Caray, Caray!

Friday: Marianela starts trying to get lean and fit. Puff. Gasp.

She tells Eman that there’s just a week left until the beauty contest and she’d rather be pudgy and alive than thin and dead. Eman says it was her idea to get thin, he doesn’t care, she has her own inner light and beauty, so why go in a contest?

She repeats for the gazillionth time that they’re cousins and mustn’t be smooching. He tells her to run, and if he catches her, he gets to kiss her. Off she trots.

Emiliano wants to take Kristel to the hospital but both she and Mauricio panic at the suggestion. She tells her daddy that it’s just monthly cramps. Here comes Nereida with her witch’s brew, telling Kristel it’ll get rid of everything (hint, hint). Emiliano tells her to drink up, then. Kristel throws him an imploring look then says she will.

At the government office, Begoña is nervous about registering the baby, and Gladiola has brought the little tyke a gift, a medal of the Virgin to protect him. Outside, Lorenzo is telling Brandon to back off, it’s not a crime to have a child out of wedlock. Brandon says still it’s scummy what he’s doing to his wife, and to Ilitia too. Lorenzo says butt out or else. Threatening me? says Brandon. Lorenzo reminds Brandon that he attacked his daughter. They fan their tail feathers and puff up like a couple of tom turkeys and gobble gobble gobble threats at each other.

Ilitia catches herself dreaming of her night with Brandon. She tells herself not to think of his kisses, his powerful arms, his washboard abs. (Abdomen de lavadero, which I know you’ll need for your next conversation in Spanish. This is why we watch these things, after all, to get really useful vocabulary. Try this one out at the church potluck!)

Lorenzo points out that Begoña knew in advance that he was married, and yeah, okay maybe he made mistake, but he’s going to give the kid his name and support him, and nobody’s making him do it. Brandon better keep his mouth shut about it. Brandon says he will, but only because he promised Begoña, and Lorenzo better not step wrong because he’s watching.

Ilitia asks her mother if Brandon came to talk about her. Nothing about you, says Muñeca. Nice dress! Have a nice day! Off she heads. Ilitia suddenly wonders if Brandon’s interested in her mother.

Back home, Marianela is taking a tiny nibble of the chocolates, and asks Brandon if she looks thinner yet. He gushes goofy, love-sick compliments. She runs off to see if maybe she can zip up that pair of pants Netty gave her.

Bernardo smugly tells Fedra, who today is in an off-the shoulder animal print number, that the poison is slow but sure, but he’s worried that once it’s done Marianela in, Carlota will do something. Fedra tells him not to worry, she’ll take care of her when the moment comes.

They’re worried about where Gretel is, as she could blab about Fedra. Bernardo says he has a couple of guys looking, but it’s very expensive. Fedra says money has never been a problem for her. She starts digging in the cabinet that has the safe that we saw Kristel get stacks of bills from. The safe is empty! She was robbed!

Marianela can zip up the pants! She’s thrilled.

Excuse me, I’m going to go run around the block a few times and lose ten pounds.

Okay, I’m back. I look great! Delicia tells her she’s going to be prettier than any of the babes at the contest. She may not have a model’s figure, but everyone will see that beauty is within.

We hear Fedra yelling for everyone to come down to the living room, right now!

Oliver peers into his wallet, which probably is as empty as the miners’ cave, saying he has to run down for something to eat, because they’re going on a long journey. Gretel is nervous about being left alone, so he says he’ll hurry. He leaves and Gretel wonders if she should call Marianela to tell her father she’s okay. Somebody tries the handle of the hotel door.

Fedra wants to know who robbed her. Everyone is lined up except Emanuel, who has left for work. Emiliano says robbery is a pretty strong accusation. Fedra gives the lined-up servants the hairy eyeball, then asks Axel if he remembers she has a safe. Of course he doesn’t. Kristel says not her, she has all the money she wants for her manicures and everything. Fedra turns her searchlight gaze back on the servants.

Nereida says Delicia’s been looking nervous like she was up to something. Fedra decides it must be her. Marianela protests that Delicia’s innocent. Fedra then decides it must be Marianela and says she’s robbed her just like her mother did while sucking down all that hooch, only with Marianela it’s chocolates. Marianela steps forward and slaps her a good one. Emiliano steps between them, but throws Marianela a sympathetic look.

