Caray, Caray!

Cielo is doing well in the ratings

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/22/fl-telemundo-idUSnBw226905a+100+BSW20130422
 

Hmm...the second highest-rated premiere they've had after, yup, Reina. I wonder what their ratings expectations are for this, though; Reina was a bloody juggernaut by TM's standards...
 

El Señor de los Cielos: viernes

It's a brand new day, and we're at an unidentified airfield. Aurelio, El Cabo, Marquez, and Alvaro are watching some of AC's men carrying modest-sized packages from an SUV in the background into a Learjet--the ten million pesos AC promised his new Colombian friends, "fresh from the oven." AC notes that los Robles already put their contribution on the plane, but he goes on to add that the plans have changed a teensy bit; Cabo wonders if that means they're going to contribute more money, but no. AC and Chacorta like--no, love Colombia, so they want to tag along on Cabo's trip home. Cabo chuckles and thought AC might pull something like that, and Alvaro notes that Oscar Cadena thought the same thing; AC's glad to hear that, since if they're all getting along so well that will make it easier for him to renegotiate their deal. Just directly with Oscar, of course.

Monica and Guadelupe show up right then, but not to see the group off--nope, they're coming along too. AC is all "Aww, don't you trust our friends?"; Guadelupe bahs and trusts them just fine; it's AC he doesn't trust, so they're coming to make sure the deal is completed correctly. AC asks the Colombian posse if they mind the extra company, and they don't; as everybody boards, though, AC takes Cabo aside. Since Cabo speaks English, wears tennis shoes, and has a pacemaker--yeah, those are some serious nonsequiturs if I ever saw any--with the Robles siblings coming along, AC wants "the king of Colombia" to help come up with a plan...

And so a little later, somewhere over Latin America on AC's plane, we see Monica throwing a stealth glance at Guadelupe. Guadelupe throws a stealth glance back. Cabo throws a stealth glance at both of them. Chacorta throws a stealth glance at everybody. Alvaro is looking out the window, no doubt wondering how long before he has to get his weird-ass half-mohawk touched up. And AC, looking out his own window, flashes back to him and Chacorta as kids, asking Arroyo if he can come play with them; naturally, Arroyo's reading a book. So AC and Chacorta run off, and we get that shot again of young AC looking out over a large field of what look like marijuana plants before coming back to the present.

Marco, meanwhile, is spending his morning showing Vargas's pictures (in this case, we see a photo of AC with Cabo and Alvaro) to Colonel Jimenez Arroyo at his house. Obviously los Casillas are forming an alliance with the Colombian cartels, so they need to investigate those people; Marco also suggests that they involve the Colombian government as well, since they're more experienced in the drug wars. Arroyo thinks Marco's right, but it won't be easy--the army likely won't like this, since they're highly patriotic. And, he notes, you don't wash your dirty laundry in public. Marco accepts that part, but insists that hey--if they already went to the DEA for support, why not go to the Colombians? Arroyo says they'll talk about it tomorrow in his office; by now Marco's Standard Action Hero radar should be going nuts, but he goes with that. He does add, however, that he's already started the paperwork for transferring Ponte. Arroyo's actually okay with this, and says he'll do his best to help ease the transfer along. SAH then says he thinks Ponte will be a good addition to his team, and Arroyo is all "That's great, man. I just want you to be comfortable at work...you're all stressed. Take your girl to a movie or something." SAH exits on that note, and once he's gone Arroyo picks up a phone and makes a call...yeah, SAH just left. Arroyo wants whomever that is to follow him, and to keep an eye on him and "that journalist."
 

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

Afterwards--oh, hi, creepy lunch date guy from the last episode. He's watching SAH go into his house, and looking creepy doing it. SAH goes in and gives Eugenia a big hug...oh, how he missed her...and notes that his trip was "good," and that he had checked in with his mother when he landed. She also told him about her lunch date with Eugenia; he correctly guesses she gave her the "My son's job is dangerous" spiel, and Eugenia confirms it. She agrees with Emma, too, and asks SAH to promise her he'll be careful...which he does while staring off into space. Yeah, Chuck Norris, that's how you reassure your girl; at least Eugenia promptly calls him on being a thousand kilometers away when she says stuff. At least he comes back quick, since he has to ask Eugenia for a big favor involving her newspaper (now we know what La Tarde is); it turns out that AC and Arroyo were both born in Guamuchil, Sinaloa. He's wondering how many folks lived in the area when they were young...perhaps they knew each other, or their families did. I'm seriously wondering if Telemundo is about to rip off Pablo Escobar's playbook...

On that note, the Axis of Narcos is just disembarking in Cali. Cabo welcomes everybody to his country, and walks Monica and Guadelupe to a waiting SUV; his people will be taking los Robles and AC and Chacorta to their (separate) living arrangements (don't worry, their luggage will catch up), and they all need to be at Oscar Cadena's ranch in the morning for a meeting. Yeah, this doesn't seem hinky at all. Monica and Guadelupe are thus spirited away, and AC then asks Cabo if he thought about what he asked him; Cabo is all "Man, who do you think I am?" He made some calls before leaving Mexico, and then makes another one to someone named Jairo to ensure that something's "a done deal." And at that point Chacorta hustles someone out of the plane...a stowaway. Yup, it's Heriberto. AC at least is all "Dammit, son, what'd you do this for? Do you want your mother to kill me?"

And on cue we briefly see Ximena stomping around Rancho Casillas, followed by Norteño and Carmona, wondering where Heriberto is. Norteño says he's not there, but she knew he was headed there...so where is her son? (The dark side has him now. Muaaahahahahahahaaaa *wheeze*)

Out on a dirt road somewhere we see the SUV carrying Monica and Guadelupe bounce to a halt. Inside Guadelupe--who was yelling for it to stop--asks the driver if his boss taught him to drive, and he replies that this rough road is the safest way to where they're going. Monica tries to calm Guadelupe down and tells him to trust Oscar's driver; Guadelupe wonders if all their calls to Mexico City were in order, and Monica's all "Yeah, yeah...relax, hermano, jeez." So they start up again, just to stop again about a hundred yards down the road when a pickup cuts them off...and there's a Jeep behind them now...and there's a bunch of guys with guns dragging everybody out of the car. And this is why, if I ever become a druglord, I'm damn sure investing in some videoconferencing equipment.

Guadelupe, cool customer that he is, tells Monica that they're screwed and it's time to pray to the Virgin as their driver and bodyguard are hustled over to the side of the road...and that's where one of the attackers, some guy in a blue Hawaiian shirt, pulls a sidearm and takes them out. Guadelupe then yells traidores at them (no idea what's up with this, since AFAIK none of these guys appeared at any point before this) right before he gets clubbed upside the head; this allows the attackers to make off with Monica, screaming her brother's name all the way to the Jeep, and out of sight. Guadelupe recovers fairly quickly, though, and is on the phone seconds later yelling at Cabo about his sister being kidnapped. Yeah, man, rapido!
 

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

Back to the airplane, where Heriberto is telling Dad he just wants to help him out...maybe he can keep an eye on-- "That's not how it works!" is AC's reply, before Chacorta asks if they should just send Heriberto back to Mexico. Heriberto isn't crazy about them still treating him like a child; he's eighteen, and they were already in "the business" at that age. He wants to be in it too. So Sonny Corinthos tells his son Michael that he can't be in "the business"...dammit, I got my shows mixed up again...AC tells Heriberto that he can't be in the business, that his mother wants him to go to school. How Heriberto bahs at that--he doesn't want to go to school, he wants in--and when AC insists he's not ready, his response is obvious: how can he be ready if he never gets a chance? He wants to be like AC, and what's wrong with a son wanting to be like his father? (We're just going to let that one go, people. Just let it go.)

Sinaloa: Ximena asks Norteño to tell her where her son is--screw what his boss told them, it's her son and he'll have to deal with her--before Alba pops up, wondering what's going on. Ximena tells her that AC took Heriberto--how dare he take her son like this, she rants. Alba tries to get her to calm down, but Ximena's not having it; obviously AC did this to get back at her for asking him for a divorce. Ximena wonders if Alba knows where AC went for his "business," and Alba says no...she never knows where he goes on his trips. For that matter, she adds, Ximena was always okay with not knowing where he went either. Not any more, Ximena declares as she goes awesome mom; she's done "living in the dark." Alba wonders what all this will accomplish, and Ximena is all panicky "I'll be protecting my kids!" When Alba's kids were Heriberto's age, she turned away from them so she wouldn't see what they were becoming (yeah, Alba's not entirely happy to hear that bit)--but Ximena won't do that. She won't let AC turn her children into himself...and Alba can tell him that when she sees him. And on that note she leaves...which is the perfect time for Matilde, who's apparently been listening to the whole thing from the other side of a support column, to pop up and go "Oooh, drama! My sister-in-law's got the claws out!" At least Granny Clampett has the good sense to tell her to shut up with her tarugadas (stupid acts).

Over at House Arroyo Doris is having tea with her hubby in a %#*&%#*! huge room (seriously, you could drag race in there!) and telling him how she's been reading some of Eugenia's work; it wasn't bad, and she seems to be pretty smart. Arroyo agrees with that, though he notes that the smart reporters are the worst; it's easy to control the dumb ones who love to talk. Doris notes that she wasn't crazy about how Eugenia behaved at dinner the other night either--did he see how she was looking at them? Arroyo's not worried, since he has her under surveillance; that makes Doris happy. She loves it when Arroyo's proactive...and, he adds, if the whole thing with AC and the Colombians works out, she'll soon see him wearing the presidential sash "like you've always wanted me to." On that note he goes to check if AC has touched down in Colombia...

AC, Heriberto and Chacorta are in a truck bouncing along through town when AC gets the call from Arroyo; yeah, they're fine, and AC will call him once they seal the deal. When he hangs up AC chuckles at Arroyo always making sure they don't "leave him out"; their friend Letrudo doesn't realize, AC brags, that while he uses power to have money they use money to have power. And they'll see who wins in the long run.
 

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

Heriberto wonders who Letrudo is, and AC explains that Arroyo was the guy who gave him his first weapon; Heriberto wonders if it was a fuzca (revolver?), and AC in turn flashes back to young Arroyo giving him a reading lesson. AC misses a letter or some such, and when Arroyo corrects him with an added whack to the back of the head Chacorta hops up and is all "Don't you dare mess with my brother!"; AC holds Chacorta back and tells him to leave Arroyo alone. If it makes him smarter, he says, then he'd better smack him.

