Thursday, November 09, 2017

Caer en Tentación #17, 11/8/17: The Problem Is More Than Jobs and Money; It’s Also Cheating and Lies


Three years ago, at Santi's house, Lola walks in on Carolina and Damián arguing about Cheatin’ Dam “cheating” on Cheatin’ Caro with his own wife. Lola wants to know what’s going on and Dam, the professional liar, covers quickly. He tells her they were discussing the possibility of Lola working part time at the company office and was just trying to persuade her, knowing how Caro feels about Lola finishing school first. Lola thinks this is a great idea and Dam washes his hands and tells them to work it out. Lola says she can talk to her dad, then leaves the room.
 
Now Dam leans toward Caro and wants to talk. Caro wants him to leave—sarcasm dripping from her cheatin’ lips—now that he and his wife are getting along, go enjoy her. She asks him rather unconvincingly to leave her in peace and escapes to her bedroom to think, pace and reflect. He leaves and has to call Raquel to tell her the two-family brunch is off. He has an emergency to deal with back at the factory.

Lola comes into Caro’s bedroom and wonders if there’s anything else wrong. Caro asks, “Like what?” Lola says, “You tell me.”
 
Dam and Raq are getting ready for bed. Dam is explaining the emergency had to do with his mother doing some things he didn’t like. Raq bristles at the mention of Dam’s mother (the saintly Miriam). Raquel wonders why his mother has any say at all in running the business. Wasn’t it Dam who put the business back on its feet when his father ran it into bankruptcy? Dam cuts her short. Any problems with his mother are his to solve. Raq decides this is the perfect time to discuss family finances. She wants to know exactly where she stands. What exactly is she to him? Dam says he hasn’t involved her because he doesn’t want her and his mother to fight. Oh, Raquel sees clearly now, she’s just left on the margin, a bed partner, baby incubator, a piece of furniture? She wants to know their economic status, something about their finances, in case—she knocks on wood—he were to have an accident. Dam doesn’t answer, but is visibly annoyed. He pulls the covers up and scoots down in bed. Raq is verbally annoyed. She gets into her side of the bed and turns off the light, facing away from him. Dam turns out the light, arranges his pillows and faces away from her. No snuggling tonight and definitely no sex.
 
Next morning, Mia is welcomed back to her old school. Raq has accompanied her. While the counselor steps away for some papers that need to be signed, Mia wants to know what she and her dad were arguing about. Mia wants to know if the two are going to separate. Before Raq has time to give her a real explanation, Fede comes to get Mia for class.  Raquel immediately calls Carolina. The convo goes such that Caro is sure she and Dam, the cheatin’ duo, have been found out. She agrees to meet Raq at the banquet office so no one will know.
 
Carolina lies to Santi saying the phone call was to Lisa who wasn’t answering. He volunteers to take her to Lisa's, but she declines. He sees she’s distant, nervous and wants to help her. Caro admits it’s her fault, but it’s all going to change. Santi wants her to keep in mind he loves her and will always be here for her. He sends her away with a kiss and a hug, which she accepts perfunctorily.
 
There’s a three-way going on in the company offices, but officially there are only two playing the game. Dam and his mother are arguing about who he hired to do the repairs on the filtration systems and other renovations. Dam holds firm. He makes the decisions here. If they don’t like it, he’ll resign. Mama backs down, but clearly is unhappy doing so. Andrés, meanwhile, has been fuming inwardly at being treated as a subordinate to Damián, which Dam reminds him he is.
 
Nico runs into Mia and Fede outside the school. He lets them know he saw they were the culprits who smashed the windows on Joaquín’s dad’s car. He’s disappointed they didn’t trust him and left him out. He walks away. Fede thinks he has a point, but Mia shuts him down. There are certain things that are only between siblings.
 
