’s back in the bar drinking and reminiscing about some woman some more and doesn’t answer.

Paloma tries to call her parents again, with negative results. Carlota takes the puppy away before Paloma goes to bed. Then she corrects the way Paloma says her bedtime prayer.

Mac lies in bed and tells her father’s picture that she didn’t mean to hurt him.

Paloma sneaks her puppy back into her room. She goes to sleep, but is awakened when Carlota grabs her by the hair and snarls that she’s a child of the devil and she’d better not tell Mac or her parents anything, or she’ll find out what Carlota is capable of. Carlota throws the puppy outside. Paloma runs down the stairs, freaking out, and thus happens to be right by the phone when it rings. She answers and it’s her mother. Paloma begs her to come rescue her from that witch. Sagra is alarmed, and more so when Carlota grabs the phone and hangs up. She tells Javier they need to go home right away. He thinks Carlota would never hurt Paloma, but Sagra insists Paloma wouldn’t lie. They head home in the dark, and fight vigorously about how bad Carlota is and whether she hates Paloma. An anvil, er, that is, a big truck, hits them.

Avances: Paloma is told of her parents’ accident. Cristóbal is haunted by his past.

Labels: amor