Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Pasión y Poder Martes 1/12/16 #47, 48, 49


Chapter 47: Lies and Whispers

The murder investigation will go on and it looks like most of the press is just as malleable and hungry as in the US. Maybe more so. I'm not sure if audience appetite for scandal is equal or greater, but it certainly isn't less. That means I could be here for quite a while. That's alright; I love drinking frozen margaritas at my ringside seat for this modern version of Romeo and Juliet. It's not Verona, but there is Puerto Vallarta.
– D.D.

Arturo and Julia kissed on the boardwalk. It was almost as though time had stopped twenty-five years ago. Or that they forgot what had happened in between. It didn't matter either way because they were interrupted by the retro ringtone of Arturo's cell phone. Due to the situation he couldn't ignore it. As he pulled it out Julia looked around, aware that Efrain was spying on her for Eladio.
“Arturo, the police were here,” Nina told him over the phone.
“What happened? What did they say?”
“They have a warrant for his arrest and they were looking through the whole house.”
“No, no, no, no. Augustin told me they'd be expecting him the day after tomorrow.” Julia began walking away to go back to the hotel.
“They said he needs to present himself or be considered a fugitive. Can you imagine?”
“If you had told me about this before this wouldn't have happened!” Arturo took a breath. “Now, calm down. Don't worry. I will find our son and bring him back.”
“Arturo, please. Don't let them arrest Erick. Please, I beg you.”
“Please calm down. Everything will be resolved.”
He ended the call and looked for Julia. She was not to be seen.

“Now I've paid that damned Eladio back,” Erick said as he ended his anonymous call. He thanked his friend who promised to introduce him to more attractive girls. He ran off into the surf with two girls in bikinis. So much for having been in love with Monserrat Moret.
The unfortunate truth about Erick Montenegro was that he was even more superficial than his mother. Any beautiful woman of the appropriate age would do for him, the tartier the better. He had married Consuelo whose profession as a model made her a public beauty, but once she exchanged lingerie modeling for the boat-necked black dresses and pearls of old money, she ceased to be interesting to him. Had anyone of intelligence tried to tell him he would have done the same with Monserrat Moret, he would not have believed him.

Julia called Gabriela from the hotel room. Gabriela told her about Franco's conversation with Eladio about their marriage and that he promised to do right by her. She believed him and Julia was also convinced. She then told Gabriela what was happening.
“Arturo is here.”
“If my uncle finds out this will go very badly.”
“No, no, no, no, no. Don't tell him, don't tell him. I think the best thing is for me to keep my distance.”
“Yes, I think that would be best. How are things with David?”
“Very well. I've asked him to go to the doctor's office with me for some tests to see if there's something to calm down.”
“Why? Do you feel ill?”
“No, no, no. It's just a pretext for getting the DNA test done to compare it to Arturo's.”
“Yes, that's a good idea, Aunt. Then my uncle won't have a reason to doubt David is his son.”
“Exactly. Did you manage to find me a lawyer?”
“I talked with Augustin. He will recommend one that specializes in divorce. He'll call me when he's found one and thought about what has to be done.”
“Good. One more thing and listen carefully. Be sure that you talk to him personally about this matter. Don't tell anyone. I don't want Eladio to know I'm planning to divorce him. You can't tell anyone. Do you understand?”
Gaby understood very well.
“Yes, Gaby. I want to divorce Eladio as soon as possible.”
“I'll ask them to begin preparing the paperwork.”
“Good, good. Remember what I said to tell the lawyer and many thanks for your help.”
“Ay, no, Aunt. There's nothing you have to thank me for. You know I love you very much.”
She ended the call. Julia stood on her balcony for a few minutes.
“I don't know what's going to happen to us, Arturo, but I am going to divorce Eladio.”
She looked out at the ocean.

“No, I haven't found Erick,” Arturo said to Augustin over the phone. “Besides, Julia is here. We saw each other.”
Regina and David arrived and Arturo ended the call. David offered to help, but Arturo declined. He was grateful for the offer, but didn't want to distract David from his work or create more problems with Eladio. David excused himself and left Regina alone with Arturo. They talked about work.
“Dad, it's too bad you don't have Mother's help.”
“No, no, no. I don't want to talk about your mother. Tell me about your project.” He looked up the building façade.
“Dad, why don't you relax a little first?”
“I'll take a shower and change, but I have to find your brother. Where else can he be? If he's not with his friends I'm worried about where he might be. Think about it. Please.”
“Yes, Dad. Just rest a little bit.”
Arturo left to go to his room. Regina looked around but failed to see Efrain, who stared long enough to identify her. He called Eladio to tell him that Regina was there. Eladio was neither surprised nor shocked; he suspected ulterior motives, as usual. He hoped that Arturo was not there as well and instructed Efrain to keep him informed at all times. As he ended the call and started down the stairs to his study Franco came in.
“Godfather, the police just called. It's not good news. Someone told them that there was a romantic relationship between you and Monserrat.”
“What?”
“That can't be. Franco, investigate exactly what they were told. I'm tired of being dragged into this.”
“Godfather, it's only likely to be Erick or... something I don't believe.”
“What?”
“That my godmother said anything.”
“Don't say such stupid things and do as I say.”
Franco nodded and excused himself. When he was out of the room Eladio took out his cell and tried to call Julia's hotel room. He first asked for “Julia Gómez- Luna” then said she was registered as “Julia Vallardo.” He was not pleased to hear she was not in her room, but said he would call later. He ended the call without leaving a message.
“What are you doing now, Julia?” he asked her photo. “I don't trust you. No, I don't trust you. This means I have to see you.”

David went down to the docks to talk to the fleet captain about the pleasure boats. The captain started explaining that the boats were at the disposal of the hotel guests and were well-equipped for their pleasure. Before he went into detail David spotted Erick on the dock behind the captain. He excused himself and ran toward the boat Erick boarded with his friend and the two girls from the beach. David ran to catch up, calling his name and saying they had to talk. Erick behaved as though he didn't know him and his friends helped him wave David off. The Nelly D pulled away from the dock. David took out his cell and called Regina to tell her. Then he went off to find out the boat's destination.

David met Regina and Arturo later for an evening cocktail.
“I'm sorry, but the boat left the dock and nobody was able to tell me where it went. The passenger list was also forbidden for security reasons.”
“I understand. At least we know he's here.”
Arturo decided to talk to some people he knew and bring in assistance.

Eladio was talking to Marintia regarding Franco's return to the office when Simona came in to tell him the police wanted to talk to him. He carefully concealed his annoyance as the two detectives entered and Simona departed.
“We have new information in the Monserrat Moret case,” said the lead detective. “It's about you.”
“I don't understand what you're talking about.”
“The matter we're talking about now is --”
“Buenas tardes,” said Callao, who entered just at that moment. “Sir, I have your shipment.”
“Callao, I'll have to attend to it later. Now I need to talk to these gentlemen.”
“I don't want to insist, but I'll need your supervision to finish this matter.”
“Of course,” Eladio said, understanding his meaning. He got up. “Excuse me, but have a seat. Sometimes business calls and things have to get done right away. Make yourselves comfortable and I'll be right back.”
The detectives sat down and Eladio went outside with Callao.

Clara was helping Justino with his roasted corn stand. Gisela ruined her evening by coming by to take an ear she didn't pay for in cash. Clara declined the advice she wanted to give her instead.
“No, no, no, no, no. Give it back because I'm not interested in any advice from you.”
“I just wanted to tell you one thing,” Gisela said as she buttered the ear of corn. “It's not a good thing for you to kiss your boyfriend on the patio. The neighbors can see you.”
“The neighbors... or you?” Clara was truly fed up with this expert meddler.
“Everyone who has eyes, little girl,” she said. “A little while ago they see you with one and now with another.”
“Why are you saying this?”
“Now they're saying you've been consoling the widower. Why else would someone see you coming out of Justino's house so early in the morning?”
“Yes, because Luisita was ill. But the whole world knew that Maribel was like my sister and Justino is my best friend. If you weren't paying attention before, know now that I have a boyfriend.”
Justino appeared. He seemed to have heard at least part of this.
“Don't you have anything better to do, Gisela?”
“Just want to say that sometimes good things look bad,” she said. She took entirely too much pleasure in doing so. She walked away, indifferent to their irritation.
“At least stay away from my stand,” he said to her. He looked at Clara with some irritation of his own. “You know, she might be right. You don't have to help me. At least now you have a boyfriend.”
“I just organized it and I won't stop helping you. Neither will I stay away from Luisita.”
“Clara, I don't mean to offend, but you don't have to help me. You have your life with your boyfriend and we'll adjust. Without Maribel and without you.”
Clara looked confused. It had never occurred to her that he might be jealous. He was not going to change his mind.

Callao led the way to his car. It was parked on the grass beyond the hedges and the trees and would have been just barely visible from the front door. He opened the trunk. Aldo was inside and unconscious.
“Here is your shipment, boss.”
“You can't let him be seen here.”
“I didn't know the police were here.”
“Obviously. They came to investigate me.”
“Don't worry, boss. I'll move him out of sight right away. You know I won't fail you.”
“His lie could hurt my wife. Put him in the bodega and we'll talk about what to do with him.”
He closed the trunk and they returned to the house. In the corridor before the study Callao went back out and Eladio returned to his desk.
“Sorry, gentlemen, I'm back. But I can't talk to you now because my lawyer isn't here.”
“One way or another you'll have to make a statement.”
“With pleasure, with my lawyer.”
“Alright. In the meantime, don't leave town.”
“I have no intention of avoiding justice.”
“With pleasure. I heard that. We'll see you soon, sir.”
“Excuse us, Mr Gómez-Luna.” said the other detective.
Both looked at him as they left. Eladio realized that they smelled a rat. He poured himself a drink just as Franco came in.
“Godfather, I've just heard from my contact that the call came from Puerto Vallarta.” He saw the brandy glass. “Has something happened?”
“Oh, just that I have to do everything myself,” Eladio said. “Because it's obvious that you can't help me when I need you most.”

Arturo wasn't able to find out anything and wasn't really in the mood to dine with Regina and David, who explained that his mother was not in a good mood either. They understood and left him alone on the hotel veranda. He looked out over the ocean and Julia appeared.
“I've escaped from Efrain. He thinks I'm in the spa. Are you alright?”
“I'm worried about Erick. And Daniela and Regina. Nothing is going well. I haven't done right by my family. I've tried, but I can't. I can't.” He appeared to be crying. “I want to go. I've been blind. If I can't be a better father it's my fault. Excuse me.”
She touched his face. “Arturo?”
“I'm sorry. Forgive me.”
She embraced him and they stood there in the evening light.
“Calm down, Arturo. I don't like to see you like this. You don't know --”
“I don't know when I lost control of my family. My life.”
“Calm down. Please, at the moment you can't do anything more than do the right thing for your son --” She took his hands in hers.
“Thanks. Thanks for being here with me. Thanks.” He kissed her hands and they embraced again, but only briefly. Julia pulled away.
“You know, don't take this badly. Efrain is following me. I want to talk to you. I want to listen to you, but not here. Let's walk somewhere. On the beach --”
“Let's go.”

With the police gone, Eladio was available to tend to a little of his own dirty work. He went with Callao to the garage. They tied Aldo to a chair. Eladio tucked the end of his expensive tie into his shirt, pocketed his cufflinks, and rolled up his shirt sleeves. He threw a bucket of water on Aldo, waking his up.
“Now you are going to explain why you are accusing me of Monserrat's death. Why are you accusing my wife and me? Callao --”
Callao obeyed like the loyal henchman he was. He took off Aldo's gag and stood near him.
“It wasn't like that,” said Aldo. His fear was showing. “I swear, I swear.”
Callao grabbed a handful of Aldo's hair.
“What do you think,” said Eladio. “I don't believe you. I don't believe you. I want you to tell me what? How to fix your mistake. Beginning with how to choose your words.” He slapped him hard. Aldo's fear began eating him.
“But I didn't accuse your wife!”
“Shut up! That's a lie.”
“No! The only thing I said was that she was in the apartment but nobody's accusing her. I swear!”
“Shut up!” He grabbed Aldo's jaw. Callao watched in his usual detached manner. “If you ever talk about Julia again that is the last thing you will do.”
“I was upset. I didn't know what I was doing.”
“So why come out with this stupidity? And you know what you got? Now you're going to know. Callao?”
Callao grabbed the hair on the back of Aldo's head, then on the top, closer to the roots. Eladio prepared to apply more punishment.

