Caray, Caray!

Here is Hombre's "Pre-cap" from the main Telemundo page:

CIELOS:

It certainly was surprising to find that ALL the government officials (except Marco) are corrupt, and that Jimenez Arroyo was a boyhood friend of Aurelio! And that he makes a deal where he gets the credit for capturing Aurelio and Chacorta, but they only go to jail for a short time, and then are set up to be big bosses of the drug traffic in Mexico. The prison warden gets blamed for the slip up, and no one suspects Jimenez, who gets power, money, etc. Marco is frustrated that Aurelio never got extradited, and is already out of jail (what was it, a year or two?). Jimenez says we just catch the bad guys, it's not up to us what punishment they get.

Now that Aurelio's out, he wants revenge for the attempted hit on his family. Turco has determined that the final call came from the computer of Isidro Robles. We know it was Monica, not Isidro, but Aurelio doesn't. He finally asks Ximena to marry him. The plan is to invite the Robles to the wedding. Normally, they'd suspect a trap, but Don Cleto (Ximena's father) is enlisted to convince Isidro Robles it's okay, which he does.

So everyone's at the wedding, in a big church, and although Isidro told Monica not to come, she came anyway (she had admitted to loving Aurelio). Everyone, even El Cabo, gets frisked for weapons at the door. But some young guy or guys dressed as deacons have rifles, and one of them, high in the gallery, is aiming. I sort of thought that this hit was planned by Aurelio, not by Monica. I think she just happened to look up. And that she'll realize that she and her brother are the targets at the last minute. But I could be totally wrong. I usually am.

When Bill writes his full summary, maybe we'll get some more insight.
Permalink posted by Hombre de Misterio : Sat Apr 20, 03:05:00 PM EDT
 

And here are comments made by Variopinta, Juanita and an anonymous commenter:

Cielo
Someone mentioned that Bill C gave the meaning of Chacorta, I missed it, repita por favor.

We know the bullet will miss Aurelio, I'm very afraid for Ximena. Monica didn't look very suspicious looking up, everyone would have followed her eyes to see QTH she kept looking at.
Permalink posted by Variopinta : Sat Apr 20, 10:33:00 AM EDT
Cielos

Variopinta, I think Bill C said "mecha corta" was "short fuse," and that that was the origin of Chacorta's nickname.
Permalink posted by Juanita : Sat Apr 20, 10:52:00 AM EDT
Cielos

Yes, I think Monica clearly was expecting (and had undoubtedly ordered) the hit, probably on Ximena. I'm hoping that it's too early for Ximena to die.
Permalink posted by Juanita : Sat Apr 20, 10:55:00 AM EDT
CIELOS

Since Ximena is one of the protagonists she won't die either.
Permalink posted by Anonymous : Sat Apr 20, 01:46:00 PM EDT
 

NovelaMaven, thanks very much for creating a separate page for El Señor de los Cielos. As you say, it will make following the discussions much easier for those following not just this telenovela but also the fans of La Patrona and Pasión Prohibida.

Hombre, I really appreciated your mini-recap. It frankly never occurred to me that Aurelio was the person who arranged for the shooter at his wedding. Of course, I found the whole business of his now-you-see-it-now-you-don't-now you-do imprisonment quite confusing. Your account helped clarify that for me, but I still think Monica is responsible for the shooter. I think that's why she "changed her mind" and decided to come to the wedding, even though she promised Isidro that she would stay away. And I think that's why she kept looking back, and then up. I guess it's possible that she's just worried that it's a trap for los Robles, including herself, but my money is still on her wanting revenge for Aurelio's preferring Ximena over her. (Then again, although you say you're often wrong, I'll match you bad guess for bad guess, and I think I'll win hands down. :-) )

One other reason that I don't think Aurelio has hired the shooter is that he (Aurelio) would be dishonoring Don Cleto, who has put his reputation on the line in assuring los Robles and others that the event will be peaceful. I don't see Aurelio doing that, and especially not when he's about to marry Don Cleto's daughter, and in a church wedding, no less.

I guess we'll find out on Monday.
 

This is great Novela, tks

Now that I think about it, maybe it is a hit for the Robles, Monica probably wouldn't be that dumb to call attention to herself by looking up. Since the shooter is noticed, he wont do it.
 

I'm just watching my recording now. Poor Mejia! Looks like he's fighting a losing battle, surrounded by corrupt bosses everywhere. Even a super action hero in the movies needs at least one higher up on his side, or at least the side of justice.
 

I had the same opinion as Hombre, that Aurelio was the one who placed the guy with the rifle in the choir loft.

It DID seem a bit far fetched that Aurelio would do that to poor Ximena who had waited so many years to be his wife. That would absolutely ruin the carefully arranged ceremony. But he was definitely planning some revenge on the Robles, judging by that expression on his face when he talked about inviting the Robles to the wedding.

I am still awaiting the appearance of Oscar Cadena, who was excellent as a narco with sentiment in El Cartel. He was played by Fernando Solórzano, who was the baddie in Made in Cartagena. I read somewhere that he would be in this novela. I definitely remember some cast member mentioning Oscar. Assuming he's still alive at this point in time, El Cabo would only be his gatillero,so it seems odd to me that he represented the Cadena cartel at Aurelio's wedding.

I enjoyed last night's episode the most of any. It explained why Jiménez Arroyo had him spirited away from the prison. I especially liked Ximena's powerful slap to Matilda's face. I was afraid Ximena was going to be the sweet, dumb wife through the whole novela. In short, we got more character development and fewer shootouts!

Last night's events completely changed my theory that most of the rest of the novela was going to be done in a flashback. That Aurelio would remain in custody and we'd see how that litte boy we've already seen ended up as a narco.

Also, I was thinking he'd known Mónica as a young man. But she told Isidro their affair happened in New York. Of course, she could still be lying because it looked like they were having sex in a stable or something when they show this flashback.
 

I also don’t know who ordered the hitman. If the previews are to be believed, Monica has ordered a hit on Aurelio and/or Ximena. But, Aurelio did look like he had ulterior motives for inviting Los Robles, and I don’t for one minute believe that he really wants a truce after learning that the order for the hit on Ximena and his kids came from Los Robles. Plus, in the church, he and Chacorta used the cute brunette woman to lure Isidro to the left-hand side pews. Hmmm… I guess we’ll see on Monday.

I had not watched the show since the beginning of the week before this episode, but from the recaps and the comments, I don’t feel like I need to watch the other episodes, since this one provided the most character development.

I also liked Ximena slapping Matilde. I now better understand Ximena’s acceptance of this life with Aurelio, knowing that she grew up in this life. I really wonder why Chacorta is with Matilde, now that I see that he has a long-term mistress who has a son by him and seems like a really decent woman. Doesn’t it seem like she’s more the wife type, and Matilde more the mistress type?

Did anyone else notice that El Turco did not seem pleased about Ximena and Aurelio getting married? Did I miss something that would explain this in the episodes I didn’t see, or is Turco in love with Ximena?

Got a big laugh out of all those gangsters having to check their guns and knives before entering the church.

 

Novelera, I never saw El Cartel, but El Cabo, at one point in the episode mentioned "the big boss" implying that he himself was not it. So that big boss is probably Oscar Cadena.

Vivi, you're right, it is strange that Chacorta has a more stable woman (and a child) with the one he's NOT married to.
 

Vivi, I also caught El Turco's odd expression at the dinner table when Aurelio formally asked for Ximena's hand.

He was the very picture of a trusted lieutenant caring for the boss' family in Houston. And he definitely wasn't going for Mathilde's seduction attempts.

But it does appear he may have feelings for Ximena.
 

Vivi and Novelera, yes, I too noticed that Turco seemed less than pleased about Aurelio and Ximena's upcoming marriage. Vivi, I don't think this was clear in any of the previous episodes, but it sure seemed to be in last night's.

So who can you trust? Mejia can't trust Jiménez, and perhaps Aurelio won't be able to trust Turco. And who can los Robles trust? (And, for that matter, who can WE trust? Certainly not the people who create the avances!)
 

Its own thread? Did I do that? :)

El Señor de los Cielos: viernes, or

Return of the Mack

So Colonel Jimenez Arroyo has spirited Aurelio and Chacorta away to some big red ranch, and once again Aurelio is asking Chacorta why he betrayed him. Right before he walks up and headbutts him. He gets a few kicks in before Arroyo orders his men to break it up, and AC follows it up by bellowing for Arroyo to kill him--he did what he wanted to do--but Arroyo's not having it. They've still got unfinished business, and he'll decide when, where, and how AC's going to die...and he has his men secure AC and Chacorta inside the ranch.

At the same time Marco is in full Standard Action Hero mode ranting at the prison warden--he knew he personally was handling AC's extradition! How does he not know who came to get him? He gets as far as "How much were you paid?" before the warden gets all pissy "Don't talk to me like that! This was an official order, signed and all--I don't have to know who came for him!" (Man, just stop talking.) SAH takes the signed order and makes a call to Arroyo informing him that AC escaped, and Arroyo twists the knife--"How could you let this happen?"--before telling him he'll look into it and hanging up. And then he breaks out this big evil smile, and I'm more than a little creeped out by how Juan Rios looks exactly like Clu in TRON: Legacy as he makes another call to someone named Benjumea...Ali Benjumea, a.k.a. el Turco.

Inside Chacorta insists that he didn't betray AC, that he was going to get him out of prison. AC is pissed that he let the cops take him away--he even saw Chacorta pointing a gun at him. Chacorta spins it so that that was the anesthesia talking, that they had been caught between los Robles and los fuzz at the hospital and he was just trying to get AC away but couldn't...if he'd stayed, they would have killed them both. He urges AC to forgive him, and states one fairly true (if spun to hell) thing: if AC's alive now, it's because he let the cops take him. He can save AC from prison, but not death.

While I'm replacing the lie detector that just exploded and AC is muttering about how he just wants to bury his family's remains, one of Arroyo's soldiers pops up and goes wah-wah-wahm through his mask that AC has a phone call. It's Ximena...she's fine and she and the kids are still in Houston, but are being deported back to Mexico. It's okay, though, since Turco's still there and taking care of them. AC is overjoyed to hear her voice, though the soldier takes the phone away in mid-call; he relays that to Chacorta and gives him a hug. Chacorta is more nervously relieved than happy to hear this.

The good news also makes it to Don Cleto at his big orange house in Sinaloa, where he updates Alba and Matilde. At least he has the grace to throw out a que en paz descanse for poor Anselmo the Mute. Alba notes it's still a problem if the people who planted the bomb find out Ximena and company are still alive, and Cleto notes that Turco took care of (read bribed) the Houston cops so that everybody still thinks they're all dead. Matilde is all "Oh, thank you soooo much for helping us! I can't believe I came so close to dying in that car!" before heading off. Dios mio, I want someone to slap this girl.

Inside Matilde apparently gets ready to take a shower, but ends up sitting on the edge of a bathtub in a towel looking genuinely remorseful as she flashes back to her convincing Drink Guy to make that phone call for her two episodes back. Still not enough to not want her slapped, show.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: viernes (p. 2)

Back outside Cleto is saying to Alba that it's a little too coincidental that Matilde showed up the day before the car bombing. Alba's not convinced--Matilde's a "frivolous, envious troublemaker," but she's not a killer and certainly not with Rutila and Heriberto there. Cleto is all "Shyea...just be careful around her anyway, okay?"

Mexico City: Monica is having drinks in a bar with an unflatteringly-haired lady named Roxana (not even her cleavage mitigates this), who wonders if it's true that AC had been caught. Monica admits that she went to see him in jail, to tell him what she still felt for him, and even about the offer to run away with him; Roxana guesses that Isidro doesn't know about that, and Monica agrees. Roxana was once married to him, so she knows what would happen if he knew. Roxana goes two for two when she says that Monica's still not telling her something, and Monica drops the bomb: she ordered Ximena and her kids to be killed. Roxana is suitably impactada, though she rightly wonders what's up with Monica's obsession with AC--girlfriend could have any man she wants. It's not about power, Monica sniffles, it's about loveshe knows she's a monster, and worst of all she doesn't regret doing it. She just wants Roxana to listen to her, not to understand. Roxana looks fairly sympathetic considering her friend just admitted to conspiracy to commit murder.

Back at the red ranch AC wonders aloud who knew where Ximena and the kids were, which prompts Chacorta to flashback to Matilde asking if he thought she could really kill them in the last episode; he obviously goes no se, they've got to talk to whomever they are. AC theorizes that it probably was los Robles, but that they still need to find out who told them, before the wah-wah-wahm soldier shows up with some backup and takes AC and Chacorta back outside. There they again meet with Arroyo, who regales AC with a quickie summary of his criminal record from a dossier--trafficking, money laundering, distribution of marijuana and cocaine in the U.S. (and owner of six aircraft at this point)--before surprising AC when he relates something not in his file--the murder of his father when he was ten over a debt. AC wonders how he knows that, since even the DEA doesn't; Arroyo pffts at that and takes that opportunity to point his sidearm at AC's head and declares that of all the reasons he has for killing AC the most painful one is that he doesn't remember who Arroyo is. Doesn't his face pop up anywhere in AC's memories? AC is all "Dude, just go ahead and do whatever...but what do I owe you?" Arroyo, who's been wearing his uniform cap and sunglasses nonstop up to this point, removes them both and smirks; what do you owe me, charrito de oro (golden boy)?

AC perks up at this point, finally recognizing Colonel Daniel Jimenez Arroyo as "Mr. Smarts," a boy he and Chacorta had known growing up. He was the one who taught AC to read--and there's a flashback to the three of them as kids, with Arroyo handing AC some books--Arroyo tells AC he's going to military school, and reminds him to practice what he taught him. AC says he won't forget him, and Arroyo hopes not. "Today for you, tomorrow for me," he remarks as a child, and back in the present he says it again to AC. AC is glad to see his friend, who admits he got AC out of prison so AC can pay him back. AC's fine with owing him one.

The happy, implausibly Telemundo, reunion is interrupted by a conference call from SAH with Huerta and General Castro (who is indeed the Mexican Secretary of Defense) at the SNI, and everybody wants to know how the hell AC escaped from prison. The order the warden was given appears to be completely legit, which means it had to have come from within the government.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: viernes (p. 3)

Castro asks Arroyo how this could have happened, and Arroyo is all "Yeah, I'm dealing with some stuff right now, but I'll get my men on it ASAP. Hold down the fort, SAH." SAH for his part is all "We've got to find this corrupt group and I'll talk to the President if I have to," and Arroyo insists that he'll get on it--now don't do anything, and that's an order. *click* Gabriel Porras' exasperated face makes this all worth it, even when Castro remarks that if Arroyo wasn't one of the most honest and incorruptible men in the Army, he'd think it was him who did it...and, yup, Huerta chips in with "It was either Arroyo or you, SAH." SAH is pissed at that accusation--hell no he's not dirty, and why would he catch AC just to set the guy loose? No, they need to look somewhere else--he'll find those damn dirty suits! (Huerta looking shifty goes without saying.)

Back to the red ranch, where things are going all Clear and Present Danger on suckers: Arroyo has an offer for AC. Before he and los Robles controlled nearly everything, but now that they're at war it means that other smaller bosses will be going after small territories and each other. It'll be a big bloody mess...so it'll be better if there's just one big boss, so who better than AC? He's familiar with Colombia, which is good since with Pablo Escobar's death "this river will become turbulent, and fishermen make out best in troubled waters." Chacorta wonders how he and AC fit into Arroyo's plan, and he asks them to give him "people"--eliminate the competition--and in exchange they'll run things the same as before, under his protection. AC asks the inevitable--what's in it for Arroyo?--and Arroyo gives the inevitable response: prestige, power, a promotion, fame, blah blah hell he might even start working towards the presidency blah. I think my beanie just fell off.

AC is all "So we come out of this like snitches?"; hey, according to Arroyo it's either that or turning them over to the Americans. And they've got until tomorrow to make up their minds, so they'll be his guests for the time being; whatever they need, just ask. AC says that all they want are their wives, his kids; no problem, says Arroyo. He can even help him find the guys who tried to kill them. AC politely declines, but asks how the heck Arroyo pulled this thing off; Arroyo admits that he's been keeping an eye on Turco, though he notes that he's an efficient guy and can be useful. AC then asks about the man who caught him, Marco Mejia--Arroyo advises to watch out for SAH, since he's got the President's support, but Arroyo wants him on his side so he can operate without any fuss. So AC can't touch him, and in exchange Arroyo will keep him in check as long as he can.

House Robles: yeah, they just found out AC escaped--Guadelupe's hot for reinforcing security, Monica's nervous all over again, and Isidro's pissed because he knows AC will want to strike back for the ranch and hospital attacks and this blows their credibility with the Colombians to hell. When they're alone, though, Isidro asks Monica if she had anything to do with AC's escape, and Monica bahs at that--Isidro's like a father to her, which is why she's going to pretend he never said that.