Back in the present AC and company are getting to their home away from home, and Heriberto's curious--didn't Grandpa Cleto get him into the business? Yes, AC notes, but Arroyo taught him to read...and you don't get anywhere without that. (The more you know...) AC sends Heriberto off to go do whatever, and Chacorta actually gets sensible for a minute--shouldn't they send him back to Mexico? Ximena's worried about him. AC nahs; they can spend some time together, just the three of them. For that matter, since he's his godfather, Chacorta should take Heriberto to go "buy some clothes" (this is accompanied by some mischievous laughter, so it's probably safe to say that clothes are not what they'll be buying). Chacorta continues the sensibility when he wonders if Guadelupe will figure out that they're behind Monica's kidnapping; AC doubts it, since he's not that smart. And once they "rescue" Monica, he'll be kissing the ground they walk on.

SAH is back home by now, telling Eugenia about his previous trip to the Sinaloa civil registry and how it's impossible that AC and Arroyo couldn't have known each other back in the day in Guamuchil--seriously, how many schools are there in that place? Eugenia's rather suddenly uncertain about SAH's doubts about his boss; Arroyo himself arrested AC, right? Yeah, but SAH brings up the report he mentioned a few episodes back--the one full of contradictions and errors, when everybody knew AC ran the northern Mexico cartel. Dude can't let that oddness go, so he asks Eugenia to find out whatever she can about this. Eugenia agrees to ask someone named Linares about it, and SAH finally plops down on the couch; his Sunday's all screwed up thanks to all this--Vargas, and now Arroyo. Eugenia snuggles up with her hero; his Sundays were already messed up long before this, she remarks, though now she's worried that he's working side by side with the devil. SAH isn't worried, because he's got his guardian angel who delivers him from evil and saves him from the demons...and let's write that down, guys, since it leads directly to SAH getting some sexytime with his girl. That's gold, I tell you, gold!

Colombia: a blindfolded Monica is hustled into what looks like an abandoned warehouse by her kidnappers and plopped down in a chair. Naturally she's all "You'd better let me go, bitches--you don't know who you're dealing with!", but this new guy who looks like Marc Anthony if he ate a sandwich isn't impressed; Monica's got two choices, he explains. Either she can relax and let them hash out her ransom, so she can leave in one piece, or they'll have their way with her and then send her back in pieces. Monica actually gets smart for a second when she tries to tilt her head up so she can see under the bottom of her blindfold, but our friend tut-tuts that; that's door number two right there if she does that. Monica then offers them money, but he's not having that either; he tells one guy with an M16 to watch her, and heads out with the others.
 

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

By now Cabo has caught up to Guadelupe, so they're headed through town in another truck. Guadelupe's hot about how Cabo guaranteed his and Monica's safety; Cabo notes they can fix this, though Guadelupe insists that AC not be informed about it yet, and that he can use his sources to find out where Monica's kidnappers took her. And off they go to meet with Oscar Cadena at his ranch; Oscar's obviously disappointed in his men's job performance, and Guadelupe just calls it a disaster. They were supposed to help him find his sister; should he bring his own men from Mexico instead? Sure, they came to do business, but if he'd rather...wait for it...There Will Be War!

Oscar is all "Okay, calm down, no need for that...look, Henchman #15, take him inside and patch him up." After Guadelupe leaves he asks Cabo what the hell went wrong; Cabo insists it's all under control now. Oscar, after all, told him to negotiate with AC--and AC said to kidnap Monica and then rescue her to regain Guadelupe's trust. Oscar thinks Cabo shouldn't have listened to AC--Monica could have been killed--why didn't he ask him first? Cabo pffts--he'll talk to AC, they'll pay the families of the two dead guys off. He'll handle things. Oscar demands that he do immediately, and Cabo notes that the kidnapper--Jairo--is a friend. He'll bring her back safe and sound. Oscar still isn't happy--he's got "all the coca in the country" on his ranch, and if this doesn't get squared away he'll be in trouble with all sorts of people.

We go from this to Alvaro over at AC's hangout, telling AC about how Guadelupe told Cabo that he'd handle the whole thing himself. AC's not worried; they're in control of how this goes, and when things go south Guadelupe will come crying to them for help. Alvaro leaves right after that, just as Chacorta comes in with Heriberto; they apparently did indeed go buy clothes, since AC notes that they're going out that evening. Heriberto runs off to try something on.

And Cabo meets with Jairo--yup, Sandwich Marc Anthony--in a darkened parking garage or some such. Cabo gives him an envelope full of cash, as he promised, and asks where they can pick Monica up; Jairo is all "Yeah, about that...the situation has changed." Cabo's subsequent you-are-so-dead look doesn't faze him too much; Cabo gave him two weeks' worth of salary, and now he needs a whole year's worth. Cabo by requirement has to go "This isn't what we agreed on," and advises Jairo not to screw him over; Jairo apparently did some research on Monica, so he thinks she's worth "four packages" (CC3 says "four times more than what [Cabo] gave me," but I think that's a contextual flub). So Cabo can pay up, or Jairo can send her back in pieces. Jairo Peña, you are not going to survive the week.

SAH is spending valuable afterglow time in bed with Eugenia ruminating on how los Robles and los Casillas have always been enemies in the past, with completely different M.O.s...so an alliance between them now is just weird. Eugenia, for her part, wonders if AC indeed was responsible for Isidro's death; his new sidekick Ponte thinks they are, SAH notes. Isidro was the Robles family financial whiz, and knew about laundering money; perhaps AC is trying to get his hands on money he can use, SAH ponders, without getting in trouble. And he'll do anything to get it--even work with the people who tried to kill his family. Yes, SAH, that is increíble. Eugenia, as per contract, looks kind of uncertain at that part.
 

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

Back at their hotel room/suite/whatever Heriberto's showing AC and Chacorta the funky pastel blue shirt he picked out. Doesn't he look all Colombian? (Chacorta, for his part, is blatantly "I had absolutely nothing to do with that fashion choice," complete with a disapproving headshake.) AC lets the shirt slide, but when Heriberto mentions going to get a bite to eat puts his foot down; he needs to let his mother know he's okay first. So he breaks out the satellite phone and Heriberto checks in with Ximena and Cleto; yeah, he's in Colombia with Dad, but Dad didn't convince him to come along. He hid in the plane on his own. Ximena doesn't believe it, and at this point rightly doesn't even care--she tells him to have his father put him on a plane headed home. AC takes the phone back and is all "Hey, he's fine, he's with me," but Ximena insists--she wants her son home now. *click* AC pffts at that...see how your mother gets, son?...but says that Heriberto will stay with him. In theory, they'll be home in two days.

Cleto, meanwhile, tells Ximena hey--wasn't she saying AC doesn't spend enough time with his kids? There you go. Ximena notes it's kind of late now, since they're no longer a family, and Cleto advises her it's because she wants it that way; AC's good to her, and Heriberto...well...it's his son. How else could he react? Ximena wonders if he's really trying to say that she should just keep mum and let AC take her son to work for him...she can't even with that, and just goes to her room. We can't even either, girl.

Night falls on Colombia, and Cabo is still at Oscar Cadena's ranch. They're sharing some vodka while Cabo brings him up to speed on Jairo's betrayal. Oscar's kind of mellow thanks to the vodka, but he's still pissed about Cabo doing all of this crap without asking him first; come to think of it, has Cabo told AC how much it'll cost him? Cabo admits he wanted to talk to Oscar first, and Oscar breaks it down: they've got troubles of their own. He's dealing with every coke producer in the country, there's more coca coming, and he promised everybody he'd be able to get the product out. Cabo asks him not to forget the buyers he brought from Mexico to his front door; that, Oscar replies, is the only reason why he won't have him killed. He tells Cabo to resolve the issue, but not to say a word to AC; they'll see what happens tomorrow.

But, since tonight's still tonight, we get to see AC and Chacorta and Heriberto at a strip club. AC and Chacorta are relaxing with some, uh, local color and watching a goofy-faced "Girls!" Heriberto get his first lap dance (well, it's not a lap dance, but hey). AC is all "And to think I almost took my son and Chacorta's sister (?) to an amusement park in the U.S.! Screw that--this is an amusement park for us real men!" Heriberto gets pulled up on stage by his dancer and ends up getting caressed by her and another lady; AC looks so proud. I think I just got money when I was 18. The hell with you, Aurelio Casillas.

Over at Hostage Central Jairo is relating to one of his men how Cabo went pale when he mentioned the "four packages." Monica overhears that and, after wondering how much the packages were worth, offers to double or triple whatever that amount is; Jairo gets the guy to gag her, since he can't think with her yammering on.
 

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

Sinaloa: Ximena is telling Rutila that Heriberto won't be coming with them--he went on a trip with their father. Rutila, ever the moppet, wonders why they didn't go too ("Dad had to work, honey") and when they'll finally go on a family trip like Dad promised...okay, Ximena doesn't know about that one. It might not happen. Rutila trusts her daddy, since he "always keeps his promises"; he'll bring back a lot of gifts for her and Mom, so Mom shouldn't be sad. And Ximena hugs her little girl, looking sad as hell.

Dawn comes to Cali, and Chacorta has to wake up AC by banging on his bedroom door. The man slept in, thanks in huge part to the two lovely members of the local recreation industry also in his bed; he throws on a bathrobe and pops out to greet Chacorta and their guests, Cabo and Alvaro. That prompts him to send the girls off with pay (in their underwear, though at least they're carrying their clothes), and that's when Cabo informs him that they've got a problem: not Guadelupe, though, but the kidnappers. They won't hand Monica over unless he comes up with more money. AC really doesn't want to hear that, and wonders if Cabo thinks he's stupid...right before pulling a gun out of his bathrobe pocket--he's not down for being toyed with. That prompts Alvaro and his guys to pull their guns, and Chacorta pulls his, and Alvaro's trying to talk AC down by saying there are too many guns in the place, and AC doesn't really care.

A fairly calm Cabo urges everybody to lower their weapons--they're all friends, so let's fix the problem. AC insists it's Cabo's problem, not his, and Cabo agrees that he blew it; he should have kidnapped Monica himself instead of these jerks, since they got greedy. Everybody's greedy since Pablo Escobar died. AC wonders who he's talking about, and Cabo tells him about Jairo (everybody who's surprised that Cabo met him in prison, raise your hands...anybody? No?) and his threat to kill Monica. Chacorta suggests they could use the money they brought for the deal with Oscar for paying off Jairo; AC demands to know if Cabo can guarantee that they'll return Monica intact, and Cabo swears his life on it. He and Alvaro head off to negotiate with Jairo, and AC grouses to Chacorta that they've done a lot to regain Guadelupe's trust...they can't stop now.

