Caray, Caray!

Part I: The Curious Case of the Missing Elements
by Madelaine

Before I start this recap I want to thank all of the recappers for this TN and all the commenters who made Por Ella Soy Eva such a fun ride, and I'd especially like to thank Julie, for sharing her Friday night recapping spot with me, gracias Amiga. Now on to this fab finale epi.


So we start this epi with Rebe having absconded with Onesimo's gun. Remember that cause it is important later, you'll see.

The Pluti Trap, Perfected:

We have the gathering of Helena and Modesto and Pluti comes in, surprised that Modesto is there at Pluti's house, but no matter, he can sign those papers so he can inherit Adriano's fortune, sooner, rather than later. Modesto informs Pluti he has got to watch a video that Adriano has made before signing those papers, and Pluti is in a hurry, so they turn it on, and there is Adri in the flesh accusing Pluti of being a traitor. Well, of course Pluti turns it off, tells Helena it is a bunch of b.s. and so Helena, true strong woman that she is, pulls those fake passports out and basically asks him if this is a bunch of b.s. too???? He wants to know que the hell she got these from? Not important she tells him, but this is proof.

Meanwhile, JC is climbing the wall getting into Pluti's house and joins the fray. Pluti says what Helena has is sooo not proof. They got nothin' on him, I tell you nothin'! As a matter of fact Pluti is now really Caligula and is going to accuse JC, Helena and Modesto, of all people, of this latest fraud. But Helena tells him there is another witness to all his bad deeds. So here comes the witness and it's, wait for it, Adri of course, so alive and so not dead. Adri even sings he so ain't dead. Pluti is mouth dropped open impactado Pluti keeps sayin' your dead, dead I tell you! Well, Adri has Modesto pinch him to assure Pluti he is so NOT dead. So Helena starts to explain how things really happened. She explains that she talked to Adri in the hospital. Remember when Adri told her to trust JC, well now we know why. Adri tells Helena he was suspecting Pluti and explains why that was.

We have a flashback of Lic Arranas, visiting Adri, remember that "personal" visit? Well, it wasn't so personal. Seems Lic Arranas continued his little investigation unbeknownst to Pluti, who told Lic Arranas to cancel it. Are you with me so far? Ok, well, Lic Arranas found many indescrepancies with the finances of the company and was keeping Adri informed. Lic Arranas tells Adri this fraud had been going on for 10 years and involved some people that really had nothing to do with it. So Lic Arranas now knows the person that was really the fraudster, and Adri says it was JC wasn't it? Uh, not so much, says Lic Arranas it was the Head of Finance of the company, Plutarco!!!! Adri is shocked.

So back to Helena and Adri talking in that hospital room. He tells Helena to watch out for Pluti and to watch him and they devise a plan to trap ole sharky Pluti in his own petard, so to speak. So they set up the "death" of Adri, Helena going out to tell Pluti that Adri was in "bad shape" and Helena watched as Pluti was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, but hid her emotions from him, like that Stepford wife. Next, we have the flashback of the Doctor coming out to tell them all that Adri has died and another shit eating grin on Pluti's face. Now we get another flashback and it is Adri, dressed just like an everyman in baseball cap and jeans talking to the Doctor. Seems Adri is fine, no problems and Adri thanks the Doc for going along with this little scheme. So a nice black SUV pulls up, that Adri gets into, and in the back seat is Modesto! Who knew? Later we see Helena calling Adri, about the problems with the Playa project. Case Solved!

The Missing Passports:

We get a scene of Helena and Lucia in Lucia's apartment and Lucia telling Helena she has got some proof against Pluti. So while Lucia is going to another room in the apartment, Helena can't wait and actually goes into Lucia's purse and pulls out those fake passports, looks at one, begs Lucia to forgive her and five finger discounts them from Lucia and sticks them in her purse and puts on her best poker face. So Lucia comes back out, wanting to give that proof to Helena and discovers them missing, and has a cow. So that is how Helena ended up with those fake passports. Case Solved!

