Caray, Caray!

identidad

In a little while, I'll put up a list of some of the events from tonight's episode. It won't be a full recap, just a list to get the conversation started.
 

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Here are some events from tonight's episode. Please add and correct.

Joselito has been arrested after the bloodly shootout at Babel. He asks to call his lawyer. He's told that he can make his call, but the next day he will be transferred to Sonora.

Deivid tells Diego about what happened at Babel.

Marlene calls Isabel to tell her about Babel. Marlene is worried that the police may be coming after Jim, since he was legally responsible for Babel. Isabel says she and Porfirio will come over to Marlene's.

Mateo tells Gavino that the police have arrested José.

Felipa is very upset: her cards are giving her bad news.

José calls Felipa and asks her to call the Costa Ricans and tell them that he needs money and protection. Felipa is worried that Gavino may know she is helping José. José doesn't seem to care at all about her, he just wants her to help him get out of jail.

Jim tells Marlene, Isabel, and Porfi that he doesn't know what to do. He thinks perhaps he should turn himself in. Marlene argues that the police are just looking for someone to blame, and as soon as they find out that he has a record in the US, they'll see him as the perfect person to blame for everything that happened at Babel. Jim seems about to be persuaded by Marlene, but just then the police arrive and arrest him. Marlene keeps arguing with the police that Jim had nothing to do with what happened at Babel.

Nuria comes to some drug dealer to get more meth. No, she has no money, but...Sorry, he says, no money, no drugs. Unless, of course, you want to pay a different way. Pay in money or pay in sex. No, she says, and she leaves. A while later, Erick stops Nuria as she's going up the stairs to her apartment. He pleads for a second chance with her. She turns him down.

The police tell José that he has a visitor, but first they have to turn off the cameras. Then Circe enters. She and he have a long and rather human conversation. He points out to her that behind the seeming monster is someone who always loved her. He tells her that she and he are alike, she is a killer, and she has betrayed people. He warns her that Diego will eventually turn against her, ahd she will wind up suffering because of him just as he (José) suffer because of her. No matter what, she won't be happy. He tells her, "We would have been the perfect couple if Diego had never existed." She reluctantly admits that he may be right. She tells him that if she stays with Diego, it's because he's her only way out of all this.

Mateo tells Gavino that if he wants José's head, he, Mateo, has a plan to deliver it. Gavino should go to his ranch in Sonora. Mateo will get men and arms and bring José to him at the ranch tomorrow night.

Diego is with Circe. He tells her he feels a lot of stress. She wants to help by making love. He isn't eager, and finally can't perform.

Williams, the American cop, goes to see his counterpart in Mexico. He looks at the records the Mexican cop has shown him and notes that the same day the Guevara family died, so too died the brother of Eliseo. The Mexican cop said yes, at first it was thought the brother died in a fire, but no, it turns out he pretended to die in order to escape from Sonora, where he had a problem with the narcos. "What a coincidence," observes Williams, looking at a photo of Diego.

Gavino meets with his men (perhaps his prison buddies?) at the Sonora ranch.

At Ramona's insistence, Mateo calls Porfirio. Ricas answers and talks with him. When Porfirio finally takes the phone, he tells Mateo not to talk to his kids and abruptly hangs up.
 

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Amanda acts bratty to Porfirio and throws in his face his relationship with Paloma. Porfi tells her that her mother and he are going to do what they want with their lives. He says "You're disappointed because we're not perfect. Are you perfect?" "That's different," Amanda says lamely." You're my parents. You should stay together." "No," Porfi replies. "We're flesh and blood. You want us to to live unhappily? That's not the way things are." [Bravo, Porfi!]

Diego and Circe meet with the Colombians. They tell the Colombians that they have a contact in the DEA who will help them get the mercancia back. It will cost a bundle, but Diego and Circe will handle that. What they need from the Colombians are men and a way to transport the mercancia at the border. "And above all," says Diego to JJ, "we need you to be there to supervise the operation personally."
 

"FALSA IDENTIDAD":

Juanita: Thank you for the recap.
 

Identidad

thanks so much Juanita, you are tooo nice!

I think they came up with a plan to get Jim out of town, to a place where he could lawyer up and work out a strategy on his own terms, but before they left he went to the bathroom where we see him toying with his phone and after a long time, when he comes out the police are there, he must have called them, and wow, he ends up in a cell next to Joselito, how symbolic is that of Mexican justice?

yep, Circe calls in a favor from her cop friend and visits Joselito (don't call me that, one more time), that was an intriguing conversation about how similar they are and let us know they grew up together and Circe agrees that maybe if they would've stuck together... but adds before she leaves "would've doesn't exist".

yep, Gavino sprung his prison buddies, he always keeps his word.

Ramona fears something will happen to Mateos which is why she had him make the call to Porfi, to tie up any loose ends.

Diego gets Fer to spill on her new relationship with Salas, he knows the short guy is boring but...

and Diego's deal with Chucho to pay for his education, is that he goes completely straight from now on.

