Caray, Caray!

Tonight, Angelica Maria and Angelica Vale star in "Julia, Encubridora" (Julia, who covers up). But as they're both named Julia, I don't know who's the encubridora. Yep, it's a two-for-one night!

A black SUV rolls up and the DIEM team get out in slow-mo. They go running into a house, Aranda's curls looking gorgeous as ever. She walks up a flight of stairs past Julia the Younger, looking absent, and into a room occupied by Julia the Elder and some poor dead schmuck. Neither Julia's looking too present at the moment.

Gloria says it's gonna flow tonight. Las Angelicas are gonna bring it! From the credits, it would appear that our younger Julia will be doing the encubridora-ing.

Julia the Elder gets dropped off in front of some place with a marble lobby by a reasonably good-looking young man. He tries to ask about a second date, but she tells him he's only providing a service and to keep to his place. Julia walks in, and whatever this fancy lobbied place is, it at least includes a gym. A gym where what's supposed to be a hot trainer, who really just looks kind of sleazy, is coaching a woman on her form at one of the machines. He sees Julia walk in, but she pretends not to see him. He goes off to talk to her and another guy smiles and laughs at him. Trainer #1 is Marco, played by Eduardo Santamarina, whose work I'm not familiar with…I mean, I know what he's done, but I've never watched a show with him in it. The guy who laughed at him is Trujillo, played by Mauricio Aspe, who Mr. 5ft will remember from Dos Caras de Ana as the guy who originated the unbuttoned-shirt-as-crazy-meter. Julia sits down at a beach. Marco comes over and introduces himself and she immediately asks him to address her as "tú." She says she's just planning to walk today and (I suspect) fakes neck pain to get a massage from him. He comments on her tense muscles and says she should forget about the walk and they should do some stretching instead. "But I want to burn calories!" He tells her she can't burn calories if she's stressed. Julia smiles at him and says what would de-stress her is to be able to laugh like he does.

She takes him home, where he tells her he likes women like her, you know, women. She asks about his age and he evades the question. He tells her he likes her a LOT and proves it by getting it on with her on her couch. Julia the Younger looks on from outside and starts giving Marco instructions. His lips are on the Elder Julia, but his eyes are on the younger.

Present: Trujillo tells Det. Capellan that he warned Marco that there was something weird going on. "Do you know if he had 'relations' with both of them?" Marco says that was the plan, at first.

Past: Marco and Trujillo work out. Marco brags about having two new girlfriends. He's actually not sure that the younger one is her daughter, though. He announces that she watched them doing it. He says he likes them both and it was like having them both at the same time. He calls Julia and asks to see her again.

At her house, Julia the Elder tells him she'll be waiting for him. She notices flowers in her foyer and calls for Efren, the driver. She finds him in the kitchen with Julia the Younger, getting it on on the counter. She (JE) yells at Julia (Y) and Efren runs out of there. Julia (Y) sits down and picks a piece of fruit out of the bowl on the counter, saying she thought Julia (E) was at the gym. Well, Julia (E) thought Julia (Y) was at a meeting. Julia (Y) doesn't think it's a big deal that she was getting it on with the chauffer. Julia (E) thinks Julia (Y) was being disrespectful. Julia (Y)'s solution is for Mami to quit bringing young studs to the house. Julia (E) doesn't want to be opening doors and finding Julia (Y) behind them…"Oh, so now you open doors and get scandalized. Why didn't you open the door when you were married to Javier?" Uh, oh. Julia (E) gets upset and walks out.

13 years ago: Javier (played by Agustin Arana, aka Omar from Fea, aka Jerry from Gancho) walks into young Julia's room. She's smoking a cigarette. He starts macking on her as she says "open the door mom, open it, please."

The driver lets Marco in to see Julia (E). She offers her cheek for a kiss, or rather, avoids letting him kiss her on the mouth. She needs to be held and he obliges. Julia excuses herself for a moment to get cash to pay him for yesterday.

Present: Capellan asks Trujillo if this was something Marco did all the time. Trujillo balks at calling it "prostitution" but Capellan is all for calling a spade a spade…or a man-whore a prostitute, as the case may be. He took money from the ladies at the gym to go home with them, but they called it, you know, "escorts." Capellan smiles. "'Escorts'. And in Spanish, we call them 'prostitutes.'" Trujillo shuts up.

Past: Marco refuses the money. Julia gets uncomfortable. Marco starts checking out Julia's record collection and asks permission to put on one of the records. "Ooh, you like old stuff. You were in kinder when I listened to that record every day!" Marco calls the record "a jewel" and pulls Julia up to dance. Julia asks for a kiss and Marco obliges. She gets uncomfortable again after the kiss and goes back to get her drink. They confirm that neither one is married, at least not at the moment. Marco starts kissing her lap and then puts his head in it. Julia lies to him and says she doesn't have any kids and lives alone, except for her household staff, who are all men. She claims to be the only woman in the house, because she doesn't trust women. "They're hateful, betraying, and they're all crazy." Marco informs her that he's pretty sure yesterday he saw…. She cuts him off and says it was the ghost of her dead daughter. Damn. I wouldn't have figured the chauffeur for a necrophiliac, but whatever. Marco freaks out a little, but he holds her again and says he hasn't been this way with someone in a long time. Julia says that he'll be like that for a while, because he's all hers. He sees Julia (Y) again and gets quiet.

Present: Gerardo informs Moran that the kill shot went to the heart and the other shots happened after that. "Oh, so that's why there was no bleeding from them?" Exactly, boy wonder.

Past: Julia (Y) brings in a breakfast tray to Mami, throwing open the curtains and telling her it's time to hit the gym. Julia (E) looks up, startled, looking for Marco, but Julia (Y) says he left early. Ugh, they're wearing matching nightgowns and robes. This just keeps getting sicker. Julia (E) says it's late and she doesn't have time for breakfast, but Julia (Y) opines that Mami needs to eat because she got way too much exercise last night. "Who's the giant? You hired a 24-hour trainer? Wow!" Julia (E) reminds her that, like it or not, she's still her mother, so watch it. Mami refuses to tell Julia who the guy was.

Flashback to last night and Julia (E) and Marco getting it on. It's a testament to the high quality of this show that it looks a lot more believable than the May-December stuff on Sorti. Just saying.

"Well, that 'no one' is hot. I saw him when he left. He's young, isn't he? But that's how you like them." Julia (E) says that Julia (Y) is still angry, and not about Efren either.

13 years ago: Julia (Y) smokes a cigarette and asks Javier if he liked it. "More than my mom? Why don't you leave her?" Javier is tired of hearing his from her. "If you don't leave her, she'll find out everything." Javier says no one will believe her, because everyone knows she's crazy. Julia grabs him from behind and says "What about your kiss?"

Julia (Y) laughs over the look on Efren's face when Julia (E) opened the door. Julia (E) insists that Marco is just a good looking guy from the gym. Julia (Y) says she's not sure that the good looking guy from the gym is right for her. Julia (E) looks alarmed.

Marco tells Trujillo about Julia (E) saying it was just the ghost of her daughter. He goes on to say that what got him even more hot and bothered was the thought of the "ghost" listening to them.

Flashback to Marco and Julia (E) together. Julia had told him to be quiet or someone would hear. "Who's going to hear? The ghost?" Julia (Y) stands outside the door.

Trujillo tells Marco that's some kinky shit. More or less.

Present: Moran tells Gerardo that both Julias tested positive for gunpowder residue. With his eager puppy look, he asks Gerardo if they both killed the guy. Gerardo mulls that one over.

Past: Marco lets himself in the front gate of the Julias' house. Efren, busy buttoning up his shirt, goes to answer the front door, but tells Marco that Julia (E) isn't there. Julia (Y) practically runs to the door to see who it is and says "Ah, it's Mom's 24-hour trainer." She snaps at Efren, "Don't you have anything to do?" She introduces herself to Marco and asks if they haven't seen each other before. "Like you were a ghost," he replies. "Oh, my mom must have told you I was dead. It's one of her fantasies, like finding someone like you at the gym. I see it went well for her. Maybe I should join the gym too, what do you think?" Marco says that would be a good idea. He gives Julia (Y) her mom's necklace and asks her to return it. "Ah, right, it must have fallen off when she was doing some exercises." She keeps trying to put the moves on him and he's trying to shut her down. She ends up pouting, "Oh, that's right, you're a human being and you hate being treated like a sex object." She cackles as she shuts the door in his face, saying "Well, you came to the wrong place! Ciao!"

Marco and Trujillo hang out at the pool. Trujillo found the "sex object" thing funny. But he also thinks Marco needs to date a normal woman, not a crazy one. Marco objects that it's only the daughter who's crazy. Now, Julia (E), on the other hand is sweet and tender and blah, blah, blah. Trujillo calls him "cursi" (cheesy, sappy).

Marco and Julia (E) are out somewhere when Marco is effusively greeted by an attractive, though younger, woman, Yolanda. He kisses her in greeting and then introduces both Yolanda, and her date Juan Carlos, to his "girlfriend" Julia. Julia doesn't know what hit her. She gets kissed by Yolanda and Carlos and just looks shocked, but tries to laugh at Yolanda saying it's funny they all met up.

Marco drives her home, but he wonders what's wrong, she's been quiet. Julia (E) tells him there's nothing wrong, but he persists. She wants to know if she's his girlfriend. Marco laments that he shouldn't have said that without asking her first, but he loves her. Julia (E) returns the sentiment and calls him her "boyfriend." She asks him to close his eyes because she has a surprise for him. It's apparently his birthday and he's surprised that she found out. Inside a polished wooden box with a bow is something that he says is beautiful, but instead of answering whether he likes it, he says he likes her.

Julia (E) walks into the house and Julia (Y) is setting the table, walking around in a robe. She tells Mami that the cook prepared something really tasty for them. Julia (E) notices the necklace on Julia (Y) and Julia (Y) says Mami's "boyfriend" brought it over the other day. Oh, ok, fine, he's not your boyfriend, your trainer, then. Julia (E) says she ate late, so she's not interested in food, but she'll keep Julia (Y) company. She asks if Julia (Y) didn't have a meeting, but Julia (Y) says she cancelled it. Julia (E), however, knows that Julia (Y) got fired a month ago. Julia (E) seems threatened when Julia (Y) turns the conversation back to Mama's new boy toy, and alarmed when Julia (Y) declares that Mami is in love with him. "You don't have to be ashamed! Besides, I give you permission to sleep with him." Julia (E) says she knows things have been difficult between them, that they aren't exactly normal, but she'd like them to get along, you know? "No." Well, Marco's a very special friend, and Julia (E) would like Julia (Y) to respect him. Julia (Y) gets upset. "You don't want to share him do you? You're afraid he'll like me more? I'm younger, prettier. I've taken them all away from you, haven't I? Do you remember when you found me with the gardener?"

Five years ago: Julia (E) busts Julia (Y) with the gardener and smacks her around, yelling "How many gardeners? How many chauffeurs do you want me to bring you?"

Julia (E) tells Julia (Y) to forget it. Julia (Y) is upset that Julia (E) has already forgotten it and doesn't think about it.

Present: Aranda informs Capellan that she's turned up some stuff. Javier killed himself in Julia (Y)'s bedroom 13 years ago. There was no investigation and he was buried immediately. Capellan assumes money changed hands to bring that about. Javier killed himself with the same gun that appears to have killed Marco.

Past: Julia (E) and Marco wake up in bed together. Julia wants him to hightail it out of there before Julia (Y) sees him. Marco isn't concerned. He asks her why she told him Julia (Y) was dead. "Because I feel like she died a long time ago."

13 years ago: Julia (Y) sits at the foot of her bed, crying. Julia (E) calls out that she's home. She opens the door to Julia (Y)'s bedroom and sees Javier lying on the floor, shot in the head. She goes over to Julia (Y) and asks her if she's ok.

Past: Julia (E) feels like everything happens too late. Marco says he loves her.