Caro reaches the banquet office, full of trepidation and fear, not really wanting to face the showdown. Without changing her demeanor, she approaches Raq, who says that for all the reasons in the world, this catering business has to succeed. It’s all about financial independence, she says. She thinks it’s unjust for men to shut them out and ignore women when it comes to finances. Caro smiles, relieved to be able to live another day and becomes quite animated. She assures Raq that their business will be successful. Then she asks Raq if she was able to resolve that little problem of the advance, to which Raq assures her she did. They agree to a pact and Caro says she’ll never abandon Raq. Raq gets a phone call about a crisis with her sister. Sister? Caro didn’t know Raq had a sister and wants to know more. Raq says she’ll fill her in later—Dam has a problem with her, but now she has to hurry. They hug goodbye.
 
Dam assures Santi at the office the job is his. There’ll be no more problems with Andrés. Santi thanks him for all he’s done and is doing for his family.
 

Santi is still begging Lola, demanding she tell him what went on, whatever it was that Antonio was hinting at. She insists nothing happened and to believe her. This is repeated several times. They hug and she leaves for work.

 
Raquel calls Santi. She’s at the hospital, sitting next to Damián. She tells Santi she needs to see him. She explains, as she leans closer to Dam, that not only did Dam cheat on her, but he left her in his mother’s hands, with no recourse to recuperate what’s hers. She tells Santi she wants both of them to hear what she has to say, telling the prostrate Dam that he continues to harm her.
 
Nando is interrogating Lisa. Yes, she has a son. He’s in school. She insists Vicente knows more than she does about Caro and she doesn’t know if Vic knew whether Caro had a lover. When Nando asks if she knew about a lover, Lisa denies any knowledge. Ditto when he inquires about gossip or whether she had any enemies, all of which Nando takes with a grain of salt. Lisa does finally cough up a nugget of valuable information. About 2 ½ or 3 years ago, she went to see a local nurse who was known to perform abortions.
 
Santi comes into the ICU. Raquel is still sitting next to Dam’s bed. They are both in scrubs. She takes Santi’s hand and brings him closer. She seems to be in a trance. She wants the three of them to have a “talk.” She wants Dam to know how he hurt Santi, how he destroyed him, how he destroyed two families. She addresses Santi. Did he know that Dam’s mother took everything away from them, while Dam bought a cottage for himself and Carolina? To Damian she says, “You don’t know how much I hate you.” She repeats this, zombie-like, until Santi pulls her away and into him, one arm holding her close. She’s shaking with wrath. He holds her tight and as she puts her arm around his waist, the two become one blue blur.
 
Lola runs into Andrés in the hall of the factory offices. He fires her. He gloats that Dam isn’t there to defend her.
 
Standing outside the ICU, Raq tells Santi she has nothing left to her name. Santi assures her she has him. Raq reminds him this is about money. He insists he can help, if she’ll let him. They’re in this together and he tells her they’ll fight for what’s hers, legally. She fears it will be difficult. They hug each other, unafraid of having those undercurrents of emotion they have for each other surface at an inopportune time.
 
Lola is standing outside the factory doors when Fede comes along. When he finds out what Andrés did, he marches in to fix things—and Lola ought to know he can.
 
Lisa and Nando go see the nurse and after assuring her there won’t be any repercussions if she cooperates, she admits Caro came to her for an abortion, but at the last minute changed her mind and didn’t go through with it.
 
Fede confronts his grandmother. She assures him he and his sister won’t lack for anything. Fede says that has to include his mother. Andrés hears the dust-up and Fede lights into him, too, harassing young girls, then firing them, like he did to Lola. The look on Miriam’s face indicates either she didn’t know of Andrés’ proclivities or was shocked Fede knew about such things.
 
Lola arrives home and tells Santi she was fired. Raq, who was there, steps up and tells them that woman wants to ruin both families.
 
When Nando tells Antonio about the near-abortion, Tonio wants to dismiss it as irrelevant information. Nando begs to differ. The age of the child correlates with her visit to the nurse and she was accompanied by Damián. Tonio doesn’t want this discussed any further. Nando insists that, if the child is Dam’s, shouldn’t Santi be told? And, if he already knew, wouldn’t that be the motive they’ve been looking for? Besides, the judge will no doubt ask for a test.
 