So that night Ximena, Matilde, Rutila and Heriberto are all ferried out to the red ranch. AC's overjoyed to see the family; Rutila, upon seeing Matilde, is all "Yay, tia! I missed you! Why'd you leave us alone in Houston?" (Out of the mouths of babes, I swear.)
 

El Señor de los Cielos: viernes (p. 4)

AC is understandably curious about what happened, and Matilde simply says that she had had a fight with Ximena and decided to come back; Ximena actually backs this up, saying that they'd had several fights. But what's important is that everybody's together...that apparently appeases AC for the moment, though what really calms him down is getting romantic with Ximena in a bedroom bigger than my garage.

Chacorta, meanwhile, breaks it down to Matilde in another room: both Turco and Ximena think she sold Ximena out. Can she imagine what will happen if AC finds out? Matilde bahs--then they'll just have to mourn the death of his brother (CC3 came up with "help your brother, the walking dead man"; one of the few advantages of my wonky Spanish is deciphering the occasional glaringly weird caption) Matilde then wonders if Chacorta would let AC "touch" her again, and he's all "We promised never to speak of that again"; she insists, and he finally says he won't. But AC won't rest until he finds out who was responsible...

And on that cue we take a detour to an unidentified room, where Turco and some guy are chatting with Evil Joel McHale. More accurately, they're interrogating him by way of a plastic bag over his head about who ordered him to do the hit. He ultimately admits he never saw anybody and that a cash deposit was made from a company in the U.S. named Bali Enterprises.

Back to Matilde as she swears on everything she's got that she didn't rat Ximena out (whew, pulled the plug on the lie detector just in time). Chacorta still doesn't look completely convinced, so Matilde plays the sympathy card--why's he with her anyway? ("Because I'm dumb, maybe just crazy.") She can't say that what she feels for Chacorta is love, but she knows she's never felt anything like it and will never feel it for anybody else...and Chacorta is all "Right back at ya, girl." I think we were due one dysfunctional relationship on this show, narco or no, so hey.

AC and Ximena, meanwhile, are cuddling in afterglow; AC's talking about how he never knew pain like when he thought she was dead. He assures her that she won't have to go through anything like this again, and she suggests that perhaps it's a good time to just GTFO and leave it all behind; AC remembers Don Cleto saying to his father that there was no way off the narco path once they started down it, not for him or his children or theirs. Ximena thinks there's indeed a different path--forget the luxuries and money, they don't need them to be happy...AC isn't convinced. At this point, he can't do anything else; the only thing he can do now is reach the top, and he has to make a deal with the devil (flashback to Arroyo, check) to do it.

The next morning Matilde and her everpresent short-shorts bid Matilde a cheery buenos dias...and Ximena winds up and smacks the taste out of her mouth--

Yes! Gracias a Dios!

before flashing some spine: she didn't say anything to AC about Houston because she knows AC would kill Matilde. She then follows it up with a cállate! when Matilde tries to object; the last thing she needs is AC fighting the brother he loves. Matilde puffs up at that--yes, he loves him, but he also owes him. Unfortunately, this is the only smack in the episode.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: viernes (p. 5)

A little later we see AC and Chacorta having a quick chat with Arroyo--having gone for door number one choice-wise, their "capture" will be set up at the border. Their families, meanwhile, will be hidden so everybody thinks they died in the car bombing. AC and Chacorta are thus shuttled off in a van, and Arroyo's plan is given narrated montage form:

- AC and Chacorta "are arrested at the border when trying to leave the country" by Arroyo's men. Once in jail (AC poses for mugshots), they'll have time to set up their new distribution networks and such.
- Arroyo will earn street cred (his troops apparently seize a shipment of weapons) and prestige.
- AC's enemies will let their guard down, knowing both of them are in jail. (Isidro and Guadelupe clink glasses at House Robles over a copy of Archivo Semanal magazine with AC's mugshot on the cover. Monica's rocking the thousand-yard stare again.)
- And then he'll take them down, one by one (AC and Chacorta playing cards outside at prison), with los Robles being the last to go. Yeah, AC would prefer they be first, but they're politically connected.
- Arroyo, meanwhile, will take care of the fuzz. (Arroyo brings SAH an arrest order for one Victor somethingorother, who turns out to be the prison warden.) One or two heads, maybe a scapegoat, will probably roll to keep SAH happy (and there goes the warden).
- And AC and Chacorta's sentences will be guaranteed to be short, due to "disorganized recordkeeping" (AC and Chacorta leave jail and get into a truck with some henchmen, which takes them to their apparent new digs), and everybody will have to accept that. This, according to Arroyo, will be the start of an empire "that will last a thousand years." Yeah, that didn't work so well for the last folks who said that.

So AC gets to his new home, hugs his kids and his mujer, and has a quick chat with Turco. He's glad to be home and is really happy with Turco's job performance; Turco is all "It was nothing, sir. Besides, Arroyo was good to us." AC notes he's being paid enough before asking about that "thing"; Turco tells him that Bali Enterprises is part of some Cayman Island consortium, but the actual order to wire money to Evil Joel McHale indeed came from the computer of one Isidro Robles.

AC's happy to get confirmation, though when Turco suggests it's a bad time to start another war he says it's precisely the opposite--it's a good time to make peace. Everybody--Cleto, Arroyo, even the Colombians want peace. So they're going to hold a party...something Ximena's wanted for a long time...

This leads to a dinner gathering with Don Cleto, Turco, a bored-looking Matilde and the collected Casillas clan. Cleto is happy that things are back to what passes for normal in narcoland, since he's retired and is only worried about his daughter and grandchildren's happiness...so why'd AC ask him to dinner? Why, to formally ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. We all know ximena's going to say yes, but before that we get to see Turco looking kind of down at the announcement--and Matilde possibly noticing--while AC goes on to declare that he wants the wedding to be a huge deal. He wants to invite everybody who's fond of Don Cleto, of course. And AC and Ximena seal the deal with salud! and a kiss; poor Turco looks like someone kicked his puppy.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: viernes (p. 6)

Afterwards Cleto and AC talk in private; the party idea sounds great to Cleto, but is the wedding idea sincere? AC says it is, but Cleto's no fool...los Robles will think the whole thing's a trap for them. AC notes that that's where Cleto comes in; he can convince them that it's legit, that their intentions for a "pact of peace" are good. Cleto agrees, and the next day he's at House Robles presenting Isidro with a wedding invitation and talking about how everything's fine at this point--which includes his daughter and grandkids--and wanting to set up a truce with all the cartels. He'd be especially grateful if they came. Isidro agrees, and after Cleto is shown out Monica and Guadelupe pop in to hear that Ximena survived and AC is inviting them to his wedding and backing the "truce." Guadelupe is the one who gets to go "It's a trap!"--AC must have figured out Monica ordered the hit on Ximena--but Isidro bahs at his paranoia; if AC knew he'd have them taken out anywhere but in a church in front of his family. And, by the way, never again say that Monica ordered the hit. Monica, meanwhile, has upgraded her thousand-yard stare to five thousand yards...it's almost like she's a Lifetime TV-movie stalker who got stuck in a novela by accident. It's glorious.

Over at Arroyo's office at the GIA (what does that mean?), SAH is telling him about some discrepancies he noticed in various reports in AC's file. Yeah, he's still pissed that all that effort and time went up in smoke. Arroyo notes that it's not his responsibility--or SAH's; they captured AC and SAH himself put him in jail, but someone else let him go. They can't become judges. AC demands to know if Arroyo talked to the Secretary of the Justice Department about this, and he says he did--but everybody knows the judicial system is flawed, so what more can they do? SAH is all "We've got to expose these discrepancies, investigate the corruption--otherwise what's the point of us doing our jobs?", and Arroyo in turn raises his voice and is all "Screw that! Our job is to catch the bad guys and break up their networks, and we're doing that just fine despite these 'uneven circumstances'!" SAH obviously doesn't agree; their job is to catch criminals, true, but there's AC just chilling out on his ranch. That's not their job. Arroyo gives him an "Oh, no you didn't" look for that one. Maybe we should start calling SAH Serpico, since everybody around him except Vargas is dirty (though at least dirty for different factions).

A little later SAH and Vargas are discussing AC's upcoming wedding...SAH wants to infiltrate it to gather evidence against AC and company, though he insists on doing it without Arroyo's permission so he'll have absolutely no doubt that AC is regrouping his cartel. Once they have even the smallest shred of evidence, they can then raid the place. Obviously SAH can't get in there himself, but Vargas volunteers to go with what SAH calls the most powerful weapons they now have: a camera and a tape recorder. Y'all remember tapes, right?

Nuevo Rancho Casillas: AC, Chacorta and Turco are talking about how los Robles seem to have accepted AC's wedding invitation. Turco suggests that AC should listen to his suegro-to-be and actually move for peace, and Chacorta bahs at that--he'd actually mow them down the minute they walked into church--but AC says no. Whatever they do to los Robles, "it needs to look like an act of God." Unless the Ark of the Covenant melts Guadelupe's face off, I'm going to pass.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: viernes (p. 7)

HR: Monica stomps into her room, just starting to have another crying/sniffling jag over AC, and I'm way too distracted by the leg porn before Isidro pops in to interrupt her. Isidro's actually there to ask her when her relationship with AC started and how long it went on, even when Monica tries to deny it...she briefly wonders if Roxana told him, but he nahs. Somehow, he always knew...though he's not crazy about her confiding in his ex rather than him. So Monica admits that it started on a trip to New York, and the resulting relationship lasted a few months. Isidro's surprised that she went and fell in love with the guy, but he admits that he never said anything to anybody about what he suspected/knew...because then he'd have to kill her. Stay brotherly, Isidro Robles. Anyway, he insists that he'll always take care of her...they obviously aren't going to say a word about this to Guadelupe...and she damn sure isn't going to AC's wedding.

And I think we get a stealth timeskip, since the next thing we see is Ximena in a lovely wedding dress with Alba and Rutila attending to her. Ximena natters on about trying on her mother's wedding dress as a child, Alba natters on about how she loves Ximena like she was her own daughter, AC walks in on them in full mariachi groom attire before being shooed out by Rutila...yeah, yeah...

Elsewhere a black-clad Chacorta is knocking on somebody's door. A young boy answers it, calling him Don Victor; Chacorta is really happy to see his "son," and even brought him a small soccer jersey autographed by Jorge Campos himself; the boy's mother, a rather fetching dark-haired lady, shows up and admonishes small Victor (yep, that's his name) about not asking Don Victor for things. Chacorta's all "Nah, my pleasure," and Victorito runs off to give Chacorta a chance to mack on his baby mama ("Have you missed me?" "What do you think?"). I really hope Matilde knows about this and simply doesn't care because she's not down for parenthood at all, but it wouldn't surprise me if she doesn't just to give her a moment of moral outrage--however hypocritical it may be.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: viernes (p. 8)

The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys: and on to the church for the wedding, where El Cabo and Marquez (looking various shades of badly casual--unfortunately, it'll be eight years before What Not To Wear hits the airwaves in this universe) and los Robles are just showing up. This means they get swept with handheld metal detectors and their guns confiscated; Guadelupe's not crazy about that at all, but Isidro isn't bothered. There's a gentleman's agreement in place, after all...oh, no. There's Monica with the poofy bitch-gonna-die updo and rocking a gold minidress that would probably get her arrested. She changed her mind about not coming to the wedding; Isidro's not happy about that, but walks her into the church.

A little ahead of him Chacorta walks in with a pretty brunette monaguilla (altar girl, though she's rocking a backless red minidress--I'm sorry, but where is this church?), telling her to watch out for the "big orangutan" Isidro and to take care of him. So, when he and Monica come in, the brunette apparently charms Isidro into sitting in a particular spot...which was apparently at AC's request, since when Chacorta gets up to the altar and tells him this he gets a muy bien. Isidro "took the bait."

At the same time we see some guy dressed as an altar boy apparently sneaking onto a balcony in the church...pulling a rifle out of his clothes and scoping out the audience as a nervous Ximena is walked in by a beaming Cleto. As she gets up to the altar, we find out the balcony is over the entrance and behind the crowd--and as Ximena and AC sit down, and the priest begins his speech, and Monica damn near turns all the way around in her seat to look up at the balcony like an idiot, the altar boy starts lining up his shot...
 

Wow, Bill C. I think you've outdone yourself with this superb recap! How did you find out that Benjumea is Ali Benjumea aka El Turco? I completely missed that. And I apparently also missed the significance of the brunette in the red dress at the wedding. However, I still find it hard to believe that Aurelio would arrange to have Isidro shot inside the church. So, while I have less confidence in my theory that Monica arranged for the shooter, I'm sticking with that theory.

I couldn't help but smile when Arroyo talked about a path to the presidency. Shades of Epifanio Vargas in "La Reina del Sur." (Actually, a day or so ago I heard a short bit of background music that I would swear was from "Reina" as well.)

I did smile at your saying that Evil Joel McHale said the money was paid by Bali Enterprises. The Spanish subtitles claimed it was Valley Enterprises. Not that it matters...I've just been tripped up enough times by the Spanish B/V issue that I found it amusing.

I was somewhat surprised that Arroyo made the "empire that will last for 1000 years" statement. I'd have thought he would have learned some WWII history in his military school.

Anyway, thanks again for these marvellous recaps!
 

El Señor de los Cielos -

wow, thank you so much Bill C.!
your recaps filled me in on about 50% of the story that went right over my head,

(including all of those things that Juanita pointed out),

ok, call me Matilde if you must,

there is lots of action here which I like,
but the action isn't telling the story like it usually does,
it's more in the clues that are bring scattered about,

and you are picking them all up so well,
much appreciated Bill!

 

EL SENOR

Bill C. - muchos gracias! What an excellent recap of a very involved episode. So much going on.

Last night's episode put so many pieces together and cleared up a lot of the confusion from Weds and Thurs. And the squeaky clean, uncorruptible Arroyo has turned out to be worse than the other corrupt politicians. This TN is getting better every day.

"Matilde .... ends up sitting on the edge of a bathtub in a towel looking genuinely remorseful as she flashes back to her convincing Drink Guy to make that phone call ....." Matilde didn't strike me as remorseful at all, but more fearful (probably of AC figuring out it was her who notified los Robles of Ximena's trip to Houston). I think Matilde is a very nasty piece of work, and she'll continue to cause problems for AC and Ximena. She had no remorse about possibly killing AC's kids.

"Cleto is saying to Alba that it's a little too coincidental that Matilde showed up the day before the car bombing." Cleto has Matilde's number, and I hope that doesn't mean there's an anvil over his head now.

I'm not sure what I think is going on with the gunman in the church choir. At first I thought he was Monica's hit man. But then it occurred to me that AC has so many armed guards around the church that an attempted hit would be a suicide mission. Neither AC nor Chacorta looked up towards the gunman (but then, they wouldn't!), so I didn't think either of them arranged for the gunman. Or maybe the guy's just up there as security?

Beth
 

Great job Bill! Thanks for continuing to give us these complete recaps each day.

Lots of funny lines in your recap. "[H]e admits that he never said anything to anybody about what he suspected/knew...because then he'd have to kill her. Stay brotherly, Isidro Robles." LOL! Isidro seems to let Monica do whatever she wants, but that was quite the cold-blooded threat to kill baby sis if she were sleeping with the enemy. Good thing he doesn't know about that prison booty call.

Seriously, Aurelio needs to fix his women problems. He's got a carzy blonde and a crazy red head out to kill him and his family. It's a good thing Ximena is so mellow.
 

There's an interest piece in today's New York Times Magazine about Mexican prisons. Here is an excerpt from the article:

Mexico’s federal ombudsman for human rights said last year that around 60 percent of the country’s prisons were run by inmates. More than 1,000 prisoners have escaped since 2006, often dozens at a time, and hundreds more have been murdered along with an untold number of guards. When I asked the warden at the Saltillo Cereso about the power structure inside, even he did not deny it. Standing near his office, unshaven and exhausted, he emphasized that peace was the priority, not control. “Estamos tranquilo,” he said. “We’re calm.”

And the link to the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/magazine/even-violent-drug-cartels-fear-god.html?ref=world
 

One thing I meant to add to my earlier post: I don't think AC would attempt to shoot Isidro or any one else at his wedding because Ximena and Rutila are present. I don't think the church location would stop him if he wanted someone shot, but he would not want his wife or daughter put at risk.

Beth
 

I have another question. What do you make of the use of "usted" among family members/close friends? I think Chacorta says "usted" to the woman who is the mother of his son, and also, if I remember correctly, he and his mother use "usted" to each other. I know that in some countries, this is not unusual, but this novela is supposed to take place in Mexico, where I would expect "tú." I understand that Matilde at times uses "vos," but I think she's supposed to be from Colombia, where that may be more the norm. But I don't understand Chacorta's use of "usted."
 