He gets himself dressed and is heading out when Julia sees him and doubles over, crying out like she's in pain. He walks her back into her room, where she attacks him, kissing him and asking him to want her. He says he doesn't want anything to do with her. "But you did get hot when you saw me in the window. I want to be a client too!" He says her mother's not a client. She insists that this is nothing, she and mom always share men. He calls her sick and tries to pry her off him. She says he's on the payroll of the house. Julia (E) walks in and busts them. And the way you know this is not a novela is that he didn't experience paralysis when she kissed him and did make an attempt to disengage her.

Present: Capellan questions Julia (E). She asks why Julia never told her about the suicide of her second husband. Why did things happen so quickly? Julia (E) says her husband abused her daughter and his own guilt killed him. "Did you ever think your daughter provoked it? Did anyone ever tell you?" Julia (E) says "once."

5 years ago: After she smacked Julia (Y) around for getting it on with the gardener, she accused her of seducing her husband. Julia (Y) says she hates her and walks off.

Present: Capellan posits that Julia (E) still thinks that Julia (Y) seduced Javier. "Mothers tend to blame their daughters in cases of abuse, but it's never the case. What happens is that we blame those who are weaker for our own faults." Julia (E) asks them to leave Julia (Y) alone. "I fired, I killed Marco!" Capellan asks her to tell her what happened. "I was in my bedroom. I heard noises, yelling, I got scared. I went running into her room, I opened the door, and he was forcing himself on her. I was only defending her!" Capellan: "With the same gun your second husband used to kill himself?" Brief flashback to Javier. Julia (E) doesn't answer.

Back in her office, Aranda gives Capellan the psychiatric report on Julia (Y). The verdict is severe Bipolar Disorder. Capellan asks to see her in interrogation.

Someone lays the gun on the table. Capellan asks if Julia (Y) recognizes it. Julia says it's the only inheritance from her father. "Your mother declared herself guilty of the death of Marco Rodriguez. Do you have anything to add to this?" "Nothing. If my mother already confessed, what do you want me to tell you? That she killed her lover in an attack of jealousy because he wanted me?" "What do you mean, he wanted you?" "He harassed me all the time, he wanted to touch me, caress me, sleep with me. My mom couldn't handle it." They're interrupted by Gerardo.

Behind the glass, he shows her some lab results. They both fired, but only one is the killer.

Capellan gets the mother-daughter act into the interrogation room together. She arrests Julia (E) for false testimony and covering for her daughter and asks why she's doing it. "I'm the only one responsible for everything. In spite of everything, I'm her mother and she's my daughter." Capellan has them take Julia (E) away. She gives Julia (Y) a kiss on the cheek. Julia (Y) has a hard time letting go of her hand. Capellan arrests Julia (Y) for being the first one to fire on Marco, and therefore the one who actually killed him. She asks her what happened that morning at the house. "Marco wanted to separate us. But my mom and I love each other a lot. Nothing can separate us. Marco wanted my mother, but he didn't want me.

Past: Julia (E) walks in. Marco tries to explain, but Julia (E) doesn't want to hear it. She says he's trash, just like all men. Julia (Y) asks what the problem is and Julia (E) and Marco turn to see her pointing the gun at them. Julia (E) tells her to calm down. "He said you were pretty and that he loved you, but he didn't tell me any of that. Do you remember what I had to do with Javier so he wouldn't leave me alone?"

13 years ago: When Javier was walking out of the room after refusing to leave Julia (E) for the millionth time, Julia (Y) came up behind him, asked "What about your kiss?" reached around, and shot him in the head.

Julia (Y) shoots Marco in the heart. He collapses against Julia (E), and Julia (Y) is now pointing the gun at her mother. "Again!" says Julia (E). "You loved him a lot mom. More than me. You love all of them more than me. That's why you didn't open the door when Javier touched me and…. It wasn't my fault, mom. He told me he was going to buy me a doll if I gave him kisses so that I wouldn't tell you because you were going to get mad. You wouldn't love me anymore. And I got scared, mom, scared that you wouldn't love me anymore. Don't you love me anymore, mom?" Julia (E) says she does. She gets the gun from Julia (Y) as Julia (Y) collapses against her and cries. Julia (E) shoots Marco a few times. She kisses Julia (Y)'s hands and tells her to go wash her hands really well. Julia (Y) looks back from the door and asks if it's true that Mami's never going to leave her alone.

"Miss Julia Espinoza was condemned to 18 years in prison where she receives psychiatric therapy. Her mother, Julia Laviada completed a sentence of 1 year and visits her daughter regularly in prison."

Labels: asesinas

Tonight, Sherlyn is "Laura, Confundida" (Laura, confused).

Present: Laura, a goth girl with heavy black eyeliner and a lip ring, sits in the interrogation room with Capellan and says "It's my fault." She claims to be responsible for the deaths of both Miguel and her mother.

Flashback: a man and woman struggle and a gun goes off.

Present: Capellan is confused about Laura's claim to have killed her mother. Laura doesn't clear up the confusion, she just keeps saying it's her fault. Capellan knows Gerardo's behind the two-way glass. She gets up and leaves the room to go talk to him while Laura starts crying, sending a stream of charcoal tears running down her cheek. Gerardo says he doesn't understand and everything is back in the lab, so what's she talking about. Capellan doesn't know, but that's what she needs to find out.

Que emane, says Gloria, like blood from an open wound. Or like the black tears of a goth girl.

Past: Laura's parents are arguing. Dad, Jorge, is played by David Ostrosky, who apparently had a part on ENDA, which I didn't see. Mom, Claudia, is played by Patricia Martinez, who was Maruja in Querida Enemiga (IMDB is wrong about which Patricia Martinez is in this role, but trust me). Claudia is griping at Jorge about having forgiven him before about being with another woman. He makes excuses. It's a "Clauda's lines" "Jorge's lines" situation. Laura gets tired of hearing it and says she'll heat up some dinner. She gives him a kiss and he asks for a "besito de esquimal" (Eskimo kiss). Mom gets in one last barb and then leaves. Laura tells dad she's tired of Mom's griping, always the same story. Dad says that's just the way she is.

Eva, played by Monika Sanchez (who was Mili's mom, Rosario, on Al Diablo Con Los Guapos for about five seconds, and Silvana on Amar sin Limites for way too long) is getting a little girl ready for school. Jorge comes in and is addressed by the moppet as "Daddy" and by Eva as "mi amor." Dad requests an Eskimo kiss before the moppet leaves. Eva walks the kid out the door and Jorge fixes them each a coffee. When Eva comes back in, she asks if his wife's bugging him again. "She says I'm cheating on her! I know I am, but what a I supposed to do about it?" Eva's unsympathetic. She's told him before to leave the cow. "But when I talked about divorce, she said she was going to kill herself!" Eva's take is that people don't threaten suicide, they just do it if they're going to do it. Jorge worries about his daughter, and Eva reminds him he has more than one. His rationale for Eva being mistress instead of wife is that she's stronger, she can take it.

Claudia cleans up the bedroom and starts to go through the pockets of a pair of Jorge's pants. Laura sees her and sits her down on the bed. She asks why Mom treats Dad like she does. "Dad's not cheating on you or lying to you!" But Mom is convinced he has another woman. Laura gives up and leaves.

Present: Capellan asks why Laura feels responsible for her mother's death when she didn't kill her. "Because he cheated on me." "Who? Miguel? What did he have to do with your mother's death?" "Miguel cheated on my mother. Jorge cheated on me. Miguel cheated on my mom. No, no." If that made no sense whatsoever, even after rechecking the names appearing so far in this recap, then yes, you're on the right track.

Flashback: Jorge sits at the dining table in his official home reading a car mag. He and Laura talk about the rough day he had. He's almost about to be able to pay the down payment on a taxi. He shows her a picture. Claudia isn't too excited about that. She'd rather he were a tire store manager like he used to be. Laura explains, for what's probably the millionth time, that when cars don't sell, neither do tires. Laura reminds Jorge that it's her birthday in a month and Jorge teases her about talking economic crises and then asking for presents. Claudia is upset that he won't get his ONLY daughter a present, because she is the ONLY one he has, that she knows of. Laura gets up from the table. Claudia tells Jorge that she married a store manager, not a taxi driver. "And I married a tender, sympathetic woman, not you!"

Jorge and Eva are in bed together. He needs to leave and she tries to wheedle him into staying. Seriously, what does this guy have that either of those women could want? They aren't a bad looking pair of babes and they so could do better than Mr. Part-Time Lover. Jorge says he's got to go or he'll have missed too much work and get fired. He'll be home late, after the moppet is in bed. Eva reminds him she needs money for shoes for the kid and he says he'll give her money, assuming he makes any. Eva rolls her eyes and rolls back in bed at mention of the taxi.

Present: Moran and Aranda are doing their respective things. Gerardo is analyzing the wounds--3 to the lungs, one to the heart. He asks how they're doing and they both try to talk at the same time and then get kind of giggly about it and Gerardo busts in to tell Moran to talk first. The blood from the "desarmador" (screwdriver, and it's the same whether you mean the tool or the drink) matches the victim. Aranda adds that the fingerprints match the accused. Gerardo says the wounds are from a screwdriver, so therefore…. Another "no, you first" match ensues. Gerardo says whenever, he and the young man aren't in a hurry.

Flashback: Claudia reviews an Avon catalog in bed. Jorge joins her and she shows it to him. Jorge is shocked she'd go selling door to door. Claudia says he drives a taxi, so what's the big deal. He starts to tell her, but the phone rings. Laura says she'll answer it, but Jorge gets so freaked out that Claudia freaks out in turn and they both go running into the kitchen. Laura is sitting there, eating some Ben & Jerry's out of the carton. She says it was a wrong number, and Claudia, predictably, freaks out. Laura looks at Jorge and says "It was a wrong number, right dad? Right?" Jorge leaves without answering and Laura cries.

The next morning, Eva admits that she did call. She's tired of him talking about "my house" and "my daughter" when he's got two of each. Jorge hands her some money for Jazmin's shoes. Eva is shocked. "What? How much do shoes cost, anyway?" He shows her his empty wallet. Cry me a frickin' river, dude. He also mentions that Laura's birthday is coming up and he doesn't know what to get her. Like this woman's going to care. She reminds him she needs a watch. "Oh, so now you want a watch?" NEED, she says.

Laura makes plans to see a movie with a friend for her birthday. Jorge comes in and talks to someone on the phone about covering a shift, or rather, not covering a shift. He goes into the kitchen and Laura takes the opportunity to check out a jewelry box that's half sticking out of his bag. It's a watch with a matching necklace and earrings. Laura is thrilled. She puts the box back in his bag.

Present: Capellan looks morosely at the computer as it analyzes fingerprints. Moran sent her the records for the dad. Capellan takes a look. He has an arrest record. According to what I can read, this is Jorge Mendoza Cervantes, Mexican citizen, married, taxi driver, incarcerated 6 of October, sentenced to 18 years for homicide, died 28 of March from pancreatic cancer. And in a couple of weeks when I get my new reading glasses, I might be able to read even more of that, but for now it's enough.

Past: Laura walks down the street and looks in the window of a restaurant. She sees Dad, Eva and Jazmin sitting at a table together, and Dad and Jazmin giving Eskimo kisses. Jorge starts talking to Eva about some opportunity he's really excited about. Laura walks in and stands by the table. Jorge doesn't see her. Laura notices Eva's watch, and Jazmin playing with Jorge's keys. Eva tells her to put the keys down. Jazmin asks "dad" if she can play with them. He finally figures out what Eva's look means and turns around. He, rather stupidly, calls Laura "hija" (daughter) and asks her to sit down with them. She leaves without saying anything.

At home, Laura rips up her dad's car magazines. Claudia comes home and is very confused. Laura tells her she hates her dad. "I saw him!" Claudia wants details. "He has another woman, and he has a daughter." Claudia takes this as a sign that Laura hates her. "He has another daughter. She's younger than me. I saw them together, by chance." Claudia wants more details, but at the same time, she thinks Jorge can't have another daughter, and Laura just hates her and is saying this because she hates her. Laura cries and says she does hate her mother, she hates her dad, she hates them both!