It was Daniela's turn to try calling.
“Erick doesn't answer.”
“Neither does your father. I have to know what's going on,” said Nina.
“Maybe we should fly over there --”
“No. Your father would be angry. Try calling his friends, whoever.”
“Let me see if there's anything online.” She looked. “No. Not even his friends.”
“Ask Regina. She might know something.”

Callao took over from Eladio and punched Aldo hard.
“I'm never say anything again!”
“Today you called the police and accused me of killing Monserrat.”
“No. I only talked about your wife. But nothing else, I swear to God.”
“Where did you find him?” Eladio asked his henchman.
“In Chiapas.”
“Of course, of course.” He kicked his left thigh. “And before that you were in Puerto Vallarta.”
“No, I never went there, I swear!”
“Now why would I kill Monserrat? She meant nothing to me. Simply a toy.”
“I'm begging you. I'll do whatever you ask.”
“Are you sure?” Eladio was rubbing his hands in anticipation. “What are you prepared to do to compensate the hurt you've done to me?”
“I don't know.”
“You don't know?” Eladio punched him. Callao grabbed his hair.
“Whatever you want! I swear!”
“Perfect.” Eladio clapped his collarbones. “First of all, you never mention Julia's name again. Never! Pay very close attention to what you have to do. Yes?”
“Yes. Yes, sir!”

Arturo and Julia walked on the beach for a while.
“Yes, I feel better. You made me see the good side of things.”
“Good!”
“When I'm with you it's like all the bad things disappeared.”
“For me, too. Really, the only thing I want is for you to be well.”
“Me, too.” He touched her hair, then her face. “Since you left my side I never felt any peace. The peace I feel now came back when I saw you again.”
“It's the same for me.”
“What do you feel near me?”
“Neither did I feel --”
Arturo and Julia kissed as though they were the protagonists of an A-list romance novel. Arturo began to unzip her dress, but she stopped him and broke the kiss. Then she zipped up the dress.
“No. We can't. This isn't right. We must not.”
“We've wanted this for so long.”
“Yes, but it's not right. We must think of our children.”

“You are going to say what?” Eladio demanded. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes. Yes, sir.”
“What?”
“Yes.”
“Good. And when you say this my shadow will be watching. And if you do well I'll decide what to do with you.” He grabbed Aldo's collarbone area and squeezed. “Hey?”
“Yes, sir. I won't say anything to the news.”
“Very good.” He patted Aldo's right shoulder then squeezed his collarbones again. “And after that you're going to disappear out of the country.” He picked up his jacket. “Obviously, it won't occur to you to return. No!”
“No! No, sir!”
“Callao?” He nodded toward Aldo.
Callao patted Aldo's head as though he were his daughter's lapdog. Aldo had never been so afraid in his life. He knew he was going to throw away those clothes as soon as he could get to a bathroom.

Eladio and Callao went back into the house. Franco was waiting in the study.
“Godfather, did you speak with Aldo?”
“How did you know?”
“Because it was I who told Callao where to find him. Believe me when I say I'll do as you ask.”
“Callao, is this true?”
Callao exchanged looks with Franco before turning to face Eladio.”
“True.”
“Keep watch outside until morning.”
“Yes, boss.” He left.
“Despite this you haven't regained my trust.”
“What more do I have to do to get you to trust me again?”
“For the moment, follow up on the meeting with Ashmore.”
“I'm waiting for confirmation.”
“Good.”
“Godfather, I also called your pilot. The police said you can't travel.”
“Ay, Franco,” he said with a smile. “You don't learn, Franco. You don't learn.” He made a call to his pilot and told him to get everything ready.

“It's that for me my son comes before everything. And I'm not the sort of person --”
“I know, I know, I know.” Arturo reached for her again.
“I can't leave him for this at this moment. Years ago you did this and what happened? You destroyed the beautiful love we had. You say you love me and you lived all those years together in bed with your wife?”
“Julia, I'm sorry. I was wrong, but you can't compare us now to what happened before.”
“It's that our relationship was perfect!”
“Yes, but --”
“If Susanna hadn't been pregnant our story would be different.”
“Yes, yes, yes, I know and I haven't forgiven myself for this mistake. But Susanna was pregnant and I couldn't leave my child without a father.”
“I know.”
“Do something now, Julia. Leave Eladio. Why did you marry him?”
“I was hurt. It was an impulse out of spite.”
“I agree. But when you told me you married him my son needed a mother. And I had to move on. He needed a mother and I needed a companion.”
“Yes. And you never loved her.”
“Yes.”
“What, you loved her?”
“Never. Never. Just as you never loved Eladio.” He moved in to kiss her but she didn't allow him this time.
“No, Arturo. We're both married. And we have a family. And I can't do this to Eladio. I can't.”
Arturo was confused and rightly so.
“Why are you giving Eladio any consideration if he treats you so badly? Dear God, if he respected you --”
“He's the father of my son and we've lived together for many years and like you we are a family.”
“But he doesn't respect you. He's been unfaithful.”
“I know, but that doesn't mean that I will do the same. I can't. Besides I can't justify it but he looked for Monserrat and others because I didn't return his feelings. I never really was his woman. Eladio caused me much pain but no more than I caused him. Same as you. When I see you and I'm with you I remember that I never loved Eladio when I married him. The only thing Eladio loved about me was that I wanted to avenge myself on you. I didn't see Eladio as he is.”
“Do you know what you're saying?”

“Do you want me to call my godmother to tell her you're coming?”
“No. And you are forbidden to speak of this trip. Don't say anything to Gabriela. Or anyone.”
“Yes, godfather.” He excused himself and left the study. His limp had improved a little.
“I'm coming, Julia. I'm coming.” He picked up her photo. “I want to know what you're really doing. Tell me. What are you really doing?”

Regina and David dined in the sushi restaurant. She explained that things were more complicated than before. Not only were they looking for her feckless brother but her father confided that he was contemplating divorce. She was confused about this. David had been in that position and he understood. Regina asked why he wasn't told the truth and he told her that he was sure that his mother feared his father. Regina was still hoping for a reconciliation but David told her it was better if they separated rather than having things go badly. Despite her professional maturity and consideration for others, in this Regina was like a little girl who wanted her parents to be perfect and happy. They were going to be in for quite a shock.

“But you can't punish yourself by staying with him out of guilt.”
“I have failed so much because of this mistake. For this I want a divorce but in the meantime I can't. I can't betray Eladio or my principles.”
“Yes, I understand. I agree. But what about us? Our love?”
“Arturo, I know you. Do you think you can look into your wife's eyes or your children's if we gave in to this moment? Please, no.”
“You're afraid. This will pass. You're afraid. You're panicking --”
“I'm afraid this would destroy you.” She started to cry. They embraced.
“It's been a long time. I've paid my whole life for this mistake. I can never forget it.”
“This can't be. For all these reasons we have to keep our distance from each other.”
She ran away, leaving him standing alone on the sand.

Clara had trouble concentrating on her work that evening. Gisela didn't make things any better by bothering her about her decision between Francisco and Justino. She pretty much told her it was none of her business. Gisela complained about her husband's pension having ended and refused Clara's offer to help find out about it. She said she would take care of it herself and pay her.

Julia saw Efrain as she was returning to the hotel. He asked why she was crying and she told him she just wanted some peace. She went inside knowing that he was following her and that he was likely to tell Eladio.

The following day Arturo called Augustin and told him he was about to locate his errant son. Augustin told him all was well and not to worry. He ended the call.
“I can't believe that Erick can be so irresponsible as to abandon his wife and child,” said Miguel.
“You love her, don't you?” Augustin asked.
“Every day it's harder to hide that I love her.”
“Be careful, Miguel. Despite Erick abandoning his responsibility, he's her husband. If you do anything foolish you won't be the only one coming out a loser. Think of Consuelo.”
“You think I don't know that? What I do is for her and her baby because they are important to me.”

Clara visited Consuelo and told her about what had happened the previous day. Consuelo advised her to make Francisco her priority and to truly get to know him. Not doing so was the mistake she made with Erick. She had no idea who he really was. She hoped that Arturo would find him because otherwise he would end up getting arrested.

Arturo had found out where Erick was. When Regina knocked on the door to his room he told her and they left together.

Aldo was brought to the police station by Callao. By some miracle whatever facial bruises he must have had were covered up. His arms were bandaged halfway down his hands. There were reporters in the room including the one Franco had paid off before. The detectives who had visited Eladio were present, but it was their superior who came to question him.
“What are those injuries?”
“A lovers' quarrel.” He put his glasses down. “I came because I want to tell the truth about the death of my friend, Monserrat.”

Eladio's pilot came to the house and reported on their plans. Eladio told him to be prepared to leave in two hours. Franco came into the office as Eladio was checking his cell.
“Julia still doesn't answer her phone and neither does David. I need to know what is going on.”
“Do you want me to ask Gabriela what she knows?”
“No. You don't get it, do you? I said not to tell her anything.”
“You're right. I'm sorry.”
“Aldo is supposed to be talking to the press. Leave me alone.”
Franco excused himself and left. Eladio tried Julia's room again.
“Hello?”
“And where were you, Julia? I've been calling and you never answer.”
“I was out of the hotel. I was out on the beach and today I just got up early. If you don't believe me ask Efrain.”
“Wait a minute, why are you so nervous?”
“No, I'm not nervous. I'm just not in a good mood, nothing else.”
“I thought you'd be happy with David, but now that's not the case because Regina is there.”
“Yes, he's with her, but they're working.”
“What do you mean, working? Don't tell me that David didn't handle the situation.”
Julia didn't like the sound of that. She also realized she may have made a mistake.

“Yes, that was it exactly,” Aldo told the detective. “Therefore it was Erick Montenegro who paid me to say it was Eladio Gómez-Luna. He was carrying on with Monserrat.”
“Why?”
“Don't know. I didn't know him well. Probably just to annoy Gómez-Luna. The whole world knows about the hatred between their families. It could be to divert attention from himself.”
“And why was Mr Gómez-Luna at the party?”
“I don't know. He told me it was business. He was the only one unmasked; it had to be serious. And he left when the party got out of control.”
“Then why was Mrs Gómez-Luna at the party?”
“Probably to look for her husband. I was the last one to see Monse alive when the other guests left. They wouldn't know that.”
“Is that all you have to say about Mr Gómez-Luna and his wife?”
Aldo looked back at Callao, who was giving him the death stare.
“He is innocent. You need to detain Erick Montenegro. He was my friend's lover. I'm certain he's behind it all.”

“I just asked you a question, Julia. How is it they're working together? Answer me.”
“David is working and I suspect that Regina is just spending a few days here.”

“You know what? I think something's wrong. And I hope you're not hiding anything.”

Chapter 48: Homecoming

Sorry for the rough draft, but there is more material to come tomorrow. – D.D.

“Look, if David and Regina's relationship is a problem for you, I'd rather not talk about them. If you have nothing else to say, we'll see you.”
Julia ended the call.

Clara visited Consuelo, hoping to talk to her about Erick. She was encouraging her to forget him and move on. “There are men a thousand times better than he!” she told her and began describing Justino. That he had been a good husband and is a loving father. She described him as hardworking and loyal. Consuelo began to sense that there was more to this than merely describing a friend. They talked about Miguel and Consuelo told her that while Miguel also fit most of that description she couldn't think of him in that manner. He was her brother-in-law and that would be a major family issue.