The Mysterious Video:

So now we have how the video with Adri's "last words" was made. Modesto hooks up the DVR and Helena has a camera. Since Adri now knows how creepy, er, slimy and sharky Pluti is, he doesn't want Antonia's ashes to reside at Pluti's anymore and hugs the fancy urn and is going to take them with him when he leaves here. So Helena readies the camera and films Adri's "last words". Case Solved!

Pluti's True Colors Come Shinin' Through:

So JC has been listening to all of this and is very surprised and feels like a fool, but the real fool is Pluti of course, how does it feel to be hoodwinked, Pluti???? Adri lays into Pluti for cheating him, lo these ten years. Pluti has not only cheated him but abused his confidence. So Pluti panicks and looks around for his gun, but fortuntely, Adri has it and won't give it to Pluti. So who should waltz in about this time? You'll see, we'll get back to them.

Lucia Regains Her Brain:

So we have Lucia, Renato and Santi at the apartment, when they realize JC is gone and he has taken Renato's car! So Lucia, being the brains of this Scooby bunch, suggests they take a cab to Pluti's quickly, come on already, step on it. She sure has regained her brains, jus' sayin'.

Rebe's Got A Gun:

So now back to that little meet at Pluti's shark tank, only he has become the chum so to speak, cause here comes Rebe with Onesimo's gun, and points it directly at Pluti. He is having one bad day, probrectio, NOT!!! JC tells Adri that Pluti and Rebe have been lovers, lo these ten years! Rebe and Pluti have a fight about how bad he treated Rebe and Antonia, especially at meetings. And how Pluti only married Antonia for her money and stocks. JC mentions to Adri how "Eva" was there when Antonia was dying and how Pluti ran out without a shirt and he always suspected that Pluti had something to do with Antonia's death. Rebe even made a video of them in the jacuzzi to hold over Pluti's head.

Adri is so pithed at this point he grabs Pluti and calls him a killer and slaps the crap outta him. Rebe and Pluti are still arguing. Pluti says that Rebe thought once Antonia was out of the way, Pluti would marry her. Rebe tells him to shut his mouth, or she'll shut it for him. He dares her to, by taking the barrel of the gun, and sticking it in his mouth, and telling her to pull the trigger already! He keeps daring her to do it. Rebe has the deer in the headlights look, and it seems she can't cross that line. She says she just wanted to marry Pluti and in one swift move, Pluti grabs the gun from Rebe and pushes her aside and grabs Helena! We'll get back to this dramatic scene!

The Disappearance Of Mimi de la Rose:

So Fern is standing outside of Mimi's pension and he sees a bunch of guys pull up in a black SUV. So Fern watches the pension, and I think he called Santi and told him he was keeping watch on Mimi's place. Anyhoo, these tough guys come out with a bunch of bright pink suitcases and start to load them into that SUV. So Fern watches this and just about this time, there are some cops on patrol and Fern stops them and says these guys are robbing the place, stop them already. So the cops listen to Fern and are about to take action when guess who comes home?

That's right, it's our Mimi, safe and sound. She explains to the cops this is a mistake, these guys are here on her orders, and then greets Fern and says she is ok, and so is Adri! Fern is floored so Mimi explains what happened to her, after she left the hospital and came home. Seems Mimi was crying and here came these guys and hauled her off in this big black SUV. They brought her to the country and goose stepped her, all the while she was protesting, when finally a voice reaches these guys and tells them to let Mimi go already, he will take care of her from this point forward! And it is, wait for it, Adri of course.

Mimi is so shocked to see Adri, at first it looks like she thinks she is having a vision, but Adri assures her, he is indeed alive. She cries and carresses his face and hugs him and is so happy he is alive and then all of a sudden, she socks him one, right in the kisser! Then she yells at him for letting her think he was dead! Adri begs her forgiveness and says she is having his bebe, right??? Of course she is, and they have one of those YOWSA kisses again, I must say.

Fern is happy to hear everything worked out ok for them. Fern tells Mimi it was a plan to unmask Pluti for who he really is. Fern also tells Mimi that JC has escaped from the jail. Mimi is very verklempt! Case Solved!