Eva brings Jorge a drink and tells him not to be so upset. Jorge doesn't want to go home, but Eva tells him he has to. "She was going to find out sometime." Eva says she's not going to kill him, she already knew he had another woman. She has no sympathy for him, having been through worse, and had to do it alone. Jorge is worried that Laura saw them. "Both your daughters saw you, Jazmin is just a girl, but Laura is a young woman." And now we find out that Jazmin already knew, because Eva believes in telling her the truth. "I'm not like you, a hypocrite!" Potato, potatoh.

Jorge makes his way quietly into his official house and sits at the dining table, trying to figure out how he's going to talk his way out of this one. Claudia walks in and orders him out of the house. OK, problem solved. But no, Jorge wants to talk. Claudia says for him to get his stuff and get out. But he doesn't want to go. Claudia says he's going, like it or not! He makes her sick! Laura comes in and Claudia tries to send her to her room. The parents hurl all sorts of nasty remarks at each other as Laura keeps watching and crying. Claudia goes into the kitchen and grabs a two-pronged fork. She stabs Jorge in the arm with it and he screams "You're crazy! I'm going to turn you in! You're crazy!" (first crazy "loca", second crazy "desquiciada" which is more like unhinged, out of one's senses) and when Laura comes near him he tells her to go to her room, it's all her fault. Oh, no he didn't! Claudia goes back into the kitchen and comes back out with a gun. Laura is cringing in the doorway, crying and freaking out. Claudia tells Jorge she's going to kill him, and then she'll kill his whore and her daughter. They fight over the gun and Claudia ends up getting shot. Laura freaks out some more and cries over her mom's body.

8 years later: Laura has gone goth. She tells a nice-looking boy it was all her fault. Dad ended up in jail and now she lives with her Tía Olga, so Olga can look after her. This is the soon-to-be-dead Miguel, played by José Luis Reséndez, currently playing David in Tormenta en el Paraiso (which show I'm am SO OVER already, just put it out of its misery) and who will soon be playing some other pretty boy in Camaleones (which will at least have stuff blowing up and therefore will keep Mr. 5ft more interested). Miguel wonders if she ever saw her dad again. She hasn't gone to visit him in jail and hopes someone killed him there. She figures the other daughter visits him. Laura ribs him about acting like a psychologist. "I could use one. Or better yet a psychiatrist. My mom's dead, my dad's in jail, and I'm crazy." She stops freaking out Miguel for a minute to give some guy a box of balls, not a euphemism, so he can play some pool. Miguel tells her he can't go out with her tonight, he's got to work on a car before tomorrow. It's a taxi. Dun, dun, dun. "What are you going to come up with next, that they changed your shift?" He's confused, and makes the mistake of calling her "loquita" (little crazy girl). He takes it back. Laura says she's got to get back to work, but she'll call him tomorrow. He asks for an Eskimo kiss "like you showed me." He can't figure out why she gets upset about this.

(Hey, what's this new show, Tiempo Final? And when are they actually showing it, because I don't see it in my listings. And more importantly, what crack are they smoking over at Uni?)

Miguel works on a car and his buddy, Luis, makes cracks about Laura's mental state. Luis is played by Ramón Valdés, last seen by me as Chamuco on Guapos. The phone rings and Miguel asks him to tell them he's not there, figuring it’s the guy calling about the taxi. Of course, it's actually Laura, but Luis is a dumbass and doesn't figure that out. Miguel also doesn't worry about it and says if it's important they'll call back. They keep working on the car.

Laura paces the living room, talking to herself. Tía Olga comes in, wondering what's up. Laura tells her that that idiot told her he'd be working late on a car and now he's not in the garage. Olga wants her to ease up on this guy. It's only been a month and she's already harassing him. Laura goes off to look for him and Olga just sighs.

Luis is ready to leave and checks with Miguel to make sure it's ok. As he's leaving, he runs into Laura, who asks him if he's being an "alcahuete" (procurer, pimp, i.e., is he covering for his friend). Luis is confused, but leaves anyway. Laura gets after Miguel about Luis telling her he wasn't there. She grabs him by the shirt and says she doesn't like being lied to. He yells back that he's not. When she gets upset he apologizes and suggests she go heat them up some coffee. Near the coffee pot are some car magazines. Laura looks uncomfortable.

Present: Tía Olga tells Capellan that she was right, Laura was getting very paranoid, everything bothered her, she thought everyone was against her. And when Olga gave her the message that Eva called, she accused her of making it up to bother her. Capellan wonders why Eva would call Laura.

Eva tells Capellan she called to tell Laura her dad was dying of cancer. She said Laura "me mando al diablo" (literally, "sent me to hell"; i.e., she blew her off).

Flashback: Laura is cleaning up a pool table when Eva walks in, asking if Laura works there. Laura is shocked to see Eva. It takes Eva a minute to recognize Laura, she's changed so much. "Why would you recognize me? My dad never introduced us." Laura wonders if Eva sees her dad. "Once or twice a month. Your sister, Jazmin, also visits. She's 18 now." Eva tells Laura that her dad is dying from pancreatic cancer. "And? He's finally going to burst. I'm his daughter, I can say what I want. Everyone dies. My mom died. He's dying. You're going to die. And Jazmin." Eva walks out and Laura says to herself "and me. And everyone."

Present: Eva can't believe a child would talk about her father like that. Capellan says no child could believe her father could kill her mother.

Flashback: Miguel and Laura eat burgers. Miguel talks about how he wants to save up money for a really cool garage, which is why he can't take her out for nicer dinners. He notices she's not listening. Laura says maybe she doesn't give a crap what he's talking about. She starts wrecking his place and he calls her an imbecile. She starts running Claudia's lines, and he, without knowing it, starts running Jorge's lines. He grabs her to keep her from hitting him and keeps repeating her name, Laura, until she seems to realize that he's Miguel. She cries and hugs him.

Present: Olga talks to Aranda over coffee. She tells her that Laura was doing strange things, like moving things around for no reason, spying on her while she's on the phone. "Sometimes she calls me aunt, and sometimes she calls me Mom." Olga suspects she's bipolar. Aranda explains that we've gone way beyond "bipolar" here. "Is she…crazy?" Aranda says she's manifesting symptoms of schizophrenia. "Her reality is fragmented." Olga thinks that makes sense.

Flashback: Laura is ripping up magazines in the living room when Olga comes in and asks what she's doing. "I hate him. I hate him! I already forgave him so many times and I'm not going to forgive him again. What do you mean what did he do? You're my sister and you don't know what he did?" Olga reminds Laura "I'm your Aunt Olga. Who are you talking about?" "I'm talking about what Jorge did to me. Jorge my husband. My husband." Olga is freaking out and tells Laura that Jorge is her dad and she's not married. "Jorge my husband, no, I'm with Miguel, Miguel my boyfriend, my husband, Jorge, Jorge's my boyfriend, Jorge's my dad." Laura cries and rocks back and forth as Olga tries to comfort her.

Present: Capellan tells Gerardo that if they can demonstrate that she commited the crime in a state of "enajenación mental" (insanity) that they can have her declared "inimputable" (not responsible). Gerardo thinks that responsible or not, this girl needs to be locked up or get treatment. Capellan wonders about the cause of her schizophrenia. Flashback to the night Claudia died. "She could have inherited it from her mother, but her father didn't help much." Gerardo agrees.

Flashback: Laura is cleaning up at the pool hall when Olga comes in to tell her that Eva called. Her dad is dead. Laura starts to cry, and then kind of laughs. "Of course. I thought the air smelled a little cleaner today." Olga says there will be paperwork now, and she'll go with her if she wants. "I'm not going. As far as I'm concerned, he can rot. Let them bury him, burn him, get rid of him. Let that whore Eva and her daughter go."

Luis is on the phone with his girlfriend. Miguel makes fun of his lovey talk. Luis tries to play it off like she's just some chick, whatever. Miguel claims he broke up with Laura cause she's kind of nuts. "Oh, and she didn't have a problem with that?" Miguel has to fess up. "What am I supposed to do? She gets crazy for any little thing. Last time she almost destroyed the garage. Next time she'll kill me." His cocky smile fades.

Present: Dead!Miguel's body bag is being zipped up. Gerardo tells Aranda and Moran that they can't do anything else, couldn't have been easier. Moran offers to carry the evidence box for Aranda, but she says she can carry it on her own, "Lieutenant." Gerardo summons Moran to give him advice. "What are you playing at? Never mix love and work. You always lose at something, and losing always hurts." Hm, but haven't you ever…? "Do as I say, not as I do." He smiles at the dead guy and keeps zipping.

Laura tells Capellan "If you don't help me, I'm going to end up going crazy!" Capellan says she has a clinical disorder, it's treatable, and she's going to be able to control it. Too bad it's the reason Miguel died, and no matter what she says to the judge, Laura committed a crime and Capellan needs to know how it all went down.

Flashback: Luis tells Miguel that he's going to get some dinner. He agrees to bring back some tacos for Miguel. Laura walks in after Luis leaves and Miguel, hearing the footsteps, thinks it's Luis, back already. Laura says hello and Miguel quickly gets out from under the car he's working on. He offers to get cleaned up so they can go get a coffee. She's upset that he wants to get coffee since she thinks it means he has something to say. She gets on him for the phone always being busy. He tells her that Luis has a girlfriend now and he's always on the phone. She, of course, thinks it's him on the phone. She's seeing his face flash back and forth with her dad's as he says "You're upset because I didn't call you and you're right, but sometimes that's just the way things are." He says maybe it's time for them to break up, because she's "prendida" (lit up, lively, etc.) and he's more "tranquilo" (calm). She grabs a screwdriver and says she'll take the calm out of him.

Present: Capellan asks how she took the calm out of him. "With a screwdriver." Laura kind of laughs and then repeats it. "I had to punish him, for everything he did to me and to my mother, and because I wanted him to be quiet. I wanted them both to be quiet." She keeps repeating that she wanted them both to be quiet.

Flashback: Laura tells him she'll take the calm out of him. "You know how?" She stabs him in the arm. He calls her stupid and crazy and says he'll send her to jail. She tells him she'll send him to jail for killing her mother. "What are you talking about?" She says he killed her mother and stabs him again in the chest. When he collapses onto her, she stabs him a few more times in the back. The bloody butterfly flies away and she stabs him a few more times, just for good measure.

"Laura Mendoza was declared incompetent and completed a sentence of six years in the psychiatric wing of the women's prison. To date she has had two suicide attempts."

Labels: asesinas

Tonight, María Sorté is "María, Pescadera" (María, fishmonger).

A body is wheeled out on a stretcher through a supermarket. One of the DIEM crew walks a handcuffed and bloody-handed María out, while Aranda walkies Capellan that they're on the way.

You got it, Gloria, it's gonna get bloody tonight.

Capellan watches María Gonzalez get walked into an interrogation room by Moran. She's looking like she was rode hard and put away wet. Gerardo tells Capellan that they're not going to be able to do much--they've got a body, witnesses, and a suspect. Aranda says they found a knife, too. Capellan says they might not have much to do, but they investigate the "How?"…She investigates the "Why?" Touché, madame, touché. Capellan walks into the room and introduces herself.

Flashback: It's 4:30 in the morning. A young woman stumbles toward María's bed and wakes her up. This would appear to be her daughter, Luchi, who has some kind of physical or developmental disability. María hands her a crutch so she can walk to the bathroom. Later, she braids her daughter's hair and comments that they ought to try getting up earlier in the morning instead of having baths at night. María vetoes lip gloss for Luchi saying she's already told her "no". María and Luchi have breakfast. María announces that it's late and she asks Luchi to wash the dishes. Luchi holds out a hand and María remembers she has to give Luchi her massage. She starts stretching out Luchi's fingers, then stops to massage her own hand, which is getting a little stiff. She goes back to massaging Luchi's hand and asks if it feels nice. María tells Luchi that her godmother will be there at 9 to take her to therapy, because it's Tuesday. This would be godmother Carmelita. Luchi reaches her other hand over and strokes María's hand, asking her if it feels nice. María assures her that it does and reminds her again to wash the dishes, brush her teeth, and don't do anything naughty. Luchi nods. María left money for Carmelita for the therapy. She asks Luchi if she remembers. "Mom! I'm not stupid!" "Of course you're not." "You are mom!" "Hey!" "You forgot I go to get tortillas today." "You're right! What would I do without you?" "You wouldn't eat tortillas." María kisses Luchi and blesses her.

