Caray, Caray!

Lucrezia, once again, is worried about what "people" will think…this time about getting $5M pesos in cash out of the bank to put in a briefcase and give to the blackmailer. She decides that since the person was disguising their voice, it must be someone they know. Then she gets the brilliant idea that she'll take old Teodoro's pistol out of Carlota's bedroom. It's sad when Maripaz is the voice of reason, trying to talk her mother out of messing with the gun. Especially when Lucrezia Borgia doesn't even know how to check and see if it's loaded. Maripaz suggests they get the money tomorrow and call Antolin and have him make the dropoff. High-larious! Lucrezia doesn't really like the idea, but Maripaz talks her into it based on…um, well, just cause she trusts him. Brilliant!

Carolina tells Gerry the good news--she can get sight back in one eye with a cornea transplant and Antolín has already gotten her onto the wait list. She goes to wash her face and hands, leaving the menfolk to talk. Antolín tells Gerry there's no worry…he's got the money, and Gerry shouldn't worry his pretty little head about how. Gerry keeps pushing though. If Antolín's not going to murder someone for the money, is he planning to blackmail or extort? Antolin says anyone would rather pay him off then having to go to jail for killing someone. "Say what?!" Antolín says he won't repeat it. He assures Gerry that he won't rest until Carolina feels like her life has some meaning again. He hopes when she gets her sight back, she can maybe get a job…who knows, maybe even get married…. Gerry asks Antolín if he'd marry her. Antolín says he doesn't want to tie Carolina to him when he doesn't have a future. Death could be waiting for him around any corner…but before he goes, he's going to make sure Carolina can see again.

Ivan and Alex have a swimming lesson.

Carlota assures Lucia that the cops haven't gone after Maripaz, so obviously no one saw what happened. Lucia lets herself be reassured, but she's still worried about the poor dead woman's family.

Alex tells Ivan he wants to either be a fútbol player or an engineer like his dad. Ivan reminds him that he's an engineer too, though in a different specialty. He tells Alex that he knew Gerry from way back and Gerry was always nice to him. Alex equates it to Ivan being nice to him now. He's decided that Ivan is ok and if he really did want to kidnap him, he would have done it already.

Antolín hangs out with his buds at The 9 Ball, giving them a vague account of his recent activities (minus the current blackmailing scheme). He takes a call from Maripaz on his cell phone. She reminds him she's being blackmailed for murder and asks him to make the dropoff of the money. Antolín couldn't be happier. He lets her dangle a bit, but then agrees and says now that's two she owes him. He gets off the phone and buys a round of drinks for everyone in The 9 Ball.

Ivan and Alex ride a four wheeler on the beach, driving it through the shallow water.

Saul visits Maripaz. He notices her, or rather David's car and asks what happened to it. Maripaz claimed she left it parked on the street and has no idea what happened. Well, whatevs, she's going to have a luxury car soon anyway. Maripaz asks for an explanation of Saul's plot. Saul suggests they start by consulting an attorney to find out what's going to happen to her dad. He's pretty sure there's a stiff penalty for kidnapping. Maripaz doesn't really want him to go to jail, so Saul says they've got to come to some sort of amicable agreement. Maripaz also doesn't want everyone to know she had a kid with Ivan, which Saul thinks is guaranteed to happen no matter what. He mocks her for wanting everything her way. He gets a few more details about the birth--that it happened at a hospital in Guaymas and she registered at the hospital under her real name. He says he knows a crooked lawyer who will charge them an arm and a leg, and who has a lot of connections.

Ivan and Alex continue their bonding. Ivan tells Alex he loves him like a son. "You mean, like the one you lost? How did you lose him?" He gripes at Ivan's answer. "Adults are always saying that! 'One day I'll tell you,' 'You wouldn't understand, it's adult stuff,' blah, blah, blah…I'm not stupid!" Ivan agrees and says he will tell him, but, um…right now it's late and they should go back to the house. Alex agrees and is distracted by the prospect of a race back.

JJ comes sniffing around near Camilo's place. Ag talk summary: Camilo found 2 good well locations; he's going to share his water with Lucrezia if necessary; he's constructed a canal; he's planning to do some kind of water storage for the dry times; he's planning to grow "apio" (celery) and fruit trees. That's all they discussed. The foreboding music just follows JJ around for no reason. He could be peeling potatoes and they'd still play that music.

The gossipy principal comes over and gets the 411 on JJ's medical condition from Esther and then throws a wrench in Judith's nearly nonexistent love life by telling Esther that she saw her at dinner with some poor guy. Bitch! That's it, I'm a Jumilo 'shipper…fight for your right to hottie, Judith!

