Caray, Caray!

Some scenes were rearranged for continuity

I think my DVR may not have picked up the action at the very beginning, please fill in anything I may have missed…

Casa Mendoza

Maria finds the key for the emergency Mariachi Traje Under Glass, so she won’t have to break the glass after all.  While she's thinking, dawn breaks over D.F.   Amalia walks by said Emergency Traje  and immediately notices it's gone!! QTH?  Maria comes in the room and Amalia is so stunned she can't say anything.  Maria has a guilty look on her face as she looks at the empty case.  Amalia is standing in the kitchen, still unable to absorb what's happened.

Outside, Susano is busy washing clothes while the girls in the neighborhood look on, checking out Ponytailed Guy's toned tush (guau!) He and Susano argue about Jorge Alfredo's spot in the mariachi.  Susanito feels he's won it fair and square while Ponytail tells him he's got to decide who's side he's gonna be on.  He thinks Susanito should side w/Coloso.  Susano’s mom (Mancia?) shows up and after she scolds the girls for ogling, she scolds Susanito for taking too long with that shirt cuz he still has to make it to the market!  Ok, Suzie needs to grow a pair.  Ponytail tells her the girls just like to check out the guys.  Mancia embarrasses Susano by saying she raised him right and she doesn't care who knows it. 

Meanwhile, back at Maria's, Isa has also noticed the missing Traje.  Amalia explains Maria took it.  Maria tells Isa she only took it to the dry cleaners but Mama isn't buying that story.  She doesn't confront her, she just interrupts her to ask if she's had breakfast yet.  She's very curt with her and Isa notices.  Why is mums so pithed?  Maria tries to make amends with her mother.  Mother tells her she's not fooling anyone.  She's not lending that traje to Alfredo just to help him out.  She's doing it because she's hopelessly in love.  Maria tries to deny it.  Amalia reminds her she told her years ago they should sell the traje to help them with their debt, that she didn't want to keep looking at it.  But it was very important to Maria to keep this keepsake and that's why she allowed her to keep it in the living room.  Suddenly some stranger shows up and from one day to the next, he's able to accomplish what Amalia's been trying to do for years.  Nope, Maria doesn't just like Jorge Alfredo, Amalia’s convinced she's crazy for him. 

Santos/Alfredo’s Apartment

Irasema la Cha-cha sees Santos/Alfredo, “hola Papito!”  She heard him sing “Caminos de Guanajuato” last night and he sang it with such feeling it made her cry.  That song says it all, one is born crying and one dies crying.  She knows men (I'll say) and she can tell he's suffering.  If he should ever need to unburden his heart, she's there to listen.  Many men hire her to do just that, so she's had a lot of training.  She wishes him a good day and prances away.

Casa Mendoza          

Maria swears she's only loaning him the traje for 3 weeks so he can earn enough money to return to L.                  A.  Amelia could care less about the traje.  She's worried about Maria and doesn't want to see her suffer.        Maria tells her everyone has to suffer at one time or another, that's life.  Amalia knows that but as her mother, it's her job to protect her and when she sees Maria giving her life over to a man she barely knows......  Maria tries to say she hasn't given her life over to him – mom's exaggerating!  Amalia wants to be very clear.  Maria was the one who insisted the traje not leave the house because it was so important to her.  So?  Isa, who has apparently been eavesdropping from the other room chimes in that she also remembers Maria saying that.  Amalia and Maria both scold her and she reluctantly goes back to whatever she was doing.  Maria again repeats it's only for a few weeks and that won't be enough time for her to suffer.  She doesn't want Amalia to worry.  Amalia: “Then you should be the one who should begin worrying.  Because when he leaves, it'll be like a blow to the heart.  That's when you'll discover that the worst anguish (tormento) in life is to suffer for love.”

L.A.

Comandante Derecho shows his assistant, Curtis, an e-mail they intercepted from Justo asking his son Santos to give himself up but they were unable to discover the source.  They don’t seem to be getting anywhere.  He's sure Santos will surely make a mistake and then they'll have him.  They have to keep pressuring his family so they in turn will pressure Santos to turn himself in.  While he's talking, Curtis continues to stroke his ego.  He asks her to get a warrant to search Bruno Morelli's home as well as Arnold.......”Schwarzeneggar,” she asks?  No!  Arnold Smith! They continue to discuss the need to pressure his family in order to capture him, blah, blah, blah

Santos/Alfredo’  Apt

A knock on his door, he discovers it's not “Bonita”, but her mother, and she's come to speak to him about Maria.

