Caray, Caray!

NO SPOILERS PLEASE

Remember folks -- we only talk about what has been shown on American TV.

Thanks!
 

Wow. Just watched tonight's capitulo, and I won't reveal any spoilers until the recap is up. However I will say this, this show never ceases to amaze me. There has been more plot in the last week, then most TN do for the entire run.

Can't wait to here you Crackpot theories on this capitulo.
 

Jueves Part 1

One Minute

Navier will give Reina the minute she asks for. He’ll see her at the escritorio [desk] which means they will be seeing each other in the study.

♪♫♪♫Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places♪♫♪♫

Asuncion tells FELS her tale.

One night she was waiting for HIM naked in bed. The food was on the table. There was champagne and candles. She had put on a delicious perfume. Everything was ready for love and not the terror that took place instead.

Flashback:

Masked men entered the room where Asuncion was at. One of them shot her several times and she fell unconscious on the bed. The shooter removed his mask before leaving the scene of the crime.

End of Flashback

Asuncion tells FELS that she knows that HE was found in his home with his family. They were all killed. HE lived in Colombia and was an arms trafficker. HIS name was Gregorio Perez. HE was nicknamed El Coyote.

Esmeeth comes into the room and says “Asuncion, finally.”

Time For Some Magic

Reina is about to spill the beans and tell Navier that he is Clara’s father when they are interrupted by Estefania. Estefania tells Navier that the magic show is about to start and of course the show is the living room and not in the study. Estefania kisses him and tells him “Let’s go, hubby”. Navier leaves. Estefania tells Reina that if she messes with Navier she will kill her. Estefania leaves. A single tear strolls down Reina’s face.

♪♫♪♫Do You Believe In Magic♪♫♪♫

Izzy tells Connie he loves magicians also. Connie ignores him. Connie asks Clara where Reina is – she hasn’t seen her in awhile. “I’m here” says Izzy. Connie ignores him. Poor Izzy.

Greta tells Laz that she loves to see Estefania happy.

Laz passes Reina a note from Navier which says “We’ll talk after the show in the park”.

The magician asks for a volunteer from the audience. Clara and Connie raise their hands. The magician chooses Clara as his volunteer. He has her get inside a trunk. He'll make Clara disappear. He closes the lid and when he opens the trunk Clara is not there. She has disappeared. He asks Connie for help for the next part of the trick. He gets inside the trunk and Connie closes the lid. She opens the lid and the magician has disappeared as well. The audience applauds.

Reina gets worried. “Where’s Clara?” “Clara…Clara…Where’s my daughter? Clara…” she shouts.

El Coyote? Huh? Whatcha you talking about, FELS?

FELS tells Esmeeth that he doubts Asuncion knew who El Coyote was.
Esmeeth doesn’t seem to know who El Coyote was either. FELS explains to her that Asuncion’s lover was El Coyote - the arms trafficker who was found dead along with his family in the massacre. He tells her that El Coyote was Estefania Perez Hidalgo’s father.

I’d Never Hire A Magician For My Wedding

Reina asks Victor where Clara is. “It’s just a trick” says Estefania. Victor says he didn’t hire the magician. He asks Estefania if she hired him. “I’d never hire a magician for my wedding” she replies. Estefania asks Navier if he hired him. Navier didn’t hire him either. Navier and Reina run off to go and search for Clara. “I do not like this at all” says Greta. “Me neither” says Susana.
 

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Jueves Part 2

The Real Asuncion Croaks And The New Asuncion Is Born

FELS and Esmeeth enter the main office at headquarters. FELS wants Asuncion to continue her tale. Asuncion asks if it’s necessary for her to continue. Remembering all this hurts her. Esmeeth tells her that it is necessary and asks her to please make an effort to continue with her tale.

Asuncion continues telling FELS and Esmeeth her tale:

After the shooting, Asuncion ended up at the hospital. She was between life and death for months. It was a miracle that she survived. It was there where she found out what happened to Gregorio’s family. Only the daughter survived thanks to some dolls. This ending hurt her so much. Her husband went to see her and forbade her from coming to the house and seeing Reina ever again. He told her that if she did he’d kill her and Reina. “Did you believe him?” Esmeeth asks her. “If you would have seen his face you would have believed him too…that man was scary” Asuncion replies. “Up until that moment you were still Maruja Torres, right?” FELS asks her. “Yes, but I shared the hospital room with a woman” she says.

Flashback

Asuncion talked a lot with a woman at the hospital who had suffered a car accident before starting a new job at a house with a family. The woman was going to get better and her bosses were going to wait for her. Asuncion told the woman her story and the woman promised to help her. The woman gave Asuncion a ring that belonged to her. The woman didn’t have a family. The woman had a crises one night and died.

End of Flashback

It all happened fast. But that was Asuncion’s chance. She took the identity of the woman and went to the mansion and introduced herself to the family and since then she stopped being Maruja to become Asuncion. The mansion belonged to the De Rosas.

Abracadabra...Alakazam!

In the study, Victor is ordering Izzy and two other men to look for Clara. He tells them to look even under the rocks. His daughter cannot disappear like this!

Reina comes into the room and shouts at Victor accusing him of being behind Clara’s disappearance. Izzy and the other two men leave the room. “You think I would do such a thing?” he asks Reina. Reina asks Victor to give her back her daughter and begs him not to hurt Clara. She asks him to not take out his hatred and the anger he feels towards her on Clara. She asks him what she has to do. He tells her to think about what she has to do and say to him so Clara can come back and not disappear like a ghost. “Abracadabra...pata de cabra [Alakazam]...let Reina make Clara come back....think” he says. Reina kisses Victor. Navier enters the study and catches them smooching. Navier says it seems like he’s the only worried one about Clara. Victor apologizes and tells Navier he was trying to calm Reina down and the only way he knows how to calm her down is by smooching her [kind of like Navier does also]. “Well keep on doing that” he tells them. Navier will search for Clara personally. He leaves the room. “What else do you want from me?” Reina asks Victor. Victor replies that he wants everything absolutely everything. The kiss was a good try but he wants more. “You know that I have the power now and can make Clara come back and disappear” he tells her. Victor tells Reina that she’ll have to swear that Navier will never find out that Clara is his daughter. He asks Reina to swear it on Clara.

A Dragon In Action While The Emptyed Eyed Wife Is Either Clueless Or Doesn’t Care

Navier gives orders to security that no one is leave the premises. Navier will search the mansion.
Estefania asks Susana if she thinks something is happening. [Duh Estefania] Laz will go and search for Clara and he leaves with JJ. Susana thinks all this is so strange. Estefania asks Navier what is happening. “That’s what I want to know” he replies. He leaves to continue searching for Clara.
 

Jueves Part 3

All I Need Is Some Peace…Too Bad You Are In A Novela, Asuncion!

Esmeeth and Dr. Moto [thanks doris!] escort Asuncion to a hospital room at headquarters. Esmeeth congratulates Asuncion for having had the guts to speak about her daughter [the guts Esmeeth didn’t have I guess]. Esmeeth thinks that this will be good for Reina. Asuncion thinks that the only thing that will do Reina any good would be for her to get away from Victor. Esmeeth agrees. Esmeeth tells Asuncion to rest. Esmeeth tells Asuncion that she is in good hands because Dr. Moto is a great professional. Dr. Moto thanks her for the compliant. Esmeeth leaves and Dr. Moto asks Asuncion if she needs anything. “Peace a lot of peace” says Asuncion.

Reina Should Have Had Her Fingers Crossed

Reina swears to Victor that she’ll keep quiet about Clara being Navier’s daughter. Victor wipes away Reina tears and asks her not to cry anymore. He tells her that Clara will be fine as long as she keeps her promise. Victor will keep the diary. He shoos Reina away. Reina leaves the room.

Dragon Stories Can Have Morals Too You Know

Navier is in the kitchen. JJ shows up – he hasn’t found Clara. Navier says that the magician hasn’t left the premises. JJ leaves to keep on looking.

Navier picks up and reads Clara’s story about the Dragon not marrying the Dragona but marrying a beautiful and elegant woman instead. The woman’s eyes are empty. The Dragon has a secret- he doesn’t love the empty eyed woman.

We Think And Feel The Same And Umm We Smell The Same Too

At the camera/computer room at CIA headquarters, Esmeeth tells FELS they should give Asuncion time. It must not be easy for her to talk about her past. FELS wants to investigate Gregorio Perez’s file. He is certain that Asuncion doesn’t know that Gregorio was Estefania’s father. Esmeeth thinks the same since Asuncion didn’t say anything. Esmeeth asks FELS if this could have something to do with the diamonds and the millions that the father [I think they mean Reina’s father] had in an account in Panama. FELS doesn’t know. He tells Esmeeth that sometimes he believes they are just the puppets in the hands of a murderer. Esmeeth agrees. “That’s odd...we agree” says Esmeeth.