JJ tells Camilo he'd like to have him on the board of the Ag Association. Camilo claims he's too busy. He wants to consult Ivan, so JJ prods him in his delicate spot (that would be his ego) and tells him he's got to get out from under Ivan's skirts sometime. He'd like Camilo to support him in his presidential reelection bid and dangles the possibility of Camilo someday becoming Ag Association President…well, since he's sick and has two worthless sons. Camilo is concerned that will put him at odds with the McGuire's, but JJ smarms that their differences are settled. JJ says he's planning to ask everyone to return to the Association in time for elections. Camilo still isn't sure, so JJ leaves to give him time to think about it.

Carlota and Toni share their plot with Lucia. Gerry will tell Alex that he adopted him from an orphanage and later found out he's Ivan's son. That way, Gerry can avoid jail time for kidnapping. Toni figures Alex can spend part of the year with Gerry and part of the year with Ivan and Lucia. I vote for a multi-family compound on enough acreage to expand. Lucia is doubtful, saying that finding out Gerry is actually his grandpa is going to be traumatic for Alex. She doesn't come up with a better plan, though, just says that she wishes Ivan wasn't so obsessed with Alex.

Arcelia sews and chatters to Camilo, who is busy thinking about JJ's proposal. His cell phone rings and he takes Ivan's call. Ivan talks about how great it was to hang out with his kid all day and how Alex isn't afraid of him anymore. He tells Camilo there's some kind of a problem with the Curiel ladies. Something to do with Maripaz. He was hoping Camilo could ask Antolín to find out what it is. Ivan says they're coming back in a few days. They hang up and Camilo tells his mom about Maripaz having done something that's causing her family trouble. Arcelia is not surprised.

Antolín buys a cell phone. He calls Carolina and she says she's missed him just as much as she misses Alex. Antolín says she won't miss Alex so much when she has her own kids. "Oh, do you really think God would grant me that miracle?" "Well, I could grant you the miracle--you just say when!" That was hilariously sexy. Carolina laughs as she tells him not to be vulgar. Antolín gives her his new cell phone number. He wants her to call him right away if she hears from the transplant organization and sends her a big kiss. "Hey, think about the kid thing…you know I'm up for it!" She laughs him off again.

The next day, Lucrezia Borgia and Maripaz march into the bank accompanied by ominous music.

Judith gets chewed out by her mom for lying about who she was at dinner with the other night. "Who told you?" Girl! In this town…doesn't she know that everyone knows everything? Judith refuses to tell her mother who it is and says she should just content herself with knowing he's a decent hardworking guy, not like all those society "juniors" who are living off of their daddy's money (in other words, Saul?). Esther insists that means he's some good-for-nothing looking to use Judith's position to climb the social ladder. So now she spills that he's Camilo Galvan, Ivan's friend. That's not much of a recommendation to Esther, who says Ivan's just a low-class nobody, raised among servants. She forbids Judith from seeing Camilo again. "I can see whoever I want to!" "Fine, then I'll tell your father!" "Fine, do whatever you want!" Judith stomps off to her room and Esther picks up the phone to call David at the office. She tells him they have a "terrible" problem and asks to see him. "Your sister is getting involved with some Camilo Galvan guy!"

David goes into Camilo's office to ask if he went out with Judith. Camilo is annoyed that the news has gotten to David already and he guesses Judith's mom is upset about it. David, on the other hand, would love to have Camilo for a brother-in-law. Unfortunately, Camilo informs him that he has no chemistry with Judith. He was just going out with her because he's in love with someone who will never return his love and he was trying out that "un clavo saca a otro clavo" thing (one nail gets another nail out; or, more crudely, the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else). He doesn't think it's working though. And even if it did and he did marry Judith, he doesn't think her family will ever accept him.

JJ is home early and having a tequila…just like the doc told him not to. He tells Esther that he deserves it since he was out at the ranch. He fills her in on his brilliant plan to make Camilo a member of the Ag Association board, bring all the stray ranchers back into the fold, and make peace with the McGuire's. He's even happy to hear that Camilo is going out with Judith. He reminds Esther that her dad was also new money and tells her the only thing that matters nowadays is power, not social class.

Antolín (wearing Johnny Cash's jacket) sits in the Curiels' living room listening to Lucrezia babble nervously about the blackmail payoff instructions. He graciously agrees to make the dropoff without charging them a fee *snort* and takes the garbage bags of cash. Lucrezia is sure he's going to steal it, especially because he didn't ask for a fee.

Antolín loads the cash into the Pimpmobile and drives off.

Lucrezia yells at Maripaz for trusting Antolín, but it's too late to do anything about it now. Lucrezia wants Maripaz to call him and see how it's going. *snort*

Antolín hangs out in his lair manually transferring all his cell phone contacts. He gets a call from Maripaz on the old phone and ignores it.

