Caray, Caray!

Friday: At the office, Fedra says she’s sure Mari is the Lirio’s accomplice. At Muñeca’s the police are searching for him, and Manzanita says she peeked under his mask and knows who it is. Outside, the police surround him.


Will she tell? Don’t touch that dial!

The Lirio throws down a smoke bomb and somehow escapes through the tight ring of armed police. Score: Lirio 1, police somewhere far south of 0.

Muñeca and Ilitia try to charm Manzanita into telling, but she says she made it up, she didn’t actually see him.

Brandon gives chase and shoots the Lirio, who falls in the distance. Hiding behind cars and trees, Brandon makes his way over, gun drawn, reinforcements right behind him. Just as he’s almost upon the Lirio, there is a bright explosion where the Lirio was lying and poof! He’s disappeared again.

The ladies have arrived home tsking about Mano staying with Oliver at the hospital overnight. Doris suggests that love is the best healer. Consuelo hopes after that big kiss, that Oliver doesn’t wake up doing the flamenco with Mano. Netty wonders if he was so badly burned by Gretel that he’s decided to give up on women. Gladiola for her part wonders if that’s why Brandon and Oliver were fighting. Doris tells them to let them sort it out between themselves, and not to throw Mano out. Gladiola narrows her eyes and wonders if maybe Doris knows something they don’t.

Next they worry about Brandon who is off chasing the Lirio. Gladiola’s afraid her boy will be shot like Oliver, but Netty swears the Lirio isn’t violent, in fact, he’s an angel sent from heaven to help those in need. She’s going to go knock back a few prayers to San Antonio for him.

MariVicky comes in and says You’ll never guess what happened! The Lirio just robbed the ad agency!

Kristel has taken to her bed, where she holds a photo of her and Mau, housed in a monster frame about the dimensions of a coffee table book, and weeps and tells him off. Pleeease marry me, she wails at the photo. Nereida brings her a tea and sits on the bed and tells her she must be a masochist, crying over that loser. What he needs is a good lesson [escarmiento] - Kristel ought to chase after some other guy and bring out the “macho lobo” in Mau, which we know has been hiding timidly within, yes? Well, no. Anyway, Kristel thinks the idea is “super cool.” She’s going to give him a taste of his own medicine [Te voy a dar mucha gota de tu propria medicina, which is a handy phrase indeed that I know you’ll get a lot of mileage out of].

Back at the pension, Gladiola wonders if maybe the Lirio has a thing for MariVicky and that’s why he’s always robbing around her. Consuelo thoughtbubbles that she hopes so. Mari says there’s something familiar about him that she can’t put her finger on, and why does he use the name of Capt Sevilla’s boat? Netty has the sense to wonder how Vicky knows about that.

At home, Fedra is griping to Bernardo that MariVicky is a real rock in the road for her. Bernardo thinks she’s hot, which ticks Fedra off. She thinks MariVicky is the Lirio’s accomplice, but Bernardo points out that the Lirio’s been robbing for quite a while, and MV just arrived from Spain recently. Fedra doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that MV has been there twice when the Lirio robbed, and besides, she came to town just to wage war on the Ruiz y de Teresa.

Bernardo wonders if Mari sent her, and Fedra says there’s something about her that when she looks at her she feels like she’s looking at Mari.

Netty shows MV the drawing that Luis Felipe did of the yacht, and MV says that Mari had one like that among the papers of the investigation that he did on Fedra. Netty is surprised Mari saw those papers. MV tells her that the captain, who was connected to Fedra, was a Robin Hood type like the Lirio. Netty wonders why Mari never told her. MV tells her that Mari didn’t want to upset her, and that one day Mari wanted to uncover the whole story. That day is now. She’s come to wreak revenge for Mari.

Lorenzo has come home and found out the Lirio was there. He hopes everybody is okay. Ilitia and Muñeca say everyone is fine. Little Manzanita comments about the shots and he rudely cuts her off. He wants to hug Ilitia, who tells him to back off, and little Christian stares at him coldly when he holds out his arms.

Ilitia figures she better get on home, and Manzanita wants to go to Emanuel’s house like promised. Ilitia tells her the danger is passed, but Muñeca tells her to let Manzanita go with her, then asks Lorenzo to come help put Christian to bed. Lor jumps at the opportunity, calling Christian “champ.” Ilitia winces.

On the way out of the house, Ilitia is telling Manzanita she better behave when suddenly she’s face-to-face with swaggering Mauricio, who says Hey baby! I was about to come talk to your father but look who I see!

Delicia and little Javier return to the pension, all excited by the 3-D movie they saw, which they tell the couch ladies about. MV and Netty come down the stairs, Netty telling her that she’s an angel Mari sent on a mission. Consuelo wants to know what her brother’s mission is, to get a Mexican boyfriend? Doris quick injects that Vicky and Brandon (hint, hint) know all about Mano, and Delicia says oh, that guy they say is kinda that way? Not just kinda, the others say. They tell about the kiss in the hospital but MV is shocked by the hospital part, not the kiss part.