María makes her way to her stall in the market, wishing everyone a good morning as she goes. She puts on an apron and starts putting out ice in the display case. The ice is hurting her hand. She starts laying out the fish.

Present: "That's how it was for years. The same thing always. An endless nightmare. Only my daughter got me through."

Flashback: Blanca and Ramón walk through the market. Ramón gets an eyeful of María. Blanca teases him that there's nothing to see there. Ramón says "If I told you, you'd get mad." Blanca goes over and bitches out María for not having her hair back. She says she's been warned before and she'd better get it taken care of or she'll report her to the health inspector. Blanca says it's Don Ramón who pays them off. Blanca walks off. Ramón takes an extra few seconds to linger before he says goodbye.

María calls Luchi at home from a pay phone. She has to convince her to let her godmother have the phone. María checks to make sure that Luchi gave her godmother the money. María, repeating what Carmelita is telling her, says for our benefit that she has to take Luchi to a checkup tomorrow. She thanks Carmelita for feeding Luchi, "I know how much she eats! And she's so skinny." María goes back to her stall and her neighbor, Lupita, offers her half her sandwich. María tries to refuse, but gives in, saying she hasn't had time to eat anything. She and Lupita chat about how Luchi is doing. Lupita has noticed that Blanca is giving María a hard time. María says they're after her spot. Lupita encourages her to talk to Pancho, the union rep. That's what their dues are for. María says she doesn't want to get the union involved. If she ticks off Ramón he might take her spot. Lupita notices that María's arm is still bothering her. María says sometimes she loses feeling in it. She won't go to a doctor, though, because she'd have to ask Blanca's permission. She gets the idea to ask Don Ramón directly, since he's the owner. Lupita laughs that he's Blanca's boyfriend, a little fishie told her.

Blanca comes up to Ramón in the market. She asks him if he remembers telling her that he wanted to rent the fish stall with a higher rent. She's got people interested. Blanca notices him looking at María again and says she's slow and dirty. Plus she figures she's so dumb that if they took the stall away from her she wouldn't even be able to find another job. Ramón laughs and says you don’t have to go to university to know how to cut the heads off fish. He then remembers that Blanca used to do the same thing. "Hey, don’t compare me to her! Besides, I'm not so dumb. You made me administrator!" He says he just meant that she was "perrada" (a dirty trick?). She totally agrees. He calls her a tigress. He asks if María is her friend and she gets pissed off again. He reminds her that he's the owner. "Fine. DON Ramón." She walks down to the stall.

Lupita gives María a warning when she sees Blanca coming. Blanca asks María if she's tired. "You've been cutting fish as long as Lupita and you've only done half what she's done." María tells her to back off, what business is it of hers how fast she does her job. Blanca says it is her business because if María doesn't work, she doesn't sell, and if she doesn't sell, she can't pay the rent. Blanca tells her Don Ramón isn't going to cover her rent. Lupita blurts out that María's having a problem with her arm. Lupita keeps encouraging María to tell her and says it's what they've all got. María says it's tendinitis. She tries to downplay it, but Lupita says she needs to go to the doctor. Blanca says "ok, go to the doctor, then." Oh, but she's going to make María pay a penalty for being out. Lupita says she'll pay it and insists that María really needs to go. "Or have you already forgotten how our arms hurt when we cut fish? You don't remember anymore?" Blanca tells María to go to the doctor and pay the fee for having the stall closed. María doesn't think it's fair and Blanca mocks her, asking if she thinks they ought to pay the doctor bill for her too. Blanca lists her options as going to the doctor and paying the fine or losing the stall altogether. That's as fair as Don Ramón wants to be, she says. Blanca leaves and Lupita apologizes for making things worse. María's not worried about it--she can take advantage of the day and take Luchi to her appointment. They go back to cutting fish.

The doctor tells María that she should be proud of Luchi--she's been doing her exercises. Luchi says she has been, but Mom hasn't. "Oh yeah, what haven't I done?" Luchi tells the doctor that her mom cries because they don't have money and her arm hurts. The doctor asks about it, but she tries to play it off, at least until he stretches her arm out and it hurts. The doctor pronounces it a severe tendinitis and recommends she rest it for at least 15 days. The doc confirms that she's working at the fish stall in the market, all day, standing. He tells her she needs to work sitting down, maybe on a bar stool. María tells him the administrator won't like it. He offers her some anti-inflammatories and some muscle relaxants. María protests that the appointment is for Luchi. "And if you're sick, who takes care of Luchi? Luchi is well, you're the one who needs to take care of herself. This is very delicate and it could turn into a paralysis." Luchi looks upset. María tells her not to worry and hugs her.

The alarm goes off at 4:45am. The gals go through their morning routine. Carmelita comes over. María is going to try to close up at work early. Carmelita is worried about what will happen if Luchi has another "attack," but María says they're just spasms, don't worry, it's not epilepsy. María says goodbye to Luchi.

Present: María cries. Capellan wonders if even with the doctor's note, María still had problems with the administrator.

Flashback: Blanca sneers at 15 days of rest. She asks why María doesn't just give up the stall, but María can't. Then Blanca notices María is supposed to work sitting down, "Oh, anything else? Do you want coffee? Cookies?" María reminds her that tendinitis is serious, not to mention her arthritis and her legs. "You remember what it's like to work this job. Do you remember when you started getting arthritis?"

Two years ago: Blanca is in María's house bragging about telling off Don Ramón. Blanca is rubbing her wrist. She says it's horrible, either they take away your job or send you in back where no one can see you. Blanca says she's brought María a present, a really nice knife. María asks if she stole it. Blanca laughs that it's fair payback for all her hard work. María recognizes it as one of Don Ramón's special knives. Blanca doesn't think she'll get caught, or if she does, she doesn't care. María notices that Blanca's wrist is hurting. "I told you to wear gloves when you put your hands in the ice." Blanca asks who's going to buy her gloves. María asks Luchi to pass her the arnica cream. She won't accept the knife. María takes Blanca's hand and massages it with the arnica. Blanca puts some arnica on Luchi's hand and starts rubbing it. So I guess we know how that little ritual started.

Blanca tells María she doesn't remember it and has no idea what she's talking about. Bitch. Blanca says she can do whatever she wants, but she won't stand up for her if she's late on the rent again. "Thanks to me, you're not on the street. I haven't done anything but watch your back." María starts to leave. She turns back to tell Blanca that Luchi asks about her and misses her. "She's well. She's a young lady now. But she asks why her Tía Blanca doesn't come to visit. I tell her that I haven't seen her in a long time either." Blanca looks sad.

A year ago: María leaves Lupita in charge of her stall and goes to pay Don Ramón the rent. When she knocks on the office door and pushes it open, Ramón is screwing Blanca. Blanca goes running out after María and Ramón laughs. María and Blanca get into a strange argument. María is perfectly willing to keep her mouth shut and isn't judging Blanca, but Blanca acts like María can't wait to blab it to everyone and is looking down on her. Blanca is offended at María saying "to each his own" and takes it as María thinking she's better than Blanca, as opposed to agreeing that she would've done it too.

Blanca thinks about that day and sniffs, collecting herself. She sits back down at her desk and reviews the file of health inspections. There's a certificate saying that María has complied with health department regulations. Blanca signs it, but I don't get what's going on with this.

Present: Capellan visits the lab. Gerardo says she may not want to hear it, but the victim's blood was on the suspect, the fingerprints match, and she did it in front of witnesses, so let's close this case already. Capellan says she won't until she has a full picture of what's going on. She accuses the team of only being interested in blood, fingerprints, and criminals. Well, in their defense, they are cops. Capellan seems to be in a particularly pissy mood today.

Flashback: What it looks like is that Blanca has signed a complaint to the health department. Ramón looks at a couple of them and gripes that he'll have to talk to the union. He doesn't like the idea of getting rid of María, though. He says she's got a sick daughter. Blanca complains that she's always late with the rent and wants to work sitting down. She accuses Ramón of being into her. Ramón says fine, he'll get rid of her if Blanca wants, but first he's going to screw her. Ramón laughs that there's nothing like a woman to screw another woman over. "Why are you so mad at her? Because she saw us that time? It's been almost a year. Ah, you're mad because she saw what a pig you could be. Or maybe because you gave it up so easily, but she's a decent woman. Or because she has a daughter and you don't even have a dog to bark at you." Blanca starts to say something about his wife, but Ramón reminds her that topic is off limits. He proposes they make a bet--Blanca will do everything she can to break her, to get her to leave, and Ramón will do everything he can to get her into bed (or desk, as the case may be). Blanca takes the bet.

Present: Lupita gives Capellan the 411 about the work environment. She calls Blanca and Ramón pigs, "Begging your pardon, ma'am" (ha ha, didn't realize they called cops "pigs" in Spanish too). Blanca and Ramón were sleeping together, but if Ramón wanted someone, Blanca would get her for him. They would make bets, or rather, Ramón would. And he did have a thing for María.

Flashback: María is leaving for the day, but Lupita reminds her it's the feast day of San Ramón. That means a party for the boss. Lupita tries to convince her to stay. Ramón walks up and scolds her for leaving without staying for the party. María apologizes for being a month behind in rent. Ramón brushes that off and says nothing's going to happen to María's daughter if she stays for just one dance. "You're the only one I haven't danced with." Lupita says he hasn't danced with her either. Ramón's like, "uh, yeah, later maybe." He sends her off to help her coworkers. Ramón starts schmoozing María. "You're a very attractive woman and I like you. But I'm a gentleman, so I'm going to let you go home and see your daughter, but just this once. You have to give me a chance to ask you out for dinner sometime, away from the market." While he's schmoozing, Blanca is smuggling the fancy knife into María's bag. She goes over to tell María and Ramon that she needs to see them both in the office right away.

Ramón wonders what's going on. Blanca tells María to put her bag on the table and starts searching it. She pulls out a knife and María is shocked. Blanca now demands that María strip so that Blanca can search her. María starts undressing, but won't strip past her undershirt. "Touch me if you want, I can't hide anything in here." Blanca tells Ramón that she wants him to take a good look at her, "If she stole this, who knows what else she stole." María accuses Blanca of putting the knife in her bag. Ramón asks to be left alone with María. Blanca gets upset, "Fine, if you don't care that she's stealing, maybe you should know that the health inspector wants to close her down for two days to disinfect." She leaves. María wants to look at the report. María says she didn't steal the knife. Ramón starts putting the moves on her and asks what he can do to compensate her. He claims not to be able to do anything about the two day shut-down, but he offers to pay the fine. He tries to get her to use "tú" with him. He reminds her that he owns half the market and is also Blanca's boss. "Blanca is difficult. Imagine! She says you're ugly, but you're really pretty. I want you to be ok, and to trust me. If she gets bad, come to my office and we'll talk."

Present: Capellan questions Ramón. He claims it was just a chick fight. Capellan asks him if he had an "emotional" relationship with Blanca. He denies that he did. I'm inclined to agree. She asks if he was interested in María. "Well, yeah, I like women." Capellan tells him his interest is the reason she's got a cadaver in the morgue, so he'd better behave himself. He's not in a good situation--she can accuse him of workplace violence and sexual assault.

Flashback: Maria is just waking up and its after 9. Luchi is in the kitchen filling cups with green liquid. She's proud of herself for making jello to sell so that mom won't be sad. She did it all by herself. María asks what she can help with. Luchi tells her to put them in the refrigerator, but carefully. "Don't spill."