Erick partied on the beach in Puerto Vallarta with his friends, alternating between beer, sangría, and liquor while the man he accused of murdering their shared mistress was being served with papers for a court appearance. He looked at the documents and said he wished to be heard by the judge.
“That is your right, but could you help me with a few details I don't understand very well,” said the lead detective. “By the time your statement is heard it could be a long time.”
“You don't understand, do you? I have nothing to hide. I'm only going to tell you the truth,” said Eladio.
“Very well, very well. You're only going to tell the whole truth. Therefore why was it said that Ms Moret was your lover?”
Eladio laughed. “A name. She was only an employee.”
“A second accusation against you said you were the deceased's lover.”
“Really? Can you tell me who the accuser is?”
“It was an anonymous call.”
“Really? You give such important to an anonymous call? I can't believe that. Isn't it obvious that if I were guilty I'd be hiding?”
“Of course,” said the detective. He and his partner stared at Eladio.
“I don't believe it. Who could have invented this?”
“I suspect there's an enemy who might want to involve you.”
“Yes, I suspect someone, but for several reasons I can't talk about it.
“If you don't want things to go worse for you, you have to do it.”
“Don't you get that you're putting me in a difficult position? I don't want any more problems with Arturo Montenegro.”
“Would you prefer to have legal problems?”
Eladio sighed. “When you put it that way I have no other choice than to talk. I knew that Monserrat had a relationship with Erick Montenegro. He told me he didn't want it to affect her contract. Obviously I said there was no problem because my company respects its employees' private lives. Tell me, do you know the other friend, the neighbor who lived in the place in front of – Aldo! Why don't you ask him anything you want to? Surely some truth will come to light and you'll be in a better position to deal with Erick Montenegro.”
“Not necessary. We have a statement from the very same Aldo Echevarria. And not only that.”
“Since it affects this case I'd like to know it.”
The detectives looked at him through narrowed eyes. Eladio realized at that moment that he might have said a little too much.
Erick drank yet another toast on the beach and by then was rather smashed. Not enough, though, to not recognize Arturo, Regina, and David. They walked over to the party.
“Papa?” he asked, rather stupidly. “And you?” he said to David. “What are you doing here?”
He tried to run around Arturo but David blocked his path.
“Calm down!” said David.
“We're leaving, son.”
“I'm not going anywhere with you,” he said. He was still holding the liquor bottle.
“We're going back to Mexico,” Arturo said.
“Calm down, Erick,” said David.
Arturo took out his cell phone to notify Augustin. David and Regina kept an eye on Erick. David was prepared to block his escape.
“This is all your fault,” Erick accused him. “You're doing this to annoy me.”
“Don't start crying,” said Regina. “David is only here to help us get you home.”
“He's here for his father because he knows that he murdered my Monserrat.”

The press swarmed Eladio at that moment.
“Gentlemen, I'm only confirming that I had nothing to do with the death of Monserrat. It's come to light that Erick Montenegro was her lover. What a shame.”
He looked back over his shoulder for a moment at Callao, who had been standing behind him through the entire meeting with the detectives. The young reporter didn't miss a chance.
“Sir, there is a rumor that Erick Montenegro said that you were the deceased's lover.” He pointed the microphone at him.
“Then, therefore, I'm being defamed. “The truth is that I fully trust that the police know their job and should be able to demonstrate my innocence.
“Do you think Arturo Montenegro has anything to do with this?”
“I'm not one to accuse without proof. All I'm hoping for is for everything to be clarified. And if Erick Montenegro had anything to do with the death of Monserrat may God forgive him. In this case he should receive the full weight of the law.”
“And what if you prove your innocence? And if you do will you bring a lawsuit?”
“No, no. All I want is to have a solution so Monserrat's soul can rest.”
Franco watched the master hypocrite at work.

“Look, you're drunk. You have no idea what you're doing.” David reached for the bottle.
“Calm down,” said Regina. She grabbed the bottle and pulled it out of Erick's hand.
“You have to appear to make a statement,” Arturo said. He walked up to him so he wouldn't have to shout. “You're being accused of homicide. By Eladio.”
“No, Papa, It's not true, I swear.”
“I believe you. I you were only there to present yourself in time. Don't let this opportunity pass, son.” He held his head so he couldn't look away. “You could end up in serious hot water. Nobody would think you could do something like this. More than your father,” he said, lookin at David.
“Of course,” David said, sarcastically.
“Is that true?” Regina asked him. “Did your father bring this accusation to mess with my brother?”
“I don't know, my love. The truth? I hope not, but what I don't like is accusing my father without proof.”
Erick kept resisting parental arrest, but Arturo was determined. He refused to continue discussion on the spot. “Let's go. You can't hide if you're innocent.”
“Eladio laid a trap for me and sent him --” he pointed at David “to mess with me.”
David was fed up. He was there in two strides and pushed Erick down on the sand. Arturo and Regina stopped him doing any more. Regina stood in front of David while Arturo corralled Erick and leaned on his shoulders.
“We are going to Mexico and that is all,” he said.
“No.”
“This is not a question. Let's go. Now! Enough, damnit!” He shoved Erick in front of him and away from the party.
“Listen, my love, what Erick said isn't true.”
“Then where did it come from? What do you want me to think?”
“My father doesn't have anything to do with this. You have to believe me. Listen to me.”
“Let's go. We'll talk later.”

“Thanks for your time, gentlemen,” Eladio said to the press with the manner of someone granting favors.
“Mr Gómez-Luna has many things to do,” Franco said to them with a similar manner. “Thanks for coming. No more photos.”
“We'll be in touch, Mr Gómez-Luna,” said the detective.
“Thanks. Keep me informed.”
The detectives started to leave, but Eladio stopped them.
“Excuse me Mr Olivera, it's important that I take a business trip to Puerto Vallarta. I had to tell you but I expect that at this moment there is no problem for me to make this trip. Of course I will give you my contact information as to where I can be found.” The other detective shook his head. “Hey, I have nothing to hide.”
“Very well, but remember that you must be at our disposal and you can't leave the country.”
“That's clear.”
“Thanks. Excuse us.”
The detectives left.
“This went perfectly, Godfather. Erick will regret messing with you.”
Eladio took off his sunglasses.
“And Arturo, too.”

“Papa, no, I'm not going.”
Arturo grabbed him. “Erick! Be a man, damnit! Face life! Let's go!”
He had to lead his son off the beach. David walked behind them and Regina's cell rang.
“What is it, Mother? Be calm; we found Erick.”
“How is he? Give him the phone.”
“I can't. He's angry, but it's alright. Just be calm.”
“Why didn't you tell me, Regina?”
“Because it all just happened right now and we're coming home.”
“Where is your father? Tell him I urgently need to talk to your him and how is it possible that he doesn't answer his cell?”
Regina rolled her eyes.

“I'm going to Puerto Vallarta,” Eladio told Franco.
“Mr Ashmore wants an appointment, but in New York.”
“You just heard the police. I can't leave right now.”
“Very well. We'll look for a date here, ideally a few days after he meets with Arturo.”
“Good start. And surely the world should know that Erick will pay for accusing me.”
“With pleasure, Godfather.” He started back to the house.
“Franco,” said Eladio, to stop him. He turned around and Eladio held out his hand. Franco took it and he yanked him closer. “I expect you back in the office. And also at home.” He patted his shoulder.
“Many thanks, Godfather,” Franco said. He smiled for the first time since the attack. Callao and Eladio pulled out in the black car. Gabriela came out of the house and Franco picked her up and almost spun around on the stairs. He told her he had been restored to Eladio's favor.

Erick was passed out on the sofa in the hotel bar. Arturo checked up on him before using the hotel phone to call Julia's room. He explained what happened and that they would be bringing Erick back to Mexico City.

Gisela went into the GLA corporate offices and told Marintia that she needed to see Eladio. She didn't want to believe Marintia when she told her that he was not in the office. Another employee passed by, handing a large envelope to Marintia to be given to her boss when he returned. Gisela persisted, asking when he would be back and finally asking for Franco's number. Marintia wouldn't give her that but asked for her contact information, including her address.

Consuelo's doctor had made a house call and told her she could cautiously resume her normal routine. She was relieved. He was barely out the door when Daniela came barging in telling her not to say anything against Erick. She already knew about Eladio's involvement in this. Miguel came in on the tail end of this.”
“Please, I don't know anything about this,” said Consuelo.
“Please, don't say anything bad about my brother,” said Daniela.
“Daniela,” said Miguel. “Consuelo has to attest to the truth.”
“Don't you interfere.”
“The way you did created a big problem.”
They started fighting.
“Enough!” said Consuelo. “Please go and leave me alone.”
“Consuelo, I hope you do the right thing,” said Miguel. He left.
“Think of my brother and this baby you're expecting. Don't send him to jail.”
Daniela flounced out.

Things were tense between David and Regina. She was leaving the hotel to go home with Arturo and Erick. They were still disagreeing about Eladio's actions and whether Erick could be guilty. Regina then spotted Eladio entering the hotel.
“So what is he doing here?”
“I had no idea he was coming here. I'll go talk to him and get him to explain everything.”
“No. I'm just going to tell you that if your father does anything to hurt my family I will never forgive --”
“Don't say that.”
“Doesn't it mean something that my brother could go to prison for what he said? Do you understand that?”
“My love, this is a misunderstanding. Why don't we go over and the both of us talk to my father?”
“Not necessary. Let's check the news.” She took out her cell phone did a search, and showed him the screen. “What is this?”
He looked at the screen and saw the story of Eladio's press conference.
“I don't believe it.”
“The truth is he's capable of doing anything to rile my family.”
She took her cell and her suitcase and left him standing there stunned.

Franco and Gabriela went into a jewelry store. The saleswoman could tell by their manner what they were there for and she happened to be standing behind the case showing engagement rings. Gabriela pointed to one and she took it out. She took out several more for her inspection. Franco picked one up and got sticker shock at the price on the tag. Gabriela sensed this and told him that this wasn't important. He promised he would give her everything she wanted when he was able. The saleswoman took out one more ring and Franco's cell rang. He excused himself to answer it. It was Marintia, telling him about Gisela's visit. He was pleased that she had obtained the address and promised to reward her. Marintia was not pleased at the idea that Franco was marrying Gabriela.
“I have no choice.”
“Where are you?”
“In the jewelry store, buying the ring that will secure our future.”
“Our future? Good.”
“Perhaps.”
He ended the call and returned to the counter where he took out his credit card to pay for whatever ring Gabriela chose. Then he kissed her. One had to wonder whether he was thinking of the romance novel sex he gave Gabriela or the pornographic one he had with Marintia.

Julia came downstairs to see Arturo. She noticed that Erick was passed out on the couch.
“I have to go, but I want to tell you that I will fight for you.”
“That's what I want most, but you know it's impossible. For our children and everything we talked about yesterday.”

Eladio was outside where he found Efrain, who told him about having seen David with Regina. He reported on their conversation about Eladio's press conference and how it affected Erick, but deferred to what he thought was Eladio's greater knowledge of the situation. How did he not see that Julia and Arturo were in the bar behind his boss?

“When my son's situation is resolved, I'll be getting a divorce, Julia. This will all end so I can be at your side.”
“Arturo, I don't want false hopes. I've made a decision. I don't want to sacrifice my son's happiness.”
“Neither do I want to sacrifice Regina's, but for what time is left I want to be with you. I love you.”
“And I you.”
They did not see Eladio in the background, nor did he see them.

Regina went to see the woman in charge of the project competition. She told her that she had a family emergency and would be back when it was resolved. She was warned that the rules of the competition were very strict about such situations. David found Regina and asked whether she needed help. Things were still tense between them. When he moved in to kiss her she pulled back. At the same time Julia and Arturo parted company in the bar. She told him she loved him and went back to her room. He checked up on Erick who was still checked out on the sofa. Regina came in to say that all was ready and they woke him up. Regina led the way to the car.

