Tuesday, June 11, 2013
PEAM, Tuesday 6/11/13 (#67): One Flew East, One Flew West...
(Real mental illness is no laughing matter, but TV mental illness is another thing entirely.)
In Acapulco, an eager young photographer spots the famous Rogelio Rivadeneira with someone who isn't the equally famous Alma Montemayor. He discreetly snaps plenty of photos.
Rogue wants to talk about Paty's sticky fingers habit. She denies having a problem and teases him for seeming concerned, as if he really loves her. He insists that he is only trying to avoid getting involved in a scandal. Paty gets annoyed and silences him with kisses and groping. The unnoticed photographer gets lots of incriminating footage, while our dastardly duo is too busy smacking lips to hear the loud camera noises coming from behind a nearby shrub.
Back in Monterrey, Alma frets and stresses over a financial report she's supposed to send to Pancho, Pancho Lopez in Toluca. The numbers aren't balancing. She steps out of her office just in time to see Vero laying a heavy kiss on Chucho in front of all the secretarias.
In accordance with telenovela custom, Alma fails to notice that Chucho is barely tolerating the kiss. She demands to see him in her office right away. Too bad if Marta's waiting for him! She can wait longer!
Marta is actually not waiting for Chucho. She's having a heated debate with herself, or more likely her alter-ego, like sort of a Gollum/Smeagol thing, in the restroom mirror. She's telling herself she can't let that lil' chippie Maricela take away the man she loves. She can't make a fool of herself like she did with Isaac. She MADE Isaac use, abuse, or rape her (captions couldn't agree whether it was usar or abusar). But she LOVED him! No, she PROVOKED him! She MADE him do it! At any rate, she's got Elias now and she'd better not lose him to that little idiot.
Jessica enters the restroom and hears enough of this to be concerned. She asks Marta if she's feeling okay. "Couldn't be better," Marta replies. (Cuckoo!) She recognizes Jess as the singer from the New Year's Eve party, explains about the company's "program," and asks if Jess has time for her interview now. Jess agrees. As they exit the restroom, Marta seems to flick a nervous glance towards Jess. Jess looks very worried as she follows Marta out.
In Alma's office, Chucho looks at the report and says he'll have to take home the computer and finish the report tonight because he has to do something else tomorrow. Then Alma seems offended that he wants to help her. (Cuckoo?) He says she's helped him out of enough jams that it's time for him to return the favor. He starts to say he'll do it because he lov-- uh, because he wants to help her.
She hands him her laptop. Their hands touch. Music plays. We see the fateful bucket of love land on his head all over again. Ah, flashbacks.
Xochi lets Mari borrow a lucky bracelet. As Xochi ties it around Mari's wrist, Mari remarks that Xochi's hands are coarse and dry. We are spared a product placement ad for an Avon moisturizer.
Julio gives Xochi the letter he wrote. Grumpy Fernando calls Xochi an eyesore on his way past her desk. She is inclined to agree. Julio is not.
Rogelio spots the photographer. Paty feigns outrage, but strikes a few poses for the camera.
After Marta promises that her professional ethics prohibit her from disclosing anything revealed to her in session, Jess eagerly begins her tale of trying to seduce Fernando, getting caught and demoted, seeing him with his shirt off and falling in love, losing him to Díscua, scheming with Rogelio to break up Fernando and Díscua... Marta gapes as though this were the very first time anyone ever confided naughty behavior to her.
Fortunately, Marta's getting all of this on a digital audio recorder, which will save her the trouble of having to risk her ethics by repeating it to anyone because now it can fall into the hands of Oprah, Howard Stern, YouTube, or even the ghost of David Brinkley with no help from her whatsoever. All she has to do is misplace it the same way she misplaced the pen that ended up in Patymelt's Drawer of Doom.
Rogue chases the plucky paparazzo around the beach. He sure is getting a workout! The photographer gains just enough of a lead to take a moment to swap out the memory card. Then he lets Rogue catch him. The photographer makes some token protests about freedom of the press, but agrees to sell the memory card out of his camera for a fee. Satisfied, Rogue leaves with a useless memory card and a lot less money. Sucka!