FELS doesn’t think it’s odd. It isn’t the first time they agree. Nor is it the first time they feel and think the same. It isn’t the first time they smell the same either. He tells Esmeeth that right now they both smell of passion and desire. They kiss.

Not Even Magic Can Make Clara’s Coldness Disappear

Navier desperately asks Reina what happened with Clara. “Was it Victor?” he asks. “Can’t you see I’m losing my mind?” he says. Reina is silent.

A white mist comes out of the trunk. Clara pops out. Reina rushes over to Clara and hugs and kisses her. Clara doesn’t want to be hugged and kissed by Reina. Victor shows up and Clara hugs him while rejecting Reina. Victor even shoos Reina’s arm away.

Asuncion Is MIA

Dr. Moto enters the hospital room and finds that Asuncion is gone.

She Ruined My Wedding Reception!

Navier asks what happened. “Where’s the magician?” he asks.

Clara doesn’t know where the magician is. She doesn’t know what happened. “It was all strange”, she says.

Reina asks Clara if she is fine. “Did he hurt you?” she asks.

“I’m fine, Reina!” Clara says coldly.

“All this commotion and drama for nothing...it’s obvious that it was all a trick” says Estefania.

Navier goes to find the magician.

Reina and Clara leave.

Estefania whines to Victor that Reina ruined her wedding reception. Victor sarcastically says “Things that happen...things that happen.”
 

Jueves Part 4

A Quickie At CIA Headquarters – Surely They Can Be Fired For This!

Esmeeth and FELS get dressed after their umm quickie at CIA headquarters. She tells him that this can’t happen again. He agrees...at least it can’t happen there! Esmeeth says it can’t happen anywhere.“Well, I don’t know if I can bear having you near and not smother you with kisses, blondie”, he tells her. She tells him that it isn’t necessary for him to say those things because she doesn’t need to hear them and she doesn’t believe him. She begins to leave and he pulls her back. “What don’t you believe?” “What I feel?” “My desire?” “What you do to me when you touch me?” “My dreams becoming a reality?” “What is it that she doesn’t believe, blondie?”, he says. She asks him not to touch her again. “Then don’t scream out that you want me to”, he tells her. Dr. Moto shows up and interrupts this business errr sexual conversation. She tells Esmeeth that she came to ask her where Asuncion is. She went to look for her in the hospital room and she wasn’t there.

I’m A Magician

Victor smokes Big O’s pipe [although he prefers cigarettes] as Estefania asks him what happened and if he made Clara disappear. “It’s scary how well you know me” he tells Estefania. Estefania asks him if it had to be today. Did he want to ruin her wedding? “Of course not” he says. He tells her that he saved her wedding which was about to be annulled. She doesn’t understand. Victor tells Estefania that Reina found a diary where among others thing it says that a woman told her [Reina] that Nicolas Nuñez was dead. “That was me” says Estefania. Victor tells Estefania that she had good luck because Estefania’s name was not mentioned in the diary. Victor tells Estefania that the dairy said that Nicolas Nuñez is the father of Clara. Estefania is worried and thinks this is the end because Reina will tell Navier the truth.
Victor tells Estefania to relax. It is all under control. The show worked. Victor tells Estefania that Reina knows that Clara can disappear at any moment and never come back. He has bought Reina’s silence. “You wouldn’t dare?”, asks Estefania. “That’s what Reina thought as well and Clara disappeared…abrakadabra”, he says.

Flashback

Victor was with Clara after she disappeared in the trunk. He asks her to hide out someplace until the magician finishes his tricks. Then boom she will reappear. Clara asks him how he knows this. Did the magician tell him? Victor will tell her a little secret...he’s a magician too! He tells her she can’t tell anyone. She asks when she will reappear again and he tells her that no one knows. Magic is like that.

End of Flashback

Dragons Don’t Believe In Magic I Guess

The magician is nowhere to be found. Navier doesn’t know what is going on. “It’s the best trick I’ve ever seen”, says JJ. Navier says it was an illusion – a skillful and clever act. “A trick..”, says JJ. JJ and Laz leave.

Asuncion Is No Longer MIA But The Receptionist Is

Esmeeth, Dr Moto, and FELS find Asuncion in the lobby of headquarters. The receptionist must be on a potty break. Asuncion is unconscious. She has lost a lot of blood.
 

Jueves Part 5

That Was No Magician, He Was a Hit Man!

At LAPD, Reina has been in interrogation with Christian for hours. She doesn’t know what else he wants for her to say. She told him all she knows. She told him that she doesn’t know what happened with the magician. “What about with Clara?”, he asks. “No, obviously...umm I’m tired...I’m confused...I just want to go home...I don’t want to upset Clara any more than she is...I want her to be in peace”, she says. Reina asks if she can go home. Christian is investigating. Aside from being a cop he is a friend of the family and he is worried. “Ah, you’re worried...well I’m terrified!”, says Reina. “A dead body fell on top of me”, she says. Christian tells Reina that maybe he shouldn’t tell her this but it’s the truth – that was no magician, he was a hit man and he was there to kill someone. Christian doesn’t know who the hit man wanted to kill.


That Was No Magician, He Was a Hit Man!

At LAPD, Reina has been in interrogation with Christian for hours. She doesn’t know what else he wants for her to say. She told him all she knows. She told him that she doesn’t know what happened with the magician. “What about with Clara?”, he asks. “No, obviously...umm I’m tired...I’m confused...I just want to go home...I don’t want to upset Clara any more than she is...I want her to be in peace”, she says. Reina asks if she can go home. Christian is investigating. Aside from being a cop he is a friend of the family and he is worried. “Ah, you’re worried...well I’m terrified!”, says Reina. “A dead body fell on top of me”, she says. Christian tells Reina that maybe he shouldn’t tell her this but it’s the truth – that was no magician, he was a hit man and he was there to kill someone. Christian doesn’t know who the hit man wanted to kill.

Reina Is Robbed Of Her Memories Again

Laz and JJ are at JJ’s place/Reina’s old home. Laz wants to know what JJ and Navier are up to. “Trust me”, he tells JJ. “Talk to Navier”, says JJ. JJ realizes that Reina’s diaires have been stolen. Laz says they’ve stolen Reina’s memory again.

The Dragon Wants To Suspend The Religious Ceremony

At LAPD, outside Christian’s office, Navier is with Estefania. Victor is in the back.

Navier is on the phone.“Fine...Got it”, he says. He hangs up.

“Did something else happen?” Estefania asks. She can’t believe everything happened the day of her wedding. Navier wants to suspend the religious ceremony. Estefania won’t allow it. It’s the day she always dreamed of. Besides, the magician is dead and he won’t come back to life if they don’t get married. She asks Navier if he changed his mind about marrying her. He says he hasn’t changed his mind.

Christian and Reina show up. Christian asks to speak to Estefania. Estefania leaves with Christian. Victor asks Reina if everything is ok. Navier tells Reina that Esmeeth called him and there is something she needs to know about her mother.

Us Women Understand Each Other Better

Asuncion is back in the hospital room. She has bandages wrapped around her wrists. I guess she slit her wrists. Dr. Moto says Asuncion will be fine. FELS asks Asuncion why she tried to kill herself. Esmeeth asks to be alone with her – maybe between women they can understand each other. FELS and Dr. Moto leave. Esmeeth knows Asuncion is hiding something and needs to know the truth.
 

Jueves Part 6

Stolen Diaries And A Stolen Life

Reina wants to see Asuncion. Victor says that she’ll go see her but with him. Navier doesn’t know if Asuncion can receive visitors. Reina doesn’t care – she needs to look her in the eyes and understand. Laz calls and tells Navier that Reina’s diaires have been stolen. Navier thanks Laz for calling and informs Reina about the diaries being stolen. Victor admits to being behind the theft of the diaires. He did it because Reina asked him to. Victor says that he respects Reina’s intimacy and if she asks him to destroy her diaires then he does. Navier asks Reina if she really did ask Victor to destroy a past that is unknown to her. He tells Reina they were the missing pieces of the puzzle. He tells her they were the answers to all her questions. They were her memory. Did she really ask him to destroy them? “Yes..it was me” she says. Navier doesn’t believe her. He doesn’t know what is up with her since before the magician’s show. Reina tells Navier that the magician was no magician but a hit man sent to kill someone. Most likely her. Navier leaves.

Reina asks Victor if he killed the magician. “Me?” he says.

Flashback

Victor recalls paying off the magician who he asked for help in making Clara disappear. When the magician had his back turned Victor wrapped a wire around the magician’s neck and strangled him to death.

End of Flashaback

Victor says he’d never do such a thing. Reina doesn’t believe him. She tells him that he saved her life. Navier returns and says the magician was indeed a hit man. He receives a call from FELS who tells him that he will send over the address encoded. They will see each other there.

