Caray, Caray!

We're in ultimos capitulos now, and the gran final is August 24.

Reruns from Friday: Tizoc and Frida "agree" that they aren't in love because they don't think of one another all day long, and Frida doesn't tell him about the pregnancy. Ana Sofia's swell friends bid bitchy goodbyes and say they'll be in touch. Ana Sofia complains to MA that Mati's dinner with the Menchacas interfered with her own plans to worm her way back into the good graces of the buena gente.

MA has already heard Mati's side of the story. Mati didn't know AS was planning a party that same evening, and it's Mati's home too. She has every right to invite people over. As for friendship, well, the Menchacas certainly are their friends; they helped them out when the swell friends didn't. As usual, his words go in AS's one ear and out the other; she hopes never to see the Menchacas again.

In La Nopalera, the Menchacas assess the damage to the fonda. The kitchen and dining area are thoroughly trashed; even the walls have been vandalized. But the rooms upstairs appear to be untouched, and nothing seems to be missing. Lupe mentions that she learned her lesson when the 300,000 pesos were stolen, and now all their cash is safe in a bank account.

But Rita's not home.

And Ahole is on the phone with an unidentified person who has confirmed that the job is done.

Mati chats with Frida. Frida needs to make a decision soon, and she needs to be sure. Mati will support her no matter what. Frida's not even sure how to decide.

Nepo chats with Diego. Diego is still considering a job opportunity coaching soccer in another city. He is sad, but he won't confide in his father because, as he sadly tells Nepo, there's not much for him to say that Nepo's willing to hear.

Now Mati chats with Leo. At first he is hesitant, but she says he can talk to her about anything. "Oh my gay," Leo quips. She reassures him. He says Mexico and lots of places are tough places to be gay because of people like Nepo, but in New York it's no big deal. Mati reminds him that he can be himself here among his family and the people who love him.

The police have been slow to arrive at the fonda because they were out on a bunch of calls - they try to confuse the Menchacas with a list of numbered codes, but someone (Tizoc?) recognizes one of those codes as meaning a sandwich break. Chuy thinks the break-in was motivated by something more than a typical grudge, and he doesn't think it was just local hooligans either because that's not how it is in this neighborhood. The police aren't very helpful, and tell Chuy to file a report at the station if he wants to.

Emi tells Lupe he's too nervous to sleep. He'd feel safer living with Daddy. He's got a whole staff to keep him safe. (And he needs it!) Nice try, kid.

Morning. Carmelita tells Gwendy about the break-in. They reluctantly consider Rita as a suspect, but they're not committed to the idea. Yet.

Cleanup begins at the diner. It seems Rita still hasn't come back yet, and Perla raises the question of her involvement.

Chuy's old wrestling buddy and romantic rival, Chilly Killer, shows up and offers to let bygones be bygones; wrestlers stick together and help each other out. He and some wrestling friends (I don't remember who's who, so maybe they're Wifi and Bluetooth et al). Perla seems to take a shine to one of the younger guys. I don't catch his name, but he has some lines later on, so I'll call him Prince Charming and I hope Perla gets together with him so that Tomas can be free to find a novia who's a better match for him (see how tactfully I said that?).

The gossip about the fonda has already spread far and wide. At Gwendy's salon, one of the clients is going on and on about how Rita has been asking lots of questions about everyone in the neighborhood. Plus, she used to be a WRESTLER and the client considers this a bad thing.

And, the client adds, Rita's been lurking around Nepo's fruit stand. Gwendy begins to worry. Then Diego shows up with a gift of fruit, and Gwendy remembers that Nepo's BIL is a policeman.

Ahole is on the phone again with the unseen goon and says he's sent the money. He urges the goon to take the money and clear out of town for a few days just to be on the safe side.

Then Ahole calls Lupita and says he heard a rumor that someone messed up the fonda. Well, what do you expect in that kind of neighborhood, he gloats. He hints that perhaps it's a "message." Lupe knows the "message" came from Ahole and angrily reminds him that his son lives here too. Ahole feigns innocence.

At the office, Mini brags to MA about the next magazine cover and tries to flirt with him. Mati shoos Mini away and tells MA he should fire her, but he's keeping her around in case there's still a chance she can help him uncover evidence against Ahole.

Gwendy and her clients have come to the fonda with their suspicions about Rita. Carmelita is still skeptical, but Chuy is more cautious. Lupe says Rita had no reason to do this, but Gwendy says maybe someone sent her to do it. (Dippy Perla thinks Rita took part in a train robbery in the US; Tizoc says that was just a movie. What's the joke? Was the Rita actress in that movie?)