María is still home and in her pj's when Carmelita comes over to take Luchi to therapy. Carmelita offers to let María take her. María hesitates, so Luchi jumps in and says they don't have money because they closed down her stall for two days. Carmelita is sure it was Blanca. "Ever since I've known her, I've seen her bad intentions!" María wants her to hush in front of the girl, but Luchi reminds her she's not a little girl anymore. Carmelita offers to give her money. She insists she's taking Luchi to therapy, and no paying back later. Luchi asks Carmelita if she'll buy some gelatinas. Carmelita will buy them all, but after therapy.

Present: Capellan confirms that Blanca was suspended for two days-Tuesday and Wednesday-and went back to work yesterday, Thursday. "What happened yesterday?" María says that Blanca told her that Ramón had stocked the stall with fish for her and she needed to pay him back for it, and she should be grateful not to be kicked out.

Flashback: Ramón is leaving the market, but he changes his mind when he hears that María is working late. He visits her at her stall and gives her a scare. She says she's making up for the time she lost. Ramón tells her that he does need her to pay him back for the fish. He goes behind the counter while she's washing her hands and starts touching her. She knows what's up and tells him to back up. Ramón says he'll do her a favor and report her the next time he sees her working late. María sits on the floor of her stall and cries.

Present: Capellan asks what happened today.

Flashback: María gets to her stall and finds it plastered with signs saying it's closed. There's an envelope for her. Lupita wants to know what it says, but María won't talk, so Lupita takes it from her and reads it herself. They took the stall from her.

In his office, Ramón laughs. Blanca is upset again. "I ran her off, see! I won!" Ramón keeps laughing and just wants to know if when she talked to the union rep she was as close to him as she is to Ramón now. She calls him an idiot and leaves.

María is ripping the signs off her stall. She goes behind the counter and tears off all the signs and the tape she can get her hands on. Blanca and Ramón see her and Blanca says she's crazy.

Present: Capellan asks what happened. "It was the lowest of humiliations. They made me feel like my life was worth less than a fish with no head or guts."

Flashback: Blanca comes over and yells at María. "Can't you read? It's not yours anymore! It says closed." Blanca keeps harping on it and saying they're going to throw María in jail. She's a pig, an idiot, she's disrespecting her authority. María yells back to shut up, stabs her, and keeps twisting the knife, holding one hand over Blanca's mouth and shushing her. Blanca bleeds all over some unfortunate produce and the bloody butterflies fly away. María yanks the knife out.

"María Gonzalez was tried for homicide. The judge in charge of her case took into account the recommendations of Sofia Capellan and judged the crime as a product of a violent emotion produced by extreme workplace violence. She was condemned to three years in prison. The provisional guardianship of Luchi was given to her godmother Carmen Gomez. Luchi continued attending therapy."

Labels: asesinas

Tonight, Karyme Lozano and Elsa Pataky are "Ana y Paula, Ultrajadas" (Ana and Paula, outraged).

People are arriving to some kind of event. Gerardo and Det. Capellan are attending. Poor Gerardo in his tie. So uncomfortable compared to scrubs. He comments to Capellan that he can tell you exactly when, how, and where someone died, just by looking, "but don't ask me to wear a suit!" It's a damn ugly tie, too, orange striped. Dude needs to spend more time around live people. In the background, Ana and Paula are greeting people. Capellan says everyone's there. Aranda and Moran show up, arm in arm. Aranda's looking hot in a green satin-y number, with her curls all bouncy. Can I hate her now? Moran blames their lateness on a problem with "manifestos" (the tickets?). Aranda and Moran are upstairs, Capellan and Gerardo, downstairs. Everyone goes to their seats.

A tenor delivers an aria. An older guy smoking a cigar climbs a ladder to the catwalk. He's followed by Paula's shoes, if I recognize them correctly. The aria continues. The cigar guy is enjoying it. Capellan looks like she's falling asleep. Gerardo just looks like he can't see the appeal. Cigar guy drops from the catwalk onto the stage at the end of a rope. No, not like Tarzan. The rope is around his neck. Most of the audience goes running, but Capellan and Gerardo don't. The tenor just stands there gaping at the body. Sounds like DIEM's kind of night at the opera.

Nope, Gloria, no open wounds this time around, but let the crazy drama flow, fo' sho'!

Flashback: Paula packs books into a box while drinking some red, red wine. Ana comes in. She has some news, but Paula asks her to wait so she can go get another glass for the wine. Paula clinks the glasses and toasts to Madrid. Ana announces that she got offered the job--national director of theaters. She hasn't answered yet, but it's a great opportunity for her. Paula makes a fuss about it being a bureaucratic job and about Ana not liking Juan Enrique. Ana agrees neither one likes the other, but she doesn't have another option. Ana tries to convince Paula it's a good move. "You can work here too, you can keep designing. Half a day of work, half a day for our projects!" Paula says "their" project was supposed to be going to Madrid. Ana goes back to it being a good opportunity. There seems to be some discontentment because Paula has some good stuff waiting for her in Madrid, but all of Ana's clout is in Mexico. Paula wonders if they're breaking up. Ana gulps down some wine.

Present: The body's still hanging around. Capellan is offering her help to the other cops who have shown up. Gerardo's reputation precedes him and Capitan Guerrero is impressed. Aranda and Moran join everyone on stage. Ana comes over and introduces herself as the set designer and the person in charge. Capitan Guerrero asks her to help them get the body down. He directs them where to lower it.

Capellan goes over and introduces herself to the tenor, James Kendall, and Paula. Kendall and Paula are talking in English, but he assures Capellan that he speaks Spanish perfectly. Paula, sporting a cut lip, introduces herself as the costume designer and asks if Mr. Kendall can be excused. Capellan is practically giddy as she says he can't leave, it's going to be a long night, but he's free to rest in his dressing room. He leaves and Paula asks what's next. "The medical examiner will have to determine the cause of death." My guess--a broken neck from hanging. Too obvious? Paula asks if people can go rest. Capellan asks Paula if she thinks it was an accidental death. Ana comes over and says she thought DIEM only worked on cases to do with women. "Well, sometimes we have to help out our peeps." She walks off and Ana and Paula look nervously at each other. Ana shushes Paula when she starts to say something. She hugs her. Capellan's radar goes off and she turns around to look at them.

Flashback: Ana is discussing the set design as some techs work on building it. Paula is sitting down in the audience sketching. The future deceased, Juan Enrique, comes up to Paula and gooses her from behind. She seems happy to see him and shows him what she's working on--a costume in the Baroque style, but with a modern touch. He loves it, but he reminds her that James Kendall is really short, like all tenors. "Countertenor," she corrects him. Juan Enrique jokes, "are you sure he doesn't have his hm hm cut off?" Paula says that's a castrato, silly. Juan Enrique says you never know. Ana comes up to say hi. She and Juan Enrique can't stand each other. Know how I know? Because their smiles get about 10 times bigger. Ana comments they're behind. Juan Enrique says it's no big, it'll be a few days before they need it to be ready. He goes to check out the stage and calls back that they'll talk later. Ana gripes that she can't stand the guy. Paula reminds her she's the one who wants to take the job. Ana is pissed off that Paula even likes him, but Paula says she more than likes him, she respects and admires him. Ana indirectly insults Paula's work by saying Juan Enrique is just a wasted old guy with a beer belly. Paula goes over to kiss him and tells him he gets more handsome every day. Looks like he took that seriously.

Paula and Juan Enrique talk colors and fabrics. Paula has worked with Kendall before, in London and Barcelona. JE asks how it's going with Ana. "I heard you're not too happy with her new job." "Well, it's what's best for her." She tries to show him some other drawings, but he brushes that off and says that sometimes life surprises you and you have to seize opportunities. Paula says "we had other plans." This cracks JE up. "You can't spend your life making plans. If you make plans you don't see what's in front of you. You ignore feelings." He's getting a bit handsy. Ana comes knocking and tells Paula she needs her. The gals leave and JE frowns.

Present: Gerardo says he needs to get the body back to the lab, but he's going to say the guy died from two stab wounds to the liver, and he definitely didn't die from asphyxia. Oh, I was mistaken about no blood this time around.

Flashback: JE reviews a list with a tech. Guys are moving in set decorations. Paula is on her way to take the fabrics to someone, but JE convinces her he needs to show her something. He takes her up onto the catwalk and tells her the best place to see a show is up there. He apologizes for the other day. Paula says she doesn't know what's happening with her lately. She starts crying and JE hugs her. He starts to kiss her, but she backs off. JE tells her that from up there, he feels like God, like he's bringing the actors to life, but then after the show it's all over. JE tells her he's really into her, he can't help himself. Paula hugs him.

Ana and the tech guy work on the lights. They're looking up and they see Paula and JE on the catwalk. It looks ambiguous, like they could be kissing, but she doesn't seem upset, even though the tech ribs her about it. Ana calls Paula to come down because James Kendall has arrived.

Ana and Paula greet James. JE comes up and does some bad Shakespeare, in English. Ana gripes at Paula. JE insinuates that after the hugs from Ana and Paula, James will be singing with hm, hm. James agrees he will be doing so, and offers his arm to Paula. I think the joke here is that JE didn't realize that James is bilingual and understood his crappy innuendo. Ana goes back to keep working on the set. JE announces it's "whisky time!"

Present: Guerrero, Gerardo, and Moran are up on the catwalk. Guerrero assures Gerardo that it's the safest place in the theater. Um, sure, if you're not a dirty old man who hits on lesbians. Guerrero thinks whoever did this was good with knots. And also good with the stage mechanics. They knew where to attach the rope so the whole set wouldn't come crashing down. Gerardo points out the cigar to Moran, who picks it up. They notice the lipstick and Moran surmises that even if it is JE's cigar, he wasn’t the only one who smoked it.

Flashback: Paula does a fitting with James. She tells James that JE smokes his cigars up on the catwalk on opening night. James finds this "curious." He asks how it's going with Ana. Paula says it's fine. James likes the costume. It's only missing a collar, which Paula adds.

Ana sees JE at an outdoor café, having a whisky. He asks her to sit down. He talked to the Secretary of Culture yesterday and he's in agreement with Ana's nomination. Ana says she respects him as an artist and all that, and she hates to say it, but "don't mess with Paula." JE says Paula's old enough to take care of herself, and besides, "What she really needs, according to nature, is a man." He tells her to get that look off her face, they have to work together. "What for," she asks, " so I can do all the work while you get drunk and take all the credit?" She tells him to shove it.

James asks Paula when they're going to Madrid. "The production starts in two months, doesn't it?" Paula says Ana's had another offer, so they'll see. Paula's pretty close to him, since she was standing behind him tying his cape on. She tells him he can wear the costume for the rehearsal if he wants to. JE comes in. James puts on his helmet and asks JE what he thinks. He goes off to rehearse. JE tells Paula he thinks he made a mistake. He wonders if Ana deserves the sacrifice Paula is making. Paula tells him it's not important. "Your artistic future isn't important?" JE tells her he's been in this situation before. "You know what, let's toast!" Paula tries to beg off, but he talks her into it. Before she walks out, she fusses with her hair.

They drink to friends. He insists she drink it all and refills her glass. They toast to Madrid. She chugs the whisky. He pours her a third. They toast to him, to making her laugh. He toasts to her eyes. He toasts to people who come to the opera. They keep getting blurrier. She giggles and says she's drunk. He spouts some poetic crap about ships or something. They end up on a couch. She finally says she needs to go back to work. He convinces her to stay and rest. He kisses her and she pushes him off. He ends up hitting her. She knocks over a costume trying to get away from him, but I think we are to assume that he rapes her.

Back at her place, she runs a shower. Her face is pretty well bloodied up. She gets into the shower and cries. She ends up huddled in the tub. Ana finds her there. She asks who hit her, what happened. Paula lies and says she didn't see who did it. It was in the parking lot. They took her wallet. Paula doesn't want to go to the cops. Ana tries to insist, but Paula is too upset. Ana relents. She helps Paula out of the tub.

James can't believe it when Ana tells him. Ana says she's here to protect Paula, but James points out that she's been very angry with Paula lately. Ana insists she's just worried, that's all. James says she should take care of Paula, then, because Paula's scared.