Amalia comes out with it.  She was never in agreement that Maria work in a bar or become a singer.  Maria went behind her back when she signed on to the bar.  Maria hasn't had enough time to determine if singing is her calling.  She just “inherited” that from her father.  It was the only thing he left her.  She began singing to help support the family after Amalia became ill.  She's practically supported the family on her own since she was 18.  Her life hasn't been easy.  She's sacrificed her life and dreams for Amalia and the girls.  Attending University was one of those dreams.  She doesn't deserve a betrayal.  Jorge/Santos:  “I understand you would worry for your daughter but it isn't necessary for you to worry on my account.  I'm only passing through.  I'll be back in L.A. in a few weeks.”  Amalia:  “I noticed the state she was in when you brought her home last night.  I'll ignore what may have happened.  But I heard very clearly that you apologized for having hurt her.  I didn't like what I saw and much less what I heard.”  Jorge tries to say he understands but she interrupts him, saying he appeared out of nowhere.  She feels he's hiding something and it doesn't make her comfortable.  She asks if he's hiding something.  He tells her it's true he has many problems but none of that will affect Maria.  Maria has told Amalia he's a great guy and she doesn't doubt it but it doesn't take Maria long to get to know someone.  For Amalia however, she does need more time.  Since she's been ill, she taken to noticing a person's hands.  She's noticed Jorge Alfredo has lovely hands, and they're not the hands of a mechanic.  He protests, saying Maria will tell her how he fixed Coloso's “mariacherra”.  Oh, she doesn't doubt he is able to fix a car, but that's a far cry from being a mechanic as a profession.  She sees him as an educated, refined man – not one of their class.

She doesn't want to keep him any longer.  She's only come to ask him not to hurt her daughter, not to make her suffer.  Maria's never been in love.  She's an exceptional daughter, sister, woman who deserves an unforgettable first love and not one that will leave her embittered for life.  He assures her that is not his intention.  If that's true, she asks him not to involve Maria.  If he's truly grateful to her, he should distance himself from her.  Amalia has said all she’s come to say.

LA Jail

Orange Juilius Guiliani visits with Bruno, who is sure Santos will return.  OJ doesn't want that to happen, it would be bad for them.  If that happens, OJ says he'll disappear from L.A., permanently.  Bruno is pithed!  OJ got him mixed up in all this and because of him, Bruno betrayed his brother-in-law and best friend.  OJ explains they need to move fast.  He's already delayed Bruno's and Arnold's hearings.  If he's able to exonerate them and put the blame for everything on Santos, he'll never be able to turn himself in.  In the meantime, they need a little help, from – Wendy.  She's outside and Bruno needs to play her right or he'll have the Godfather against him – and they both know how he can get.  Bruno needs to convince Wendy that her brother was the one responsible for everything.  Bruno has a ruh-roh moment.

Bruno refuses to go along with OJ's plan.  He can't hurt Wendy like that.  OJ suggests, sarcastically, that Bruno tell her the truth.  That for the past 4 years they've used her brother's company to launder money.  And when they were discovered, they improvised a plan wherein they would off her brother.  Simple, que no? Bruno reminds him it was never his plan to hurt his bro-in-law.  Fine, says The Orange One, tell her that and see if she's willing to wait 20 years to marry you!  Bruno charges across the table, but OJ reminds him they’re no longer in school.  There is no prize here for those who tell the truth.  If someone tells the truth here, he's delivered to Satan.  Bruno needs to get it into his head, it's either Santos, or him (Bruno) and Arnold. 

Strolling down the street,

Maria notices a newspaper story about the fugitive son of the Mexican, Santos Martinez Garza --- ruh-roh

Garibaldi --

Amalia meets up with the landlord, Braulio, in the square.  She tries to ignore him but he insists on talking to her, reminding her about the rent.  Last month, Maria ended up owing him 1500 pesos and now they're at mid-month and they now owe him 4500 pesos – a lot of lana.  Amalia tries to explain about all their expenses and while she does so Santos/Jorge hears the conversation from waaaaay up in his room.  He comes out to his balcony so he can hear better.  He comes out just in time to hear Braulio make an improper proposition, suggesting Amalia would benefit from the help of a man, understand? 