Mati chats with MA. MA is worried about Emiliano. Mati says it's understandable that he's so enamored of his new daddy who's giving him the moon and the stars, and MA agrees that he'd be okay with this if only that daddy were a decent person. Mati says that a child is such a wonderful blessing that he can transform even the most awful person's heart. (Obviously she doesn't watch telenovelas.) MA is afraid it will be the other way around, but Mati tells him that Emi's heart is so good and pure, to just wait and see.

Rita arrives at the fonda, and Gwendy's clients want her arrested. Rita denies any part in the break-in, but refuses to explain where she was. There is a lot of ugly murmuring until Nepo arrives with Diego. Nepo looks at the subject of all the murmurs, and exclaims, "Rita?"

"You know this woman?" Chuy asks. "I'm his wife and Diego's mother," Rita replies.

MA meets with Saul and gives him a list of people who might have information about Ahole? I didn't quite catch this. He also asks Saul to find out which properties Ahole supposedly gave Mini in the divorce.

Back at the fonda, Rita calls Diego "Lalito." This is the name she wanted to give him, but Nepo insisted on naming him after that soccer star. All she wants to do is talk to Diego.

Diego wants to hear what Rita has to say, but Nepo is adamant: "Diego Armando and I forgot about you long ago." Lupe says, "your son can speak for himself."

But the angry crowd is clamoring for an explanation. Rita says she "had her reasons" for leaving Nepo and Diego. Prince Charming jokes that women are like wrestlers; they knock the crap out of you and leave you bleeding on the floor, but you just can't live without 'em.

One of Gwendy's clients says, "see, this is why Diego is like that." Other people are making similar ugly remarks. A woman who abandons her husband is the lowest of the low, they say.

Nepo yells at Diego for wanting to talk to his mother. He thinks Rita should be arrested for abandoning him and Diego.

During a brief lull in the ruckus, Perla says to Tizoc, "wait till she finds out Diego is gay." Oops. She didn't think everyone would hear her.

Lupe disperses the crowd. Chuy and Carmelita apologize to Rita, and she's decent about it.

At the prepa, Tato is betting - literally - that Frida will beg him to take her back. He's trying to get his friends to wager on it. Frida arrives and says she wants to talk.

At the fonda, Perla is trying to convince Carmela and especially Lupita that just because someone's been gone for a long time doesn't mean they can't be a good mother... or FATHER, like Ahole, who's such a great dad. Lupe says Diego is old enough to make his own decisions, but Emi is young and Ahole can put ideas in his head.

Frida asks Tato if he ever loved her. He says they had good chemistry and liked a lot of the same things, like sushi. He tells Frida not to mince words; if she's sorry she let him go, all she has to do is say so. And Frida is like, oh hell no. She wants something deeper and more mature than that. And she leaves.

The fonda repairs progress dubiously fast. The neighborhood is having a street fair soon. Prince Charming asks Chuy to help them organize a wrestling exhibition for the fair. Perla plans to be crowned queen of the neighborhood. Tizoc thinks Tay will give a concert. (Nobody buys his claim that he can't help them paint the walls because the fumes will harm his "oral cords.")

At Nepo's house, Nepo is still hollering at Diego. "Don't you remember how she abandoned us?" No, he DOESN'T remember because he was just a little kid! Diego storms upstairs. Gwendy asks Nepo if he felt anything for Rita when he saw her, but Nepo feels nothing but anger. "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

The fonda is already looking a lot better. The Menchacas thank the wrestlers and other friends who've been helping. Lupita brings out a tray of sandwiches and nearly swoons. Only Carmela notices. Lupita says it's probably just the fumes and lack of sleep, but neither she nor Carmela believes that's all it is.

Rita goes to Gwendy's salon to apologize. Gwendy asks Rita if she wants Nepo back. Rita says no - she only wants to talk to Diego. She's not interested in Nepo. (She's been there, done that, and fled to another country, so I believe her.) Gwendy asks Rita why she left.

On the street, Tizoc runs into his old bandmate Pelambres. Even with his relative's help, the band never quite made it. He congratulates Tizoc on his success as Tay, which Tizoc admits was only due to his BIL's help. Tizoc and Pelambres are both disillusioned with the music industry.

Chuy finds Lupe talking to her mother's photo. Chuy says Lupe is just like her mother; she's strong and she never gives up. She can face anything.

Anything? We'll see.

Next day: Lupe is at the clinic. She's had an ultrasound, and the results are in. The doctor says she doesn't need a CT scan because she's not over 40; the ultrasound should be enough.

The doctor opens the ultrasound report, and a look of profound horror crosses his face. What are the odds that he's only reacting to the radiologist's poor penmanship?

Next Time: We're in ultimos capitulos! Mati demotes Ahole to manager (of sales, I think). Lupita shares bad news with Carmela.

Labels: pobres