Axel is furious, and Kristal runs to grab Marianela, but Emiliano stops her and tells them that Marianela was just reacting to Fedra’s insults, and that Fedra’s been insulting her since the day she arrived. Fedra plays the victim, and asks if it isn’t strange that Marianela is defending a servant. Delicia’s guilty until proven innocent, she declares.

Marianela reminds her that somebody tried to break into her room and kill her last night.. maybe that’s who took the money? Fedra scoffs that that guy was a figment of Marianela’s imagination. Eyeing the servants, she tells them that whoever did it is going to regret it to their dying day.

Whew, it’s not Bernardo’s thugs, it’s the police at the hotel. They tell Gretel Oliver is wanted for kidnapping, and they’ve seen her photo and know who she is. She protests that she wasn’t kidnapped.

Gladiola has come home with the baby, since Begoña decided to celebrate with Lorenzo. She tells Netty everything went great. Consuelo and Doris clomp down the stairs, excitedly saying the beauty contest is in a week. (Did they just find out?) All four decide they’re going to pretty up Marianela and support her. Group fist bump!

Over lunch, Lorenzo is letting Begoña know that he’s very unhappy that she brought Brandon. Begoña says Gladiola and Brandon are her friends, and she didn’t know at first that he knew Brandon. She’s heard Ilitia and Brandon don’t get along, but she’s also heard that Ilitia is difficult. Lorenzo bristles at that, and says that he hates Brandon for making Ilitia’s life miserable.

In his office, Brandon is trying to get Caiman (that criminal from a few weeks back, remember?) to spill the beans about his group of baddies when Ilitia bursts in and demands to know what he was talking about with her mother.

Gretel is pleading with the two cops to take her instead, that she’s the one to blame, since she asked Oliver to take her from the house. We’re in love! Oliver comes in the open hotel room door, to-go bag in hand, all unsuspecting, and is grabbed by his fellow cops, who arrest him.

Brandon tells Ilitia she can’t just come into his office whenever she wants. She retorts that he can’t come into her house whenever he wants, trying to fix himself up with her mother. Brandon is amazed. Ilitia tells him not to even think that Muñeca would leave her rich and handsome father for him. My mother’s not interested in you. Caiman rolls his eyes, and looks like he’d like to get back to his life of crime a.s.a.p. rather than waste his time on this fluff.

You’re jealous! laughs Brandon. You wish! says Ilitia.

Brandon gets a call telling him they’ve got Oliver. Brandon rushes out, dragging Caiman by the arm.

Lorenzo tells Begoña that he’s given the child his name and he’ll support him until he dies, but he wants something from her in return. She promises not to tell Muñeca. He says he also wants her to move out of Netty’s, out of the country, in fact.

Girl talk: Back in Marianela’s bedroom, Delicia congratulates her on that great slap, but wonders what would happen if Fedra finds out she’s in love with Eman. Now, I hope I understood this next bit correctly: Marianela blathers about forbidden love that is stronger than she is, and Delicia says what if you just go for it? Maybe you’re just afraid, have you ever been with a man?

Guy talk: At work, Andre is telling Emanuel how great the shooting was for the ad, how Jackie is sooooo hot and so hot for Eman. Why isn’t Eman still interested? Eman says it was a hot and heavy fling, but nothing important. Andre thinks Eman ought to take her out, pour a couple of drinks down her and float into a blissful evening. Eman laughs and says Andre’s never been really in love. Andre’s afraid he’ll start up again with that inner beauty stuff – why not fall for exterior beauty? Not like Eman’s cousin… Eman tells him to hold it right there. Andre wonders if Eman could make love to Marianela.

Girl talk: Marianela says of course I’ve never been with a man! I was in a boarding school, and then I came here. She tells Delicia how she’s always dreamed of that first time, so romantic, with the man she’d be with the rest of her life. Delicia sighs happily. Marienela admires Delicia’s figure and doesn’t think any man would be interested her own chubby self. She wants to slim down just to attract Eman. Delicia tells her to make her dreams a reality.

Guy talk: Eman says he used to think like Andre, but now he realizes he can fall for a woman’s soul. Andre reminds him that a soul is contained inside a body, so does Eman maybe mean platonic love? Nope, says Eman. Andre is grossed out. He can’t believe it. Believe it, says Eman, waxing poetic about his love for Marianela. Whew! says Andre, rocking back in his chair.

Begoña, raising her voice, tells Lorenzo she’s not leaving the country. Other diners swivel their heads to look. Lorenzo tries to get her to be quieter, but she keeps railing on, saying she will leave his life as it is, but if she wants to, she could destroy it just like that. He says he’d send her somewhere good for her career – New York? Paris? He’ll pay! He wants her far away from his wife and daughter.