Juanita- I have seen the use of Usted between child and parent and enamorados and spouses a lot in Mexican telenovelas. It seems more common among lower class people, and among people in the north, where this takes place. For example, in the recent tn "Un Refugio Para el Amor" the characters who came from Chihuahua used it all the time in this way. The children would never dare use tu with their parents or any elder, and the husbands and wives used Uds with each other too.
 

Thanks very much, Vivi. I had no idea. Guess I should watch even more telenovelas! :-)
 

Juanita- So I just found this additional info about the use of Usted in Mexico. It explains why the characters in "Refugio" used Usted among close family/relations -- because they were very close to their indigenous roots.
--

"The word usted is mostly used with Indigenous people in Mexico as the Spanish authority didn't let them address them with disrespect. They carry on with the learning by using Usted among parents and children."

--
You should use usted with:

-someone you don't know well (age and title doesn't matter here!)

-an older person (yes, we address older people with usted to show respect)

-an authority figure (your boss, your teacher, a policeman, a senator)

-someone who you know but your not close to him/her (for example, a neighbor)

-someone whom you would address by their title (e.g. Dr.Rodríguez, Sra. López...)

-anyone to whom you wish to show respect (including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.)

 

Not sure if I can watch this TN after all, I've had to miss this first week and with no recaps to read, I am totally lost. I tried reading Bill C's recap for Friday, but it really makes no sense to me.
 

Hello everyone. I have a question and don't know where to put it. I've been watching ENDA again recently and I want to know if anyone knows the capitulo # when Paloma and Emiliano go visit Padre Juan in jail and they have a little argument because Em is jealous that Pal is with Gabe now and Pal says she should've been the one to give Em a child--not Romina.

Thanks for the help!
 

cathyx: the previous recaps are in last week's Telemundo thread, but a quick guide to who's who and what's what might not be a bad idea:

Aurelio Casillas is our central character, leader of the titular Casillas cartel. He's got a girl, Ximena, whom he's finally preparing to marry as of the end of last Friday's episode.

Ximena and her and Aurelio's daughter Rutila and son Heriberto were nearly killed in a car bombing after going into hiding. The bombing was ordered by Monica Robles, who is all Lifetime obsessive over Aurelio after a fling they had a while back. Monica is one of the heads of the rival Robles cartel, along with her brothers Isidro and Guadelupe, and appears to be responsible for a pending hit on either Aurelio or Ximena at their wedding. Aurelio, by the way, appears to think Isidro ordered the hit on his family thanks to evidence discovered by his chief advisor/henchman Ali Benjumea, better known as El Turco.

It appears that Monica found out about the bombing thanks to an anonymous tip from one Matilde Casillas, resident bitch. She's the wife of Aurelio's brother Victor, better known as Chacorta; he suspects Matilde did sell Ximena out, but is keeping quiet to protect her. Ximena's father, retired cartel overlord Don Cleto Letrán, is starting to get suspicious about Matilde too because she left basically right before the hit went down. Aurelio's mother Alba just thinks she's a brat.

Chacorta also has a son by an unidentified lady, but that's not important right now.

Both the Casillas and Robles cartels want to get drugs from the Colombian cartels, which are going through a shakeup in the wake of the death of Pablo Escobar. The in-show public face of the cartel that's trying to take over in his wake--the Cadena cartel--is El Cabo, a.k.a. Milton Jimenez, and his sidekick Marquez. They had a tentative agreement to work with the Robles cartel, but that may be shot to hell because los Robles has failed to kill Aurelio on multiple occasions.

Los Robles, by the way, are politically connected; they're buddy-buddy with a guy named Huerta, the director of the SNI (basically Mexican intelligence). He in turn is buddy-buddy with General Castro, the Secretary of Defense--and neither of them are crazy about Aurelio's continued existence or the efforts of top cop Marco Mejia to crush the cartels. Marco's kind of a Standard Action Hero because he's focusing mainly on taking down Aurelio, who killed his father; however, he's starting to run into issues with high level corruption in the government regarding the cartels. So he's now starting to butt heads with his new superior, Colonel Jimenez Arroyo (this doesn't make Huerta and Castro happy either, since he's a threat to them too), who's oddly laissez-faire about that. This is because Arroyo grew up with Aurelio and Chacorta, and he's now working to actively protect them while keeping Marco at bay.

So Marco, when he's pissed about work, goes home and talks to his journalist girlfriend Eugenia about it. These are, at this point, the only full-blown good guys on the show next to the Secretary of the Interior, who is technically boss to all the government types we've seen on the show thus far. And the only reason he's good may well be because we simply haven't seen him break bad yet.

And I think that's it. :)
 

Thank you, thank you, Bill C. For the recaps and your summary. I didn't discover this page until yesterday and am trying to catch up. I've seen all the episodes, with Spanish captions, and I've picked up enough to stay interested, but just barely. Glad to know there are others watching and commenting. I think I'll stick around now that you've explicated all these relationships so clearly.

I just wish our bad boy would get a better haircut. The real Amado Carrillo was much sexier looking (before he tried to change his face, which didn't work out so well for him) with long-ish hair and a full beard.

It certainly seems El Turco's got a thing for la Señora, he's especially unhappy since the boda was announced. He's taken such solicitous care of the little family in exile, but are we to believe that he is some sort of a mole in the Carillo camp?

Thanks again, looking forward to next week, now that I know there is a community here to share it with.
—Agnes
 

Cathyx, ¡bienvenida! In addition to all of Bill C's earlier recaps and the other commentary in last week's Telemundo y Más, you might also find the Telemundo "Cielos" website useful. It has full videos of the first five episodes (which can be watched with subtitles in Spanish or English, if you'd like), and also a Who's Who section that shows photos of most of the major characters and tells a tiny bit about each one.

And don't hesitate to ask here if you have questions. Some of us (well, I can only speak for one of us) are still feeling our way through and are happy when questions are asked and answered.

BTW, among the major cast members is Mónica Robles, who was Viviana in Amor Bravío but has now gone over to the Dark Side.
 

Oops, Fernanda Castillo was Viviana in "Amor Bravío" and now plays Mónica Robles in "Cielos."
 

Thanks Bill C. I didn't realize there were recaps last for the other episodes. I'll go back and read them. I'm a little disappointed that there are only 2, or maybe only 1 good guy in this whole cast of characters.

How many episodes are there by the way? Does anyone know?
 

I don't think it's really accurate that there are only two "good guys". On this show, many of the characters are half good, half bad. This is often the case on these drug trafficker related shows. Some aspects of several of the characters are good and noble, some less so. And sometimes a character will turn more to the bad, or more to the good, over the course of the show. Besides Marco and Eugenia, we have Alba (Aurelio's mother) and Don Cleto (Ximena's father) who are primarily good. Ximena is good. Their kids are good. Turco seems to have some decency. Chacorta is good when dealing with his "other wife". These nuances make this show more interesting for some viewers than the typical novela where the lines are more clearly defined.
 

This doesn't make sense to me in Bill C's summary.
The bombing was ordered by Monica Robles, who is all Lifetime obsessive over Aurelio after a fling they had a while back.

But then it says:
It appears that Monica found out about the bombing thanks to an anonymous tip from one Matilde Casillas, resident bitch.

So did she order it or not?
 

Cathyx, good question. If I remember correctly, Mónica didn't find out about the bombing from Matilde, but rather about where Ximena and her kids were staying. Mónica was then able to arrange for the bombing of the car in which Ximena and the kids were about to ride.
 

Yeah, that was a contextual flub on my part. Perdóname!

Hombre: fair point, though for me in that respect it's similar to Escobar and Reina before it (and going way back for me, The Shield): a villain with some sympathetic trait(s) is still a villain. That said I agree that Ximena is indeed good, or at least as close to it as someone in her position could probably be--same goes for Rutila, although Heriberto took his first step towards the dark side when he shot Rutila's dog. It probably would help, though, if los Robles weren't painted so broadly as OMG TEH EVUL by comparison (and crazy obsessive Monica and Matilde having slept with AC...I'm sorry, but I'm still having overkill problems with that).
 

Does Ximena really belong in the "good" column? Matilde may be the resident bitch skank who's ok with being married to a drug dealer, but Ximena seems to have a good happy family attitude by ignoring that her husband may be killing other people's children. Not good. Delusional maybe. Closet bitch. But not good. And the boy shot a dog so really not good. The little girl is ok so far, but I wouldn't give her a gun. Maybe we need a "good", "bad", and "good, considering..." column.

Hombre- Great recaps. Not only is the language a little harder to follow, but the editing is worse. Hard to know what the heck is going on and who is where. I haven't needed recaps this much since I started watching these, so thanks.

Kelly


 

Bill C, you are wonderful, not only a wonderful thorough recap but a wonderful summary. muchisimas gracias.

This is kind of like the "Godfather", You like some of the bad guys & hate others. Even Pablo Escobar was loving to his family, but extremely brutal to his enemies or anyone that betrayed him. I would like Aurelio BUT
he told his son to shoot his own hija's pet as target practice.
 

But Matilde found out about the Bomb, so that's why she skipped. I thought she tipped off someone that tipped off Monica. How did Monica find out where Ximena was if not from Matilde?
 

Variopinta, you're right. Matilde did provide los Robles with the information about Ximena's whereabouts. Most probably, Matilde got the guy she met in the bar to give that information in the phone call she made on his cell phone. Using him and his cell phone was much less risky than speaking herself or using a phone that could be traced back to her or her family.
 

Bill C, I'm really interested in your citing Reina when you say "a villain with some sympathetic trait(s) is still a villain." I'm not so sure. Oleg Yasikov in Reina was at times extremely vicious and cruel, but I never thought of him as a villain. I liked him and cared about him a lot more deeply than I have about lots of telenovela galans. I think it was the writers' ability to create very attractive, complex characters like Yasikov that helped to make Reina so much more than a narco telenovela.
 

Juanita, I don't think Mathilde made the phone call with Ximena's hotel information at all.

The way I remember it is that she seduced the guy and asked HIM to make a phone call on his cell phone. She told him to say exactly what she was going to say to him. Then she whispered something in his ear, something Viewerville could not hear, thus giving some very tiny measure of doubt about whether she actually told Mónica where they were staying. But it was pretty clear to me that that is what happened.
 

Novelera, I had the impression that Matilde used the guy's cell phone to dial the number, but he was the one who did the talking, saying what she had told him to say. I think we both agree that she told him to say where Ximena and family were staying. The reason I say that she made the call is that I recall her asking him whether she could borrow his cell phone. She probably did that rather than tell him what number to call. The less he knows, the better, as far as she's concerned. (I think this is taking place in 1993 (Pablo Escobar has just been killed), and I think cell phones then may not have kept records of what numbers were called.)

Regardless of who dialed the number, I think we both agree that what's really important is that Matilde supplied the information about Ximena's whereabouts, even though she did so using the guy as an intermediary.
 

Of course, it's also possible that cell phones back in 1993 did keep records of the phone numbers called, and that that info may later cause problems for Matilde.
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

If they did keep records, I can't imagine who would be cking. This happened in Houston & didn't they cross the border illegally?
 

They may have crossed the border illegally in the sense that they used false passports, but I'm sure you could not land a private jet (they arrived in one of Aurelio's planes) and enter the US without a passport. I sort of halfway remember something about passports that didn't have their names on them. This might have been more to keep knowledge of their arrival from the Robles than to deceive any US agents.
 

We saw Turco giving Ximena and Matilde passports with false names in Houston, and in the first episode Ximena referenced a set of apparently fake passports she and AC had used for an earlier trip. That leaves the plane...I suppose it could have had a completely legit flight plan, or it could have touched down at some unidentified airfield rather than a major airport with sketchy paperwork. The show doesn't want us to think too hard about this. :)

Juanita, belatedly: I was thinking of Teresa Mendoza herself when I mentioned Reina (at least the earlier, less embedded Teresa)...and in fairness it's been long enough since I last saw it that I don't remember folks like Oleg. I guess it's all a matter of perspective, though...and it's good that mileage can vary. Unless it's Matilde. :)
 

Bill C, do you think of Teresa Mendoza as a villain? I guess I can understand that, but that's not the way I see her. ¡Para nada! However, I agree that your statement "a villain with some sympathetic trait(s) is still a villain" applies to almost everyone in "Cielos," even to Aurelio.
 

No beanies required if you believe that Carrillo's operation owed some of its spectacular success to fairly high-up agreements with US government agencies that allowed his fleet to use various airfields without having to file flight plans. It wasn't just the Mexicans who were corrupt in this business. It was highly advantageous for all players. Just rumor, but it's out there.
 

The man had a huge fleet of planes. He for sure had deals with some higher ups in the US that allowed for that kind of air traffic.
 

Well, I was wrong, and all those who said Monica hired the shooter at the wedding were right. The young guy was sick, needed money, so Monica was going to have him take out Ximena (and maybe Aurelio). But just as he's ready to shoot, here comes Larry Hernandez! Yes, I know it's 1994, but forget that, Larry and his band play some great music in the middle of the wedding. The deacon guy can't mess up the show, ends up running, climbing, falling. Dead. We also have El Original Banda de Limon, who are also very entertaining (love those tubas).

But I wasn't TOTALLY wrong, as Aurelio DOES use the wedding for revenge, hiring "Miss Sinaloa" to seduce Isidro Robles, then poison his drink. It doesn't look good for Monica's brother.

But Monica herself isn't done yet. She first gives Ximena the watch Aurelio gave her, with the inscription "Masters of Time", commemorating their 24 hour love fest in Aurelio's plane which went west through time zones for a whole day. Lots of hints, Xime doesn't hear them. But later, Monica lays a big wet kiss on Aurelio, and Matilda happens to see! Will she tell Xime?

Vargas has lots of great pictures of the Colombian druglords meeting with the Mexican druglords. But I think he's about to be caught. Oh oh!

Bill's full recap will probably have all the details.
 

Some info on the Juarez cartel.

http://www.insightcrime.org/groups-mexico/juarez-cartel

I guess enough money can corrupt anyone. Pablo Escobar was on the Fortune 500
Read this, it just shows how much money is involved.
http://www.worldsstrangest.com/mental-floss/profiles-in-scourges-pablo-escobar/
 

Thanks very much, Variopinta, for these two links. I learned a lot.
 

OK, Hombre, in our competition to see who is wrong more often, you now have a very slight lead, but I'm sure I'll catch up soon! :-)

De todos modos, MANY thanks for your succinct summary. Bill C's recaps are more detailed, but I find yours very helpful as well!


 

Monica hired the hitman, but it made no sense for her to keep looking up calling attention to herself & the asasino . If I were sitting next to her, I would follow her gaze & start screaming. No wonder they changed the names to protect, not the innocent but the the way more adept at getting rid of people. bye bye Robles cartel.
 

Thanks, Hombre, Juanita, and Variopinta. Excellent comments all.

If Isidro buys it, it really isn't fair. Of the Robles siblings, he seems the closest to having some sort of "code". He was outraged Mónica was willing to kill Ximena and the children. He seemed glad there was going to be a truce. Guadalupe appears half nuts most of the time. And Isidro gets poisoned because his rotten sister used his computer.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes

We open the week still live and direct from the wedding of Aurelio Casillas and Ximena Letrán, where the priest is speechifying, and Monica is still looking up like an idiot at the church balcony where a would-be assassin is still lining up a shot with a rifle...apparently at Ximena. And thanks to a flashback we find out his name: Jaivo, an apparently troubled young man whom Monica hired to do the hit with the promise of providing for his mother.

So Jaivo is still trying to line up his shot, and Monica is looking a bit more jittery, and the priest gets to "If anyone can show just cause as to why these two people should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." And that's the perfect time for some guy in full mariachi gear to walk through the doorway and object--no, no, he's just there to give his godfather AC a wedding gift. Namely a song performed by his friend, Larry Hernandez. And here's Larry and a band now. (Okay, hold it now. Larry would have been fifteen years old in 1993...but he's part of the Telemundo family already, so he probably came cheap. And we're officially over in a parallel universe.) So Larry and his band go ahead and get their music on just inside the church, and Jaivo's shot is ruined...

Mexico City: inside a giant blue house we see Colonel Jimenez Arroyo in uniform, checking himself out in a mirror. This is where we meet his wife, a slightly frosty-looking woman named Doris (Rocio Verdejo), who asks why he's in uniform on a Saturday...she wanted to take him to go buy some plants. Arroyo notes he's got to take care of something at work; Doris establishes her ride-or-die status by wondering what's up--los Casillas are negotiating with other organizations, so what's wrong? Arroyo notes he doesn't care about AC's stuff...it's Marco Mejia, who's "acting strange." Doris thinks keeping an eye on him is good, and is all "Keep your enemies closer, honey" when she suggests inviting him and his mother to dinner. Arroyo says that our Standard Action Hero's not his enemy...not yet, according to Doris; he's passionate, obsessive, and likely to turn on Arroyo in a heartbeat. So why not keep an eye on him?

