Caray, Caray!

It’s Grape Harvest night! We’ll have surprise guests, surprise behavior, and much plotting, scheming and threats amidst the celebration and wine-drinking. So if you are so inclined it would be appropriate to pour yourselves a glass of red and settle back to watch the antics. If you really want to fit in be sure to wear white...

Last night Adri spilled the frijoles to Renata about Matias marrying Rob because he is the father of her baby.

Tonight we cut to Roberta who weepily remembers Rafa. She fondles her engagement ring and tells his memory she’s marrying another so his son will have a father. “Why did you betray me Rafael? You’re the only man I ever loved.”

Over in the La Bonita kitchen the staff (Manuela, Mati, Hermi and Laz) discuss the Kari situation. Lazaro does not agree with Herminia that a wife should stay with her husband no matter what. He had resolved to accept the Kari/Doc union because he thought Doc was the better man but now he knows that’s not true. But if Kari prefers to be with that guy who mistreats her, as opposed to being with one who treats her with love and respect, what can he do? Manuela advises Laz that his story with Kari is over. The town is full of beautiful women and he should move on.

Adri tells Nata that apparently Matias “consoled himself” with Roberta after Nata dumped him. Rob got pregnant and now Matias is going to marry her even though they don’t love each other. Adri suggests that Roberta planned all of it to get revenge on Renata for marrying Jeronimo.

Team Bonita (kitchen gang plus Carlos) gang up on Jero to convince him to attend the Vendimia. He says he’s not in the mood to party. Laz says he’s not in the mood either but tradition is tradition. Mati urges that it will be bad luck and he’ll be viewed as an outsider. “Está bien,” Jero relents.

Manuela excitedly says all the baskets are ready. It’s tradition to have baskets full of all the grapes of all the vineyards in the region.

Doomed Diego walks down a dark street where he is mugged by Fina’s thugs. He hands over his phone, wallet, car keys and jacket but hey, they didn’t even beat him up! I feel cheated somehow. Dude, you got off SO EASY, you don’t even know.

The next morning Jero and his peeps gather in the vineyard where he congratulates them and gives credit to Rafa for growing a type of grape that has never been grown in the region before. He predicts that Rafa’s dream will be the pride not only of the region but of all Mexico. He chokes up, tells Rafa he loves him and begs his pardon for not being there when Rafa needed him. Carlos and Mati scold him, saying Rafa loved Jero. Mati reassures him that Rafa is looking down right now, happy and proud that Jero is there. It’s a good excuse for her to hug Jero. He shrugs her off and cuts the first bunch of grapes, dedicating it to Rafa and all his staff.

Over at Cruz de Amor Renata is finally out of her neck brace and walking on Augie’s arm followed by Arely (of course) and Adri. He has a surprise for her, the awesome grape earrings (that he designed for her). Uh oh, Arely is pithed, “Those earrings are for me!!” “I never said they were for you,” Augie corrects, “They are for the madrina of the vineyard and that would be Renata, NOT YOU.” Nata and Adri are all WTF weird trips incorporated and Nata tries to give the earrings back. But Augie tells her he hasn’t asked anything of her and it will be a huge offense to him if she doesn’t accept them. Arely grudgingly relents and snips “Oh go ahead and wear them, I don’t want them anyway.” Adri tries to joke out of the weirdness saying she’ll be the madrina next year, heh heh. She helps Nata with the sour grape earrings but the BFFs make major eye contact like “are these people on drugs?”

Funny how everyone is all in white at this red wine festival. Team Jero walks through their dusty vineyard also wearing white. Carlos and Mati advise Jero that to be part of the town and tradition he must present his baskets in front of everyone. “Including HER,” Jero adds acidly.

At Cruz de Amor they go through the same grape-cutting fol-de-rol with Renata getting to cut the first bunch. Smiles (except Arely) and clapping (except Arely). Adri pulls Nata aside to warn her that Augie still has the hots for her and everyone can see it. She doesn’t understand why Arely puts up with (aguantar) Augi’s crapola. Oh well, they should just try to have fun at the Vendimia and forget all their problems. They frolic through the vineyards, seeming to forget that Nata was hobbling around in a neck brace yesterday.