Lola doesn’t know why she was fired, but Santi thinks it was a blessing in disguise. Raq assumes the fault for this and everything else. Santi takes charge: No, it’s not Raq’s fault; Lola doesn’t HAVE to work; His work is going well; Everything is going to be all right. Nando calls Santi interrupting the flow. Raq and Lola seem to disappear as Santi asks him please can they talk some other time.
 
The factory confrontation continues. Miriam says they’ll of course investigate the harassment allegations, but she’s the one that ordered Lola’s dismissal. Can’t Fede see that all their problems have been caused by that family? Fede doesn’t buy that, especially about Lola. He declares he’s going to start working there—no, not to maintain his mother, but to take charge of what belongs to them, the part belonging to his father.
 
Laura is lying in wait for Juan. She wants to talk to him. She’s a reporter investigating the death of Carolina Rivas. He’s seeing her daughter, correct? Juan says that’s in the past. He starts to walk away when Laura mentions Patricia, Lola’s dead friend. He whirls around to face her and returns.
 
Mike cuts a check for Caro for the reception they catered for him. Caro ruins the moment and for any potential new clients by telling him she never wants to see him again and he’s never to come near her daughter again. She knows what he did and reminds him Lola is a minor. She threatens him that if he ever lays eyes on her, he has no idea the lengths she’ll go to for her daughter. She leaves and Mike immediately calls Andrés to let him know that Caro came for the check for the money they lent them. Andrés says it’s ok, he’s stopped payment on it. Mike tells him that’s not the point. She threatened him. He’s backing out of any deals. Andrés calms him. Caro can’t do anything more than threaten. Then he asks about the check they gave Raquel. Mike check a ledger and sees it was handed over to a rehab clinic. Andrés takes down the name of the clinic.
 
Raquel is at the bedside of her catatonic Sissy. Raq wants her to be happy, get well, etc., etc., then she mumbles almost inaudibly to please forgive her (for interning her or dun-de-dum-dum, something else).
 
Nico and Fede are arguing together about betrayals or non-betrayals when they run into Mia coming up the stairs at school. She wants to talk to Nico but his pride won’t let him. She moves past them. Fede urges Nico to lose his pride and go after her. They halt together, then she reaches up and kisses him. He starts to get into it, but she ends it. That was for protecting her and to ask his forgiveness, she explains. Only that, he asks? Yes, and she walks away. A wee smile appears on Nico’s face.
 
Santi finds a snag in the repair work that will have to wait for Damián. Santi is discussing it with his crew when Lola appears. Obvio, she didn’t discuss taking the job with Santi ahead of time. He gets pretty steamed up about it, but nothing seems to have been resolved.
 
Last scene—Carolina, Damian and the Bed the Lying Cheaters Lie in (lying as in fibs and lie as in stretch out to do the horizontal mambo interruptus) and the one Raquel may or may not want to lie in later.
 
How the stars misaligned.
 
1. Caro comes to Raq and Dam’s house looking for Raquel. Jovita lets her in. She asks to use the bathroom and just happens to be directed upstairs to the one in milady’s bedroom, as the guest bathroom is under renovation.
 
2. Dam just happened to come home in the middle of the day and enters the bedroom.
 
3. Raquel returns home and Jovita tells her Caro has come to see her, but is still upstairs. Raq just happens to head up the stairs.
 
Backing up a bit to follow the action, Caro enters the inner sanctum where Dam and Raq had made passionate love just two days ago. Is her fragrance still hanging low? Is his scent still perceptible? Dam walks in to find Caro in the bedroom looking here and there. Dam finally gets the opportunity to continue their unfinished conversation. He says, “It’s absurd that you question that I would sleep with her. Don’t you sleep with Santiago?” “Yes, it is absurd to question.” “Well, answer me. Don’t you have relations with your husband?” “No, not any more and you know why.” That’s it. No need for any more conversation. He puts his hands on her and he starts his pleading--he's crazy about her, can't live without her. She responds. She stops long enough to say this is wrong. He repeats it, then they go back to mouth sucking.
 