Speaking of SAH, he's at his office on the phone with Vargas--Vargas is checking himself out in his own mirror, all gussied up like a server, and is checking in before leaving for AC's wedding reception. SAH advises Vargas to if necessary contact a man at the Attorney General's office in Sinaloa they can trust...and no, he still hasn't told Arroyo what he's doing. It's okay, though--he knows what he's doing. He tells Vargas to be careful before hanging up; I'm not even counting the action movie cliches at this point, but this is kind of a biggie.

Back to the church, where Larry is still singing and AC and Ximena are just bopping along at the altar and Monica has a big black cloud over her head. And she looks at her big, bejeweled watch and has another flashback to "the longest night in history" on AC's plane (and dammit show stop with the leg porn for a minute!), which is where AC gave mi reina the watch "so that you'll remember this night" before they set out. It even has an inscription on the back: dueños del tiempo (masters of time, I suspect). Monica asks AC that, if she asked him to make the night last longer than 24 hours--to last a lifetime--could he? AC, in full mack mode, says that he'd love to...but it'd still only last until they ran out of fuel. And they're making out, and back in the present Monica turns around and looks up at the balcony for a third time--which is the charm, because a couple of guys in the background notice her looking up there and look up there too...oh, hi, Jaivo!
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 2)


So as Larry wraps up his song and exits Jaivo goes ahead and bails out a side door on the balcony, leaving his rifle behind for the two guys to find. And as Rutila is giving her parents their wedding rings and they're putting them on each other Jaivo leads his pursuers outside, up some stairs and a ladder into the church's belfry (the pursuers aren't quite ballsy enough to follow him all the way up, but hey). Which means he can't stop the priest from officially declaring AC and Ximena man and wife, or Monica from wondering why the hell he hasn't taken Ximena out yet...but Jaivo adds an exclamation point to the proceedings when he falls from the belfry (in slo-mo) as the happy couple is being congratulated outside. And he stays alive just long enough for them to yell for a doctor and an ambulance, long enough for AC to ask what he was doing up there, and long enough to freak a nearby Monica out when he gurgles something to the effect of "Don't forget to tell my mother..." before shuffling off the mortal coil. This naturally confuses AC and Ximena, though AC recovers first; he finds Chacorta and tells him to find out who the young man is and who he works for. After that Turco pops up and is all "Y'all go ahead, it's your day--I'll take care of this."

GIA: SAH is telling some worker bee about how he wants pictures of all known drug lords on top of a report for immigration about related Colombian nationals (so their movements could be tracked nationwide). The worker bee notes he had briefly talked to Vargas, who was still on "the trail SAH gave him"--which is what, Arroyo asks, as he shows up. SAH spins it that he's looking into nothing serious...just some "movement" in two areas known to be AC's territory, which involved all the area hotels being fully booked, so he sent Vargas to check it out. Arroyo looks only a little suspicious at that, but he tells SAH to keep him informed of all his investigations...even the routine ones. This is normally the part in the movie where the hero starts to suspect his boss is dirty, though Arroyo tries to mitigate it a bit when he officially invites SAH and his mother to dinner. SAH accepts and Arroyo walks away--but not far enough that he can't overhear the call SAH gets from Vargas, who finally made it to the reception (which is apparently in Guamuchil, one of the two aforementioned areas--contextually, this is apparently where AC's new ranch is). It's chock full of narcos, including some familiar faces, and from this point on Vargas will be out of touch. SAH tells him to take care of himself, and thanks him for always being on his side. Uh oh. (Vargas indeed sneaks into the reception as a server, complete with an "I'm late because my son was sick! Don't fire me!" excuse for a guard.)

AC has apparently made it home by now, so before the reception starts in earnest he has a quick chat with Chacorta and the two guys who made Jaivo. Only one of the guys, Norteño, gets dialogue; he confirms that they had noticed Monica looking all jittery (thank you, audience analogue!) and that Jaivo was indeed a freelancer who did jobs for whomever but was muy enfermo. AC sends Norteño and friend off to watch los Robles--if they tried once, they'll try again--and then wonders why they'd try to do something in the church with Don Cleto right there. Chacorta is all "Bitches be crazy, yo...speaking of which, why was Monica at the wedding anyway? You're the only one who knows exactly what's up there, right?" AC's reply is interrupted by a call from Arroyo, who tells him...wait for it...the government sent a mole to spy on them. Welcome to the deathwatch, Vargas.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 3)

This doesn't put a damper on the reception, however. That opens with Turco up on a stage (along with La Arrollada Banda el Limon, which at least has been around forever as opposed to Mr. Hernandez) giving the usual "It's a special day for the Casillas family" speech. It's at least blessedly short before he asks the newlyweds up on stage along with the mayor (municipal president, yeah yeah) and his wife; Ximena wants to give them a check for three million pesos for a new high school, which is "a small donation to share some of the good fortune with which God has blessed us with all of you." That's another one of those sympathetic-by-default moments, girl. But after that Banda el Limon gets their jam on and everybody's dancing (Isidro is still hanging out with the "altar girl" in red).

We then see Alba wandering around the reception grounds with Chacorta's baby mama, whose name is apparently Saida, with Rutila chasing Victorito around ahead of them. Saida thanks Alba for inviting them, but thinks it's probably time for them to go--she doesn't want Chacorta to make a scene--and Alba pffts at that, saying he'll be the one who gets kicked out if he did. Chacorta himself wanders over on the heels of that and is all "Hi there, so glad you came"; Alba notes she invited Saida, wondering if he's got a problem with that. Chacorta nahs, but admits that he doesn't "want Matilde to get any ideas" (okay, I can't even with that considering Matilde and Chacorta's natures)--and Alba bahs and tells him to send Matilde her way if she does make a fuss, so she can tell her that Saida's child is part of her family and Matilde's not. Chacorta wisely is all "Yeah, let's just drop that for the moment" and bails.

AC and Ximena take a moment out from dancing to talk about Jaivo and what his mother will think when she finds out he died like he did; AC keeps mum about what he heard from Norteño, saying that Jaivo's time was up anyway if he was that sick and that he asked Turco to send Jaivo's mother some money, before Turco lures him away for a minute. Turco then officially introduces AC to the Colombian connection: El Cabo, Marquez (who's actually a lawyer), and one Alvaro Jose Perez (Julián Arango, bringing over another character from El Cartel) who at the moment is an even bigger fashion disaster than El Cabo. At least Cabo wore a suit. AC welcomes them to Mexico, and Cabo notes he ran into AC once in the past at some sort of gig of Pablo Escobar's (AC naturally was drunk); AC takes that opportunity to ask "Hey, you knew Pablo. Where'd he go wrong?" Cabo notes that Pablo wanted everybody to know he was the strongest of them all; once you start thinking you're vaca que mas c--- *, he adds, it's practically a death sentence. AC looks thoughtful at that before laughingly sending Cabo and company back to the women they left alone (I guess they picked them up at the wedding or something), and Turco cautions him to keep an eye on them.

* I think the last word in that phrase, which is blipped out in the audio, is "caga." So the entire phrase, if I have it right, means "the cow that shits the most." CC3 said "the big cheese." Yay foreign colloquialisms!

After that Chacorta shows up and informs AC that Cleto wants everybody to get together in an hour for the big powwow, which is AC's chance to ask him how the altar girl's doing with Isidro. He's still macking on her, of course, which gets a perfecto out of AC; Monica is a separate issue, though, and AC will take care of that himself. If she was responsible for Jaivo, he says, he'll hit her where it hurts the most.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 4)

Most of the last few scenes, by the way, are witnessed from afar by Vargas. He's wandering around sneakily snapping pictures with a spy camera when he can. Yeah, you're not helping yourself off the deathwatch.

Deen Deen Deen Deen: Ximena, meanwhile, gets a couple of seconds with Heriberto complementing her on being muy guapa before Monica slides up to talk to her...does Ximena know why los Robles are there? ximena notes that they're there to reach a truce with AC, and Monica confirms it. She doesn't want to "look behind her," though, so she wants to give Ximena a peace offering--the watch. Ximena is all "Oh, this is beautiful...but I can't take it," and Monica insists--the watch has great sentimental value, since "the man who taught me to love gave it to me," and she wants Ximena to have it. Ximena notes that's exactly why she should keep it, which prompts Monica to remark that something intimate connects her and Ximena...why, just look at that beautiful inscription. Ximena is admittedly puzzled by that--what could they have in common? Monica says they both love men who are always in danger, who hold the hand of death--Ximena and her husband, Monica aaaaaand...her brothers.

Monica then goes on to talk about how she was so jealous of Ximena when she saw her standing at the altar next to AC...how she wished she could be like Ximena, so confident and brave. (It's too bad this is a narconovela, because--while I hate it as it relates to the central character--I'm kind of loving crazy-ass obsessed Monica. We just need her to go all Single White Female on Ximena.) Monica was once like that, with her "great love" for a madman who took her around the world in an airplane--and for just a second Ximena's radar goes blip--to follow the moon...thus the inscription. Ximena remarks that Monica must still love that man very much because of how her eyes sparkle when she talks about him...what happened? Monica admits she lost him, that "his heart seemed to be elsewhere," when Rutila pops up; Alba's looking for her. Monica excuses herself on that point, reiterating that her man gave her the watch on that special night...and now she's giving it to Ximena, con todo mi corazon. It wouldn't surprise me if she had somehow rigged it to explode.

Ximena thus goes to meet Alba and Saida, the latter of whom thanks her for inviting various teachers and parents to her wedding. Ximena is glad to hear that; she's big on education, and thinks that their youth can turn out to be more than gunmen or assassins, and I'm frantically unplugging the lie detector as Alba remarks that "nobody chooses where they're born" and they just ended up where they are. The country's become a violent place, but neither her sons nor Ximena's dad--nor any of them--chose that. I'm going to leave the lie detector unplugged for the rest of this episode...

Isidro is still macking on Altar Girl, who's apparently a beauty queen (Miss Sinaloa, we find out later). She's rocking the "I can't believe I was crowned! But I don't have any experience!" thing, and a tipsy (she's keeping him drinking) Isidro is all "I can give you all the experience you need, girl." I'm thinking you can usually tell the antagonist in a telenovela by their skills in verbally macking on the other sex (unless it's Cesar Evora, and he...well...), so Isidro kind of proves that rule right now.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 5)

AC's godson, who's called Alejito, is a musician himself as it turns out. At Matilde's urging he approaches Chacorta with a proposal: he's about to release his first album, and he wants Matilde to sing with him on a track on his second album. She's got a special voice. (I suppose it's possible, but...) Chacorta's actually okay with this on the condition that Alejito sings on Matilde's first album; he wants him to make his wife a star, and money's no object. We're still four years out from the invention of Auto-Tune in this universe, so they'd likely have to make her sound good the hard way.

And finally we get to the narcos' meeting, with Don Cleto presiding and AC, Chacorta, Turco, los Robles and the Colombians in attendance. Cleto refers to some supply issues which they need to deal with together, and El Cabo elaborates that with the death of Pablo Escobar there's been all-out war to control the cocaine market on top of production issues...but this is counterbalanced by an increasing demand in the United States. Isidro is the one to go "Tell us something we don't already know," and Cabo explains that the Cadena cartel needs partners in order to move its product. Los Robles and los Casillas are the most powerful cartels in Mexico, but they've also been at war...both sides need to work it out so they can both get in on this. Cleto backs that up in full Vito Corleone mode--they're all businessmen, and the business has to come first for the good of all--and Cabo suggests that both cartels can split the supply amount he's offering: 250 tons. Are both sides okay with that?

AC is quietly reluctant to commit, and Cleto wonders if they're all just wasting their time; he asks Isidro if he's down for cooperation, and Isidro agrees that his family is willing to put aside their past fights and admit that they "made mistakes" in the name of a truce. AC in turn says he's glad to hear that (the mistake part), but is still willing to smoke the peace pipe with them (while taking a moment to stare at a jittery Monica). So Cleto breaks it down: the Colombians will get the 250 tons of cocaine from their producers and ship it to Mexico, and the Robles and Casillas cartels will handle distribution to the States (los Robles gets the eastern half of the country, los Casillas the western half). Everybody's happy. And Isidro shakes on it with AC, declaring that los Robles "forget, forgive, and keep moving forward"; AC accepts his collective apology, handshakes all around, and they can get back to enjoying the reception.

And that leads to a rather sweet montage with more Banda el Limon playing while all the couples slow dance and kiss, with the outsiders--Saida, Turco, and Monica--all looking on forlornly at their respective beloveds. I want to hug you all, guys. And on that note night falls, which gives us the Colombian contingent swapping their girls around on a whim (Cabo trades up to a voluptuous brunette in white, so go Cabo) before we see Isidro introducing Miss Sinaloa to his favorite sister Monica. Monica notes he's been too "amused" to introduce her to anybody; he chuckles that off while MS ducks into the restroom, which gives him the chance to ask Monica if she's okay. Monica is all "I don't know what you mean," but Isidro sees right through that--he knows she was all out of sorts at the wedding, so why'd she come? Monica claims she came to see the wedding herself, in addition to the meeting...Isidro's really happy about that, since it turned out better than he could have expected. MS pops back up on that note, and that's Isidro's cue to spirit her away for some "fun."
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 6)

Mexico City: SAH has apparently just asked Eugenia to come with him to dinner with Arroyo and Doris, since she's saying that his mother was invited and not her. SAH bahs at that--Arroyo didn't say he couldn't bring his novia--and Eugenia's all "Wait, I'm your novia now? You've never called me that before now." SAH, in true action hero fashion, is in turn all "What, aren't we there yet?"; Eugenia notes that he's apparently called her such lovely things as compañera, even amiga, but never novia. So SAH rectifies that by declaring that they'll do it from the beginning...and he gets on one knee and asks Eugenia Casas to be his fiancee and accompany him to dinner. Eugenia accepts, if whimsically only because she "wants to know if Arroyo is going to accept her." FF>

At this point Arroyo is on the phone to Turco, who's confirming the truce and agreement with los Robles. Arroyo admits he wasn't sure AC and Isidro could settle their differences, but this is good news...though he still advises Turco to keep him informed. AC "could get creative," after all. He cuts the call short in order to reach a truce of his own, as SAH and company show up, but manages to give Turco one last piece of advice: they've still got a mole in their midst, and catching him could "teach Mejia a lesson." Thus Arroyo and Doris get to meet Emma, SAH's mother, and his fiancee Eugenia--Arroyo's surprised to find out about the novia bit, though he guesses SAH was hiding it because he didn't want to share her beauty with everybody else. (SAH: "That's not too far off, sir.")

They end up getting some drinks before dinner and Arroyo is regaling SAH and Eugenia about his family's history (Grandpa had a fishing boat in/near Sinaloa before the narcos came and they had to move to Mexico City). Eugenia offers to bring him a book on Sinaloa that a colleague wrote, thinking he'd like it; Arroyo gives SAH a remarkably fake que bien! on realizing that his fiancee's a "beautiful and smart" journalist. This is punctuated by SAH getting a call from Vargas, who's about to leave the reception; he's got photos of los Robles, the Colombians, everybody. SAH is happy to hear that and tells Vargas to GTFO...and right after Vargas hangs up, there's Norteño and his friend going "And where are you going in a hurry?" to him (and we see him drop his phone in his car). Naturally, SAH is telling Arroyo about how los Robles and los Casillas are apparently planning something big together at the same time...

Re-Deen Deen Deen Deen: back to the reception, where Chacorta is walking up on a dour-looking Monica and asking her to "leave the past behind" and dance with him in the name of their new partnership...that is, if a frowning Guadelupe nearby approves. Monica goes ahead and goes to dance with him, mainly to stare at AC and Ximena still dancing the evening away; when AC notices, he goes ahead and gives Ximena a smooch. This unfortunately is not followed by Monica completing the crazy-stalker hat trick by hijacking somebody's truck and trying to run the newlyweds down...
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 7)

OTOH, Monica does manage to catch AC alone in his den (and judging from the look of it this is indeed his original ranch) and ask if he's going to stop avoiding her. AC is all "Girl, why are you here?" and she again says she wanted to see his wedding for herself...see if he really is in love with Ximena. AC then wonders if she had anything to do with what happened at the church, and she retorts that the only thing that happened there was his getting married...which she had nothing to do with, and certainly didn't want. AC declares that he's married, and as she can see they've got no worries; Monica goes "Challenge accepted" and plants a big one right on AC's lips. Which is naturally witnessed by a passing Matilde through the glass den door, impactada face and all.

The kiss lasts an entire commercial break before AC breaks it off--he's told her, this can't happen. Monica is all "Boy, you'd better tell yourself that because you don't even believe it," and wants him to tell her he doesn't think about her...that he wouldn't spend his wedding night with her...and there's the hand in his hair right before she goes in for another kiss. This one's a lot shorter, unfortunately, and AC breaks it off with "Respect the home of my children!" Monica frosts over a bit, and then reminds him that she didn't reach an agreement with him before he stomps out...but once he's gone she's touching her lips, remembering the kiss, and I'm thinking she could totally go Single White Female on Ximena.