Paula lies on the couch and lets her phone ring. Ana comes in and asks why Paula hasn't been there in two days. Ana asks how Paula is doing, if she wants someone to help her finish the costumes. Paula says she wants to go to Madrid, I think. Ana says she's been thinking and she doesn't think taking the job is an option. Paula wants to leave now, but Ana says it's only another week to the opening. Paula's phone starts ringing again. Ana asks her if she's eaten, if she should fix her something. "I understand you're scared because of the assault, but you can't stay locked up in here your whole life. Why won't you tell me who it was." Ana tells her to answer her phone. She goes to fish the phone out of Paula's purse, but she finds Paula's wallet. "Didn't you tell me they took your wallet in the parking lot? It wasn't a robbery, right? Talk. What's going on?" Paula tells her it was JE. "He hit you?" Paula says he came into the studio and tried to…. Paula finally says he raped her. Ana is shocked. Paula repeats it. Ana hugs her.

Rehearsal. Chaos. James looks like a girl with those curls, even with his package on prominent display in tights. JE shows up at rehearsal. James comments to the accompanist that things like this don't happen in England. I suppose he means the chaos. JE starts giving orders. James tells JE that he doesn't know where he's going in his scene. "We haven't even talked about my character." "Your character's a fool who repeats the same phrases. Just trust me, I'm the director." JE announces that he's been named Director of the National Theater Company and he's been asked to choose an assistant director. He's chosen a woman with the talent to do it--Paula Moncada. Paula and Ana are both shocked. Ana whispers to Paula, "He raped you. Say something. Let him know you know what kind of monster he is. Oh, but that wouldn't be convenient, would it?" Ana walks off and people start coming up to congratulate Paula.

Present: In one of the boxes, Aranda interviews James. "You do understand that I was either on stage singing or I killed someone?" Aranda says that's clear. What she wants to know is if he saw anything odd in the last few days. James looks down. He finally says he did hear something that maybe he ought to tell her.

Aranda uses her cell phone walkie to tell Capellan that James just gave some important information.

Gerardo and Guerrero come down from the catwalk. Capellan announces to them that Juan Enrique raped Paula, according to James' testimony. Gerardo remembers her as the costumer. He reminds them that there were two stabs directly to the liver. "Do you think it could be…?" "Dressmakers' shears?" finishes Capellan.

Moran takes pictures in Paula's studio. He finds a pair of scissors.

Aranda runs some fingerprints.

Moran swabs the scissors.

Capellan asks Paula what happened between her and Juan Enrique. Before she can answer, Moran walks in and announces that they've gotten results from the lab. That was quick! "The blood on the scissors is the victim's." He leaves. Guerrero is sitting in on the interview. Capellan asks who hit her in the mouth. Was it Juan Enrique? What happened? Paula says they were drinking and he misunderstood. "I told him I didn't want to, to stop, but he kept going. I didn't want to, but I had to." Capellan says she couldn't have done it alone. "Why?" Gerardo says that JE weighs twice what she does. "Or could you have thrown him?" "But he fell." Guerrero asks her if she knows how to knot a rope. She admits she doesn't. "Then you couldn't have done it alone," says Capellan, "Who helped you?" Paula just repeats the she killed him.

The tech guy tells Aranda that yeah, he didn't like JE, and he did like Paula. He says he could have carried him, he's carried heavier stuff, but sorry, he didn't kill him. Aranda asks if he can prove it. He says during the production he directs everything from his radio, but he has to be on ground level. We see a brief flashback to JE's untimely exit, er, entrance, whichever, and the tech guy was in the wings talking to somebody. "Then could it have been a scene shifter?" The guy says they don't have any changes of set. "The catwalk was empty, except for Elizondo, who went up there to smoke." He's pretty sure of it.

Guerrero and Capellan go over a list of names. Guerrero says he's sure someone was up there. "Someone Paula is trying to cover for," says Capellan as she underlines Ana's name. Flashback to Ana saying DIEM only does cases to do with women and then hugging Paula.

Flashback: JE is writing a check. Ana wants to talk to him, but he says the decision has been made. "What did you do to Paula?" They get into a fight. He decides to answer the question by giving her a demonstration. She manages to knee him in the groin and get away.

Ana comes home and finds Paula in bed. She holds her and asks her to forgive her. The both cry. Paula sees Ana's face and starts getting upset, but Ana tells her nothing happened. Ana apologizes again. Paula asks what they're going to do. Ana says she knows.

Present: Capellan confronts Paula and Ana. "If Paula didn't want to make a report, despite your insistence, why didn't you do it? Why did you do this?" Ana says her only responsibility is to the person she loves. The rest doesn't exist. Paula says they were tired of being victims.

James stands on stage and takes a deep breath before beginning his aria. JE climbs the ladder with his cigar. James starts singing. JE lights up. Paula climbs the ladder. Ana prepares the noose. James sings on. Paula sneaks up on JE with scissors in hand. Ana comes from the other side of the catwalk. JE doesn't even notice. Paula approaches. She takes the cigar and takes a puff. She grabs JE and whispers to him that she can't get him out of her mind. He takes this the wrong way. She stabs him in the back with the scissors and Ana puts the noose around his neck. They manage to shove him off the catwalk. The butterfly flies away and Ana walks Paula off to the end of the catwalk.

"Ana Beltran and Paula Moncada were tried for murder in conspiracy with premeditation and gain. The rape suffered by Paula and the attempted rape of Ana were not elements that could be taken into account as extenuating circumstances because as there was no report, the events could not be proved. Both were condemned to 20 years in prison."

Labels: asesinas

Tonight, Nuria Bages is "Ofelia, Enamorada" (Ofelia, in love).

A woman stands outside a room. Inside, we see medical equipment and hear some unpleasant snorty sounds. She approaches the bed and picks up a syringe from the bedside table. She pushes the needle into an IV tube and injects it. Another, younger woman walks in, says "Dad?" and then looks surprised.

Gloria seems confident this will be as twisted and bloody as every other week, but I'm not getting that impression just yet.

The body on the stretcher leads the way out of the house. Then comes Ofelia, the older woman, in cuffs. The younger one, Ximena, is being restrained by two hunky DIEM guys as she screams that Ofelia is a murderer who killed Ximena's daddy. Aranda looks troubled and lets the doc know that the body, the suspect, and the witness are all on their way.

Flashback: A man and a woman walk in the woods. The guy is Ricardo, not yet deceased, but he's coughing. It's 11 months ago. Ofelia, not yet a murder suspect, thinks he's smoking too much, but he thinks the best way to stay healthy is to stay away from the doctor. Har, har, har. They move on to talking about Ximena. She's fighting with Roberto a lot lately. Ofelia can't understand young people today--they're together, they're not together. I'm betting she's not on Facebook. That would blow her mind. Ricardo says she asked him what the formula was for being together 20 years, like the two of them. My thoughts: a really big closet and not sharing a bathroom sink. Ok, ok, I guess things like having common interests, honesty, openness, and kindness are important too, but nothing keeps love alive like not having to look at the aftermath of the Sunday night shave. Ricardo told her that every day he asks himself if he would choose Ofelia again. "And? Would you?" I can't quite make out his answer, but something like ask me again later and I'll tell you. He laughs and then starts coughing.

Ricardo and Ofelia are getting ready for bed. They both agree they had fun at the get-together earlier. Ricardo starts coughing and grabs his side. He ends up falling on the floor.

Ricardo is in the hospital. Ofelia leaves another guy in the room with him and goes out to the hallway to talk to the doctor. The doc says that Ricardo has a tumor in his right lung, but this is all preliminary. They need to do further tests to confirm it. He repeats this when she asks if he can be cured. He says they might be able to operate. He tells her not to lose faith.

Ofelia sits in the dining room, stirring her coffee. Ricardo walks in. He touches her gently, but it still startles her. She gives him crap for being out of bed and he gripes that he's been in bed for two weeks. She reminds him he's supposed to rest. "I'll rest when I'm dead!" She brings him into the kitchen and he says it was just a joke. She chops carrots and says she'll make him a carrot and meatball soup. "Has anyone told you you look beautiful today?" "Well, no, you're the only nutjob who tells me that." He says she's beautiful. He's fighting back the coughing and it's hard for him to even be standing up. Finally, the coughing gets the better of him. She pours him a glass of water, which he has trouble getting down. She talks him into going back to bed. In the hallway, he tells her he can make it on his own, but he only gets a few steps before he has to lean on a table for support. He takes the opportunity to tell her to put salt in the meatballs. She won't, though, because the doctors said salt was bad for him. "Doctors don't know everything! And don't even think I'll go to a hospital. I want to read." He goes into his library instead of going back to bed.

Ofelia tells Ximena that cancer was the diagnosis, but she doesn't want Ricardo to know. She wants him to be able to stay home so she can be the one to fuss over him. Ximena, smoking a cigarette, says he has to be in a hospital. He can't stay home like there's nothing wrong with him. Ofelia says that he refuses to go and the doctor said he was fine at home, where he could be more relaxed and have his books. Ximena accuses Ofelia of only caring about what's convenient for her and not caring about Ricardo's health. Ofelia storms off.

Present: Capellan and Aranda discuss the case. Aranda tells Capellan that as soon as they walked in, Ofelia admitted to having killed him. And the stepdaughter confirms it. Capellan asks if they've started the autopsy.

Past: Ofelia serves Ricardo some of the meatball soup, which looks to me more like meatballs with a thick sauce. He has to get his breathing under control before he can talk to her. He asks if she remembers what his mom used to say, "Talk! It's free!" Ofelia laughs. "What would she say if she could see me now, and what it costs me to talk," Ricardo asks. Ofelia tells him with proper nutrition, they'll get him better.

The doctor tells Ofelia that a biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of cancer, but an operation isn't possible anymore. She asks the doctor if he's going to be in pain. "The cancer has metastasized. It's gone into other organs. If we're going to have any chance, the chemo will have to be very aggressive. Unfortunately, there's no other way to handle this. The cancer is aggressive and the prognosis isn't good." Without the treatment, he'll definitely die.

Ricardo is coughing up blood into the toilet. Ofelia comes running in. When he can gather enough breath, he asks her if he's sexy. "The sexiest man in the world!" she agrees. I like his sense of humor. She tries to get him to bed, but he misses another opportunity at innuendo and asks her to take him dancing instead. Ofelia puts on a cd and they dance. And kiss. And he coughs the whole time.

Ximena comes to see her dad. She brings him flowers and says his wife forgets the important details. She tells him to leave his oxygen mask on. He asks her if she had her meeting and presented her project yet. She says she did and it went well. A few revisions and they'll publish it. She asks him to review it for her. Ricardo says it's very exciting, her first novel! Ximena says she wrote it for her mom and for him. Ricardo is overcome with coughing. Ximena is asking if he's really fine, if he's taking his medicine, if he should be working. Ricardo tells her that Ofelia doesn't do anything but take care of him. He asks her when he'll see…. "Dad, she's not my mother and I…." Ofelia comes in and tells them dinner is ready.

Ofelia and Ricardo sit outside. Ofelia is sketching with some pastels. Ricardo is in a wheelchair now. He complains about his back and Ofelia rubs it for a little while. Ricardo tells her to sit down. He says his daughter can be kind of bitchy, but if the two of them could just get along…she's suffered too.

One year ago: Ximena and Ricardo are in his office. Ricardo smokes his pipe and reads. He "hmmmmm"'s. Ximena says "you don't like it." She gets up and lights a cigarette. Ricardo says he loves the story, but she added a violence that seems excessive. "Well, not everything in life is rosy, dad!" He agrees, but says not everything is black or white either, there are colors, "there are options." Ximena says she wanted some encouragement from him. "Sometimes I need it." He says she's his favorite author, the most talented. "Yes, yes, as long as Ofelia doesn't start writing too, right?" She noticed a manuscript on his desk titled "Sin…" by Ofelia Millan Lombardo. "We're talking about your work right now," he says. "Sometimes I think I'm going to die without seeing you at peace with my wife." Ximena says she just can't deal with her.