 

Identidad

Thanks, Juanita and Deb. I missed watching a lot of the episode last night.

So Diego couldn't perform with Circe. I guess Circe is in deep denial that he's grown cold toward her.

Still not sure the point of the Nuria storyline. I'm only interested when her mother is around.

Sorry I missed the convo between Joselito and Circe. I always thought those two had great chemistry, despite Circe's disdain for him.

Yikes, Jim is in the cell next to Joselito? Oh Noes!
 

identidad

Thanks, Steve, for your thanks.

Thanks very much, deb and Niecie, for your thanks and your valuable comments. deb, I somehow missed the terms of Diego's deal with Chucho. I like them! I hope he'll stick to them. And thanks for adding valuable details to some of the other items. Ramona really spooks Mateo by insisting that he call Porfirio so as not to leave any loose ends if something happens to him (Mateo). He quite understandably tells her not to jinx him (echar la sal). I wonder whether Mateo will be the next important character to die. Seems quite possible.

Yes, Niecie, Jim is in a cell next to Don'tCallMeJoselito, but apparently the only way DCMJ can see or communicate with him is through a little window with a shutter DCMJ can open and close. When he opens it, all we see is his head. Very strange. DCMJ does a number on Jim, accusing him of being just as guilty as everyone else. It's almost as if Jim dreamed up the whole sequence out of his own guilty feelings. I don't think he did dream it up, but it had a very eerie feel to it.
And yes, I too am mostly bored with Nuria.
 

identidad

Juanita – great job on a complex episode! I’m so impressed by this production, and the tight plotting is part of what I admire, along with the script. Wonderful conversation between Circe and Joselito. Also between Porfirio and his daughter. Great stuff, far superior to what we usually get in telenovelas.

I also admire the photography – often dimly-lit and moody. The ambient green light in the big shoot-out at Babel was very eerie and effective.

And the acting! Terrific all around. I hardly know who to highlight, as every performance is so wonderful.

 

identidad

Juanita, that was way more than just a list! Thanks so much.

I thought last night's episode was just excellent. In fact I didn't delete it after watching as I normally do.

The scene with Circe and Joselito was SO well acted by both. It was touching when he reminded her of how they played together as children, visiting the stable. He said something about being able to make her crack up with laughter. And she appeared to admit that Diego didn't love her the same way Joselito does.

Circe's pet detective was the one who arranged her visit with Joselito.

I think the writers are a bit stuck on the Diego/Circe relationship. After he found out she killed his brother, it would be very icky and take some of the shine off our hero if he coolly bedded her to keep the plot going. But he's risking her getting veeery suspicious by his "non-performance". In any case, even if she believes he doesn't care much about her, she has to stay by his side to get back the drugs and save herself from the Colombians (which isn't happening for sure).

Jim himself called the cops to come and get him. He feels a lot of guilt about looking the other way to get his dream of the dancers and their choreography.
 

identidad

Thanks very much, Maggie and novelera, for your insightful comments.

Maggie, I agree that what we saw in the conversations between Circe and José and between Porfirio and Amanda were leagues ahead of what telenovelas usually present.
Those two scenes stood out for me as I tried to make my list. They threatened to turn my list into a full-fledged recap, but I successfully if somewhat regretfully resisted. I loved both the content and the high level of acting.

novelera, I hadn't realized that Jim called the cops to come get him. I guess it makes sense, given how guilty he feels. And yes, Diego is risking Circe's becoming very suspicious. As I watched the end, with Diego telling JJ that it was especially important that JJ be present to supervise the return of the drugs, I found myself wondering whether Circe was in on the plan. I rather doubt it, though I miss so much of the conversation that I could easily be mistaken. But if she's not in on the plan, I fear that Diego's insistence on JJ's presence may also arouse her suspicions (as well as JJ's, perhaps).
 

FALSA IDENTIDAD – VIERNES

Diego is making his case for the Ibarras to come to the border for the return of the drugs. They fear being so close to the US. Diego: “It’s your stuff. Do you want it or not?”

The surly detective takes Joselito from his cell. He runs the gauntlet of some reporters who accuse him of killing Eliseo Hidalgo.

Nuria, Marlene, Paloma and Gabriela are talking about Jim and the loss of their jobs in Marlene’s apartment. Isabel comes to join them.

We see a lengthy and, for me, rather boring chase scene after Mateo sets a trap to stop the van carrying Joselito. Lots and lots of police and thugs are shot. Eventually Mateo gets away.

We don’t hear it, but apparently Isabel tells the whole falsa identidad story to the other dancers.

Baldy Williams pleads his case to his boss to keep putting the Guevara/Diego Hidalgo thing together. Interesting that they’ve made a supposedly good police officer into a Javert and very annoying guy. The boss says he has to come up with real proof, but lets him continue.