We detour to the GIA offices, where SAH is showing Arroyo a photo chart of the cartel makeup as he sees it: los Casillas are allying with los Robles and, now, the Cadena cartel in Colombia to take over in the wake of Pablo's death. Their production machinery is working nonstop...but who, SAH wonders, is buying their product? Where's it going? However, he notes, they don't have many options; they want to move a huge amount of drugs, and they want to do it ASAP. That's how they'll catch them in the act. Arroyo manages to not look evil as he comments on how SAH is an expert in all things Casillas; SAH notes he's been working on it for years, and that's Arroyo's cue to remind him that he's carrying all that resentment as well, since they killed his father. SAH is suitably heroic as he declares that he does, yes, but that "justice is my motive" before changing the subject--he was wondering, how come Arroyo and AC have never met? Didn't they grow up in the same town? Arroyo at least looks a little put off by that.
 

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

Similarly, over at La Tarde, Eugenia is talking to the guy we saw her with in the last episode--this must be Linares--and she's saying that the authorities must be working with the cartels. Linares notes that post-Pablo the folks producing cocaine would start moving their operations to Mexico; they'd be able to work with the cartels, the judges, the cops... Eugenia brings up AC's "file," or rather the "disorganized recordkeeping" within it...they could pull off some of the same stuff, and it'd be just like Colombia. Linares then notes that Eugenia will be surprised when she reads that file with her own eyes...he apparently was able to get someone in Tijuana to send him a copy.

Turco, meanwhile, is on the phone to AC. Turco's also not happy about the kidnapping plot; he never agreed to it, and AC could have just waited for Guadelupe to calm down. AC bahs--what's done is done--though Turco notes they don't have the cash to spare for Monica's ransom. The one thing that occurs to him is to ask Arroyo to chip in some money and pay him back later...but AC's not down with that. He wants Arroyo out of this. Turco says he'll have to tell him anyway.

And Cabo...he heads back out to Oscar's ranch and ends up on the phone to Jairo, demanding he stop screwing with him. Jairo no longer wants four "packages," but six--yup, things have changed again--and when Cabo correctly notes that next he'll ask for eight, Jairo pffts. If Cabo doesn't want to pay, that's cool...he can just negotiate with Monica herself, and no doubt she won't react well to finding out Cabo got him to kidnap her. Cabo is then hung up on, which makes him throw his beer. Jairo, there are no words in the English language for how doomed you are right now...but, in the interim, Cabo fills Oscar in on this newest development and how Jairo's a snake. Oscar's entire subsequent "You idiot!" rant basically boils down to how Cabo should have never listened to AC in the first place, let alone struck a deal with him--los Robles were already established up north, and they were less "complicated." It's better to work with less complicated people--and if they find out about this, they're hosed. And, look, AC just showed up for that meeting...Oscar goes off to play damage control and insists that Cabo "fix it."

Back to the GIA, where Arroyo is all "I'm sorry, man, but I've never met AC in my life." SAH finds that hard to believe...they grew up in the same town in Sinaloa and didn't ever run into each other at church, or at school? Arroyo explains that his grandparents' fishing business was somewhere named Topolobampo, not in Guamuchil...but he congratulates SAH on so thoroughly investigating his birthplace. SAH did it out of professional curiosity about his new boss, he claims, and heads out for a minute; Arroyo looks like he's wondering how he can get SAH killed and make it look like an accident.

SAH gets back and points out Florida on a wall map; Miami's the preferred route for the cartels to get their product into the States, though right now it's gone cold...but it'll heat up fast, SAH assures him. At the same time a worker bee brings Arroyo a document; there's going to be a group meeting with the President. Arroyo wonders what's up, and SAH notes that the President had called him to check on his mother; he had then asked for the meeting with all the higher-ups in the anti-drug crusade, especially Arroyo. Arroyo is all "This connection you've got to the highest authority in the land...yaaaay," but covers it up by suggesting they use it to make their job easier.

And AC and Chacorta are indeed at Oscar's, introducing Heriberto (thankfully, no pastel shirt) to him, before AC asks where Guadelupe is. He's got to talk to him...
 

Muchas gracias, Bill C, for another splendid recap. I love your snark, as in "Alvaro is looking out the window, no doubt wondering how long before he has to get his weird-ass half-mohawk touched up."

I'm also in awe of how much you see and hear that I miss. Thank you thank you thank you!
 

It's increasingly hard for me to find anyone to root for in this telenovela. This is only the second narcotraficante telenovela I've seen, the other one being "La Reina del Sur." In Reina, I had no trouble finding people I really liked: Teresa, Santiago, Oleg, and Pote come immediately to mind, as well as Fatima and La Conejo. But in Cielos, I'm really at a loss. Aurelio cheats on his wife, urges his son to use Rutila's beloved dog for target practice, and essentially dishonors both his wife and Don Cleto by using the wedding as a way to trap and kill Isidro. Matilde provided Los Robles with Ximena's whereabouts, thereby giving Mónica a chance to try to kill Ximena and her children. Marco is the good guy, but I just can't warm up to him; he's too damn righteous and earnest for my taste. And so it goes.

My question is, is this lack of likeable major characters a characteristic of most narcotraficante telenovelas?
 

El Señor de los Cielos -

thank you so much Bill C.,
you have a way of capturing a story,
I hang on your every word.

 

BillC, thank you. I'm still cracking up over "this new guy who looks like Marc Anthony if he ate a sandwich ".

Our hapless SAH resembles a bit the undaunted Col. Hugo Martinez, who finally took down Escobar. Lots of soul-searching and remorse, but he did his job.


 

Super recap, Bill, thanks! I guess AC's faithful pledge to Ximena didn't last too long.

I really like Eugenia, she's smart, and one beautiful lady.

Juanita, I'm going to say yes, to your question, there's nobody to "root" for on these shows. But it's just like American gangster shows, like the Sopranos, the Godfather, Goodfellas, did they have anyone to root for? No, the attraction is all the intrigue, and the secret deals, the ruthlessness, the betrayals, the power plays, the loose women, the powerful women, the danger, the highs and lows of the characters.

Sometimes the people we dislike most are the quietest. I personally hate Doris, Arroyo's wife, so is pleased as punch that her husband is working WITH the narcos, so he can be president. She's so smug about it.

We also know that lots of the bad guys are going to get punished, either by the law, either other, or blind fate. In Pablo Escobar (at least in the novela), it was a phone call to his son, where he went over the time limit, that proved his undoing. Will Aurelio's love for his (not quite ready for primetime) son, also have consequences? (I have no idea, I never like to read about the real people, just like to watch the show unfold).
 

Juanita, if they end up making Marco like a real-life character, he will end up making his deal with the devil before this is over.

Just as Hombre said, the characters aren't simply good or bad. I think we're supposed to admire parts of the bad guys, as often happens in real life. Escobar really did stay on the phone just a little too long, out of concern for his family, and it was Col. Martinez's son (who also wanted to be just like dad) who was there to intercept the transmission. I actually love the parallels with real life, there is such a mixture of good and evil in all the characters.
 

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Tks so much Bill C, your recaps are the greatest.
I really missed a lot, and you cleared everything up.

At 1:00 PM there is an El Senor special with Rafael Amaya about the filming.

fuzca is probably fusca/o = gun, rod

could Letrudo be Letrado? letrado=lettered, learned
 

Muchas gracias, Variopinta. I've now set my VCR to record it.
 

Many thanks, Hombre and LXV, for your responses to my question. Probably "root for" was not a good choice of words. Certainly I don't want characters to be simplistically good or bad. I love it when characters have a complex mix of qualities. Certainly some of my favorite characters On Reina were that way. Oleg Yasikov, for example, was capable of great cruelty and violence, but he was also wonderfully sensitive and loyal. I loved watching him. Hombre, you mentioned the Sopranos, and in a very different way I also loved watching Tony Soprano, and I enjoyed his interesting mix of qualities. But, in contrast to Reina or the Sopranos, Cielos has no major character that I really care about.


 

Bill - thank you so much! Your outstanding recaps give me much more than I get from the CCs. And I love your dry humor (Arroyo looks like he's wondering how he can get SAH killed and make it look like an accident.)

It's true that these characters are multi-dimensional, much like real life. That murdering criminal Aurelio is a bad guy, but so engaging at times.

Beth
 

Probably intriguing is a better word than like. I find Aurelio intriguing, also Pablo Escobar, Che Guevara & the Italian mafiosos. But certainly these guys are the scourge of Mexico & the US. And all because drugs are illegal, doesn't work, just like prohibition didn't work in the 20's.
You can't stop people from doing things people do, ie gambling, prostitution, alcohol, drugs. Too much money involved & the state gets zip out of it. estupido
 

Vario: so right, the state actually get minus "zip" for all the dinero they have to spend going after these guys. I think we're supposed to be admiring our Amado Carillo here, but he's really done nada for the people the way Escobar built schools and playgrounds. In fact, the only thing these TN "heroes" have going for them is their good looks. I'm having trouble warming up to these characters, but I think the real AC was much sexier looking than Rafael Amaya I know, it's not a great picture, but I think some facial hair might make our guy look less like a pretty boy.
 

Hmmm...interesting comments. I certainly do not find Aurelio intriguing, and I think the problem is that the more I see of him, the less I find him engaging. More and more, he just seems like a good-looking thug.
 

Thanks, Bill, terrifically snarky recap. Loved your asides about Jairo's life expectancy.

They are portraying Oscar Cadena very differently than he was in El Cartel. In that one he was sort of a paterfamilias to his younger brother, his sister and the main character, Martín. He was deeply in love with his wife and was never portrayed as having hot and cold running hookers in his life. He also did NOT have a gold tooth!

I don't remember the Alvaro character being in El Cartel. He might have been. However, this is the third novela I've seen Tommy Vásquez in. He was Pablo Escobar's hot headed brother-in-law in Pablo Escobar. He was the incorruptible Colombian police captain who fell in love with a female DEA agent in La Mariposa. I hope he is well paid for shaving off the front of his hair that way!

I don't like Heriberto very much. He's just way too eager to go to the bad side as quickly as possible.

I think Amaya is doing a great job. In the first episode I thought maybe they were going to go with him as a sympathetic narco in love with his wife (except for the dog shooting, of course). But he's definitely showing the evil. And he's almost as impulsive as Guadalupe. He has to be talked out of killing Marco Mejía by El Turco. I'm also enjoying that clipped Northern Mexico accent, full of regional slang.
 

In the El Senor special, I thought they identified the mohawk guy as Tijera of sth like that. I wish I had taped it. Maybe he is Alvaro, nickname Tijera?
 

This is what is happening in Mex now,
so sad, such a beautiful country with wonderful people.