Back outside Guadelupe is talking to Alba and Cleto about how, while they may have had trouble in the past, los Robles will be their happy new partners. Alba is totally frosty as she says that she respects her children's decisions and just walks off on him (he at least gets a handshake from Cleto); a passing AC and Cleto both encourage Guadelupe to take it easy--they did attack her family, after all, and it'll take a while to smooth that over. Uh huh. FF>>>

Matilde, after seeing Monica kissing on AC, headed straight for Ximena and AC's bedroom...so when Ximena pops up, she's all "Congratulations! Lovely wedding! Shit-eating grin!" Ximena wonders what's up with her, if something happened, and Matilde says yes--but she's not sure if she should tell her. Though she'll find out sooner or later...

No Salud For You: Isidro by this point has snuck into a bedroom with Miss Sinaloa to get their "fun" on. And they brought their drinks...so, while he's getting a little comfy on the bed, we get to see Miss Sinaloa pouring some SPECIAL TELENOVELA POWDER into his drink. They have a quick toast and get down to it, and Isidro at least gets to the afterglow phase before the searing pain kicks in. Miss Sinaloa, for her part, busts out a perdóname while still sitting next to him watching him groan and beg her to go get help...

...and she's still there when AC shows up and is all "Hey, man. You okay?" Isidro certainly isn't happy to see that maldito traidor, but AC notes that he started it; he did things that are "unforgivable." Isidro in turn growls that Monica and Guadelupe are still outside--how will he explain this to them? AC tells him not to worry, he'll take care of it...and Isidro's going to die. Obviously Isidro never listened to Bell Biv Devoe: never trust a big butt and a smile, man! (Actually, that probably applies to Aurelio too. Who'd have guessed?)
 

Bill- You knocked this one out of the park. I only saw the last 15 minutes-- will catch up over the weekend, but I had the exact same thought about Monica-- "b*tches be crazy, yo!" Get out of my head Bill. LOL!

And she really is insane to order a hit on Ximena in the church. She knows she would have been suspect # 2, or 3 (if not #1 if Aurelio actually thought with his big head for a minute), and wouldn't have made it out of that church alive.

Also not thinking with his big head-- Isidro. I really hope e doesn't die, because Guadalupe and Monica would be totally BSC without him.
 

Bill- I'm also glad you're getting the opportunity to enjoy so much Fernanda Castillo leg porn. She only wore long, flowing skirts in Amor Bravio, so we never got a chance to see her super long gams. That gold dress particularly showed off her assets.
 

Bill C, you did it again, super amigo.
What a bitch Matilde is, but Ximena is very cool. Wonder where the watch will lead?
 

Gracias Bill C. Fabulous recap. Love your stylish prose and thanks for filling in all the small details that went right past me.
 

Vivi, agreed about Fernanda (Mónica). She's one crazy b--tch in this one, but in AB, she was so adorably crunchy-granola, I'm still not used to the switcheroo.
 

+1 What they said
 

Super recap, Bill. I, too am somewhat taken with Monica, despite the fact that she bad and crazy (tall, too, she towered over Chacorta, but at least Aurelio's over six feet, so they look good together).

That Alba is really reminding me of Grannie Clampett. In a GOOD way.
 

Thanks, Bill. Wonderfully detailed recap.

The reception was great - lots of family, food, dancing, back room deals - and death (coming) to the traitors. Tonight's ep should be pretty exciting.

Ximena's a smart lady. I'm guessing she's already figured out that Monica and AC had a "thing" at one time, and she'll tell Matilde to shut it.

Beth
 

Bill C, lo siento. I thought I could just piggyback on the praise others were providing, but that doesn't begin to indicate how grateful I am for your terrific recaps. Each one has seemed to me more delightful than the one before it--detailed, clever, snarky, and immensely helpful. And this time, thanks to you, I've finally connected the lady in red at the church with Miss Sinaloa.

¡Muchísimas gracias!
 

I don't have much to say at this point about last night's episode (Tuesday's), except that I was pleased to see that two of the more likeable women apparently have brains that function well. Ximena confronted Aurelio about the watch that was given to her by "tu amante Mónica Robles," and Eugenia told her novio Marco Mejia that she doesn't trust Marco's boss, Jiménez Arroyo, that something about him just doesn't seem right.

Also, as a more general comment, I guess I'm learning not to trust the avances. More than in most telenovelas I've seen, the ones for "Cielos" seem more often than not to be deceptive. I guess that's part of the fun.
 

Aurelio probably got that potassium from Amor Bravio, they had some leftover since Isadora didn't get a chance to use it on Cayetano.

I see this one coming, the Dr. is bought & Isidro had a heart attack.
 

Variopinta- I actually don't think the doctor's been bought. He was sweating bullets when they showed him, so I think el Turco is standing right there with a gun to his head, to "encourage" him to say it was a heart attack. The first doctor they had was diry and was going to take money to lie.
 

Vivi, I agree, someone probably has a gun to the second doctor's head.

In many ways (and it's not surprising), this show is like Pablo Escobar. Pablo lied, over and over, to his wife, his kids, his mother, his henchmen, his rivals. All of this was to keep his image of being the "good guy", at least for these people, intact. And it worked for a long, long time. But eventually his mother figured things out, then rivals, eventually his wife and oldest son. Sure, Ximena knows Aurelio had that affair with Monica, but that's not enough to prevent her from forgiving him, at least for their wedding night, as she tells him she loves him completely.

Don Cleto also suspects the boys poisoned Isidro, but Aurelio and Chacorta are going to keep him in the dark (a la márgen, or something like that).

Juanita, I agree, it was good that Eugenia sees that Arroyo is suspicious, even if Marco doesn't seem to notice it much yet.
 

At the dinner party, there was another woman besides the General's wife y Eugenia, who was that?
 

Variopinta- That was Mejia's mom. The invitation was originally just extended to Mejia and his mom, since Arroyo didn't know he had a girlfriend.
 

Nice to see Ximena with a teensy backbone, but she's still too much of a doormat to be likeable. She just seems a little delusional as to what her life really is, in that she acts like a happy housewife yet she's with a drug dealer who will probably get her son killed. Matilde on the other hand may be a whatever that fufurufa word is she used last night (great word!), but she has a greater sense of self and situation and isn't afraid to go after what she wants. And I kinda can't wait until she finds out about Victor's other family.

Neither of them hold a candle to Monica though. She's a businesswoman trying to make it in a man's world while still wearing her take-no-prisoner's hair, narco-ramerawear dresses, and stomp-your-eyeballs-out stiletos. I admire her style.

But el Turco is still my guy. Cute, loyal, and he wears suspenders. What's not to like?

And how rude was it to interrupt a wedding for the mariachis? Why not wait until the ceremony is over?

Kelly
 

We now return to General Hospital, where mobster Sonny Corinthos is gloating over the impending death of rival Lorenzo Alcazar...wait, sorry, got my shows mixed up...

El Señor de los Cielos: martes

So Aurelio Casillas is gloating at the bedside of a groaning and pissed Isidro Robles, and tells him once more that he's going to die. This is of course punctuated by a flashback to Marco Mejia telling him about the apparent death of his family in the car bomb in Houston; Isidro manages to grunt out that he had nothing to do with that, and AC lazily brushes that off--there's no point in Isidro lying now. He came after AC at his ranch, at Lucia Salas's apartment, and at the hospital where AC was about to have surgery...planting a car bomb is nothing for him. For that matter, neither is wanting to kill AC in a church on his wedding day--but he's going to deny that too, right? (Isidro gets a headshake out.) AC wonders if Isidro's heart is breaking, since that's like the pain that he felt when he heard his family was dead...so, Isidro, "you poisoned me first. Now it's my turn." And on that note, Isidro finally kicks off.

Note that Miss Sinaloa's been in bed with Isidro throughout all of this and ignored by AC up until now, when he tells her not to touch Isidro's body...wait five minutes...and then leave the room. She knows what to say. And as he leaves the girl is just rocking a "WTF did I get myself into?" look as she glances over at her dead bedmate.

Elsewhere in the house Matilde is still needling Ximena--"Don't you want to know the man you married?" Ximena says she knows perfectly well who she married--the man she's loved for the last twenty years--and tells Matilde to beat it before she decides to tell AC about their little chat. Matilde goes ahead and bails, telling Ximena she hopes she enjoys her first night as a married woman, the bien gata; Ximena throws out a sarcastic gracias in turn.

Mexico City: Colonel Jimenez Arroyo wonders how Marco found out about the wedding, which indeed was at AC's ranch. Marco is all "There are still people in the world who believe in truth, justice and the Mexican way"...honorable people that he's met during his investigations. Arroyo mm-hmms at that...yes, "risk-takers" like Vargas who went straight into the lion's den for him. Marco notes that Vargas is perhaps his best officer, a vet of "these wars" from the old guard and a friend of his father, and we're all running for cover from this unusually large anvil as he claims that once Arroyo sees Vargas's pictures he'll see that the Robles and Casillas cartels are working on something big. Arroyo merely sips his drink and manages not to look evil for five seconds.

Vargas, meanwhile? Norteño and a friend still have him cornered by his car, where he's meekly asking them to let him go...though Norteño notes that a simple waiter like him wouldn't be sporting a sweet cellphone like the one in his hand. Or that sweet camera either ("but my daughter gave me these from her trip to the U.S.!")...yeah, right. So they just hustle him off. (So what did we see him drop in his car in the last episode if it wasn't his phone? Film from the camera?)

Those five minutes are just about up, by the way, so we see AC and Don Cleto back at the reception having a celebratory toast with Guadelupe and the Colombians on their deal and "better times" when Miss Sinaloa runs out screaming for help...something's happened to Isidro! Monica pops up (sporting a fur coat over the gold dress, which makes her look even more like a gorgeous high-end call girl than just the dress) and demands to know what's up...Isidro wasn't feeling well, according to Miss Sinaloa. She thinks he might have had a heart attack.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: martes (p. 2)

AC thus is all "Oh no, we must call a doctor" (Cleto does a far better job when he says that later, but then his sentiment is genuine) as he, Monica, and Guadelupe all haul ass into the house with los Robles' goons getting into a brief shoving match with AC's goons as Chacorta suddenly shows up and escorts Miss Sinaloa the hell out of there. Thus, while Monica ends up begging Isidro to wake up and Guadelupe is running off to find that doctor, a very nervous Miss Sinaloa is given an envelope of money by Chacorta and hustled into a waiting truck. That's enough money for her to get to Los Angeles, according to Chacorta; once she gets there she'll get in touch with someone who'll give her the rest of her payment. And she'd better disappear. Chacorta tells the truck's driver to make sure MS gets on a plane, and off they go.

At the same time Norteño and his friend from earlier in the day, Carmona, have taken Vargas somewhere on the ranch and have begun tenderizing his face with their fists. Norteño advises him not to be a pendejo and just spill--they all know he wouldn't be rocking expensive toys like the phone. Vargas holds firm to the daughter story, though it gets him another punch in the face; Norteño tells him not to speak unless spoken to, and sends Carmona off to ask Chacorta for instructions. Heriberto wanders along at this point and wonders what's up, and Norteño tells him to leave before his father gets mad about him "seeing something he shouldn't." Naturally he doesn't go just yet, and wants to know why they're beating on this guy...

Shortly after this AC and Turco are patiently waiting for the inevitable news. AC's got his hat back on, so you know he's in evil mode. They then see a quietly crying Monica come out of the bedroom Isidro's body is in, followed by a white-haired man...they apparently found a doctor after all. AC asks him if anything how Isidro is, if he could do anything for him, and the doctor says no--his apparent heart attack was fatal. Guadelupe literally runs into the scene shouting "Heart attack? The hell? Isidro was healthier than anybody!" and then stomps off...just as Ximena wanders in wondering what's going on, which means she gets to give her husband a QTH look. And AC in turn just looks icy. At least they're not dragging out the discovery aspect of this.

Over at House Arroyo everybody finally made it to the dinner table. Arroyo slops enough sugar for a 36-pack of Mountain Dew when he's all "It's great to have you here...I hope you consider this your home too" to Marco and company. Marco is glad to hear that, and Arroyo goes on to say to Emma that he's noticed a "humanity and professionalism he's rarely seen" in her son since he met him. Obviously he got that from her and his father, who "was a hero to all of us who are dedicated to the fight against the terrible problem of drugs." Damn, there are English-speaking politicians who don't spin like that...though what makes it work is Eugenia blatantly looking wary of Arroyo while he's all over Marco and Cartagena's metaphorical jocks. So while Emma is all "Aww...!" and Marco is grinning and Arroyo is making a toast to Emma and the memory of Eduardo Cartagena, Eugenia is still side-eyeing Arroyo. Probably less of a cliche that the girlfriend is the first one to suspect the seemingly upstanding guy of bad intentions, but I'll take it.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: martes (p. 3)

Chacorta finally catches up to Norteño and Vargas and is all "Dude, don't be rude to our guest." He simply has one question for Vargas: did Marco Mejia send him there to rat them out? Vargas's silence is all the answer he needs; Norteño knows what to do with him, right?

Guadelupe is stomping through AC's house...let's just follow him for a minute. The theater advises you to turn off all lie detectors now.

Guadelupe: "Armaaaaaaas! (Yes, drawn out for about three seconds.) I need my armaaaaaas!"
Cleto: "Calm the hell down! We all said no guns here! I guaranteed--"
Guadelupe: "Piss off, grampa!"
Alba: "You little whippersnapper, respect your elders! Try that shit with me, I dare you!"
AC: "No, Mom, you don't have your shotgun. Now back off--everybody settle down. You can't blame anybody for a heart attack."
Monica: "Screw you, my brother is dead!"
Ximena: "I don't even know why I'm asking you to come with me, Monica, but come with--"
Monica: "Get off me, bitch!"
Robles Goons: "Hut hut hut hut hut..."
Guadelupe: "Yes! Mis armaaaaaaas!"
AC's Goons: "Hut hut hut hut hut..."
AC: "Okay, Monica, calm d--"
Monica: "Yoooouuuuu! You killed him, you bastard! You've already wrecked my life, but I can't ever forgive you for this! I hate you!"
AC: "Oh, girl, c'mere...now calm down...calm down...that's it..."
Monica: "I hate you ...now let go of me!"
Turco, El Cabo, Marquez, and Alvaro: "Wait--are we extras in this scene?"
AC: "Okay, everybody just lower those guns!...everybody?...okay. Now look, Monica, this was an accident. Your brother had a heart attack, and I'm sorry, but it wasn't my fault."
Monica: "...eff that. I want an autopsy."
Guadelupe: "What she said. An autopsy...and I swear, if anything hinky turns up, there will be war."
AC: "You know what? Fine by me...on both counts, bitch."

Back in Mexico City Marco and Eugenia are home after their dinner date. Eugenia wonders if he noticed that she doesn't like Arroyo...it's not like she was shooting death rays from her eyes, but it was kind of obvious. Marco wonders why she doesn't like him; wasn't he sincere when he was talking about his dad? It's not like Arroyo really knows them. Eugenia tells him not to defend the guy...besides, Marco was bothered about those remarks too...but what's on Marco's mind? Marco obviously can't go more than a couple of hours without reverting to Standard Action Hero mode, since he notes that Arroyo's remarks about his family having owned businesses in Sinaloa pinged his radar...he's going to investigate that, but right now he's trying to reach Vargas on the phone...

And he gets Norteño instead; Vargas is "tied up at the moment." He and Carmona have taken Vargas out somewhere woodsy (along with what certainly looks like Vargas's car); he's all "Hold on, maybe Vargas wants to say something" and holds out the phone for Vargas to talk to him, which just amounts to him groaning SAH's name before Norteño tells Carmona to échatelo. And thus SAH gets to hear Carmona shoot Vargas in the head over the phone, and there goes Vargas into the trunk of his own car, and it's punctuated by his own calling out Vargas's name after the shot and telling Eugenia they killed him, and I know there's got to be something for this...

"In a world that's powered by violence..."
 

El Señor de los Cielos: martes (p. 4)

Sinaloa: AC is just wandering around the now deserted reception area when Cleto and Chacorta come up. Cleto hopes AC didn't have anything to do with Isidro's death; AC notes that it's not his fault if God gives someone a heart attack, and when Cleto mentions the impending autopsy assures him that nothing weird will come of that. Cleto still isn't entirely convinced--he's AC's father-in-law now, and a la familia no se le miente (one doesn't lie to family)--but goes ahead and leaves. Once he's gone Chacorta wonders how AC's so sure the autopsy will come up clean, and AC's answer is obvious: Turco's on the case, and will make sure it comes up clean. This is where Chacorta mentions the "waiter" they caught with the phone and camera--it's okay, though, since they already took care of him. AC's fine with that; now they just need to focus on the autopsy, and put their guys on alert just in case. If los Robles keep digging, There Will Be War.