Miguel went outside to the pool area, but he couldn't escape from Daniela.
“Erick, I don't understand why you hate Erick so much you want to see him in prison.”
“Daniela, you talk about him as though he were the best of men but he provoked everything that's happened.”
“That isn't true. What is happening is that you envy him. You can't handle that he is better than you.”
“Daniela, do you really believe he's superior to me?”
“It's obvious. He is handsomer, has personality. Everything you don't have.”
“And what good has that done him? Less in front of a judge.”
“You want them to lock him up, don't you? So you never have to see him. But I assure you that won't be.”
Miguel looked at her as though she had lost her mind. Nina came out.
“Daniela, why are you arguing with Miguel?”
“You know. He's throwing down the gauntlet. I was just trying to tell him a few truths about himself.”
“Well, leave that for later. We're going to the airport to meet Erick.”
“Mama, it's that this idiot asked Consuelo to testify against Erick.”

Clara was home alone when Franco and Francisco arrived within moments of each other. Franco came to see Gisela, who was not at home.
“I'm here to talk to her about the pension.”
“But I thought you don't work there anymore.”
“You're behind on the news. I got my position back.” He smirked at Francisco.
“Of course. Marintia deceived me so you could return.”

“I only told Consuelo not to lie to the authorities.”
“If you're thinking of doing anything against my son I swear you will regret it.”
“It's good you're putting him in his place, Mama.”
“You're always hanging around Consuelo, of course. Surely you are the special friend who wants to stay with her. Think about your attitude if you want to go on living in this house.”
None of this was any surprise to Miguel. Nina had always hated him.

Julia went outside the bar and tried to calm down. She was crying and didn't want to continue. She took a deep breath, wiped her face with her hands, and was startled when Eladio approached from behind and put his hand on her shoulder. Over his she saw the bellman bringing luggage out to the car and Arturo leaving with his children.

“You must be crazy. I don't know why you were fired and I don't care because I'm 100% in my godfather's good side.”
Francisco charged him, but Clara stopped him. Franco backed up, guarding his ribs, but he heard Clara addressing Francisco as “my love.”
“How lovely,” he said, sarcastically.
“Oh, yeah, what do you think, Franco?”
“You know they say when necessity comes in the door love flies right out the window.”
“Not in out case. I have money and I'll find other work.”
“No, Francisco, don't be overconfident. It's not that easy. Really, I doubt you'd be able to afford much more than this,” he gestured around the room with contempt. Then he noticed a framed photo of Gisela and her daughter.
“Who is this? The woman in the photo with Gisela, who is this?”

“What's up?” Eladio asked as he took off his sunglasses. “Why that face? Obviously you don't want to see me.”
“No, what happened is that... I'm surprised to see you, that's all.”
“What happened, Julia? Were you expecting someone else?” He started to turn around. She knew that Arturo was visible behind him, just outside the door.
“No, no, no, no. Nobody. Nobody.”
“Let's go up to your room.”
He tried to lead her out but she stopped him.
“How long are you going to be here?”
“Please, Julia. Let's go to the room.”
As he started leading her David arrived.
“Father, you told the police that Erick would pay for the death of Monserrat? This is the most deceived I have ever been about you.”
“If you don't know the truth it's better not to talk,” was his non-answer. “The police told me that Erick accused me directly. What? Should I have remained silent?”
“I suppose he also called in the press?”
“Obviously I want my name to remain clean. It's not my fault that Arturo's son will pay for making up things about your mother. About me.”
“My mother??” He turned to Julia. “Are you involved in this, too?”
“Calm down, calm down.”
“It's evident that Erick is looking for a way out of his problem that will destroy everything, no? And I don't doubt for a minute that it's on Arturo's orders.”
“How do you have the right to accuse without knowing?”
“Because I know him. I know what he's capable of.”
Julia could not endure more of this.
“Look, David, let's go.”
“No, Mother. I'm staying here until I know all of it.”
“Don't you talk that way to your mother.”
“Were you or were you not involved with that model, Father?”

“Are you going to answer? Who is this? Tell me.”
“Why do you ask?”
“I want to know. Period.”
“It's Caridad. Gisela's daughter.”
“Are you sure of this? Does she live here?”
“Of course I'm sure. And no, she doesn't live here. She hasn't been with her for years.”
“It can't be,” Franco said almost to himself.
“What happened?” asked Francisco. His nemesis dropped the picture on the table.
“Nothing. What does it matter to you? Expect that when you look for work the doors will be closed to you everywhere.”
He walked out. Francisco tried to follow but Clara stopped him.
“Francisco, what's the point?”
“It's what he said. He has the means to make my life very difficult.”
“It's just an idle threat.”
“I hope so.”
“Why was he so curious about that photo of Gisela and her daughter?”

“Son, I love your mother. I've always loved her. It's true. She is the only woman who's important to me.”
He held out his hand to Julia, who looked like a painting of a martyred saint. She took it reluctantly. David scrutinized his parents, uncertain of what to think.
“Monserrat was one of your father's employees,” she said. “I also thought they were lovers and went to see her the night she died. Because I wanted to talk to her –”
“Your mother's trying to say that Monserrat was involved with Erick. Appearances and all, the Montenegro son... it's the only thing to explain Monserrat's death.”
David took a breath as he studied his parents.
“Well, I don't know what to think but I can see that you have a serious problem with Regina based on what you did, Father.”
“So you would prefer her family for yourself? Well, son, if you want to talk to her about it –”

Franco walked away from Clara's house and ran into Gisela. As usual she tried to con money out of him, but he was not falling for it. He told her off about lying about his mother being alive, revealing that the photo she had shown him was of her own daughter. He finally told her that for this he would make sure that Eladio never gave her any more money. She was very angry when he walked away.

“Regina is going back to Mexico to accompany her brother. That's what happened.” David told Eladio. “She left a little while ago.”
The project manager came to see him.
“I have to see you. The investors have seen the plans and want to comment. Is Regina here or did she leave? If you know.”

Gisela charged in on Clara.
“Why did you tell Franco that the woman in the picture is my daughter?”
“Because he asked me. I only told him the truth.”
“Well, you made a problem for me.”
“This is about Eladio, Franco, and the money, isn't it?”
“That is none of your business. Now it's your fault that I won't have any money to pay my part of the rent.”
“Ah! If you want to pay the rent get a job and work.” She said more in the same vein and was definitely fed up.

“Regina left.”
“Pity because they left. Are you available?”
“Yes.” He remembered his manners and presented Eladio to her. She mentioned that all the contestants have equal opportunity, then took her leave.
“Why didn't you tell me that the Montenegros were in this competition? You knew this too, Julia, and you kept silent.”

Gisela blamed Clara in advance if she wasn't able to get any more money out of GLA. She accused her of being a gossip. It's truly amazing how narcissists accuse other people of their own sins. When she left the room Clara observed that it was an interesting coincidence that Franco got his job back just as Francisco lost his. He was sure of his earlier accusation, but wasn't concerned about it.

“Mother didn't know because she knew nothing about Regina. That we're here together does not affect our work.”
“I thought the same,” Julia said.
“Yes, we talked about it,” said David.
Eladio thought for a second.
“Perfect, perfect. In this situation, son, you have to win this competition, whatever you have to do.”
“No. I'll compete as best as I can in the way that suits me. This is a clean competition. I ask you to trust me and to not interfere. No traps and nothing crooked.” He walked away.
Eladio did not react until David left.
“How do you like that? He talks about me doing crooked things. All this was for you to have peace with your son, but you know what I have to tell you? You always omit something. You have to tell me everything that's going on.”
“No. You know what? What happened was you asked me to keep quiet about something. I didn't tell him that Monserrat was your 'lover'. I told him nothing.” She left him alone in the bar.

On his first day back at GLA Franco walked out into the back garden with Marintia. She wanted to celebrate his return with a little action better experienced elsewhere but he asked her to check the records for any information about Gisela. He was sure she was lying to him. She promised to take care of it and they went back inside. Probably to do the horizontal mambo on the boss's desk. They definitely liked living dangerously.

Daniela called David on her cell. Nina heard some of this.
“How petty of your father to say such things about my brother!”
“My father always tells the truth and I don't understand your intention.”
“Truth? I don't understand how my sister is with a Gómez-Luna since she should help her own family.”
“Regina has nothing to do with this.”
“Yes, she does. If she were loyal to her own family she wouldn't be with you.”
“Daniela, stop with these stupidities. The only thing this was about is Erick.”
“That's not true and I'm going to become your worst nightmare.”
She ended the call.

Julia went out on the beach facing the ocean. She wore a purple bikini and sunglasses. Eladio came out and tried talking her into what sounded like a second honeymoon. She wasn't fooled.
“Eladio, you're here because you don't trust me.”
“Be honest. I don't have reasons?”
Efrain was watching from where Eladio couldn't see him.

Nina and Daniela waited at the airport for Arturo's private plane. The side door opened and Arturo disembarked with Erick and Regina. Nina hugged her immature son, who spotted the media over her shoulder.
“Of course, they knew we'd be coming,” Regina speculated.
They swarmed them immediately, asking questions about Eladio's allegations and Erick's involvement in Monserrat's “accident.” Arturo politely evaded the questions, finally saying that they would be seeing the police. However, the police were already there. The two detectives who called on the Montenegro house were waiting. They presented the warrant for Erick's arrest.
“Don't let them arrest Erick. If he ran from the house it's your fault. Only your fault,” Nina said to Arturo.

“Tell me your reasons you don't trust me,” Julia said.
“Julia, Julia, I loved you,” he said, holding her neck between his hands. Hands large enough to choke her with no effort. “I always loved you but for years I've only felt your hate. Make a little effort and try to return my love,” he said. He caressed her arms but she crossed them in front of herself. She took off her sunglasses and looked him in the eye.
“Do you want me to forget everything? To forget you had a mistress? You want us to go on as though that were nothing?”
“Yes. Yes, that is what I want. Because my mistress doesn't exist; it's all behind us.”
Julia backed away.
“I want to know if it's true that Erick made an accusation against you. Or was this a lie to –”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, please, Julia.” He really wanted to avoid this.
“I have to know. It affects our son and his relationship with Regina.”
“Look, Julia, be honest. Is that what you're worried about? Or that your dear Arturo is suffering for his 'junior'?”

Arturo tried to ask questions about the warrant but the detectives were determined. They took Erick who stupidly made accusations in front of the press. The reporters (some of them my colleagues), armed with cameras of all types, followed them out of the airport.

“Eladio, why don't we talk about something else? What have you been thinking all this time about Arturo? You show up with this attitude and hope that we can enjoy this place? Tell me.” She waited for him to answer but only saw his stony face devoid of emotion. “You know, I'm going up to my room.”
“If you want to go to the room, I'll accompany you.” He was trying to be seductive again.
“No. That is not necessary.”
“It's my duty, as your husband. Yes?”
“No. Your duty is to tell me the truth at all times in all that you're doing.”
“Look, Julia, all that I've done is to protect you.”
“I know, I know, but not against someone's freedom.”
“Think, think! You didn't kill Monserrat, yes?”
“No.”

“I didn't, either. What else is left? At this moment the only problem is Erick, or not?”

Labels:


Permalink posted by Urban Anthropologist @ 11:15 PM
Comments:
Part II will be up in a while. I lost internet access for a while this afternoon.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 11:33:00 PM EST
 

Thanks for the first half, Urban. Double episodes are tough. Hang in there.

From reading this, looks like Uni cut a few scenes. Scenes with Clara, Gisela, the WTF family, and also David and Regina. Since they had a whole two hours for two episodes, I wonder why they cut those scenes. There isn't a chance that they gave us three episodes, is there?

I look forward to part two tomorrow.

Both Julia and Art admitted to some of their own failings that contributed to choosing the wrong spouses and not helping their marriages be successful. I wish they hadn't made Eladio a rapist and a control freak (it was scary how he was scolding Julia's photo demanding to know where she was every second), because then I could actually support Julia giving it a real go with him. But there are some things that are just unforgivable in my mind, and Eladio has crossed that line many times. I must admit that he looked very attractive is his more relaxed beach wear.
Permalink posted by Blogger Vivi in DC : Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 11:53:00 PM EST
 

OMG, I hope they didn't do three episodes. What was the last scene (e-mail me)
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 12:01:00 AM EST
 

thank you, UA. I went to bed and did not see the second episode. I look forward to that recap.

