Friday, October 29, 2010

El Clon Thursday October 28: Summary for Discussion

Update: Wikipedia now says that because of an unprecedented ratings surge in Uzbekistan, Tanzania, and across a broad swath of western China, El Clon has been extended to 263 episodes. In the United States, it will run through Groundhog Day 2011. Hahahahah!!! October Fools!!!

Before the new episode begins, we get one more chance to enjoy the incredibly satisfying bofetada: Slap! Again, we imagine Cris’s hand print on that rodent face.

Now to the business of the evening:

Faced with the prospect of living in Fez at Tío Abdul’s mercy, Samira does what any sane person would do: she runs away. The Naz blames Mohamed for threatening Samira with such a hellish fate. Abdul takes umbrage at the idea that living with him is an infierno. Then, to his family’s immense relief, he scuttles off to catch his plane.

The Naz turns to Latifa next and blames her for supporting Mohamed’s plan. But Mohamed, surprisingly, assumes responsibility for what has happened.

Things are looking grim at the Del Valle home. Lucía’s not buying Roberto’s protestation of innocence. Andrea suspects that Consuelo is mixed up in all this, but she doesn't know how. Roberto is having the DNA test repeated: he’s sure the positive result was an error or a scam.

Let him repeat the DNA test as often as he likes, crows UbersKank. It will turn out the same. Still, Karla is worried about all the money her mother is spending in anticipation of their windfall.

Alí and the Naz take to the streets in search of Samira.

Gloria tells Alí that when a girl runs away, it’s always because of a boyfriend. While Alí is explaining that in his culture there are no novios, just esposos, Ramón comes along and tells them just by chance he saw Samira tiptoeing out of her house, carrying a suitcase early this morning. He just happened to see her meet up with a boy.

Here's how the Naz searches: She walks along the water screaming Samira’s name, and growing ever more frantic. By an amazing coincidence, Pablo is in that same spot. The second bofetada of the evening: Pablo slaps the hysterical Naz to bring her to her senses. Ay, me pegaste, Pablo! (Oh, you hit me, Pablo!) The shock on her face turns to a delirious smile and she gives Pablo a long, passionate kiss, while Diana and Pedro look on in amusement.

The unpleasant Albieri’s finally confront one another. He can’t understand why she turned on him. His only sin was giving a reporter an interview. But according to Luisa:
¡Me excluiste! Eso es lo que no perdono!
(You excluded me! That’s what I can’t forgive!)

He doesn't understand why she's so mad. He isn’t in love with Amalia, although he does love her admiration, her interest, her questions.

And finally, Luisa storms out with her suitcase and her rage in tow. [And given her wardrobe, for once we can believe that everything she owns is in that one bag.]

At Dora’s apartment, Daniel vows to follow Jade wherever she may go. Not if Dora can help it!
She implores Jade to stop putting ideas in Daniel’s head and accuses her of trying to get from Daniel what Lucas owes her. (Tú quieres cobrarte con todo lo que te debe el otro). Besides, what are you going to live on when Daniel can’t even support himself?

Jade remembers the young Lucas promising to go away with her. Then she hears the present-day Daniel say:
Yo voy a estar contigo siempre; yo no te voy a dejar nunca.
(I’m always going to be with you; I’ll never leave you.)

Responds a saddened Jade: I waited all my life to hear those words. And now it’s too late.

With no explanation, Daniel hurries out of the house.

Once he’s gone, Jade tells Dora not to worry; she’s going to a place where Daniel won’t find her. But she takes off her jade pendant and gives it to Dora. Please give him this and tell him I lived the most beautiful time of my life with him.

She explains that through Daniel, she came to realize that her experience with Lucas was real and beautiful; that she didn’t throw her life away.

She gives Dora a parting gift, a filmy orange veil [clearly, the Naz gives better presents], and leaves, pulling her magic telenovela maleta behind her [because unlike Luisa, Jade, even in exile, maintains an impressive closet].

So that’s where he was going!
Daniel shows up at Casa Ferrer. You said I could ask you for anything, he tells Leo. Well, I’d like a ticket to Morocco. Leo is amused that his sons are so attracted to the place. He promises Daniel his ticket.