We next see Monica in what looks like an operating room with Isidro's corpse conveniently out of frame. She tearfully begs him to forgive her, and swears that "if what I did because of the love I feel cost you your life, I'll avenge you myself." His death won't go unpunished, she swears. All good stalkers have to turn on the actual object of their obsession rather than the people around them sooner or later, so let's all welcome Monica to the other side of the thin line between love and hate.

Elsewhere Turco is meeting with a doctor, presumably the coroner, in his office. Turco just needs a couple of minutes of the good doctor's time, since he wants them to "get on the same page" (and look, here's seven stacks of money in his briefcase) about how Isidro's autopsy should show that he died of natural causes...a heart attack or whatever, just as long as it's natural causes. And he knows how los Casillas repay people who don't do them favors, right? The doctor is all "Man, don't bring me into this shit" and Turco assures him that it's just his bad luck that Isidro was at the wrong party at the wrong time...so. "Natural causes?" "Natural causes."

Guadelupe's out in the hall ordering Triste and a couple of guys not to leave until the autopsy is finished, so he gets to see Turco come along. Turco claims that los Casillas want this mess cleared up more than anybody else as he goes by, and Guadelupe isn't sure what to make of that.

Mexico City: SAH is back in his work clothes, armed, and telling Arroyo by phone about how Vargas was executed right over the phone. He's headed out to Sinaloa himself. Arroyo is doing a lousy job of holding down an evil grin while he's all "No! I don't believe it...now, Mejia, you be careful out there. We can't afford to lose agents as valuable as Vargas." SAH hangs up and heads out, with Eugenia telling him to be careful and giving him a quick sign-of-the-Cross before he goes.

Arroyo, meanwhile, makes a followup call to AC with evil smirk firmly in place; what happened with SAH's envoy? AC cheerfully bahs at those pendejos thinking that they could come to his home and take pictures, and thanks Arroyo for the tip; Arroyo tells him that SAH needed to be taught a lesson, that he can't make decisions without consulting his secretly evil overlord. Thank you, Colonel Palpatine.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: martes (p. 5)

Arroyo follows that up by telling AC that SAH is headed out there himself, but when AC goes "Pssh, we'll take him out too!" puts the kibosh on that. SAH is a special investigator appointed by the President, after all, and he's important to Arroyo too--he's a "direct line to los pinos." (The pines? I don't get that one.) AC says fine, though he can't guarantee that they'll take much more from "Marquito"; Arroyo insists that messing with SAH is like messing with the President, and would be a Bad Thing. Particularly now that they're about to get into bed with the Colombians and los Robles. And that's AC's cue: "Yeah, speaking of bad things...Isidro just decided to up and die in my house."

Even Arroyo is kind of suspiciously "Man, are you crazy?" impactado at that...what did AC do? AC sticks to the party line about Isidro having a heart attack while banging Miss Sinaloa--yeah, and Miss Sinaloa was probably introduced to him by AC, Arroyo retorts. AC insists that of course he'd never do something like that in his own home, on his wedding day...besides, who'd trust someone who didn't respect a truce made in his home? Arroyo hopes AC's telling the truth, for his and everybody's good, because if not There Will Be War. AC assures him he is before hanging up--but Chacorta, who's been listening nearby, gets to see him go esta mal over this. Chacorta then wonders why AC didn't tell Arroyo the truth, and AC thinks it's better this way...they'll tell him if war does in fact come, but why worry if it doesn't?

Back at the hospital Guadelupe and Triste go back into the morgue with Monica and Isidro's body; a tearful Guadelupe declares that he curses the moment they agreed to go to that maldito wedding, and asks Monica to leave him alone with Isidro. ("I want to stay--" "Girl, just this once do what I say and GTFO!") When she leaves Guadelupe urges his brother to descanse en paz...and he'll make sure he does.

Meanwhile, Ximena and Alba are hanging out in Ximena's bedroom. Ximena thinks that she can't escape death--first the thing at the church and now Isidro. Alba notes that "when we're born death is only a few steps away from us" and only God knows when it will act. But, Ximena notes, today was her wedding day; that, according to Alba, just means Death has bad manners. Ximena then is all "We've got to walk away from this life...Alba, can't you convince AC to walk away?" Alba looks a tiny bit regretful as she remarks that if Ximena couldn't convince him neither can she...Ximena needs to know that, while her son worships her and finally married her after so long, he can't turn back now. Ximena wonders if it's really so hard to leave the life behind, and Alba says that for AC it's impossible--even if he can't live without her. Ximena in turn is all "Yeah...I'd die without him..." and Alba urges her to get some rest and stop thinking about it before bidding her good night. Yeah, Granny Clampett, it really has been "a long day."

AC comes in later and is all "Hey, girl...at last you're my wife." Ximena replies that she's always been his wife...yeah, AC remarks, but now it's legal. She's much prettier now that she's married, too...but that macking doesn't work, since Ximena pulls back from him when he goes in for a kiss. AC thus is all "Darling, I know a lot's happened, but it's our wedding day--the most important day of our lives. I love you ('I love you too, with all my soul') and we can't let anybody rob us of this night. It's just us."
 

El Señor de los Cielos: martes (p. 6)

That gets him some kissing time, though when he goes to lay Ximena down on the bed she breaks loose and goes to grab something from a dresser...can AC explain to her what it is? AC naturally has to flashback to the damn plane ride with Monica and then go "What is what?" just so we can hear Ximena say that it is indeed "the watch you gave your mistress, Monica Robles!"

AC thus goes all "But Monica Robles isn't my mistress...where'd you get that, anyway?" Ximena notes Monica herself gave it to her, in addition to telling her all about esa hermosa noche, tan especial...does that tell him anything? Yeah, AC spins, it does...it tells him that Monica's crazy, that is. Even Ximena isn't quite convinced by that one, so AC follows it up by going "Okay, let's go ask Monica why she lied to you--c'mon, let's go"; but Ximena knows, though. She saw how Monica was smacking on him after her brother's death, so she knows. AC tries to brush that off; nobody, not even Monica, reacts normally to the death of a relative. If Ximena's just trying to duck out of the wedding-night thing, he understands...though he doesn't like it.

Ximena unfortunately does not bitchface him for that egregious bit of verbiage. Instead, she cuddles up with him and gives him a peck on the cheek; she wants him to keep the promise that he made to her in church. AC is all "I love you, girl," and Ximena already knows that...she wants to know if he can be faithful to her. Can he do that? AC says yes, he can, and he lays a gentle kiss on her before they do indeed start undressing each other and getting their slo-mo freak on (albeit with some rather lovely guitar music going in the background). And he's saying he wants this night to last forever, and she's asking him to promise her he'll never be with another woman ever again, and he's all "I promise--you're my one and only," and...weeeeell, since he's already slept with all the main female characters on the show in his orbit, it'd take a new one for him to break that promise. Where's Carmen Villalobos at?

And right about now El Cabo and Alvaro are getting to a hotel room with their dates (oh, hi, voluptuous woman in white!). Cabo's all about how he's going to "punish" his girl, though Alvaro wonders aloud if AC really did take Isidro out ("Not in front of the girls, man!") So while the girls go change into something more comfortable, Cabo is all "We'll see how it gets handled...but this means we've got to hook up with AC now." Alvaro wonders about los Robles, but Cabo pffts: without Isidro, that cartel is done for. So AC is now "the man," claro? And with that they start getting frisky with their now underwear-clad ladies. (Watch this scene online, if just to avoid Telemundo blobbing out the thong-clad derriere of Cabo's date.)

And back at the ranch Matilde and Chacorta are also turning in for the night. Matilde, naturally, has no filter: "Y'all killed Isidro, right?" Chacorta is all "What? Sóplame! *" and when she does wonders if she's been drinking; Matilde laughs that off. Doesn't he trust her any more? Once upon a time he'd have told her everything...like how AC and Monica had an affair. Chacorta wonders what she's lying about, and Matilde explains that she saw his brother and that fufurufa (prostitute; CC3 gives us "low-class tramp") in the den earlier. Chacorta just bahs at it all and starts kissing on Matilde's tummy.

* Literally, this apparently means "blow me." In this case, AFAIK, it's effectively an abbreviation of the phrase sóplame este ojo--"blow in my eye," which is apparently slang for "I don't believe you." CC3 simply said "blow!", so I had to check it out. :)
 

El Señor de los Cielos: martes (p. 7)

So we're going back to the hospital, where the doctor we saw earlier with Turco is juuuuust about to start Isidro's autopsy when...oh, lord, here come Guadelupe and friends. And they've all got guns pointed at the doctor's head as he yells "Touch that body and you're dead!"--right before he tells the doctor to "let me have him." The doctor looks appropriately WTF impactado as Guadelupe shows some brains; how much, he asks, did AC's attorney (Turco) pay him? The doctor is all "I wasn't paid anything, I swear!" Turco just came by to tell him to do his job well, and to tell him to not make any mistakes; the lives of several people depended on the results of the autopsy. And, dammit, he wasn't paid anything! Guadelupe says it's unfortunate that los Casillas put his life at risk and never even paid him...and on that note Triste gives the guy a stack of cash. Guadelupe does pay, he can see, and pays well; in this case, the doctor will also get something more valuable for his time--his life. In exchange, he keeps quiet. Doctor #2 agrees, not a word to anybody, and Guadelupe's fine with that as his goons go ahead and hustle Isidro's body out of the room.

And I think this no-name doctor is apparently the best liar in the first seven episodes of the show.

Morning comes to Sinaloa, and SAH is meeting with Ponte (the aforementioned contact at the local Attorney General's office). Ponte confirms that he wasn't able to reach Vargas, who didn't make a scheduled meet at a local hotel, and didn't get any answers when he tried to call his phone. SAH is about to have Ponte take him to Vargas's hotel room--even though it's likely he was grabbed at the reception, there might still be clues--when a guy walks up and wonders why Ponte's not at his post. SAH addresses him as comandante and introduces himself, but when the commander dismisses Ponte asks that he stay; SAH's explains to Commander X that he's there to investigate the disappearance of one of his undercover agents, who had infiltrated AC's wedding, and thinks he was abducted and murdered. Commander X notes that's a serious accusation, and SAH is all "Yeah, it'll be more serious if you don't cooperate"; he needs some of the commander's men, Ponte included, to investigate this. Vargas's body has to turn up fast, understand? SAH then makes it to Vargas's hotel room and, apparently finding nothing special, tells a hotel employee to pack up Vargas's things before someone else comes up and whispers something to him that makes him head out ASAP.

Back out at the ranch Chacorta is target shooting with an audience--Heriberto, El Cabo, Marquez, and Alvaro. Alvaro remarks that this is like being at the fair, and takes a quick plink at a target himself, before AC shows up; Cabo explains that his boss is "very concerned about what happened last night." AC yet again declares that he's not crazy enough to kill Isidro in his own home, not after just making a deal with him, and Cabo is all "Now, now, I'm not passing judgment or assigning blame--we just want some peace here." AC assures him that he wants peace too and that the autopsy will put everyone's minds at ease; Cabo thinks it might be a nice gesture if AC went to Isidro's funeral. AC manages to squeeze out a smile for that one.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: martes (p. 8)

We next see Guadelupe outside another morgue, where a white-haired doctor is puttering around with a body. Guadelupe is on the phone telling someone not to worry...the doctor he selected is just about done with the autopsy, so now they just need some lab test results. Once they've got those, there'll be no doubt--but it'll take a while. He then says that AC will indeed be at Isidro's funeral, that El Cabo convinced him to go...and as the doctor leaves the room, with just a brief nervous glance, Guadelupe declares that that's where Aurelio Casillas will die.

Back again to the ranch, where El Cabo and company are leaving. Chacorta notes that those guys are acting crazy before moving on to how they have to watch los Robles--they're distrustful, yo!--and on that note Turco runs out to drop the bomb: los Robles took Isidro's body, and the doctor they bribed has vanished. Chacorta worries that if they have the body they'll discover what happened and There Will Be War, while AC orders Turco to take the family to Don Cleto...they've got to find that body at all costs. ("Where do we look?" "That's what I pay you for, idiot!") Chacorta then wonders what they're going to do, and AC tells him to arm the troops...they're at war.

Inside Turco gets on the phone to someone and demands they find out where Guadelupe would want an autopsy done--get him a list--as Ximena, Alba, and the kids are being hustled out by AC's men. Rutila, naturally, is all "Where are we going, Mom? Will there be fireworks?" Alba hustles the kids off as AC shows up, and Ximena demands to know what's going on or else she's not leaving; it takes AC insisting twice that she'll be safe at her father's house and stating that she and the kids are the most important things in his life for her to go ahead and leave. AC immediately calls Arroyo after that and admits he lied--he did kill Isidro and had everything under control before los Robles dared make off with his body for an uncorrupted autopsy. Arroyo's got to "intervene." Arroyo, safely behind closed doors in his office, agrees to see what he can do for him.

Chacorta, meanwhile, wonders if they're indeed going to Isidro's funeral--they can be taken out right there--but AC says they have to go. They've got no choice. So AC and Chacorta, plus various henchmen, load up for the trip; Chacorta sends somebody named Pancho with some guys to Don Cleto's to watch the family.

At the same time the beaten and shot corpse of Vargas has been found along with his car; SAH and Ponte, plus a phalanx of officers, are on the scene. Ponte asks SAH how long he knew Vargas; "all my life" is the reply, before SAH orders the body taken away. He then tells Ponte he's going to help him with the next part, since he knows the area--it's about time AC was paid a visit--before putting on some gloves and starting to search Vargas's car. At least he's a do-it-yourself action hero.

Turco, meanwhile, is driven to the door of another hospital. He's on the phone with Arroyo...is he sure this is the guy? Name of Smith? He hangs up, gets out of the truck and pulls out a gun and sticks it in the back of his pants (awww, why does he have to be a killer lawyer?) before going in and asking for Dr. Smith.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: martes (p. 9)

And over at someplace that from the outside looks like an upscale apartment building or hotel entrance...no, it's a funeral parlor. And there's Monica (in a funkily-shouldered tight black dress--incredibly, this may be the longest the show's gone so far without any leg porn) and Guadelupe at the casket of Isidro Robles, looking inside it at him, and Monica sadly says that she owes everything she is...for good or bad...to Isidro. He might even be more important to her than her father. Guadelupe notes that the test results are almost in, and if it wasn't a heart attack AC and his people will pay. Monica makes him promise her that, if AC was indeed responsible for Isidro's death, to make him suffer--a lot--before he dies. Guadelupe's just fine with that.

And on that cue here comes the driving bass action music as an array of SUVs (Sandoval GMC! Now visit our new location in Sinaloa!) pulls up outside. AC's crew disembarks and Chacorta tells Norteño that if they're not out in twenty minutes to come in guns blazing and kill everybody; he then hooks up with AC, who's all in black and also rocking a gun in the back of his pants. AC knows they're coming after them in there...is he ready for this? Yo estoy contigo, Chacorta says, como siempre...and they shake hands before heading inside.

Inside El Cabo, Marquez, and Alvaro give their condolences to Monica (and yet again Alvaro is a bigger fashion disaster than Cabo--buy a suit, man!). Cabo then slides over to Guadelupe just as AC and Chacorta enter--just as he promised, he remarks, AC's there. Chacorta gets the sidearm he was openly wearing confiscated while AC just walks on in and is all el que nada debe, nada teme (he who owes nothing fears nothing--CC3 comes up with "he who has nothing to hide has nothing to fear") on suckers. Monica frostily declares he's either really brave or really cynical to be there; AC wonders why she's so distrustful, since they're the ones who stole Isidro's body. Guadelupe is all "Hey, we're on your turf, right? We needed impartial results." Monica notes that everybody else there was cool with their needing "a second opinion" about this, and at that moment Guadelupe gets a phone call. It's the white-haired doctor, calling with Isidro's autopsy results...and we see he's holding a sheet on a clipboard which blatantly reads intoxicación por cianuro potasico in big letters. (Potassium cyanide, or more often simply cyanide, is indeed a thing. So I'll allow it.) And so Guadelupe asks how his brother died...
 

Wow! Bill C, I'm going to have to find lots of ways to say Wow! since I'll clearly need them five times a week. I don't know how you do it, but I'm very thankful that you do.

By the way, did you notice that in addition to being wardrobe challenged, Alvaro says nothing to Mónica and Guadeloupe. His buddies at least manage a "lo siento," but he just shakes Mónica's hand. I've missed so much--did I also miss the fact that he's mute?

So will El Turco arrive in time to intimidate the doctor into changing the report he was about to give Guadeloupe over the phone? Or Will There Be War?
 

Bill C, you rock, Big Time!

"So what did we see him drop in his car in the last episode if it wasn't his phone? Film from the camera?" I wondered that myself. He definitely slid a small rectangular object into the pocket next to the drivers seat.

"AC's got his hat back on, so you know he's in evil mode." LOL!


 

Fantastic Bill C. Tks
 

Amazing work Bill. Gracias!