Pluti's Got The Gun:

So now we are back to the tense hostage situation. He now has that gun pointed at Helena's head and has his arm around her neck. He swears he'll kill her if anyone so much as moves. JC begs Pluti to let Helena go and he'll be his hostage instead. No can do from Pluti. He warns all of them not to try and stop him or he'll kill Helena. Pluti calls Onesimo so he can get outta there. Rebe tells everyone that Pluti stole those 3 million dollars from Adri. Now here comes Fairbanks with the money Pluti asked him for, to replace that fake 3 million that Onesimo substituted for the real thing. This time the money is in Euros. Fairbanks is shocked to see Adri alive, I tell you!

Pluti takes the suitcase full of Euros, points that gun all about and drags Helena out with him and into Onesimo's car. About this time, here come Renato, Santi and Lucia by taxi and Pluti threatens them with the gun. They back off and Pluti and Onesmimo and Helena haul butt outta there! So JC comes running out of the house, takes Adri's car, and hauls butt after them. There is something in that car though, and we'll get back to that later. Case of the Missing Money, Solved!

It Is A Dark and Non-Stormy Night:

So Onesimo, Pluti and Helena have arrived at a dark house and it is Adri's ranch they are at. So they all go into the house. Pluti wants Onesimo to get him a helicopter. Meanwhile, JC has been following Pluti and calls Adri from his cell phone and tells Adri that Pluti has made it to La Marquesa, Adri's ranch. JC doesn't want Adri to call the cops, until he can rescue Helena. JC hangs up and starts toward the house.

Adri won't call the cops, but Fairbanks has overheard all the info and calls them himself. Adri is pithed and socks him one. Fairbanks tries to justify calling the cops by saying that he can't afford for Pluti to rob him of those Euro's doncha know!

So now Pluti, Onesimo and Helena are inside La Marquesa, the ranch house. Pluti still has that gun on Helena and she begs him to let her go. Pluti begs to differ and says she is his insurance to get out of this conundrum, as if. So Pluti tells Onesimo to tie Helena up. Onesimo apologizes to Helena the whole time he is tying her up and even tapes her mouth, probrecita!

Back to Adri's and Rebe has left, after telling them all about Pluti. Modesto is going home to Eugenia, Lucia and Santi are going, and Renato is gonna try and find Rebe, cause Rento really beleives Rebe is gonna pull something else. Adri can't beleive that Pluti and Rebe hurt Antonia so much. And then Adri remembers that he put Antonia's ashes in his car, before JC took it. Ruh Roh, this will be important later, just wait, you'll see!

So Lucia and Santi have come to see Dona Silvia and inform her that Helena is the hostage of Pluti. Sometime later, Eduardo is with Silvia and they console each other over Helena, they are very worried for her, but Eduardo says that Helena is very strong and they have to have faith she will be ok, WOW, who knew!!!! Silvia cries.

Hostage Situation Parte Dos:

So Onesimo, having done his henchie duty, is about to leave Pluti and Helena. The helicopter has been ordered. Not so fast Buster, says Pluti. He has got some matters to settle with Onesimo, doncha know. Like that 3 million Onesimo stole from him. Didn't think I'd know did ya, he tells Onesimo. Pluti could forgive Onesimo for being useless and an idotic naco but he can't forgive him for being a traitor. He is about to shoot Onesimo, but the gun jams, remember this is the gun that Rebe took from Onesimo in the first place. Onesimo takes off and Pluti chases him right out the door.

Meantime, JC has made it into the house and sees Helena struggling to get free, he unties her. Outside, Onesimo is running for his life and makes it to his car and gets in, guns the engine and takes off at warp, er, mach, er top speed, you get the drift while the gun is shooting bullets and not hitting anything.