And Jade shows up at Zein’s place – he said she could ask him for anything -- requesting shelter (posada) for the night.

Natalia and her baby come home to Casa Ferrer. Leo and Lucas have gone to the hearing and Daniel has just left. When Nati takes the baby upstairs, Marisa confides to Rosa that even though Nati is abstinent now, she’s on shaky ground.

Because Marisa is also on her way out, she asks Rosa to call Gloria to come to visit Natalia and the baby.

I guess Marisa is truly changed, broccoli band dress notwithstanding. She is in a support group for parents of addicts. She listens respectfully to the other parents and speaks with some humility of her own problems, her losses and her failures.

Back in Casa Ferrer, Nati looks very depressed. She seems uninterested in the baby, doesn’t even want to look at him. Marina comes in with a breast pump: Natalia has to empty her milk or she’ll have problems.

Gloria arrives and fills the room with her energy. As she holds mega-baby (He looks just like her baby, she says), she announces she’s there to take Nati and her grandson back to her place. She’s the one to supervise his care. Rosa defends the home team: The baby looks like both parents, she says stoutly; and she and Marisa raised Natalia – they can surely take care of little Alejandro. And Nati assures her suegra that she’s going to take very good care of her grandson.

In the courtroom, Roberto is advocating on Leo's behalf. The DNA results show clearly that Leo and Isabel Ferrer are Daniel’s biological parents. And furthermore, both Lucas and Daniel share a genetically transmitted trait, the famous mancha, that they could only have inherited from Isabel. Both men are called up to show their manchas to the judge.

At Empresas Ferrer, Clara gets another bouquet of flowers from Escobar. Caro thinks his courtship efforts are kind of sweet, but Clara says he’s the same clueless idiot as always.

Enrique breezes in looking happier than we’ve ever seen him (well, except when he’s making fun of Roberto). He has made up him mind, he tells Caro. Tomorrow he’s going to look for his family. Now that he has Carolina at his side, he’s ready to face his past.

Mohamed’s house is still in turmoil. Samira’s friends haven’t seen her. Mohamed refuses to believe Ramón’s story about seeing his daughter with a boy. And he thinks the circumstances are too shameful to involve the police. Suddenly Alí realizes the Naz is missing. She went out looking for Samira, says Zoraida, and she never came back.

Apparently the Naz has spent the day with Pablo. Maybe they were looking for Samira together? Now he has brought her home and before saying goodbye, he tries to kiss her. She refuses. Kissing is for married couples. The earlier kiss? That was in the heat of the moment. Say, she says, why don’t we get married and live in Morocco? Think about it! And off she goes leaving Pablo with a silly grin on his face.

Diana, who has just witnessed this exchange, can’t believe it. Neither can I, says Pablo. But did you see the powerful chemistry between us?

Once upstairs, the Naz announces blissfully:
¡No encontré a tu hija pero encontré a mi marido!
(I didn’t find your daughter but I found my husband!)

Zombies Paula and Fer are hanging out on their favorite ledge when Paula spots a police car and runs away. Fer, stretched out dopily, reacts too slowly. The police question him, find the gun he got from the Scary Drug Guy, and take him in to the station. Fer calls Clara and tells her he’s been arrested.

At Casa Ferrer, our third zombie’s recovery is wearing thin about now. Ahora comienza el infierno (now the hell begins) Natalia tells Rosa. She asks her to take care of the baby. And she says: Don’t let me go out -- even if I scream or kick or make a scene.

Gloria expresses her doubts about Nati’s recovery (Me cuesta creer en la rehabilitación de Natalia), but Alej believes in her. And he is on his way to visit his son.

In Said’s house, Jadiya is talking to Jade on the phone. They are planning the details of their escape. Jadiya has her suitcase packed. She diverted suspicion by telling everyone it was full of doll clothes she wants to bring to school to show her friend. As Jadiya talks, Rania is approaching ever so quietly. She catches Jadiya saying: But where are we running away to, Mommy? To Fez? Okay.

Rania can hardly contain her joy. She whispers the good news to Amina and swears her to secrecy.

Clara spends another miserable evening in the police station. Fernando was caught with a gun and he had drugs in his pocket and in his bloodstream. Clara has no money for bail, so he’ll have to spend the night in jail.