FELS And His Two Woman - One An Ex And The Other The One He's Interested In

At the camera/computer room at headquarters, FELS is at the computer with another agent. He says “I wasn’t expecting this”. Dr. Moto shows up and says “this is a complex case”. “A case that isn’t letting you sleep or perhaps it is his love for Esmeeth that isn’t letting him sleep” she tells him. “That’s enough, Jackie!”, says FELS. “You tire me”, he tells her. “And yes it’s Esmeeth who isn’t letting me sleep”, he tells her. “Satisfied?” he asks her. Dr. Moto is off to race motorcycles. FELS doesn’t seem to care that these races are illegal and asks her if she’s still into that crazy bike racing. She tells him she is...especially now since she has nothing to lose. Dr. Moto leaves.

Esmeeth shows up. She wasn’t able to make Asuncion talk. FELS informs her that a magician made Clara disappear at Navier and Estefania’s wedding. He calms her down by telling her that Clara is fine. He tells her that the magician was a hit man and that their team has found his hideout. He will be going there. Esmeeth wants to come to. He doesn’t want her to come. She insists on going. He asks her twice “Who gives the orders around here?” “You do” she replies. He leaves then comes back and whispers to her - “Don’t you realize how hard it is to have you close?”

I Have A Little Secret I Want You To Know

Victor, Estefania, and Reina arrive home.

“It doesn’t speak highly of my little bro to have left you all alone on your wedding night”, Victor tells Estefania. “It is bad luck for the bride and groom to sleep together the night before going to the altar”, says Estefania. “Nah some lazy groom who wanted to go out to party made that up”, says Victor.

Reina will go and see Clara. Victor stops her. He wants her to know a little secret. Estefania loves secret. Victor doesn’t think she’ll love this secret. Victor tells Reina that it was Estefania who made her believe that Nicolas Nuñez had died.
 

Jueves Part 7

Navier’s Dragon Senses Must Be Failing

Navier and FELS make it to the hit man’s hideout. They find a bulletin board full of Navier’s photos. It’s Navier who they want killed. There are photos of Navier on the desk as well. The hit man has been following Navier for days. He knew his every move and every step. Navier believes the hit man was highly trained because he never noticed. FELS notes that the photos were taken from afar – the photos must have been taken with a special lens or a powerful zoom. FELS is worried and surprised that Navier didn’t notice a thing. He tells Navier to be alert. The hit man may be dead but not who hired him.

My Only Mistake Was Choosing The Coyote Instead Of The Road Runner..No Wait That's Another Show

Asuncion holds the birthday photo. She says it was from Reina’s 10th birthday party. She always spied on Reina and remembers the day perfectly. Esmeeth informs Asuncion that the photo was found on the body of a man who had his mouth sewn shut. She tells Asuncion that one of their agents had the same fate. She is telling Asuncion this so Asuncion realizes how important it is to be honest with them. Asuncion must see something in the photo that the CIA doesn’t see – something that has to do with Reina’s dad. Esmeeth asks Asuncion if she knew her husband had 2 million dollars in Panama. They need to know everything about his life. Asuncion says that her only mistake was cheating on him and choosing Gregorio not knowing that he was El Coyote an arms trafficker. It is a mistake she paid for and is still paying for.
 

Jueves Part 8

Victor And Estefania Were Made For Each Other

Reina to Estefania: “It was you.”

Victor: “Yep it was her” “Estefania split you and Navier up before I showed up in your life” “She lied and told you that Nicolas Nuñez died because he had been shot but he was really alive and fighting for his life." "He was dying but still alive. “Maybe she spoke too soon and it backfired on her because he survived the attack.” “What was lust for the valet parking ended in this terrible tale” “Estefania must have been turned on by how it felt like sleeping with someone from a different social class.”

Reina insults Estefania and asks “how could you?” Reina says that Estefania and Victor are both the same. They were made for each other. They are both greedy and heartless. They both do anything to get what they want. They think they are so smart and better than everyone. She says they are a pair of miserable people. She tells Estefania that she disgust her and leaves.
 

Mauricio - Thank you for the recap and great section titles! And just in time before I head out of the house for the day. ”All I Need Is Some Peace…Too Bad You Are In A Novela, Asuncion!” My favorite!

”The shooter removed his mask before leaving the scene of the crime.”
Who WAS that masked man? He sort of looked like Victor, and sort of did not. He’s got to be a key player in the plot, or else the writers would not have unmasked him. Right? There are no throwaway lines or scenes (yet) in this telenovela. He took the mask off *after* Asuncion was shot.
My Crockpot™ Theory --- he could have been Asuncion’s husband/Reina’s father.

WHAT is Asunción’s untold secret that is so scary, that she would rather slit her wrists than tell? QTH???

I have a Colander™ theory (one that is so full of holes it won’t hold water) that Asunción could be Estefania’s mother. Ye olde baby-swap plot, a la Greata/Stefy/Susana, since Asunción was the amante of Stefy’s father. Highly unlikely since Stefy is older than Reina, thus a Colander™ theory. But, it would make things verrrry interesting.

Did I hear Asunción infer that Stefy’s little brother did not survive the Los Perez home invasion. Something like ‘only Stefy survived’, or did I misunderstand?


Victor reached new lows in maldad last night. I really wanted to throw something at his face on my TV screen.

What is Victor’s game in ‘outing’ Stefy to Reina as the one who lied to her re: Nicolas Nuñez?
How will Stefy twist it to her advantage? Chilling advances for the next episode~!
Must see TV!
 

LOVED LOVED LOVED your recap, Mauricio. My favorite title was,
My Only Mistake Was Choosing The Coyote Instead Of The Road Runner..No Wait That's Another Show

but I liked them all. You did leave out the scene where the dead magician falls out of Reina's closet. Reina's going to get a complex about opening closet doors when dead guys keep falling out of them.

Wow, so many questions in this episode. We'll need to turn the Crockpots to high.

Why didn't anyone investigate how the magic trick was done? Or since there obviously wasn't a trap door in the living room of the DeRosas mansion, maybe they didn't want to go there.

Doris Asunción's info about who survived the shooting of Estefi's parents must have been way after the fact. The newspaper stories that we saw earlier were all about Estefi pretending to be a doll and I don't think they mentioned the brother. So I don't think that Asunción knows about the brother.

The guy who shot Asucnción was the same guy we saw shoot Estefi's parents in the flashback. He does kind of look like Victor but we've seen young Victor (with Granny) in flashbacks and it's not him.

So did Victor just happen to hire a hitman to make Clara disappear who was also stalking Navier or did Victor set up the pictures of Navier in the hitman's place? Victor is certainly not trying to kill Navier. Victor presumably must have set this all up before he found out what Reina learned from her diary since that only happened at the wedding.
 

"What was lust for the valet parking ended in this terrible tale." For some reason, this makes me laugh so hard.

Anonymous me aka Clarita's Pencilcase.
 

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Apologies everyone. I just realized I copied and pasted the same section of the recap twice.

Here is the sectioned I missed:

That Awkward Moment When The Saying “A Skeleton In The Closet” Becomes A Reality

Reina and Connie enter Reina’s room. Connie says there a lot of things she wants to understand like what happened at the show and what Reina read in her diary. Reina tells Connie she will tell her later. She’s tired. She goes to open her closet and its déjà vu because once again a corpse falls on her. This time it is the corpse of the magician. His lips are intact so we can scratch El Costurero off the list of possible suspects. Reina screams. Izzy and Navier run into the room.
Reina jumps into her Dragon’s arms while Izzy points a gun. Navier tells Reina to calm down. Connie says “Oh my God, another dead person” “We have to call the police.” Navier will take care of it. Izzy says that this is strange. Connie can’t believe it. She doesn’t want to be there. Izzy offers to take her home. She rejects his offer and tells him that she wants to be with Reina.

Navier asks Reina if she knows something they don’t. Reina doesn’t know a thing. Navier says they have to leave and they can’t touch anything. Navier tells Reina that she knows more than she is letting on.

Victor comes into the room. He asks what happened. Izzy shows him the corpse. “How awful”, he says. He hugs Reina. Navier calls the police. Victor asks him who he is calling. Navier tells him he is calling the police of course. “A crime took place” he says. “And the murderer is among us, no?” says Victor.

[This section of the recap should be before "That Was No Magician, He Was a Hit Man!" ]
 

*section not sectioned. sorry.
 

Mauricio,

Thanks for your wonderful recap and adding in the missing section. I assumed it was a cut and paste type issue. That scene was my favorite in the episode, and I didn't really expect the magician to come tumbling out. Your recaps are not only thorough, but a delight to read. I especially like your section headers. One minor correction, they are in Las Vegas so is should be "LVPD" not "LAPD" - probably just a slip of the finger. I'm probably the only one to notice since I'm not far from Los Angeles!

