Caray, Caray!

Last year: Muñeca was trying to do a spot about the missing Christian, remember? And Eman was soothing Ilitia with a kiss which made MariVicky hit the roof. Ilitia was glad to see that MariVicky actually hates Eman, and Brandon asked MariVicky if maybe she’s jealous.

All new year, all new hijinks! Here we go! Ilitia tells Eman he’s the boss after all, and shouldn’t let that Spaniard get under his skin. In an unforgivable invasion of privacy (if you ask me, not if you ask Ilitia, apparently) Eman has asked his secretary to bring him the number of a shrink, which he shows to Ilitia while the secretary is still standing there. Ilitia protests that she doesn’t want to talk about it, but then says she’ll go just for him. He invites her to go out to lunch, then tells his secretary, who has been standing there undismissed all this time, to cancel his afternoon appointments.

On her way out to go change, Ilitia shoves Mauricio, who has just walked into the studio. Eman reminds Mauricio that he no longer has any business at the agency. Mau says he needs to talk to his dear brother-in-law, but Eman says no thanks and takes off.

Kristel is sobbing on Lorenzo’s shoulder that Mau doesn’t want to marry her – and here if he did, it would solve all the problems with Emil. He doesn’t realize what he’s losing! Lorenzo soothes, her, but his hugs begin to seem like something different. He tells her that she ought to think of somebody else, somebody who would treat her like the princess she is. He strokes her arm and kisses her hand and devastated Kristel begins to get the creeps. Lor pulls her close and kisses her cheek when – oh joy! – Muñeca walks into the office.

Good-hearted (and blind) Muñeca makes a beeline for Kristel and wants to know what’s wrong. Lor explains that Mauricio just dumped her, and, after some soothing noises, they both leave her alone, Lor giving her a last retreating eyeballing.

Kristel thinks for a few seconds (going for a record, good girl!) then bursts into tears again.

Back to MariVicky’s office, where she is telling Brandon that she hates Eman for what he did to Marianela. Big deal, says Brandon, Mari used to say similar stuff, and then Eman would talk her back. MariVicky tells him that that Mari, the soft-hearted sucker, is gone for good.

Brandon observes that Vicky and Mari seem to have mad in common. Has Vicky suffered a broken heart perhaps? Wouldn’t she like to fall in love and settle down? Vicky says she did have those dreams once, but apparently love isn’t for her. Aw, don’t say that, sez nice-guy Brandon.

Eman is editing the footage of Muñeca’s appeal when Mau comes in saying he’s not leaving without talking to Eman – he thought up the campaign and can’t be thrown off of it. Just then we (and they) overhear Lor and Muñeca talking, I guess carried over a live microphone on the empty soundstage. Lor shows Muñeca Christian’s chain, and says Garduño’s people have him. All he needs is $3 mil to get the kid, and of course he wants Muñeca to know that she’s not in this alone. Muñeca says they won’t even have to go to the bank – she has the money the Lirio stole from Mau – right in the house.

Mauricio’s eyes bug out, and Eman, for his part, rolls his.

MariVicky tells Brandon she was bad hurt, she was a loser in the game of love. He gently
tells her that life is for sharing, and…. he would love to share his life with someone like her. He walks across to her and kneels beside her chair, then tells her he would like her to think of him as more than a friend. Mari had told him that one day the love of his life would appear, and he thinks maybe that’s what has happened.

Why does our dear Brandon have such a thing for surly women? So much exposure to criminals that MariVicky and Ilitia seem sweet-tempered by comparison?

MV tells him she’s just not ready for a relationship, right now she has to keep her promise. Yeah, to destroy the Ruiz y de Teresa like you said, says Brandon. Actually, she says, I should have said to save Mari’s family, and to do that, I have to unmask Eman and Fedra. Count on me to help you, says Brandon sweetly.

Mau comes in and snatches him away, saying he needs him quick. Alone now, MariVicky looks big-eyed sad, and her lashes look like beetle legs, they’re so gummed up with mascara. Good thing she didn’t have to do any weeping for this scene.