Lucas shows up at Salamandra. Why? Who knows. But Zein spots him in the crowd and we get to enjoy a few seconds staring at beautiful Zein staring intensely at Lucas.

When Daniel gets back to Dora’s apartment, he learns that Jade is gone. And once again, he rushes out without telling Dora where he’s going.

Just as before, he lands at Casa Ferrer. This time he is here to see Lucas. He prefers to wait outside.

As soon as Lucas drives up, Daniel asks him accusingly: Where’s Jade? Where did you take her? Lucas is puzzled: Isn’t she at your house? No, says Daniel, she left and she took her luggage.

We see Jade sitting in a yellow taxi.

Jadiya is ready for school. Said wants to know what’s in her suitcase. Doll clothes, says Jadiya. Said would like to see them. [Really? Said wants to see Jadiya’s doll clothes?]

To keep Said from discovering what is really in the suitcase, Rania tells him the doll clothes are carefully folded; he’ll get them all wrinkled if he opens the suitcase.

Then Rania can only watch in mute admiration as Jadiya gets Said to sign a paper for her by telling him it’s a permission slip for a school trip to the zoo. [I suspect it's a permission slip for a rather longer field trip.] When Jadiya finally leaves, Rania smiles and smiles and smiles.
She would probably break into her awkward emu dance, but it might arouse Said’s suspicions.

At Mohamed’s place, however, the Naz feels quite free to dance with joy. She looks about 15 years younger than she did the day before. She and Zoraida agree on one thing:
Es muy triste el destino de una mujer sin marido.
(The fate of a woman without a husband is a very sad one.)
Alí, unobserved, is listening to this conversation and seems surprised to hear Zoraida’s sadness at her life without husband or children or her own. [So maybe Zoraida will get a husband after all].

Amin rushes in with the latest: They found Samira. There’s a boy downstairs who wants to talk to Mohamed.

Mohamed finds Carlos standing at the front gate. He tells Mohamed that Samira is fine; she’s staying with a girlfriend. And he explains that he is Samira’s boyfriend and is prepared to convert to Islam for her. Mohamed says, as if in a trance state:
Tu… Carlos… occidental… musulman… novio de Samira…
And then he faints dead away.

Back at the clone trial, Dora’s lawyer gets her turn to speak. She tells the judge that not only is Leo’s paternity claim morally repugnant, there is no solid legal or scientific basis for it. Dora gave birth to Daniel, she raised him, gave him a home and a family.

Furthermore, if Daniel were shown to be a clone, why would the court assume that Leo is his father? Why not Lucas?

Mohamed has been helped up to bed and Zoraida now serves him a calming tea. He tells the family he had a terrible nightmare.

Carlos takes Alí to the house where Samira has been hiding. He convinces her it’s safe to come home.

In the final scene, Jade is still sitting in the yellow taxi. At last, Jadiya arrives at school. And when the coast is clear, she gets in the cab with her mother.

Credits roll.

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

El Clon, Wed., October 27 - Summary for Discussion

At the end of tonight's episode, we will be halfway through the final week of the novela. Will half the plot lines be resolved? I think not.

Malicia tells Rogelio that she gave up what little she had to be with the Chump and I guess nobody could be expected do that just for the joy of being with him so he gave her the apartment. When it didn't work out, he wanted it back. She asks if he thinks she is doing wrong by not giving it back to him. Rogelio replies that he doesn't know what to think. 'Yo no soy Cristo para andar poniendo la otra mejilla,'I am not a Christ who goes around turning the other cheek, say Malicia is the understatement of the year.

Alej comes to see Nati. He tells her that he has seen the baby but he is in a very delicate condition. She says that it is all her fault. She knew she was hurting the baby and wanted to quit drugs but she couldn't.

Then we get Enrique going on and on about his family that he hasn't seen. He imagines that they are all happy and successful. Then he hears fears that his children have inherited his chemical dependency. Who cares.

Nati asks Alej to forgive her. She promises that if the baby survives, she won't do anymore drugs. '¿Y esta vez sí en serio, Natalia?' And this time you really mean it? asks Alej.