He takes her and lifts her up onto the bed. There is contact. An earring is dislodged and rolls onto the carpet. Things are getting to the point of no return. Raquel takes a call from Gabriela as she comes down the hall, approaching her bedroom.
 
The two miscreants hear her voice, stop, frozen en delicto, followed by panic. Re-energized, they pull apart----as Raquel hangs up on Gabriela, stops at the door, puts her hand on the door handle and opens it.
To Be Continued---
 
 
 

 

Labels:


Comments:
Anita: Not even Dirty Harry Callahan or Perry Mason can figure this murder mystery out.
 

Anita, simply superb.

I had to pare down my list of favorites to "Cheatin’ Dam “cheating” on Cheatin’ Caro with his own wife" and "There’s a three-way going on in the company offices, but officially there are only two playing the game". Excellent.

Work and finances (lack of understanding and lack of) seemed to be central themes last night.

Caro seems to have long felt that Santi is responsible for keeping her house bound when she wanted to work and flourish outside the home. Yet, Damian has manipulated her as well, albeit in a far more cunning and devious manner. The painful truth is that Caro is weak. Too weak to stand up to her husband and too weak to break off with her controlling lover. I see Caro's weakness as being her fatal flaw.

It appears she is not alone as (surprisingly) Raquel also allowed herself to be excluded from any financial information or input. She asked questions but far too late.

"Lola doesn’t HAVE to work". Santi, have you learned nothing?? Fede is going to work. Normally, I would applaud but I fear for his safety. As I do Lola's...

Mike, Andres, Miriam, Vincente, Laura, etc. The viper's nest is getting crowded.

I can't recall illicit lovers who have had so many narrow escapes from discovery. But the tryst we saw was beyond ill advised in both timing and location.

Anita, thank you, thank you!

Diana
 

Thanks Anita!!!

I'm hoping Santi's comment about Lola not needing to work is because he wants her to concentrate on college. Is she in college?! Ack I don't know. Shouldn't all of the kids be in college right now?

I hope Dam doesn't die and wakes up so he can try to redeem a tiny bit by fixing things for Raq financially. And putting Andres and Mimi in their place.

How many episodes is this supposed to be? I'm starting to get bored with Raq and Santi missing the signs--for 3 years?! Aye
 

Carvivlie-- I believe there'll be a total of 90 episodes but if Uni starts cutting then it'll be somewhat less.

I'm predicting Damian to go into villain mode if/when he wakes up. He'll probably wanna crawl back to Raq and manipulate her into forgiving him when he finds out Caro is dead.

We have another plot earring! If Raq isn't the one to find the earring, I'm betting Jovita finds it.

Damian is probably thanking his lucky stars that he hasn't been caught yet. And to think Santiago considers him a friend. Some friend he is.


 

Anita - Thank you for the recap posted in early morning hours. Cox in my geographic area had no Spanish caps last night so I was challenged more than usually with the dialogue.
I guess the biggest surprise for me was the section you related between Nando (Godoy)/Lisa and nurse and subsequent convo Nando had with his boss Antonio - RE: the abortion that never happened for Carolina 3 years ago. I'm confused. If Carolina had a child (and Nando is convinced that Damian could be the father), then the child is Benjii???
Help!

 

Thanks TF! I hope Damian isn't in a coma for the next 70 episodes.
 

Anon 12:56: I think all signs are pointing to Benjamin being Damian's son. The most obvious clue is that Benjamin is blonde. It's pretty obvious why Caro wanted to get an abortion but the real question is why did she change her mind if Benjamin is Damian's.
 

Thanks, Anita. Cheatin’ Dam “cheating” on Cheatin’ Caro with his own wife - teeheehee! Loved your whole rundown of ”How the stars misaligned.”

Let’s face it, Dam loves the thrill of the risk. Hombre, in your own marriage bed while Jovita the maid is home?

An earring is dislodged and rolls onto the carpet. Plot earring makes its grand entrance. Will it wind up jamming Jovita’s vacuum?

