Caray, Caray!

Rebeca tells Pancho that some of Avon's products are made in China, and they're looking into increasing this. (ALERT! ALERT! PLOT POINT ESTABLISHED!) She explains that they'll conduct this business in English, not Chinese. Pancho demonstrates the English vocabulary he's mastered: "between, between, and drink a sit." I only know what he's saying thanks to the captions, but it's a joke: in Spanish, entre, entre, y tome asiento means "come in, come in, and take a seat," but entre also means "between," tome also means "drink," and asiento also means "sit." (Now do you see why we don't translate all of the jokes? That was exhausting!)

After school, Lupita turns down Alex's offer of a ride home. (Pepe, who is standing next to her, is not invited.) Lupita goes to the Casa Popular. The little kids swarm excitedly around her, leaving their other babysitter, Elena, in the dust. Apparently the plan is for Chela to come over every morning to make them breakfast, and Lupita to come by each day after school. Tomás wants to talk, but she tells him to get lost.

Chacho, Nico, Elena, and Tomas come to the mansion for dinner. Chela gives Tomás the cold shoulder. Nico immediately begins flirting with the younger maid, Gregoria (Goy[it]a). Then the other maid, Jesusa (Chuch[it]a).

Yes, each has three names. In fact, most of these characters have multiple names. Pancho is Francisco, Chela is Graciela, Pepe is José, etc. If you add Pancho's nicknames for everyone, it gets even more complicated. Celeste, the main receptionist at Avon, has accumulated numerous astronomy-themed monikers thanks to Pancho.

In the kitchen, Chucha tells Goya that she really, really likes Nico. I like him too, but maybe that's because he reminds me of a certain fast-food mascot. Must be his hair. Anyway, it looks as though Goya likes him too, but before they can fight about it, Tomás interrupts to introduce himself as Lupita's novio and ask where her room is so he can surprise her. Lupita is thinking about Alex in her room when Tomás walks right in. She is indignant. Then he kisses her, and she slaps him and says she's not one of those girls like Betty that he can use and throw away.

The salad is ready. Nico continues to flirt with the staff. Pancho hollers for the kids to come down for dinner. Chacho asks how it's going with Rebeca. He's a bit crude about it. Chela grumps. Candy shows up to say goodbye; she's supposedly going out with friends. The rest of the family shows up and they eat. Tomás chews moodily at Lupita.

While the greengrocer's family enjoys a wholesome salad, Vince and Enzo consume alcohol and tobacco at Vince's house. Enzo is urging Vince to "practice." Vince doesn't want to do it. He doesn't act and he doesn't like actors. (They are obviously referring to Enzo's not-yet-fully-revealed strategy for Vince to make friends with Pancho.) Enzo mentions how excited Vince was about Catgirl. Vince shushes him. "Are there microphones here too?" Enzo asks (he and Vince think their offices are bugged). "Worse - Pina!"

After dinner, Tomás asks to talk to Lupita in the garden. Ana puts Temo to bed. The rest of them discuss the hazards of Pancho's new neighbors/coworkers. Pancho says Rebeca told him to be careful. (Chela sulks again at R's name.) Pancho isn't used to distrusting people. Chacho advises him to refuse anything Vince offers him: food, coffee, etc. Pancho tells them not to worry so much about him. He doesn't want to live in such a fearful and calculating way. Chacho says he'll have to be defensive.

Tomás tells Lupita he's going crazy, and he's really sorry. He begs on his knees. She tells him to stop being so dramatic. He seems sincere and I even feel sorry for him, until he claims that the thing with Betty was the first and last time. (Liar, we saw him with her at least once before.) She admits that she misses him. He kisses her.

Enzo still wants Vince to "practice." Enzo offers to be Pancho. He does an uncannily accurate impression. "You're disgusting," Vince complains. Fake-Pancho invites Vince over for dinner. Enzo makes Vince repeat his greeting several times and gives him tips on how to make small talk. (All of this advice adds up to exactly the way any civil person might greet and make small talk with any other person.) Next, Enzo says Vince must invite Pancho over for a cookout. Vince is mortified and asks how his wife could possibly eat with that "tribe." (He slams his drink down on the bar so hard that it splashes all the way up to his face. Somehow, the glass doesn't break. Impressive!)

Confusingly, Candy hasn't left yet. Chela begs her not to go back to the massage parlor, Paraíso. Candy says she spoke to her boss, but now that Catgirl is in such great demand, there's even less chance she'll get out of her contract. Chela says she's sick of contracts. And she's afraid. Candy assures her, "Nothing will happen. I'm not the same." "Of course not - that thing that happened was horrible!" Candy says it won't happen to her. Chela also warns that Pancho won't be happy if he finds out. "And if he knew about Irabién..." Candy adds.

