Caray, Caray!

A few more photos from the Abq. Balloon Fiesta

We catch up with our characters all going through changes and crises. Regina is deliriously happy that Roberta is in her home, Renata raises herself up from fetal position on her bed to get Jeronimo’s loving message. She responds with a request to meet him at the Mentirosa, she needs him.

Augie has reached an influenza checkpoint at the airport. He argues with the nurse who says he has a fever. He resists, looking bulldoggish, insisting he must get on the airplane, but the nurse is doggedly calm and won’t let him be an exception even though he showers her with and impressive array of verbal abuse so he can get on the airplane. He has to see the doctor for an examination before he can get on any plane, she insists firmly, backed up by two impressively serious guards. This must be a public service announcement from the year when this was filmed.

Somewhere in here we get a quickie prison scene with Nesme swearing that Kari cannot be happy with anyone other than him.

Finally Renata and Jero embrace at the Mentirosa. She starts in, it hurts me to know I am the real daughter of a woman who hates me but who also is a killer. When you called me did you know which of us is Regina’s daughter? No, assures Jero. I just assumed that you would be Regina’s daughter for your similarities. Renata sighs deeply, but I am Fina’s daughter. She tells him she knows he must be worried that her mother was who killed his brother. He doesn’t deny saying it worried him, but he assures and swears that it is no obstacle of his continuing to love her. He wants to be with her.

The comandante questions the house staff at the house of horrors with Gonzo in attendance. The older maid (or is she the cook who has no meals to cook ever again?) gives details of the Señora Clampett hi-jinx, but only knows that Eulalia was ordered to give a bag of Roberta’s clothes to the chauffeur and then was knocked out. Now they have found the gardener, (is he dead? Probably.) She says, Eulalia has already fled to her home pueblo. Gonzo listens with interest and amazement, making a mental note of the rising body count, hopefully.

Renata and Jero swear enduring love and the Mentirosa is almost the scene of their second chance at love making.

A screaming Augie reenters hacienda “Cruz sin Amor” and yells at Zeke since he couldn’t get on the plane without a certificate of health so he wants a doctor or whoever called to get him examined and on a special plane to stop what we are about to see. Zeke, ever helpful, suggests he go see Dr. Tatas in the morning for the certificate.

Renata and Jero are finally in a bedroom. Oh, an oasis in the desert of love! We get to see passion and kisses knowing that there will be no Augustus Interruptus since said AI is hundreds of miles away because of his own arrogance and lack of anger management. The crowd roars (well Carlos, we don’t expect you to ROAR but it’s a whole lot better than a dip in the feather bed with Augie or even with Mr. Cranky Pants Matias and she never even saw Chema up close! Poor Chema, he’s probably having a bit of problem in that department anyway with his migraines. But I digress.

Well the love scene even lsts past the commercial break, hallelujah! We get to see the smiling giggling taking off of clothes.

Don’t let us get too giddy here, let’s switch to a morose coffee sippin’ Lazaro who is confronted in the kitchen by Kari who wants to know what is happening between them. She says you are cold and distant. You don’t come find me like before or talk to me like before. He swears he is busy and worried and she asks is he busy with Arely? How did you know about that? I know! She asks, do you have a connection to her and where did you go last night. Yes, I did take her to another place but I am not going out with her. And yes, something did happen between us last night. She freaks and runs out. He thinks maybe he chose the wrong words? Were there right ones?

Roberta asks where Regina is, has she gone for her clothes? Regina continues stupid and tells Roberta that although she didn’t tell her she thinks Renata has gone off with Jeronimo. How do you know? Jeronimo has told me he has every intention to return to Renata and when Roberta is about to say it is not a good idea, Regina says she will be cherished and cared for by Jeronimo as she deserves. Seeing the sour look, she assures her new daughter dearest that she too will soon find the love of a good man who will love her and value her and make her very happy. Roberta’s manicured hand creeps like a black widow spider in hot pink shoes across the blanket to reach for Regina’s hand in fake daughterly love. She smirks as nastily as the old days, saying she is a bit bored. Regina says I know things are going very rapidly between us but one day I hope that you will be able to call me MAMA. Roberta smirks and mutters to herself as the saintly Regina carries out the tray of food. Why just last week I was thinking about the theory that heaven and hell may be the same place but seem like two places when seen through the filter of either a saintly or sinning character. The sisters seem about to act this out for us.