Eugenia better be very careful

http://news.yahoo.com/mexican-journalists-march-against-attacks-press-182058190.html
 

very scary. But then, I had two very dear friends, one an opera singer and the other a photographer, who had to go to Bogotà frequently (and live there for periods of time) during the Escobar days and they just thought the place was fabulous. The terrorism of the drug wars just never reached them. I feel badly that Mexico is in the middle of this right now.
 

Variopinta: yeah, Alvaro was identified as "Tijera" in the half-hour special. It's got to be a nickname, considering how El Cabo and Chacorta's characters were similarly identified, though if anybody's called him that I've missed it.

Somewhat interestingly, the special also referred to Juan Rios' character as General Jimenez Arroyo (and I think his uniform backed that up) on top of showing fragments of various scenes we have yet to see in the actual show...including a blink-and-you-miss-it one about Eugenia. And, out of all the principal actors, the only one who didn't appear in it was Ximena Herrera...not necessarily ominous, just strange.
 

Many thanks Bill! I finally watched this last episode last night, but I’m still not caught up on all of last week’s episodes, so your recaps last week were much needed.

I have been thinking about Ximena and the position she’s in. She really is in an impossible position. She was born into this life and knows no other. Aurelio is likely the only man she’s ever been in a relationship with. They obviously met as kids and started having kids when they were still basically kids. It’s only now that Aurelio has started to disrespect her home and brought the danger into their home and to their kids, that she’s seeing things in a new light. She also obviously had a vision of her children being the ones to break the cycle, get an education, and go legit and get out of “the business.” Unfortunately, it seems Hibierto is a lost cause. He’s dazzled by the life his father, uncle, grandfather (heck, all the men in his life) lead. What’s Ximena to do? It’s not like one can just up and leave the biggest drug lord in Mexico and think you’re going to lead a quiet life somewhere. He sure as hell isn’t going to let her take his kids. I’m interested to see how the writers continue to develop her dissatisfaction. Perhaps Turco will have an opportunity after all…

It was just dumb, dumb, dumb for Cabo to agree to this crazy plan with Aurelio. Things were going just fine, and now everything is on the line. Well, at least we get an exciting rescue next episode. It’s a good thing Monica was wearing her power suit (with sexy Madonna-like bustier) instead of one of her leg-porn tight dresses when she was kidnapped. I felt bad for Cabo’s driver and guard who just got sacrificed without a second thought (oh yeah, some cash for their families), just for Aurelio’s harebrained plan.

Why is Marco blabbing what he’s found out about his birthplace to Arroyo? Dude, get some more info first, and watch the guy quietly. Why alert him to the fact that you’re digging into his background and his connection to Aurelio?

 

I think the Marco-blab is to demonstrate what an upright cop he (still) is; he believes in the government, the system. I think he's aware of the existence of corruption, but not so close to home. And el Coronel was his better in childhood, so there is a long-standing element of respect and camaraderie. Also, Marco is the president's chosen one and so probably feels a degree of immunity and protection. But we all know better and it just seems risky and foolish (esp with Eugenia being a journalist). I fear what it will take for him to get the big picture.
 

Can't imagine Aurelio taking too well to any man that Ximena might hook up with.
 

Variopinta- Yeah. Turco wouldn't be long for this world, and maybe not Ximena either, if they started a relationship and Aurelio found out about it.

What's the solution for Ximena? If she keeps going down this path of questioning this way of life and making demands of Aurelio, she's only going to end up making herself miserable, because nothing is going to change. She might as well go back to compartmentalizing and being happy knowing that she's Aurelio's #1 (if not his only), and accepting that her kids are part of this dangerous life, like it or not. It's hard to put the genie back in the bottle now that it's out though. Can she go back to being like she was before she started to wake up to the realities of this life?

I didn't see Pablo Escobar, so I don't know how his wife was portrayed. But in the other narco-novelas I've seen, the wives are more like Matilde-- very materialistic and happy to live the good life off of their husbands' ill-gotten gains. Ximena looks like she would be happy being a middle class accountant's wife living in the burbs. El Turco also looks like he would easily fit in with a normal life. I wonder how he got into the biz?
 

There is a fascinating and disturbing piece in the New York Times today about a Mejía-like figure who is now in hiding in the United States:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/us/us-mexico-dea-informant.html

Not only is this a terrific article, but it is also available in Spanish. (This is the first time I have see the Times offer a Spanish language version but maybe I haven't been paying close enough attention.)
 

Wow, NvMv, thanks for the link. This is tragic.

I've never seen any narco novelas, or movies for that matter. This is my first. I only know about Escobar because I read a book about it. I am completely astounded by the violence, ugliness and danger of it all, as well as the complicated inter-agency deals between/among governments.

Escobar's wife, who was 15 when she married Pablo, seemed to have been perfectly happy in her role as mob wife. Her husband's taste ran to 14- & 15-yr old girls, whom he routinely imported to whatever safe house he was living in at the time. Whether or not this displeased Maria Victoria, she continued to live "the life". It took until the very final days for her to want out, at which time she began begging every foreign government she could think of to give her asylum with her son and daughter. But Juan Pablo was already running interference for his dad, who was, just plain running at that point. I think the family has relocated somewhere in South America with a considerable fortune of ill-gotten gains. But I'm sure they do not have a lot of freedom of movement, being personae non gratae everywhere.
 

Our Col. Jimenez Arroyo is a good deal better looking than was Gen.Gutiérrez Rebollo, who looks like a cartoon character. I'm all for eye-candy (of the masculine sort) in my telenovelas.

 

El Señor de Los Cielos -

wow, thanks for the article NovelaMaven!

I'm assuming that our story is totally fictional, (unlike the novela on Pablo Escobar), our names are different, etc, and the real guy, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, is assumed to have died during his face operation,

but this NY Times article sure brings some meat and potatoes to the table, especially since we are talking about the same general, and doubly scary that his demise was probably brought about by others that are aligned with rival cartels, rather than actual justice.

 

Very informative article. Who can you trust, NOBODY!! Dinero rules.
 

Thanks a million, NovelaMaven, for calling my attention to this fascinating article.

I surely hope the article in a newspaper with the presumed clout of the NY Times puts pressure on the DEA or whoever is responsible for this reprehensible abandonment of a man they'd pledged to protect.

The corruption in México is truly awful, and all the Mexican-born friends and acquaintances I have will freely admit it.

There would be NO guarantee that Mr. Lopez, if returned to México to answer the charges they have against him, would not be either killed or railroaded into a prison sentence he did not deserve.
 

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This Lopez is by no means the only one in this position. There is the story of Columbian Deputy Justice Minister Eduardo Mendoza who was pretty much abandoned by his own government and the US after Pablo Escobar escaped from his special resort-prison. In this interview he talks about how alone he feels, dumped by his own people. I think, over time, things did work out for him and he was able to clear his name.
 

Doris, Arroyo's wife, consolidates her standing as a dragon lady by encouraging her husband to have Aurelio's file disappear. Aurelio's flunky does this, but reports back to his boss that someone copied the file. A certain reporter named Linares (Eugenia's friend or boss). It doesn't look good for Linares. But what he discovered was that Aurelio's file, or why he was released, is riddled with errors. Both Marco and Eugenia are now pretty such Arroyo is somehow allied with Aurelio and his drug guys. But how to bring them down? Marco says we'll have to go straight to the President. But I don't know if even THAT will work.

Meanwhile, it's time to rescue Monica. Cabo tells AC we could just kill Monica, but AC says no way. We're going to rescue her. He tells Guadalupe, who insists Heriberto has to come along, to prove AC is on the level. So the boy is given a gun. They have to find Jairo, so they call him a few times, and eventually trace his position. But one of Cabo's men (Pollo?) is working with Jairo and warns him! The trucks arrive and we have a huge gun battle. Lots of Jairo's men are killed, Guadalupe and Heriberto are wounded, and as we end the episode, Jairo has a gun pointed at Cabo and Monica, and starts spouting off about who hired him!
 

Muchas gracias, Hombre, for another succinct and helpful summary. Was having Heriberto come along Guadelupe's idea? I thought it was Aurelio's, that Aurelio wanted to prove to Guadelupe that he (Aurelio) was sincere, and that therefore he was going to have his son come, too. Of course, since I miss so much of what's happening, I could have gotten this wrong, too, but I thought I'd mention it.
 

Thanks, Hombre. That was an exciting episode.

Juanita, Guadalupe was the one who said he wanted Heriberto to be by HIS side to guarantee that Aurelio wouldn't decide to shoot him in the back.
 

Thanks, novelera, for the clarification. Alas, my Spanish is at times just good enough to hear some of the words and not good enough to put them together correctly. :-(
 

Wow, NovelaMaven, many thanks for this fascinating and disturbing article. And LXV, I agree, I'll take Col. Jimenez Arroyo over Gen. Gutiérez Rebollo any day!
 

Two quick thoughts about Heriberto's first foray into cartel warfare:

He was supposed to stay next to Guadelupe but was always next to one of the other guys, first Chacorta and then Cabo. And those guys kept pushing him out of their way and out of the line of fire.

Secondly, that bullet wound is going to put Aurelio in even bigger trouble with Ximena. There's no way now that she'll believe Heriberto stowed on board the plane against Aurelio's wishes.

Beth
 

I couldn't believe that the bad, bad guys were such bad shots. The good, bad guys were much better, they killed some.
 

Beth, I agree. Ximena is going to be livid about Heriberto's flesh wound.

There's something about that kid I just don't like. The only good side of him I've seen so far is his fondness for his little sister.

It would be great if getting shot and being in the middle of a tremendous amount of shooting cooled him off a little bit about following in his father's footsteps, but I'm not optimistic.
 

This is supposed to be about Amado Carrillo Fuentes, but since they changed names they must have embellished.
Is it ok to discuss Amado Carrillo Fuentes & what happened with him & his family or would that be considered a spoiler?
 

I don't think anybody would object, since we're way through the looking glass with this show...

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes

This episode picks up from last week, so we're still at Oscar Cadena's ranch, with Guadelupe on the phone to Roxana giving her the "I'll let you know once I have more information" spiel. Aurelio wanders over as he hangs up; he "heard about what happened" with Monica, and he's sorry (he's even taking his hat off to attempt to show sympathy, the smooth bastard). He wants Guadelupe to know he's got his support, even suggesting that they use his share of the money earmarked for the deal with Oscar for paying Monica's ransom. Guadelupe really isn't concerned about that--the deal, he claims, is between him and Monica's kidnappers. AC insists he wants to help--it's a deal that involves both of them--but Guadelupe isn't listening; it's gone too far, according to him. When he finds the guys who kidnapped his sister, they're going to pay.

