Caray, Caray!

Part One:

Courtyard of La MQ:  Dante is guy-lecturing Dan about neglecting his family responsibilities.  Hangdog face Dan listens and soberly agrees. Rodolfo breaks up the man-lecture to ask if Dan is going to join the gang inside the house.  Dan tells Rodolfo to explain to everyone he has to excuse himself  from the powwow this time because his baby is sick at home and that is where he needs to be.

Center for Disease Control at La MQ:   All hands are on deck in El Rancho living room this evening.  Rodolfo comes in to report to Camila that Dan had to go home to be with his sick baby.  Everyone else is gathered together discussing a plan for the growing and now out of control epidemic.  Camila gets the results of the blood analysis – it is an outbreak (brote) of the Cabrex virus!  This virulent virus can wipe out the ranch in a very short time she reports.  Camila says there is no time to lose. Dio offers his services to his secret fantasy girl, um, to Camila to go pick up any vaccines that they locate.  Camila considers that they should ask the pharmacies but Mariano reminds her that the pharmacies are now closed for the day.  Pablo, being more generation X (or whatever his generation is labelled right now) suggests he will look on the internet.  Camila instructs everyone to be super-careful because the virus is muy, pero muy contagious.  Agustina clutches her pearls in fear but Camila allays her worries by informing her that the virus is only contagious through direct contact with the animals, so Agustina has nothing to worry about (except for the dog she is married to). Mariano says the herd will still need to be quarantined for around 45 more days.  Camila understands this, but is still set on saving the ranch.



Viv’s and Rafa’s Place:  Rafa is back! Viv asks Rafa how the visit went and Rafa says all went swimmingly with his book. The book will be launched (lanzamiento) next month and there is an upcoming presentation.  Viv is happy for Rafa but Rafa is distracted.   Rafa wanders over to the coffee table and happens to see a laboratory slip – WTQ? – he asks Viv what this is about (Viewerville can only imagine all the possible scenarios that went through Rafa’s head!)  Viv says to Rafa that much has happened since he was gone.  Viv gives Rafa the big breaking news – there is a virus that threatens to wipe out La MQ’s herd - oh, and about that Dan and Camila situation, Dan picked but he didn’t pick Camila.  She explains that Miriam is in poor health with a blood balloon in her brain that could blow anyyyyy day now so Dan will not abandon her.  Viv tells Rafa she is having a hard time accepting that Dan and Camila's love will not be a reality.  Damn the script writers!  Rafa curses that with this news, now he may have to go back a rewrite the ending of his novela!

Dan and Dante Walking Down the Sidewalk of Aculco: Dante guy-lectures Dan that Dan needs to accept his responsibilities with Miriam. After Dante leaves, Dan thought bubbles a montage of film clips of happier times with Miriam in Chile.  When the mental movie ends, he gets firm with himself and says, “Self, I made a promise to Miriam and I need to follow through.”

Back at the CDC Central Living Room at La MQ: Mariano continues to think up solutions to the outbreak.  He will phone all his contacts.  Luzma will light a candle and pray to the Virgin of CDC.  Dio comments that he just hates to see Camila upset like this and assures her that together they can find a solution (ackkk)  and then he allegedly takes leave.  Agustina asks Camila if someone else can be in charge because it is risky for Camila.  Camila says she has nothing to lose.  Agustina wonders why Dano is still hanging around La MQ these days.  Camila reminds Agustina that Dan is part owner of La MQ and she cannot really stop him. As Camila and Agustina talk, Dio listens around a corner.  Camila tells Agustina that the relationship between Dan and her is over – se acabo!  She explains that Miriam is sick and viewerville knows the rest.  Dio is pleased as he eavesdrops that everything is going exactly how he planned.  Agustina and Camila  are unwittingly hitting all their marks in Dio’s plan. Camila adds that with all that is happening at the ranch, that she doesn’t really have the heart to be worried about Dan’s comings and goings and mooning over Dan. Agustina tells Camila to hurry up and get over it (el mal paso dar le prisa).

Luzma and Pablo’s Bedroom at La MQ:  The pair is packing to leave the ranch.  They sit together on the bed and talk about their worries about Camila and the ranch. Luzma doesn’t want Camila to feel abandoned, but Pablo reassures her that Luzma doesn’t need to expose herself at the ranch and besides the mother-in-law will soon be arriving and will need lots of attention.