I got a kick out of Art's beachtogs...black bermuda shorts and a white button down shirt. Hello, Moondoggie. QTH? Was that formal beachwear?

The beatdown of Aldo was cringeworthy.

Permalink posted by Anonymous Susanlynn♥ : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 5:53:00 AM EST
 

Yes, it was. My guess is that they were building up to that for FC's sake since this is his first villain role (vs his predecessor in this story who was a villain right out of the gate).

This is a warning to the rest of the team that I fear that last night was an edit of 3 episodes into two. I will know more about that later.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:24:00 AM EST
 

Great Part two, Urban. You put a lot of wonderful work into these episodes.

It does appear this was three episodes based on what we saw last night. Really the key things that happened in the third episode that we saw were:
-Erick makes his statement to the police. Art and Auggie urge him to tell the truth and nothing but. Consuelo makes her statement at the police station too. We don't yet know what either said.

-Erick first tries to make nice with Connie before her statement. But after she makes her statement, he assumes she threw him under the bus, and is his usual jerk self to her.

- Erick insults his cellmates, and gets a royal beat down from them. He has to stay in jail for 48 hours while the police gather all the statements and evidence. He's in a snit about that.

-Art tells Nina their marriage can't work anymore. He accepts his blame for their marriage and family failing, but also points to Nina's failings as a mother. He thinks both she and he have a right to be happy, apart. For now, he's moving to the guest bedroom. Nina is stunned.

-Regina calls David and tells him the truth about Eladio being the Rat's lover. Later she calls him and aplogizes for treating him so badly for something his father did. They reaffirm their desire to keep their family drama separate from their relationship. Art is listening in as Regina ends the call telling David how much.She loves him and he doesn't look pleased.

-David confronts Eladio and Julia with the truth. Julia gets Eladio to admit it. David is disgusted with them both. He can't believe that Julia is cool with Eladio having mistresses and staying with him. He says she must love Eladio more than he thought. This seems to have an effect on both Julia and Eladio. They have an honest talk about how they both have responsibility for the failure of their marriage. Radio begs for another chance. Julia seems pensive.

-David comes back and apologizes to his parents. He has no right to meddle in their relationship and loves them both. He later has a man to man conversation with Eladio at the bar and wants to know why Eladio has always been so cold to him. He treats Franco more like a son. Why has he never showed him that he loves him? The company shares/money don't count.

-Art calls Julia and tells her he spoke to Nina. She shocks him by telling him she's thinking of making a real go of her marriage to Eladio. He tries to talk her out of it.
Permalink posted by Blogger Vivi in DC : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 7:58:00 AM EST
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 8:01:00 AM EST
 

Wow, you are definitely committed UA and again thank you again!

“If Susanna hadn't been pregnant our story would be different"......“But he doesn't respect you. He's been unfaithful.” Does this macho skunk Art care what comes out of his mouth? Cheating on Julia was ok till an inconvenient pregnancy prevented him from hiding it and her from ignoring the betrayal? Damn that Eladio for cheating on Julia and disrespecting her, no way Art would ever disrespect a woman like that.

A mystery monkey was on the lam for three years in Tampa Bay before caught. Nabbing Chimp Boy after a weekend of partying not bad.

Permalink posted by Blogger tofie : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 8:03:00 AM EST
 

Oh, and in front of Eladio, Julia tells David that she has asked Eladio for a divorce. I think this is what sparked the "baby, baby please" conversation where Eladio begged for Julia to give their marriage a real shot.
Permalink posted by Blogger Vivi in DC : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 8:10:00 AM EST
 

Thanks, Vivi; you saved me about four hours of work when I had planned to go to Target today.

I really hope this editing doesn't continue because if it does and we end up simultaneous with Mexico I won't be able to recap at the quality level I do. Or possibly at all if I continue to have problems with Uvideos. This does not please me at all.

What was missing from Mexican episode 49 is stuff with Franco. Gabriela arranged a romantic dinner for them in the dining room with his favorite food and Humberto crashed it. He offended both of them. Franco excused himself from the table and then Gaby did, telling Humberto that he is intolerable. We also learned from that scene that she is an only child. Also, after the young "lovers" left the table it looks like Humberto will drink the entire rest of the wine, which can't be good for him. Too bad. So sad.... NOT.

Franco and Eladio talked about arranging a meeting with Ashmore that will take place in Mexico, possibly in two weeks. Eladio didn't give him a return date because he was trying to settle family issues first. He seemed satisfied with Franco's arrangements.

I have to have some breakfast before I write my comments on the important stuff. Be back in 30.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 8:10:00 AM EST
 

Urban-They did show us that dinner between Gabi, Gramps and Franco. Gramps was happy to be left alone with the wine. LOL.
Permalink posted by Blogger Vivi in DC : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 8:17:00 AM EST
 

Urban, the level of detail in this recap was incredible. As always, superbly written.

Although I missed most of this, your conversation translations were crystal clear. I cannot imagine how much time it took you to craft this. It was amazing. Thank you.

Vivi, thank you for adding crucial details.

It appears no one can get on the right page regarding their marriage. Arturo is trying to extricate himself from his while Julia is apparently content to lie in the muck of her marriage.

Arturo is not the loyal, devoted husband and father he believes himself to be. He cheated on Julia and wants to cheat on Nina. He was a poor father. Now, he wants to leave the decimation of a family that is partly his fault, and start another life/family with the one he already cheated on.

Love SG but Julia is frustrating me. She should not be with Eladio or Arturo. Eladio's poisionous spew continues to sting her. There is nothing for her there but more of the same. Arturo promises the world and delivers...what?

Thank you so much!

Diana
Permalink posted by Anonymous Anonymous : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 8:18:00 AM EST
 

Thank you Vivi for the gaps

I'm struggling with Art & Julia individually and as a couple. They discuss this great love but it sounds like snipping over a grocery list and Art forgot an item at Publix. When I see then paw each other it looks like trying to force the same end of two magnets together.
Permalink posted by Blogger tofie : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 8:53:00 AM EST
 

My thoughts:
1.) Purple Lips & Dani's deep seated hatred of Miguel will likely have deadly results.

2.) Counselo's going to certainly lose the baby if she keeps getting stressed out.

3.) Trouble in Paradise between Regina & David.

4.) Gaby has no idea she's getting played by Franco.

5.) Erick getting beat up by cellmates was sweet. However, he's probably going to get out IF the prosecution doesn't have concrete evidence.

6.) Aldo getting attacked & tortured by Eladio & his henchman, Callao.

7.) Efrain was the same guy, who was Peralta's henchman from Hasta El Fin Del Mundo.
Permalink posted by Blogger Steve Boudreaux : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 8:57:00 AM EST
 

Thank you Urban. Great recap.

I can't believe they combined three episodes into two hours. Hope Univision doesn't keep on doing this. I don't know what they are thinking over there at Univision. It's bad enough they are giving us two hours, but do they have to start cutting now? Ugh.
Permalink posted by Blogger Mauricio : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 9:04:00 AM EST
 

Ah UA, you do such a superb job as world-weary Dominick Dunne reporting on what fools these mortals be. But having to make sense of triple episodes smooshed together is ridiculous. And thanks Vivi for adding in the extras.

Urban, we are blessed to have you doing such meticulous, detailed work on this (and loved the fairy-tale photo of Puerto Vallarta)but you would be fully justified, in my opinion, in just throwing up your hands and doing simple highlights. Triple episodes, nooooo

Your descriptions and asides are always so well crafted, but I especially enjoyed
"Julie, who looked like a painting of a martyred saint".

I could just picture that. The actress has the perfect face and visual expression for that role. But you brought it to life with your words.

I'm with tofie that Arturo is no galan, has no integrity and is simply a rounded crayon version of Eladio. He mistreats his current wife more subtly than Eladio mistreats Julia, but it's still the same game. I'm Up and you're Down.

These people are increasingly tiresome but the recapping team is stellar. I'm developing a liking for the brutal Callao simply because he's loyal for a good reason (didn't Eladio save the life of his daughter somehow?) and he's generous (letting Franco take the credit for finding Aldo). So far he seems the best of this sorry lot. He makes a promise and he keeps it. That puts him way ahead of the other "mature" adult men in this mess.

UA, we are beholden to you...this was a great recap, time-consuming for sure, but so well written...
Permalink posted by Blogger JudyB : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 9:34:00 AM EST
 

Judyb...yes to Art being "a rounded crayon version of Eladio." We have so many crayons around our house..I could relate to that analogy. In fact, there are days when I feel like a rounded crayon.

Welcome to Art's midlife crisis. I cannot stop focusing on the bermudas. Is this his idea of letting his hair down and going all surf city beachcomber? It looks as if he took off his jacket and tie and cut off his dress slacks at the knee. Abracadabra...beach blanket bingo.Surfs up ! Where's my surf board ?
Permalink posted by Anonymous Susanlynn♥ : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 9:45:00 AM EST
 

Urban- I second Judy's suggestion. If Uni keeps giving triple episodes for the next few weeks, feel free to just do highlights. We'll survive. You're watching the full episodes online, so it's even more challenging for you. I think the other recappers who are watching the edited two hour episodes should also feel free to do the same. (I say this, but I know how hard it is sometimes to NOT provide details.)
Permalink posted by Blogger Vivi in DC : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 9:52:00 AM EST
 

Mauricio, this was a complete shock to me. I wonder whether Mexican viewers were complaining about the working class scenes, which seem to have taken the biggest hit last night.

Diana, I agree that Julia shouldn't be with anyone right now. She needs time to recover her self from the wreckage of a tortured childhood and an even more toxic marriage. However, from my readings on the subject she is behaving true to form for a woman in her situation regardless of socio-economic or social status. She needs a lot of help.

She should have friends, but she doesn't. We have seen that Eladio has been isolating her all this time and I suspect that once her formal education ended Humberto did the same to her back in the day. We also can't forget that there is so much shame felt by women in such situations that she might be afraid of others' opinions of her because she has been conditioned to believe that "All of This is Your Fault." This is starting from behind the 8-ball and buried under cement.

Eladio and Nina will never change. Both are narcissists and they don't change because they are incapable of seeing their own faults. They have no boundaries because everything is seen and experienced in terms of themselves and nobody (and nothing) else:

Eladio favors Franco because he is like him (which was very obvious in the first half) and despises David because he is like Julia. He has never said so in our hearing, but he doesn't have to. He uses David as a pawn with which to control Julia and if Julia can prove that he is Eladio's son he loses that weapon. That is why he has consistently refused to submit his DNA. His ego needs to keep Julia in a state of self-doubt and fear. He respects no one's feelings.

Nina favors Daniela and Erick because they are exactly like her while Regina is more like Arturo. Her attempt in the opening episode at convincing Regina that she wouldn't have to work with a man to take care of her was laughable in our time, but speaks to her own sense of entitlement which Regina does not share. Nina also despises Miguel and Consuelo because they are not of her DNA and Consuelo doesn't think like her either. If she were a blonde version of Daniela Nina might like her or feel some sense of competition, it's hard to say. Maybe the latter because she doesn't see herself as aging beyond the woman Arturo met 25 years ago.

The whole situation of multiple generations living together is never easy for anyone but with toxic situations such as these two families that include narcissistic parents (this includes Humberto), there are no real boundaries and that is very unhealthy.

More in the next post; it was too long.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 10:05:00 AM EST
 

Part II:

Finally, there is Arturo and I'm tired of the negative comments about him. We don't know all of the details of his infidelity to Julia, but he isn't the same person anymore. That was more than half his life ago and normal people change over time. He is capable of seeing his own errors. He had suffered from depression (and might again since the writers know that JS performs that very well) and dealt with it in a couple of the classic ways men deal with it: Sex and work. Nina provided good nooky and he became a workaholic. That lasted an awfully long time, longer than usual. To her credit, Nina has been a smart (or very lucky) gold-digger so far because she bagged someone whose looks and sexual talent suited her and hasn't spent beyond his means. Something that could change if she decides to get nasty because he is looking to divorce her.