So help me understand -- we still don't really know much about Reina's dad (other than he squirreled away $2 million cold ones and banished Asuncion from seeing Reina), and Asuncion had an affair with Estefi's father? We still don't know if there was any "fruit" of this affair? Do we think that Reina might be the offspring of Asuncion and Estefi's father's affair? This would make Reina half-sister to Estefi, which seems par for the course with this TN. It would, also, perhaps explain how Reina's "father" left her in the clutches of her evil step-mother. Just some Crackpot theories floating in my jello...
 

Mauricio, ¡no te preocúpes! Your recap is espectacular, espléndido, estupendo and a whole bunch of other es- things that escape me right now.

I too loved ALL the titles but Jean has noted my fave; so here's the runner-up:

We Think And Feel The Same And Umm We Smell The Same Too
The usual caveat applies, of course: ISBIS.

Doris, this is sooooo funny:
"I have a Colander™ theory (one that is so full of holes it won’t hold water)". That probably applies to most of my ideas.

Jean,
Yes! I recognized the masked asesino too! He sort of looks like a heavier, cruder Victor; but since this is happening 30 years ago, maybe it was a young Big O?

CRACKPOT THEORIES™

1. Maruja's Assumption of the identity of Asunción was NO ACCIDENT. The woman in the next hospital bed was recruited and then killed. Big O WANTED the Coyote's Consort (and the wife of the Payaso, Pedro Ortiz) in his house.

2. Victor's endless futzing with Big O's pipe marked another of those "before and after moments" (ISBIS): he has officially turned into his father. We are seeing The Story of Big O, Redux. He was a bad man before; now he is the WORST man possible.

Miguel in SD -- oh yes, Reina and Estefi as half-sisters would carry on the symmetry!
 

Dear Clara's Pencilcase aka Anonymous:

Your comment showed up in my google email:

"What was lust for the valet parking ended in this terrible tale." For some reason, this makes me laugh so hard.

Anonymous me aka Clarita's Pencilcase.

I think that maybe you are hitting "reply" rather than "post new comment." Try commenting directly from the comment page on Blogger, entering your text in the little box and then clicking on the orange rectangle, PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT.

As for your comment itself, YES! (Of course, every single time they say "el valet parking" to refer to Navier, I kind of snicker.)
 

Mauricio--Compliments on keeping all the activity in this episode on the rails. I loved your section headings, the same ones Doris and Jean did.

But the more serious one was about Reina's stolen diaries and stolen life. Victor's cruelty has no limits.

The one that worries the most is the Dragon's senses of self-preservation failing. He's being stretched thin by all the assignments and responsibilities pulling him this way and that.

We know he will survive, but how many Herculean labors will he have to perform before rescuing his damsel.
 

Mauricio, many thanks for another marvellous recap. I am grateful for the bit of Spanish and, of course, the terrific headers. The ones I liked best have already been mentioned. I also greatly appreciate all the detail, especially since I wasn't able to see most of the episode last night (I got interrupted midway through).

Doris, I love the notion of a Colander Theory, so full of holes that it won't hold water.

Miguel in SD, I like the symmetry of Reina and Estefi being half-sibs, a la Navier and Victor, but I don't think the chronology works. IIRC, Asunción said that she took up with El Coyote sometime after Reina was born. Since Estefi seems to be older than Reina, that seems to rule out the half-sib theory. Though with this novela, it almost seems as if nothing can be ruled out!
 

Great recap Mauricio, especially with all the actions and emotions!

I loved the last scene with Reina, Estefy, & Victor...watching everyone's facial expression as the secret unfolded. Victor's evil glee, Estefy incredulous that Victor spilled her secret, and Reina shocked and disgusted at their malice.

I want to say that the masked man is the puppet master behind the sewn mouths and Reina's attacks, but that begs the question, what does he have against her? Although the attacks were very personally targeted towards her, maybe they're trying to hurt someone who loves her like Asuncion? Out of all the mysteries there are in this tn, the one I want to know the most is who is behind Reina's attacks. (So please writers, live up to my expectations & give us a good storyline!)

The one that worries the most is the Dragon's senses of self-preservation failing. He's being stretched thin by all the assignments and responsibilities pulling him this way and that.. Anita, so true. No wonder he never smiles, and not talking about his sarcastic/acting smiles.

And I agree with ya'll about how the masked man looks like Victor, but I wonder if that's just a red herring, with the writers messing with us. Let's get the casting department to get a guy who looks like Victor. Wonder what the viewers will make of that,hehehe..."

jlk
 

wow, thanks Mauricio!

so there was no mention of Estefi's brother in Asuncion's tale, and what about Estefi's mother? I guess I'm confused here and wasn't the original story that Estefi's parent(s) were killed, and Asuncion worked in the house so she would have known of the brother, and why were they having a romantic night at home when both parents were there...

I love Doris' theory that the shooter was "Asuncion's husband/Reina's father".

and how creepy is it to have the chief forensic/morgue doctora taking care of you, dra. Moto, who's eyes freeze over when she sees Patricio with Esmeeth.

I'm getting the idea that Victor is THE puppet master, although there have been others like BigDeadO, (and I love when the bad guys foil each other) but Victor has been weeding them out.

and it's interesting how Victor likes to stir the pot, like exposing Estefi as the one who lied to Reina at the church, as it keeps everyone off guard.

and yes, the Dragon is slipping, ever since he began doubting his Dragona, and began sleeping with an empty eyed... doll.

 

Good heavens, Maurice, this is an incredible recap. I too got a huge kick out of your section headers.

And I’m loving the terrific comments too.

Juanita – thank you for the link. I’m going to go look at it now.

Vivi – thank you for the information about the shows (not) being chopped up right now. I’m surprised to hear that Malquerida isn’t still being cut – I guess it came badly edited right out of the box. Reina is beautifully put together (the show, I mean – LOL – but Reina herself is beautifully put together too).
 

I just started watching the episode again and if Reina had communicated the important information - Clarita is your daughter - right away, she would have had time but she says a bunch of irrelevant things and loses the opportunity. Of course, Reina can't tell Navier this information now, that would be too easy.

deb Asunción said that she was working in the house of a man who lived alone in house full of employees but no family. So this must have been some place other than where the wife, Estefi and her brother lived.
 

The idea that Big O was the home invasion shooter/murderer of Stefi's parents ran through my mind, too, but I doubt Octavio would have allowed Asunción to work in his house, in case she managed to recognize him.

Something bothers me about that shooting scene..... I wish I had the footage where it shows Stefy's parents being killed.

Does anyone remember if both her parents were together when killed? That would leave Asunción where? In another part of their house, ready to seduce Stefy's father? It's not all adding up for me.

Could Asuncion have been at a separate love shack, with shooters at both locations at once, hoping to get Stefy's father in one or the other.
 

Jean - your answer to deb just answered my question I posted. Our posts crossed in cyberspace...
 

Thanks, Mauricio, terrific recap.

I was just completely disgusted at Victor's winning every round over and over again.

When he was making her swear, swear that she'd never tell Navier that Clara is his daughter, I was saying to myself: Come on, writers. What person in their right mind would consider a promise to a psychopath to be binding? Of course, the threat to Clara still exists. But I got the impression Victor thought that Reina, as an honorable person, would keep her word if she promised not to tell. Bah!

I'm starting to think FELS won't turn out to be a bad guy. The main reason for this is Esmeeth's attraction to him. If anyone ever deserved some love in her life, it's Esmeeth!

I'm glad Estefanía was outed as having lied to Reina, but Navier wasn't there. Or was he? My mind tends to be a sieve about TN details. The only way I can do recaps is writing notes as I watch!
 

Mauricio, thank you, your recap with both hilarious and lucid! But I still remained baffled and confused by several events this week.

First, we saw Victor kill Octavio, but who put the other gun in Octavio's hand to try and make it look like suicide? My best guess is abuela because she probably doesn't know much about gun calibers, but it's still another of those mysteries.

Second, why did Javier marry Steffy? He could have turned her in as FELS suggested and rescued Reina from the threat of jail, but he chose to marry her instead. I don't get it.

Third why didn't Reina tell Javier that Clara was his daughter? Yes Steffy interrupted, but in Reina's fantasy she told him in front of Steffy and a whole room full of people. So why did't she do that when she actually got the chance?

I love this show even though my brain is on overload.

Penny
 

ah, thanks so much Jean, I remember that now,

hmm, but do all the parts make a whole, it's confusing when they give us a story in parts, interesting that Esmeeth thinks there is more, and after Auncion's confession, what could there also be that is too horrible to tell,

which leads us to Victor bringing Reina home, but as the story goes her father had already committed suicide, right?

or does Asuncion know different?

