Caray, Caray!

DISCLAIMER: I am not pretending to have perfect comprehension, so I rely on all of you to fill in the blanks and please PLEASE correct any errors I make! Thank you!

Review of yesterday:

Oliver has brought home a zoned-out Gretel and is explaining tearfully to everyone in the pension that he loves her so much, that if he loses her, he has lost everything. He says he’s got to disappear with her. Netty says that they’ll support him—true love and all. Off he goes with a barely upright Gretel as Netty, Brandon and Doris bid him farewell.

Kristel and Mauricio (Orange Boy) are talking about the recent extraction of Gretel from their domicile. They start squabbling (I think about Kristel’s “situation”) and in comes Nereida , taunting the “happy papa.” “Lower your voice, minimum wage!” Mauricio responds. (That’s what it looks like he’s saying!) Whoa, dude, way to alienate the person who would be quite eager to blow your whole secret. Nereida responds with a veiled threat. Orangey returns with a threat of his own: “Salaria minimo o muerte natural!” He punctuates this sentence with a “cut throat” gesture. He’s such a prince. As they are talking, Fedra walks in and asks what’s going on. (Naturally no one thinks to have this conversation somewhere more private in the first place!)

Now we come to Emiliano and Emanuel, and Eman’s uncomfortable question about his parentage. Emilano is saying, sure, he knows Eman’s his son. He was just a little premature, that’s all. Eman was stubborn (“muy terco”) in getting born early. Eman suggests that maybe—just maybe—Fedra was already pregnant when Emiliano met her. This changes Emil’s tone. He declares that Fedra is capable of many things, but he’s sure that Eman is his son! “You are my pride, my first son!” he says, earnestly. They hug, and Eman does his little nose-scrunchy-up thing which denotes emotion. (I’m not trying to be hard on Valentino Lanus, who I think is fantastic, but he does scrunch up his nose now and then, you have to admit.)

Fedra still wants to know what’s the deal with Kristel, Orangey, and Nereida, and she’s making them squirm. Orangey tries to blow it all off as nothing, but Fedra isn’t buying. They come up with an explanation—a “cenita sorpresa” (I think a surprise party?) and say they were discussing it with Nereida. Fedra does not like this and (I think) warns them that she wants to be the one to plan such things. (I sort of lost the direction of the conversation here.) She surreptitiously gives a hilarious/scary stinkeye “warning” to Mauricio, like she’ll snip off something essential if he steps out of line. Bernardo (Spiderus) interrupts them with something about taking a car, and as Fedra leaves, Orangey and Kristel almost collapse in relief.

Mari and Paula are in the kitchen, and Marienela is saying that Oliver look after Gretel because he adores her. Paula says she knows, and that Gretel loves Oliver a lot too. Delicia runs in to tell them that Fedra and Bernardo have left the building and are on the way to the pension. Mari immediately calls Netty to ask if Oliver and Gretel are there. Netty says no. Just then Axel rushes in, grabs the phone from her hand, and tries to admonish her. Both Marianela and Delicia try to tell him that he doesn’t know what’s going on. (You think? Amnesia might have that effect.)

Lorenzo and Begoñia have returned to her apartment. He’s still fussing over the baby, acting as if all is cool and he is The Perfect Doting Father instead of the lowlife deadbeat that we know he is. Begoñia doesn’t seem to be eager to buy what he’s selling, and he feigns shock at this. She also says she doesn’t want another scare, like the one she had at the park, where he (Lorenzo) was out of sight for a moment with the baby. He starts in with a “sincere” talk about how he wants to do right by the kid, and he wants to “register” the child (I think claim parentage?). I smell a rat here. He rattles on for a while as Begoñia looks suspiciously as him.

Marianela is talking to herself about poor Netty having to deal with the impending visit of the Witch Fedra. Then in comes an irate and clueless Axel who is angry with Mari and who claims that his mom is a good woman. (Qué? NOT!) Marianela tries to point out that he just doesn’t remember all the cr*p she’s done. (It’s called AMNESIA Axel. Connect the dots here and consider the concept that maybe the amnesia has left you bereft of some facts?)

Fedra has invaded the happy pension with Spiderus looking creepy in the background, as Netty excitedly tells her that she is a snake and then orders them out of the house. Fedra then proceeds to bring in several “gorilas” who are friends of Bernardo’s. They’re going to set fire to Netty’s “hovel” if she doesn’t help them out.

Axel is still arguing with Marianela about what a witch Evil Aunt Fedra is. Some back and forth arguing. Marianela finally just says that she hopes he (Axel) will return to the boy he was before. (I agree. Does amnesia make you this clueless? I ask you.)

My favorite naco gentleman (Brandon) comes in and says that he must talk to Marianela.

Oliver is struggling to drag a still listless Gretel into a hotel room. He gets her on a bed and fusses over her as she is still out for the count.