In the house, JC has gotten Helena all untied, they are snuggling a bit and are getting ready to go out the back way, when Pluti catches them and points the gun at them. He wants to know where in the heck they think they are going? JC stands in front of Helena to protect her. Pluti is so sharkily enraged, he can't believe that Helena forgave JC. Helena says she forgave JC out of love and then Pluti aims the gun and tries to shoot JC, but that gun jams again. JC tells Pluti he is so done and he runs toward Pluti and tries to grab the gun.

There is a beatdown going on now with Pluti and JC. Pluti manages to get JC on the floor and kicks him and starts to choke him. Helena so strong and quick on her feet, picks up the nearest vase and cold cocks Pluti with it. Pluti is down for the count but not out. So Helena is checking to make sure JC is ok, when Pluti takes this opportunity to know when he is beat and makes a run for it. Helena and JC snuggle.

Pluti runs outside, straight into a cop, who he cold cocks and gets into a car and takes off. Whose car you want to know? Why, Adri's of course, which by happenstance has Antonia's ashes in it. Julie can tell you all about what happens next.

Oh, One Last Plea to the Virgincita:

So Rebe is begging the Virgincita for help again, oh Please Virgincita, Please when there is a knock on the door. Who is it you ask? You don't know you say?? Care to take a wild guess??? Okay, I'll tell you it is Onesimo and it's decision time for Rebe. Onesimo has 3 millon in that suitcase he is dragging, should she stay or should she go with him? Julie will tell you all about that too!


Part II...
by Julie

The reunion of Helena and Juan Carlos is cut short by the arrival of the police. JC is arrested. He apologizes to Adriano, who forgives him: Eva taught Adri that the most important thing is to love.

Anvils! Anvils!! Anvils!!!

Onesimo pleads with Rebeca to run away with him. He knows she can't get a job, thanks to that video which alienated the entire tourism industry; but he can give her all the baubles and trinkets she wants. "You started out as a thief; you're just as low-born as I am, and that's why I love you," he simpers.

Rebeca wants to know what's in the luggage. Duh! Onesimo unzips the case to reveal bundles of cash. They're real, and they're spectacular! Why, that changes everything! Rebeca agrees to go away with Onesimo and offers him an advance on her "payment" (her body). "Do you like to play games?" Suspecting trickery, One says they'll play his game. He grabs her, turns out the lights (apparently he is self-conscious, or maybe he likes the flashing colored lights from the hotel sign outside the window), and nails her on the bed. (Anvil!)

Their "dance" is very brief (I'm having another LFMB flashback!). Rebe pretends to be pleased and proposes another sexy game. This time he's more cooperative and lets her tie him up. She taunts him and takes the money. "I'm not your 'mamita' nor anyone's!" But when she opens the door, the police are waiting there with Renato to arrest Onesimo. "He took advantage of me!" Rebe claims. "I was going to take this money to the authorities like the upstanding citizen that I am!" Renato beams at her. The cops seize the money (anvil!!), and arrest One (anvil!!!).

Ashes to Anvils

Pluto loses the police on a winding, foggy road. Then he nearly goes over a cliff at the sight of Antonia glaring at him as he speeds past her.

He gets out of the car to look back. He looks a bit ghostly himself, with the moonlight reflecting off his suit, but there's no one else around. He gets back in the car and notices the urn. "Damned whale, get out of my life and leave me in peace!" He flings the urn into the road, spilling Antonia's ashes everywhere, and speeds off into the fog.

But now she's smirking in his rear-view mirror! He turns his head to inspect the back seat. It's empty. Now she's standing right in front of his car! He loses control of the car and goes over a cliff (Toonces, look out!) in a crash that's virtually identical to the one that didn't kill JC. There is a horrible gash on Pluto's face. He tries to climb out of the burning vehicle, but the ghost holds his legs as they are enveloped by fire; apparently, those suits aren't flameproof.

Pluto is rescued by the police. Fairbanks's precious Euros are destroyed in the fire.

Trial by Montage

(The song is about "mis planes" all going wrong. Perfect.)

Onesimo's trial is first. Pluto testifies from a wheelchair; One is defiant. Mimi gives an animated testimony; One merely shakes his head in frustrated denial. Then Eugenia takes the stand, and the fight seems to go out of him entirely. He gets 30 fun-filled years in prison without parole.

