Caray, Caray!

It's the Pina Opines Show with special guest Fernanda. Pina broadcasts Fernanda's cancer diagnosis to the whole world and asks, "how much time do you have left to live?" (Vince, who is watching the webcast, knocks down his secretary in dismay. He is supposed to be throwing a fit, but it looks as though the actor is trying hard not to laugh!) Fer is impactada. Pina asks her audience at home to pray for Fernanda's health. She says they deserve to know how much longer the most admired businesswoman in Mexico will live.

(Vince is poking aggressively at his phone. He has the secretary ask Rinaldi for a minute-by-minute report on the company's stock transactions.) Fer tells Pina's audience that the doctor didn't say exactly how long, but it'd be a few months. "And the months fly by!" Pina exclaims, barely concealing her glee. "I'll leave the presidency and travel; I don't want long painful treatments to extend my life in misery." She speaks philosophically for a while, and Pina becomes increasingly uncomfortable. Fer concludes, "life always gets the last laugh."

They've been listening to the interview at Casa Popular. They agree that Pina had some nerve asking such a question, and Fer handled it well. They again discuss whether Pancho should take Fer's offer, but no one seems to have any new thoughts to add.

Fer returns to her office and tells Rebeca she's looking forward to announcing her successor. Rebeca tries to talk her out of it, but Fernanda wants her to attend Pancho's party tonight. She also adds that she has a sensitive mission for her. "I'll give you all the details," she says, but we don't get to hear them.

The festival at Casa Popular begins. Pancho gives a happy opening speech encouraging the attendees to eat and pay for everything. Lupita suggests that he take a bath, put on some nicer clothes and make himself handsome, and sell his kisses.

Yummy tacos are served, but I don't get to see enough of the food.

Jerry, the bouncer/doorman at the gate (the same guy who worked the club where Pepe kissed Mónica last week) is supposed to be charging a fee of 20 pesos (that's about US$1.50 at today's exchange rate) per person, but hardly anyone is paying. Heh, some bouncer! (Jerry grumbles... what kind of accent is that? He doesn't sound local!) Tomás and Elena get in without paying. Betty goes in too, wanting to be with Tomás. Lupita misses her flirting by a split-second, but I smell trouble...

Temo, napping, dreams that he meets his mother, who died the day he was born. (Snif!) She tells him not to worry, that everything will be fine. He wakes up happy and tells Chela about his dream. Pancho comes in, and Chela gets grumpy. Temo wants to know what's going on. Pancho tells Chela he appreciates all she does for the family and all the sacrifices she's made for them.

Vince is still hopping mad when he gets home. (And the actor still looks like he's supressing convulsive laughter.) Pina says she did it for him. She feels that revealing Fernanda's illness will force her to appoint a new president right away. Vince says he knows he's going to be the next president, so it wasn't necessary to tell the whole country that the old lady is drying up (la anciana se está secando). But Pina can't wait to be the First Lady. He calls her a monster. Then she practices for his presidency like Vince did last week. Vince says, "to hell with humility!" and joins her. (Their maid is horrified.)

At the fiesta, Candy is eager to do her performance, but Chela tells her there will be more people around to watch later. Then, hopping around nervously she tears her dress. Chela promises to help mend it, but I'm wondering what's going to happen to such a delicate garment when she's dancing for real. (Candy is dressed like a cocktail waitress; Chela is wearing the frumpiest thing she could find.)

Mónica is driving around in a dubious-looking neighborhood with Karina, supposedly looking for the Britney concert. (I don't know which Britney that would be, but that's the "kinds of music you'll never hear" that she taunted Pepe about last week.) They're lost - Mo says she doesn't use a GPS because she and electronics don't get along. Naturally, her super-expensive car breaks down. Freddy's not answering his phone and the wrecker can't come for another couple of hours, so she decides to call "José," that mechanic. (She is referring to Pepe, whose phone number she supposedly threw away.) She demands his help in the rudest way possible. Pepe discovers that it's just a loose cable, but instead of securing it, he decides to pocket the cable and tells them it's a serious problem that he can't fix here and now. He offers to take them to his house in La Burra so they don't have to wait around here. He asks a sketchy-looking guy to keep an eye on the car.