Okay, it turns out that maybe Marta was gaping because she lost interest in Jess's story and was daydreaming about Eli. If so, we didn't get to see any of her daydream. Jess continues her story: Cardenas, the head of HR, is in love with her.
Meanwhile, Cardenas flashes back to Jess saying she's in love with Fernando. He gets all bummed out, and Gil and Ric want to know why. He says he can't tell them who it is that Jess loves more than him.
Chucho meets with Valentina at bedtime and tells her he heard about her declining performance in school. She says she's worried about her mother and Eli getting divorced. She doesn't understand.
I don't think Eli understands either. He and Vero argue. He thinks she's blaming him for Valentina's bad grades. She threatens him that if he doesn't agree to her terms and sign the divorce papers now, it will just go on longer. He says he's trying to keep his family in one piece.
Chucho tries to assure Valentina that it's not her fault, that Eli and Vero are not getting along and they need to split up so as to stop hurting one another. Love that isn't real doesn't last forever, but true love (like the love he, Eli, and Vero feel for Val) never ends. Valentina wants to spend the night at Chucho's place so she can't hear them argue.
Julio and Xochi are riding the bus together. She repeats most of what she told Marta about the way her aspirations are being crushed by her poor self-esteem and miserable self-image. It hurts Julio as much to hear it as it hurts Xochi to talk about it. He asks what she'd like to do. She wants to be an artist, a performer, with all the self-assurance to sing in front of people. She likes to sing, but her mother wouldn't let her. Julio encourages her to sing just for the people here on the bus tonight.
Chucho interrupts Eli and Vero to tell them that their bickering is upsetting the child. Eli complains that he can't even say what he likes in his own home. Chucho explains that Vero can hear everything in her room and she wants to sleep at Chucho's just to be away from it. Vero backs down and agrees to talk to Valentina.
On the bus, Xochi sings part of a song, haltingly and quietly. Julio goads her into belting out the rest of it at the top of her lungs. It's a hit! Everyone applauds, and someone even hands her money. Julio whispers an idea in her ear. She's not sure if she likes it.
Alma's visiting with Chatita, who says that Mari is dating married Elias. Alma tells Chatita how jealous she was to see Vero kissing Chucho.
Chucho tries to make nice with Eli. Eli is skeptical and sarcastic. Chucho remembers the nice CD of Valentina photos that Eli gave him. Chucho doesn't want to lose Eli's friendship. Eli doesn't get a chance to respond: Vero has given Valentina permission to stay with Chucho, and Valentina says goodbye to Eli. Eli cries.
Valentina takes the Queen and Helper dolls to Chucho's, leaving Meloso the Big Disinfected Bear behind to guard her room. Marta runs into Chucho and Val on her way into Vero's house. Eli is still crying and asking Vero how can she do this to him after all the years of neurotic behavior he put up with from her, out of love. Marta's arrival doesn't sweeten Vero's mood.
Conchas! I want one. Chatita and Alma are talking about old times, the night they first met (when Vero found Chatita's Big Bra of Many Things). That was like three months ago, tops, right?
Marta didn't come to see Vero. She's trying to get Eli to go out with her tonight. Mari is wondering where the heck he is; she calls him, and while he's on the phone, Gollum/Marta loudly asks Eli, "WHY DON'T YOU COME TO MY APARTMENT?" Classy! "Fine, have fun," Mari says, and hangs up on him. Marta asks Eli what he wants with an airheaded girl who's young enough to be his daughter. She holds her own phone behind her back as she tells him how great he is, mashes herself against him, and gives him a serious kiss which he receives with enthusiasm. Marta uses her phone to snap a photo of them (she must have practiced this at home for hours). Much like Rogue and Patymelt, Eli is too distracted by the roar of hot saliva to hear the camera sound effect.
Pánfilo goes to Chatita's and thanks Alma for that great job where he hops around on his wounded feet collecting trash all day long. (Gratitude is a skill.) Alma leaves. Then Mari sulks dramatically about being stood up by Eli.
Alma runs into Chucho and Valentina on her way out. After an awkward chat, Chucho and Alma agree that it's time for Valentina to go to bed.