Ofelia reassures Ricardo that she'll be there both for him and for Ximena.

Present: Moran tells Gerardo that the blood tests showed morphine. Gerardo says in advanced cases of cancer, it's used to control pain. He says Ricardo's body was completely "invaded" and he wouldn't have lived much longer. "Then what's the point of giving him an overdose?" "So he won't feel his death." Gerardo smiles at Moran as if to say, "Catch a clue, you dumb schmuck."

Past: Ofelia goes to the front gate and lets in Jorge, the guy who was with her at the hospital when Ricardo first went in. Jorge asks about Ricardo. Ofelia says he's in his library, reading. Jorge brought him some more books. Ofelia cuts him off and says she heard he was going to buy the library from her. She wants him to tell Ricardo that he changed his mind because Ricardo is going to die and he doesn't know it yet. Jorge tells her that as long as there's life, there's hope. Ofelia doesn't know what to do anymore. She tells Jorge the cancer has metastasized. "Sometimes I want to believe that he's going to get better, but the truth is, he's dying." Ricardo wheels himself down the hall as Ofelia and Jorge head for an open door. He hears her saying to Jorge that she wants Ricardo to believe he's going to get better and things are going to be like they were before. Ricardo interrupts them and asks what they're whispering about.

Ofelia heads for the gate and opens it to Sandra. Sandra asks how things are. "The same. Now he's calm. Jorge came to see him and that lifted his spirits." Sandra asks how Ofelia is doing. The truth is, she really hasn't had time to think about it. She only has time for him. Sandra hopes she won't be offended, but the neighborhood has organized themselves to pray for her and Ricardo. Ofelia says she's not offended, even if she and Ricardo aren't believers. Sandra tells her they're going to pray at her house at 6 that evening. She asks if Ofelia needs anything. Ofelia thanks her and hugs her.

Jorge begs Ricardo to put his oxygen mask back on, but Ricardo refuses. He tells Jorge that he's dying, but Ofelia can't or won't understand. Ofelia stands outside the door and listens to him tell Jorge that he's dying. He can feel it inside. He asks Jorge not to tell anyone what they talked about. Ofelia knocks on the door and Jorge grabs a book off the desk and shoves it in his bag. He looks guilty as Ofelia walks in. He says "Oh, good, you're here. I was just telling Ricardo to put the oxygen mask back on, but he won't, he's very stubborn!" Ofelia says it's fine. She tells Ricardo they'll eat soon. Jorge takes his leave and Ofelia asks them what they're plotting. Ricardo says she can't know everything, "It's guy stuff." She gives a disbelieving look and says she'll walk Jorge out.

She thanks Jorge for coming. Jorge pulls out his wallet and says "Oh, I forgot, I owe Ricardo some money, would you give it to him, please?" Ofelia tells him to keep it, they've got plenty of money from her retirement and Ricardo's grant. "And don't play along with him." Jorge says Ricardo asked and he can't refuse. Ofelia says, "You know what I always loved about Ricardo? He was always a bad liar." Jorge laughs and says that's right.

Present: Sandra looks at a picture of Ricardo and tells Capellan that Ricardo and Ofelia were very much in love when they got married. When Ricardo got sick, Ofelia learned how to do everything to take care of him. Capellan asks how the daughter got along with her stepmother. Sandra says that it was a difficult relationship, that Ximena never accepted her parents' divorce and she blamed Ofelia for it.

Past: Ofelia comes home with groceries. Ximena comes down the stairs and Ofelia thanks her for taking care of her dad while she was out. Ximena asks Ofelia what her plans are for after her dad is gone. "I don't know. Learn to survive without him, know what life is like without him, live without him." "Without him, without his house, without his friends." "Ximena, you're not hurting me, you're hurting yourself. The blow is coming for both of us, why keep fighting?" Ximena says if she doesn't fight, she doesn't exist. She says that because of Ofelia she had to leave her own house and stay away from her father. "No one has pushed you aside! Your father adores you!" "And you love me a lot too, don't you?" Ximena asks sarcastically. "Yeah, right," she answers herself when Ofelia doesn't say anything. Little punk.

Ofelia helps Ricardo into bed. He asks her for an injection and she says he's supposed to wait another two hours. He asks again and says the pain in his back is killing him. Ofelia agrees and goes to wash her hands. She pulls open a drawer on the nightstand and pulls out a syringe and a box with "morphine" on it. She remembers talking to the doctor and being shocked that she would be giving him morphine. The doctor tells her the pain is strong and they'll start with one ampoule every four hours. If he's not going to be in the hospital, only the morphine will be able to control the pain. Ofelia tells the doctor that he does have his good days--friends come to visit, he reads, writes, he talks to his daughter. The doctor says the good days will be fewer. Ofelia worries that the morphine cold kill him. "Only in a high dose. It would cause respiratory depression and he'd suffocate. For that you'd have to inject him with 3 or 4 ampoules. Don't worry. I'm only prescribing one. It's nothing." Ofelia gives Ricardo the injection in his IV. He feels the relief immediately. He pats the bed so Ofelia will get in with him. She curls up next to him and he asks her if Jorge paid the money he owed. Ofelia lies and says he did and not to worry about it. He tells her he doesn't understand how such an intelligent woman ever paid any attention to him. She says it's because he looks just like Pedro Infante. "Good thing you're going blind," he says, and laughs. He says she must be angry at him because he promised he'd take care of her when she got old. "Well, I'm already old." "But I'm the one who's dying." Ofelia insists he's going to get better.

The neighbors pray the rosary and walk down the street with candles. Ofelia thought bubbles, "I don't believe in God. I believed in Ricardo and he's dying. It's hard for me to believe in things I can't see, even though I would like to believe, because I realize that it makes people feel better to believe, right?"

Present: Capellan talks to Jorge. Jorge tells her that that he and Ricardo had been friends for 45 years. They grew up together in the same neighborhood. Capellan says that Ofelia has declared herself guilty of murdering her husband. Jorge says she suffered a lot with Ricardo's illness. "Did he know he was dying?" Jorge says he felt it and he even gave Jorge a book a few days before he died, to give to his daughter. "I think you should read it." It looks like a journal.

Past: Ofelia gripes at Ricardo for getting out of bed by himself. He says he's just going to the bathroom. He finally gets in there and she offers to help him, but he says he can do it himself. They both look down and realize it's too late. She says she'll help him get changed and he says he'll do it himself. She leaves the bathroom and says she'll be right outside if he needs anything. She closes the door and they both cry. Dudes, this one is just sad. I don't think there's a twist or anything. I can't even consider it murder at this point, unless there's something we haven't seen yet that changes things.

Present: Moran tells Gerardo he believes the handwriting is the same. Capellan comes in and says, "People, I've got a murderess who confessed and you have nothing to say?" Gerardo says the victim had a high dose of morphine. Moran says the handwriting is a 100% match. "He asked for it, Sofia," says Gerardo.

Past: Ofelia helps Ricardo into bed. He says he's better. He refuses the oxygen mask. Ricardo does the "you've got something on your face" bit and kisses her. "You've got a kiss there." She calls him a liar. "The only liar here is you. Ofelia, in the name of the love that we have for each other, don't let me lose my dignity. Not that, please. Promise me." Ofelia nods and says she promises.

Ofelia paces the kitchen and cries. "Not lose dignity? How does one do that?"

Ofelia feeds Ricardo some soup. He tells her it was good. "We've had a good life together, haven't we?" Ofelia agrees.

11 months ago: Ricardo and Ofelia hold champagne glasses. Ricardo tells the assembled guests, "They say there's always some madness in love." Ofelia interrupts and says there's also reason in madness. Ricardo says he'd like to tell them there's no madness in love. "Love IS madness or it's nothing. So we'd like you to toast with us for these 21 years of immense madness and happiness." Everyone toasts. Ofelia thanks them all for being there. Everybody laughs and has a good time. Ricardo lights up his pipe. (This is possibly the same night he goes to the hospital, since he was talking about having fun at a get-together.)

Ricardo asks what time it is. Ofelia says it's 8:30 and goes to get his sedative so he can sleep. Ricardo says he doesn't want it. "Did you call Ximena?" She's coming later. "And does she know?" "Yes."

Present: Capellan and Ximena have their showdown. Ximena gets up in Capellan's face and says "Tell me why she killed him," or at least that's what I think she said. Capellan puts up her hands and Ximena sits down. She asks about the relationship between Ricardo and Ofelia. "She destroyed my family. When they divorced, my mother went to live in the United States. I didn't want to live with them, so my dad had me sent to school. Why did she kill him?"

Past: The neighbors walk down the street with candles, praying. They pray for Ricardo's family at a shrine they set up outside. Inside, Ricardo struggles to breathe and Ofelia holds his hand.

Present: Capellan sits down with Ofelia. "We try not to get hurt. How absurd. As if pain can be avoided." Capellan says that even if our loved ones are in pain, it doesn't justify that we decide whether they live or die. "But I already knew what was coming. All I could hear was the noise he made when he tried to breathe. The asphyxia, the coughing. You know, I didn't want to see him like that anymore."

Past: the neighbors keep praying.

Present: "It's strange, killing. As if one stops being normal when one kills another person, don't you think? But I wanted to protect my husband, you know? Have you ever been in love?" Capellan doesn't answer.

Past: Ricardo coughs and struggles to breathe. Ofelia starts to prepare another injection. Ricardo takes off the oxygen mask. He whispers something to her, I think "it's time." She puts the injection into his IV tube and cries.

Present: Ximena sits in DIEM and reads her father's journal. "Ximena, adored daughter, I've lost the battle. My heart tells me, and the silence of your eyes and of Ofelia's. Don't worry. Time will make you understand that living with rancor suffocates you, it holds you back, and that the best good in the world is living life with complete loyalty. The battle is over. Only Ofelia's immense love has saved me from this abyss. I've asked her to help me not lose dignity and be able to die like what I've been--an honest, faithful man, faithful to himself. Forgive me if I wasn't able to be the father you dreamed of. I adore you." Ximena closes the book and cries. Aranda looks on.

Ofelia and Ximena enter the hallway on opposite sides. Ximena is hugging the book. Ofelia looks at her and says "I did it for love." She keeps walking and Ximena sits down.

Past: Four ampoules are now sitting on the nightstand, empty. Ricardo is still struggling to breathe. Ofelia picks up the syringe and injects it into the IV tube. Ricardo keeps gasping and looking surprised. His breathing stops and his face relaxes somewhat. Ofelia cries.

"Ofelia Millan Lombardo was sentenced to two years in prison. Due to the evidence presented by Sofia Capellan to the judge, her sentence was commuted to house arrest for six months. Ximena visits her frequently. The legality of a living will or the right that people have to refuse medical treatment in case of terminal illness is currently being debated in Congress. Helping someone die is today in Mexico, and it many countries in America, an offense according to criminal law."

Labels: asesinas

Tonight, Adriana Fonseca is "Cecilia, Prohibida" (Cecilia, forbidden).

We see scattered flower petals on tile and lots of well-dressed people milling about. A priest hovers over a young man in a tux, while a woman in a white dress looks very, very confused.

You got it, Gloria, let it flow, let it flow, let it flow!

The ambulance guys load up the body while the confused young woman in the white dress is led away in cuffs. A woman is supported by her husband and the priest as one of the DIEM guys says he's sorry for her loss. The mom, I presume. The dad is played by that smarmy guy from Amar sin Limites and Al Diablo con los Guapos. Aranda calls Capellan and tells her the body is on its way and it was a murder at the church.

A guy storms away from a house while a woman grabs him by the hair to keep him from leaving. Things get physical really fast and another guy drives up and protects the girl. The first guy finally leaves, but he calls her a "maldita enferma" (damn sick woman).