Brandon has finished telling Marianela that he’s got proof that her mom was murdered in the helicopter crash. She blames herself because if only her mom hadn’t flown in to attend her graduation . . . Brandon hugs her and tells her he won’t rest until he resolves the case. He also urges her to leave the house for her own safety.

Bernardo’s gorillas and Bernardo himself are roughing up Netty and the other residents of the pension as they tear through the place, looking for Gretel. Fedra grabs Netty by the wrists and threatens her. Netty says that (I think?) the end is very near for Fedra! (We can only hope. But no, wait. This telenovela has many more episodes, so my guess is that Fedra will slither around for a while longer.)

Marianela is telling Brandon that she can’t leave now, Axel is so confused, Tio Maximo needs her, Tio Emiliano, her primo Emanuel . . . Oh yeah right, Brandon isn’t buying this bit about Emanuel. They continue to bicker a bit more about how she ought to leave. She then says that she wants to stay to prove that she’s not afraid, and she relies on him to be a friend. He says she can count on him and gives her a hug. Just then Emanuel and Jackie (Ilitia’s rival) walk in and see the embrace. Emanuel looks peeved and says in a tight voice, “Marianela” as she and Brandon pull apart and she looks guilty and busted. Commercial break.

We return to Brandon, Mari, Jackie and Eman. Jackie comments that Brandon is Mari’s boyfriend, but Mari says, No, we used to be novios, but now we’re just friends. Yeah, Eman still isn’t cool with this and is giving them the stinkeye. Thus starts a p*ssing match between the four. Eman pulls Jackie close and says that he’s “just friends” with her. Yadda yadda yadda. Brandon looks at Mari as if to say, “See what he’s like?” as Mari returns a stinkeye look at Eman.

More with the turmoil in the pension, as Fedra’s gorillas have the pension residents in their clutches, as a very colorful couch (how many colors can a couch have, anyway?) sits at center stage, drawing our eyes away from the drama. (Well okay, maybe it was just my eyes that veered towards that incredible couch.) More threats and hysteria (and some big burly guy manhandling the little son of the one pension resident) as Netty insists she doesn’t know where Gretel and Oliver are.

Brandon and Marianela are sitting outside the house and Brandon is telling her to open her eyes—a week after breaking up with Ilitia and Eman has taken up with this other girl. He must be laughing, Brandon says. Marianela has another dizzy spell thanks to the poisoned chocolates. Brandon is instantly concerned, but Mari says it’s due to her diet and her worry over Gretel and Oliver. Emiliano drives up just then and asks Mari where Gretel is. Mari looks impactada.

Back to Jackie and Eman inside the house. Eman is arguing with Jackie about her behavior in front of Mari. She doesn’t know what the big deal is. He’s worried that Mari’s going to think that they (Eman and Jackie) have something going on. Jackie is wondering why la gordita would care anyway, or why he cares. He stammers.

Emiliano is still wanting to know where Gretel is. Brandon tries to calm him down, but no go.

El Comisario is talking on the phone at the police station about Eva’s death in the helicopter crash as Fedra rushes in, rudely pushing an officer out of the way in the process. She claims that one of his officers has taken her daughter. El Comisario looks impactado.

We go to Gretel, who wakes up, finally fully conscious, but confused and not knowing where she is. She proceeds to freak out, apparently delirious, as poor Oliver tries to calm her down.

Nedra is spinning quite a yarn with El Comisario. She claims that Oliver took Gretel against her will and injected her with something. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot! The woman has no shame! El Comisario is very concerned and outraged by this claim and wants to find Oliver.

Poor Gretel is having delirious flashbacks of Tio Luis Filipe’s death. Oliver is still trying to calm her down as she beseeches him to help her uncle. She then passes out in Oliver’s arms.

Everyone in the pension is gathered in the living room (sitting in—and therefore covering up—the colorful sofa, so I can concentrate better). They are talking about the scare they had with the gorillas. Even Netty’s incompetent lawyer is there. Netty appears, dressed to go out. The lawyer says she’s dressed like Mata Hari. She says she’s going to go face Fedra.

Back at the Ruis y de Teresa household (aka Dysfunctional Domicile), Mari is trying to explain that Oliver didn’t take Gretel against her will, that she was eager to go to escape the bad treatment she got in that house. Emil is shocked when Mari says that Gretel was ill-treated in the house, and confronts Fedra. But of course Fedra blithers on and lies and plays the misunderstood victim.

Back to Oliver and Gretel. She wakes up, apparently her fever has broken, and she’s back to some semblance of normal. Oliver fusses over her as she asks him never to leave her. She never wants to return to that house.

Mari is in the kitchen, drinking some water. Eman walks in and they start to bicker, at first about Oliver taking away Gretel. Mari says that Oliver is a man in love and he wants to be with the one he loves. (The closed captions go by too fast here, but I think Eman asks her if this is what she expects of every man? I think he believes she’s making a little dig here, because he’s been wishy-washy in declaring himself?)

