Caray, Caray!

Last night's highlights:

Padre Sixto saw the illicit snogging and refused to buy any of Severiano's excuses for it.  Roberta stayed home from church to sneak off and meet Severiano in their "usual spot" (a barn).  Severiano tried to stay home from church, but succumbed to Candela's whining…and thus got treated to a fiery sermon from the Padre about how you can pretend to be good all you want, but GOD KNOWS WHAT YOU'VE DONE!  Adelina is suspicious about Roberta and sends Raymundo out for milk before he can come inside the house after church.  Roberta had left the baby alone all day/afternoon to wait for Severiano, who never showed.  Dominga has gifted both babies scapulars of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, but Candela would prefer that Cristobal not have anything around his neck.  Raymundo comes back to the house for his wallet and hears Adelina and Roberta talking about him finding out something.  Roberta deflects by saying Adelina has a crush on him, which prompts Adelina to cut her visit short out of embarrassment.  Severiano waits for Padre Sixto to be alone in the church and attempts to bribe him.  When that doesn't work, he chokes him to death.  Raymundo was out on his milk (formula) run and may have seen Severiano leaving the church.  Prudencia has been collecting gossip about Roberta all day and Humberto warns her not to go visit Roberta or Candela will find out--and she won't be happy.  Back at home, Severiano tells Candela that Padre Sixto asked to see him to try to get money for some repairs around the church and accepted her invitation to come over for breakfast in the morning.  When he doesn't show up, Candela insists on going to town to check on him.  She and Doña Lourdes (the caretaker) find the body.



Tonight:

Humberto swallows his pride and asks Severiano if he's come up with a way that Humberto can stay in town.  Severiano has been, ahem, busy, but he perks up and asks if Humberto is serious about how very, very loyal he can be.  They're interrupted by Candela calling to say the Padre is dead and they head for the church.

Prudencia sucks up to Dominga, but screws it up by plucking the flowers off her plants.  They get to talking about the gorgeous, gorgeous Santuario, that happens to be owned by Roberta and Raymundo.

Roberta has a picture of Severiano from the newspaper hidden away in a little box in her room…she kisses it, but then rips it up.   She hears Aldonza crying and finds that Adelina changed her mind and decided to stay.  She and the baby are used to each other.  Plus she doesn't want to leave while Roberta is busy trying to screw up the good thing she has going with Raymundo.

Severiano and Humberto get to the church and Humberto confirms that Padre Sixto is dead.  Severiano suggests the ladies leave him and Humberto to deal with things there, so Candela takes Doña Lourdes home.  Severiano pressures Humberto to sign the death certificate, lying that Padre Sixto was complaining about a pain in his arm last night, so CLEARLY Padre died from 100% natural reasons, and that the town doctor is a drunk.  Desperate Humberto succumbs to the allure of being the new town doctor and goes back to Severiano's house to get a copy of his medical license.

Prudencia has also succumbed…to her insatiable need for gossip…and gone over to ask Raymundo for permission to check out his pretty, pretty waterfalls.  Roberta tells him that Prudencia is related to Severiano and Candela and when Prudencia brings up Roberta's visit to Las Animas yesterday, Raymundo assumes Prudencia is just trying to cause trouble.  He throws her out.

Candela cries and tells Dominga about the Padre dying.  Dominga is suspicious and asking questions about exactly when the Padre died and why they're assuming it was last night, as opposed to this morning, but her questions die off.

Roberta tells Raymundo she only went over there to confront Severiano about his lies.  She's sure he only said she was ho'ing around to convince Raymundo to sell him El Santuario.  Raymundo believes her, but wants her to stay away from Las Animas, and to swear it on their daughter.  She won't, of course, but agrees to swear on Raymundo's life.  It's been nice knowing you, dude.

Dominga wonders if Raymundo's brother Geronimo will be put in charge of the parish.  Candela's not thrilled with the idea.

Raymundo, Roberta, and Adelina are having breakfast when Joaquin, the ranch foreman, comes in to make eyes at Adelina…I mean, to tell them that Padre Sixto is dead.  Raymundo is shocked, but is sure Padre Sixto was still alive at 9pm because he saw Severiano leaving the church at that time.  Roberta freaks out and blames it on the shock…she practically runs out of the room.

The town is gathering outside, waiting for news about the Padre.  Severiano lays out in subtle and not-so-subtle hints that the Padre died of a heart attack, right?  And there's no reason for the cops to be involved, right?  And it would be terribly undignified to have to cart the body all over for autopsies and such, right?  So it's really best if the reason listed on the death certificate is "heart attack" right?  And Humberto understands that this is the kind of loyalty Severiano was talking about, and knows he'll be amply rewarded for it, right?  Humberto doesn't seem to be suspicious at all as he agrees to this.  Severiano says he'll go out and start making funeral arrangements and placating the populace.  Humberto takes another look at the Padre's body, this time removing his collar, and finally, the lightbulb goes on.