Great, a one-way ticket, says Begoña. He assures her that he can travel a lot for his job, and Christian will know he has a father. Begoña points out that Christian would know that right here. Lorenzo tells her that if she stays, he’ll pay support, but he’ll cut off any relationship with them, so if she wants him to be in his son’s life, the decision is hers.

Back at the hotel, Oliver is pleading with his fellow officers, who say that can’t go back to the Commissioner empty-handed. They say he has to come along, and they’ll take Gretel home. No! says Oliver, desperate. Gretel declares she won’t leave him. Brandon shows up and says Oliver just has to come along.

What a hoot! Supercop Brandon is driving criminal Caiman (front seat, seatbelt in place) and Oliver and Gretel (open truck bed, no seatbelts) in his OPEN Jeep or whatever that is. Oliver protests that it wasn’t a kidnapping and Caiman agrees. Brandon tells Caiman to button it. Gretel says her mother might actually kill her, and Oliver begs Brandon not to destroy their love.

Muñeca has shown up at the club, looks like, and Ilitia tells her she’s going to find out what Muñeca’s and Brandon’s conversation was about. Muñeca says she came to support her, but she sees she’s being the same little brat. Lorenzo walks in and Ilitia runs to her daddy and clings to him, then says she has to go change.

Lorenzo takes Muñeca’s hands and says he’s been thinking how they should take a nice trip – a second honeymoon. Lovely! says Muñeca. I’ve been so tense, what with the problems at the orphanage, Ilitia, all the rotten, stupid stuff you’ve been putting me through – you bet! I’m all for that trip – alone.

When Begoña gets home, Jackie is there visiting with Netty and Gladiola. Netty tells Begoña that it would be great if she could help Marianela with some models’ tricks. Jackie says it won’t be easy, because when she has all those extra pounds… Netty says she herself is going to teach her stage presence.

Begoña asks Jackie if she could find her a job in Italy, because she’s thinking of moving, Jackie says no problem, plus Lorenzo gives her the creeps, so she thinks Begoña should leave town.

In the back of the Jeep, Gretel and Oliver confer about whether they can get Brandon to let them escape. Oliver understands Brandon is just doing his job. Brandon and Caiman apparently can’t hear this conversation, which is odd, since we’re sitting on the hood and we can hear fine.

Brandon stops in a parking lot, helps the two out of the Jeep, takes the handcuffs off Oliver, hands them some money and tells them to go. He couldn’t leave Gretel to Fedra, and besides, Oliver is like a brother to him. The grateful pair take off. Caiman looks like “sheesh.”

Oh! Now we see that Caiman is handcuffed to the Jeep. Brandon tells him to keep his mouth shut.

Montage: Marianela running in the park. Eman running with the dog in the huge grounds, Muñeca leaving for her trip, while Lorenzo and Ilitia wave goodbye. It looks like Maximo’s monitors are being taken back, and we see him sitting up in bed smiling big at Paula who smiles back. Brandon and Eman argue at Netty’s, Bernardo is injecting chocolates. Marianela practices walking with a book on her head, while Ilitia and Kristal laugh. Gretel and Oliver are outside someplace that says Help Needed. They run in. Begoña helps Marianela with the book-on-the-head walking. Kristel examines her figure in the mirror and takes another tea from Nereida. Marianela works on the routine with the other contestants. Lorenzo kisses the baby, then Begoña, who shows him Italy brochures. Right at contest practice, Marianela has a chocolate from the box. Oliver and Gretel are happy doing some task, but it’s such a tight close-up that I can’t tell what they’re doing. Axel romps with Lorena. Netty’s group dresses up Marianela and exclaim over her, but she looks like a giant child, or a Christmas present. Anyway, she has a bow on her headband.

At Netty’s we find out it’s the big day of the contest. Everyone is waiting for Marianela to come downstairs. Brandon can’t wait – he hasn’t seen her in a week and wants to know what the big change is. In walks Eman in a suit. The two guys argue over who is going to take her.

Suddenly everyone’s eyes pop. Marianela! So beautiful! they gasp.

Avances, though I can’t tell if they’re for tomorrow or the whole month: It’s the day of the contest and maybe Marianela’s face looks thinner, but the hairdo is super dorky. Lose the headband, willya? Still, she’s radiant. Eman tells Ilitia that he’s totally in love with his cousin.

Labels: llena