Amalia is properly offended and assures him that  he'll have his money next week and tries to walk away but Braulio blocks her way.  She tells him in no uncertain terms that they have nothing to discuss if it's not about the rent.  He starts in again that she's been widowed these many years and things could be so much easier for her.  Santos walks up just then, asking if Amalia is having a problem.  He tells Braulio that the lady has already told him he'll have his money next week.  Is there something else?  Braulio, of course, backs off but he tells Amalia that they have until Monday to come with the money.  Santos again tells him to get moving.  Amalia thanks him.  She asks him not to say anything about this to Maria and he agrees.  She also asks him to consider very carefully what they discussed earlier.

L.A. Jail

Bruno and Wendy meet.  They embrace desperately and she cries inconsolably. 

Wendy asks to be told the truth once and for all.  She's only been able to get through this for two reasons:  1 – she loves him and 2 -- because she knows he's innocent.  If anyone deserves to know the truth, it's her, no matter what that truth is.  Bruno responds by saying the truth is.....he loves her with all his soul.  She insists he tell her the truth.

Wendy refuses to leave without hearing the truth.  When everyone out there is ridiculing her for being his gf, will she need to continue to bow her head in shame or will she have the satisfaction of being able to confront them.  She wants to hear it from him.  Did he have anything to do with the money laundering?  He asks her to let the lawyers and police take care of this.  She tells him if that's the way he wants it, he'll never see her again..  She takes off her engagement ring.  There can't be any secrets between two people who love each other.  She puts the ring on the table and begins to walks away.  He calls her back, crying.

Los Mariachis Locos

Milamores wonders if Coloso really plans to pay El Pocho only one half.  Coloso indeed plans to do that, if and when he feels like it, wink, wink.  He wonders why Milamores is so obsessed with labor  fairness.  He doesn't think it's fair to pay that aficionado the same wage, someone who by the way is taking advantage of Maria.  Another Mariachi agrees he shouldn't be earning the same wage as the rest of them, who have been doing this for years.  Milamores doesn't necessarily feel Alfredo should earn the same, but paying him only half seems very unfair.  Coloso isn't happy with this argument and then  another mariachi accuses him of only being angry because Maria is paying more attention to Alfredo.  Coloso doesn't want to seem unfair and to prove it, every time el Pochito joins them, the guy who just criticized him will stay behind – and this begins with the very next serenata. 

Escuela Primaria/Secundaria

The school principal meets with Gloria and agrees to accept Rodrigo, even though they're half way through the school year.   Gloria is sure he'll catch up.  He's a good student.  Rodrigo doesn't look too happy.  The principal brings Rodrigo to a classroom and introduces him to the class and of course, Paloma is sitting there working on a sketch of Rodrigo!  She freaks out and he stops by her desk to say hola! 

El Bar

Elvira is getting money from Concho for some zapatitos and bolsitas.  He wonders what shoes or handbags do that make them so valuable – can they sing rancheritas?  Elvira responds if they sang as good as Mr. Vargas, they'd cost more.  That's it!  He makes it very clear that she is not to go near that Vargas, not even as friends.  No way.  He peels off 5,000 pesos, holding back the wad of dollars.  She agrees to stay away from Vargas but takes the dollars out of his other hand and leaves the room.

Dressing room

Milamores and Coloso go at it again over Vargas.  Coloso warns him if he crosses him again, well, he'll see what happens then.

Santos/Alfredo’s Apt

Vargas flashes back to his conversation with Amalia.  He agrees she's got a point.  He shouldn't encourage Maria and shouldn't hurt her.  But he shouldn't get any ideas himself.  He can't deny that he loves her but he must leave.  He has to confront his reality.  Maria comes knocking at his door and she doesn't look very happy.  She demands to know why he kept the truth from her, why?

Bar

Elvira meets Coloso in the hallway and pulls him into a corner to swap spit.  The other mariachi (the one who criticized him earlier) sees them.  AHA!  He mutters something that honestly goes over my head.

Coloso pushes her away and reminds her that he told her if she ever put his job at risk, it would be over.  Doesn't she understand that if her father finds out.......   “What, are you afraid of my dad?”  “Of course not!”  He tells her he's more worried about her.  If Concho were to find out, she'd never hear the end of it.  She doesn’t think her father will do anything because he knows Coloso is the bar's main attraction.  Coloso's not so sure.  If that were true, why did he hire that pocho?  He wonders if it's Elvira, and not Paloma, who's really interested in that Pocho.  She actually admits it, saying he shouldn’t make a big thing about it.  They have an “arrangement” after all.  Besides, if she gets Jorge that will leave the way clear for him and Maria!  Deal?