Guadelupe stalks off on that note, which gives El Cabo (oh, God, the multicolored tracksuit) the chance to slide up to AC and give him the bad news: Jairo Peña not only kidnapped Monica, but also upped the ransom to six "packages" on the threat of negotiating directly with Monica instead. AC really didn't want to hear that; they can't possibly let that happen, he declares, no matter the cost. It should be noted that this entire opening scene occurs with at least half a dozen scantily clad women in the background, so Telemundo gets half a point for that dichotomy.

Sinaloa: Norteño is getting some character development over at Don Cleto's, where Cleto is asking him if it's true that Heriberto snuck onto AC's plane. Norteño confirms it--if it wasn't true, he says, he'd tell Cleto. Cleto's not entirely sure about that, since Norteño is loyal to AC now; Norteño nahs, since Cleto was his first patron and the guy who got him out of poverty. He even still occasionally remembers the jobs he and Cleto did together, out of some narco-based "good times" nostalgia...what is this guy, Peter Clemenza?...and Cleto chuckles. He's still retired, so he's got no work for Norteño--though he's no doubt got plenty going on with AC, right? Norteño reminds his ex-boss of how he'd get them to take out whomever with just a raised eyebrow, though Norteño admits that Cleto was "quieter" as a boss. That doesn't seem too hard, considering the crazies we're dealing with in this show.

Ximena pops up at this point, rocking a short green dress; she's on her way out to do some shopping and pick up Rutila from school. Cleto wonders if she's certain she's not going to go back home to Rancho Casillas, and she insists she's serious about that before heading out. She and Rutila get back a little later, just in time for a maid named Rosa to bring out some mango-and-chili-pepper snacks; Ximena doesn't react well to seeing or smelling those, and makes a beeline for the nearest bathroom to heave a bit. Rutila, naturally, wonders if Mom's okay; Ximena says she is, buuuuut since she took her purse with her into the bathroom we get to see her pull a small box out of it. It's a home pregnancy test. And Ximena seems to have the same thought I did: "Girl, you're just all kinds of screwed up at this point." (I suspect the show doesn't want us thinking about this, but I'm going to guess that this stems from AC and Ximena getting it on at Arroyo's red ranch before he went to prison. We don't know how long he was there, though there appears to be a temporal marker of sorts later in this episode.)
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 2)

We all know how the pregnancy test turns out--positive with a capital P--and as per requirement a disturbed-looking Ximena keeps quiet about it. She tells Rutila she was just "queasy," and reinforces that when Cleto pops up. (The avances indicate this doesn't last, though. I kind of hate the avances for this show.)

Back at Rancho Cadena Oscar, looking a bit more Jaws-like than usual, is exhorting Cabo, AC and Guadelupe that they all have to remain calm--these kidnappers are dangerous people, and could kill Monica. Guadelupe is all "Screw that, I want my sister back!", and yells at AC to stay out of it when he asks if Oscar or Cabo know where to find these guys; he wants his sister back. AC notes that they increased Monica's ransom without any guarantees; Guadelupe sarcastically wonders if AC's going to talk to these guys himself, or if they're going to start behaving like gentlemen. AC then makes the proposal we all saw coming; find the kidnappers, hit them hard, and rescue Monica.

AC then publicly wonders for Guadelupe's benefit who the kidnappers could be, and Cabo explains that it's indeed "some guy named Jairo Pena and his men." They can try to find them, sure, but if they see them coming the first thing they'll do is kill Monica. Oscar suggests they need some time to think, and AC tells him not to take too long before heading off; Oscar then notes to Guadelupe that he's got the final word on this. If he says go, they go. Guadelupe's not totally convinced yet--AC's half right, he admits, since back on their home ground going after mofos at gunpoint is how they resolve stuff. He heads off in turn to think this over, which leaves Cabo free to ask Oscar what his take on all this is. Oscar thinks the Mexicans are right, but...he's got an idea, which is in their--Oscar and Cabo's--best interest.

Inside the ranch Chacorta is chucking back booze and giving a goofy-faced "Gun!" Heriberto some sort of abbreviated handgun primer (because manly firearm instructors can absolutely teach you not to blow your own big toe off when they're buzzed) when AC pops in and beckons him over to explain about his proposal to go after Jairo's posse. It's the right thing to do, he says; they got her into this mess, so they have to get her out of it. Chacorta's not convinced about this either--they're not on their turf, so it could get dangerous. AC notes that they have to show them how powerful they are, otherwise they'll take them out like it was nothing. Chacorta continues to be the voice of relative caution when he then wonders, and he knows AC won't want to hear it, if he really cares about Monica enough to risk his neck for her. AC, of course, will pretend he didn't hear that.

Speaking of the girl in the bustier and pants, she's over at Hostage Central still proposing she can pay her own ransom...okay, that and that she has to go to the bathroom. Jairo pops up and removes her blindfold, then sends her off with a guard to watch her. One of Jairo's henchmen wonders why he went ahead and pulled the blindfold, and Jairo pffts...it doesn't matter any more. He's tired of Cabo's silence on the ransom front--they should have called him by now about that. Jairo wonders if they have anybody over at Oscar's who can get them some intel on what Cabo and friends are doing; and the henchman suggests someone named Dobladillo, and Jairo tells him to get on the phone and find him.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 3)

Back to Oscar's, where Guadelupe and AC are out by the pool. Guadelupe admits he's a family man like AC--all he's got left now is his sister--and so he appreciates AC wanting to help rescue her. All butter within a hundred yards of AC does not melt as he says that family is the most important thing in the world, though Guadelupe can't let go of that pesky Isidro thing--he still thinks AC had something to do with his brother's death. Which is okay, AC replies, since he still thinks los Robles tried to kill his family...so aren't they even? (That turn of logic hurts my brain.) AC proposed what he did, he claims, because he wants to just get all this over and behind them so they can get back to business. Guadelupe finally accepts the lure--rescuing his sister will indeed be a way to regain his trust--but isn't reeled in completely; he's not convinced AC won't shoot him and Monica in the back if they do pull off a rescue. AC tells him all he can do is trust them and watch his own back, but Guadelupe's got a better idea--namely Heriberto, who's going by with Alvaro in the background. Heriberto's coming with them, and he won't leave Guadelupe's side--if anything goes sideways, he'll take it out on him.

AC frostily agrees to that just as Cabo walks up and wonders if they're all on the same page; Guadelupe says it's on AC now, and AC throws out a vámonos. Cabo reminds them that these kidnappers are ruthless people--they don't even respect their own mothers--but AC's okay with that. They're tougher than Jairo's posse is, and with Cabo's men backing them up...Guadelupe gets in on the testosterone bandwagon when he claims they're "done for." Cabo then notes that Oscar's cool with using his house as their headquarters for this, since they've got their guns and men there already, and Guadelupe heads off to make some calls back to Mexico City before getting started on this...but AC's clear on all this, right? AC confirms that before Guadelupe heads off, and Cabo notes to AC that Oscar did indeed have another plan: they can put on a show for Guadelupe's benefit, so it looks like they're doing something, but basically end up in the wrong place. And thus, Jairo's posse can kill Monica. What does he say to that?

AC's not down for that, even while Cabo insists that this potential rescue operation is all kinds of messed up and risky--Monica's death will allow them to continue doing business, and they won't risk nearly as much if they let her go. AC insists they're going to do this, and Cabo reluctantly heads off to tell the boss as Chacorta pops up; yeah, they're indeed going after Monica. And Heriberto's coming along as well, AC says, for some "target practice." He's old enough. At least he wasn't drinking anything when he said that. AC then goes on to give Heriberto a shooting tip of his own (lead your target) before sending him off for some actual target practice, and when Chacorta asks him to leave his son out of it admits that it's "strategy"--Guadelupe's requirement for going along with the rescue idea. So they have to keep an eye on Guadelupe.

Oscar, meanwhile, is out by the pool--and not surprised at all when Cabo tells him that that stubborn AC insisted on a rescue operation for Monica. He's not crazy about it either, but he's got no choice; they've got to move their merchandise to the U.S. AC comes out and plops down for a minute; he wants to know how many men and guns they can get for this ("As many as you need, man") in addition to asking for a map of Cali and, if possible, some communications equipment so they can intercept calls and lock in on Jairo's position (Cabo agrees to get that together). And the threesome toasts to the whole thing going well...well, of course it will, since we're only ten episodes into the show.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 4)

Guadelupe's call to Mexico City is to Triste. Apparently some unidentifed Japanese guys want to launder their money through them, but right now he's got more important things to deal with--their mothers can launder it, he declares, before hanging up. A passing Chacorta wonders what's up, and Guadelupe admits he might well have lost "the most important deal of my life" over this mess; Chacorta tells him hey, he'll see how things cool off once they've rescued Monica. Guadelupe hopes Chacorta's right, since it was Monica who led him into this joint venture with los Casillas and without her...wait for it...There Will be War. He's like a broken record with that. Chacorta does his best to reassure Guadelupe that AC's doing everything he can along with everybody else to save Monica, blah blah faith in the missioncakes, bringing his kid and oh forget it. FF>>>

Mexico City: Ponte's finally made it to town, and is being shown around the GIA office/war room of Marco's team by Marco himself. Ponte notes he's currently shacked up in a hotel before Colonel Jimenez Arroyo shows up, and Marco takes the opportunity to officially introduce Gregorio Ponte to him; Ponte's all "It's an honor to be here, sir," though when Arroyo wonders why he looks familiar mentions that it's probably from a previous visit to Sinaloa. Ponte's mother worked with a relative of his, and Ponte remembers him well; his subsequent "And I have the highest respect for you" bounces right off Arroyo's abrupt stone face, but he recovers well enough to welcome Ponte to the team. He then asks Marco to swing by his office while Ponte gets set up before leaving; Ponte wonders if he said anything wrong, and Marco nahs. Arroyo's just "like that," no-nonsense and such. I'm not sure if he's lying to Ponte or himself.

So Marco heads over to Arroyo's office, where Arroyo asks him to work up a report of the various arrests they've made for tomorrow's meeting of the President's anti-drug posse. Marco, being a thoughtful Standard Action Hero, tells Arroyo they need more men, vehicles, and weapons for their work; perhaps they can ask the President directly for more resources at the meeting. Arroyo is all "Yeah, though we should watch our backs too from the guys who want to screw us--Huerta and General Castro will be there." SAH notes that's the saddest part of the whole thing: their work is complicated by their not only fighting the narcos but fighting their own people. "For this damned cancer," SAH declares, "which is called corruption." Arroyo manages not to look evil until after SAH leaves, but then is all "You won't get me that easily" as he grabs a cellphone from a desk drawer and makes a call.

