Caray, Caray!

Tonight, several of our characters face new beginnings: new careers, new opportunities, and even a new child.

Meanwhile, Nepo and Alejo continue to fester.


MA faces certain death at the hands of Alejo's hired thugs, but Bambi personally halts the hit and tells them that MA is under his protection. The thugs flee.

Bambi says he's doing this in gratitude for MA helping him escape from the police (even though he was caught soon afterward) and for helping out his auntie Queta. Bambi is ashamed of all the trouble he gave Queta when he was young. He gets misty thinking about it, but refuses to cry on MA's shoulder.

MA asks Bambi to testify that MA was never involved in the money-laundering. Bambi begins to sob about his aunt and tells MA he doesn't want to be a stool pigeon. MA says he has nothing to offer Bambi in return for his testimony. This cheers Bambi up, and he has a hearty laugh before ordering his thugs to escort MA safely to his cell.

Saul is alarmed to hear of MA's brush with death and wants to demand better supervision from the guards. MA says Bambi is way more powerful than any of those guys! As for Mini's desire to negotiate with MA, he'd rather take his chances with Bambi!

At the office, Ahole is angry that MA didn't get wacked and blames Vilma for not knowing that Bambi was in the same prison as MA.

At the fonda, Tomás tells Lupe she can visit MA in prison tomorrow. Chido! She goes up to the penthouse to ask if AS has a message for him. No, she sure doesn't. AS has been whining to the kids about how she envies Mati for getting to stay at the nice house. Frida is worried about going back to school tomorrow, and Leo is excited about beginning his teaching career.

Later, Bambi's in a great mood because Valeria, his treacherous girlfriend, is pregnant. Sure, she turned him in to the police and fled to Spain with all of his money, but that's because she just loves to screw him in every sense of the word. (Bambi doesn't know that she screwed him in another way by screwing around with Saul... for all Bambi knows, this baby might not even be his.)

Anyway, impending fatherhood was made Bambi a new man. He orders his flunkies to get some beer so they can have a party. He's going to turn his life around. He'll even testify for MA, gratis - but he urges MA to get his lawyers to work it out fast. (I guess Bambi is aware that he tends to be a bit moody and might change his mind again soon.)

MA's cellmates are surprised but pleased that MA is getting so much help from Bambi without giving anything in return.

Agent Pedro Chavez (not Barney Miller as I previously thought) visits Ahole's house to question Mati. The nurse says she absolutely can't let him see Mati if Ahole isn't there. She calls Ahole, who hurries home to take care of it. He tells the nurse to wake Mati gently so as not to startle her and make her sicker, hint hint.

Ahole tells Chavez his Grandma is sick with stress over MA. Chavez says she was in a nursing home before the fraud too, right? Ahole says yeah, she was real bad, totally senile, but she's doing much better here at home with a special Swiss treatment (he doesn't mention that it's "Swiss" in the sense that the nurse is poking her full of holes with her Needle of Many Naps).

The nurse comes back and says she had such a hard time getting Mati to sleep before that she can't bear to rouse her now. The agent says that's fine. He'll come back tomorrow - and bring a doctor with him.

After Chavez leaves, Ahole tells the nurse that if she lets him in again he'll fire her.

At the fonda, AS makes some more unsolicited suggestions about the food (something about seasoning the rice), which offends Carmelita but intrigues Lupe. It turns out that AS has taken some serious courses on international cuisine. Lupe asks if AS would like to help out with the food for the restaurant. It'll give her something to do.

Carmelita gets angrier and taunts AS that Sharky her "boyfriend" came to visit (Chuy sent him away). AS denies being the loan shark's girlfriend just because she took a ride with him in the Hummmmer. Lupe calms them down. AS still won't agree to *gulp* "work" yet, but Lupe says the offer will be open.

Tizoc is sent to fetch Perla from her room. She's needed in the kitchen, but now that she's a Top Model, she doesn't want to get her hands dirty. Tizoc brags that he'll be big soon too. Perla shows him a magazine photo of his ex-band, who have beaten Tizoc in his rise to success. It's all because Pelambres had a relative in the business, Tizoc grumbles. Perla reminds him that they have such a relative now, too, and she's got Ahole wrapped around her little finger! And if Tizoc will wash his stinky bod and put on some decent clothes, she'll hook him up with Ahole!

MA tells Saul about the deal with Bambi and the baby. He mentions that Bambi's girlfriend is a journalist, but neither he nor Saul realizes that she's the one Saul had a fling with... Anyway, Saul will get the ball rolling on Bambi's testimony, and he also informs MA that Lupe will be visiting him tomorrow. MA excitedly takes the plastic cap-ring from the neck of his water bottle. (MA mentioned to Saul before that even the worst fast-food Saul brings him from the "outside" - I am thinking it's probably Subway, ha-ha - is better than the best food they have in prison.)

Leo and Diego go to a cybercafe to prepare some materials for his art class. Leo is really getting into it. He also teaches Diego about Twitter (apparently, it's #followfriday). A woman has been glaring at them and finally leaves, letting her big purse smack Leo in the head on her way out. The realize that she disapproves of their relationship, even if they themselves aren't completely sure what their relationship is... but they agree that whatever it is, they like it!

Perla and Tizoc are at Ahole's office. Perla wants to meet alone with Ahole first. Aholes credit for giving her the cover and struggles not to grope her when she hugs him in thanks. She wants to be a big star like Gisele (she's popular around here because of Tom Brady, else I wouldn't know who she was!).

Perla asks Ahole to turn his back for a moment. Now that she can't see his face, she asks if she isn't to be paid for doing the cover. He hems and haws, most girls never get to do a magazine cover... she says she needs the money to help out with the family debt. He wants to hear all about this!

In the hallway, Tizoc meets Famous Singer Bobby Pulido and gets his autograph and whistles a lot.

Ahole says he'll pay Perla a modest but fair sum. She brings in Tizoc. Ahole feigns vagueness: didn't Tizoc have a band or something? Tizoc says h's solo now, and asks Ahole to be his patron. (Tizoc gives Ahole a friendly but enthusiastic slap on the arm.)

Leo plans to teach his class all about the art of the world, but his students are specifically interested in the art of Mexico, which is clearly not Leo's strong suit - he tries to wing it, but he's all confused about Frieda Kahlo and DIego Rivera, etc. He backpedals quickly, but realizes he's going to have to do more research.

Lupita has a payment for Nepo, but doesn't want to see him, so she asks Gwendy to bring him the money. Gwendy hesitates because of the fight she had with him about Diego, but Lupe tells her to fight for her love... so Gwendy, who's admitted to Lupe that she feels sorry for Nepo even though he's being a dope, takes the money to the market and ends up fighting with Nepo about Diego again.

Lupe goes to the prison for her visit. They search her for contraband and inspect the food she brought for MA. The guard warns her and MA there's no snogging allowed. MA apologizes to Lupita for having to listen to Mini's nonsense; Lupe brushes it off. (I wish every TN heroine had her attitude.)

MA tells Lupita about Bambi's help. She asks him what he intends to do once he's free. He jokes that he'l take her back to his old apartment in London, of course. No, he's kidding. He gestures for her to meet him underneath the table. (The guards won't let them hug standing up, but he'll let them hide under the table?) He gives her the plastic water-bottle ring and asks her to marry her. She accepts.

Wait till Nepo gets a look at that ring!

Next Time: Perla tells Alejo about the ring! NOW Alejo's willing to take a meeting with Nepo... to plot MA's ruin!

Labels: pobres