Santos/Alfredo’s Apt (and a conversation that has this recapper utterly confused)

Jorge Alfredo has no words to defend himself.  If he had told her the truth......she interrupts, assuming he didn't tell her the truth because he knows she would argue with El Coloso for being so abusive.  It hurts her.  She'd asked him to defend himself and not allow himself to be tricked.  Why doesn’t he listen to her?  He's relieved (she doesn’t know the real truth?) and tells her she's more beautiful when she's angry.  She adamantly demands that he promise to always tell her the truth. 

Jorge then sits Maria down for a talk.  He's been thinking about them.  He's very grateful for everything she's done for him.  What happened between them yesterday made him realize he has no right to cause her any bother.  He can't stay here.  He has to leave.  She tells him she's fully aware of that and that's why she's brought him a surprise that will change his life. 

Jorge wonders what the surprise is.  She tells him he'll know tomorrow morning.  He breaks the news to her that they shouldn't see each other again.  She's shocked and doesn't understand.  What did she do?  Again he tells her he's eternally grateful for what she's done for him but he can't continue to cause her problems, especially when he's leaving in a few weeks.  She's asked him to promise not to lie to her.  He doesn’t want to hurt her. He doesn't want to raise her hopes up and end up hating him when he's gone.  She would never hate him.  He doesn't want to take that chance.  Breaking up is probably the best for both of them.  As for the job, that's his problem and he'll figure out how to resolve it.  He's sure this is what he wants.  The decision’s been made.  Well, if that's what he wants, hasta nunca, she tells him.  To quote the famous song, ojalá que te vaya bonito.  She leaves, in tears, and we hear the song, “Que Te Vaya Bonito” supposedly sung by two of our mariachi locos.  While they sing, we alternate scenes of Maria walking through the park, seeing lovers walking through the park and imagining them as her and Alfredo.  Conversely, Alfredo looks out over Garibaldi watching lovers and imagining them and he and Maria.  I love this song!  So sad and yet such lovely sentiments.  (sniff)

Casa Mendoza

Amalia gets home and scolds Isa for failing in Math.  Isa defends herself, saying it just does't come to her.  Amalia grounds her for one week. 

Escuela

Paloma is outside trying to sell her candies.  When Rodrigo comes out and goes toward her, some mean girls purposely push her so she drops her basket.  They invite him to hang out with them.  He basically ignores them and turns to help Paloma.  They introduce themselves.    Aw, puppy love!

L.A. Jail

Bruno “confesses” he’s innocent of the money laundering and lays it all on Santos.  He and Arnold are in jail because they had the misfortune of working for Santos.  He “reluctantly” says Santos fled and left him and Arnold to take the fall. What a heel!

Casa Mendoza/Jorge Alfredo’s apt

Maria returns home in tears and  tells Amalia she finally has what she wished for.  Jorge Alfredo just told her he doesn't want to see her anymore.  Jorege Alfredo is having his own pity party.  Doña Prudencia  comes by to bring him some yummy looking enmoladas – ymmmm--- but he has no appetite.  She guesses he's had a fight with his novia. She tells him true love comes only once in a lifetime and he shouldn't let her go.  Back at the Mendoza household, Maria cries and goes to her (thier)room.  Paloma tries to console her.  Maria continues to cry as Isa looks on.  Back to Alfredo’s room, he explains he's headed back to L.A. and he'd only break her heart.  Prudy wonders if it's possible that whatever he has waiting for him in L.A. is more important than Maria.  He explains that apart from Maria, he has to settle a moral “debt” he needs to settle with his family.  Prudy's shocked, “ay, ay, ay muchacho”  She doesn’t know about this “debt”, but she does know that for love, one must sacrifice even one's family. 

L.A. – Casa Vargas

Isabel refuses to believe Santos would do such a thing. Justo suggests they need to face the truth.  She tells both him and Wendy that if they want to judge Santos, that's their choice.  But she'll die before doubting Santos.  Wendy’s crying and Justo doesn't seem to know what to make of all this.

Vecindad

Santos and Maria see each other outside her building.  She pretends to look something in her purse then turns back to walk down the street.  He hides behind a tree.  As “Maldito Corazon” plays (sung by Pedro Infante, I think) Santos follows Maria and they sees some fireworks in the form of a heart......Maldito Corazon, indeed!