Outside the office building, Muñeca and Lor are excitedly telling Eman they know where Christian is. Here comes Mauricio dragging Brandon along and announces that he can get the stolen money. Eman gingerly explains to Muñeca and Lor that the microphone was still live and they heard everything. Brandon wonders what the heck’s going on. Eman says it was something to do with somebody named Garduño or something. Brandon turns to Mau accuses him and Garduño of being behind all this.

It’s a bit later and the police in their menacing black gear are outside guarding the R y de T offices, while down at the station Muñeca is being interviewed by the comisario and Oliver. She explains that she should have said something about the money, but Mau told her he was going to give it to her orphanage anyway. We see that Fidel is there too.

The comisario tells her it’s stolen goods, and she gets a little tearful saying she just couldn’t give it back, and she doesn’t want to now, so she can use it to save her little Christian.

Fidel’s cell rings and he says it’s Flora and he’ll take the call outside the office.

Back outside the house, we see Eman taking a call while Ilitia takes her time getting out of the car. Fidel tells him that Brandon is interviewing Mau and Lorenzo - no solid developments. Ilitia arrives and tells Eman she’s going to get ready for her appointment with the shrink – she wants to get better to be the wife in body and in soul that he deserves.

Into the house she goes and Eman hears odd squeaking noises. It’s Benigno in camouflage, complete with face paint, trying to become as one with the shrubbery, something like a big fuscia plant accented with ferns anchored to his helmet. He says Bernardo and Fedra are after him and he heard them saying something about the money Luis Felipe left for his daughter and it seems like they’re going to take it away from Mari.

In the break room, Andre is trying to ask Doris out for a drink before the next shoot, who says Jackie could come in on them and burst into flames, incinerating them all. How come a womanizer like him goes with somebody so jealous like Jackie? He says it’s not true about him – all gossip.

MariVicky comes in, wanting to know where the hell everybody is. Andre tells her that since neither she nor Eman were around, they’re all on hold. MV throws a fit about having to do everything herself, there’s a shoot that afternoon. Andre tells her Eman took the afternoon to be with his wife. MV throws another fit.

Doris thinks maybe she should talk to Mari alone and sends Andre off. Mari shoots off some “lo odio!” fireworks after which Doris reminds her that Eman is the boss and can do whatever he wants. Mari raves on about how unprofessional he is and Doris sings Brandon’s little tune: she’s jealous.

Brandon has both Mau and Lor in an office and he’s telling Mau that he knows he was in prison with Garduño, and yes, he hears him saying he’s not his right-hand man and he has nothing to do with him. Okay, but this is about the life of a child. Lor eyes Mau gloomily. Mau says he doesn’t give a rat’s patoot about that, he wants his money back.

Lor bolts out of his seat and grabs Mau, furiously demanding that the money go to him. Brandon pulls them apart and yells at them that the money stays with the police. Lor yells back that they gave him only 12 hours to pay. Brandon puts it all together – the Christian who disappeared from the orphanage is his child with Begoña! Mau enjoys a little smile.

Mari tells Doris that her love for Eman is dead dead dead and that sweet gullible Mari is dead dead dead too. I’ll say, says Doris, you could bottle and sell your venom. Mari, calming a little, asks her to understand that Eman tried to poison her. Doris says no matter what, Mari’s still in love with him. More big-eyed, big-lashed sadness on Mari’s part.

Lor is frantic to get the kid from Garduño. Say it! says Brandon. YOUR kid! My son, confesses Lor, who begs him to hurry. He’s sure Mau knows where Garduño has the boy, but Mau just says he (Mau) wants his money back.

Brandon’s on fire: You paid Begoña to leave the country with her child! How is it that he’s been here the whole time, in an orphanage, no less, huh? HUH? What happened to her? Answer me!