Outside, a crowd so large that I have a hard time believing they all (a) actually live in this town and (b) didn't have anything more important to do, have gathered and are clamoring for news.  One of the crowd at least confirms that the town doctor is, in fact, a drunk.  Severiano makes good on at least one of his promises/predictions and says he called in another doctor to examine the Padre.  The Padre did, in fact, die of a heart attack, and they'll hold his vigil later, and Severiano will take care of everything, ok?  The crowd agrees.

Humberto comes back to Severiano's office at the house to tell him that the funeral home has already picked up the Padre's body, but he hasn't submitted the death certificate yet.  "Which one do you want me to use?  The one you told me to write up or the real one?"  Sev pretends to be confused.  "Padre Sixto didn't die of a heart attack.  He died of asphyxiation.  The marks are faint, but I saw them.  And I have a feeling you knew they were there, too."  Ooh, Humberto, I took you for a spineless toady!  You've just been upgraded to blackmailer!  Humberto noticed Severiano's insistence on Padre dying a natural death.  Severiano starts to sow doubt, repeating the lie about the arm pain…and then adding that it wouldn't be the first time Humberto has given a wrong diagnosis.  See, Severiano knows exactly what happened back in Los Olivos…Humberto misdiagnosed a child who later died and no one trusts him now.  Candela interrupts their conversation and wonders about the looks on their faces.  Severiano says Humberto was just telling him about the Padre's death…ain't that right, Humberto?  Humberto glumly agrees the Padre died of a heart attack.  Once Candela leaves, Humberto hands the accurate death certificate to Severiano and Severiano rips it up and burns it.

Subtle characterization or mistake in the editing room?  The top of one thigh-high stocking is visible under Roberta's skirt as she mopes around in bed.  She doesn't want to go to Padre's vigil because she's sooooooo upset.  Raymundo says she does this all the time--complains about everyone treating her badly and ignoring her, but then something important happens and she wants to skip it.  When she tries to use the baby as an excuse, he tells her that Adelina can stay with the Aldonza.  Backed into a corner, Roberta agrees to go.

Humberto finds Prudencia in their room with Cristobal.  Since everyone else wanted to go to the vigil, she offered to stay with the baby.  Humberto is in no mood to listen to her lighthearted chatter about wanting to have a little girl to grow up with Cristobal.  He gets even more upset when she says he shouldn't be bothered by death, because he's lost a bunch of patients already.  Ouch!

Raymundo tells Adelina that he hasn't seen his brother, Geronimo, very much since his brother went off to the seminary.  It's why he's glad that Adelina is there with Roberta.  Roberta finally comes downstairs and they head off to the vigil.

Humberto tells Prudencia that Severiano knows what happened in Los Olivos, but he's going to help them, "especially now."  For once, Prudencia's gossip radar doesn't ping and she limits herself to asking what the Padre died of, shrugging it all off, and taking the baby back to his crib.

Candela leads a prayer, asking the Virgen, by her many titles and attributes, to pray for Padre Sixto.  Severiano is most assuredly not praying along with the rest of the congregation.  Mr. 5ft wonders why she's leading the prayer.  My explanation for that is the same as the reason why the town were all content to have Severiano take over all the funeral arrangements, accept his explanation of the Padre's death, etc.  It's unspoken feudalism--they have the more money than anyone else in town, everyone wants to stay on their good sides, that means letting them act like the Lord and Lady of the region.  Roberta and Raymundo arrive and Roberta leaves some flowers for the Padre and then heads for the pews on the OTHER side of the aisle from Sev and Candela after giving Severiano a…significant…glance.

Joaquin comes into the house, looking for Raymundo, but he only finds Adelina.  Mhm, I'm supposed to believe he didn't know that Raymundo was off at the vigil?  He apologizes for not realizing Adelina is Roberta's sister, 'cause if he'd known that, he would have helped her with her bags earlier.  He's sure glad she decided to stay…uh, for Roberta.  Riiiiiiight.

While Cristobal hangs out in his crib, Prudencia takes a look at Candela's jewelry…and gets busted by Dominga.  She was on her way to the vigil, but she's changed her mind.  She'd hate for anything to turn up missing.  Prudencia is pissed at Dominga's insinuations…"Oh, honey, I don't insinuate, I just come right out and say it!"  Prudencia threatens to have a talk with Candela about her uppity maid…but she can't, or Candela will find out WHY they had words.  So that's that.  Score 1 for Dominga!