We see Fina skulking toward the Hon/Con house. It seems like this neighborhood isn’t ideal for the Senora Clampett duds so she is back to skulking in black Russian immigrant garb with another cap on her head. Inside Constanza is having trouble handling her fork and trying to say something. The cell phone that is Roberta’s rings and Adriana answers it to hear Fina swearing silently on the other end. Adriana guesses right away that it might be Fina again. Hon takes the phone and swears he will turn it off and hide it to make sure no one can bother Roberta. Poor Consta tries to say something revealing but no one is listening to her (remember about her knowing the real identity of mothers and daughters from Fina’s own lips.) Adriana makes one of her few mistakes and tries to assure Consta that she is safe and they will take care of her. Consta tries futilely to tell her that this is not the real problem.

Carlos asks Lazaro why he was so stupid, (Laz should date Regina), his answer is that it is easier to hurt Kari with thinking he is stepping out on her and forgetting the wedding than the real reason that Dr. Nasty is still writhing in a bed at the prison. This is surely the only thing to do. He is pained at the hurt he is inflicting on Kari, but so sure that it is better for her to think he is a rat than for her to find out about her nasty husband.

Sobbing on Alfonsina’s bed Kari is assured by her friend that Laz is not bad. She is sure something odd is going on, Lazaro has never had any feelings for anyone but her. Kari cries that he has tricked her and abandoned her. Kari flashes back at the smiling blond, rich Arely charming Laz with a kiss. She cries even harder. Zeke comes in questioning the sobbing friend at the foot of his bed. Alfonsina says Kari knows Laz was with Arely and Zeke freaks out how did you see that. Oops cover story blown for him. He looks like he is calculating how far away Augie could be and still hear this conversation immediately. Maybe there is time to immigrate to the US?

Renata and Jero have already moved on to wine and rich food, the equivalent of the old custom of cigarettes and whiskey. They have been most conservative in this TN in keeping us from seeing much skin. Renata is in a big shirt and Jero is in a bathrobe, seems they may both be his. I don’t remember her ever moving her clothes into his DF apartment. They talks sweetly, loving and being together for ever more. She confesses that when she thought she had lost him, her heart beat as though it would break. He feels her heart which seems to be fine now. (hmmm) They dissolve into giggles and loving embraces.

Roberta has really conquered using Skype and tells Augie he is already too late, Renata is making up and out with Jero as they speak. Where is Renata now? Well, in the arms of her ex-husband, Roberta grins into the laptop screen. Augie says, you are saying this just to annoy (fastidiar) me? No, laughs Roberta so impish in her joy to foil her sister’s happiness and aggravate the daylights out of Augie at the same time. Does this count as multi-tasking? Considering it’s Roberta, I would say yes.

Chema shows up at Adriana’s door (he did remember.) He suddenly asks for water to take his pills. She advises him that he needs to see a doctor (I hope he got the pils from one), any way she says they need to talk of serious things. They sit and he says first tell me how is your mother? She realizes that he means Consta so she just says fine. She and my father have gone off to sleep. She says I have made an important decision. Although she was considering between her desire for Matias and him and he has been really wonderful to her she has no more doubts and chosen to stay with Matias. He acts like he doesn’t understand or is just thinking really slowly. In a parallel scene, Matias is talking to spare girl. He tells her that he is going off to a conference to the Sea of Cortez. She acts like she might like to go too but he inserts that he is going with Adriana. Spare girl seems to understand better than Chema but less than Tata’s did last week. She still says futilely, call me when you get back. Oh sure he says as he rings off. Matias dreamily can’t wait to begin his life together with Adriana. Isn’t it nice to see Mr. CP so cheerful tonight.

Chema says he doesn’t want to be an impediment to her (impedador) and she says no, it is really because Matias entered her heart long before she met him. He has a brief remembrance of things with Consta for whom he became an impediment and wishes her well with Matias, whatever. As he goes toward the door, he falls to the floor.

Renata is already worrying as she and Jero are cuddling on his couch. She is worrying about how she is going to say to their children that their grandmother killed their uncle, passing the bad seed of her pathological mother on to their children if they have them. He is able to kiss and kid her into some laughing. She persists with how important it is to worry about these possible children but he kisses her into laughter. He observes that she turned out good even though she has an evil (malvada) sister and they will love their children, raising them with love and affection so they won’t be evil. He kisses the rest of her worries away for now.