Jade tells Daniel that she was at the travel agency but she didn't have enough money to buy two tickets to Morocco. When are we leaving? asks Daniel.

Zoraida comes to see Jade. She tells Jade that Mohamed's house is falling apart. He wants to send Zamira to Fez and Zamira says that she will run away. Zoraida says that she doesn't want to leave Jade. Jade tells Zoraida that she has made a decision. She calls Zein and arranges to meet him. 'Estoy a salvo,' I'm safe, says Jade.

The Chump thinks that he and Clara will get back together. 'Qué poco conoces a las mujeres,' How little you know about women,' says Anita.

Clara can't understand why Rogelio doesn't call her since he must have read the documents she gave him. She and Carolina overhear Leo making an appointment to meet with Malicia. She asks Leo's new receptionist to do something and then calls Cristina and tells her. [In spite of her protestations before the wedding, Rosa seems to be serving Cristina without any problems.] Cristina replies that she will be right over.

Jade finds Jadiya and asks if she wants to run away with her to Fez. [Why on earth would she want to go to a country where she has no friends and she could be stoned to death for kidnapping Jadiya?]

It looks like Said has been laying down the law about domestic felicity. When Jadiya comes home from school, Rania sweetly tells her that they are going to have a party for her today and she can invite all her friends. When Rania goes upstairs to ask Jadiya to have tea with her, she finds her putting her clothes in a suitcase. She tells Rania that she is organizing her clothes and deciding what to wear to the party.

Roberto and this family and the sKanks each discuss the progress of the lawsuit.

Cristina gets to Leo's office just before Malicia. When she asks Malicia what she is doing at her husband's company, Malicia claims that she is organizing a surprise party for him. She just needs half an hour with Leo to set things up. Cristina agrees.

Dr. Villegas tells Albieri that Luisa reported him and confirmed Dr. Silvia's accusations. Albieri is impactado.

With Cristina listening outside the door, Malicia tells Leo how much she has admired him and how happy she can make him if he lets her organize this party. Cristina has heard enough. She barges in and accuses Malicia of putting the moves on her husband the way she stole the Chump & Rogelio from Clara and Pablo & her job from her. Leo protests and Cristina orders him out of his own office. He goes meekly. Cristina slaps Malicia and Clara closes the door on the fight and that's all we get to see. We wuz robbed!! Clara and Leo listen to Malicia's cries for help from inside. 'La justicia se demora pero llega,' Justice may be late but it finally came, says Clara.

Dr. Villegas tells Albieri that obviously there are problems between him and Luisa and gives him the opportunity to deny the accusation but Albieri thinks that Villegas doesn't believe that he was capable of making a clone. He confirms that he has made a clone and gives Dr. Villegas a DNA test he did on Daniel and Lucas many years ago. Dr. Villegas chides Albieri for his lack of ethics but he says that nothing can be done because cloning wasn't illegal when Albieri did it.

[He doesn't mention experimenting on persons without their consent, which certainly was illegal and unethical in 1990, which is when Daniel was cloned if he is 20 now.]

Albieri replies with pride that when he made Daniel, no one even believed that cloning a human was possible. Then Villegas tells Albieri that his cloning experiment might have been successful by luck and that one clone does not make the process safe or feasible. He advises Albieri not to do any more cloning or he could lose his medical license or go to jail. Albieri replies that he doesn't want to keep what he did a secret anymore. He wants everyone to know what he is capable of.

Albieri calls Amalia and says that he wants to tell her all his secrets. She asks if he is going to tell her about the clone. Albieri says that he will.

Albieri goes to the lab. He tells Julio about what Luisa did and Julio isn't surprised. He says that you have to be careful of those devout women. Then Albieri tells Julio that he is going to go public with the clone story. Julio advises him to think twice about that - Albieri has been chosen to be president of the Medical Board to replace Villegas.

Lucas and Marisa join Alej in Nati's room. Good news. The baby is out of ICU. The nurse brings the mega-baby in. Nati wants to nurse little Alejandrito but Marisa ixnays that idea. Her milk is contaminated and might addict the baby to drugs. [According to Wikipedia, exposure of developing fetuses to cocaine has not been shown to do that much damage. The crack baby is a myth. But Nati probably had very poor nutrition during her pregnancy that could have affected the child.]