I've said before that we can't hold Arturo to today's parenting standard for fathers (We certainly should hold Erick, David, Miguel, and Franco to that, since it looks like Justino is meeting the standard). However, he married on the rebound, without getting to know Nina well. He had no idea when he married Nina that she would be a worse mother than he was a father. She could hide that more easily when the children were children and Arturo came home from the office after they were all asleep. However she now has less control over them because they are now legal adults and as they say, as you sow so shall ye reap. Erick and Daniela are spoiled brats with no sense of responsibility while Miguel and Regina are deficient in self-esteem outside of their work. I'll bet that she took their toys away from them if Erick and Daniela demanded them as kids and threatened dire consequences if they ratted her out to Arturo.

Her enabling of Erick in his flight from Mexico City was absolutely the wrong thing to do but like a true narcissist she blames Arturo for it. He's a hothead but not a rage monster. He would have called Augustin and gotten him in to handle this calmly and sensibly. Daniela also enabled Erick and blames Consuelo for his actions. Neither owned up to this, which cost Arturo a wasted night of searching for Erick and will ultimately cost Erick a lot of credibility.

BTW, here is an article about the US divorce rate. It's not increasing. However, it does illustrate that none of our four "mature" characters were old enough to marry when they did.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 10:06:00 AM EST
 

Egad, Vivi, it never occurred to me that double episodes would mean this. I'm actually grateful I didn't get the original double-episode-and-then-some of YNCELH because that would have been a killer. It's a good thing I only have one more "double" to worry about.

What I would have done with #49 is comment on how the press has been behaving in that episode. They should not have been allowed to be present for a police interrogation. I'm going to re-watch it later for Erick's statement because I think there were a few untruths in it. Consuelo's was not heard by us in the original either.

Callao.... I must have previously described him as resembling a Mafia hit man. He has the look and the manner and may be as sadistic as Luca Brasi. I should save that line.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 10:14:00 AM EST
 

Thank You Urban, what a load of work. Steve: Thanks, I now recognize Efrain from Hasta. I thought I did, but didn't put two and two together.
Permalink posted by Anonymous Kirbo : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 10:30:00 AM EST
 

Thanks Urban for all of your hard work. Double episodes!! Geesh. And thinks Vivi to filling in those last scenes. I agree with everyone that says bullet points/highlights are just fine. Don't kill yourselves. But super appreciated!!

I dvr'd it but I doubt I will get to it this weekend. Though all of the talk about Art's awful beach wear may have me fast forwarding to those parts. Plus, I'd like to see the drunken Erick scenes and him in jail. He is such a buffoon I can't help but laugh at everything he does.

Must admit I don't feel that bad for Aldo (though maybe I would feel differently if I had watched him get beat up.) He was complicit with the Ratt in trying to get as much from Erick and Eladio as possible.
Permalink posted by Blogger Carvivlie : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:05:00 AM EST
 

Carvivlie- You should definitely watch the Erick scenes. He was at his best/worst. When he started mouthing off at his cellmates, and bragged about how expensive his shirt was, I just shook my head in disbelief. This guy only has 2 brain cells to rub together. I'm surprised they let him keep his shirt after they beat him up, but probably just because it was covered in blood at that point.
Permalink posted by Blogger Vivi in DC : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:11:00 AM EST
 


Many thanks for the colossal amount of work you undertook! I can't believe they condensed three episodes into two hours. I watch episodes online and watching 3 in a row was exhausting! I can't imagine trying to recap three in one go, especially since there was sooo much going on.

Things are getting complicated and confusing. I felt so sorry for Arturo when he started crying and I think Julia did well in comforting him with a hug. Then he started unzipping her dress and pushing for nookie and saying that his wife of 25 years, with whom he had always been lovey-dovey (by Regina's admission) and who gave him 3 children never meant a thing to him! Wow! Any smidgen of empathy for him disappeared right at that instant! Then back in Mexico City, he goes back to being his obnoxious unbearable self and he does his "It's not me, it's you" break up speech where he doesn't own up to his faults as a spouse or as a father, doesn't reveal the real reason why he wants out of the relationship yet he magnanimously offers Nina the chance to "giver herself space and take time to redo her life and be happy away from him". He said "espacio" and "lejos" so many times, the awkwardness of it all was risible.

Loved Julia's purple bikini and Eladio's outfit in the beach scene, but Eladio's attempts to be cute were ridiculous! Eladio and cute don't go well. I prefer him when he's up to no good. Like his scenes with Callao and Aldo (Poor Aldo, did he make the trip all the way from Chiapas in that car trunk?), his feigned amiability to Simona, his princely act during the press conference (with Franco dutifully nodding along in the background)…


Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:22:00 AM EST
 

Hello old friends, and I see a few here, and hello new friends!

UA, I love your work. You set such a rich tone with your word crafting. You have the detailed style of a victorian novelist, like a modern day Wilkie Collins, you love words and like Collins, mystery, this it is apparent in your recaps. I miss your Pablo Montero avatar, you should repost it some day! Thanks for all your hard work on what was an abridged three capitulo episode. Vivi, thanks for your extra bullet points as well. Presently I'm watching on YouTube, I watched three episodes just for last night's programming. It is hard to carve out that much time.

Currently, I've dropped interest in the main four characters, they have so many problems with selfish, irresponsible and murky decision making, I can't see happiness for them no matter what the el fin configuration is! I was enjoying Regina and David, but I'm very sad about Regina's Nina like decision to attack David for the actions of his FATHER and prance off, then in her own sweet time and more information, call and apologize, not a good start to a relationship, and maybe even a fatal flaw. I noticed that she interfered when David tussled with David on the beach but just watched as her father did the same. Her wonderful novio should come first, not her dysfunctional family. Oh well......
Permalink posted by Blogger Sandy in TN : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:23:00 AM EST
 

Here are the funny and funnily odd moments in this triple episode:

-- Efraín being an utter and complete failure in his job as the watchful bodyguard/snitch yet he's there in the background during Julia and Eladio's conversation at the beach!

-- The police officers not finding it strange that someone who is obviously Eladio's enforcer, has a sinister look about him and is called El Callao (the quiet/the silent one) just happens to be present during Aldo's declaration, staring holes into the frightened man's back the whole time he was there.

-- When Julia sees Chimp Boy sleeping off his hangover on the lobby sofa and Arturo tells her: "I don't know what to do with him!". I say put a banana in his mouth and a sticker on his forehead and have him shipped to the zoo!

-- Regina telling David point-blank: Yeah your Dad was also a Rat-boinker! I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings (but now I'm mad at you so I don’t give a rat’s patootie).

-- Suspects getting interrogated by the police while the paparazzi are present to shove their cameras and mikes in everybody's face. Qué tal with that?

-- Humberto crashing the dinner for two then finishing the evening in a romantic tête-à-tête with the bottle of red vino!

-- But the funniest scene for me was, hands down, Erick telling his cellmates that his shirt was worth more than their lives! Very smart Chimp Boy, very smart! That’s exactly how you survive in jail. I know you’re no mathematician but surely you can count to two: There’s two of them and one of you. Very smart to provoke them into beating you to a pulp! Then afterwards the ape genius asks to change cells so he can get a fresh beating elsewhere. I told ya, IQ of a banana tree!

Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:27:00 AM EST
 

I am puzzled why the police let Aldo make his formal statement at the police station while Eladio's personal assistant Callao was standing only a few feet away from him. They took Consuelo's statement in a private office, why not Aldo? Also, Callao was glaring at Aldo the whole time that he was delivering his statement. Is this normal police procedure?
Permalink posted by Blogger Gobluefan from OH : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:27:00 AM EST
 

Sorry, David tussled with Erick!
Permalink posted by Blogger Sandy in TN : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:28:00 AM EST
 


Where are my manners? I forgot to thank the lovely Vivi for recapping the 3rd portion of this triple episode mashup. Thanks ever so much, querida Vivi! Much appreciated! :)
Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:30:00 AM EST
 

"but I'm very sad about Regina's Nina like decision to attack David for the actions of his FATHER and prance off" Me too Sandy and glad you pointed it out but it actually made me mad not sad. There is more Nina in Regina than Eladio in David.
Permalink posted by Blogger tofie : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:31:00 AM EST
 

-- Gobluefan: Jinx! We posted at the same time our puzzlement at Callao's presence during Aldo's statement! :)
Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:32:00 AM EST
 

Sandy- That was rather mean of Gina. She's always being accused by Nina, Erick, and Dani of being disloyal to the family, and I guess this was her moment to show that when push comes to shove, she IS loyal to them. Even Art was giving her stink eye when she was apologizing to David over the phone and telling him she loves him. Remember how annoyed he was when she hesitated to take the job with him before speaking to David. I think ALL the Montenegros (minus Miguel) think Gina needs to put the family first-- and by that I mean, sacrifice her relationship with David to suit THEIR needs. I think you're right that this doesn't bode well for the future.
Permalink posted by Blogger Vivi in DC : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:35:00 AM EST
 

Brace yourselves for here comes:

-- A triple dose of quotes from the triple capítulo --

“No lo justifico pero si él buscó a Montserrat, si buscó a otras mujeres es porque nunca le he correspondido, nunca he sido realmente su mujer. Eladio me ha hecho mucho daño pero no más al que yo le hago a él. Y verte a ti, estar así contigo me recuerda que nunca, nunca realmente lo he querido y me casé con él. Lo único noble que había en Eladio era que él me amaba de verdad y yo abusé de ese amor para vengarme de ti. Yo hice a Eladio como es.” *

*Julia’s excuse for her boinkus interruptus with Randy Boy Arturo is that she discovered a sudden sense of loyalty for her much-loathed husband: “I don’t justify him but if he (Eladio) sought Montserrat, if he sought other women it’s because I have never reciprocated his love, I have never really been his woman. Eladio has done me a lot of harm but it’s no more than the harm I do him. And seeing you (Arturo), being with you like this reminds me that I never, never really loved him and I married him. The only noble thing that was in Eladio was that he truly loved me and I took advantage of that love to get back at you. I made Eladio what he is.”

Corresponder = (love, feelings) to reciprocate, to return love.

Recordar = (in this context) to remind.

Abusar = (confidence, good faith, feelings) to take advantage of.

Vengarse = to take revenge, to get even.

-------------------------------------------------------

-- David: “Papá! Le dijiste a la policía que Erick pagó para involucrarte en la muerte de Montserrat? Es que entremás conozco tus alcances, más me decepciono de ti!” //// -- Eladio: “Yo no tengo la culpa de que el hijo de Arturo haya pagado para inventar cosas sobre tu madre, sobre mí! (...) Creo que aquí es muy evidente que Erick está buscando zafarse del problema y nos quiso embarrar a todos.” *

David confronting his Dad and making a scene in the lobby of the hotel of the hotel chain whose tender (“licitación”) he is trying to win:

--David: “Dad! You told the police that Erick paid (someone) to involve you in the death of Montserrat? It’s that the more I know what you’re capable of, the more disappointed I am in you!” //// -- Eladio: “It is not my fault that Arturo’s son paid (someone) to invent things about your mother, about me! (...) I think it’s very obvious that Erick is looking to escape from the problem and wanted to drag us all through the mud.”

Involucrar = to involve, to implicate.

Alcance = reach, abilities, powers.

Decepcionarse = to become disappointed with, to lose confidence in someone.

Zafarse = to extricate oneself, to escape from (a problem, an obligation or a promise).

Embarrar = literally means to splash or to cover with mud, in this context: to stain, to besmirch (someone’s reputation or good name).

(to be continued)


Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:42:00 AM EST
 


(cont.)
-------------------------------------------------------

“Él (Erick) tiene que afrontar sus decisiones. Y la que hizo mal en ocultarme lo que pasaba fuiste tú! Por qué? Por qué? Ya nos estabamos llevando bien, caramba! Pero (con) tus mentiras, tus ocultaciones y lucubraciones, echaste a perder lo que habíamos logrado, caray! Lo de nuestro matrimonio! (...) Ibamos por tan buen camino, Nina... Por qué si estabamos salvando nuestro matrimonio echaste a perder todo con lo de Erick? Por qué?”