That call goes to AC, of course; Arroyo wonders if he's all set with the delivery deal, since things are getting complicated back home, and AC is all "Yeah, things got a little complicated...Monica was kidnapped." Arroyo initially wonders what kind of people let Monica be kidnapped from under their noses, but then thinks--every time there's a setback, it seems like AC's responsible for it. AC naturally is all "Get off my damn back, man!", but Arroyo persists--the man did kill Isidro, after all, and lied to him about it. AC bahs, and admits that he did in fact have Monica kidnapped to gain ground with Guadelupe and the kidnappers turned on him, but hey--Arroyo's not paying any of the ransom they're demanding, right? So stay out of it! Arroyo flips on that bit, and gets to yelling into the phone about how he's let AC act on his whims, but there's got to be a limit--they're going to have a long talk when he gets back from Colombia...oh, lord, and SAH walks in right on the tail end of that. Right before a commercial break...
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 5)

Telemundo's been pretty consistent with their fakeouts, so of course when we come back SAH is all "My fault, I'll let you finish that call." A somewhat jittery Arroyo tries to cover it up by insisting that that "lieutenant" carry out his orders and that they'll talk once he "returns from his mission" before hanging up; it's not easy delegating tasks to that officer in their embassy in Colombia, he explains. He then wonders if SAH brought the report, which he did. SAH at least gets an intense and faintly suspicious stare in, which is probably better than we would have expected.

There's Always An El Espectador: over at La Tarde Linares drops a folder on Eugenia's desk. That, he notes, is the file that got Aurelio Casillas released from prison--a jewel, he declares, of various discrepancies. Eugenia cracks it open and starts reading as Linares admits that he's sure that someone's protecting AC...someone really high up. You're not on the deathwatch yet, Linares, but...

Cali: Cabo, AC, Chacorta, Alvaro and some extras are holed up in a side room or some such at Rancho Cadena with some maps and portable surveillance gear. Heriberto, being Heriberto, is all "Oooh, shiny! I wanna touch it!" before Cabo yells at him to beat it; AC ends up getting Chacorta to drag Guadelupe away from there just in case Jairo decides to start blabbing about the deal he made with Cabo. As he does that, one of the extras signals that they've got signal. Main phone turn on...

At Hostage Central Jairo is talking to his henchman, who's been having a hard time getting Dobladillo on the phone. Jairo's about out of patience, so he goes ahead and calls Cabo himself; he wants his money, and he wants it ASAP. Cabo is all "Hey, 'sup?" and Jairo bahs--does Cabo think he's "the ugly girl who's willing to wait her entire life for him to act"? No, he wants that money tomorrow or he's going to negotiate with Monica...or turn her over to them in pieces. He's good with either. Cabo urges him to cálmate, but Jairo just hangs up...right in the middle of AC urging Cabo to keep him on the phone so they can trace his location. Smart greedy bastard. AC thinks they need a Plan B...perhaps keeping surveillance on areas where they might have Monica held. Cabo notes they're usually down in the south part of Cali, and AC is all "Well, get some guys down there!"

Night falls, and back at House Arroyo Doris is reminding a depressed Arroyo that they've got a wedding to go to on Saturday. Arroyo is sucking back some booze and doesn't give much of a damn right now about Doris's social calendar; Doris wonders what's up, and his answer is simply "Marco Mejia." Arroyo thinks he's beginning to suspect he's dirty, though Doris initially isn't concerned; what could SAH suspect? He doesnt't know anything. Arroyo is still kind of pissed from the near-miss earlier; the one place SAH could dig up information on him, he says, is Tijuana--which is indeed where Arroyo engineered AC's "disorganized recordkeeping" release from prison. Doris pffts at that; Arroyo's dirtied his hands over AC enough by now, she suggests, so why not "sacrifice" him? And, yes, Arroyo knows what she means by that. Arroyo considers it for a moment before making a call...

This call is answered by a bald man in field uniform, kicking back in a bar. Arroyo orders him to make AC's file disappear--and no, the guy can't "see what he can do." He's got to do it. Arroyo then hangs up, hoping aloud if this won't complicate things even more, and Lady Macbeth (sorry, Matilde, you lose that title) actually laughs at him--he really thinks AC's going to do anything to help him when he's in trouble? Yeah, right.
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 6)

At SAH's place, SAH and Eugenia are having dinner and talking about the file of doom; he's reading it and wondering how much of it Linares is willing to print. Eugenia notes he isn't completely certain about "opening a can of worms," though the file certainly seems to indicate Arroyo's broke bad--Arroyo's men prepared the thing, after all, and Arroyo himself arrested AC. Eugenia wonders what SAH's going to do about this, and he's not sure beyond being certain that the President is informed; if Arroyo is indeed dirty, he's the only one who can stop him. So perhaps he'll ask him tomorrow at the meeting.

Eugenia now has to get worried; investigating his boss past this point could get dangerous, and Arroyo and los Casillas could all come after him. SAH notes that's not news--they're already against him. Eugenia thus asks him to be careful--for all he knows, "everybody could be following in his boss's footsteps." Oh, girl, if only you knew.

The next day a typically twitchy Guadelupe is wondering what the holdup is in finding Jairo and his sister--he wants to go check on AC and Cabo, but Chacorta manages to talk him down a bit. AC's got it under control--after all, how'd they get started moving their product in the States? Intercepting the gringos' phone calls...so they've got this. Alvaro, who was tagging along, orders some guys to assemble the troops and gear up...they're going on a shooting spree, just as soon as Guadelupe and Chacorta say the word. Well, they nod, so hey.

Arroyo's just getting to his office with the morning paper and some coffee provided by a cute secretary when he gets a phone call. Yup, it's the bald guy...he's in Tijuana, and just "got rid of" AC's file, but found out that a reporter had been there before him and made copies of it--the archives are publicly accessible. And, apparently, it was a reporter named Linares...and Arroyo thumps down in his chair, cracks open the paper--La Tarde--and flips right to an article by Jesús Linares (with a picture, and Linares looks creepily like one of the Canos from Escobar in it entitled, yes, ¿Relaciones del Gobierno Mexicano con el Narcotráficos? Welcome to the deathwatch, Mr. Linares.

Over in the surveillance room Cabo and AC are half asleep when Jairo calls in. Jairo's all business, giving Cabo instructions for making a drop with the ransom money at some random gas station; Cabo tries to drag the call out by going all "Aw, man, don't make a guy go all the way out there just for this shit," but Cabo merely notes the intended drop time--two o'clock--and hangs up. Which at first appears to indicate that they weren't able to trace the call...but, a henchman notes, they were able to trace it to some part of Cali's industrial area. On that note Cabo and AC haul ass to rally the troops, and AC takes a moment to wake up a dozing Heriberto and give him a gun we saw him tinkering with earlier in the episode--now, he notes, it's for him to protect himself with. And for people to start respecting him as well. Heriberto's happy to hear that he's coming along on the rescue mission, though AC jokingly tells him not to embarrass him out there--he doesn't want anybody saying that Aurelio Casillas' son doesn't have pantaloncitos (I'm assuming this is yet another euphemism for the manly man's favorite thing, their balls).

So AC, Chacorta, and a grinning Heriberto go meet up with Alvaro, Cabo, Guadelupe, some extras, and this one guy looking kind of skittish just before making an abrupt disappearance...and Alvaro briefly wonders where he, Dobladillo, went. The answer--behind some shrubbery, where he's making a frantic phone call: "They're on to us, Jairo!"
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 7)

Jairo, thus, rallies his own guys to make an escape with their prize as AC and company head for Hostage Central--naturally, they get there just as Jairo's about to head out the front gate with Monica. So they duck back in and prepare to ambush anybody who comes in--and that means AC, who just comes right up to the gate and pulls it open enough to slip inside. And, like the macho idiot he is, he just stands there pointing his pistol while some guy draws down on him from a ledge...which of course gives Chacorta a chance to warn him before he gets his head blown off.

So AC ducks back out long enough to swap out his pistol again for a submachinegun before yanking the gate open halfway so his posse can run in en masse...and so begins the inevitable shootout with some of Jairo's guys. On the bright side, this shootout has a surprisingly high level of people not hitting anything but bricks and ducking from cover to cover--well, unless you're some of Jairo's guys, who even though they're up on ledges and such are still somewhat exposed. That is, up until AC, Alvaro, Chacorta and an evilly-grinning-in-slo-mo Cabo take some of them out. Unfortunately, Heriberto does not take a bullet...but at least the goofy grin is gone.

It turns out that these guys are actually a rearguard, holding AC and company back so Jairo can make his escape with Monica and four other guys. We see them run by a wall with an Vote--el estado somos todos: Elecciones 1994 poster on it, so it looks like we're still in that bizarro post-Escobar parallel universe.

And back in Mexico City Arroyo is in a huge office, talking to some guy in a suit--his name is not Mike Ditka, but Ramiro--about how in the past few months they've made "significant blows" to drug trafficking, and how it's important that the President know this. And on the heels of that here comes the President himself, looking like Ricky Gervais in a really nice suit; he hugs Ramiro and shakes hands with SAH, whose mother he has a book for (SAH can get that on the way out). And so the anti-drug meeting begins with SAH, Huerta, Arroyo, the Secretary of the Interior (hey, man, it's been a while), General Castro, and Ramiro being shown the article in La Tarde; they all saw that earlier, right? The President's not crazy about the government being linked to narcos, complete with a sober no puede ser; Ramiro suggests they could issue a statement refuting the article, but the President nahs. It's just words, he admits. They need to show the people some stability--some facts, some actual evidence--that the people can "feel," rather than just a statement. Arroyo naturally is all "Well, we're working on that now...aren't we, Marco?"
 

El Señor de los Cielos: lunes (p. 8)

Cali: in the process of dispatching all of the rearguard, AC and company split up; he, Guadelupe, Chacorta, and Heriberto end up pursuing Jairo's group most directly while Cabo and Alvaro end up lagging behind a bit. Jairo's group, meanwhile, ends up hiding out in some poor family's apartment or some such (at least they have the sense to order the family out); Jairo and two of the guys take up position on a ledge to get the drop on AC's group when it comes down a street, and are able to pin them down there. Which leads to the minor cliche of Guadelupe bellowing he's going to go get Monica right before getting shot in the shoulder; the lesser one of AC (and, a minute later, Cabo) sneaking around to outflank them; Cabo and Alvaro catching up to everybody just so Jairo and Cabo can shout at each other about this crap being over; Heriberto getting shot in the arm; and Cabo and AC taking out Jairo's remaining guys so Cabo can catch up to Monica.