Alí tries to talk Mohamed out of sending Zamira to Fez. Alí says that Mohamed is letting his anger speak and the last time that happened, he almost ended up with a second wife. Now Mohamed thinks that maybe he should have married Zuleica. He says that he is afraid Zamira will end up like Jade. Alí confesses to Mohamed that he made many mistakes with Jade. He didn't listen to her. He didn't find out what she wanted. He just told her what to do and she didn't understand. Alí says that he learned from his mistakes with Jade but Mohamed is not learning from his mistakes. Mohamed doesn't try to argue with Alí but he repeats that Zamira is going to Fez.

Zamira tells Latifa that she doesn't want to leave her friends and her school and especially Carlos. Latifa is not sympathetic. Zamira swears that she will run away rather than go to Fez. Mohamed tells Latifa to pack Zamira's bag.

Zamira borrows Amin's cell phone. She calls Carlos.

Lucas tells Rosa the good news about Nati's baby. He also says that the day the trial is over, he is leaving. He has realized that he can't sacrifice his life for Nati's.

Diana says goodbye to Alej.

Luisa tells Albieri that he won't get away with his betrayal. He will see what a Luisa Albieri is worth.

The sKanks are going to hear the results of the DNA test today. Hilda wishes she could see Lucía's face when she opens the envelope.

Gloria finds out that she is a grandmother. Alej swears to her that Nati has given up drugs. Gloria says that she hopes so but if her grandchild suffers because of Nati, she will get custody of the child.

Albieri, Luisa and Rosa all testify at the trial without providing any new or interesting information.

Jadiya hides her suitcase and goes down to her party. Said is happy to see Jadiya happy. Rania says that she is glad that there is harmony in their house. But she can resist saying, 'Claro que si antes no estaba en armonía no era por mi culpa,' Of course, if there wasn't harmony before that wasn't my fault.' Said walks away from her annoyed and Amina scolds her for continually bringing up Jade. The Naz tells Said that it is strange that Jadiya mentions her mother less and less. Said replies that time erases everything. Time will eventually erase Jade.

Jade has gotten the money from Zein to buy airplane tickets for her and Jadiya to go to Morocco [Does Jade have Jadiya's passport?] Zoraida tells Jade that Said will follow her. Jade thinks that he won't find her in the Medina. Zoraida warns her that Alí won't take her in and asks what she and Jadiya are going to do alone in Fez. 'Algo voy a hacer,' I'll do something, says Jade airily. She refuses to marry Zein again.

If anyone is interested, the Chump has sent Clara flowers and invited her to dinner but he won't take her calls. Then he stops by and brings her more flowers and says that they have to talk. She tells him that she is in love with Rogelio. He asks her to forgive him and says that she is the love of his life. She tells him that she tried to talk to him for 20 years and he wasn't interested. She tells him to leave, she is expecting Rogelio.

Roberto is sure that that the DNA test will prove that he isn't the father of Karla's baby. He has some champagne ready to celebrate when Andrea comes in to says that the test was positive.

The scary drug guy gives Fer and Paula a gun so that they can make more money. Didn't Fer already have a gun? Honestly, the continuity on this novela is horrible.

I think Enrique has decided to see his family but I really don't care.

Abdul is ready to take Zamira to Fez. Zoraida tries to exercise Alí's sympathy for Jade and suggests that he might take her back in his house. 'Never,' replies Alí.

Surprise, surprise, Zamira has run away.

The credits roll.


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El Clon Tuesday October 26: Summary for Discussion

Countdown to the Gran Final continues

In the labor suite, the doctors whisk away mega-baby. Nobody seems to be answering Natalia’s questions. And outside, the family waits.

Alí gets back to Mohamed’s house with his and Zoraida’s Aeronovela tickets for tomorrow’s return to Fez. When Zoraida asks permission to take a purse to Jade – she needs it and she has no money to buy one – Alí reminds her angrily that she is not to speak Jade’s name in his presence. Let her beg in the medina, for all I care!

But as soon as Zoraida leaves the room, he slips a wad of cash in the purse.