 

"I'm starting to think FELS won't turn out to be a bad guy. The main reason for this is Esmeeth's attraction to him."
Esmeeth loved Octavio and had a child with him. Personally, I find her to be have terrible taste in men. PFELS is still on my Yellow Alert list.
 

Penny - We don't know #s 1 and 2. #3 is your typical novela failure to communicate information that would shorten the story.

Ok, here's a little tidbit from the recap of Episode 2:

Connie and Lazáro’s grandma is dying. They must go see her. She raised them when their parents died. They had been separated and their
grandma brought them back together. Lazaro was in Mexico and Connie
in Colombia

On the principle that the writers only tell us things for a reason, why come up with the story about Mexico and Colombia if they just wanted Connie and Laz out of the way so that they couldn't be with Reina? I wonder if this will pan out into something?
 

Okay, thanks.
I seem to have missed something crucial... Why did Javier start being a cold jerk to Reina? They went from the single note piano 'Espereeeeeee po-or ti!' smooching (& fully underwear-wearing sex) to him being cold and mean and hello, marrying someone else!
 

Clara's pc:

First, yay, you did it!

Now: Why did Javier start being a cold jerk to Reina?

FELS ordered Javier to dump Reina and marry Estefi. If he refused, FELS said he would arrest Reina for possession of stolen diamonds (from the raid on the Atelier we saw in a flashback) and Clara would grow up motherless.

Of course our dragon is also subject to fits of jealousy which adds to the sum total of jerkiness.
 

Jean - good question, especially the Colombian connection. It could have just as easily been some other country in So. America. Or why separate them at all? Hhhmmmmm.... There's a Crockpot Theory in there, somewhere, somehow.
 

Penny,

I would add to what Jean said about Navier's decision to marry Estefi rather than turn her in:

I think Navier still feels some loyalty and gratitude towards Estefi. He knows a lot about her past, but so far, not the crucial fact that she personally cut him off from Reina 8 or 9 years ago. When he finds out -- and that can't be too far off now that Victor has grown chatty -- I'm sure his attitude will change.
 

Sara and NovelaMaven--Just a reminder that my next recap is for NEXT Friday, Oct 3.

Doris--good one on Smeeth's choice in men.

deb--why Victor brought Reina home is one of the biggest mystery of R de C. We've speculated, but the closest we've gotten to a working Colander Theory (as opposed to the Crockpot one) is that it has to do with her name, Reina, and that is the only thing that will protect someone who doesn't have all four diamonds from The Curse of the Red Diamonds.

We know Victor hates her and is obsessed with her at the same time. How he was able to tolerate her all those years of hatred was probably achieved by making her over into someone the image and likeness of a queen worthy of being by his side, socially.
 

Mauricio-I just finished watching the episode and thank you for making sense of it all AND explaining pata de cabra for me!

Ok. W.T.H?? A church wedding. FELS just said marry her, dude. You don't have to go overboard!
 

Oh, and this show is pretty much awesome. I can't get enough!
 

Thanks everyone!!!!

Miguel - You're right - it should be LVPD not LAPD. Thanks for the clarification.

Jean - I agree about Reina getting a complex about opening closets. Poor Reina. It is crazy how they keep on leaving these bodies for her to find.

I had a chuckle when Christian said he was a friend of the family and yet he was completly left out of the guest list for the wedding.

I wasn't expecting for Esteania's dad to turn out to be the man who Asuncion had fallen in love with. I was wondering too where Asuncion was when she shot. What else could she be hiding? Can't wait until we find out.

As for the who could after Navier, I think it has to do with the diamond trafficking he was involved with back in Belgium. I don't think they would have introudced that storyline to just drop it after a few episodes.

This was such a fun episode and I can't wait until I get a chance to watch tonight's episode.
 

Jean- thank you for the course correction. Clearly my beanie with tilting the wrong way, but I've got it back on straight now and will not be asking such a foolish question again. Tal vez.

Penny
 

Viernes Parte 1

But they didn't find a witty heading
FELS and Javier leave fingerprints all over the place. They find the dead Mago's stash of aliases and guns. There's also a cell phone. They'll check out the call record. Javier says they need to find out if the hit was ordered in relation to diamond trafficking OR the death of the Belgian that didn't Waffle OR if it was personal and Victor de Rosas had something to do with it.

The robbers must have stolen the witty headings
Laz and Juanjo clean up after the robbery. Laz is with Juanjo all the way, but he needs to cover for him. Laz confesses he's back to his carrera ways. He wants to earn money for Greata.

Mom, do me a favor. See if Laz is hiding witty headings from me
Greata briefly discuss the disaster that was Estefy's wedding. Greata can't stop thinking about Laz. Heeey! Susana can go over to Juanjo's with some pretext and find out what Laz is up to! Susana finds the idea ridiculous. Greata tells her she WILL go and she WILL find out. *deathstare*

The absence of witty titles WILL be investigated!
FELS wants to know everything about the dapper sicario: calls, travel, credit card activity. Javier can't get in touch with his contact in Belgium and the contact hasn't been seen in days. FELS will get in touch with his contacts, too. Esmeeth wants Javier to have a guard. Javier don't need no stinking guard.

I just called to check on my witty heading
Reina call interrupts. She wants to know how her mother is doing. Asuncion is out of danger, but is depressed. She is suffering for Reina. Reina thanks Esmeeth for telling her and hangs up. Esmeeth comments to Javier about everyone eventually paying for their offenses. Javier says some pay too late.

No, it's not a witty heading. It's just Izzy
As usual, Izzy barges in unannounced. He want to be sincere with her. He pulls out his gun. Connie wonders if he's going to kill her. How could she think that? SHE killed HIM! She killed the bad in him. He wants her to know who he really is. He puts down the gun.

I just stopped by to see if there were any witty headings here
Susana knocks on Juanjo's door. Hi jinks. Juanjo thinks she's there for him. She lets him know she's there looking for Laz (record-scratching sound effect.)

Well, darn. I got here too late and now there are no witty headings left
Laz shows up to race, but he's too late. Dr. Montoya did all the racing and all the winning, too. Laz tells her she just took advantage of his winning self not being there. She doesn't like to lose. Nor does he. Hey, they're twins. Doc's skill with a moto doesn't sit well with the other male riders. They try to attack her, but she's got some moves of her own. Laz returns to help her fight them off.

What were you thinking?! You told Reina about all my witty headings!
Estefy is not pleased with Victor. He told Reina that Estefy lied to her! And on top of that, there was a dead Mago! Victor asks Estefy if she hired the Mago. Estefy asks how he could think she would ruin her own boda. Estefy whines about how many years it took to snag Javier. She cries. Victor comforts. They kiss. Reina comes in and calls Estefy a betraying slut. Victor watches and revels in it. Reina is furious about what Estefy did to her and to top it off, she's now found Estefy with her husband. Insults fly. Cat fight. THWACK! (+1 Reina). KAPOW! (+1 Estefy.) Reina tells her she won't stoop to her level and leaves. She meets Javier in the hallway and tells him that she just caught Estefy kissing Victor.
 

VIERNES Parte 2

I was just wondering if he knew anything about the witty headings and he kissed me! The louse!
Reina encourages Javier to go check out the action himself. He coldly asks if she's jealous because she's not the only one. Javier turns and heads for Victor's room, where Estefy is in delicto slap-grante. Estefy says she was just asking about the dead Mago and Victor up and kissed her! Estefy's bloody lip is all Reina's fault, though. She got jealous you know. Reina denies being jealous and she doubts Victor alone is guilty. Estefy asks Javier who he's going to believe. Javier asks both ladies to leave. He and Victor will take care of this like men.

We showed those witty headings who was boss, didn't we?
Laz and Doc M win their fight. Laz thinks she's a good fightin' buddy. They make a good fightin' team. She thinks he needs to see a doctor. He doesn't like doctores. What about doctoras? (Where are they going with this. I'm not too keen on a Laz/DocMont/Greata triangle. Hasn't Greata been punished enough?)

He just stepped out to get some witty headings with extra mushrooms
Juanjo tells Susana Laz went to get pizza. She'll wait. Juanjo tells her it might be a while. You know, kneading a pizza crust takes time. Susana makes to leave, but Juanjo tells her she can wait. He offers her a hot beverage. She declines.

Why I oughtta beat the witty headings out of you
Victor wonders how they should resolve their little problem. He thinks a duel is a little old fashioned. They decide to beat the tar out of each other. Estefy and Reina are in the hallway sniping at each other (Estefy warns Reina to watch what she says to Victor. Like Estefy, he doesn't forgive.) They hear the boys fighting and run back to the bed room. Reina and Estefy both take a "protect Javier" stance. Clara also comes running when she hears the commotion. She shakes off Reina and leaves with a cooing Estefy (I'm really beginning to hate this kid.) Javier swears to finish with Victor one day. Victor will be waiting. Javier tells him he won't know when he's coming and to not mess with his wife again. Victor tells him it sucks to want someone else's wife, doesn't it?
 