Pancho, having finished his bath and change of clothes (not an improvement, IMO), finds Rebeca at the door in a sexy red dress. "¡Virgen santisima!" Pancho exclaims. "Not exactly," Rebeca replies. Chela sees her and is obviously peturbed. Rebeca says she actually came to see Chela, to ask her to convince Pepe to take the job. After all, she's like his conscience. They're together all the time, they couldn't even live one without the other. It's a great opportunity for him. Chela runs through all her reasons why Pepe should NOT take the job, which boil down to wanting to improve their lives through their own efforts rather than a windfall. (Yeah, like being president of Avon is going to be a cakewalk!) They like their life the way it is. Rebeca says that complacency breeds mediocrity. "Believe me, I understand your reaction. It's obvious - you're totally in love with Pancho and you're afraid to lose him."

We now discover that La Burra has bright flashing neon lights in addition to the obnoxious braying-donkey horn. "Where are we, Calcutta?" Mo complains. (She complains a lot.) She makes fun of Pepe's poor knowledge of world geography and doesn't want to go to the festival. (Pepe tactfully doesn't point out her poor knowledge of local geography.)

Pancho laughs off Rebeca's claim that Chela is in love with him. He says she's family, and practically his sister. Rebeca asks her directly if she isn't in love with Pancho. Chela tells her to mind her own business. Pancho again sings Chela's praises as a family member and again scoffs that she'd be in love with him. Chela stomps out, wounded and mortified. Pancho invites Rebeca to the festival so that she can see for herself why they don't want their lives to change for some presidency.

Chela mutters indignantly and gets her sewing kit.

Jerry the doorman continues letting kids in for free. Alex (as Freddy) arrives and asks for Lupita. Fortunately, Elena (as Lupita) is there to intercept him. Alex doesn't pay either. Jerry grumbles.

Meanwhile, the real Lupita is crying hysterically because she just caught Tomás sucking face with Betty. Elena and Alex soon run into her, but she's not interested in an introduction. "Let's go to my house, ELENA!" she sobs, dragging her off. Alex is confused.

Chela fixes Candy's dress and tells her about Rebeca's latest visit. (They call her a lot of names - skinny, anorexic, consumptive - but she's no thinner than they are, as far as I can tell.) Candy thinks Chela's jealous of Rebeca. They start to argue, but are too wound up about the festival to continue. (Then, to add insult to injury, Chela is obliged to serve a taco to Rebeca. Rebeca is wearing a white coat. I keep waiting for something terrible to happen, but there's no payoff.)

Pepe and his fancy little harem arrive at the party. Mo holds her nose. Pepe asks Chela if they've raised enough money yet and observes that she's making a face like they're getting evicted. (He explains to Mo that some guy wants to kick them out, but he screws up the guy's name.) Chela just scolds him for wearing dirty clothes.

(Pina and Vince are still celebrating his "last day as Vice President." LOLOLOLOLOL)

Mo complains some more about the food and everything else. (She is a real delight. Karina seems to be having a good time, or at least making the most of it, but Pepe only has eyes for the sourpuss. Typical.) She gripes about not wanting to see Candy's show. Karina says, "well, we're not getting to see Britney, but at least we'll see this."

Elena spends a long time with Lupita trying to calm her down and cheer her up. She urges Lupita to go back to the party - why give that bum Tomás the satisfaction, and besides, the kids need her. She even helps Lupita blow her nose!

There's a sack race at the festival. Mo looks frightened.

Supposedly Rebeca has tried all of the tacos. She liked the mole best. Then Candy comes out to do her dance, and it is at this odd juncture that we say goodnight. Will her dress survive the ordeal?

Next time:
The Evil Rinaldi pays a personal visit to the Casa Popular.

Labels: familia