We don't see any of Pluto's trial, but he gets 40 years and tries to blame Onesimo for Raul Mendoza's murder. Onesimo gloats to Pluto that things will be different between them when they're on the inside. The so-called "nacos" rule the place.

Juan is next. All his friends go to bat for him, but he still gets five years and two days for identity theft and breaking out of jail. Modesto tells Eugenia they can get it down to less than two because he has no priors, etc. Helena says time will pass quickly, and she and Lalito and the baby will be waiting for him.

The Anvil That Wouldn't Go Away

Rebeca's been hiding out at the hotel out of paranoia (I'm not sure why). She's finally come home to a pile of unopened mail. The last of her money is gone, and she can't get a job anywhere. On the phone, Angelica suggests that Rebeca come out to LA to live with her and become a prostitute - after all, she's been giving it away for years already.

Reb cusses out her very last friend in the world. She tells herself she can still sell some of her nice things. Immediately, she is visited by creditors and taxmen who seize everything in her apartment except drapes in the window and the clothes on her back. "But I'm a storybook princess," she weeps to herself.

Some Days Later...

Adriano offers to let Helena take her Playa project to the tourism company of her choice. She chooses... GI!

Fernando loves to cook for the kids. Marcela couldn't take the job in Miami; they wanted someone with a degree, but she wasn't able to finish her degree because of the mess at GI. She's going through with the divorce. Fer begs Marcela for another chance. He'll be a stay-at-home dad and sleep in Kevin's room. He knows he's a disaster at office work and couldn't admit how much he admired her because her success made him feel small. Marcela is skeptical, but agrees to let him stay at the house as a co-parent.

JC writes sad letters in prison and worries about Helena.

Silvia gets her high school diploma with honors and decides to open a flower shop in the nursery. Bastardo congratulates her. Twice. He says it's never too late for a person to find fulfillment.

Contrite Modesto apologizes to Eugenia for being selfish and keeping her from her acting career. He asks for another chance to start over with Eugenia. She says, "As friends? Of course. But nothing more."

Claudia gets into the high school of her choice - enrolled with her new name, Claudia CABALLERO Camargo. And Renato's become head of PR - Rebeca's old job. Modesto's perpetually sour face breaks into a smile. He and Renato share a hug.

More Days Later...

The Playa M project is back on track. The Regidor looks happy for the first time in forever. Adriano names Helena (no baby-bump visible yet) president of Grupo Imperio so that he can retire and marry Mimi.

Mimi (jokingly) gives Adri a hard time for announcing the wedding before asking her first. He played hard to get for so long, it's time she returned the favor. He gives her his mother's ring - which Antonia had left for him. "Why didn't I give it to Eva?" he wonders aloud. He asks her to marry him. She says yes!

The Anvil That Keeps On Falling

Who is this plain-looking woman with her hair in a ponytail? It's Rebeca. In addition to being without any resources, she's pregnant. And she's already past 12 weeks, so she can't (legally) have an abortion. She's going to be a single mother. The doctor at the clinic suggests that Rebeca make a paternity claim on the father. "At least this baby will be good for something," Rebe mutters coldly.

Odds and Ends

Santiago asks Lucia to marry him. She says no! He's shocked. Lucia says she loves him, but they need to get to know one another better. She suggests that they live together a while longer.

Mario, Lalito's long-lost dad, is back in town now that One and Pluto can't kick him around anymore. He bonds with Lalito and reveals - to Helena's surprise - that it was Juan, not Plutarco, who convinced him to become a better man and make Lalito proud.

It's Not an Anvil, It's a Baby

One year later, in an outfit very similar to what she was wearing a year ago when she found out she was pregnant, Rebeca (not looking any better) visits Pluto in jail. She is shocked by his unkempt appearance. He walks with a cane because of his burnt feet; the scar on his face didn't heal very neatly; the other side of his face is a mess of cuts and bruises from a recent beating that left one of his eyes swollen shut.