Empresas MR - Daniel mentions to Honorio that everyone has abandoned them including Blanca who had something important to do. (Ruh Roh!) Honorio asks to see Marcos of HR; finally he is acting on this. Let HR help you fire her crazy butt! He opens an office door and sees a guy cleaning inside. I think it’s Blanca’s office, likely he’s dreaming of when it becomes empty.

Uh oh, Blanca is over at Consti’s trying to become her freaky friend. She says Hons has talked a lot about Consti’s work with unfortunate woman. Blanca sucks up and says Cons is an amazing woman and has inspired her. How can she (Blanca) help out at the center or with Consti’s altruistic works? She wants to follow Constanza’s example. (Cue Psycho music.)

Hooray! It’s parade time in the wine country. I love parades. The church bells ring, the clarinets (lots of them) and horns play, baskets of grapes are displayed, and the lovelies are paraded through town. Gonzo and Matias have arrived and move through the crowd, I think Nata sees them, then Jero makes his way to the Cruz de Amor carriage featuring Renata so he can glare at her. She stares back. Augie glares. Arely glares. Here a glare, there a glare...

I stand slightly corrected, turns out Jero has come to save his own ass Renata from having to tell her dad and bro the truth. He helps her down from the carriage and they head for the Monterrubio males. Augie follows.

Nata is thrilled and gives dad a huge loving hug and a less enthusiastic greeting to her bro. Augi struts up and announces he invited them just as he invited all his clients. Nata pointedly tells Jero that he would be thrilled to put them in La Bonita’s guest rooms, correct? Gonzo tells him they got a hotel but Jero insists. Then Augi butts in and says he wants them to stay at Cruz de Amor. Then Gonzo decides they will stay in the house of his daughter and her spouse.

Dum da dum dum music. Berta is on her laptop as usual when Fina stalks into the room and hands over Diego’s cellular. Mom tells daughter to be more careful in the future, destroy the phone and tell Diego that his so-called position at the Monterrubio business has gone up in smoke. Happy cackling ensues.

Nata observes that Fina and Berta didn’t accompany Gonzo and Matias. Dad says they weren’t invited because they wanted to tell Renata something. She supposes it’s because Roberta is about to marry Matias. This news is a shock to Jero. Adri apologizes to Gonzo for telling Renata, but she didn’t know that Gonzo and Matias were coming. Gonzo says no prob, they came to tell Renata personally but they should have told her before. Frankly his statement is so reasonable that it shocked the heck out of me and I had to rewind to confirm.

Nata pulls Jero aside and thanks him for being gracious to her family and covering for her. He says it’s the least he could do after all the unfortunate things that have happened. Nata says seeing them is a surprise. Jero asks, is it seeing them or hearing that Matias will marry Berta? Jero offers his full support, La Bonita, a truce (tregua), whatever. I swear I’m going to start calling this guy Ping Pong at how quickly he changes directions. And after the truce, what then, she asks?

Andresito visits his hero Tony at the hospital. The little conehead (sorry, so tacky, I couldn’t help myself) drops the soup (soltar la sopa = spills the beans) that there are guards hanging around outside. Oopsie, Regina admits they are for her because of all the scary things that have been happening to her about her daughter. “And WHO arranged these guards?” demands Tony, glaring at her with his mean little eyes. He’s not happy to hear that Gonzalo Monterrubio has inserted himself into Regina’s life once again.

Kari happily announces to the padre that she and Alvaro are going to adopt a baby. For once the padre doesn’t look happy and he sternly advises that prospective parents should make sure to have HONESTY and VALUES before starting a family. Doctor Dud leads his Stepford wife away.

Gonzo and Augie amble through town enjoying big glasses of red wine. Gonzo is thrilled to be there and to see his daughter happily married. Augie says “ya think?” He offers his opinion that Jero is a good businessman who takes risks. “And as a man?” asks Gonzo. Augie thinks Renata could do better and he’s sure that Gonzo will come to share the same opinion. Hmmm...Gonzo’s not looking pleased with this statement.