In the hallway outside Xochi's apartment, Xochi is warming up to Julio's idea, which we still haven't heard yet. She gives him a peck on the cheek and slips through the door. Julio's face turns beet red and he clutches his chest in what I hope is happiness and not angina. He worries about the letter he gave her.
Xochi runs to her bedroom as fast as she can and locks the door behind her. Her mother bangs on the door, demanding to know why Xochi never checks in with her when she gets home. (To avoid conversation, Mom! Why do you think??) Xochi fake-yawns loudly and pretends to be too tired to talk. Eventually Mom gives up and goes away. Xochi reads Julio's letter:
Dear Xóchitl, I've tried writing this letter like a hundred times, but I'm not good at writing. My thing is numbers and dancing. I keep trying to come up with clever words and I always end up with the same ones: I love you, Xóchitl. You are the greatest, and I hope someday you'll come to love me too. Thinking of you, Julio.
Xochi muses over Julio's yet-to-be-revealed plan and thinks it's so crazy, it just might work.
At Chatita's Home for Wayward Characters, Pánfilo introduces himself to Valentina. Más food porn ensues. Dinner proceeds in slow motion.
It looks like Eli's despair is no match for Marta's horny determination.
Pánfilo is telling Chatita that Susana's depressed, recently widowed, and alone, with no children; but he thinks of her as a friend. There could never be anything more between them. Alas, Chatita has fallen asleep and hears none of this.
Valentina tries to figure out what's going on between Chucho and Alma. He says it's time to go to bed. He promises to stay in the room with her till she falls asleep, right after he gets his computer.
In Acapulco, Rogelio is sleepless and worried. Alma calls. He takes the call on the balcony. He seems morose and desperate. He says he's so sad when he's not with her. Soon they'll be married and they'll never be apart again. He feels so alone, incomplete, as if he's missing half his body.
Paty stirs. Does she hear any of this?
"Alma, no matter what happens, always remember that I love you."
"What do you mean, 'no matter what happens'?"
"Oh nothing, just that you're awesome and I luvs you so much."
"Me too. Just wanted to say goodnight."
Rogue looks at Paty, who may or may not really be asleep, and wonders how he got himself into this morass, this quagmire.
Sebastian sees Alma looking pensive and wonders what it's about. She says Rogue sounded sad and nostalgic. "You haven't been having a thing with your secretary, have you?"
Mari can't sleep. She calls Elias, who is naked in Marta's bed, with Marta on top of him as if guarding him from burglars. As usual, Eli doesn't wake all the way up, so Marta takes the call and gloats at Mari. "Hi, Maricela! It's Marta. He's sleeping in MY bed and I'm not gonna wake him up!"
Next time:
Worried about Rogelio, Alma goes to Acapulco. OR DOES SHE??
Labels: Manda
I don't know where Xóchitl lives, but no metroplitan bus in Monterrey is that luxurious, with cushioned seats and CURTAINS ON THE WINDOWS!! God, I wanna go back just to try them!!
So now that Patricia is absent, Chatita is Alma BFF (uña y mugre?)
And speaking of chatita, how many gallons of milk she has to boil to get that much ''nata''? If one gallon could give you 2 teaspoons, and she has a whole bowl, for how long she has been collecting it?
Carbon-14 test here, please!
Another picture that will last for another 40 episodes!!
Alma: Pánfilo, are you doing all right in your new job?
Pánfilo: Sure, I do the same, no problem, I have it all figured out...
In very few words, this TN is stupid, Alma is stupid, Elías is stupid (I was expecting that bed scene was all a figment of Marta's feverish imagination, but seems to be real, with next day pill and everything), Jesús, Fernando and Rogelio are stupid, and so on and so on to infinity and beyond!!
Thanks for you very marvelous recap! Loved the Cuckoo! theme throughout. Marta is BSC isn't she? What is she a split personality? That was scary with her in the mirror, at Avon, I must say.
I am out of patience with Elias. Yes, I know he has problems, with Marta, Maricela, Vero, Chucho and Valentina but for the love of all that is holy, talk to someone other than Marta!
I loved Xochi singing on that bus. I know Kika can sing, but I didn't think they would use it in this TN. She has a fab voice and even Julio was surprised.
