Caray, Caray!

Friday: Eman tells MariVicky that he’s written all of Max’s inheritance over to her, but MV still tells him he’s a jerk. Showing his dad her diary, he weeps that he still loves Mari, and Emil tells him to go find her, and is sure he (Emil) can get her address out of Vicky. Axel tries to persuade unmasked (but re-masked, or rather, re-mustachioed) Gretel that she should tell Oliver and Emil and Eman because they can protect her. She explains that Fedra wants to kill Oliver. But it’s so hard to be so near to Oliver, yet so far away! They hug, and just then Emil opens the door, Eman behind him. They stare goggle-eyed.

*****

Mano (who is Gretel, of course) and Axel try to stutter some kind of explanation, but Emil lands nimbly on his feet, telling Axel he’s not going to make the same mistake twice, and it’s all cool. Why, they make a cute couple! Eman mentions Lorena, but of course now that Axel has his memory back, of course….well…. Emil rattles on, saying how everyone loves Mano’s sister Vicky at the office and um, welcome to the family! Everyone feels awkward, most of all Axel whose expressions are priceless as he tries to be game.

Emil hands them some money to go out to dinner, and to have some lovely wine too. He reminds Axel to be a gentleman, and Eman hustles him out as he’s definitely overdoing the accepting dad bit. Emil takes one last wide-eyed gander as Eman shoves him out. Eman gives Axel the you-go-guy fist and closes the door behind him. Mano and Axel burst out laughing.

Garduño is in a suit, sitting in a leather chair in what looks like a gentleman’s club, wine in hand, thoughtbubbling. That Fedra certainly is efficient, he muses, and he’s darn glad to be out. Now Mauricio is going to have to marry Kristel.

At the pension, Gladiola is telling Oliver he’s supposed to have absolute bed rest, so get on upstairs. Oliver complains he can’t stand all that rest and look! His cheeks (the rear ones) have turned into pancakes. Mano comes in and says he’s going out with some friends, so bye! Oliver wants to know who he’s going out with. Mano plays it for all it’s worth, and after he’s gone, Gladiola teases Oliver about being jealous.

Eman comes home and slips the diary into the back of his pants, under his jacket to hide it. Ilitia comes down and wants to know where he’s been all night, why didn’t he call, though she isn’t a shrew about it. Blablabla he says rudely, I’m too tired to talk. I had a lot of work, okay? There was the robbery and everything.

This galan is not the most perfect ever. Not only did he take up thieving as a hobby, now he’s being a jerk to his justifiably worried wife. Anyway, she catches hold of his shoulder as he starts up the stairs and he winces. She looks worried.

Consuelo and Gladiola are having a laugh at Oliver’s expense when Brandon comes in and tells them to behave. He assures Oliver that he’s not mad anymore, they’re like brothers. The ladies applaud their reconciliation, and Brandon says the two ought to go hang out like old times. He assures the ladies he’ll take good care of Oliver.

Kristel is on the phone with Mauricio, trying to get him to go out with her to some event, but he says he has something on that he just can’t cancel. She’s furious, then has another idea.

Lorenzo is trying to get Christian to play with him. He’s made a paper airplane and finally gets a smile out of the kid. He kneels down to hug Christian and his back twinges. Muñeca comes in and he explains that he fell at work and now he’d like to go lie down. Muñeca scoops up Christian so they can join Manzanita and Flora in the kitchen. Lor is mad that she takes him away whenever they’re getting along. They’re gone and his cell rings – it’s Kristel wanting to know if he’s busy that night. He brightens.

Ilitia feels Eman’s shoulder again and he pulls away. She pats him and finds the diary under his jacket and demands to know how he got it. He wearily tells her he doesn’t want to fight – she can read it and find out that Mari doesn’t want anything to do with him. I guess he’s unconcerned that he’s showing Mari’s diary to her enemy. Of course, we know Ilitia has already seen it, but still! As I say, not a perfect galan.

As he trudges upstairs, he passes Fedra on her way down. She reproaches Ilitia for fighting all the time, and Ilitia hands her the diary. Fedra realizes that that means that Mari gave it to him – she’s in Mexico!

MariVicky comes back to the pension and sits heavily on the couch and tells Brandon she’s had a horrible day. He tells her what she needs Brandon Therapy - she needs to powder and perfume herself and come out with him and Oliver and Doris. She’s not in the mood so he tells her life is too short to moon about all miserable. She decides he’s right. Just then Gladiola brings her a note from Mano. In it, Mano tells MV to come to La Mala Noche to see the real Fedra Curiel, and to bring Oliver and Brandon for protection, because Fedra’s capable of murder.

She tells Brandon that she has just the place! Mano recommended La Mala Noche.

Pirate-clad guys are setting up La Mala Noche beforehours. Mano has come to see Bernardo (is he the manager?). I think Bernardo offers money to stop the articles. Mano says what he wants Bernardo to do is to hire a friend who’s really good, but she dances with a mask because she’s from a good family and doesn’t want anybody to know it’s her.