Aurelio really did an incredibly crazy thing by killing Isidro. But if he pulls it off, he gets to make deals with the Colombians all by himself and doesn't have to share with the Robles. Then he'd look like a genious. I don't think Monica or Guadalupe will take losing their biz quietly, but they both need to tone down the crazy and step up their business sense/skills, if they want anyone to trust them with their business.
 

Of course, Turco DID have a gun to Dr. Smith's head, and the good doctor pronounced it was just a heart attack. Guadalupe isn't convinced, and there's a big standoff, but finally they all leave. Monica has to swallow her anger and remind the Colombians that the Robles also still want in on the drug deal.

Vargas DID drop his film in the car, and Marco is able to develop it, showing all the druglords meeting. He now has young Ponte under his wing, and goes to pay Aurelio a visit, brashly telling AC that he's going to bring him down, tarde o temprano.

Ximena wants a divorce (one day after her wedding). She realizes AC did kill Isidro, in fact set up the wedding just to trap him. And that AC had an affair with Monica. AC tells her that the Robles were the ones who planted that car bomb, so he HAD to get revenge. And as for the affair, it was "just business". I'm not sure if this was enough to change Ximena's mind. Seems they're separating, Rutila will be with her, Hegiberto wants to go with Dad.

Eugenia meets with a newspaper friend. She wants to find out Arroyo's backstory, his early life, since he has all these Sinaloa ties (where AC grew up). This could lead somewhere. Marco's Mom Emma tries to discourage her from her love with Marco, it's never easy to be married to a cop, but Eugenia knows, and doesn't care. She's with him.

And may I just say that Matilde had just about the skimpiest bikini we've scene? And looked great in it, as she sort of seduced some other guy (Ramon?) who isn't her husband. She also continues to cause and court trouble with Chacorta and Ximena.

And we get to meet Oscar! Played by Fernando Sollozo, who was Harvey in Made in Cartegena, he now has a full head of hair. But what's with that blue leisure suit? He's the boss of the Colombians, and his gold tooth shows how much class he has (none :)
 

Thanks, Hombre, for another very helpful summary. I thought the actor playing Ponte did a good job of portraying his mixed feelings: pleasure at being asked by Marco to be his assistant balanced by dismay at Marco's apparent fearlessness in confronting Aurelio, fearlessness that Ponte clearly doesn't share.
 

I think I've got the answer to what "los pinos" means when Arroyo tells Aurelio (a day or so ago) not to harm Marco because Marco was appointed by the President and "él me mantiene en línea directa con los pinos." Someone on WordReference.com explained: "'Los Pinos' is the name of the official residence of the Mexican President. It would be the equivalent of saying "He's my hotline to the White House."
 

You got it Juanita

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Pinos
 

Thank you, Juanita, for clearing up the Los Pinos thing!

El Señor de los Cielos: miércoles, or

Love Over Gold (Not)

Naturally this episode opens with a quasi-refrito of Aurelio and Chacorta showing up at Isidro's funeral and taunting Monica and Guadelupe right before Guadelupe gets the long-awaited phone call from the doctor he hired to do the autopsy on Isidro. So Guadelupe asks the doctor how Isidro died, and the doctor--who is indeed the aforementioned Dr. Smith, and still holding that clipboard showing cyanide poisoning--tells him that Isidro died of a massive heart attack. The results are conclusive, as would also be the bullet fired from the gun Turco is pointing at him; Guadelupe's brother, he says, died of natural causes.

Guadelupe for his part reacts about as expected (which is punctuated by AC muttering to Chacorta that "he did it--I'll explain later"), going all twitchy and "No way my brother died like that! AC killed him!" Cabo tries to calm him down, which unsurprisingly doesn't work as Guadelupe just pulls his gun and aims it at AC's head--he knows AC somehow got the doctor to lie for him, but AC's not going to lie to him. How did he kill his brother? Cabo continues trying to talk him down, with an assist from Monica, as Chacorta looks at his watch; their guys are still on the job outside, and if he and AC don't walk out of there in the next seven minutes they're going to come in and kill everybody on sight. This stalemate lasts at least two minutes, since we briefly cut to Norteno telling somebody outside they go in in five minutes, before AC finally dares him to kill them. They're unarmed...so if he's going to kill them, do it because he wants to and not because of the excuse that they killed his brother. Guadelupe is about two seconds away from a full-blown crybaby freakout--while holding a gun (and he's an ugly crier to boot)--and insists that he doesn't need an excuse to kill AC. AC in turn is all "Well, hey, the doctor did say it was natural causes...so do it or drop it!"

Five minutes later, when Carmona tells him it's time, Norteño rallies the troops and they gather for a rush at the door. This quickly turns into a standoff in the middle of the street between AC's guys, the Robles goons, and a lot of guns...which is the perfect time for Chacorta and Triste to come out. Chacorta tells Norteño everything's cool and to stand down; Norteño is all "And what about those guys?" They're just doing their job, Chacorta replies, like him. He gets Triste to get their guys to stand down as well...they are in front of the house of the Lord, after all...and declares that it's been proven that their boss died by andar de caliente (being horny). Ah, for want of a lightning bolt.

After getting off the phone with Guadelupe, Dr. Smith gets to watch Turco gently place a picture of his kids on a countertop...speaking of which, how does he know they won't hurt his family? Turco blows that off and notes that Smith still has to provide Guadelupe with a lab report confirming Isidro's "heart attack"; he won't see him again, and hopes he'll never see him too. On that note Turco plops down a stack of cash; Smith is all "Forget that, I don't want anything from you!" and Turco urges him to keep it. He'll need it if los Robles find out about his "lack of professional ethics," though it obviously wouldn't do anybody any good if they did find out what happened. Like our other doctor from the last episode Smith wonders why he's being dragged into this shit, and Turco tells him to count his blessings--a lot of folks don't make it through this stuff alive--as he takes the actual results and departs.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: miércoles (p. 2)

Elsewhere, as Vargas's body is being taken away in a forensic services van for an autopsy, Ponte is apologizing to Marco; he wishes he could have helped more with him and poor Vargas. Our Standard Action Hero isn't terribly happy right now as he grumbles that it's probably unlikely that anything can be done against los Casillas; Ponte confirms that, saying they own the area and the locals are afraid of them. SAH wonders if they're going to let fear paralyze them and stop them from going after these desgraciados, and Ponte is all "No way, not with guys like you ready to take them head on!" They can't let los Casillas kill people like they did Vargas, shooting him like a dog...SAH objects to that, saying they're the dogs. Vargas was a great man, like SAH's father Inspector Cartagena; Ponte is a little surprised to hear SAH is Cartagena's son, but SAH doesn't dwell on it. He's not going to lose any more people he cares about, he declares, at the hands of scum like AC...and Ponte's going to help him catch them.

First, though, they need to deal with a roll of film SAH found in Vargas's car (we don't see him actually discover the film, or if he did I missed it). They need to get it developed. Ponte notes that there are too many folks in his office that are on AC's payroll, but he can take it to a guy he trusts--and on that note he and SAH head off (and there's our standard mid-1990s unmarked cop car, just to complete that cliche). Ponte takes SAH to meet said guy, Manolo, who agrees to develop the film for them on the QT. SAH wonders if Ponte's superiors think los Casillas are behind Vargas's death, and Ponte remarks probably...but they won't do anything. They're more worried about Isidro Robles' death, or rather the possibility of a shootout in town or business coming to a halt because of that. SAH accepts that, but one more thing...would Ponte want to come work for him in Mexico City? He can be a big help to him. Ponte's down with that, though his enthusiasm takes a hit when SAH follows up saying he'll talk to Ponte's superiors by asking if he has any officers he trusts...yup, it's time to go see AC.

Back to the funeral, where Monica is telling Guadelupe to calm down; Guadelupe, however, says he won't be calm until AC is dead. Monica, who's been pretty tear-less throughout most of this, tries to be sensible--their "stability," their go-between--Isidro--just died. So now their relationship has to change, because they can't afford to keep being so impulsive. Guadelupe agrees, but is still crying; how dare AC make a fool of him, to his face, by killing their brother like this. He's got to find out exactly what happened in that bedroom...he's got to find the woman in red. Monica assures him that they will, as she flashes back to her brief meeting with Miss Sinaloa, but for right now they can't afford to let AC gain any ground over them with the Colombians. And she comforts her brother; Teresa Mendoza she's not, but we probably saw this particular shift coming from miles away...

Mexico City: Arroyo's at home and on the phone with Turco, just finding out that he and Dr. Smith "came to an understanding." Turco thanks him for the tip, and advises him that he needs to control AC; Marco Mejia is on the scene (yes, Turco knows who that is) and AC can't touch him. So Turco needs to make it clear to AC that he can't do anything stupid with him like he did with Isidro--if he does, Arroyo will have to come after him himself. Yeah, let's see how long that idea lasts.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: miércoles (p. 3)

At the same time AC is kindasorta paying his respects to Isidro's casket when Cabo and company beckon him over...yeah, they're sorry, but they can't continue working with him. Not until he sorts out his issues with los Robles--who will they send their product to, after all? Put himself in Cabo's shoes! AC is all "Ah, come on, guys, it's all good...it was just some drama, one dead guy. Everything's copacetic." And he offers to give Cabo ten million pesos up front for "operating expenses," which a listening and stone-faced Monica matches on the spot. Cabo's glad to hear that...things will proceed as planned, then (for a walking fashion disaster, he might be the shrewdest guy in the room right now). And AC will let him borrow one of his planes for the trip home to Colombia? AC's okay with that--it'll be ready in the morning. And Cabo shakes hands with both AC and Monica on that.

This, naturally, is the point where the big blue police van pulls up out front and a team of armed officers pours out. AC's goons all literally turn around at the same time to avoid drawing attention and sort of hide behind a parked car while the officers descend on the Robles goons and secure their weapons; and just as Cabo is exhorting Guadelupe to stay calm in the name of doing business, SAH walks in accompanied by Ponte and half a dozen guys. And, naturally, the first thing out of his mouth is "Aurelio Casillas, I have a question for you. Which one of your men killed Vargas? Or was it you?"

AC for his part, laughs that right the hell off--Marquito's got some nerve to be sniffing around here. If he's got proof of what he's claiming, why not haul him in? Even subtitled Gabriel Porras is rocking the Universal Cop Guide; the only proof he has, SAH declares, is his friend's body in the morgue. One more on AC's long list...and if he had any conscience he'd be at least a little bothered by that. AC in turn is all "It hurts that you think so badly of me...but thankfully the law thinks differently. I don't owe society anything." SAH was just getting to that, too...who in the government sold out to AC? How much did it cost him to go free--why else would he be walking around free as a bird when everybody there knows he's a criminal?

AC goes ahead and plays the "You're making this personal" card...SAH thinks he had something to do with his father's death, y por eso me quieres j---. (Today's blipped-out expletive, I think, is joder...which is apparently the F-bomb.) SAH swears he won't stop until he sees AC humiliated; when AC asks him if he thinks that'll be easy, SAH nahs. Work isn't easy...that's why it's called work--which is something AC isn't familiar with. Does he really think SAH isn't watching him, that he doesn't know he's up to something with his new Colombian friends? Do they really think they're there on vacation?

AC is getting bored with this, so he lets Turco (who wandered in a couple of cuts back) repeat to SAH that he needs to go ahead and take AC in if he can back up his accusations...otherwise he should go and let them pay their final respects to this dear friend of the family. Even SAH knows that's bullshit--"Dear friend? That friend could well have been killed by AC!" (And there's Guadelupe looking like he wants to bust a cap in SAH's ass in the background as he says that.)
 

El Señor de los Cielos: miércoles (p. 4)

AC bahs at that--go on, search him! On second thought, just go...his patience has limits. SAH is all "You have limits? Seriously? Well, I don't...my patience has no limits, and one day I'll bring you down. And you Colombians if you stick around. And I damn sure won't forget the lawyer. Mejia out!" And with that SAH's posse departs with AC going "Who does he think he is?" with a pissed-off look on his face. All we need now is for Gabriel Porras to have a fight scene, and protect a woman with his body during a gunfight, and that should cover every possible action cliche there is...except possibly facial hair.

Matilde apparently gravitated toward the nearest pool and is rocking a fairly small pink bikini. While wandering around looking for somewhere to relax she comes across a guy in swimming trunks relaxing on a pool chair and listening to some headphones...oh, hi, Alejito. So Matilde says hi...or, in Matildese, "Check out the stud!" Alejito's happy to see her, but Matilde says he's rude; here he is, relaxing by the pool with a drink, and not even a phone call? Alejito says she shouldn't confuse things--he thought what they had was just a working relationship--and Matilde says sure, but it's no secret that it's good to have...closeness...in business. So why doesn't he order her one of those drinks he's having? Alejito's down for that, the poor horny schlub.

Mexico City: over at the SNI Huerta and General Castro are having a confab. It's strange, Castro notes, that Arroyo's been good about striking at the cartels in the east...but he's been leaving the cartel in the north alone. Huerta huhs at that...could he really be involved with los Casillas? He can't believe that SAH would lend himself to stuff like that. Castro can believe they're both dirty, and wonders why Huerta is finding it hard to; Huerta notes that the President trusts them, else he wouldn't have them working together; he certainly wouldn't have appointed Arroyo as drug czar if he knew he was corrupt. (Um...never mind. It's not worth it.) Castro goes on to note that Arroyo's got to be getting money from somewhere to be able to afford his lifestyle; Huerta wonders in turn what pisses Castro off more, that Arroyo's the one getting his way all the time or that Castro isn't able to "do his deals"? He then suggests that perhaps they shouldn't look into this any more--Arroyo does have the President's ear, after all, and it could be them that end up in trouble.

Eugenia, meanwhile, is at the office of something called La Tarde. She's talking to an unidentified man, who notes that his editor told him she was looking for info on narcos and the military...why does she ask? Eugenia asks if he wants to help, and when he says yes explains that she's investigating Daniel Jimenez Arroyo...where he came from, why he was named drug czar. She also admits that on top of her professional interest she's dating his right-hand man, SAH.

AC and company by now have finally left the funeral parlor, and outside he's ranting about that pendejo cop...yes, Turco, he is a pendejo! Turco tries to talk him down--SAH is smart, and he's protected by Letrudo ("Mr. Smarts," Arroyo's childhood nickname). Besides, he's got guts--daring to confront AC in his own town! AC is all schizophrenic "All I care about is not having problems with Arroyo...but if his pet comes at me again, I'll blow his brains out" before changing the subject to something more interesting: how'd Turco get the autopsy changed? Turco explains that Arroyo got him the name of the doctor doing the autopsy, since he has access to every database in the country, and he in turn paid the doctor "a nice visit."
 

El Señor de los Cielos: miércoles (p. 5)

Chacorta chuckles at Turco's ballsiness, but when AC suggests they need to back off and let things blow over with los Robles--which means staying away from Guadelupe, since he definitely doesn't believe AC's lie--he insists that priority one is securing the deal with the Colombians. They need the money, and Turco adds that they need los Robles' capital as well...business isn't so great now that Pablo Escobar's dead. And that's on top of what they lost in the attack on the ranch (in the first episode) and what los Robles were able to seize while AC and Chacorta were in prison. If they lose the Colombian deal, they're done.

AC reluctantly agrees, but he doesn't want the deal as it is...they need to do something so that it's in their favor. Turco insists that they've got a deal in place with all parties and it'd be hard to change that...plus, Arroyo said--yeah, AC's not crazy about that part. "Forget what Arroyo said! He's got to STFU--I'm doing enough just honoring the deal to not kill his pet, and he's making out like a bandit!" Chacorta wonders what AC's going to do about the Colombians, and AC says he'll handle that; in this business, he crows, whomever hits first hits hardest. So it's all about staying on top, grabbing all the power, shoving los Robles aside...and that means, since he killed Isidro, Guadelupe is next. He hasn't forgotten how he shot at his kids. And Rafael Amaya finally looks right at home rocking the black hat, sunglasses, and compensatingly large belt buckle.

That's Our Matilde: Over at Don Cleto's Matilde is being Matilde; she's sucking down some booze and telling Ximena about how it's so sad what her husband did to her on her wedding day, killing Isidro on the most important day of her life. Alba and Cleto are listening to this, and Alba naturally chides Matilde for spouting "nonsense"; the man died of a heart attack, right, Cleto? Cleto insists that AC wouldn't do anything that stupid on his wedding day, but Matilde as usual proceeds undeterred; what happened, happened, and dead is dead no matter where it happened. ximena finally tells her to callate, and Matilde says she will...as a matter of fact, she's out of there. It's like a funeral around the place. Oh, and if Chacorta asks she went to Culiacán (the capital of Sinaloa)...thanks, bye!

Cleto sends one of his men after Matilde to watch her--she's had too much to drink, and that's why she's "spouting her venom." And here I was thinking Cleto was a smart man. Ximena tells Dad they shouldn't play dumb--Matilde's right in that, intentional or not, Isidro's death ruined her wedding. She just hopes AC really didn't have anything to do with it.