This of course is right before Jairo pops up out of nowhere to get the drop on Cabo (and, conveniently, AC runs off after taking out one of the escorts); Cabo's going to help him get out of there, Jairo insists. Cabo and Monica are getting out of there fine, Cabo retorts, but Jairo's going to go to the graveyard, Cabo retorts. Jairo is pretty much all "Screw you, man! You sold us out just like you did ten years ago when we got sent to prison!" Monica's wondering what the hell's going on, how Cabo and Jairo know each other, and Jairo awws--if only she knew what kind of business he and Cabo were involved in. Does she want to know how she got here? (Jigga, please. There are no words in English or Spanish for the level of inevitability tied to Jairo not telling Monica how she got there. Damn you, Telemundo, for being even more blatant with this show's cliffhanger points than I can recall in recent memory.)
 

Beautiful recap, Bill. Thanks.
 

Yet another great recap, Bill. Muchísimas gracias.
 

Super Bill C. I don't know how long it takes you to do these very thorough recaps, but it sure is appreciated.
 

Thanks so much Bill C. !!!

 

It wasn't too much of a surprise that Aurelio shot Jairo in the back. And that Cabo talked Monica out of thinking he and Jairo were working together. What WAS a bit of a surprise was that Monica has forgiven Aurelio so much she comes into his shower, and they make love (Guadalupe doesn't have to know, she says). Yes, even though AC married Ximena, Monica asserts SHE can be the lover, since AC really LOVES her. Dream on, girl, you didn't see AC's face, especially after he found out Ximena is pregnant!

That Arroyo is still pulling it off. Marco discovers Eugenia is being followed, and Arroyo ADMITS it, yes, he himself ordered it, those journalists could have ties to druglords. Yeah, right. And Doris has convinced Arroyo to turn in AC. Arroyo is even sharing the credit with Huerta and Castro (to deflect the extent of his own involvement). But Arroyo knows that Marco suspects him, and keeps cleverly turning around everything Marco does. BTW, Arroyo is just an army colonel, but his house is a huge mansion. I wonder if anyone wondered where he got all the money.

And how can you not love Matilde, all dressed up in her super short dress, off to Mexico City with Turco for her recording session? I wonder if we'll get to hear her sing.
 

Variopinta:

It may be that even though they changed the names, the real guy's story is still very similar to the dramatization we have here. So if you're going to post about the real guy's life, could you please either mark "spoiler alert", or just include it as a link? I sort of don't want to know anything in advance. Thanks.
 

Si Hombre,
I just thought everyone had probably cked Wiki. I like to see how closely the fiction follows the fact. One article said Amado Carrillo took over from his father Vicente but another, probably more reliable article said he was a long time socio of Pablo Acosta & took over after his death.

A book "Drug Lord"

http://www.druglord.com/mimi_webb_miller.html


 

Wow, Mathilde really, really does like playing with fire. She keeps macking on El Turco, who deftly turns it around by asking Chacorta's permission to escort her to DF. I wasn't clear on what she's going to do there. There was something about Chacorta paying for something. So he's bought her both a band and a recording studio? And she repays him by trying to sleep with Aurelio's consigliere. One thing is for sure, Alba understands very well the kind of person her nuera is. Mathilde is unbelievably reckless with her attempts to cheat on a Sinaloan gangster.

Does anyone remember what Chacorta, Victor's nickname, means? There was an allusion last night to maybe how he hurts or kills people that I didn't get.

Yep, Mónica is in a major state of denial, telling Aurelio in her post-coital glow that the one he really loves is her. I wonder if she's going to find out he set up the kidnapping. His big grin when she said that about his loving HER, even though he married Ximena was funny.

Someone (el Cabo?) made an remark last night about Guadalupe not being up to the job of heading up the cartel and that Isidro's death was a game changer.

Fernando Solórzano is such a good actor. He steals every scene he's in as Oscar Cadena.
 

Chacorta, cha corta,
I think it works out to something like short fuse,

 

ah ha,

"Arroyo asks his guys if they know why Victor Casillas is called Chacorta--because he has a mecho corta (short fuse)"

from Bill C., jueves (p. 5) 19apr13

 

I enjoy Matilde, but it's hard to believe that playing fast and loose behind the back of Señor Short Fuse is the recipe for a normal life span.
 

"the recipe for a normal life span." LOL Juanita!

Whether the story is based on the real facts or not, I'm really enjoying it for what it is. If it makes for happier campers around here, I'm perfectly happy to refrain from discussing the true story. Posting links is fine. Most of you all seem to know more about these drug wars than I do, anyway. I'm a total newbie, having just read one book. Our characters are really developing as we move along. I thought they were a bit stock and flat the first week, but now, I'm so looking forward to the next episode.

Didn't you just love how AC looked at those Cessna's and said " 'pfft' show me something real like that 727 sitting over there."
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

LXV, I agree. The characters are becoming somewhat more interesting, and I'm enjoying the telenovela considerably more than I did at the start. If only I could understand more of what the characters slur/mumble/speedtalk, I'd probably enjoy it even more. Ni modo.

And yes, I loved AC's remark about not being interested in the little toy Cessnas but rather in that 727 over there.
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

I miss my daily dose of recap & discussion. Where is everyone?
 

Variopinta- I have been super busy the last few days and am way behind on episodes. I'm hoping someone can give a little taste of what happened the last two episodes.

So it seems that Aurelio slept with Monica again. Idiotic move. It's not like she's just any chic. She's one of the heads of the rival cartel, AND he knows she's BSC and would come after his family if he screws her over again. Why go there again?
 

I must say Matilde sings worse than Jessica Simpson, much worse. I guess she could join the chipmunks.

Interesting that Aurelo's guys were just hanging out by their trucks & ready to roll on a phone call.

I was trying to figure out the plane on the landing strip when AC & crew arrived. I thought maybe to block his plane but it looks like a drug plane that they had already stopped. They were taking the people off in handcuffs.
 

Maybe Bill will provide some belated full recaps. In the meantime, here is some of what I remember.

Monica's sleeping with Aurelio is definitely a dangerous situation. Guadadupe suspects it, and though she denies, he's seen her several times, once in Aurelio's room ("borrowing his robe") and once in a darkened romantic area (they had just kissed), but he can't prove anything. Guadalupe tells her if she did sleep with AC, Guad will kill AC! And Ximena, when Aurelio gets home, also suspects something. Monica with there in Colombia, wasn't she? Ximena then says I'm not even sure I'm going to keep our baby. This infuriates Aurelio, don't you DARE do anything to MY SON!

But how did they all get out of Colombia? Three different flights. Guad and Monica took a commercial flight. The 727 had 24 tons of coke, but just a pilot and copilot. All the others (Aurelio, Chacorta, Heriberto, and Cabo) were on a second large plane. Arroyo knows he has to turn AC in, so he positions the army at the airstrip. The big plane with the drugs is caught, but AC personally flies the other plane off, seeing trouble just in time.

He heads for an alternate airstrip. Marco is mad that they didn't catch Aurelio, and Ponte goes to intercept the second plane. But Aurelio calls Turco, and Noreno and crew are sent to the second strip, where they ambush Ponte, and kill all the agents (except Ponte, who plays dead). So Aurelio and crew safely get home. At home, Heriberto's wound is tended to by Alba, and he's cautioned not to say anything to his Mom about the kidnapping, the gunfight, etc.

And Matilde? Her voice stinks! She's with Alejandrito in the recording studio, drunk as a skunk, and Chacorta (through Turco) has sort of warned Ale that if the record turns out bad, or Mati's humiliated, Ale's responsible. Uh oh!
 

Norteño, not Noreno!
 

One more thing. Oscar is super when he finds out the drugs were seized. He's coming to Mexico now, I think with Alvaro/Tijeras, and if he doesn't get all his money, he wants to kill everybody, not just Aurelio and Chacorta, but Cabo! Tijeras tries to calm him down.

Arroyo continues to play it cool, turning everything Marco says around. But Ponte says that when he was lying on the ground playing dead, he heard the guys talking about a "Letrudo". This must be some guy in the government! We know it's Arroyo. Arroyo and Marco are both in the hospital to hear this. Arroyo hesitates just a second, then tells Marco, yes, find out who that Letrudo guy is. Hah!
 

I didn't mean to say Oscar was super, I meant he's super mad! (Well, in some ways he's super, too :)

When will I learn to proofread?
 

Thanks Hombre! Uh oh! So has Ponte joined Linares on the death watch list now? It really doesn’t pay to be Marco’s right hand or to assist him in any way.
 

What was the reason for 2 planes? Did AC buy 2 & just need to get them to Mex? Maybe a way to get Oscar mad & not get AC arrested.
 

El que no transa no avanza (if you don't cheat you won't get ahead)

This was on Manda & certainly applies on Cielo
 

Rafael Amaya's novia is Angelica Celaya (Eugenia).
 

The reason for 2 planes is that they flew down to Colombia in Aurelio's private jet. That's one. That's the one AC and friends flew back in. It's luxurious, etc. They bought the 727 just to transport the cocaine. It's not luxurious, just big. That's the one which got caught by the army.
 

Thanks, Hombre, for your very helpful summary, and thanks too to Variopinta for getting the discussion moving. I too was missing my daily dose of recaps and discussion, but I find this telenovela so challenging to understand that I generally need help from other people's summaries and comments before I'm able to join in.

I agree with Vivi that Aurelio was a damn fool to sleep with Mónica again. Not only does that emperil his relationship with Ximena, it also puts him personally in danger. Moreover, in important ways, Mónica seems not to be able to read him very well; all she knows is how she feels, and she seems not to grasp that he may not feel the same way about her.

I was actually surprised at what a wretched "singer" Matilde is. Variopinta, I loved your suggestion that she could join the chipmunks.

Hombre, one question. Is Don Oscar going to Mexico? I thought he was sending Alvaro and some others, but he (Oscar) was staying in Colombia and depending on Alvaro's keeping him informed about the situation.

I found it interesting and even a bit surprising that Alvaro hesitated when Don Oscar told him that if Cabo was now allied with Aurelio, Alvaro should kill him, too. It took guts, I think, to show even the slightest disagreement with what Oscar was saying. I frankly had never seen Alvaro as a character with backbone or scruples.

Variopinta, you asked about the reason for the two planes. I think Aurelio had explained that he and the others would go in a second plane for reasons of security. A wise decision. There was apparently a backup plan to use in case anything went wrong. That's how Norteño knew where to go when he was told there had been a screwup and he and the others should go to the other location. But it seems as if this wasn't the first time this location had been used, since Marco had figured out where Ponte and his crew should wait for Aurelio. Unfortunately for Ponte and his men, they all seemed to be rather hard of hearing--how else could they have failed to hear the arrival of Norteño? The cars were hardly silent, nor was the closing of the car doors. Oh well....