Can't wait for your part two Julie!
I hope that bedroom scene was just Marta's hallucination. If anyone needs a day-after pill, it's Eli. (I'm sure Marta would be perfectly thrilled to be pregnant with his child!)
I have to admit, I felt a little pang of nostalgia when Pancho's name came up. Not enough to watch the late-night reruns, but enough to listen to the song again! (I found the other song by mistake; I had no idea Pancho was named after a parody of the Davy Crockett song.)
Thanks so much for this rest of this funny recap.
Now I can really go to town on Elias. What the heck is the matter with him, fall in bed with the therapist, really???? I have to say though, I am glad Maricela dodged that bullet. Maybe now Mari will give up on Elias and move on. Elias really needs his head examined but not by Marta as I said.
When Rogue was looking at Patymelt sleeping in the bed, I got the distinct impression he might actually be in love with Patymelt! I can't understand why Rogue and Alma are holding on to each other, when it is clearly evident that they really don't love each other. I guess we wouldn't have this TN then. Chatita gave Alma such great advice. I agree with everyone now, why exactly is she marrying Rogue? Promise to Daddy? If she does marry him, she'll be miserable, just as he will be.
Vero is a funky one too. She should realize Chucho doesn't love her anymore either, but she really hasn't seen him around Alma too much. If she did, she'd have a clue. Instead of going with that kiss of Vero's he should have told her the same as he told Xochi, he's not into her.
I feel the worst for Valentina. That poor little girl. I am glad Chucho took her to spend the night at his place. She doesn't need to hear all that fighting. I still think Elias should be included in that school vist. It's only right.
I don't like the disturbing turn this Marta storyline is taking. It seems a bit much. It would have been nice if her craziness had been rolled out more gradually and with more subtlety.
It's also interesting that Pancho was mentioned by name on the very same night. Thinking of UFCS reminded me of Violeta. Maybe she and Marta will turn out to be long-lost twins.
Real mental illness is no laughing matter. TV mental illness is another thing entirely. (Ooh! I like that. I'm going to add it to the recap. OK now it's done!)
I DO know that if she goes to this visit without him, he will soon find out about it anyway, whether from Chucho, Valentina, Minerva, or maybe the teacher will even call him personally.
Much like Rogue and Patymelt, Eli is too distracted by the roar of hot saliva to hear the sound effect.
Marta was scary enough with her weird eyebrows and plastic face. Now she's acting crazy on top of that? Oy vey.
It looks like Mexico must be in its "última semana" with PEAM with a total of 181 episodes. I saw Blanca Soto sometime somewhere on the tube yesterday being interviewed about the success of PEAM and her career.
I was so glad the photographer was thinking ahead and gave Rogelio the bogus card from his camera. So, we still have incriminating photos on the loose!!
With Sebastian's latest question to Alma re: Jesús I am beginning to feel that she is being used to pay off His own feeling of indebtedness to Rogelio. Sort of like arranged marriages for political/ economic reasons.
Pablo, yes, I agree it is all stupid but as time goes on with this novela, I am expecting less and am enjoying it more!
Jarifa
Wow - that Marta craziness came out of nowhere. I,m sorry to see it. I was enjoying the sniping between her and Marisela. That was enough disfunction for me. I agree that they could at least have played it out more slowly.
Loved Xochi singing on the bus. And that she gave Julio a tiny kiss.
Poor Valentina. I'm glad she has a get away plan.
Good move by the photographer to switch memory cards. Now there will be more blackmail of Rogue. And, yes, Rogue is giving more & more signs that he truly cares for Paty. What a silly move to keep planning that wedding.
Güera
Meloso-the Big Disinfected Bear
Chatita's Big Bra of Many Things
but my all-time favorite:
(Gratitude is a skill.)
Oh yes, Panfilo trudging around on diabetic, painful feet collecting Avon trash instead of Mexico City trash. Thank you so much Alma! (Maybe the health care plan is better.)
Found the Marta in the Mirror sequence absolutely terrifying. And did anyone else get the feeling that Elias is sterile? At one point in his fight with Vero, he reminded her that he would never have children of his own, so how could she take Valentina from him?!