Arturo using entirely too many Why’s and Caray’s to pile all the blame on Nina (yet again) for the failure of their marriage: “He (Erick) needs to face up to his decisions. And the one who was wrong in hiding what was going on from me was you! Why? Why? We were getting along so well, caramba! (nope, not translating “caramba” and wish I could use it everyday!) But with your lies, your hiding things and your fantasies you ruined everything we had achieved, caray! With regards to our marriage! (...) We were on the right track, Nina... Why did you ruin it all with this Erick business, when we were trying to save our marriage? Why?”

Afrontar = to confront, to face up to.

Ocultar = to hide.

Llevarse bien con alguien = to get along well with someone.

Lucubración = fantasy, invention.

Echar a perder = to ruin, to spoil, to mess up.

Lograr = to accomplish, to achieve.

Ir por buen camino = to be on the right track.
Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:42:00 AM EST
 

Vivi, that much is certain. If those blood stains aren't dealt with immediately you can't ever get them out. I don't think Erick even has a single brain cell.

On the subject of fashion in this episode, did anyone else notice Consuelo's necklace and earrings set? The pendants looked like birdcages with one prisoner each.

Nandicta, good point about Aldo being in the car trunk all the way from Chiapas. I doubt it. I'm sure Callao put him in there for the last leg of the trip so he wouldn't be seen in a Gomez-Luna vehicle by anyone near the city just in case. He doesn't look like a man who takes chances although I'd regard it as a writing fail if the police don't make anything of his menacing presence at Aldo's statement. That should be a major red flag to them. I've seen TN cops who screw up but also plainclothes detectives who were both smart and honest. These detectives look smart but we'll just have to wait and see.

Meantime, where are the autopsy results?

I did re-watch #49 and while Erick admitted calling in the accusation against Eladio to the police, he initially lied about it to Augustin. He also lied to him about having brought Consuelo home. We don't know if he corrected that. I think they're going to hold him for 48 hours until they compare his statement to Consuelo's.

Sandy, sometimes the only thing to do with a dysfunctional family is to walk away from it for the sake of your own mental health, like Julia's sister did. It is not selfish or disloyal to do that. Narcissistic parents are poison to their children and they make poor marriage partners. They are incapable of deep connexion because they don't really let other people inside.

Nina's comment about money and power was disturbing and it's going to go somewhere.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:50:00 AM EST
 

Slightly OT:

On the 27th Fathom Events will have a one-night-only showing of art in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Here is the link with a close-up of his Venus. It's like SG came out of that era.

Nandicta, Arturo was right to be angry with Nina's action although he's not necessarily using it in the right argument. When you connect that with her comment about money and power and influence it was a statement that she considers herself and her (adopted) class to be above the law.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 12:00:00 PM EST
 

Susanlynn...yesss, I imagine you're knee-deep in rounded crayons right now. I hope to be again, but don't know if my recently married youngest daughter is planning on having any little ones. (Practicing biting my tongue.) And oh my, I see what you mean about Arturo's beach wear. That undershirt under the white shirt didn't add any flair either. Unfortunately my DVR didn't record the full two hours so I missed Eladio in his snazzola outfit. Is there any hope of his taking a long shower any time soon?

UA...I'm intrigued by your defense of Arturo as having changed. In this episode, he's as ready to be unfaithful to his current wife as he was to Julia, his betrothed, 25 years ago. So I don't see much change there. But you're a deeply thoughtful person, so I know you must have good reasons for championing Arturo. And clearly the writers want us to be on his side. But it's not working for me.
Permalink posted by Blogger JudyB : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 12:15:00 PM EST
 

If the two male leads are meant to be close to the actors' real ages, Arturo would have been only 22 when he was engaged to Julia. That would have been somewhat normal for a character that age in the 1988 version, who would have been 22 in 1962. Too young for marriage, no matter how much money you have.

If his early infidelity was also a one-time thing (like when drunk) it would be very different from an affair of some standing, which it didn't sound like. My guess is that it happened when he was on a business trip that ran too long. We don't know what she looked like, but what if she resembled Julia in some way? We probably will never know that.

Julia's anger at this was likely amplified by knowing that there was no rescue from her father at that point. Not sure of the timing of the financial difficulties but she lost Arturo's White Knight rescue to another damsel in distress. That had to hurt more than it would have hurt anyone else. So, what happened? Arturo got punished by a loveless marriage that ended in widowhood that led to punishing guilt and depression and then losing Julia in the interim to an abuser. He married Nina because he was still young enough for good sex to alleviate depression and make him think it could lead to love only to discover it didn't. After being a physically faithful husband for 25 years. Did he spend most of the last 25 years imagining Julia in Nina's place? We don't know, but we just know he has tried that recently and can't make it work anymore.

Had he divorced Nina after ten years we wouldn't have a series.

Here are the actors' real ages and Sun signs:

Arturo ----> JS ----> 47 ----> Leo
Eladio ----> FC ----> 49 ----> Pisces (will be 50 soon)
Julia ----> SG ----> 41 ----> Libra
Nina ----> MF ----> 39 ----> Leo

Interesting combination. Water is trying to put out fire and drown out air at the same time.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 12:45:00 PM EST
 

OT...The Uffizi is remarkable. Our family went there when my younger daughter was studying in Florence for a semester. One of my fondest memories is walking there after a nice dinner and a little too much vino at a tiny trattoria. The Uffizi has huge covered porches , and there was a guy playing the violin. I sat on a bench and just sobbed. It was like a dream. My favorite works there were by Botticelli...huge canvases. I have no idea how he was able to depict fabric so realistically with paint. We also went to the Academia to see the statue of David by Michelangelo....very impressive and massive...stunningly beautiful. The whole city of Florence is a museum. The architecture is amazing. It was like walking through the pages of every art book of every art class I had ever had. I would go back in a minute.
Permalink posted by Anonymous Susanlynn♥ : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 1:22:00 PM EST
 

Italy is definitely on my bucket list. And after the last few episodes in Puerto Vallarta I'm tempted... and I am not a beach vacation person.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 1:23:00 PM EST
 

Urban, thank you for the exquisite care with which you crafted this beautifully written recap. I'm astonished that Uni is squishing episodes already. I didn't think there was a lot to cut. Oh well.

I'm a little more willing than some of you to accept these people at face value. It makes watching a little less ... um ... dyspeptic.

Anyway, you did an amazing job. And thank you, Vivi, for summarizing events from episode 49. That's very helpful in keeping it all straight.
Permalink posted by Blogger NovelaMaven : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 1:41:00 PM EST
 

UA...We also went to Sienna and Fiesole which is on a hill above Florence (great view of the city). Our daughter spent a lot of her time in Italy hiking Cinqa Terra and visiting other cities. She liked Venice. She loved Italy, and since she has long, dark curly hair, people often thought that she was Italian. My friend who is a Spanish teacher has been to Mexico several times . She likes the all inclusive resorts and says that they are a good value.
Permalink posted by Anonymous Susanlynn♥ : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 2:07:00 PM EST
 

Vivi, Purple Lips is trying to hard to become the Helena Cassadine of Mexico!


Permalink posted by Blogger Steve Boudreaux : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 2:12:00 PM EST
 

Thanks UA for all your hard work and amazing recap. Beautifully done--as usual.

Thanks Vivi for the details from the third ep. Really tired of Uni editing TN eps. I really wish they'd stop.

Thanks Nandicta for the vocab lesson.

OT: my sister and brother-in-law took their first trip to Europe last summer. They visited London, Paris, Geneva, Monte Carlo, Rome, Venice and Florence. Their fav was Florence. They said it was beyond amazing.

Nanette
Permalink posted by Blogger Nanette : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 2:43:00 PM EST
 


Well, it looks like Uni is trying to catch up to the Mexican broadcast of PyP,according to this short article: http://www.radioformula.com.mx/notas.asp?Idn=561598&idFC=2016. It also mentions that the US broadcasting rules (of TNs I'm assuming) have changed, that if a show doesn't gather up momentum in the ratings within 4 months, it gets off the air.

I didn't give this much credence when I read it yesterday, until I discovered from today's comments that you guys got a triple bill of PyP, squeezed into two hours. If Uni continues airing a 3-episode mashup until the end of next week, then by the time "El Hotel de Los Secretos" premieres on January 25, PyP would've reached Capítulo 74; that's a mere 7 episodes behind the Mexican broadcast. The question then becomes whether they'll air the full episodes from that date onwards or whether they will edit them brutally to wrap up PyP as quickly as possible.

I am only able to watch PyP online and the episodes I watch are the ones that aired in Mexico but I follow your US broadcast so we can watch this "together". With such heavy editing, I will have to be extra careful and ensure I'm commenting on what you guys are watching. Moreover, I'm really disappointed that a decent show with an excellent cast and brilliant acting is getting butchered when inane torturous drivel like "Corazón Indomable" gets excellent ratings both in Mexico and the US.

Granted, the writing on PyP could be better but it's fairly satisfactory and I'm truly entertained and captivated by every single character (OK maybe not by Justino and Luisita but their acting is Oscar-worthy compared to some TN nonsense I've witnessed before). I love that the characters are flawed and I love that I don't have the slightest clue where this show is going or how it might end. Ratings are never indicative of the quality of a show. I adored "Pasión" and from what I read in Caray Caray, you guys loved it and raved about it so much, yet it was a failure in Mexico. The ratings were low, the audience hated the FC-SG pairing, they found the story boring (go figure!) and they thought the villains were lame (Lafont maybe one of the greatest, scariest, most nuanced villains I have ever watched in my life, all genres included. He gradually took center-stage when he had started the story as one of the villain's minions). I haven't watched "Yo No Creo En Los Hombres" but I read so much praise here and elsewhere, still that show did not have good ratings when it aired in Mexico and Uni hesitated a long time before deciding to air it in the US.

Anyway, sorry for the long aside but I'm disappointed and I'm dreading that we might be deprived of a good story just because the masses like pantomime villains and dumb one-dimensional protagonists. :(
Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 4:07:00 PM EST
 


-- Susanlynn: **OT**
Looks like we've been to the same places! I did an extended tour of Tuscany 3 years ago. Went to Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Siena and Empoli. They're all gorgeous places and the most grandiose is Florence but my favorite was Siena. I didn't get a chance to go to the Accademia in Florence though because I was only there for 5 days and had to make choices. I preferred to spend a whole day at the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens (the weather was too lovely that day to be stuck in queues), where there was a bronze replica of David; so that was the compromise! During the same trip, I went to Cinque Terre (which is technically in Liguria)and hiked through the 5 villages, then by the time I got to the piazza of the final village, I bought a gelato and sat on the ground in the middle of the piazza for a good hour, waiting for the throbbing in my battered feet to stop! :)

-- Nanette: You're welcome, dear. My pleasure :)
Hope you get a chance to go on a similarly enviable European tour. I've never been to Monte Carlo, Geneva or Venice but I hear great things!
Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 4:23:00 PM EST
 

OT..Nandicta..I am sorry that you missed David. After seeing him in art books for years, I had no idea how big the statue is and how high the base is. You look up at him. He is magnificent. Our hotel was a block away from the square where the relica of David statue is. We ate at an outside cafe there the first night. I had to pinch myself.
Permalink posted by Anonymous ♥Susanlynn : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 4:39:00 PM EST
 

Urban, thanks. Yikes, I didn't realize Univision was going to double up (triple up?) on the episodes for awhile.

Vivi, thanks for the additions.

I feel sorry for Art. His family is a mess and he's 50 percent to blame. Erick is a spoiled man-child and Art should've realized that fact at least by the time said man-child started "working" for the family empire. Art made a mistake eons ago, but he doesn't seem a natural cheater like his son Erick so I'm thinking there were extenuating circumstances (but still no excuse) back then.

Ha-ha. Erick got a beatdown for bragging about his shirt. I liked that shirt, but I don't think the blood stains will be washing out.