Kitchen of La MQ:  The ranchero group Piedad, Dorotea, Hipolito, Eleuterio and Rodolfo discuss the epidemic at the ranch.  The ladies worry about the virus being contagious but they will keep the faith and the fellows vow to lend their hands to help (al pie de canon). [ I think ]

Dan and Miriam’s Casita del Aculco:  Dan comes in the front door and greets Miriam with a bunch of red roses begging mucho pardons.  Miriam is clearly not happy with Daniel Diaz Acosta tonight and takes his roses and throws them on the stool, only to have them fall to the floor.  He explains he left his phone in the truck and, and, and…. Miriam lights into Dan and says the baby is fine, but she is not.  She says that if it hadn’t been for Dante being there today, who knows what would have happened and that no one could reach him and, and, and.. Dan begs pardons again and says he left his phone it the truck and didn’t get the calls and there are so many things going on at the ranch and, and, and….. Miriam points out that Dan didn’t even call to check on her or the baby.  Dan mutters about problems at the ranch and, and, and…..Miriam counters that there are problems at the ranch but she has problems at home too and that at the ranch there are many people to solve them but at home it is just her and the baby.   In  Chile she would have known what to do, but Mexico is not her country and so it is different.  Miriam draws a line in the sand and tells Dan that if he is going to be half-assed with her, she is not interested.  Dan gets a little wide-eyed and wonders what that is supposed to mean.  Miriam says that if he has something to say to her, to just do it.   Still wide-eyed, Dan tells her that he doesn’t like hearing her say she wants to go far away from him with the baby.  Miriam reminds him that she loves him and wants to spend the rest of her life with him but that his head and heart are elsewhere and consumed (desgastando).  Dan promises her that he won’t do that again.   She asks him if something happened during the time they were apart, and asks him to just tell her if that is the truth so that she can return to Chile without him.   Dano fibs and says no, but that the situation is his fault – he has been distracted with this and that.  He repeats that it won’t happen again.  Miriam tells him she hopes so because with everything that has happened today, she had a headache.. She says that the doctor in Chile said she still has a little inflammation in her brain.  She swears she took her medicine but Dan is feeling guilty  and gulping now! Dan apologizes again and asks what he can do to make her believe in him (i.e. help him lie better so that eventually it won’t really be a lie).  Miriam says that since she has been there, he hasn’t touched her and that all her movidas have been rejected with excuses.    Mercifully, we go to another scene to give time for Dan to think about what to do next.

Camila’s Bedroom:  Camila sits on her desk and laments over her dead bulls and worries that she needs to find a vaccine.  Maja chews her bone peacefully on the floor.  Camila eyes the books in her library and reaches for one.  Along with the book she finds Dan’s charro tie …. Camila thought bubbles a steamy passionate moment with Dan in the not-so-distant past.  She reasons with herself that she understands that his family wants him near, to reclaim him, but she also knows that when Dan is near (even his smell) it is difficult for her and she needs to be away from him.

Dan and Miriam’s Casita del Aculco:  We return to the only house in all the land where our fine lad Dan prefers to evade the continued advances of a fair maiden with the major hots for him (Viewerville likely has a volunteer or two willing to step up to take the burdensome task from our fine lad).  Dan explains to Miriam that he has avoided her because of  the“for the circumstances”.  WTQ?  [Calling UA for a major dialogue rewrite opportunity.]  Miriam replies that she needs to know that Dan desires her and she is going crazy meanwhile.  She adds that Agatha and Dan are the only ones that make her happy.  She insists that Dan demonstrate he loves her by making love to her. Cut!

Viv and Rafa’s Place:  Rafa and Viv are enjoying some pasta cooked by Viv.  They small talk and Rafa tells Viv that the distance did him good.  He thought about everything and understands why she feels the way she does.  He has decided that there is no need to sign papers in order to formalize their relationship.  The most important is the promise!   Smoochies of agreement along with tee amos and the segment closes as our happy paper-signing-free couple enjoys the kitchen table for pasta and passion.

El Hostel:  Dante is unloading to Teresa about Dan’s failure to assume the role of husband with Miriam.   He says that he was even almost ready to confess his love for Miriam to Dan if he doesn’t shape up.  Teresa warns him that these matters are not so simple.  Admittedly, she says, the ideal (in the world according to Teresa) is for Dan to be with Camila and Dante to be with Miriam and Teresa to be with Mariano.  But she warns that if Dante persists, Miriam will discover that Dan does not really love her. She advises Dante to stay by her side and be a “good friend”.  Dante says he just doesn’t want Miriam to suffer because she is not Dan’s top priority.