At the hospital, Nati is wheeled out of the labor suite on a stretcher and Alej follows along. In the waiting room, the doctor tells the family that drug use has damaged Natalia's heart. She will be in the Observation Unit for now. They will have to see how she responds to medication.

Zoraida arrives at Dora’s apartment and gives Jade the purse, admitting it was just a pretext for a visit. Jade asks about her Tío Alí, and Zoraida tells her the sad truth: that he curses her and refuses to hear her name.

Latifa is upset when she catches Samira talking to Carlos on the phone. Your father will never accept a non-Muslim, says Latifa. And I’ll never accept that brat my father found for me in Fez, retorts Samira. She is in love with Carlos; and besides, he’s going to covert to Islam.

Latifa’s response: You’re killing me! (Estás acabando con mi vida!)

Daniel tells Dora about his fight with Lucas. They argued and then they got in each other’s faces. Afterward, they talked about their lives. Daniel remembers this conversation (which should resonate with anyone who’s ever watched a western):

Lucas: En este mundo no hay lugar para los dos.
(In this world, there’s not enough room for both of us.)
Daniel: No, no cabemos.
(No, we don’t fit.)
Lucas: ¿Por qué no te vas? ¿Por qué no te desapareces?
(Why don’t you go away? Why don’t you disappear?)
Daniel: ¿Por qué no te desapareces tú? Tú eres el desperdicio!
(Why don’t you disappear? You’re the left-overs!/the trash that no one wants.)

Daniel vows to Dora that he won't let Lucas take Jade away from him.

Jade and Zoreida continue their visit. Zoreida unfolds a towel to reveal the shards of the magic coffee cup and the remnants of the reading of Jade’s future. It is as cryptic as ever: Zoreida can’t distinguish Lucas from his shadow. She does see a man who disappears, shrouded (envuelto) in the desert. And as for Jade:
Tú pierdes la mitad de tu corazón.
(You lose half of your heart.)

Jade is looking at the purse and is surprised to find money inside. Zoreida smiles, recognizing Alí’s handiwork.

In the hospital nursery, Alej gazes at the giant baby in an incubator. His son.

Albieri surprises his old friend Alí, showing up unannounced at Mohamed’s house. Albieri needs advice; he has a feeling a storm is coming. Alí says:
¡Tú la llamaste, Albieri! Tú convocaste las nubes, tú convocaste los rayos y ahora te sorprende que una tempestad esté por llegar!
(You summoned it, Albieri! You called the clouds, you called the lightning, and now you’re surprised that a storm is coming!)

In another part of the house, the Naz is ready to call in her IOU. If it weren’t for her collaboration, Latifa would be sharing her husband with Zuleica, she reminds her cuñada. What’s her price? She whispers it into Latifa’s ear.

Albieri complains of having no way out of his dilemma. That’s because you want to win everything, says Alí. Not only do you want the whole world to applaud you, you want those who have suffered because of you – Dora, Leo, Daniel and Lucas – to recognize your accomplishment.

Your only worry, he tells Albieri, is what price you’ll have to pay for telling the world about your clone. But God beat you to it when he created Eve from Adam’s rib!

Then Mr. Science and Mr. Faith go a few rounds – but we’ve heard it before.

Across the street at Gloria’s, Diana is looking for Alej. Ramón tells her about Marisa’s visit. Diana knows what that means: She tells
Pablo that Alej has probably gone back to Nati.

As soon as Diana leaves, the Naz runs up to Pablo and beaming happily, asks him if he’s really going to Morocco. He says:
Bueno, me seleccionaron para darle clases de defensa personal al Sheik, aunque no sé si me escojan porque quieren alguien casado.
(Well, they selected me to give classes in self-defense to the Sheik, although I don’t know if they’ll end up choosing me because they want someone married.)

Just think, says the helpful Naz, if you were married to a Moroccan woman, it would be much easier.

And when she leaves, Pablo is also beaming. [Is this a Just Naz story coming true?]

The sKanks are squaring off against Roberto. While Lucía, angrier every time we see her, waits outside, the judge questions Karla. She has no trouble telling her rehearsed lies about her six-month ‘romance’ with Roberto. But she is stumped when the judge asks her where their trysts took place. She looks to the UbersKank and the lawyer and then asks the judge to repeat the question.