She tells him all her stuff is impounded and she's got twenty dollars to her name. She asks him for money. He mocks and insults her: there's no money left. Everything, including what Antonia left to him, was spent on lawyers who ultimately failed to keep him out of jail. The rest, he spends for protection.

She tells him she's not asking for a personal donation; she's claiming the money for her son. She shows Pluto her bouncing blond baby boy, Giordano Alessandro.

The baby waves happily at the terrifying-looking monster on the other side of the glass. Pluto drops the phone, stunned. He almost seems to soften for a moment. Then he begins to laugh. She smugly lists her demands: he'd better pay her, or she'll sue him for child support. She needs a bigger apartment, blah blah blah. He's got a new surprise for Rebeca: he's always been sterile. He let Antonia think they never had a baby because of her, but it was really because of him.

Pluto limps back to his cell, where Onesimo is regaling his friends with the tale of how his grandmother was from Czechoslovakia and met his grandfather in Acapulco, and therefore he has European (and presumably blond) ancestry. One reminds Pluto that he's a month overdue with his protection money and they'll all beat him up if he doesn't pay. Pluto grumps that he's not getting his money's worth and One is treating him like a servant. One says Pluto's a cripple and a lousy servant, but he's HIS servant, so he'd better get his chores and errands done!

Outside, a random passerby compliments Rebeca, the proud mother, on her beautiful baby. That kid sure likes to wave! Rebeca worries about the future, but tells Giordano he's actually the son of a prince. She promises that he'll never know hunger or poverty. (We will assume that Rebe finds a way to make this happen... any chance Onesimo's grandmother was Czech royalty?)

That Same Day

Fernando cooks breakfast for the family. He's excited that Juan's getting out today. Marcela just got her degree and she wants to take the family - the whole family - with her to a business convention. She and Fernando are together again, and they're very happy! He complains, jokingly, when she gives him his "money for the week." Family hug!

JC gets out of prison and is greeted by Santi, Ferni, and Renato. The Four Stooges! He and Helena get married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony. (If you blink, you'll miss Silvia holding their daughter.) They thank their friends for helping them get together and stay together.

Eugenia gives a sweet speech about how, when we're gone, all that's left of us is our love. She talks about the love grandparents and parents give to their offspring, and children to their parents. (Eduardo plays with Lalito at the playground; Fernando sees the kids off to school and gets his shopping money from Marcela; Mimi and Adriano at home with their baby; Renato introduces his new boyfriend to Modesto.)

She talks about love that overcomes obstacles and sometimes makes lovers forget their mistakes. (Santi and Lucia have a popcorn fight in bed; JC chases Helena around the president's desk at GI.)

Now Eugenia's on the stage of her one-woman play, saying that love makes the world go around. She repeats that love is all that's left of us after we're gone. The audience responds with thunderous applause and a standing ovation. Claudia joins her on the stage with a huge bouquet of flowers, no doubt from Silvia's flower shop.

JC and Helena dance in their garden and reminisce about what a jerk he used to be and how wonderful he is now and too bad there are still men in the world as bad as he was, or worse. He owes it all to her and to Eva. She's grateful.

Juan Carlos and Helena kiss. The imaginary band plays for them. This time, instead of shimmering anonymous women, the band is all of their friends. (Pause for crying.)

But it's not the end! Eva comes out and scolds us for expecting it all to end with a cheesy little kiss. "NO! It ends with ME!" She tells us not to beg her to stay, because she can't even hear us. She tells us that our assignment is to look at the beauty inside one another, inside all of us dear lovely ladies. The truly essential things can't be seen with our eyes.

Eva giggles, "Gotta go!" She walks across an empty soundstage, stumbling in those ridiculous shoes, and the spotlights on the floor fade behind her.

Credits roll, and we see the PESE crew and staffers at work - the men and women behind the scenes who made all the magic happen for us.

Thank you, PESE staff, cast, and crew. And thank you, fellow recappers and readers and Melinama. This was truly a pleasure, and I'm really sad that it's done.

Labels: por-ella