Dan and Miriam’s Casita del Aculco:   The scene opens with – gasp! - Dan and Miriam in their bedroom the next morning.   Miriam is asleep and all of viewerville peeks to see if her jammies are still on.  They are, but they are a silky little number, hmmmm.  Dan, on the other hand is sitting in bed fully clothed with his jammies on.  Did they or didn’t they?  Viewerville’s inquiring minds want to know and the comments after the recap stand ready to go wild with speculation.  Dan thought bubbles that Miriam’s destiny is important to him and although he does not know if this is love, he will not hurt her.  Dan gets up and wanders out to greet baby Agatha and her nurse.  He takes Agatha’s ba-ba and feeds her, telling his budgekin that he is sorry he left her alone and  he promises her he will never leave her alone again. Miriam stands by happily gazing at the pair of them through her rose colored glasses. She approaches them and thanks God that she has her two most dearly beloved ones by her side.  Vliewerville studies her carefully to see signs of satisfaction, or not!


Part Two:

Ranch Office of La MQ: Dio makes an anonymous phone call to what seems to be a local health department. He reports that there has been a disease outbreak at La MQ.  He says he is reporting this because the news needs to be passed along so that other ranches won’t be at risk of contamination.  He forgets to tell the health department to send the exterminators too - the Rat!

Camila’s Cabana:  Camila is on a call trying desperately to locate a vaccine while staying civil on the phone.  She is having no luck.  Pablo and Luzma pay her a visit  and Luzma asks how she is.  Mal, is of course Camila’s reply.  She is getting desperate (desalentado) because she is finding nothing but dead ends trying to get a vaccine for the virus.  Pablo tells her he has contacted all the laboratories around the country.  Luzma and Pablo tell Camila they have come to tell her that Luzma is leaving the ranch to go set up their new house in Aculco and to take care of her mother-in-law.  Camila wishes her well and shoos them off. Luzma pleads with Camila to keep her informed of all the happenings.

Dan and Miriam’s Casita del Pueblo:  The now seemingly happy couple sit down to breakfast (Viewerville’s votes seem to sway in the direction that “they did” – but maybe in the dark with most of Dan’s clothes on).  Miriam is cheerfully pouring coffee and the phone rings.   Dan looks to Miriam for permission.  Go ahead, she tells him to answer it.  She says she told Dan she wanted to be a priority, but she knows he has concerns about La MQ and what is happening.  Dan gratefully (Really?  Isn’t he a big boy ?) answers the phone.  Rodolfo reports that the situation at the ranch is bad.  Rodolfo wonders that after all this time there is an outbreak.  Especially because of the existence of a very aggressive vaccine and the absence of any outbreaks for a long while.  He wonders aloud where this virus could have come from?   Meanwhile, no one at the ranch is having success locating a vaccine.  Dan asks if there is any place outside of Mexico where they can locate a vaccine.  Rodolfo answers that in any case there is a lot of paperwork, permits and time involved in finding it outside the country.  He doesn’t sound too hopeful and says they are in a serious situation at the ranch, but he is just letting Dan know (yo te mantengo tanto).  Dan hangs up soberly. Miriam asks what’s up at el rancho?  Dan tells her that there is a virus that can ruin the ranch if they don’t find a vaccine.  She asks if there is anything she can do to help.  Dan looks confused.  She reminds him that she wants him to consider her and the baby a priority but as long as he stays in contact with her, it is ok to go attend to el rancho.  She tells him to scoot, go take care of business at El Rancho.  Dan is very happy that he has permission to go out and play, er, go hunting for viruses.

Courtyard of La MQ:  Pablo and Luzma bid their farewells to el rancho group.  They will all miss each other.  Luzma says she will be a good housewife because Piedad taught her to be after one of el rancho group asks how she will be a university girl and be a housewife.  Mayela joins the group as she reports to work at the ranch with her five inch platforms and asks what is going on.  Pablo and Luzma report that they are going to go officially live at their house in Aculco.  Oh goody, Mayela exclaims!  We can be neighbors and not only that, Pablo and I can commute to work every day together!  Pablo responds that this would be a very good idea.  Pablo tells Mayela what is to be done at the office and to report to him if someone contacts them about a vaccine.  Mayela teeters off to the office and our happy couple depart.  Hmmm,  wonders Hipolito to Piedad.  He wonders about that New Girl being a little too pushy (confianzuda).  Piedad tells him to stop thinking up stories, after all, New Girl was the one who helped Luzma out when she was in trouble with the miscarried baby.  Hipolito is not convinced and scratches his chin wondering.  The pair go back to work – not before Piedad pinches his ear and calls him “un zonzo” (something like a dope).  Hipolito protests that it is Eleuterio that is one, not him!