Ezequiel and Alfonsina are laughing by a big vat of grapes when Ez presents Alf with a lovely bracelet for their anniversary. Awww, poor Alf forgot, guess she’s got a lot on her mind, eh? And here comes Doctor Buzz Kill to ruin the moment. Alf and Ez make lovey-dovey but Doc glares at Alfonsina who frowns and slinks away. Kari supposes that Alfonsina’s not happy that she and Doc have gotten back together. Lady, you have got to pull your head out of the sand.

Lazaro sadly watches Kari and Doc Ick walk away arm in arm.

Nata agrees to Jero that they will pretend to be a happy couple while Gonzo and Matias are there. They toast to their truce.

Not surpisingly, Doctor Scumbucket has circled back to grab Alfonsina. She pushes him away and threatens to tell Jero that Doc was completely drunk when he operated on Rafa. He grabs her throat and hisses he wants to make it clear that HE is the one who controls this relationship (EEK!). The one who pays will be her son. Alfonsina is shocked and distressed. Kick him in the nuts!

Nata accuses Augie of inviting her family so they could see that her relationship with Jero is not good. He feigns shock and insult, he invited ALL his clients. Nata apologizes but she is clearly not convinced. She tells him she would like to have her and Adri’s stuff moved to La Bonita while her father is there.

Auggie orders Ezequiel to take Adri’s things and SOME of Renata’s things to La Bonita as they will stay there while her father is there.

Arely approaches Augie and tells him she’s glad the women are leaving because finally she’ll have him to herself. She advises him that at the next fiesta SHE will be the guest of honor, not Renata and not her friend. “Let me make it clear Augustin, I am your woman!”

Matias and Adri talk about how disappointed Renata is in both him and Roberta. Matias stalks off just as a bubbly Carlos jumps in to introduce himself. Go Carlos! Adri tells him that they have been at Augi’s but, ssssshhhh, they are coming back to La Bonita because Nata’s family is there. She asks him to help maintain the facade of a happy marriage between Jero and Nata. He agrees and excuses himself to join a lonely Matilde. Silly boy, stay with Adri and make Mati jealous!

Mati snaps that she wants to be alone. She’s pithed because Nata the brother-killer once again has El Hermoso’s attention. Carlos asks when will she learn that Jero is madly in love with Nata in spite of everything?

Matias wants to talk to Nata. She snaps she’s surprised he’s there when he should be preparing for his wedding. He tells her he and Berta made a mistake and he gives his word he just wants to be a good father for the baby. Matias asks is Nata happy with Jero? “Very happy,” she replies glumly. Great camera angle of two very sad profiles.

Manuela asks Lazaro didn’t he swear to forget Kari? He says he’s trying but she is the love of his life. One nail drives out the other, she advises. Kari joins them. She’s smiling joyously which I find to be in very bad taste. Laz announces he’s going to hang out with the Grape Girls and excuses himself. Manuela tells Kari he’s disappointed because he thought she was a free woman. Kari wonders if he’ll ever forgive her. Manuela thinks Kari still loves Lazaro and hopes Kari won’t regret going back to her rapey snake husband who dreams of boinking another. My words not Manuela’s.

Padre announces it’s time to thank the earth and the hands that convert grapes into wine. He prays and blesses the grapes. All the Grape Girls jump into the vats and start their happy stomping. Does anyone remember that great Lucille Ball stomping grapes episode? But I digress...

Gonzo’s glee at watching Renata stomp is interrupted by a phone call from Regina. He gushes about the fantastic wine country and how happy his daughter is. Regina thanks him deeply for his protection but Tony is bothered and jealous so she can’t accept any more help from Gonzo. Tony has contracted for her protection.

Padre announces it’s time for the men to dance with the grape girls, Jero gets first honors. Ping pong man jumps in the vat and stomps with Nata while their CME song plays. Arely watches and remembers kissing Jero. All the other characters look on with varying degrees of delight and loathing.

The crowd yells “Beso, beso, beso” and Jero holds Nata close. Will they kiss?

Avances: Oh my, it looks like Jero and Nata get drunk and nekkid. Arely yells at Augie that Renata and she can’t live in the same house, it’s Nata or her. Bad move Spare Girl. Jero threatens Augie that Nata is His Woman.


Dicho of the day, an old familiar:
Un clavo saca otro clavo = there are other fish in the sea (lit. one nail drives out the other)

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