When in doubt, faint or cry. Crying works better here. Karla is so verklempt she can’t answer. But Hilda can and she calls out that they used to meet in her house. Yes, chimes in the miraculously recovered Karla: Nos encontrábamos en la casa!

Caro and Clara are talking over Fernando’s narrow escape and hoping that he learned something from it. Clara was glad to hear him talk about his old band. He said he wanted to go see them.

Fernando does call a guy from the band and arranges to come to a rehearsal, just to hang out.

Enrique to therapist: I betrayed everyone I cared about. I can’t forget it. How can they?
Therapist: They may not have forgotten but they still want to see you. They miss you too.
Enrique: I can’t risk it…

Fernando can’t risk it either. He gets as far as the building where the band is rehearsing, but he doesn’t go inside. Instead, he seeks out his old drug buddies.

He finds Paula sitting on a low ledge. She just barely escaped, she tells him, and the only way she could get out was to sleep with el Perro and his gang. But now she is clean. Fernando will have to look elsewhere for his drugs. No problem. Fer turns to another stoner sitting on the ledge.

Jadiya’s Reign of Terror in the House of Said continues. Rania interrupts Jadiya’s conversation with Jamil and Amie -- she is telling him that when a wife has no gold, it’s because her husband is a nobody (un cero a la izquierda, literally, a zero to the left). How is it that this kid has any friends? -- to say that it’s time for Jadiya to study. Jamil and Amie have to go home. Jadiya refuses. She’d rather dance, she says. And she turns on the music.

Rania hasn’t picked up any parenting skills since the last time we saw her. So it’s not long before she and Jadiya are shouting curses at each other. Rania raises her hand to strike …

… and Said walks in at that precise moment. Rania, he shouts angrily, put your hand down! And he walks away.

Rania turns to Amina and tells her she can’t take it any more. Said will have to decide: it’s Rania or Jadiya, not both. Or let Jade take her!

…and once again, Said walks in just in time to catch her out. And, for old times sake, he glowers.

At Casa Ferrer, Leo is just now hearing about Nati’s baby. Rosa tells him that both mother and baby are in trouble and nobody knows if they’ll survive. Leo immediately blames ‘the two of them’ – they never knew how to control Natalia. And by the time he found out about the problem, it was too late.

Rosa answers the phone. It’s for Leo, but he indicates with a shake of his head that he’s not available. Who is calling? Malicia? repeats Rosa, just as Cris enters the room. She’ll pass the phone to La Sra Cristina, she tells the caller. Oddly enough, when Cris takes the phone, there is no one on the line. Leo raises a hand as if to say “Don’t ask me”. And the expression on Cristina’s face makes it clear that she knows.

Abdul covers his eyes to avoid haram in the streets of Miami, and Mohamed walks beside him as a sort of seeing eye sin catcher. And that is when he catches out Samira in the sinful act of talking to a boy. In the street.

Zein arrives at Dora’s apartment and asks to see Jade.

Albi shows up at the clinic and asks Anita, Julio and Escobar if they’ve seen Luisa. They all say no, although Anita is lying. Julio warns Albieri that, when it comes to an angry woman, he should be ready for anything. What do you mean? asks Albieri.

Well, how about denouncing him before his peers? Because that is precisely what Luisa is doing. She is in the office of Dr. Villegas of the State Medical Board and she has come to file a complaint against Albieri.

At the hospital, the doctor has news for the family. Natalia’s condition is stable and she is out of danger. Sadly, the baby’s condition has worsened. The doctor thinks he’s unlikely to survive.

Alej walks down to the nursery and sees that his son’s incubator is empty. He’s in intensive care, explains the nurse. She tells him to trust in God, that nothing is impossible.

Luisa hands over all of Albieri’s clone documentation to Dr. Villegas. She confirms that Dra Silvia’s denuncia was accurate, that Albieri cloned a human being 20 years ago; that he implanted the embryo in a woman without her consent and she has only now learned of his deception; that he is a clone of the son of Leo Ferrer.

What will happen to Albieri? Will he lose his medical license? she asks hopefully. At the very least, says Villegas.

Luisa is very pleased with herself. She phones Anita from her car and begins: No sabes lo que hice! (You’ll never guess what I did). But since Albieri is standing right in front of Anita, the conversation has to be postponed.