 

Juanita, I'm not sure Oscar is going to Mexico. We'll find out tonight.
 

Thanks, Hombre for the mini-cap! Lots of excitement last night. And some humor too with Mati's drunken caterwauling.

We got a good look at how Aurelio will treat even a close and loved relative when he very menacingly told Ximena she better not do anything to his child. I wonder if this threat will become a catalyst for Ximena leaving and eventually betraying AC. She hasn't found out yet about Heriberto's involvement in the gunfight, but you know she will (he's too stupid to lie effectively).

Matilde is one scary, crazy woman. I've got to wonder why Chacorta married her - and stays with her. He knows she slept with AC and tried to have Ximena killed. She has no boundaries (which may be the answer to my question!). Turco seems to understand how dangerous Mati is and so far has kept himself at a safe, respectable distance, but she's a bomb waiting to explode.

So now it's going to be all out war between AC and Arroyo. And Mejia is right in the line of fire. Doris is already doing reconnaissance on him by inviting his mother out for the day. His Dudley Do-right attitude is boring at times, but I don't want him or his girlfriend to be hurt.

Beth
 

I think Monica said she was ok with being AC's amante.

AC's men did park a distance from Ponte & sneaked up on the cops.

Looks like we are going to see Chacorta live up to his short fuse name tonight.
 

When Ximena told AC about the bebe, he didn't seem too happy about it. The only one that is happy about it is Doris.
 

Off Topic:

Calling on Caraymates in the DC-Metro area! Anita and I are headed to a Lila Downs concert in Manassas (http://www.hyltoncenter.org/calendar/242/) this Sunday, Cinco de Mayo, with some amigas but one of Anita's amigas has dropped out and we have an extra ticket. If you would like to attend the concert with us and a few other fun women, please e-mail Anita asap at: almeg "at" verizon "dot" net. I think you can figure out that e-mail address.

 

Thanks for the recap, Hombre.

Yep, Aurelio is a pretty smart guy. He had no intention of being in the same plane with the drugs. And they DID fly down there in his smaller plane, so they had two of them to get back to México.

I laughed out loud at Mathilde's horrible singing. I wasn't sure which way they'd go. She might have actually been a good singer who just needed a little financial help from her narco hubby. Obviously her overdeveloped ego tells her she's going to have a hit record!

When Aurelio told Ximena she'd better not think about an abortion, he used "hijo" I think in the sense of child. He couldn't know the sex so early.

I don't remember if Oscar Cadena started out saying he would go to Mexico, but Tijeras surely told him HE'D take care of things. It was somewhat shocking when Oscar added Cabo to the enemies list, and pretty brave of Tijeras to gently stick up for Cabo. I enjoy Robinson Diáz's portrayal of El Cabo. He's a little more comical and less of a psychopathic killer in this one than he was in El Cartel.

I especially got a kick of how he jumped when Heriberto was swinging between the seats on AC's jet. The kid is lucky he didn't get shot!
 

Off Topic

Vivi, I would LOVE to go to a Lila Downs performance with you and Anita, but flying from the West Coast to do so would be out of my price range!

Have fun!
 

OK, this stuff doesn't qualify as gossip, and I thought it was fascinating.

Robinson Díaz, El Cabo, is considered one of the best actors in Colombia.

At one point, while studying acting, he had a dual career as cartoonist in several newspapers, including El Espectador, featured so prominently in Pablo Escobar.

He's played Hamlet on the stage in Colombia and Caliban in a Colombian production of The Tempest.

Interesting wiki entry.
 

Novelera- Awwww! If only you had one of Aurelio's planes at your disposal.
 

Jueves:

In a shocking turn of events, the bad guys have some major successes, but not before some very tense moments.

Marco goes to oversee the transfer of the 24 tons of coke which were seized to the place where it's going to be incinerated for the tv cameras. But he's told it was already transferred there, under the highest authorization. He calls Arroyo, who says yeah, I transferred it, and you didn't have to know. Did you ever play chess? Well, you know how the government has lost various seizures, I felt surprise was best in this case. Marco is miffed, but goes to oversea the burning. Eugenia is there, so are Huerta and Castro. Arroyo apparently had some personal matter, so isn't there. The burning goes as planned. Hooray!

Or not. Aurelio is super mad at Arroyo for double crossing him. So he has his men drug Doris and
Emma at a spa while they're getting massages. Doris is stuffed in a rolling laundry basket, and a maid is given money to wheel her out. She's taken to a secret hideout, and AC calls Arroyo, get over here, you snitch! Arroyo tells his assistant he has some personal business, no, doesn't need his bodyguards, and goes in person to AC's hideout.

At the hideout, AC pulls a gun on him, give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now! Arroyo says I didn't betray you, just call Don Cleto. Huh? AC calls, Don Cleto says, Ximena found out that Heriberto was shot, and that it was part of rescuing Monica (the kid couldn't fool smart Mom). Aurelio is REALLY mad now. So, Letrudo, you were just stalling, huh? No, wait. And guess what? Don Cleto calls back, a truck just arrived. And all the drugs are on it!

How is this possible? Arroyo had his men substitute matching packages, containing flour, and just a bit of coke on the outside for the smell. And THAT's what burned up in the big public ceremony!

So now, almost everyone thinks there's no more reason to suspect Arroyo, since the drugs were burned up. Huerta and Castro don't suspect him, Linares thinks he's okay, even Eugenia and Marco are so sure.

And yet, Aurelio got all his drugs, and is a free man! He's still in the doghouse with Ximena, though.


 

Jueves, Part 2

Chacorta comes to the recording studio, sees Alejandrito a little too close to drunk Matilde, hustles her home. He slaps her silly, chokes her, then demands to know if she's sleeping with Ale. No honey, she sputters, Ale's a gentleman, but that manager has been coming on to me a little. She then says, I'll use them, then you can kill them! He likes this, and they have wild animal sex.

He goes back to the recording studio, and shoots the manager in the knee. Uh oh!

And the Colombians? Oscar stayed in Colombia, just Tijeras and Marquez(?) went to check whose side Cabo was on. Cabo reassures them, I'm on Oscar's side. I'll even kill Aurelio if you give me the word. The Colombians are all friends again, partying down on a little Mexican boat with babes. And it's a good thing they're together, because I think Aurelio is planning to double cross them.

Doesn't that guy ever get tired?!
 

Hombre, muchísimas gracias for your excellent recap! You've helped to assure me that I caught a lot of what happened, but, as always, there were the pieces I missed. Thanks to you I now understand some key conversations that flew right by me. Eres berraco (I hope that means you're awesome)!
 

Jueves

Thanks Hombre! Here are a couple of little bits to add to your terrific minicap:

Dime de que presumes y te diré de que careces
Tell me what you're boasting about and I'll tell you what you are lacking.

This is the dicho that Eugenia recites to her colleague after he receives Jiménez Arrollo's personal invitation to attend La quema de la droga It could be the title of the episode, don't you think?

After Aurelio has been assured that his shipment is safe, Letrudo explains he had to play this double game because of all the pressure on him. He doesn't want Mejía killed just yet -- he is a valuable line to the president. But the two agree that they will need to sacrifice a big fish to the DEA. A Colombian? Aurelio has someone in mind. (I'd say that Oscar should watch his back.)

This episode makes the disgusting Chacorta-Matilde dynamic a little clearer. You seduce them (what a stud I am to have a wife so desirable), I knock you around and then nail you (you belong to me and I'll decide whether you live or die) and then I kill them (look how bad I am).

Maybe you've already discussed this here -- I'm coming late to the conversation -- but this actress is the same one we loved to hate in her portrayal of Karla with a K in El clon. I imagine that in real life she is probably drop-dead gorgeous but in these villain roles, she manages to be all predatory teeth and chin. With a killer bod, of course.
 

Thanks so much Hombre! I'm looking forward to watching this episode to see all the double crossing and double dealing.

NovelaMaven- Interesting breakdown of the Chacorta-Matilde relationship. I still don't get why he doesn't make his mistress his wife, and keep Matilde as a mistress. The other woman would be less dangerous to have around the family and business. Matilde is unpredicatable/a loose cannon.

Bill- Where are you? You don't have to write us full recaps each day, or any recaps at all, but I'd love to hear your voice in any case. Hope you're ok.
 

"The other woman would be less dangerous to have around the family and business."

Very true, Vivi. But here's my take on it:

Chacorta, like Aurelio, is an adrenaline junkie. You and I might make decisions based, at least in part, on avoiding danger. For these guys, it is precisely the danger that gives an edge to their lives.
 

Thanks, Hombre, for the great recap. This really was a tense episode. I can't imagine how these people could live on the edge 24/7.

I was a little surprised that Doris made it back to the spa alive with all her parts intact. But Arroyo didn't waste any time hustling over to meet with AC, so there was no need for AC to further traumatize her.

Clever move on Arroyo's part, switching out the real coke for phony bricks. I wonder if he's done this before. I had this fleeting image in my head of dozens of little narco-elves making hundreds of fake cocaine packages for the media bonfire.

Mati and Chacorta - what a frightening pair! It was truly malevolent the way she told him the recording manager had been hitting on her and then they decided to kill him.

I hope Oscar moves around a lot. It did sound like he's the big fish AC wants to hand over to the DEA.

Beth
 

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NovelaMaven, I was wondering why Matilde looked familiar to me. Now I know! Muchas gracias.

Bill C, I miss you. Hope all is well.
 

Tks Hombre,
I didn't get the coke, flour exchange at all. I guess burning flour doesn't smell like baking bread.

Rafael Amaya was in People en español 50 más bellos.
 

thanks Hombre!
I appreciate any help on this one,
I love listening to these guys talk, but I don't always follow along,

I first saw Sara Corrales (Matilde) in "Victorinos" as one of the Victorinas,
I'm still waiting for someone to throw her out of a plane,

I think these guys live on the edge just to stay awake from all of the alcohol they drink,

 

Thanks for the heads up about People Variopinta. I'll look for it at the checkout in the market.

I liked last year's cover better, which was a fold-out and had many stars on it. This year, there are three different covers, all with Lucero and two hunks, including Rafael Amaya. I would have preferred they use a different female star for each cover. I like Lucero, but they should have given someone else a chance too.

Here are the three covers: http://novelalounge.com/nn/2013/04/26/lucero-david-zepeda-sebastian-rulli-en-portada-de-los-50-mas-bellos-de-people-en-espanol/
 

I thought I saw a familiar face from Porque El amor manda
Maximo Valtierra is Ramiro de la Garza, one of the big shots in Cielo.
The actor is Juan Ignacio Aranda.
 

anyone know what brand shirts that cassillas and the narcos wear?