More with our lovebirds Oliver and Gretel. They will always be together and be happy. He pulls out a pocket knife and cuts his thumb and she kisses his hand and I’m a little lost here. Apparently it is another gesture of devotion.

The conversation continues after the commercial break, and yep, it’s all about fighting for love. She fights for the memory of her parents by sticking around in that horrible house, after all. Eman takes her hand and says he’s not talking about that kind of love now. He wants to know—is she capable of fighting for the man she loves? (I’m pretty sure that’s what he says!)

And here's a screenshot:


Back at Casa Unhappy, Fedra, Axel and Kristel are trying to convince Emiliano that everything was great before that horrible gordita came into town. Emil isn’t buying it. Then in sweeps Netty, in her fetching black hat . . . looking fetching! She has a paper that was written by her brother-in-law, Luis Felipe, saying that he knew that Fedra was living a double life. Fedra looks impactada, as does Emiliano.

Back at the pension, Begoñia is talking with our incompetent lawyer, who is scarfing down coffee and some sort of pastry and seems really into that. Begoñia is asking him for a recommendation of a registry (I think?) to formally register her son with the last name of his father. Lawyer is really into his food and asks for more.

Mari and Eman continue their conversation. She talks on and on about her love for family and friends, and Eman gestures like blah di blah di blah, get on with it. Then he asks again—what about fighting for the man you love? She gets ticked about this and reminds him of Ilitia and now Jacqueline.

Emiliano sees that things are getting heavy with Netty and the paper written Luis Felipe, so he asks Axel and Kristel to leave. Fedra immediately starts in with whining and trying to distract him, but no, he listens as Netty says that this paper will prove that Fedra is a liar.

At the pension, the lawyer is finishing up all the pastry in the house as Brandon and Gladiola enter the living room. The doorbell rings and a VERY unamused El Comisario is there. He demands to know where Oliver and Gretel are.

Lorenzo is at some strip club with the thugs. They are toasting to the big scare they gave Begoñia in the park the day before. Lorenzo is saying that “now is not the time, she lives in a pension with policemen.”

Netty wants to give the letter written by Luis Felipe to Emiliano, but Fedra tries to stop him. “I’m the mother of your children!” she whines. He replies coldly that the blind confidence he had in her has broken. He gets the letter. Just then Marianela comes in, and Netty wants to talk to her. They start to go upstairs and Fedra freaks out in her typical shrewish manner, but Netty sarcastically says that the grand dame of society is a phony! And then she marches upstairs with Mari. Eman has to restrain Fedra as she lunges after Netty. He then says that they’re going to read the letter.

Up in Mari’s room, Netty and Mari start talking about Mari’s forbidden love for Eman. Mari moans that she knows it is forbidden, but what about her being happy? Netty again sings the praises of the Gentleman Naco, Brandon. But Mari says, she loves Eman. Netty reminds her that loving Eman will only bring her pain—he’s not for her.

El Comisario hears an earful from the ladies of the pension about how Oliver didn’t kidnap Gretel, and then they tell all about Fedra and her gorillas and how they roughed everyone up, including a little kid. Comisario freaks about this and then asks a befuddled-looking Brandon about it.

Netty is still trying to work on Mari, emphasizing the hopelessness of loving Eman. Mari says yeah, she’s gonna end it, but she’s sad. Netty carries on about how Eman is the son of her sworn enemy, Fedra, who is bent on destroying the family, and Mari has enough of that. What about you and your forbidden love for a married man (meaning Emiliano)? Whoa, you’re BUSTED, Netty! She looks impactada.

Eman’s in the kitchen chatting with Benigno, talking about his impossible situation with all the women in his life. (I kind of lost track here.)

Netty asks what Mari is talking about, and it comes out that Mari saw Netty smooching with Emiliano in Axel’s hospital room. Netty turns in shame and says it was a mistake, an error. But Mari says she understands. Netty then says that she hasn’t messed with Emiliano all this time, but when she (Mari) visited, Emil and her got to know each other better, and Fedra is such a bad woman and. . . and . . . Mari says that she understands, and that Netty isn’t a bad woman. They both hug and vow to forget about those vexing Ruiz y de Teresa boys.

Emiliano is grilling a nervous Fedra about the contents of Luis Felipe’s letter.

Avances: Fedra is in a bathtub looking evil, recalling Emiliano asking her about his brother’s (Luis Felipe’s) letter. She looks like she’s planning something nefarious. Eman sneaks into Marianela’s room at night, jumps on her bed, and takes off his shirt as Mari smiles.

EDITED TO ADD: Wikipedia's page for Llena de Amor now lists the series as having 205 episodes and lasting from May to February in Mexico. (Before it said it had 175 episodes.) Since Llena started on Univision in August (right?) that would mean it would end in late March or April, right? (think Mexico has some 30-minute episodes and we usually get them fitting into hour-long slots here.) Wow, that's a lot of episodes! But I'm hoping I'm up for it!

Labels: llena