Maripaz and Lucrezia are freaked out. Lucrezia is sure he stole the money and the blackmailer will turn her in to the cops. Maripaz says if the blackmailer wanted to turn her in, he would have done it already, but what he wants is money, so if he has to wait, he'll wait for the house to be sold to get it. Besides, if Antolín did steal the money after all, she'll just ask Toni for money.

There are 0 contacts left in Antolín's old phone, but the picture of Maripaz after the accident is still there. He kisses the phone, calling it a lucky break, and smashes it with the heel of his boot. They show us a cell phone broken in bits, but I think it's a fake--he didn't seem to be getting anywhere with the stomping.

Lucia and Ivan talk about their wedding and where they'll live. Lucia would be happy to live with Ivan and Toni. She asks about her dad. Ivan says he hopes when everything is settled, he hopes Gerry won't come around much. He expects Alex to just start treating Gerry like a grandparent eventually and only visiting him very rarely and for short visits. Ouch. What a bonehead!

Lucrezia tells Carlota that a "friend" dropped off the money for them. She acts like she trusts him, at least to Carlota.

Antolín comes back and tells Maripaz it's all settled.

Lucrezia says her goodbyes to Carlota and says she'll call her tomorrow. Antolín shows her the smashed up phone. Lucrezia has to act like she's grateful and willing to consider Antolín a friend. Once he leaves, Maripaz crushes her in a hug, but Lucrezia is pissed off that they've lost their house because of her drunken ways. In the heat of the moment Maripaz promises she won't go out to clubs and drink anymore and she'll stay home and she'll call David tomorrow and have him take the car. Riiiiiiight. Lucrezia storms off when Maripaz whines that Lucrezia will lend her the car occasionally, right? Right?

JJ tells Judith he knows about her and Camilo. He tells her Camilo seems like a good guy, who might be a nobody, but at least he's got land. Esther still doesn't like it and JJ says "Who asked your opinion?" Saul doesn't like the idea either. Judith now downplays things and says all they did was have coffee--it's not like he asked her to marry him. JJ lays down the law--marriage is an alliance between families. Saul was supposed to marry Lucia to get at the Curiel lands and he failed; David couldn't hold on to Maripaz; but Camilo found 2 wells and that's more than Saul has ever done. So Judith gets sold off to the highest bidder, or the only guy in the room with a paddle who's not even raising it, as the case may be.

Alex and Ivan have a swimming lesson, with Lucia looking on. Lucia joins them in the pool.

Lucrezia tells Carlota everything is settled and Antolín even got the cell phone back. She's still miffed about what it cost them. Carlota says that "los bienes son para remediar los males" ("goods" are for remedying "bads"). Lucrezia says the house isn't worth much, but we don't hear the amount. Carlota says what matters is they got out of their jam. Lucrezia complains that what's leftover will end up going towards fixing up the ranch house. She's also pissed off that now Maripaz is happy and acting like nothing has happened. She begs Carlota to come back because she needs her.

Carlota tells Toni she wants to go back tomorrow. She says she loves being there, but she misses home. She offers to go home alone, but Toni has a strict "no vacationer left behind" policy.

Maripaz whines to be allowed to go out and have a *cough* soft drink *cough* with Saul. Precisely because it's Saul, Lucrezia doesn't think it's a good idea. Maripaz begs, saying she's been locked up for days and it's only dinner. Lucrezia says if Saul doesn't keep an eye on her like he should, she'll rat him out to his dad and if Maripaz comes back smelling like booze then she's grounded again.

The shady lawyer says that Maripaz does indeed have preference when it comes to having custody awarded. They can avoid having Gerry thrown in jail by just having him and Maripaz both say that Maripaz asked him to take the baby so that he wouldn’t get put in an orphanage. Maripaz claims the baby's father "abandoned" her and fled the country to avoid being locked up for murder. She admits he's back now as the adopted son of Anthony McGuire and will probably fight for custody. The lawyer is a little concerned, but says that it will benefit all of them to settle things quietly. He knows a judge who was a close personal friend of Teodoro's, and he assumes the guy will be willing to help them out.

Alex, Ivan, and Lucia hang out by the pool. Alex doesn't want to go home. Ivan offers to enroll Alex in swim lessons back in Alamos. Alex is thrilled with the idea.

Saul figures Gerry will go along with the plot to avoid being put in jail. He reminds Maripaz that this is all about separating Lucia from Ivan and getting her the income of a queen, like she deserves. He tells Maripaz that she's just got to scare Gerry with the idea of jail.

Carolina isn't in the mood for lunch, but Gerry insists she has to eat, especially now when she's waiting for a transplant. She's alarmed to hear Maripaz's voice. Maripaz says she just stopped by for a minute and it will be quick. "I already know you have my son. That kid who lives with you is the one I had with Ivan ten years ago, that someone supposedly kidnapped." Talk about ripping off the BandAid! I think she got a layer of skin too!

Tomorrow: let's get ready to custody rumble :(

Labels: Fuerza