At any rate, I'm finding this divorce story and Valentina's distress way way too painful. Clearly I've got "issues" myself! Not gonna go to Mad Marta to discuss it though!
That would be Val's poor plight and WTH with Marta. First to Marta, so once again, Elias is being pulled into something with someone who needs some serious therapy...and that would be the therapist?!?!?!?! If her back story is what they hinted at, I don't find that especially humorous. But why the heck are they doing that to this guy? Vero, Mari, Marta ( who seems to be the worst). I get he was so upset over the whole Val thing and losing his family, we're suppose to then surmise he was easy prey to get some lovin' from someone. Can we cut this guy some slack? And he and Chucho need to go back to being BF's NOW!
The whole Val/Eli goodbye was wrenching, and could that have been a glimmer of humanity coming from Vero seeing those two together? Nah, probably indigestion from her new diet. Glad that Chucho took Val to his place for some down time. I wonder that now that he fixed up his place, if we will see Val prefer to stay with him and a battle ensue with Vero?
I was a bit thrown with Rog last night. Does he truly love Pati, or does he realize he does love Alma and screwed up with Pati (who by the way was hysterical as usual)? Could take all that either way, but kudo's to Erick for switching off the hyper stuff and showing a different side of Rog.
I'm so glad I watch this TN right after eating otherwise I would be raiding the fridge. I think the patio needs to invite Chatita over and have her cook us up some vittles.
Daisy
I want to hit Alma over the head. It sometimes work on malfunctioning electronic devices. No reason it can’t work on Fembot Alma.
Speaking of malfunctioning fembots…what the hey is going on with Marta?! She went from one of the sanest people in this tn, to psychotic.
Elias broke my heart in that scene with Valentina. I know he is doing stupid things, like sleeping with Mad Martha, but his whole world has fallen apart and he is grasping on to anything he can find. I also got the impression that he can’t have children. His anger over losing Vero, and his fear about possibly losing Val, are palpable. Now he’s just made his life SO much worse by falling into bed with Mad Martha. Poor guy. The writers hate him.
Will we get an appearance by Pancho Lopez at some point? He could come and set all these people straight.
I'm not kidding about gratitude being a skill.
Judy, I didn't hear Eli tell Vero he'd never have children of his own - I admit, I pay less attention when people are bickering, it's a coping thing from childhood - but if that's what you heard him say, then yes it probably means he's sterile. Or at least that he thinks he is. (It's possible that he assumes he's sterile because Vero's never been pregnant since they got together; but maybe Vero has secretly been taking precautions all these years.)
Daisy, I wasn't sure how to interpret Rogue's behavior either. I think he's becoming more aware of his feelings for Paty as she ramps up the tension and as his wedding day approaches. At the same time, he must be feeling increasingly desperate to keep his hold on Alma. AND he must be feeling a little nervous about Yuri and the warehouse. So all of his feelings are becoming more intense and he's starting to act a little wacky. (Like we don't have enough of that already!) That might explain the weird way he spoke to Alma last night.
I suppose there's even a remote chance that he sometimes feels some remorse for cheating on Alma. But the encounter with the photographer really rattled him. It was a close call (closer than Rogue knows), and it must have reminded him just how easily all of his schemes could collapse if he gets caught.
I never get up in the morning, nor go to sleep at night, without thinking of at least 5 things I'm grateful for. One of which is another day of life! (not to be taken for granted at 73, or any age, really.)
This is a comedy right???
Daisy
I love all sweet bread, but being mexican, all those conchas make my mouth water!
MOst stores like Kroger, Fiesta, have their own bakeries and bake mexican sweet bread, but if you can locate a bakery outside the stores, those are better!
I wonder if there's a Portuguese version of the concha? So-called Portuguese sweet bread is also sweet, but it's not quite the same. I think the Portuguese recipe includes milk, while pan dulce doesn't, so the texture is totally different. And Portuguese bread is rarely decorated.