Isa and Paloma talk. Isa assures Paloma she’s not upset about Paloma having slept with her husband. She also tells her that Porfirio is now a changed man.

Nuria is jumpy and ends up leaving Marlene’s apartment.

Jim, I think because of Marlene’s telling him over the phone that she loves him, doesn’t tell the cops about his knowing what was going on at Babel.

Diego shrewdly tells the Ibarras that everything was going well with the drug smuggling until THEY insisted on their moving a ton. He goes on to suggest that they have a rat in their midst.

The cop in Álamos calls Salas about Baldy’s questions. Of course, he asks for money.

Porfi tries to convince Ricas that abuelo is not such a great guy.

Circe doesn’t like Diego’s plan of having the Ibarras come with. Deivid chimes in with some more reasons for doing this. She kisses Diego before leaving and he then wipes his mouth and spits. Deivid things Circe is smelling the trap. He says she may be in love with Diego, but she’s no fool.

Jim is released but told not to leave the area.

Diego calls the contact in the FBI (forget his name) and wants the plan to happen fast.

Nuria goes to offer her body to the drug dealer to get some pills. And, in a disgusting scene, he says she owes him more than one roll in the hay and brings in 3 or 4 guys to rape her.

Salas tells Diego about Baldy and that perhaps he could even end up knowing about Isabel. Salas says he’ll have the guy watched.

Circe goes to see Ramona. And I learn an interesting new word. Circe tells Ramona she’s only an achichincle for Gavino. This word is from the indigenous Nahuatl language and means a lowly helper. Circe asks her if Diego had anything to do with the seizure of the drugs by the DEA.

Ramona tells Circe that, if there were all those contacts in the US to get Diego that fake identity, then why could they not also help him with the drug seizure.

Joselito tries to get Mateo to switch sides, I think after they arrive at the ranch. He tells him that Gavino won’t keep his promises about money and power as second in command to Mateo any more than he kept those promises to him.

Ramona gives Circe a cold look and tells her they are going to be clear about things. She wasn’t the one who destroyed the Gaona cartel. She wasn’t the one who turned in her own father and forgot her mother. Ramona says that Circe forgot even the meaning of the word family for some guy who doesn’t even love her.
 

identidad

¡Muchísimas gracias, novelera! I had a hard time understanding parts of Friday's episode, and your recap was a great help.

Well, Mateo has certainly burned his bridges. After killing so many people, including so many police, his only option is to give himself totally over to the Gaona cartel. I wonder how much Ricas will understand.

I think you're right about Jim's decision not to spill all to the police. I found the change in his testimony a bit surprising at first, but then I too decided Marlene's declaration over the phone was probably responsible. I think Jim was correct in recognizing his complicity in all the illegal and immoral things going on at Babel, but compared to Gavino, Joselito, Circe, and Ramona, Jim's "crimes" were of omission, not commission. I don't think he should wind up in jail. Indeed, I'd like to see Marlene and him happily together at the novela's end.

Loved your calling the cop "Baldy Williams."

The scene with Nuria and the disgusing drug dealer was pretty ugly but probably not unrealistic. Ya think Telemundo is trying to tell us something?

Deivid's claim that Circe may be in love with Diego but she's no fool seems contradictory. :-)
 

Identidad

thanks so much novelera!

not sure what the American cop is after, he says justice, and yes there was a conspiracy to use the ID's but that's after their death... is the fact they involved American Passports make it in his jurisdiction, hmmm.

did Isa describe Porfi to Paloma as becoming the man again that she originally fell for?

that was interesting, Circe not wanting JJ's involvement, she has this narco thing down pretty good and doesn't like having him slide into to her business.

yep, the Nuria thing is pretty ugly, truth is she will probably go back, the new synthetic drugs of today are far more addicting than anything that has ever existed, Ramona gave them to Nuria knowing they would take her out. (the pharmaceutical companies that produce them should be held liable)

 

"SENORA ACERO":

Juanita: Is this the last Season ?
 

identidad

deb, I think the American cop may believe that Eliseo had the three Americans killed in order to use their identities to get his brother out of the country. He doesn't seem to have yet come on the idea that there was a woman and child with Diego. But that seems inevitable. Aren't there records of border crossings?

You are SO right about the culpability of pharmaceutical companies in the opioid epidemic. I started Dopesick, an excellent book, but had to return it to the library before I could finish it. There were lots of people in my area wanting to read it and thus I was unable to renew it due to around 10 library holds on it!

And, deb, thanks for mentioning what Isa said: that Porfirio was now the man she fell for. And the actor has done a great job showing his redemption. He's adorable now, with, I think, those blue eyes and dark hair.
 

Identidad

Thanks, Novelera.

At first Joselito seemed to think the shooting outside was his Circe trying to rescue him? Poor man. Hombre, Circe will stick with Diego to the end.

As much as I don't like Nuria's storyline, it is showing how addiction leads to hell on earth. I hope Nuria finally admits she's hit rock bottom and gets some help.