Caray, Caray!

I organized this by people and themes. Hope it’s easy to follow.

Buns, Buns, and Honey Buns
A doctora, sporting a giant bun on her head, takes her time doing Chela’s sonogram as Enzzo and the whole Lopez clan nervously watches. Finally she gets around to telling them that the bun in Chela’s oven is perfectly fine. However, no more carrying heavy items or fighting for Chela. Chela, Enzzo and the clan are relieved and grateful.

Later Enzzo goes to Chela’s to get her a change of clothes, and returns to the hospital to watch over her the whole night. Chela awakes to find her sweet man asleep on a couch at the foot of her hospital bed. She falls even more in love with him. He takes her home the next day (his home), and fusses over her, wondering if she needs anything. She tells him that she has EVERYTHING she needs right here, and lays some sweet kisses on him.

Presentando Pina, La Presidenta!
Pina continues to be inconsolable in bed with Vince after Meli leaves. She begins to question if she really wants the presidency if one of the consequences is giving up Meli. Vince tries to talk her out of her growing depression, but it doesn’t work.

The next day at work, Pina’s funk continues, and her mountain of work grows. Adoracion, dubbed Ambicion, comes to the office wearing a power suit from Pina’s closet to help her out. Pina sends her back home. Pancho decides to help Pina out and even calls the factory to help resolve a problem. She thinks he just wants to rub her failure in her face and make her feel stupid. Pancho has a heart to heart with her. He knows she's smart, was impressed with the work she did on the marketing campaigns, but he knows she doesn’t love the company and the job of president like he does and that’s why she’s having trouble. She only took this job for Vince's vengeance. She's not the one who hates him. Pancho reminds her of how awesome and powerful she was when she separated from Vince.

Pina is pensive after this talk and goes home. Freddy finds her looking down and they have a heart to heart. Pina admits that she’s emotionally dependent on Vince, she doesn’t know who she is (aside from Mrs. Irrabien), she was blinded by her love for Vince and was thrilled when they reconciled, but the veil has begun to drop from her eyes. Freddy is fully supportive of her finding out who she is, without Vince.

The next day, Pina announces to Pancho and Rebe that she is quitting the presidency and taking some time off to figure out her life. Pancho says the doors of Avon are always open to her. He knows Pina is a good woman, deep down. Pina then announces it to Vince and demands that he drop the charges against Pancho. He is not happy about this decision or demand. She tells him they will talk about it at home.

Routine is the Enemy of Vice
Vicente admits to Sandra that he’s starting to get bored with Pina. It was fun to rediscover their old feelings. They’ve been like teenagers. But he’s not a man who can be satisfied with routine. The routine is killing him! He goes to his old stomping ground, El Club Paraíso, and samples all the goods (Sexy Firefighter, Sexy Barmaid, Sexy Nurse, Sexy Soldier, etc.) before settling on one for his massage. He gets Sexy Firefighter, but calls her Candy accidentally. He can’t seem to relax, or shut up about being bored and stuck in routine with Pina. He needs passion! Adventure! This may be true, but he seems to be sticking to his same old routine for finding new mistresses. Newly Sexy exec assistant Celeste, in what is now her usual outfit (too short skirt and too tight top, under a too tight jacket), catches Vince’s eye as she prances out of his office. He calls her back and asks her if she has a boyfriend. He’s very happy that the answer is no. Pina catches him taking another lingering look at Celeste’s backside on her way out. He denies, denies, denies.

Elena Goes Green, Peace Man!
Orion takes Elena out for a vegetarian dinner. She seems to like it, especially the chocolate for dessert. They talk about their parents. He’s also an orphan. His parents died from contaminated food, which is what spurred his passion for all things environmental. She speaks of Pancho caring for her and her brother. Orion tells her he loves her and Elena is left speechless for a full five minutes. It doesn’t matter to Orion that they have only just met, it’s how he feels. Clearly, no guy has ever said this to Elena before. Once he walks her to her gate, she gives him a huge smooch, which leaves him speechless for once. Elena is practically skipping as she tells Tomas and Lupita about Orion and all the wonderful things about him.

The next day, Orion brings Elena a small tree as a gift (cut flowers are so not ecological). Elena is amazed by him. His life has so much purpose! He is surprised to hear her say she doesn’t have a purpose in life. She tells him about all her dirty deeds, but he think what’s in the past is in the past. It’s the now and the future that count. He has a proposition for her. He asks her to come with him to Japan to do some Green Peace-like dolphin saving. They’ll block huge harpoon boats with their tiny fishing boats! Elena is intrigued. She does have that passport that she got for her ill-fated trip to Brazil.

At Casa Lopez, Elena calls a meeting of the family to announce she is going to Japan with Orion to save the dolphins, and then they’re off to the North Pole to save the seals! This has got to be one of the most shocking announcements at one of these family meetings yet. Everyone, especially Pancho and Tomas, are concerned about the safety of their mission and the fact that they hardly know Orion. Orion promises to take care of Elena and to be respectful. Elena tells them her life has new meaning. Knowing Elena, Pancho knows she’ll go anyway, so he gives his blessing. The only conditions being that Elena contacts them regularly and that Orion guards her with his life (or else). Orion looks like he’s having the best time of his life in the middle of the Lopez bear hug.