Brandon comes in and says yup, Oliver’s going to be saying any minute that Mano is the love of his life. MV wants to quick talk to Brandon privately, though Doris says everything is cool, but Brandon says he does indeed want to have a word with her, but they’ll have to do it at the police station, because she’s under arrest as an accomplice to the Lirio de Plata.

Ilitia tries to chase Mau off, but he offers them both to go for ice cream, and takes Manzanita’s hand. Manzanita wants to go, she remembers him as a good guy who visited the orphanage, and a Biblical pulling match ensues. Ilitia is more afraid of pulling too hard, so she lets go. Mau walks off with willing Manzanita, telling Ilitia to come on, they’ll have a good time. Ilitia reluctantly follows.

At the station, MV protests that it was just a coincidence that she was there for three Lirio escapades. Three? say the comisario and Brandon. She explains about dropping papers off at Mau’s and running into him there. They are very doubtful, and Brandon adds, not unkindly, that it’s hard to believe her when he knows she’s lied in the past. Aren’t there maybe some other things that she’s lied about?

She looks away, and he notices that she can’t meet his gaze. Next they ask for her papers, passport and so forth, and she panics. I don’t have them, she makes up.

Netty and Gladiola are alone in the pension, discussing MV. Netty thinks she’s strictly on the up-and-up, and is going to get revenge on Fedra, but Gladiola thinks there’s something that just doesn’t quite add up. Gladiola leaves to make herself a tea, the salve for all worrisome problems, when the doorbell rings. It’s the injured Lirio, falling into Netty’s arm, saying he’s the Lirio and he needs help. He staggers to the couch and passes out. Netty wonders if she should take off his mask – he must’ve come because he knows who she is. She decides to have a look.

Her eyes get huge. You? You’re the Lirio de Plata?

Time for some ads, which gives me time to consider… How far away is the Ruiz y de Teresa house? Was the Lirio on foot, or did he take his motorcycle? Did he walk or drive through the streets of Mexico City (or its suburbs) masked and in black and nobody noticed? Well, it is nighttime in the big city, but still…

We see his face! Yup, it’s Emanuel, our thievin’ hero. He apologizes, and says her pension the last place the police would look for him, I guess the rest of Mexico City all being likely spots. Netty points out that Brandon is the police officer who is looking for him, and he lives there! Eman says he’s putting himself in her hands, that he’d rather die than be caught. Help me! he says, swooning away.

We are zipped back to the police station where MV is explaining that when she got to Mexico, somebody stole her papers. She swears she’s not an imposter. She was born in Mexico and then her parents went to Spain for work reasons. Simple! Okay, says the comisario, but until we verify all that, you’re under arrest.

Netty wants Brandon to go to a hospital, but he assures her that the bullet is no longer in him, and he won’t go, apparently not considering that he might be leaking somewhere that needs sewing up. He begs her not to throw him out. Netty says she can’t believe that he’s taken to a life of crime. He tells her that after Mari left, he needed something to give his life meaning, so he thought he could help the people who need it most.

Actually, Mauricio’s fundraiser is sounding a lot more legit right now.

It’s all criminal money, he swears, and swoons again. Gladiola calls from the kitchen and Netty tells Eman, who seems to be hovering in semisyncope, that she’s going to find out.

We see Mano sneaking in the hospital room door. He goes over to Oliver, and gives him a kiss on the cheek. Oliver’s eyes open and he asks what’s going on, and where is everybody. Mano tells him they were all there earlier. Mano tells him he’s there to watch over him, then tells him off for putting himself in danger and doing stupid stuff. Oliver says Mano’s been great to him. He sits up and suddenly says owww and passes out, his monitors flatlining. Mano freaks out but does nothing effective.

Gladiola is cleaning out the fridge, exclaiming to Netty about what gross stuff she’s finding in there and Netty calls that she’ll be right there. Eman tells her he can’t go to the hospital with a bullet wound, he’ll be found out. Netty is beside herself. Do you hate me that much? asks Eman.

The comisario puts MV in a cell that he says, I think, is just a holding one, and therefore much nicer than the jail ones. He tells her she’s going to have to stay until they finish their investigation. Boy, I bet she wishes she’d worn something other than that off-the-shoulder number. It’s going to get cold.

Brandon is alone in his office turning things over in his mind. First there’s MV, who says she’s Mari’s friend come to get revenge. Then there’s her brother, who actually is Gretel. And what about Doris – she helped Mano with his disguise. How did she so quickly become a friend? And MV with no papers – it’s like she never existed. Maybe – naw, can’t be…..

Woozy Eman tells Netty he knows she hates him because of Mari, but she shouldn’t. He’s never stopped loving her. Netty wants to know why he married someone else. Fortunately Gladiola calls from the kitchen, so we don’t have to rehash all that again.