VIERNES Parte 3

Your headings better be witty or you're going to sleep with the fishes
Izzy tells Connie about his life as part of a mafioso family. He explains what that means since she's clearly to innocent to understand. Drugs, arms, violence. He always lived outside the law in barrios marginales. His dad was a thief, but he isn't. He liked making people afraid. He was always a loner, distrustful. It made him a savage animal. And he fell in love with her savagely (ISBIS.) He wants her to know who he is so if one day she decides to stay with him, she'll understand he's a paid thug loyal to Victor de Rosas.

No I don't expect you to keep your witty heading in your pants.
Victor and Reina argue. He's tired of her challenging him. She refuses to sleep with him. Did she really expect him to be faithful? Reina says she didn't, but did he really have pick Esteania?! He says he told Reina the truth about Estefy's lie as a show of good faith and this is how she repays him? Well, at least he knows it will remain just between the three of them. Reina sneers "Oh yeah?" Yeah. She had the chance to throw it in Javier's face and she didnt!
 

VIERNES Parte 4

That witty heading saved my life
Izzy tells about a dark time in his past. He had some money that didn't belong to him and there were thugs looking for him. When they found him, they beat the stew out of him and left him for dead. He was barely conscious and had time for only one call. He called Victor and he was there in 10 minutes. Since then he's been loyal to Victor. Loyal like a dog when he's treated well. And Connie has treated him well. So that's who he is--thug and mercenary, but he loves her with all his heart.

Paging Herr Rothtein, Your witty heading is waiting at gate 12
FELS explains to Esmeeth that when Javier arrived in Belgium, they tried to kill him. The killer was one German Rothtein (spelled according to the CCs...I heard something closer to Rothstien.) Appartently he had a brother: Gerardo. FELS is willing to bet Gerardo has put out the hit on Bolivar to avenge he brother's death. Esmeeth asks if they can arrest him. FELS tells her Interpol has found him and will arrest him, but she knows how things like this happen. Yeah. She knows. There could easily be someone else ready and waiting to attack Bolivar.

Witty headings are lurking everywhere, waiting to kill me!
Estefy is still smarting from her confrontation with Reina. She wants Javier to assure her that he believes her. He wonders if maybe some past feelings were at play. Estefy swears they weren't. She loves him. She would give anything for him. She starts to discuss tomorrow's church wedding and Javier interrupts. With everything that's happening, maybe they should hold off on a church wedding. Estefy doesn't want that. She wants to go into the church see him waiting for her. She wants to swear before God that they will be together til death. That's just what's bothering Javier. There's a contract out for his life!

Promise you'll never forget the witty headings we shared
Connie tells Izzy that her life was very different. Her grandmother taught her and her brother right from wrong. Though once when she was 5 she stole something. Her grandmother had brought home some chocolates (with hazelnut) for each of them. She ate all hers and then took her brother's. Then denied doing it...but the chocolate all over he mouth gave her away. As punishment, she couldn't have any sweets for two weeks. Connie asks Izzy about his grandmother. She was an administrator. In a brothel. Connie kisses him and tells him she loves him (amar), but they can't be together. They are from two completely different worlds and she knows he would eventually get bored. She tells him never to forget her because she's never going to forget him.

I only smoke the finest witty headings from Cuba
Victor enjoys a cigar on his long couch. Reina comes in and starts up about Estefy and Victor ruining her life. He reminds her that Javier decided to marry Estefy all on his own. Reina changes tactics. Clara deserves to know who her real father is. Victor tells her that HE is Clara's father. Enter the Dragon. He wants to talk to Vic...about diamond trafficking.
 

VIERNES Parte 4 correction

That witty heading wasn't meant for Reina
Before Javier starts his diamond trafficking conversation, he informs Vic and Reina that the dead Mago was after HIM!
 

VIERNES Parte 5

What the heck does this witty heading mean?
Victor: lines I don't catch/I'm too lazy to listen to again.
Javier: more lines I don't catch/I'm too lazy to listen to.
Reina: QTH? What do you mean diamond trafficking? You both have fortunes.
Javier: forget what you know Reina. You've got a lot of experience in losing your memory.
Victor: oooo. BURN!
Javier: Oh, and it was a blessing someone killed the Mago. It saved my life. I'm too young to die.
Victor: I'm almost proud of the guy! Lo que se hereda no se hurta (kind of like "chip off the old block.")

How long does it take to pick up a witty heading with extra mushrooms?
It finally occurs to Susana that Laz is NOT getting pizza. Juanjo finally spills the carrara beans. Laz and DocMont stumble in and Susana sees the same thing I do: the writers have decided to throw a wrench in Greata's happy machine. (Greata happened to be calling at that precise moment. The writers take the opportunity to give Yolanda a chance to eat chocolate covered strawberries and swoon over Juanjo.)

Susana doesn't want Greata to see Laz like that. Doc M tells her about the attack. Laz smirks and talks about almost killing them. Susana wants Laz to tell Greata that he spent the evening with Juanjo. She appreciates that he wants to provide for Greata, but she doesn't want t see her suffer.

This witty heading situation is driving me crazy!
Esmeeth is pacing and worrying about Javier. It's all FELS fault. He tells her that he's going to make sure that they'll do everything to protect Javier because 1. That's his agent and his responsibility. 2. He's doing it for her.

Don't let the witty heading win
Jeez. Estefy is acting like a petulant child who wants to keep the kitten she found. She's willing to take any risk. (And it's odd that Javier would interrupt the previous "let's postpone the wedding" conversation, go talk to Victor about diamond trafficking and then go back to talk to Estefy about the wedding.) Estefy makes one of her anguished, breathy speeches about beating death that has taken so much from her. Javier tells her they can talk tomorrow. She should go home now. They'll go ahead and get married, and Victor can still be the Padrino. Javier is not a jealous man. Estefy reminds him how much she loves him. More muerte, gana, partida lines. Confronting death doesn't bother Javier, but he doesn't want anything to happen to Estefy. She knows he doesn't love her, but he cares for her a lot. He is grateful to her and owes her his life. She has been an unconditional person in his life (ISBIS) and sometimes that's worth more than love.

Dear witty heading
Reina writes in her diary. "I hate her. She's the one that lied to me! The three of us could have been happy. Him, our child, me. Now the woman who says she's my mom tried to kill herself, my child hates me and he despises me. And worse they want to kill him! If he dies, I die with him.!"

Isn't that the same witty heading from Santa Diabla
(I swear that church facade looks the same as the one from Santa Diabla)
A black clad figure is seen from afar. We do not see the face. He is carrying flowers. He looks at his cell phone. There's a picture of Javier and a voice-over "This is Javier Bolivar. If he arrives alive to the church, make sure he leaves dead. (Makes more sense in Spanish.)"
 

Fabulous, Sara! Thanks!

I LOVED all the headings.

Victor cracked me up as he reveled in watching Reina and Estefania argue and then start slapping each other. It also cracked me up how Victor headbutted Navier as Reina and Estefania entered the room.

I'm getting tired of Clara being a brat. But the not forgiving your mom must be in her genes since Navier is the same. Maybe even Reina is the same as well since she didn't seem to have a reaction to Esmeeth telling her that mother was suffering over her except for saying that all she wanted to know was that her mother was alright.

I had a feeling the hit on Navier was related to the diamond trafficking. I loved "Belgian that didn't Waffle".

I also loved that little bit of Yoland swooning over JJ as she ate a piece of chocolate.

So is it all over between Izzy and Connie? I do want them to be together. I liked how he decided to be honest with her and let her know about his past and who he really was. It makes sense that he became the kind of person he is now since he came from a family of mobsters.

Great episode tonight. Monday is so far away!!
 

Recap, Sara, very very witty. LOL!

Penny
 

I'm glad you liked the headings, Mauricio. I've been sort of in a panic about the headings this week. Everyone did a good job with theirs and I've never been very good at that kind of thing.

Glad you liked it Penny!

Come on, Monday! Mama needs a new Reina!
 

Loved your recap, Sara. Very clever with the headings! I understand heading anxiety, ¡creenmelo!

I loved the scene with Izzy explaining his past to Connie. They are such a cute couple. Different worlds indeed where her worst offense is stealing chocolates. What do you bet that Victor arranged for Izzy to be beaten up so he could rescue him and get his loyalty? He did something similar to Reina. Izzy will doubtless find out and...

Not happy with the Laz/Dr. Moto/Greta triangle but something has to come between them. I'm with Juanjo - just ask Navier for money to buy a house for Greta. That's what rich friends are for ;).
 

Jean- I like your scenario for Izzy and Connie. Like Mauricio, I want to see those two crazy kids get together.