Lupita accepts a bracelet from Tomás and forgives him, but says she's going to test him. She'll only let him conquer her one step at a time. No kissing! (How many steps between bracelet and first base?)

Next morning, Chela is already making breakfast and Pancho has already gone to the market when Chucha and Goya get to the kitchen. They say they're supposed to get up before everyone else. They're nervous about Chela's wish to change the curtains, because Fernanda picked them out.

Pancho and Gonzalo return from the market with big sacks of carrots and onions. Gonzo wants to quit because Pancho always drives the truck. (Excuse me, La Burra.) He doesn't think he's needed. Pancho says he still needs Gonzo to take the kids to school. Gonzo un-quits.

Vince is watching CandyTV on the monitor. "Isn't she lovely, Abeja?" Abeja runs away, whining, and doesn't come back when he calls her. Pina does, though, and she's mad. Like he didn't learn his lesson with Rebeca, now he's going around with the greengrocer's sister. Vicente denies that he's fooling around with anyone.

Back in Pancho's kitchen, they comment on the noise from Ana's band, which is playing the Pancho Lopez song over and over and over and over. Chela objects to their playing so loudly at 6 in the morning. Ana asks if they'd like her to do Lady Gaga songs instead.

Chela tells Pancho she wants to read the Avon contract.

Candy screams for Goya. She wishes they had a bell. Chucha explains that they have an intercom in every room so that someone in one room can be heard in any or every room. (PLOT POINT ESTABLISHED!)

Candy wants Gonzo to drive her to a boutique after he takes the kids to school. Temo is upset because he can't find Popeye. Chela promises he'll be fine.

Popeye hasn't gone far. He's doing some tricks to impress Abeja. It's working. Chela finds him. Pina collects her own dog. Chela tries to be friendly with her, but Pina bites her head off, says Abeja is delicate and dainty and pedigreed and mustn't mix with the fleabitten likes of Popeye and his masters! Chela objects, but Pina holds her nose and stalks off. "You don't have fleas!" Chela tells Popeye. "Or do you?"

Pancho is watering the landscaping. Vince puts all of his new skills to use to invite Pancho and his lovely family over for a cookout. Pancho remembers Chacho's advice not to accept anything from Vince and says he'd really like to, but he's having a terrible problem with gas. Vince says okay, then, when you're feeling better.

Pina scolds Adoración for letting the dog loose. Who knows what would have happened if she'd arrived just a moment later. She probably has fleas now, too. Sure she has a right to flirt with someone, but with a dog of her own "level." Pina puts Ado up to gossiping with the neighbors' maids to find out what Pancho's peeps are up to.

In the lunchroom at school, Mónica confesses to Freddy that she had coffee with José to get him to help get her father's job back. She doesn't want Freddy to be angry. On the contrary, he thinks she was heroic. They are rubbing noses. At another table, Ana babbles about her band until she realizes that Pepe is paying no attention. He's looking at Mo. Ana thinks Freddy is guapo.

Alex wants to walk Lupita to class. Tomás calls, waiting for her to come back from school. "I love you mucho too, Tomás," she says. Alex is disappointed. "So what Elena said wasn't just a story, you went back to him." He leaves.

In the Avon lobby, Pancho catches Celeste reading a gossip magazine. Hahahaha! Vince and Rebeca arrive. Vince and Pancho have yet another conversation about Vince's name. I have a briefcase just like Vince's. Pancho asks Rebeca for a stock market report. The market is low and unstable. Pancho and Vince debate which of them should get on the elevator first. They chatter pointlessly on the ride up. Then they debate which of them should get out first.

Gonzo drops Lupita off at the Casa Popular. Chela is tired. It's such a long way, going back and forth between the house and the CP. (It must be sooooo exhausting to ride in a limousine.) Grump, grump. And Lupita liked her old school better. Grump grump. Tomás gives Lupita a giant lollipop, but he doesn't get a kiss. She loves him, but he'll have to earn every kiss now.

Vince gropes Rebeca's face and bids her a dramatic goodbye before going into his office. "He likes you, doesn't he?" Pancho asks. Rebeca says there's nothing between them, but he thinks he's touched a nerve. He says she deserves better than a married man. "Sorry if I offended you," he adds.

Next time:
The pressure rises. Rebeca visits; Chela grumps. Vince declares war on Pancho.

Labels: familia