He says he’ll go, but Netty says no. Yes, she hates him, but oooh, not the Lirio de Plata, he’s her hero. That’s why it’s so hard for her to believe he’s Eman. She’ll help him for all the orphans and other needy folks. He leans heavily on her as they towards the stairs.

Oh cripes. Mau has brought Manzanita to his house, Ilitia trailing behind, pulling Manzanita’s suitcase. Ilitia begs him to let them go, but Manzanita says she knows he’s a nice guy, and it bothers her more when Ilitia’s all nervous. Mau calls to his cousin, who shows up, and asks her to show Manzanita the room with all the toys (I don’t even want to think about what kind of toys he has). Ilitia begs the cousin not to leave them alone, but the cousin just laughs, and says she saw them at the country club, so she doesn’t believe Ilitia. She leads Manzanita off by the hand. Run, Ilitia, run!! The front door! Let those international super model legs carry you out and away!

She doesn’t run. Mau takes her purse and tosses it on the bed. Just you and me, all alone, he says, taking her chin.

Back to the hospital! A doctor is there with the paddles, taking his own sweet time. He jumps Brandon, while Mano prays.

Back to MV in the cell. Brandon is interviewing her gently. He wonders why she never reported her papers lost, and she says nobody had asked her for any, so she just put it on the back burner. He says she should have at least reported it. She asks him if she believes that she is who she says she is.

Oliver’s monitors are beeping again, and they’ve left him alone with Mano who kisses him on the cheek (let the guy breathe, for heaven’s sake!) and swears she’s going to make up for everything she did to hurt him.

My old telenovela whiplash injury is acting up because zip! we are back with MV and Brandon. After a few questions, they both relax and she says he’s treating her like they’ve been friends a long time. She apologizes about the Mano thing, but he tells her no problem, he talked to Doris and it’s all cool. For now, though, he needs her date and place of birth, and the names of her parents. He tells her he has a friend who can get her her papers quick. She’s very grateful, and he promises to get her out of there.

Fishy, no? Sure enough, Brandon kisses his snow-white record goodbye in a thoughtbubble. He’s going to commit his first crime.

Lorenzo is in the bedroom of his sleeping son, quietly begging him not to reject him. Muñeca comes in and tells him not to wake the kid up. He bets that she likes seeing him suffer. She says actually yes. He accuses her of turning his children against him, but she says that it’s just that the scales have fallen from Ilitia’s eyes, and the little boy just needs some time. Lorenzo says he knows how to win them over – he’ll find that rapist and kill him with his own hands.

That rapist has hold of his daughter again, who is struggling and begging him to stop, saying Not again! She tries to escape, but he grabs her, telling her not to yell or she’ll scare the little girl. You know you want it, baby, you loved it. You’re mine and I can do whatever I want with you.

I’ve never been so happy to see an ad break.

Netty calls the doctor, and Gladiola, who has brought in a platter of rotted food to show her, asks her why she called the doctor. Netty says she’s feeling woozy, and please to send him upstairs – alone! – when he comes. She runs upstairs and Gladiola smiles and rolls her eyes at this delicious request. Maybe she’s trying to get over Emil that way?

Back to the rape scene, unfortunately, which is horrible to watch. Mau has shoved Ilitia down onto the bed and is smooching on her while she tries to fight him off. Fortunately he’s still in his suit. Ilitia grabs a statuette of an eagle and cold-cocks him. (Did I say that?) She’s afraid she’s killed him and I’m afraid she didn’t.

Eman is in the bed, with a wet washcloth on his head, saying he just wants to fall asleep. Netty tells him he better not die on her, because he has a lot to answer for, like the fact that MariVicky is in jail on his account. He’s distressed to hear it.

Thank goodness, now we’re with Fedra and Bernardo, who is pouring her a lovely snifter of something so they can toast as soon as he gives her the good news. Fedra takes some preparatory sips. He’s talked to his connections at the airport, and he found out that Marianela has been in Mexico for some days now.

Eman says they have to get MV out and tells Netty to get his cell from his pants, he wants to call Brandon. When he reaches him, he covers his mouth and does his Lirio voice, telling him to let the girl go, she’s innocent. Brandon doesn’t believe it’s him, then asks why she was present at three robberies. Eman/Lirio says that the Ruiz y de Teresa are at the top of his hit list, and she’s connected to them, that’s all.

The phone goes dead and Brandon believes MV isn’t an accomplice, but now suspects that the Lirio is somebody connected to the R y de T family. Why doesn’t the Lirio come down and do a prisoner exchange to save her?

Mari in the cell is contemplating everything that happened with the Lirio. Is he actually targeting her? But he’s such a gentleman! She hopes that Brandon helps with her papers, and wonders if maybe he suspects she’s Marianela.

Avances: Ilitia wonders where Eman is, Netty begs the doctor to save Emanuel, Mari tells Doris she’s afraid people will find out who she really is, and Fedra comes to her cell and says she knows she’s Marianela.

Labels: llena