 

Digo.... It seems to me that if Victor had arranged such thing and Izzy discovers such thing and decides to turn on Victor for having done such thing and his vengeance for having had such thing done to him involves ratting out Victor for that and other such things then maybe Connie will forgive him.

 

I read a heading and I liked it. (my apologies to Katy Perry)
SARA – Thank you for the recap, muy clever headings, and snark!

Izzy’s convo with Connie, telling her about him, was very touching. But what bothered me is that he told her that she ‘killed the bad in him’ so I expected him to say he is now a changed man; he would change his life; reform himself; get a new job that didn’t involve torture and murder. In the end, he made no apologies nor hinted that he was going to change careers. Ah, well, job security in this economy counts for a lot.

And during Izzy’s ‘splainin’, did I hear him say “Well, . . .” before continuing on?

So we had a high-class rich people’s cat fight, Las Vegas style. I must confess I was itching for a good one, but with the dresses they were wearing, an all-out brawl would have turned X-rated very quickly.

I’m not happy with this Dr.Moto/Laz/Greata triangle either, but at least DocMoto gets to sport her very oh-so-currently-in-fashion biker jacket. (Kudos to the wardrobe dept.)
 

oooo! oooo! DocMontoMoto!! Or was that done already and I missed it? I swear I can't keep up with comments for multiple shows.
 

Sara, thanks for the terrific recap with spectacular headings! I started making notes of the ones I especially liked, and then I realized I was noting almost all of them. To cite just two: "I was just wondering if he knew anything about the witty headings and he kissed me! The louse!" and (perhaps my favorite)"No I don't expect you to keep your witty heading in your pants." And thanks, too, for the link to the helpful WordReference discussion of "Lo que se hereda no se hurta."

I too am not happy with the prospect of a Greta/Laz/Dr.Moto triangle. At least la doctora has now heard that Laz is racing in order to provide for Greta. In this telenovela, though, that may not deter her.

Jean, I like your suggestion that perhaps Victor arranged for Izzy to get beaten up so that he (Victor) could come rescue him and gain his loyalty. As we've seen, that's definitely a Victor-like maneuver. I hope you're right, and I hope that Izzy finds out and....
 

I just don't get it. Why didn't Reina tell Nicolas what Steffy did all those years ago. The only thing she promised was not telling Nicolas who Clara's father was. If it was me, I would have slipped that into conversation. Guess I need a beanie adjustment. -- Nia
 

Sara--That was some witty recap you provided. It all fit so wittily. We had a beloved professor whose name was Dr. Witty--and he was, but we would never have taken the opportunity to use the term in class. You have memorialized him for me. Thank you.

There's something about Izzy...I'm with Jean that Victor arranged the beating and the rescue. He did that to Reina in one of the first episodes, so we know it is in his arsenal of sinister operations.

New Crockpot Theory--Could HE be Stefi's little brother? Or is still more likely FELS-PELS.

Nia--I'm with you on Reina. I'm getting a little tired of her inability to do anything but be victimized by Victor. Isn't she supposed to be working for FELS and Smeeth and getting the dirt on Victor AND Javier. Granted she's also traumatized and confused, in fear for her daughter, but hey, F & S had faith in her. Somehow, she should be able to get a message to them via Connie. Or, they should have given her a secure way to communicate. Aren't there park benches, trash cans and hollow tree trunks still around?

A couple of nights back I was wishing the episodes were two hours--I can't get enough of Reina, but after last night? Uh uh, too much information that has to be processed.
 

I went back and watched Wednesday's and Thursday's episodes again to get the timing of the magician business straight now that we know he was supposed to be a hitman for the Belgian wafflers.

The magician arrived after the ceremony and while Victor was upstairs with Reina.
Downstairs, Navier has his unhelpful exchange about Reina with Laz, JJ and Connie.
Reina defied Victor and leaves her room to go tell Navier that Clarita is his daughter.
Victor says to himself that Reina will never learn. He leaves the room after her but not in any hurry.
Reina comes downstairs and asks Navier for a minute. He says that he will see her in the study.
Then we see Reina waiting in the study, Navier comes in but Reina is unable to tell him the important information before Estefi comes in, tells Navier that the magic show is starting and takes Navier out.
Then the magician does his act with Clarita, etc.

So Victor must have made his deal with the magician/hitman in the very short time between when Reina came downstairs and the magic show started. He knew, because this is a novela, that Reina would not be able to tell Navier about Clarita before the magician did his trick.

Why didn't Victor kill the magician/hitman with the Injecto-Death 3000™? Maybe it wasn't loaded since he didn't think he would have to kill anyone at the wedding. Good thing that he has nooses lying around handy. Did Victor offer the mago/hitman more money to disappear Clarita than the Belgian Wafflers did to kill Navier or was the magician planning to reappear and try and kill Navier later?
 

Wow! Sara, that was one stellar recap. You solved the witty headings problem with a vengeance.

I also liked Enter the Dragon. Perfect!!!

When Izzy made his rotten childhood monologue, I also was thinking about his being Estefy's brother. But he said he lived in that life from infancy to adolescence. I had the impression that Estefy's brother was younger, and she looked to be about 5 when she hid herself between the dolls. So Izzy didn't grow up in the same family as Estefy. It's possible he was adopted into another Mafioso family than his birth one after the shooting. But I didn't get that impression.

Anita, I'm also tired of Reina being the emotional punching bag of just about everyone in the cast. Come on, girl, fight back!
 

thanks so much Sara!
I really depend on these recaps to get all of the details straight.

hmm, Laz should have left his helmet on during the fight,
and where is Lopez 2 who is supposed to be keeping tabs on him.

and Izzy!
don't forget your gun.

 

Novelera- every recap I've resisted the urge to use Enter the Dragon. I just couldn't resist this week.
 

Nia and Anita-I'm really tired of gullible, lie down and take it Reina as well. I was glad she slapped Estefy, but like Anon11:24, I'm not sure why she didn't tell Javier what Estefy did all those years ago.

Anita-I'm not going to lie: I felt a little disappointed by last night's episode as well, but I think that's because Wednesday and Thursday were so wild.

Jean- I had the same thought about the Injecto-Death. Why strangle the guy? I guess up to this point the people he's Injecto-Deathed didn't have solid, provable connections to him. Killing the Mago on his property may have opened him up to closer investigation. (I'm grasping at straws here.)
 

Sara--No straws grasped. He probably didn't use his venom, because he couldn't hide the body in his famous death freezer. He was killed in Victor's own house, too. (Although I don't know what he did with Mr. Middle-East Burnoose guy and the rest of his venom victims.

Since the Injecto-Death 3000 leaves those little prick marks, our Dr. MontoMoto would have been on it like white on rice. Better to use something that couldn't be traced to anyone in particular.

My real problem with Friday's episode was Asuncion's long tale, which didn't solve any major mysteries for us and added a whole new bunch of persons into the mix. We will feel obligated to keep track of them now. It was easier when Reina's father was still that "Special" man and the assassins who killed Stefi's parents were still vague mob guys.

This may be the last week I do a Wisdom of the Dragon. Even though I'm sticking with it and absolutely riveted with each episode, The Dragon isn't much fun anymore. I can't stand the idea of his actually marrying Stefi nor the idea that Javier is getting set up to be shot.
 

Anita I don't think you need to do a Wisdom of the Dragon every week - that's a lot of work. But you might collect bits of wisdom as they occur and do a collection of Wisdom when you've got a reasonable amount. Navier may not be that fun right now but I'm sure that will change.


 

Anita - I agree that we need to start noting Asunción's story. Somewhere in the telenovela rules I seem to remember that the heroine turns out to be the daughter of some rich or powerful person.


 

Anita - ITA that a weekly Wisdom list isn't necessary and it *is* a lot of work. Plus, we've got at least three more months of RdC. I have not read any of the summaries from the Mexico site linked at T-W, but episodes are still being posted and it began in Mexico almost three months before it did here in the USA.

Stefi is pushing for the religious (NovelaMaven was right) ceremony "tomorrow" and Javier is trying to stall it. Do we want to start a betting pool that it will not happen?
 

Holy Moly, Sara -- you were on fire this weekend! What a hilarious take on HAD (Headings Anxiety Disorder)!

Remember when OBDelfina told PELS-FELS that she and Reina weren't sisters at all because they didn't have the same father? At the time, I thought it meant that OBCarmen had cheated on Mr. Ortiz. Given Asunción's story, I have rethought my position. Here is my latest Crackpot Theory™:

Maruja/Asunción was telling a half-truth. She was involved with Gregorio Pérez BEFORE Reina was born. In fact, Gregorio fathered Reina.

Pedro (el payaso) Ortiz KNEW that Reina was not his child (just as Victor KNOWS that Clara is not his daughter).

