Caray, Caray!

Last night, everything sparkled with hope and glamor. In the light of day, hope turns to disappointment. And even Tío Ali lets us down.

In their hotel room the spiteful Marisa and Said continue their favorite kind of pillow talk:
¿Por quién sientes más rabia? Jade o Lucas?
Who inspires more rage in you, Jade or Lucas, Marisa wants to know.
Lucas, of course, answers Said. Jade was always thinking of him, even when we were making love. (Does anyone else find this remark as funny as I do? I mean come on, it’s like the definition of Chutzpah: the kid who kills his parents throwing himself on the mercy of the court because he’s an orphan!)

The new kid in town, Sein, is holding court at Salamandra and it looks like all the ladies are already smitten with him, especially Diana. Malicia announces Said’s arrival. Sein asks why Mohamed didn’t come to the opening last night:
Es muy pegado a las costumbres.
He adheres strictly to the customs (literally ‘pegado’ means ‘stuck’ or even ‘glued’), explains Said, and doesn’t like to go places where they sell alcohol. That may change for him when his children grow up, speculates Sein.

And one of those children, Samira, is indeed, preparing to broaden her father’s horizons. She has written, in a dreamy flowery adolescent script, “Te quiero Carlos” in her notebook. Latifa comes in to ask how the party was and whether she played the music her aunt Nazira had given her. No, she says, they would have laughed at me.

There is more than one drama playing out in Mohamed’s place today:
Latifa tells Jade that she is worried about Samira and is afraid she will grow up with the problems Jade has had. Jade smiles and says she wishes Jadiya were more like Samira.

When Lucas arrives, Ali tries to dissuade him from marrying Jade with arguments we’ve heard before about trying to recapture the past and challenging destiny, but Lucas stands firm, insisting that it is a question of future, not past, and he will be true to Jade always. Well then, says Ali:
A Said le diré cual ha sido la decisión que he tomado. Te voy a entregar a Jade.
I will tell Said the decision I have made. I’m going to give you Jade.

At the Casa Ferrer, Lucas tells Mama Rosa he is moving into the house he bought for him and Jade. Nati appears angry and refuses to listen to Lucas' reasons. After he leaves, Rosa remarks that lately Nati has become very aggressive.

Brief ugly street scene: Hilda tells the sKanK she is going to Roberto’s house.

Escobar is in the clinic, phoning Fernando, wanting to get together with him, but Fernando brushes him off. Anita overhears the conversation and when asked, tells Escobar he created the problem by his immature and irresponsible behavior.

At Empresa Ferrer, Clara tells Enrique that she’s pretty sure Fernando is smoking pot. Enrique offers to talk to him (perhaps he wants the name of Fer’s dealer).

Lucia’s maid introduces sKanK2, Consuelo, who will be helping out with the housework. Inexplicably, S2 has brought along the uberSkank, Hilda. Hilda tells Lucia she knows Roberto from the club – he hangs out at the pool, he’s so popular and well-known there. (Hilda speaks English here, sort of. Interestingly, in this and many TNs, English and or Spanglish are markers for low class or lack of education.). Lucia immediately calls Roberto to try to get at the truth (Good luck with that!)

Luisa would like to have a dinner for Padre Andres, Ali and Daniel but Albi, of course, has too much work.

Estela asks Daniel about the costume party he went to. She notices his fascination with fabric. He had a good time, he says, but didn’t meet the woman with the veil, the one he has dreamed of. (I will avoid all cross-dressing references and jokes)

In a scene that seems weirdly out of place because Jade has a head scarf and seems to be going out, Latifa reminds her cousin that she will be paying a high price for her freedom.

When Said arrives at Mohamed’s apartment, Ali tries to give him his decision about Jade. Listen to me first, interrupts Said:
Me retracto mi decisión; ya no quiero el divorcio.
I retract my decision; I no longer want a divorce.
Ali appears impactado. You know about the three strikes and you’re out rule, right, Said? You renounced Jade once in my presence, a second time in Zoraida’s presence; by law you can’t retract this third divorce. But Ali, pleads Said, isn’t there something you can do?
Well…we’d have to get the family council to meet, bring Abdul back…
(Oh noooooo! Et tu, Ali??? At this point Mr. Maven rushes in to soothe me, alarmed at the abuses I am shouting at the TV. I settle down.)
Apparently, Mohamed is as upset as I am – his eyes pop alarmingly when Said tells him what he has decided to do.

Jade, in blissful ignorance, is dreaming aloud of her happiness with Lucas. And surely with the Naz on my side, I’ll get custody of Jadiya…

But why?? Mohamed demands to know. Whether it’s love or obsession, I don’t know, answers Said. But I can’t live without her. But you have Rania, reasons Mohamed, a virtuous woman.
Puedo respirar sin Rania; no consigo hacerlo sin Jade.
I can breathe without Rania; I can’t manage to do so without Jade.

And in Fez, Tío Abdul is grumbling: ¡Otro consejo de familia! (Another family council). Road trip: Abdul, Amina, Zoraida – and little Zumaya gets to go too, since Abdul doesn’t have the heart to leave her alone.

Back at Mohamed’s place, the Naz breezes in and greets Ali. When Jade sees her, she tries to thank her for allowing her to see Jadiya but the Naz acts like she doesn’t know what she’s talking about and goes into one of her rants.

Lucas is at his new house happily preparing for Jade’s arrival.

Marisa arrives at Casa Ferrer to be told that Lucas se fue de la casa. (Lucas left the house.)
Nati complains that her parents can move out, but she can’t. Rosa says: Children leave their parents’ house, but who ever heard of parents leaving their children? You’re so right, says good-hearted Marisa. If Lucas has left, I’ll move back in. (As inconvenient as it will be to live in this mansion and have my every need attended to.)

A hopeful Lucas keeps his appointment with Ali only to hear the shocking news:
Las cosas han cambiado. Ya no te puedo entregar a Jade. Said se arrepintió.
Things have changed. I can’t turn over/entrust Jade to you. Said has changed his mind.

At Casa Ferrer, the Good Mother Marisa has come home! I’m here to stay with you, she tells Nati. You the one who took Alej’s job away, a less than delighted Nati spits out at her.

And a desolate Lucas returns to an empty house…

Jade confronts Ali. I’m just following the letter of the law, he claims. Oh no, says Jade, you could have kept this from happening. When Jade leaves the room, Latifa asks Ali if what Jade said was true: Could you have stopped Said’s challenge? Ali admits that he could have, but he wanted to avoid resentment in the family and he wanted Abdul to participate in the decision.

Two-faced Said returns to his double-wife double-winged house; he catches a glimpse of Rania on the phone. Amina has called to pass along the news that Jade is Coming Back! Said goes to Jadiya’s room, kisses his daughter, and then to Jade’s closet to sniff her clothes. Rania watches through narrowed eyes. Said catches her watching him. She can no longer contain herself: Why can’t you love me? Jade betrayed you, she never loved you. She told me this herself – not once but many times!
Cállate o te voy a castigar!
Shut up/be quiet or I’ll punish you.
The punishment: one month without her husband. That’s no punishment for you, Said, remarks Rania bitterly:
Tú tienes a Jade y tú tienes a tu amante occidental!
You have Jade and you have your western lover.

Credits roll.

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