So Matilde goes to Culiacán and gravitates toward the nearest pool...as well as a fairly small pink bikini. While wandering around looking for somewhere to relax she comes across a guy in swimming trunks relaxing on a pool chair and listening to some headphones...oh, hi, Alejito. So Matilde says hi...or, in Matildese, "Check out the stud!" Alejito's happy to see her, but Matilde says he's rude; here he is, relaxing by the pool with a drink, and not even a phone call? Alejito says she shouldn't confuse things--he thought what they had was just a working relationship--and Matilde says sure, but it's no secret that it's good to have...closeness...in business. So why doesn't he order her one of those drinks he's having? Alejito's down for that, the poor horny schlub, and they hang out by the pool long enough for Cabo and associates to show up and wonder what Chacorta's girl is doing with that guy.
 

(Arg...errant paragraph two parts up. Ignore that.)

El Señor de los Cielos: miércoles (p. 6)

A little later, though, Matilde convinces Alejito to take her to his room for some fun...Alejito's not completely stupid, and is worried that Chacorta could go crazy if he finds out (perhaps from Cabo, who saw them). Matilde declares that she's in charge of her life, and her body, and she decides what she does with both. So they head for the room--oh, wait, there's Cleto's guy walking up on them and advising Matilde not to go in there (this is accompanied by a hilarious Ay, no no no no no! from Matilde as she sees the guy). Matilde wonders who invited him to the party, and Mr. Stone Face is all "Ma'am, you've had too much to drink--you wouldn't be doing this crap if you were sober." (Man, have you met her?) Alejito makes the idiot mistake of walking up on the guy and saying he'll take care of Matilde--yup, he gets a punch in the gut for his trouble. Down he goes, as Mr. Stone Face just hoists Matilde over his shoulder like a sack of bitchy "I'll tell on you!" potatoes and carries her away. Oh, I like this guy.

Mexico City: Eugenia is having lunch with Emma Cartagena (Mar Carrera) at an open-air cafe, saying they'll never get to know each other if they wait for the ever-busy SAH to meet with them. Emma notes that's what she wanted to talk to Eugenia about--her relationship with SAH. Eugenia wonders if Emma doesn't like her, and Emma says no; she likes Eugenia, and she seems like a good girl, and that's why she should forget about SAH. Unless, that is, she wants to live her life like Emma did...always afraid of getting the news that Emma got when her husband was killed. She's not sure if Eugenia wants that life.

We then see an unidentified, creepy-looking man at a nearby table watching them both. I want to say I've seen him as part of AC's crew, but I'm not entirely certain of that.

After leaving Isidro's funeral SAH and Ponte head back to Manolo's darkroom to check on the pictures he's still working on developing. Ponte then goes full sidekick as he admits that SAH is crazy, but he's even crazier--confronting AC like that? SAH bahs--AC's a man like any other guy--and Ponte is all "No, man, he's a stone killer. I don't even know why he didn't come after you right there." SAH pffts--he wants to see how far AC will go--and assures Ponte that he's going to rot in an American prison, where he'll have no privileges...oh, dammit, he said it again! FF>>

Matilde, meanwhile, is brought back to Cleto's by Mr. Stone Face; no, he won't stop trailing her, and no he won't get her a drink. She's had too much already (she sounds pretty lucid throughout all of this...well, lucid for Matilde...which kind of spoils the effect). Matilde bitches about how Cleto's workers "have no idea about customer service" before Ximena shows up demanding to know what was so important that she wanted to tell her on her wedding day...Matilde in turn is all "What'd you say, that I was just scheming and lying?" while flashing back to seeeing Monica kissing on AC...and she tries to go get that drink, but Ximena stops her. It was about AC and Monica, wasn't it? Matilde tells Ximena not to touch her, and that she'll tell her later, before taking off; Ximena reacting to her supposed booze breath is the sanest part of the whole thing.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: miércoles (p. 7)

Back at poolside in Culiacán Cabo is telling Marquez and Alvaro that the issues between los Robles and los Casillas are "huge," and they have to decide which side they're going to be on. Make up your damn mind, man. Marquez wonders what they should do, and Cabo decides it's time to call "the boss"...and so he calls home to Cali, Colombia, and his boss Oscar Cadena (Fernando Solórzano--yup, this is the fourth character from El Cartel). Oscar, not exactly rocking a bright blue suit in the middle of a lush estate with women all over the place, is all "About time you checked in! How'd things turn out?"; Cabo in turn tells him Isidro up and died in the middle of things, that their would-be partners nearly ended up killing each other. Oscar wonders if it was a natural death, and Cabo notes he's not a doctor ("Hey, give me the phone!") but Isidro looked fine to him ("Come on, I want to talk to him!")...okay, fine, here's Alvaro. Alvaro gets the phone just long enough to go "Trust me, boss, they killed him!" and hands it back. Stay classy, Alvaro. Oscar doesn't care about Isidro, though; he just cares about whether they're going to make that deal; if they're going to sponsor it too, that's great. Cabo thus confirms that he'll be coming back tomorrow with the money from both parties, "and then the party can get started." Oscar's really happy to hear that, and says he always liked "that Casillas guy"; Cabo notes he's indeed the man, since he handled the Isidro thing really well. He's really clever. On that note Oscar hangs up and decides to celebrate by proclaiming to his women "The first one to touch me gets a new car!" on his way to his pool. Oscar looks just enough like Jaws (sans the teeth) that I'll probably never take him seriously.

Monica and Guadelupe are still at the funeral parlor; Guadelupe notes the money's ready, and Monica sniffles that they'll see how this turns out. Guadelupe still doesn't trust AC, but Monica notes there's a pact in place...what can they do, break it? Guadelupe admits they can't, but sooner or later AC will pay--in the worst way. And on that cue a crying Roxana walks in--she wants to see Isidro--and gets hugs from both of them before going to see his casket.

AC and Chacorta, meanwhile, are just getting back to Cleto's. Cleto's glad to see him, and apologizes for suspecting him about Isidro; AC naturally is all "Hey, de nada...just don't doubt my word next time." Chacorta advises Cleto that the deal with los Robles is still on before heading off to find Matilde, and Cleto offers to have a beer with AC before Ximena pops up; Cleto then exits so AC can ask Ximena if the kids are fine, which they are. AC then explains that they were able to prevent the war with los Robles, which means they can go back home...no, Ximena says, they're not going home. She and the children are staying with Cleto; AC wonders why, and Ximena drops the bomb: because she wants a divorce. Well, that escalated quickly.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: miércoles (p. 8)


AC obviously didn't hear that right the first time, so she says it again--she's never been clearer, she claims. AC gets to the question of why; Ximena just can't take any more, after putting up with everything she has in the name of love. AC is all "But things will change, honey," and Ximena notes that things always change for the worse with him. He might have her father snowed, but not her. Why would he bring his mistress to their wedding, let alone kill Isidro in their home? How could he blow a chance to live in peace just for the sake of being macho, or being stubborn...or was it in for revenge? He blew that chance for his children as well...so what kind of monster is he? And there's the El Cazador stone face again for a minute before AC says that he can't protect them all if they're not together...he can't live without her. Ximena, naturally, wonders if he can live without Monica; AC asks if that's really why she wants a divorce, and Ximena asks if he thinks it's silly. AC declares that they've been living together for nearly twenty years, that he married her to show her that he loved her most in life...and Ximena wants to believe him, but she knows that their wedding was just a pretense for his revenge. Just a plan to kill Isidro. And she hurries away; AC is stopped from chasing after her by Alba, who urges him to give her some space. AC says that he can't, that he can't give her a divorce (of course not, because He's The Man), and Alba insists she just needs some time to cool off and think clearly. Shut up, Granny Clampett.

Inside, Chacorta's caught up to Matilde. As usual, no filter: "So, how'd y'all fix the autopsy?" Chacorta pffts--he already told her that Isidro died of a heart attack. Matilde then asks where Miss Sinaloa went, and she "just disappeared," and we're just going to skip to where Chacorta tells Matilde that if he has a heart attack when he and Matilde are having sex he'll shoot her right then--so they both go to hell. He's joking. I want to see the bullet hole.

SAH, around this time, is finally perusing the developed photos Vargas took of AC with the Colombians, Turco, et al. He guesses something big must have gone down at the wedding; Ponte wonders if it's this mythical agreement between los Robles and los Casillas. And the Colombians, SAH adds; they must be planning to "reactivate the routes that were abandoned after Pablo Escobar's death." So now they'll be right there watching them, and they'll get them. On that note SAH notes he'll finally talk to Ponte's superiors about bringing him to the D.F., and Ponte is looking forward to working with him and Colonel Jimenez Arroyo. Which reminds SAH, since Ponte mentioned it...is there a civil registry nearby? Yeah? Can he take him there?

Mexico City: Eugenia tells Emma that she's not a child, that she knows quite well the danger AC's job puts him in--let alone his dedication to it. Emma says she sees that in him too, how he's so upright...it reminds her so much of what she went through with Eduardo that she sometimes avoids him to avoid suffering through it again. Eugenia notes that their only choice, then, is to hope nothing happens to SAH; Emma chuckles, and knew she'd say that. She sees how Eugenia loves her son, but she had to say it; Eugenia wonders if they'll be doing this again, and Emma says only if she doesn't mind spending time with a bitter old lady like her. And there's the creepy guy at the other table again...
 

El Señor de los Cielos: miércoles (p. 9)

Back at Cleto's Ximena is telling Rutila and Heriberto what's up, with Alba and Cleto in tow; the good news, such as it is, is that the three of them will be living there under one roof. Rutila, moppet that she is, has to ask why her parents are getting a divorce; Heriberto is all "No way! I'm going to live with Dad!", but Cleto shuts him down right quick when he starts to argue. He will obey his mother, or Cleto will bust his mouth open. I think we all see where that's going.

Night falls on Sinaloa, and...yup, there's AC going for the booze in his study and flashing back to the wedding and making love to Ximena. Right before Heriberto walks in; no, Mom's not with him. He came alone--if they're splitting up, he claims, he wants to stay with AC. AC for just a moment is pretty rational when he says he'll need to talk it over with his mother, but Heriberto's made his choice--AC can talk to Mom, but he's staying. And on that note he's going to his room, and another step down the path to the dark side.

Elsewhere on the ranch Chacorta is counting out cash into stacks when Matilde bounces in. She's all "Honey, you've got to talk to the peons--with Ximena gone, I'm the lady of the house now!"; Chacorta isn't down for her distraction, since he's not good at math, so of course she moves on to the next two--is he really going to let AC spend the last of "their" money? And what about her record? Chacorta notes that it's not "spending," it's "an investment" and she needs to go talk to Turco about the record. Matilde bounces out on that note, with a te amo for her husband and some stacks of bills for herself to get started on her album. Which spoils Chacorta's count. I'm so sorry for him.

Monica and Roxana are having drinks somewhere, and Roxana's talking about her really short marriage to Isidro. Isidro was all about excess, she sniffles, like when he proposed to her at a restaurant during a trip to New York--he got singer Luis Manuel to come out with some guitarists, and he and Luis sang to her before he proposed. Never thought the big lug had that in him. Roxana at least manages to hold off on more actual tears before asking Monica how she is now; relieved, Monica replies, that AC had nothing to do with Isidro's death. Roxana goes three for three when she asks Monica if she's still in love with AC and, when Monica says no, sees right through it--that's how love is, she says. It blinds you to things you need to see. Monica brings up the autopsy, and Roxana is all "Well, then, cheers to the autopsy report...the thing that lets you continue to love the one man in the world you're not allowed to love." And they clink glasses.

And AC heads back out to Cleto's to see Ximena, to ask...no, beg her to come back to him. He swears on their children there's nothing going on with Monica; Ximena tells him to leave the children out of it. He should have thought of them before he killed Isidro on their wedding day. AC then tells her, because she's the most important thing to him, that AC had ordered his family to be killed--he ordered the car bomb hit (Isidro never did tell AC that Monica did it, after all). AC couldn't ignore that; that's not how their business works, and that's why he had Isidro killed. And Monica--it's just business, but if it bothers her that he has to see her then that'll stop. He loves her, and if they get back together... Ximena loves him too, but she doesn't believe in promises. If he can show her that he can be a faithful--a loyal--man, through his actions, then they'll see about her coming back home. But not before then. Buenos noches. And she walks away...but as she turns to look back at him, he's turned away from her. That's never good.
 

Great Bill C
The recap had to suffice for tonight, since there was no show. So I watched a little QBA, it was as bad as I figured it would be.
 

Great recap, Bill C. I can see that you rushed to get this to us before tonight's episode--needlessly, as it turned out. No episodio tonight, and it looks as if there may be none tomorrow, either. I turned the tele back on at 11 hoping that perhaps Telemundo would show Cielos an hour late, but no luck. However, they did briefly show some scenes that look as if they're from upcoming episodes, and then said something about "la próxima semana, El Señor de los Cielos." La Próxima Semana???? Does that mean there's no Cielos on Friday, either? Is Telemundo running a network or just offering a private showing when the mood moves them?

Variopinta, I too moved over to Qué Bonito Amor just to have a look. I found it even more dreadful than I had expected. I bailed out after about three minutes.
 

Amazing recap Bill. Funny as always. :)

If the show isn't on tomorrow (although my dvr says it is), that's just less episodes for me to get caught up on this weekend.

I like that many of the women are becoming more interesting characters, like Mejia's mom and girlfriend, and even Ximena reaching her limit with Aurelio. And now it seems like Monica is going to be forced to grow up and take charge now that Isidro is dead (and Guadalupe is still a raving lunatic). Someone has to step up if the Robles gang is going to stay in business.

Variopinta and Juanita- I too left the tv on QBA. I have been watching bits and pieces here and there, and of course reading the recaps because I enjoy the group, but I really couldn't make myself watch a whole episode without walking in and out of the room a lot. I like ranchera music, and I like the concept of using the music the characters sing to reflect their feelings and the plot developments, but I just can't take the cheesy way it's directed. I can only take it in small doses. But I'm glad that it has such a dedicated audience, and of course the JS fans are in 7th heaven, and he hasn't even put on the charro suit yet! :)
 

Vivi- Totally agree about your view on the women. Ximena is finally worth watching. And I don't if Matilde is a sociopathic fufurufa, I like her. She's the most fun to watch. Along with the old cell phones that is.

Kelly
 

Well, it looks like there WILL be an episode of Cielos tonight (Friday, 4/26). I finally found where Telemundo puts this week's TV schedule, and it shows that last night there were the Premios Billboard but tonight there's Cielos. So your DVR schedule is apparently correct, Vivi.
 

QBA
In the 3 min I was paying attention, cliche #5
Blonde kissing JS, big strong guy, who just can't pull himself away from little blonde. I wish I could remember the clever name that we have for that problem. Anyone remember?
Of course true love sees this & of course thinks JS is enamorada with said blonde. I'm sure if I had paid attention the whole 40 min there would have been 39 more cliches.
And, to top it all off our good guy cop on Cielo is named Mejia.

Sure hope I don't have to watch that mierda tonight.
 

Gracias Bill. Another great recap. It took me all of 2 episodes to choose El Señor instead of that Mejia trainwreck on the other network. Your recaps definitely figured in my decision.

You described a scene: "Elsewhere on the ranch Chacorta is counting out cash into stacks" A couple of days ago, Variopinta posted a link describing the vast amounts of cash involved in these drug wars and one of the pull quotes read: "...Around this time he bought a Learjet to fly cash out of the U.S., and the Cartel’s expenses included $2,500 per month for rubber bands for bricks of cash." It's really unfathomable. And, as it happens, I'm currently reading a book about how they managed to get Escobar; it is far more complex, bloody and disgusting than anything they can conjure up on TV, but interesting the fictional depictions of real events.
 

Varioponta- Indeed. It's a word I made up. Galanbesoparalysis

 

The police just discovered a boat with 27 mil in cocaine on it. They didn't say anything else about it.
I've heard that most of our money has traces of cocaine on it, along with other disgusting things.

One time when Escobar was arrested, he built his own luxurious prison. He offered to pay off Colombias debt, they turned him down. It's mind boggling, the amt of dinero.
 

Galanbesoparalysis

Love it

That is a serious disease in Mejia novelas.

 

It's also mind-boggling the amount of control a guy like Escobar (or our Amado Carillo Fuentes, for that matter) had over the army, police force and general population. At one point (prior to his incarceration in the palace/prison) he was aiming for a political career. I think he really wanted to own Columbia, lock stock and barrel. Unfortunately, in some of my google searches, I've stumbled across the most grisly visuals I've ever encountered. These people didn't just murder, they were complete savages intent on terrorizing the citizenry into doing their bidding.
 

They just said on the news, the wholesale value of the cocaine was 27 mil, so add a lot of zeroes for the st. value. They said it was coming from South Am.