Once Elena has her bag packed and is ready to go, she and Tomas have a heartfelt farewell. They hug tight, cry, say many te quieros, and Elena leaves Tomas with a picture of the two of them.

Vino, Vio, Pero Pancho No Venció
Pancho meets with Manriquez and tells him he has decided NOT to run for local office. He feels that becoming a politician separates you from the people. He’s a man of the people, after all. Manriquez is not happy about it, but he seems to be weeping more because Pancho has massacred his name 101 ways before the end of the meeting.

The wedding invitations arrive and Pancho and Rebe canoodle over plans to open a gift registry. Then they go wine tasting for the wedding, and get frisky as the wines are described as “penetrating” and “strong.” Take it to the bedroom kids!

Tomas, the Train-ee
Tomas tells Lupita that he’s going to observe a drug lab bust the next day. Lupita is scared that something might happen to him if there’s a shootout. Tomas swears on his life that he will not break her heart again. (Uh, oh! We remember what happened when Lupita’s last boyfriend swore on his life. Stop baiting anvils Tomas!) Lupita gives him her blessing. I see a recurring theme of angst for these two. Fortunately, all goes well at the bust, and Tomas observes safely from the command van.

Like a Tear Drop in the Rain
Fernanda and Doc Oc are having a good time in the cabin, laughing about the time they ran out on the check at that restaurant (but not really). Doc Oc suddenly gets sad and worries about when he will begin to lose even these sweet memories. They will be swallowed up like a tear drop in the rain. What happens when he eventually forgets that he loves Fernanda?

If You Can’t Be With the One You Love…
Temo calls Ana up and cries about Meli leaving. Ana tries to cheer him up, but he just wants to know when she’s coming home. She says soon, but looks sad and like she’s missing her loved ones when she hangs up. Rebe, who has heard Temo’s side of the conversation, tells him baby Chenzzo (his brother/cousin) is fine. She then tells him about her first childhood love whom she also lost, but now she has the wonderful Pancho. Temo is certain he and Meli will wait for each other.

Pepe is woken up early by a knock on his door. Well, well! It’s Frida, and she’s brought breakfast fixin’s. (A bit presumptuous, no?) She makes Pepe a fabulous breakfast and he’s definitely impressed. He then proceeds to whine about Moni, and how she’s been away so long and is letting her mother (who doesn’t like him) manipulate her. He tells Frida Moni’s business—that her mother abandoned her, wanted to abort her, only appeared recently, and that her dad isn’t her dad. All of this is to say that Moni shouldn’t be so loyal to a terrible mother who has enough money to pay someone else to accompany her to Lyon.

Pepe finally spills the soup. He likes Frida. A lot. But he doesn’t have anything to offer her (since he belongs to someone else). Frida thinks they should just see where things go. After breakfast, Pepe tells Frida to tell their boss he’s not coming in today. He’s not going to school today either. He has somewhere else to go; he hops into Champi. (Is he going to drive all the way to France?! By map?)

Frida gives the neighbor who fought with Chela another good scare and tells her to stay away from Chela.

On the road, Pepe thinks about his kiss and near kisses with Frida, and about his first kisses with Moni (when she still had a boyfriend and was confused). He arrives at Ana's latest gig and talks it out with her. He lists Frida’s attributes: she’s a mechanic; she loves cars; she can dance; she can cook; and his apartment has never been cleaner! (These are all external things I notice, and have nothing to do with who Frida is, as a person.) Ana reminds Pepe how hard he was on other cheaters they know. Her advice is that he distance himself from Frida to give himself the opportunity to figure out how he really feels about Moni. Pepe thanks her for the advice, tries to cover up her skimpy outfit with his jacket before her concert starts, and takes his leave the next morning.

Can Do Candy
Candy gets into the Avon gym and meets up with Arnold, who gives her the eye. Unfortunately, bratty Vince shows up and makes a big show of kicking her out. She says she’s going, and if she wanted could start up her own damn gym. Vince makes fun that it would be in that dumpy neighborhood, that she shouldn’t have left in the first place. Candy leaves; Arnold tries to talk sense to Vince. Vince threatens to have him fired if he doesn’t take his side. Brat! Candy chats with Chela about how long it took her to see that Vince was such a jerk. Love blinded her.

Candy later has lunch with Arnold and asks for his help in starting her own business! An exclusive clothing boutique! Arnold is in. Candy again wonders why he’s looking at her like he likes her. He brushes it off and avoids the subject.

The next day, Candy comes to visit Arnie at Avon, in one of her “do me” dresses, and sits right in front of him on his desk. Arnie looks like he’s getting the message the dress is sending, loud and clear. When Candy closes her eyes and demands one of Arnie’s welcome pecks on the lips, she gets WAY more than she bargained for when he lays a major lip lock on her. She actually seems to like it!

Avances: Vince invites Celeste out to dinner where Candy and Arnold catch them. Pina also catches them. This time they’re in Vince’s office, and Celeste is on his lap!

Labels: familia