Okay, says Bernardo, we’ll try her tonight. He leaves, and Mano thoughtbubbles that it will be the debut of La Sirena de la Noche, and everyone is in for a lot of surprises.

Emil is down in Max’s basement digs, lamenting to him about Gretel’s having been in that wine cellar for two years. And now she’s gone missing! Max decides to tell him that Gretel escaped with his help. He tells how she was physically in bad shape, but that she had the strength to get through it. (We might even say it was great therapy – she used to have bad spells, but now she’s sane as a brick, deftly playing the part of a young man, a reporter, no less, while being tantalizingly close to the amor de su vida. And she’s about to treat us to a racy dance number. Not everyone could pull all that off, that’s for sure.)

Emil is shocked Max didn’t tell him about Gretel, but Max says he couldn’t risk Fedra knowing. Max says he’s protecting Gretel, basically being the father Emil never seemed to be able to be. Emil demands to know where she is and Max says he’s not telling, even under torture. Gretel will come to him when she’s ready and he’s just going to have to hang on. Max assures Emil she’s fine. Emil begs him to tell her if she calls that he loves her and misses her.

Emil leaves and Max sits at his desk and ponders Emil’s situation. Poor guy! He doesn’t know that Gretel isn’t even his child and neither is Eman. And who knows about the other two? It won’t be until the day Emil finds out that he’ll realize what a horrific mistake he made hooking up with Fedra Curiel.

Wow!!! Doris is just finishing giving Gretel a major glam makeover and Gretel looks stunning in heavy makeup, a huge wig of tumbling curls, and fake eyelashes. Axel is there and is impressed at the transformation. He doesn’t get why Gretel is going to such a place, and insists on coming. She says he can’t, Bernardo and Fedra will recognize him. He can’t figure out what those two have to do with it. Both Gretel and Doris tell him not to treat Gretel like a kid and to stay away.

Kristel and Lorenzo are at a busy, but very lame-looking club. Lots of young people are dancing and somebody apparently has switched on the fog machine. Kristel yells over the din that her friend owns the place, and they got the best table! That best table is right near some empty benches and a blank wall, apparently. Big whoop. Lor complains about it being too loud to hear, and couldn’t they go somewhere else? But this is happenin’ place according to excited Kristel, and she wants to dance.

She drags him out on the floor where some young thing comments to her partner that it’s so cute how that dad brought his daughter and is even going to dance with her. Even though Lor could hardly hear Kristel before, he sure hears the young woman’s comment. He tries to do a few moves, but has to grab his sore back. He tries a few more easy moves and is managing to look sort of okay on the dance floor until Kristel takes his hand and tries to give him a spin. He falls out into the room, taking down dancers like bowling pins, and ends up on the floor wincing and wailing that he hurt his shoulder. And his back, ow! Help me, Kristel! Kristel is mortified.

Mauricio, with nobody at hand to rape, is lying on his bed fully clothed in a suit (at least he’s a sharp dresser) thinking about how he’s going to devour that delicious Victoria de la Garza, inch by inch. What a body! Into his room comes the equally sartorially splendid Garduño, startling him. He’s surprised Garduño got out so fast. I’m surprised that Garduño has wandered into Mau’s bedroom, but maybe Mau’s choice of social interaction doesn’t require that he have an actual living room. Bed, bar, some décor, what more does a young rapist-about-town need, anyway?

Garduño spots Mauricio’s bar and makes a beeline for it, pouring himself a drink. He tells Mau that he wants his money now, or he’s going to call his goons who will off Mau when he’s least expecting it.

Eman is sitting in the living room, thinking to himself that Mari doesn’t want anything to do with him and he’s just going to have to rip her out of his heart, but he doesn’t know how. Benigno comes in, looking cheerful. He mentions about Eman now knowing about Gretel and apologizes that he couldn’t tell earlier, or Max wouldn’t have his head. Eman says it’s okay and shakes his head over the thing that go on in the house. Beningo tells him about the snake and the note from Mari that came with it.

Mauricio tells Garduño that it wasn’t his fault that the Lirio took the money. Garduño snorts that he read the newspapers, that it was a faked robbery to make him look bad. Mauricio tells him not to believe everything he reads in the papers. Garduño’s not buying, though, and says he tried to make it easy for Mau and Lorenzo to pay him back, but that’s over now. Mau pays or he gets it, get it?

Mau complains that he put half of the money into the merchandise, so the Lirio stole from him too! Garduño wonders where Mau got the money he’s paid so far, and Mau says he was able to convince Fedra to loan him some. He can sell ice to Eskimos, you know (yo le puedo vender helado hasta a los esquimales – I love these handy sayings). Ah, Fedra! says Garduño. I’ve a mind to do business with her myself.

Eman tells Benigno about Mari sending him a package too, this one with her diary in it. Weird. Sometimes he feels like she’s so close. Maybe he’s losing it.

Benigno brings up Vicky, and Eman says he can’t get Mari’s contact info from her, plus Vicky hates them all because of what Mari told her. He agrees that Mari has plenty of reason to be furious about what happened to her in this house, but that’s why he wants to see her, to talk to her. Ilitia, coming down the stairs, asks if they want to know what’s going on with la gorda, because she knows.