Inside, the second guy, Luis (played by Luis Gerardo Mendez, who I remember as Bataca in Lola) rubs the girl's, Cecilia's, feet as she says the other guy just got mad and started hitting her. Luis checks out Cecilia's face and she asks him to put the ice pack on it for her. She confirms she's not with anyone else now and thanks him for taking care of her. They start kissing. Then he breaks it off and says he can't, it's not right. He leaves. She puts the ice pack on her face.

In his glass-walled shower, Luis cries.

Cecilia lies on the sofa, smoking a cigarette.

18 years ago: a girl puts on a puppet show for a little boy. She's telling a story about a boy who kept asking for balloons and letting them fly away, until the boy himself flew away. The boy sneaks around behind her little makeshift stage and she gasps when she sees him and pulls her skirt down over her knees. The both start laughing and the little boy kisses the little girl.

Luis looks out the window. He hears a door behind him and sees Cecilia walk in. They start kissing. She has some kind of tattoo on her shoulder. Looks like they have the sex.

Now he's all upset again and she's confused.

(Mr. 5ft: Did she just sleep with her brother?
Me: I kind of think so.
Mr. 5ft: Ok. Cause that's the impression I got.)

Cecilia greets her Elsa and Mario, who I presume are her parents. She explains away the cut on her lip, saying she hit herself with something in the studio. Elsa asks if she put ice on it and she smiles when she says she did. Elsa says she's going to send someone to clean it up, but Cecilia says she can't work if her stuff gets moved around. Cecilia asks where Luis is and Mario says he left early, he had something to do. Cecilia tries to act like it's no big deal and says she just wanted to ask him about something.

Cecilia waits for Luis at school. He's on the phone, talking too fast for me to understand. When he gets to Ceci, she gives him a hard time for leaving the house early to avoid her. He says he just needed to get to class. He says he doesn't know how he's supposed to deal with this, just because, because it's wrong. She says they both wanted to. He responds that what they did makes him sick.

Luis talks to a priest, Nacho. He tells him he didn't know who else to talk to. "I lied to myself, I constructed a big lie." Padre Nacho surmises that Luis went did it "again." Luis admits that he wants her so much, he doesn't know how he stood going so many years without her. "She was right, I always wanted this to happen, we both did."

So now, he's on Forense Gerardo's slab. Forense Gerardo reports to Moran that the wounds were fatal. The first one to an intestine, the second one into the liver. Moran tells Gerardo that the guns have her fingerprints all over them and her dress has her brother's blood on it. Gerardo sagely says "Love kills too, Moran."

In her studio, Cecilia is smoking, drinking, burning a bunch of candles, and using a tool to etch into some wood. She cuts herself and drips blood on her artwork. She uses the dropped blood to write an L. Mami comes knocking and Ceci screams at her before going to open the door. Mom came to tell her that a client called because Ceci was supposed to bring over some works. "Yeah, I couldn't." Mom is alarmed at Ceci's wound, but Ceci brushes it off, "I cut myself, I'll put some carbonated water on it and it's over." When Ceci goes to do that, Mom looks at the work bench. "Now you're working in blood?" "Yes, and drinking it too. I'm a vampire." Cecilia tries to shoo mom out. Mom asks about the last boyfriend. She starts prying about why they broke up. Cecilia says she's in love with another man, that's what happened.

Back at the house, she tells dad that she was afraid to ask who Ceci was in love with. He thinks she's exaggerating. Mom says she hurts herself and writes in blood. The dad says she's capable of doing anything to get attention. Mom, however, is convinced that Ceci isn't well. Dad suggests that Mom talk to Luis. He'll probably know if something's wrong.

Ceci and Luis are sitting on the couch together watching TV. Ceci's feet are in Luis' lap and she whines at him to change the channel. Mom comes in and asks if they want anything. Luis wants a coffee and offers to get up and make it, but Ceci tells him to stay put, so Mom says she'll bring it. Mom looks suspicious. Ceci whines some more for him to change the channel, but he still won't. When she suggests, "juguemos" (let's play) he hands her the remote. He also asks her to quit rubbing her feet into his crotch. She asks "What if we tell Mom?" He looks panicked and asks her to please stop. She starts calling for her mom, who, when she shows up, looks kind of worried. Cecilia finally says she wants a coffee too. Mom nods and leaves. Ceci grabs Luis around the waist and puts her head on his chest.

Aranda asks Padre Nacho, whose last name is Quezada, which makes it sound just a bit like he's Father Cheesy Nachos, if he knew what was going on between Luis and Ceci. He says that Luis was having a hard time with his feelings, that he adored Cecilia, but it was impossible. "Why didn't you tell the parents?" "Because he told me under the seal of the confessional. Besides, he had made the decision to stay away from his sister. Especially after he met Lucia."

Luis and Lucia bicker about something. They run into Cecilia who claims she needs Luis to come with her to pick up some paints. Luis awkwardly introduces them. Lucia kisses Ceci on the cheek. Cecilia is gratified that Luis told Lucia about her, but she wonders just how much he told her. Luis says he didn't say anything, just that she's his sister. Lucia gives him a hard time when Ceci says Luis didn't tell her anything about Lucia. Luis tells Ceci that he and Lucia have a class, so he'll catch up with her later.

Later, he goes into her studio to find her and asks her what she's up to. She ignores the question and says he should have knocked before coming in. "What if I was naked?" He begs her to cut it out. She says she needs his help with some work. "It's a thematic series, about the deadly sins. I don't know much about the topic, but you do. You have a friend who's a priest, a fresh little girlfriend…now that I think about it, I do know two: wrath, and lust." Luis tells her he can't take this the way she does, he just wants…"a normal life? Having a girlfriend you don't love, that's a normal life? Ok." He tries to leave, but she pulls him back. "You love me." He says of course he does, she's his sister. She says she misses him, but eventually says they won't do anything, they'll just go back to the way they were before. She keeps repeating "you're my little brother" over and over again into his chest.

Little Ceci is outside the house, sneaking around, and catches Little Luis undressing in his room. She calls out to him and laughs.

At the breakfast table, dad asks for more coffee and mom pours it. Mom says she'll go to wake up Luis, but Ceci offers, rather creepily, to do it. She saunters over to his room and opens the door without knocking. It looks like she locks the door behind her. She kneels by the bed and tries to kiss him, but he turns away in his sleep. She starts pulling up his shirt and his eyes open, but he closes them again. She hears someone knocking on the door, so she kisses him and gets up. Luis turns over and pretends to be sleeping. Ceci goes to the door and Mom angrily asks her why they locked the door.

Cecilia says "costumbre" (habit). "See if you can get him up, because I couldn’t." That has a much creepier meaning in this show. I'm going to have to scrub my brain after this is over.

Luis brings Lucia home and starts macking on her as soon as he gets her in the door. There are three other people who live in that house with you, dude. He tells her he's got a surprise and leads her through a doorway. Cecilia comes in the front door and starts skulking. The surprise was a bottle of wine. Ooh, the kind with a cork! Hey, big spender. They go down the hall to his room, still kissing the whole way, and Ceci sees them. Right after he opens the door, Luis sees Ceci down the hall. Ceci starts walking down the hallway, but stops. She makes a face like she's about to start crying.

The next morning, Luis comes out of his bathroom to find Ceci waiting on the bed. She razzes him about last night and says she just happened to see him. He asks her to leave so he can change and she says his girlfriend's pretty. He keeps telling her to leave and she asks him to forgive her. He says she asks for forgiveness and then does the same thing over and over and he can't live like this. She tells him that whatever's happening isn't only happening to her. She starts kissing him. He tells her it's sick and they aren't going to do it again. She tries to prove him wrong, so he runs and hides in his bathroom.

Dad tells Capellan that when he married Elsa, Ceci was 6 and he raised her like his own daughter. Capellan tells him she knows this is difficult, but she wonders if they never had any indication that anything was going on between the kids. Dad says they grew up together, they were inseparable, and who would have imagined that this would happen.

Dad is telling a funny story to Mom, Luis, and Lucia. Cecilia walks in and sees them all toasting. Lucia says they're thinking of getting married by Padre Nacho. When Ceci walks in, she looks angry and Dad asks her to come sit down, they've got news for her. She says she's busy and leaves. Dad asks Luis to go see what's wrong with his sister. Dad supposes it must be something that happened "at the office." Ceci runs into her studio bathroom and throws up. Luis catches up with her and asks her what's going on. Ceci says she has to take care of herself. He's going to get married, so he's not going to be around to take care of her. "My parents are worried about you." "Oh, please, Mario's not my dad." "It's as if he was." "'As if' isn't good enough for me. You didn't sleep with me as if I was your sister." She throws it in his face that he said he was going to take care of her and things were going to be like before, but now he's marrying that idiot. Luis wants her to leave Lucia out of it. "Did you tell your little girlfriend that you slept with your sister? Tell her, I'm sure she'll forgive you." Luis leaves the studio.

Dad comes in late to find Luis in the living room drinking a beer. Luis asks dad "How do you know when you're in love? Really in love?" Dad takes a swig of beer and says "First of all, because you accept her how she is. Then you think of her day and night. You want her all the time, regardless of where you are or who you're with. You're capable of doing anything to make her happy." Dad asks him if he feels that way about Lucia and Luis says he does.

Luis is waiting for Lucia outside of school. She tells him that his sister came to tell her that he's not going to marry her because he's in love with someone else. Sounds like she believed Cecilia and insists that he tell her who it is.

Luis goes to confront Ceci about what she said to Lucia. He grabs her by the back of the hair and the wrist and tells her to back off, or else. He asks her what she wants. "For you to love me. But you hate me." He tells her he doesn't hate her.

Mom goes running out of the house looking for Ceci to tell her dinner's ready. Ceci says she's not eating and she won't open the studio door. She finally gets up to open it. Mom says the place keeps getting messier. She tries to clean up, but Ceci tells her not to. Mom says she's been locked up for days. Ceci says she's just working. Mom tells Ceci that she and dad are worried about her. "My dad died years ago, or have you forgotten? Mario's not my dad. And Luis isn't my brother." Mom asks since when Luis isn't her brother. Ceci just repeats that he's not. Mom says "I'm a mother to both of you, you're siblings, and that's the end of it. Your brother, Luis, is about to get married, Cecilia." "I don't think he'll get married. He's in love with another woman." Mom looks worried. Ceci offers to tell her who. "You already know, Mom. Think." Mom is in tears as she cries and says she doesn't know.

Mom talks to Capellan. "I didn't want to understand. I couldn't. How do you understand something like that?" Capellan says things happen, there are signs. "A mother can't ignore those signs. I gave birth to both of them." Capellan asks about getting professional help for Cecilia. "I thought with Luis' wedding, everything would change."

The morning of the wedding, Mom is worried about where Ceci is, Dad is worried about where the rings are. Luis finally gets out the door. Ceci, in a bathrobe, calls to him from the door of the studio. She fusses with his tie and his collar and says he looks handsome. She asks him if he knows what he's doing. "My love, don't get married, please, don't." She tries to get on her knees and beg him, but he pulls her back to her feet and says they're waiting. Someone honks the horn and he extricates himself and leaves.

Luis walks out of the church with Lucia on his arm. People start demanding a kiss and the happy couple obliges. They start throwing flower petals. Luis and Lucia start hugging people. Ceci pulls up in a cab, wearing a white dress and carrying a bouquet of flowers. Luis sees her and looks nervous. He goes away from the rest of the guests to greet her. Ceci says "I asked you not to."

Ceci tells Capellan "He didn't have to get married. I told him. Because he was in love with me and not her. He loved me and I loved him."

Luis says he's sorry. Ceci shoots him twice with the gun under her bouquet and says "I love you." Everyone comes over to see what happened and Lucia cries. Dad starts unbuttoning Luis' shirt and calling for help, and Mom just sits down on the church steps and cries. In slow motion, Lucia cries over Luis, then looks up at Ceci. Cecilia has her eyes closed, but then looks up.

"Luis died instantly. Cecilia was condemned to 22 years in prison. The first few years of her sentence were served in a ward for high-risk prisoners. Elsa divorced Mario. She never stopped visiting her daughter. With diabetes and heart problems, Cecilia left prison a little before reaching the age of 52."

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