Pedro punished Maruja by taking Reina from her, making her believe that Maruja had abandoned her, and using his snake-oil salesman charm to convince the girl that he was the bee's knees (just as Victor is punishing Reina by alienating Clara from her and winning Clara over to his side with his magician's charm.)

Reina and Estefanía ARE half-sisters.

Pedro (el payaso) Ortiz may have been the masked man who killed Gregorio Pérez and his wife and shot and Maruja/Asunción, leaving her for dead.

Pedro didn't kill himself; he faked his own death and went underground. (Recall Victor's failed suicide attempt.)

It was NOT by chance that Asunción ended up living in the De Rosas house. Someone set that up -- possibly Pedro Ortiz himself.

Since Pedro Ortiz is NOT Reina's father, there is no problem with him being related to Victor -- his uncle? even a young Big O?

Okay. I could go on, but a little restraint is called for here. Just a little...
 

Considering all the parallels it doesn't seem too crockpot to me!
 

Oooh, NovelaMaven, Crockpot? No way.

CrackerJackpot! This certainly continues the parallel stories we've been teased by and uncovered by you and other insightful commenters.

If true, how brilliant those writers are. If not, how brilliant you are!
 

Anita said: "If true, how brilliant those writers are. If not, how brilliant you are!"

+1
 

Brilliant Shmilliant. You know my track record, guys -- I am always wrong. Always. (But I do like to spin a tale...)

Anita, we love The Wisdom of the Dragon but we see it as a gift and not an obligation. By all means, set it aside. If the Dragon wises up, well that's another story!
 

Thank you for trying to get me off the hook (but I'm hooked).

Nevertheless, The Wisdom is going on hiatus until The Dragon gets himself out of this convoluted plot he's mired in and back to his old self, which was much more entertaining.


THE WISDOM OF THE DRAGON
Subtitled: Someone Else is Making This Up

WEEK TWELVE – Mon Sep 22

A Dragon does not avert his eyes when his damsel rises from the bath in all her glory. (Yes, he saw The Birth of Venus by Botticelli [aka Venus Rising] while he was in Europe, but this is 3-D, in the flesh.)

A Dragon can refuse to attend the Rocky Horror Suture Show, but might get ensnared, if he’s not careful.

A Dragon can only lose his mother once, not twice.

A Dragon can instantly switch on his mental Enigma machine for decoding without having to call anyone at Bletchley Park.

A Dragon can lie in bed and lie to a woman if the woman he’s lying to is lying next to him and lying to him.

A Dragon can’t tell his left from his right when someone is manipulting him (a rare but naturally occuring phenomena in the Land of Reinamaniacs).

A Dragon can be persuaded to marry the wrong woman for all the wrong reasons.

A Dragon can’t believe in magic when a dragona daughter disappears, as if by magic.

A Dragona daughter is just as good at reading people as a full-grown dragon.

A Dragon would never recognize that being a know-it-all could be a character flaw.

Sometimes a dragon waives the right to a duel in favor of beating the tar out of his rival.

A Dragon don’t need no stinking guard.

 

ooh, gracias por el regalo, Anita!

A Dragona daughter is just as good at reading people as a full-grown dragon.

I'd add this variant:

A Dragona daughter can also be just as BAD at reading people as a full-grown dragon.
 

NovelaMaven --- Yesss! I do believe you've got a great CrackerJack Theory™.


Anita - Great Wisdom of the Dragon list! My favs:

--- A Dragona daughter is just as good at reading people as a full-grown dragon.

--- Sometimes a dragon waives the right to a duel in favor of beating the tar out of his rival.

--- A Dragon don’t need no stinking guard.
 

NM and Doris--(BTW--Is this a real likeness of our dear NovelaMaven appearing as an icon? She is a shining icon.)

As to a Dragona daughter being just as good at reading people as a full-grown dragon--that Wisdom implicitly implies that Our Grown-up Dragon hasn't been very good at it lately, so neither is daughter (that's my re-worked grammatical interpretation, or something).
 

that Wisdom implicitly implies that Our Grown-up Dragon hasn't been very good at it lately, so neither is daughter

Ah yes, of course, Anita! Your subtlety flew right past me. You are absolutely right -- it's much better with the flaws implicit than explicit.

[And yes, it's me. And it feels weird. I've never been iconic before -- and I may be asking the gnome to stand in for me again very soon.]
:-)
 

NM - it is always fun to see pics of Foro friends!
 

Another mystery that I am wondering about. Asuncion said that everything changed with her husband after Reina was born. A child's birth usually brings a couple together, but Reina's split them apart. What happened?

Penny
 

Hola Reinamaniacs! I am back from my work travels to SC, and just catching up on Reina. I've now watched the Wed and Thurs episodes, and they have not left me excited to see the Friday episode. Too much of the Dragon acting like a jealous dope with Reina and Stefi. Too much Reina crying and letting Victor and everyone else walk all over her. Ack!

Where did all the agents go when Smith and PELS had their sexy time in the magic screen room? Later, they were all back in place.

I thought Stefi's parents were killed in Colombia? So if Marsuncion was waiting for Stefi's dad to have their hot night together, doesn't that mean she was in Colombia? None of this makes sense.
 

Penny - Your questions are valid, and why we think NovelaMaven's CrackerJack™ Theory might be spot-on.
 

Vivi--From 2d week, July 17: Where were Stefi's parents shot with her watching and little brother in the closet.

Smith reaveals a part of Estefania's past:

Estefania survived a family masscare. Her father was a Colombian arms-trafficker. He gave her with all the luxuries as a child. A royal life. Estefania had it all and never needed to ask for anything.

As she says all this we see images of newspaper from Bogota with the headlines:

"Ausute De Cuentas: Muere Traficante De Armas y Su Mujer" (Score Settlemnet: Arms Trafficker and Wife Die)

"Una Familia Destruida y Una Muñeca Que Llora" (A Destroyed Family and a Doll Who Cries)

"Cara De Muñeca: La Niña Que Se Salvo De La Massacre" (Face of a Doll: The Girl Who Survived The Massacre)

Smeeth says Stefi's parents were ASSASSINATED and the dad was a COLUMBIAN drug trafficker. The newspaper reports were in a BOGOTA newspaper. The family could have been anywhere, but I suspect he had gone back to Colombia for whatever reason and left Asuncion high and dry waiting for him when she got shot.

As we know from Big O's example drug, arms, gold and diamond traffickers have properties all over the world.

With Marsuncion's story, we can comfortably believe SHE was in Las Vegas, in order to be taken to a hospital after getting shot, meeting the real Asuncion and going to work for the De Rosas family.

Maybe these two events do not take place on the same day. Maybe she was shot before he and his family were shot. He would get the headlines, she wouldn't.

I'll keep looking.

P.S. The Agents monitoring the screens in the magic screen room were ALL on potty or coffee breaks. It happens--just like magic.
 

I meant massacre and arms-trafficker.
 

Anita- Thanks for going back to look. I hope the writers flesh out this mystery soon. The fact that they mentioned how all the Bogota newspapers carried the news seems to strongly imply that the massacre took place in Colombia. Had it happened in La Vegas, the LV newspapers sure as heck would have been filled with that news too. Perhaps you're right that the murder of El Cayote and his wife took place on a different day than the attempted murder of Marsucion in Las Vegas. It would have to be since the main killer was the same man, right? The guy who looks like a young Octavio/young Victor who took off his mask both times. Unless he can teleport between countries instantaneously.
 

Penny said, "Another mystery that I am wondering about. Asuncion said that everything changed with her husband after Reina was born. A child's birth usually brings a couple together, but Reina's split them apart. What happened?

If NovelaMaven's Crackpot Theory™ is correct and Reina was not Pedro Ortiz's child and he knew that, then her birth would have changed everything in his marriage with Maruja/Asunción.

I like your theory, Novela Maven. It ties a lot of things together. If it isn't correct, I hope the real story is as clever.

I wouldn't be too worried about the fact that that Estefi's family was in Colombia when they were murdered and Asunción was somewhere else when she was shot, presumably in Las Vegas. Time and space is never much of a problem in a novela. If we require a logical explanation, we can assume that the two attacks were on different days. Maruja/Asunción and the killers expected Pedro on the night she was shot but for some reason he changed his plans and stayed with his family.

Or, if NovelaMaven is correct and the killer was Pedro, then he could have killed Estefi's family first and then come to LV to take revenge on Maruja/Asunción and he wasn't looking for Pedro there.
 

I forgot where I placed my telenovela beanie while I was away. Now I have it on, so I can accept anything. :)
 

I remember that Asunción mentioned that her lover was away on a trip, and he was expected back the same day she was waiting for him, to surprise him in bed.
 

Can anyone who rewatched the scene where Stefi's parents were killed confirm that the killer was the same guy who shot Marsuncion- the guy who took off his mask. If so, then the attempts has to be on different days (minus the teleportation machine).
 

Vivi, it was definitely the same guy.