Joaquin finds Raymundo at the church and asks to speak to him.  Candela tells Severiano that no one is standing guard at the casket and it's his turn.  As soon as he stands to one side of the casket, Roberta gets up and stands on the other.  Before Candela can go start something, a random townie asks to speak with her. Meanwhile, Roberta is up there accusing Severiano of killing the Padre.  Geez, y'all…can't a guy rest in peace, in peace?  Noooo, you've gotta make it all about you.  Roberta says he'd better meet her at the barn right the hell now or she'll come back to the church and accuse him of killing the Padre.  She scoots on out of the church and makes the excuse to Raymundo, outside, that there are too many people…and she has a headache…and she's sure the walk will help her feel better…and Raymundo should stay…and she doesn't need a ride from Joaquin.  Nope, couldn't get out of that last one.  No idea what Joaquin needed to say to Raymundo, either.

Severiano gets back to his pew, giving Candela a chance to ask him QTH was going on up there and insisting that THAT WOMAN was saying something to him…she couldn't POSSIBLY have been praying.  Severiano says he has to go pay the funeral home right away.

Back at the house, Roberta starts looking for a way out of the house that won't take her past Joaquin in the truck out front.  When Adelina sees her, she makes the excuse that she just needs a headache pill and then she's going back to the church.  Adelina's not buying it.  "Fine!  I need to talk to Severiano.  Raymundo doesn't have to know…unless someone tells him."  Adelina hates being an accomplice, but not only can she not talk Roberta out of her stupidity, but Aldonza starts crying and Adelina runs upstairs, leaving Roberta free to run out the front door.

Candela is upset to hear from Melecio that Dominga stayed home with the baby.  Because Melecio hems and haws over not really knowing why, she wonders if something is wrong with the baby.  She asks if Severiano stopped in to see Cristobal when he got home, but, well, Melecio doesn't know anything about that….

Severiano lights some candles at the love shack.  "El miedo no anda en burro" says Roberta as she walks in.  Took me a while to HEAR her…then longer to understand what she said…then I had to look it up.  Literally, it's "fear doesn't ride a donkey."  Severiano says he's not scared of her, but he sure did move fast…as in, not at the speed of a donkey.  Roberta threatens once again to tell everyone that he killed Padre Sixto, or is at least involved, because Raymundo saw him leaving the church at 9.  Severiano says she should check the death certificate, if she doesn't believe him.  "Yeah, and how much did you pay for that?"  She tells him to save the lies for people who don't know him as well as she does.  If he's not scared, then why did he show up?  "For you."  "Oh, sure.  Now that I'm ready to tell all your darkest secrets, now you want me back?"  Severiano says he tried to forget her, but he just can't!  But, they're married, and she can't go around playing the jealous lover.  Roberta would leave everything for him, but Severiano says it's the secrecy that gets them both off.  And speaking of getting off…the clothes start flying.

Raymundo surprises Adelina.  Aldonza has been a little jumpy.  "So are you…what's up?"  Raymundo is sure something is going on, and it's something to do with Roberta.  Adelina admits that she's not in the house.  "I don't know where she went."  He doesn't believe her and begs for the truth, going so far as to try to shake the truth out of her.  "Is she cheating on me?  Where did she go?"  Adelina says she doesn't know, just that it's close.  He leaves the house, machete in hand, before she can stop him.

Cristobal is fussy and Dominga can't calm him down.  Candela insists she go find Humberto…"He IS a doctor!  He might actually know something!"  Dominga is skeptical, but does as she's told.

Raymundo sees lights on in the barn.

Roberta adjusts her thigh-high for the camera and gives the guys in Viewerville a quick flash of something to keep 'em tuned in.  Mrs. Robinson, eat your heart out.  She's jonesing to make a run for it with Severiano, but he tells her she's nuts…and what about her daughter?  Well, no, Roberta's not that heartless.  But she doesn't know how long she can keep up the lies.  Severiano tells her to just live in the moment and let the secrets make their forbidden fruit a little more juicy.  Raymundo drives the truck right into the barn and when he grabs the machete and gets out, gets shot in the leg by Severiano.  He gets in a good slice to Severiano's arm and Roberta tries to keep him from doing any more damage, but he fights her off.  Rather than let her husband kill her lover, Roberta picks up Severiano's gun and shoots Raymundo.

Tomorrow: Everyone is worried; the barn burns; Adelina has to cover for her sister yet again.

Labels: sombra