Viv and Rafa’s Place:  The pair have ah hem “cleared the table” from the night before and are making eggs together in their very lovey-dovey fashion.  Viv casually mentions that it is hard (like an adjustment) to now think as a couple and not as an independent person.  Continuing on that thread, she informs Rafa that she is thinking of adopting Roman.  WTQ?  Rafa is shocked and not looking pleased at this announcement.  He wonders why she didn’t tell him before when she was deciding this.  Viv looks surprised at his being surprised and asks if he doesn’t like Roman – not the point, Rafa responds – and then reminds Rafa that she cannot have kids.  Rafa replies that he knows she cannot have kids and has accepted that.  The pair stand their uncomfortable ground impactadas by one another.

Boda Shop del Pueblo:  Nutty Nat is at the shop being measured for her bridal dress.  She exclaims that she is so surprised that Amanda has come to share this time with her.  Amanda replies that she realizes that she has been negative, but that now she wants to share this time with Nutty Nat.  She wants to see the house that Dad Dio gave them and maybe help Nat decorate it.  She adds that there is only a few weeks more that she and Nutty Nat will live together at the hostel before Nat leaves to go live with Pogostick Yago (Note:  Recent behavior on Yago’s part requires he resume his more appropriate apodo).  Nat is happily surprised at her mamita’s change in ‘tude.  She assures Amanda that even with her happy hubby, the bebes and Daddy Dio, her mamita will always be the one she loves best-est!  We are happy to see at least the dressmakers take measurements, because Nat is clearly unable to “size things up”.

Pastures of La MQ:  Dan has arrived at the scene in the pastures where the blood samples from the bulls are being collected.  He offers to take the samples where they need to go and while reaching to replace a tube, breaks it and cuts himself.  Dan brushes it off and asks where he can go wash off the blood.  He leaves to do this and without pause, Rodolfo instructs the ranch hands to go redraw the blood to replace the now lost sample.  Oddly, no one seems too concerned that Dan has essentially just injected himself with possible tainted blood, including Dano.

Camila’s Cabana Office:  Camila and Mayela discuss the now 30 dead and 8 near dead bulls.  Yucky Yago shows up to talk bull business (in every sense of the word) with Camila.  Mayela blurts out how many bulls have been lost.  Camila, irritated, shoos her out of the office to take care of other matters.  Yago asks Camila why she was irritated with Mayela.  Camila replies that first, it was not her place to announce this information (methinks Hipo is not such a zonzo after all) and because she doesn’t want this info public.  She worries that if the info gets out, that Mariano will step in and supply her with bulls to meet her contracts, yet again and she feels it is not his place to handle her problems.  Camila says Mariano is an angel who has done enough.  Yucky Yago says he understands her completely and can help her with this guilt.  He proposes to her that if she wants, she can pay for the bulls from him, Mariano doesn’t have to know until after the crisis.  Camila says she was thinking of going to other ranchers.  Yago points out that the other ranchers will know she is desperate and will take advantage of her and “gouge her”  with their price.  Hmm, Camila sees the wisdom of Yago’s proposition as Yucky Yago confirms it is the simplest and most practical proposition.  Camila agrees and offers a seat to Yago as she seemingly begins to put the plan in place.

Viv and Rafa’s Place:  Viv and Rafa continue to quarrel.  Rafa says that the issue is not wanting to adopt or not, but that it has been his plan that it would be just the two of them together, right now.  Down the road, he adds, they can consider adopting a bebe, not necessarily a pre-adolescent like Roman.  Viv appears shaken up.  She tells Rafa that they clearly have different expectations.  Rafa disagrees and says they have a different movie, altogether, and she is writing her own story!  Viewerville  doesn’t expect that the couple will be clearing the table for a repeat of last night’s pasta and passion.

Somewhere in the Bahamas:  Cayetanto is waking up (likely from his magic gotas) and Isa is having her feet soaked in a room spa.  Isa receives a message from Dio that it is time to turn Cayo’s phone back on so he can hear the news of the outbreak of the virus and get back to El Rancho BV pronto.  Isa fondles her bottle of magic gotas as she tells herself it is time to hold off on them right now until Cayo gets the news of the virus and falls into his next trap.

Pastures of La MQ:  Camila and Rodolfo discuss the now 40 dead bulls.  Dan approaches and pleads her pardon for having had to leave the powwow early the night before. Camila asks how his bebe is and Dan updates her.  Rodolfo disappears and Camila tells Dan that they need to talk.  About? Inquires Dense Dano.  Camila responds that it is about the pair of them.  She takes this opportunity to tell Dan that she cannot be around him and that she does not want him around La MQ!  Dan looks dejected especially since Miriam had already given him permission to go out and play.  Bummer, he thinks. The scene closes out on this moment.

Avances:  Dan collapses (and it’s not the vapors) and Miriam hears something she’d rather not have.

Labels: bravio