“The painful truth is that Caro is weak. Too weak to stand up to her husband and too weak to break off with her controlling lover.”

Diana, I’ve been sympathetic toward Caro because she’s never stepped out of bounds before and it’s a shame she died hurting and humiliating her family, after her first two decades of good mothering. But, yes, she’s weak. The fault is not all Dam’s and Santi’s.

What a jerk Dam was to let Santi father (I presume) Dam’s baby.
 

Gracias, Anita. That ending is about the closest call I've ever seen in one of these.

TF, if Carolina had gone through with the abortion that loses a line of investigation. The pregnancy she had at the time of her death was attributed to Santiago so to balance it out there is the possibility that Benjamin is Damian's offspring. If he is that could go in any number of directions including -- but not limited to -- Miriam attempting to get custody just to make Santiago's life miserable.

Since there have been past novelas which had faked paternity results, that is also possible, just as the possibility that Santiago was lied to about the pregnancy discovered in the autopsy.
 

Niecie, "Dam loves the thrill of the risk" nailed it perfectly!

I have always felt that Damian preyed upon Caro. He ensnared her like a spider in a web and toyed with her from that time forward.

I truly feel sorry for her. Cheating did not merit being hunted, shot to death and buried in a shallow grave.

If only she had been stronger. To stand up for herself, to resist. Where was the fire she showed when she warned Mike away from Lola??

So far, I don't believe we've seen her to anything to incur the wrath Vincente has for her. Perhaps I'm being gullible but I think all this was new to her and she was hypnotized by Damian and became oblivious to everything (and everyone) but him.

Diana
 

So nice to see so many detectives at work today. Thanks, all, for the comments. I was so tempted to add some little asides to the recap, but it was ANOTHER intense episode, as only GG & Co. can craft (ok, so it's based on an Argentine tn first). But you have to admit, this one is up there with Mujeres de Negro and Hotel de los Secretos for mystery and hidden motives.

Speaking of events three years ago--while Caro & Dam were still at the cabana day before yesterday, Caro certainly had the right to suspect this was not Dam's first outing into the world of adultery (stick a pin in Gabriela). It may or may not have been. He's a good liar and maybe, as Niecie said, "Dam loves the thrill of the risk."

Maybe he'd run out of risky things to do and was bored. He's a guy who never had to suffer hardship (as the bankruptcy came when he was already an adult). Things just came easy to him, including a beautiful wife and NO passel of kids running around the house. He doesn't have siblings and never learned to share. The only albatross around his neck is Andres and he is safely in a subordinate position. So far he has been able to keep his mother under control.

Too bad he's now in an "unenviable" position not to see what his risky business has engendered.

About Benji, perhaps the decision not to abort was that Dam and Caro were in too happy a place when the procedure was necessary. They probably decided this was going to be their secret. If Caro has been telling the truth and is/was no longer having sex with Santi, there would have been no need to get a DNA test to see who the putative father was. Geesh, that sends us off on another tangent. Either Caro and Santi resumed having relations or Santi has known all along Benji isn't his. Yes, a powerful motive to silence a scandal--but why wait three years? Therein lies another mystery. We've seen him once or twice with Benji and he's very loving and mindful of him, so did he make peace with this son?

I wonder if we will ever get a timeline that finally intersects and we get to see the pregnancy and how Caro treats Benji--and if Dam ever took any pride in him.

The only aside I slipped in was Raq asking a catatonic Sissy to forgive her. Has our pure and sainted Raquel (at least three years ago) no vices or flaws? So, is she the ONLY one in our quadrangle that ISN'T hiding something? Food for thought.

And what about Gabriela, did she manage to break off a relationship with Dam with no consequences? Raq certainly seems oblivious to a lot of things going on around her, including Mia and her problems. This seems to be playing out along parallel lines with Caro. She believes and trusts in the couple's friendship. Is she so goodhearted or merely naïve?
 

....In the last sentence "she" refers to Raq, not Caro. Sorry.
 