Back to Benigno the Bush. Eman thought that Luis Felipe left Tia Carlota in charge of that money, which must’ve passed to Mari when Carlota died. Apparently not, says Beningo, he heard Fedra talking about putting it into a luxury resort in Cancun. Eman swears he’ll get that money back to Mari.

Muñeca tells Fidel to go to the house with the comisario and get the money. Alone with Oliver now, she despairs of getting Christian back. She shows him the chain that she thinks Garduño sent to show he has the child. Oliver looks at it and recognizes it as the one Gladiola bought for Begoña’s child. Muñeca is surprised, and says Begoña is her friend and…. The wheels in her brain start turning. Or make that the reels start turning, because it’s flashback time. Begoña at the restaurant table sarcastically saying she’s Lor’s mistress, the call from his mistress (she recognizes that voice!) Lor’s enthusiasm about adopting the boy. Her conversation in which she chose not to tell Begoña who Ilitia’s true mother was because there are secrets that remain secret even in the best friendships.

Back to the present and Muñeca says Dios mio! Christian is Lorenzo’s son!

Brandon is demanding to know where Begoña is, but Lor says he’s just as surprised as Brandon is. The door bursts open and in comes Muñeca. Lor steps toward her for a comforting hug, but she flies at him, hitting at him and yelling that Christian is his son with Begoña. He retreats, crushed and tearful, and Mau has a nice laugh at him, saying You thought you could away with it, didn’t you? Infuriated, Lor jumps forward, and shoves Brandon aside while snatching his gun from his holster. He levels it at Mau and says he’s going to kill him. There’s general chaos in the background, but he’s still pointing it at Mau as we go to ad.

Things are a lot quieter in Emil’s office, at least for the moment. He’s telling MariVicky that Mau’s off the campaign and that the separation papers have to be signed today, so would she mind going to Mau’s? She takes a fit, wondering why a messenger couldn’t be sent, and why she has to run around on errands like this if Eman can take the afternoon off to fart around when they’re supposed to be shooting an ad. Emil assures her he’ll have everything all ready for her when she gets back and that she’s the only one to take care of this task (though I’m mystified as to why that’s so). Anyway, she slaps a smile on and says of course she’ll do it. She’s very responsible, unlike the boss’s son. Off she sashays.

Now Brandon has pulled another gun and has pointed it at Lor, telling him to drop the one he has pointed at Mau, but Lor isn’t giving up. He tearfully confesses to Muñeca, without taking his eyes of Mau, that Christian is the son he had with Begoña. Muñeca agonizes that they were lovers. Mau tells him not to shoot, because then Brandon’ll shoot and there’ll be two of them dead, does he want that?

(Fiction alert, if you missed the earlier months of the show.) Lor confesses that he was going to go to Italy with Begoña and their son. Why didn’t you? demands Muñeca. He weeps that Garduño killed her to get at him, that’s why. Garduño wanted to hurt Muñeca too.

He bawls that he spent the past two years thinking Christian had died the same day as Begoña. Still holding his gun to cringing Mau, he says the reason he couldn’t be in the car with his daughter on her wedding day is because Garduño called him to the prison to tell him that he son was alive – he had been abandoned in the street when Begoña was killed.

The comisario and Fidel enter Muñeca’s house where they have found the door unlocked. They hear moaning cries and find Flora and Manzanita tied up. Flora says some men came and took the briefcase. Cut to Dandy, or his accomplice - I forget what name goes with which guy, with the briefcase, caressing the money and saying how glad Mau will be that he found it. He’s saved Mau’s life!

More long confession/explanation from gun-pointing Lor. He explains that he hired a detective to find the boy, and he approached Mau because it’s no secret that Mau works with Garduño. Mau found the boy in your orphanage, Muñeca, where you told him the story and showed him the chain, right? He’s the one who took the chain and told Garduño. Thanks to him my son’s life is in danger.

Forgive me, begs Mau, who doesn’t give any compelling reason why Lor should. Lor growls at him to confess, or he’ll shoot him. Mau says he’ll talk, but he wants Brandon to give him immunity in court for everything he’s about to say. If Brandon can promise that he won’t go to jail for his involvement, he’ll say where the child is.