Jarifa
Jarifa
This was a fun ep: loved Pati posing for the camera as she “protested”. Loved that the guy switched out the memory card. My mouth dropped open at Marta’s conversation with herself-- Marta is going to fatal attraction Elias’ a$$. Loved Xochi’s singing. I have to say I loved both tries, but kinda liked her first try best. Here’s hoping that this is the beginning of Elias and Jesus patching things up. Loved Panfilo telling Chatita that Susana is just a friend and turning around to see she’d fallen asleep. I think Vale got it that Alma and Jesus have a thing for each other. Was afraid she would be upset—wanting Jesus to be with her mom if Elias can’t be, but she seemed fine with it.
I get what everyone is saying about Panfilo’s new job. But at least he doesn’t have to jump on and off a truck all the time, and he’s working inside emptying less heavy trash containers. And he probably isn’t skilled enough to get another kind of job.
Madelaine: I agree with you about Rog’s feelings for Pato. I also wish that Vero would see Jesus and Alma together. She’d definitely see it. Of course, she wouldn’t let that get in her way.
Jarifa: I was just talking to Flaco yesterday, wondering when this TN would end in Mexico, thinking it must be soon since it started there in October. I wanted to know how many eps we had. Thanks for the info.
Daisy: I think after seeing Elias and Vale together, Vero did realize see that she is not handling this very well. Also, you have a point about Rog. Maybe he doesn’t love Pato (though I think he does care for her), and truly loves, not just cares for, Alma and is sorry he got caught up with Pato.
Julie: bought some Herdez salsa at Albertson’s a couple of weeks ago! At first I didn’t like it—too hot. But the more I eat it, the better I like it. I think my mouth is numb.
I kind of liked Marta’s sudden turn into Looney Tunes land. I stopped liking her after her behavior changed when she started to be open about her feeling for Elias. So the nut job turn was OK by me.
Nanette
I couldn't tell whether Rogelio was thinking he's really in love with Pati, or if he's still thinking he's in love with Alma and that getting involved with Pati was a huge mistake.
Elias is an IDIOT. He must really have a thing for the cuckoo ladies. I must say, though, I wish I could sleep as deeply as he does.
I love how Xochi is opening up a bit around Julio. They're so cute, and now we don't have to see her wailing over Chucho all the time.
It also looks like a heated love triangle is going to form. Two of them, the first: Jesus, Alma, and Veronica. The other: Elias, Maricela, and Martha.
As for the door-locking - I think I'd be good at it too if I had to live with her mother.
I know some (all?) of us are looking forward to Xochi's makeover, but I'm also hoping we get to see her redecorate her room. The place is like a shrine to her childhood. It's very cute and very sad. Emotionally she still seems like a child. When she begins to feel more mature, maybe that will be reflected by the decor.
Maybe he ran away with Mari's mom! Maybe Xochi and Mari are sisters!!
If MC from CI went precisely to her father when DF has over 20 million people, and then Octavio found her... what's next?
Another option was like Julie said, Marisela and Mónica from UFCS are twin sisters... two characters, one salary, Televisa saves!!
So is UFCS playing again in late-night? I might have to watch a few epis. I miss Alex and Pepe!
Unfortunately, it sounds like rather than revealing them, as Xochi hoped, he might use them to continue blackmailing Rogue instead. Given the people Rogue associates with, I hope he puts a copy in his "in case anything happens to me, open this" file.
My own spoiler was unrelated and happens much later in the story.
I do miss Pina and Vicente. Maybe I'll catch an episode one of these days.
Nanette - I can't decide if Alma and Rog get married or not. Right now there doesn't seem to be any way out, but I can think of a few things that would derail the wedding while it's in progress, including an objection from Paty, pointed questions from the padre who supervised the pláticas, a medical emergency, earthquake, etc.
If they do get married, then by the rules of telenovelas, they probably can't consummate it, and Rogelio has to die before this whole mess is over. Which is fine with me. Not very funny, but fine.
2.) Xochitl's bedroom looks like a 6-year-old's.
3.) I liked watching Rogelio chase the photographer around.
4.) Pati is hilarious and steals any scene she appears in.
5.) Julio is SO sweet and supportive of Xochitl.
6.) I was super-surprised that Xochitl could sing. I was also shocked, shocked to hear that Elias is sterile. I never suspected. Vero is even more heartless than I thought.
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