Loved your description of the last scene. 😎
 

Carvivlie--All four teenagers seem to be stuck in the college track high school, or la prepa, as they call it in Mexico. This is a career track to college and a professional degree.

We guessed that three years ago they were all about 16, with Nico older than Lola and the Becker twins the same age as Nico. It hasn't been clear if Nico really is older than Lola, but regardless, only by a minimum of 10 months either way. My two kids were 19 mos. apart and my daughter the second born. She caught up very quickly to her brother and I felt I was raising twins. That may be how Caro approached child rearing, too--IMHO. They should all be 19 or close to it in the Epoca Actual. Why they are still in school is probably just a necessary plot point.
 

Diana -- you said, "Cheating did not merit being hunted, shot to death and buried in a shallow grave." No, not really, but we do not yet know the extent of her mis-deeds, sins or how to hide them. The more I see of Carolina, the more I see her digging herself deeper into a hole (not her grave) she can't get out of without a greater commitment to fatal errors. I think deciding to proceed with Benji's birth is one of them, regardless of how one feels about the sanctity of life. I wonder how much of Damian's influence went into her decision not to terminate.
 

Urban--"...the possibility that Santiago was lied to about the pregnancy discovered in the autopsy." Although I think this is a remote possibility, since it was officially conducted, I DO see your point.

When those results came in, the guy had them and we suppose handed them to Antonio (Santi's godfather). I do remember Nando's guilty look, but that may just be a red herring. What we might overlook is that Tonio decided to tell Santi the 8-week fetus was his to save him more pain, but forensic guy knows the truth and it was Nando that delivered the news to Santi.

Now your theory makes more sense. We saw how adamant Tonio was NOT to tell Santi about the near-termination of Benji, again to save Santi more pain--or as he claimed, the information was irrelevant to the investigation. Hmmmmmm.
 

TF.. you say 90 episodes...is that a typical amount!? Thats over >4 months so seems typical.

Anita. You bring up a lot of interesting points/questions

I think having an abortion is still such a HUGE no no in Mexico, that hard to say if that too did not play a (some) role here. Although it seems Dam does not have much of a conscience.

I was so amazed at Dam’s total non engaging, non affirmative, non-interactive expression when Santi eas expressing his gratitude for their friendship etc etc. Wow- hard to believe Santi didnt seem to “get” that.

I suppose we have a lot more interactions yet to experience but from what we so far have witnessed it doesnt seem Caro nor Santi have much to do with Benji at all— i find that quite weird, no matter which truth emerges re;Benji.

Raq has no problem communicating with the comatose -Dam & sister. Of course, she seems to have no problem communicating with anyone!!! Unlike Caro who .......steps up to the plate-finally !!!! with Mike. That exchange was first satisfying interaction ive seen with her.

I dont fully get why Nando is trying to pin this on Santi. I understand it would be nice to wrap up the case but is there some other reason?

I’m getting more used to And less bothered by the back and forth time line but it does make things more confusing than they woukd otherwise be—at times....OR maybe thats the point of it.
 

Thank you Anita.Very good enlightening recap.Now are we to believe That Caro got knockedup 2x by the blond stalion? Benji and the fetus in her dead cold preganant body?But didnt they Do a pt and determind that that fetus was
Belongin to santi? If thats the case I don't think santi would turn away from
Beni.He's been daddy for...what 2,3yrs
?.
I'm glad raq took him in that room and
The 3 of them had a talk. She really
Hates that jerk cheatin hubby of hers.
She should sue his coma ass and have the good judge order the lust shack sold and give the money to her and the kids.
Mimi from middle earth would hate that ,tuff.
I wish he'd wake up. I think he's a coward. People in comas can here but they can't respond. He know he's done
Stepped in it.He not fightin hard enough to come back. He can probably feel the hate. This is one twisted tale. Raq and santi can raise benji to
Gether.And help their kids together.
 

Amotelenovelas: I'd say so. Anywhere between 90 and 120 has been typical lately. I've personally seen a few that were between 150 and 200. And only one that was 300. So I'd say no more than 120-125 episodes is a good number.
 





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