Mustachioed Gretel is in Netty’s kitchen, making a sandwich and thoughtbubbling out loud that it’s better everybody thinks Manolo is gay, and boy, poor Axel, what he must’ve gone through. Guess who shows up! You’ll never guess! Okay, everybody already guessed right last week in the comments: it’s Delicia. Mano is surprised and says Delicia, ¿Qué haces aquí? (Bingo! Only ¾ of an episode into the new year and we hear that immortal line.) Delicia is taken aback that he knows her name.

At the big house, Fedra is vamping down the hallway, Nereida at her side. Fedra thinks it’s splendid that Delicia’s gone, and tells Nereida it’s too bad she’ll have to do twice the work.

Eman shows up. You tricked me, he says to his mother. You got Mari’s Luis Felipe money and you didn’t tell me. Where is it, hmmmm?

Delicia demands to know how Mano knows her name. He quick fudges that Mari showed him a lot of photos, and he noticed her, how pretty she is. Delicia, who won’t take any guff off anybody, tells him to mind his manners. He assures her he’s gay, everybody knows that. Bull hamster, she says. There are men who pretend to be all swish and the next thing you know, they’re all over you. I’m not buying.

Netty is just finishing up a telenovela scene and afterwards her lawyer congratulates her. She tells him she doesn’t feel comfortable with the character, which seems more and more like Fedra. You’re nothing like my mother, says Axel who somehow has arrived on the set. She apologizes. Don’t worry, he smiles, but I have something important to tell you.

Eman is still trying to weasel information out of his mother. He thought they were accomplices! For once actually looking around to see if anybody is listening, she whispers that he didn’t keep up his side of the deal, he was supposed to get Mari to marry him and instead since she’s left all he’s done is whimper around like a whipped puppy. You’re the one who has let me down! You have all these feelings for that lump of fat. Eman tells her that they were talking about money, they ought to focus on that.

She’s furious because instead of the two of them having a lovely toast to the money they got from Maximo, he blabbed that that money was intended for Mari. Finding that will was like manna from heaven for her. You fooled me, confess it. You never were interested in the money, you never did want to break open that piñata, did you?

Ilitia tells the nice psychologist that there’s nothing he or anybody else can do to help her because that guy’s face is burned into her brain for the rest of her life.

At the station, Mau is signing his testimony. At his side is Garduño’s mob lawyer (won’t he blab to Garduño?). Brandon tells him if what he told them isn’t true, and the child isn’t found safe and sound, his immunity is off. Mau tells him he has the address, knock himself out. Brandon swears that he’ll get him behind bars. But not today, says Mau, making a kiss at him. He leaves and Brandon stews. The comisario tells him to calm down and focus on the child. Oliver and the others are waiting.

Fedra tells Eman that even if he’s not on board, she’s looking out for the best interests of her adored son. He begs her say she didn’t take Luis Felipe’s money for him. She tells him that was the plan, but no luck, so his fatty can roll around in pesos after all.

Then Eman brings up that it’s fishy that she took a trip to Switzerland, a trip that coincided with Carlota’s death. Fedra feigns shock that he would suspect her. Eman asks her to swear she didn’t go to Madrid to see Carlota before she died. She swears. He asks her where she’s gotten the money to invest in a vacation resort. She assures him that she’s just a minor investor mixing in with some powerful people. That answers your question, doesn’t it my love? she says, stroking his face, then quick beating a hasty retreat up the stairs. Eman looks after her and thoughtbubbles that he knows her and he’s not going to rest until he finds out what she did with Mari’s money.

Avances: In a restaurant, Emil proclaims his love to Netty and kisses her. A paparazzo snaps a photo. In the office, Mari tells Eman it looks like he’s going to try to kiss her again. Not me, he says, because you want it more than I do. She grabs him and kisses him.

Labels: llena