Chema comes to and doesn’t understand what happened and doesn’t remember when he came or what he did here. She tells him he called and came to talk to her about her decision. He looks confused then, suddenly says, it is really late. I better go. Adriana says to herself she doesn’t know what is going on with Chema. (But, alas, we know he has a terminal case of inconvenience.)

Amidst many more kisses and as she says, over and above her appreciation of this marvelous, enchanting and divine evening she must tell Jero that she had already decided to terminate with Augustin. She will go to tell him in person since it doesn’t seem loyal to be with him when she is completely in love forever with Jeronimo. He is really pleased and tells her that he too has prepared for this moment. Yesterday he already terminated his relationship with Marina. I love how she can be in a mood to tease, she asks, were you that sure that I was going to return to you? No, but I was assure that the love I have for you would persist. Likewise, it did not seem loyal to me to be with her (note this for later) but I had to tell her I don’t have her in my thoughts or in my heart I only have you. They are so amorous the cinema photographer gives us doubles and even the passionate tryptichs of the kissing and hugging scene. Now just keep quiet if you don’t think this had enough heat. I am thrilled and had to stop typing to just watch and thankfully had a minute or two with no dialog to catch up…

Gonzo asks, how is Roberta, as though Regina had just tucked in a toddler. Regina is so happy about my family excuse me OUR family. Gonzo says it takes a while to get used to speaking in plural but soon he predicts she will automatically be speaking of our great big happy family, oh yeah. Regina is grateful to God, the Virgin of Guadalupe and all for the return of her daughter. (She falls to mention that big black bag of cash that also brought her to this point.) She feels so lucky to have her daughter back after so long a time, almost 24 years. Now really she feels she has two daughters. She hopes that one day Renata will also regard her as a mother. (Sooner than that viper in your guest room, girlie). Actually Gonzo says he is sure Renata will come around very soon.


Zeke gets to hear the real reason for Laz ‘s actions toward Kari, He complains that Lazaro must trust him, after all he confided in Laz and brought Arely after the murder order that Augie had decreed and signed for. So he needs to spill! Lazaro tells him he must take it to the grave after he learns the story.

Alfonsina is having pains in the belly and Kari is having pains of the heart. She says she will go far away and alone. Alfonsina begs her to stay near. They talk of the postponement of Carlos and Matilde’s wedding too because the padre has the flu. Let’s hope Alfonsina’s pains aren’t related to this influenza but the music suggest something is so wrong with this pregnancy other than the doubts and distrust engendered by her fling among the vines with Dr. TooAlive.

Zeke and Laz talk that if Augustin could order Arely’s death he can believe that he ordered Nesme’s death and likewise could off Zeke just as easily. They discuss that Jero was discreet and didn’t’ tell Laz any more than he had to in order to protect other people. Zeke asks when Jeronimo will return and when Lazaro says he has no idea, Zeke says, just tell me as soon as he comes back. I really need his help.

Roberta shows up at breakfast on the lawn, in her usual “I don’t do mornings” slump. Regina asks if she is missing her house and her own bed. Roberta says she only misses her own pillows. Regina wants to go get them for her right away. A girl could get used to this solicitous treatment. However, Roberta wants terribly to break into Renata’s good time so tells Regina that she needs to see Renata as only she can get things she wants. Gonzo offers to see where she is so calls her on his cell. Now in Jeronimo’s bed very happy in the morning Renata’s cell phone rings but Jero won’t let Renata answer it.

We see Marina Tata counting on a calendar, looking worried as she counts on her fingers, then reaching for a white package in the desk drawer so the next interruptus will be:

….as the loving couple laugh and dissolve under the covers.

Marina comes out of the bathroom with the pregnancy test in hand and tells the nurse that she is pregnant just as Augie Doggie comes to the open door and hears the joyful news! Don’t these people ever close private consulting room doors or lock anything? I guess that would be too simple, so where is my beanie?

And there ends our one episode that is almost entirely happy, barring the sad turning of Chema from glorious galán into inconvenient and fatally ill little problem. But, never fear, tomorrow while a jubilant Renata tells papa Gonzo how elated she is with the return of her true love and the light in her life, Jeronimo. Roberta is making sure she can spoil it, saying to herself, if she can’t be happy with Rafael, Renata certainly can’t find happiness with Jeronimo. Marina’s pregnancy by Jeronimo as she assures the nurse, is instantly ready to be broadcast by a beaming Augustin who can’t believe the luck. I guess he thought the best he would get would be a flu shot.

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