David was wrong though to shove Erick when the family caught the runaway. I don't blame Regina for being ticked about that. Hombre, stay out of other family's business. That was a wrenching moment between father and boy and you should've walked away (like Julia did when Art was on the phone with Nina).

Franco is so pleased with himself. His enthusiasm is so cute. Too bad he's evil. How soon before his bubble bursts?

Julia looked fab in her bikini. You go girl! Even though Julia and Eladio seem to agree he raped her on the wedding night, there must be extenuating circumstances (BUT NO EXCUSE) to that too. Otherwise, I don't think she'd keep return to considering staying with him.
Permalink posted by Blogger Niecie in MD : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 5:08:00 PM EST
 

Cynderella--Before the time slides into tonight's episode, I want to thank you for Monday's recap. It's a shame you had to deal with random spoilers and negative comments. This is probably what Jane and Kat were talking about. Having to be vigilant all day long is sapping. Since I came to it so late (today), they were not there for me to get angry with. Kudos.

Now, on to last night's 2-hr long episode. UA-Sorry you and the other recappers have such long episodes to recap, but I personally love watching the long episodes. I remember Preciosa Perla--and when I started recapping it seriously, I was doing the 2-hour episodes daily. My writing hand seemed to have a permanent crimp in it. I held a pen in my dreams, but watching was effortless.
Permalink posted by Blogger Anita : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 5:16:00 PM EST
 


-- Susanlynn: **OT**
It was a shame but I'll get a chance to head that way again some time soon. I went back to Italy (Rome this time) a year and a half ago and I'm planning to go back to Tuscany in April - May of next year (revisit Florence and Siena and try San Gimignano, Volterra, Livorno and the island of Elba). Being so geographically close to Europe and having a large choice of low-cost carriers is a blessing because I can go anywhere in the Old Continent on a whim, I just gotta make up the time. For you guys in North America it is more costly and onerous to travel all the way to this side of the world, that's why you and the Antipodeans are the best and most meticulous travel planners there is! You know how to make the most of your European adventures! :)
Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 5:17:00 PM EST
 

UA,

first of all, in all seriousness, my heartfelt thanks for presenting us with such an entertaining and thorough depiction of last night's events. What a labor of love it was demonstrating your sincere desire to present us with the very best. You must be exhausted after providing this mammoth effort immediately after your beautifully rendered recap the gran final of YNCELH.

Vivi,

many thanks as well to you for your excellent part in bringing us last night's events. I've said this before, you're a peach.

UA,

"Finally, there is Arturo and I'm tired of the negative comments about him."

Not to worry, I've seen the light. Clearly Arturo is the victim here. He finds the love of his life and is all set to marry and then he has a little uncommitted sport-sex and the careless girl neglects contraception trapping him with an unintended off-spring and ensnaring him into an undesired marriage. She then has the temerity to die leaving behind the inconvenient unpleasant boy, Miguel. Poor baby, then the thankless impetuous Julia marries his rival out of spite leaving him to look for comfort in the evil conniving narcissistic Ernestina who promptly aggressively involves him in no doubt perverted kinky sex which saddles him with the obligation of three more greedy hungry mouths to feed. Worst of all she deviously dares to remain a compliant faithful adoring spouse for 25 or so years thus depriving him of his one true love. Who can now fault him for finally deciding to attempt to recover the happiness he deserves? And to gently spare her unnecessary grief of knowing about another woman, he points out to her her many shortcomings that have brought them to this point. Man, I love this guy.

Carlos
Permalink posted by Blogger Carlos : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 5:36:00 PM EST
 

Nandicta OT: One of my dreams is to visit Europe. I won't go every place my sister went--I'm more of an Anglophile and will spend more time in England than she did, also don't really have a desire to visit Geneva or Monte Carlo. I want to visit Greece, but really want to go to Italy--Tuscany in particular. My plan would be to spend most of my time in England and Italy.
Permalink posted by Blogger Nanette : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 5:38:00 PM EST
 

Urban---You are absolutely amazing, I don't know how you do it. You gave us so much detail and it was a double episode to boot. Now I am reading that it was actually three episodes. Damn Univision!!! Why do they almost always cut up novelas toward the end just to start another one a few days earlier makes no sense to me. Well they are counting the money, I'm not but it is so disturbing. I'm going to blast them on Univision Corporate for doing that.

No one has mentioned it but I think that SG's portrayal of troubled, confused and anguished Julia was Oscar worthy last night.

Erick the angelic rat -- angelic in Nina's eyes and a rat in Consuelo's eyes -- wound up in jail last night and in no time was introduced to a good beat down. Good move chimp boy by telling your cell mates how high you are and how low they are. And Arturo was going to let you run the company when he retired. QUE?

All of the yelling in the resort and none of the guests complained?

No big deal but I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that big ugly square watch that Eladio wears.

I really missed Gisela's doo-rag last night. She looks like I don't know what when she wears it---but I love her in it. An old street urchin?

People are allowed to stare you down when you are giving a statement to the police in a possible murder case? Is this the way it's done in Mexico or is it just novela baloney?

Nandicta---I was thinking about one of your earlier statements about Marlene Favela's great beauty last night. Nina looked stunningly beautiful in that dark blue dress and wearing a toned down or a normal shade of lipstick. Now if she could
just get rid of that damn mole right below her lower lip.

Too bad Francisco didn't give piss-ant errand boy Franco more of a beat down last night. Young punk Franco in a high end suit is nothing but a Jr. Eladio in training.

must see tv
the gringo





Permalink posted by Anonymous gringo : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 5:40:00 PM EST
 

Carlos: Your description of Art cracked me up! So true. Every word.
Permalink posted by Blogger Nanette : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 5:41:00 PM EST
 

Flaco was telling me about this TN from the 90s that had a pirate who was in love with a rich girl and when he went away pirating, the rich girl married someone else, so he married the rich girl’s sister then began to fall in love with her. He was thinking that might happen in PyP with Julia gradually falling for Eladio. I thought the TN sounded awesome. He couldn’t remember the name and had to look it up. Turns out it’s CS ’93 that everyone here raves about.
Permalink posted by Blogger Nanette : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:00:00 PM EST
 


-- Nanette: I hope you get to go on your dream trip soon and I'll be happy to provide tips and recommendations if I can. I lived in London for a year and a half and in Scotland for 3 years, so I'm volunteering my brain to be picked by you when the time comes. :)

-- Carlos: And THAT's why we need to lure you back into recapping again! You hit the nail on the head, with surgical precision and your unequaled flair for repartee. Bravissimo! Well done, Doc! :D

-- Gringo: SG was fantastic in that scene and so was JS. Great acting by both. As for Nina, she did look beautiful with that coral(?) shade of lipstick, but please refrain from dissing the mole. I have a similar one in the same spot (maybe a couple of millimeters higher) and your comment hurt my mole's feelings! :p
Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:04:00 PM EST
 

Jr Eladio in training... so on point. Erick should take after his father but with a mostly absent father and an overly-indulgent mother he became the worst he could be.

I figured out when I was on the subway that the 3-episodes into 2 doesn't lose that much when you calculate this:

43:20 average full episode run time
2:45 average runtime for the opening and closing music.
2:30 average runtime of refritos (this series so far)

Subtract 10:30 from the total of 130 minutes for 3 episodes, then edit out 25 minutes from the total for the average number of non-program minutes per hour and we're losing about 8:20 from each episode (on average). Not as bad as MIVAC, but annoying to the recap team. When I think of the 1.5 episodes per night we got for more than the first half of QBA I cringe only because while they didn't edit out very much (only the equivalent of one episode for the whole series) one of the scenes contained a key piece of information. Since then that is always my fear when Univision does this.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:08:00 PM EST
 


-- UA: It's not only the risk that they might inadvertently cut out a crucial piece of information that's daunting but also the fact that they cram so many key scenes together, making it virtually impossible for recappers to gloss over anything. They compel you to go into detail for an increased number of scenes so it feels like you're recapping 4 episodes' worth of events in one go. Best of luck to all our PyP recappers!
Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:22:00 PM EST
 

Carlos...Don't forget Art's poor fashion choices. Let's blame that on ErnestNINA , too. I don't like any of these people.


Permalink posted by Anonymous ♥Susanlynn : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:23:00 PM EST
 

OT....Nandicta..re Michelangelo's David. One of the best birthday gifts I have ever received is a magnet of David complete with a wardrobe (Bermuda shirts, jeans, motorcycle jacket, pullover sweater, tee-shirt) that my older daughter gave me. He is on my frig, and I change his clothes seasonally.
Permalink posted by Anonymous ♥Susanlynn : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:28:00 PM EST
 


-- Susanlynn: **OT** That's artsy and humorous! I'll be sure to look it up and buy one for myself next time I go to Florence. Cheers for the idea :)
Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:32:00 PM EST
 

Nandicta...I would like to go to Scotland, Ireland, and England. My paternal grandfather was from England and had a very unusual old name..originally Norse. My older daughter had an unusual reaction to London. She lived and worked in New York City for several years, but she said that she thought London was scary.
Permalink posted by Anonymous ♥Susanlynn : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:34:00 PM EST
 

QBA had limited commercials which was great on nights that one wasn't recapping but exhausting on one's "worknight".

What I'm learning from this series is that the chopped-up scenes that we normally get now are often done that way specifically to point to similar or contrasting character traits. That was most obvious with Eladio / Franco last night, especially when they also put Franco in a scene with the nice but non-alpha Francisco.
Permalink posted by Blogger Urban Anthropologist : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:35:00 PM EST
 

Nandicta..I think that she bought David at a museum gift shop in NYC. I bet that you could find it online.
Permalink posted by Anonymous ♥Susanlynn : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:38:00 PM EST
 

Nandicta: OT: Thanks. Between you and my sister, I'm sure I'd get the best ideas for a memorable trip. If I could afford two European trips, the other one would be a British Isles one. I'd love to visit Scotland, Ireland and Wales as well as England.

Susanlynn: My sister said that people in London were ruder than those in Paris--and we know how much the French hate us! ;)
Permalink posted by Blogger Nanette : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:41:00 PM EST
 

Gringo: I'd bet Eladio got that watch at 7-11. Or no, maybe ebarf. I saw one like it for $6.99 with free shipping the other night.
Permalink posted by Anonymous Kirbo : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6:58:00 PM EST
 


-- Susanlynn and Nanette: **OT** I prefer, enjoy and feel safer in London compared to Paris, even though I visited the latter at least 30 times in the past 16 years. I think everyone's experience of traveling and/or living abroad depends on their cultural familiarity with and degree of personal adjustment to a new place. I've only seen NYC (and other North American metropolises) on TV and as fascinating and beautiful as it looks, I've always found it a tad intimidating. I think it must be the buildings and the sheer volume of people that are zooming past each other in the streets.
I remember the first time my Dad phoned us during his first trip to the US about 4 years ago (He went to NYC, Washington DC and Virginia), he was excited and awestruck: "It's huge! The buildings, the roads, the airports, the cars, the shops... everything is huge and everything moves so fast!" He was impressed and intimidated at the same time! In our country and in neighboring Europe, everything is scaled back and more laid back, I guess because the infrastructure and the amenities don't have to cater to populations as big as the ones in the US and North America.

Though I prefer smaller cities, I personally liked living in London. Always felt safe and at ease, even after moving from a leafy, affluent neighborhood in Central London to one of North London's roughest neighborhoods, I still felt safe. It was a bit of a cultural shock at first, my new neighborhood was dirtier, more dilapidated, dodgier and seemed down right scary when I was moving my stuff at night but with a few adjustments, I felt right at home and even enjoyed the perks: there is more of a community feel, the local shop owners are friendlier and everything is cheaper in a "rough" neighborhood. Besides, the furrowed brows and quizzical looks I got when I mentioned the location of my new dwellings were always a hoot: "You moved where?" :D



Permalink posted by Blogger Nandicta : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 7:57:00 PM EST
 

Post a Comment



<< Home

Newer›  ‹Older

© Caray, Caray! 2006-2022. Duplication of this material for use on any other site is strictly prohibited.

Protected by Copyscape Online Plagiarism Finder