At the hospital, Lorenzo is in a neck brace. Kristel says she’s sorry, but she’s embarrassed too about the scene at the club. She teases him that he looks hot in the neck brace. He tries to suggest he has energy for more than just the club. She exclaims about what would happen if her mother saw them together. Does he love her mother? He says Fedra is important to him, and how about her, does she love Mauricio? She unleashes a cascade of superlatives, punctuated by her wonderful mannerisms. (She’s so effective as a ditz that we forget to notice how talented this actress really is.) Lor has bad news for her – men like Mauricio never, but never, marry, and there’s nothing she can do to make him.

Garduño reminds Mau that he sold him his soul a while ago, and if does what he wants, he’ll settle for the money he’s already received and forget the rest. Mau assures him that Garduño’s slightest wish is his command (para mí, sus deseos son órdenes). Tell him what he wants, and he’ll do it. Garduño says he’d been checking up on Fedra and found out she’s in some multimillion-dollar deal that they could use to launder money. He’d like him to get Fedra to work with him. No problem, says Mau, I’ve got her wrapped around my little finger! Not only is her daughter my girlfriend, but I know her little secret. What secret? Garduño wants to know, but Mau’s not telling.

Garduño says he owes Fedra, and of course he has to honor that. Mau completely agrees. Garduño proposes a toast, and when their glasses are up, he tells Mau they’re celebrating because this is his bachelor party. Their future business with Fedra depends on Mau marrying Kristel. Mau bugs his eyes and takes a swig.

Ilitia, whose manner is much more reasonable than it was some months ago, is talking to Eman about his obsession with Mari. She realizes that here she is trying to save their marriage and he’s been thinking of Mari all this time. He points out that Mari is gone and anyway is married and he doesn’t know where she is. Yes you do, says Ilitia, you know she’s in Mexico. Eman is bewildered.

MariVicky, Doris, Oliver and Brandon arrive at La Mala Noche, but the captions have disappeared and there is a lot of background noise. Anyway, it seems to be early in the evening, and the ladies balk a bit at the door. The group is shown to a table. The announcer is on stage, heralding the arrival of the one, the only, La Reina! Here comes Fedra, in a small glittery mask that just covers her eyes, a bustier, boots, etc., her curls tied up in a bun (not her best look, and certainly not seductive), and she starts in on some sword and then whip action. Somehow she looks slightly tipsy, but I’m sure that’s inadvertent. While she clunks around, the four at the table have no flicker of recognition, though she has quite a distinctive smile. She spots Mari and hesitates. Mari keeps her in her laser beams. Fedra hesitates again.

Aw, too bad! We have left that scene and instead are with Eman and Ilitia. He’s asking why she thinks Mari is in town, and she tells him not to play dumb. He swears he hasn’t seen her in two years. Ilitia, tears welling in her eyes, begs him to come clean. She’s been fighting to save their marriage, while he’s been seeing Mari. He starts to get mad, saying Mari lives in Paris and doesn’t want anything to do with him.

Ilitia tells him Fedra found out Mari had arrived not long ago. Eman is so surprised, Ilitia realizes he doesn’t know. She hugs him, begging him not to leave her for Mari. Poor kid.

Goody, we’re back at La Mala Noche. MariVicky is remembering Gretel telling her that she’ll be surprised to see what Fedra does at night. Fedra for her part is disconcerted by MariVicky’s presence and Oliver and Brandon’s too, and stalls, staring at MV. The master of ceremonies, the aproned pirate, has to come nudge her back into activity. The audience starts doing the slow clap. Fedra rouses herself.

At the table, the guys wonder why Mano recommended a place like this, and wonders if they should leave. Doris says it’s interesting. Fedra is back in action, swinging her whip, and realizes MariVicky has probably recognized her. MV continues her stony staring.

Mau tells Garduño he’s not the marrying type. Garduño pats him genially and tells him it’s an order. Mau laments all the lovelies he sees in the street. Is he to give them up? Garduño says he can do whatever he wants, but they all have to sacrifice for business. Mau feels like he’s being strangled. Garduño enthuses about how great the money-laundering will be using Fedra’s connection, and then he and Mau will end up with everything. Neat huh? Mau seems not to be paying attention.

Ilitia is sure Mari came back to ruin their marriage. Eman says he’s equally sure that’s not true, because Mari hates him, and it’s Ilitia’s fault. He says he knows about how she got him drunk at his bachelor party then crawled into bed with him for Mari to see. Ooops, thoughtbubbles Ilitia. He notices her silence, but then she says she had nothing to do with it. But you did, didn’t you? insists Eman, and we are left hanging at that.

Avances: Ilitia tells Kristel her marriage is doomed with Mari back in town. Mau demands that Netty tell him where Mari is, but Netty says only Vicky knows. MariVicky is in Fedra’s dressing room, and Fedra grabs her and holds a knife to her throat. Bernardo bursts into the room.

Labels: llena