Julio tries to explain to Albieri that when he chose Amalia as his confidante, Luisa felt betrayed. It would be easier for her to forgive a love affair

Julio also tells Anita that she doesn’t realize how serious the situation with Albieri and Luisa really is.

Meanwhile, Albieri receives a call from Villegas asking him to come to his office.

Alej is seeking comfort in the hospital chapel. As he prays for the life of his son, he is joined by Marisa. We have to have faith, he tells her. God is going to hear us. And Alej seems a little surprised when Marisa answers: Yes, I know that's so.

Zein and Jade talk while Dora watches from a distance in the classic crossed-arms pose of the skeptic. Zein declares his love and proposes marriage. Jade has two weeks to think about it.

When he leaves, Dora tells Jade how upset she is about Lucas. She’s not about to let anyone hurt Daniel.

And as for Jade’s relationship with Daniel, the only thing she wants to know is if Jade loves him and will stick by him. I’m very confused... begins Jade. Dora cuts her off: Then you don’t love him!

Jade tries to explain about Daniel and Lucas being the same person and about dreaming of him for 20 years. Does Dora know what that is like? It turns out she does.

You said you didn’t go away with Lucas because of your daughter, says Dora. And now you want him to leave his daughter for you?

It’s not the same, Jade protests, my daughter was a newborn at the time. Dora answers:
Es muy fácil querer que el otro deje su equipaje cuando tú no estás dispuesta a dejar la tuya.
(It’s very easy to want the other person to leave his baggage behind when you’re not disposed to leave your own.)

The only thing that really matters to me is my son’s welfare, says Dora. I can tell you this, answers Jade: I’ve decided to go to Morocco.

Mohamed and Abdul are now back in front of the house. Mohamed says he’s not feeling well and he hurries inside.

Marisa has come to see Natalia in her hospital room. She tells her the baby has respiratory problems and is in intensive care.
Nati says: It’s my fault, isn’t it? It’s because of the drugs, right?
I’m very sorry, says Marisa.

Mohamed storms into the house, eyes popping, steam coming out of his ears. ¡Te vi! he shouts at Samira. ¡Te vi con un occidental! (I saw you with a westerner) She is killing her father, her mother, her whole family. The roof is caving in on them!

The roof fell down a long time ago, observes the Naz tartly.

Samira will be sent to Fez to live with Tío Abdul!

Never, she tells her cousin Zumaya. She’ll run away first, she’ll hide in the desert!

Poor Roberto is still in the hearing with the sKanks. He tries to say that he never went to Karla’s house and there was no relationship between them, but the judge silences him, saying he’ll get his turn later.

Hilda entertains the court with a work of fiction that begins: “He was like a shining armor I must say…” Roberto said he was separated from his wife. He wanted a son with Karla because his wife was unable to give him one…

Lucía waits impatiently outside. She calls Andrea who agrees to come by the courthouse after bringing a change of clothes to Nati in the hospital.

Hilda embroiders the lie by bringing Consuelo into the story. And Roberto sits and listens and reflects that it is a nightmare.

Alej phones Pablo to tell him that Nati has had her baby. Diana guesses that Pablo was talking to Alej and wants to know what’s going on. With some reluctance, he tells her.

The final scene takes place in Rogelio’s office at Salamandra. Malicia sits across from him. He says: I’m reading Raul Escobar’s formal complaint against you and the truth is, it’s a disgrace. You robbed him!

Credits roll

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

El Clon Monday October 25: Summary for Discussion

In the opening scene, Natalia, who is usually trying to get rid of her mother, now has a tantrum because her mother is trying to leave. Natalia begins her often-repeated litany of blame and adds a new twist:
¡Voy a inhalar hasta que me muera!
(I’m going to inhale until I die!)

But Marisa makes a getaway in her red convertible. She passes a street person who is digging through some trash. Marisa stops the car, gets out and approaches the woman. She calls out: Señora… ¿Mamá? Mamá? [What the…?] The woman disappears into the night.

Who taught Rania to dance? Elaine on Seinfeld? Ni modo. She is dancing for Said and even if he doesn’t seem mad with desire, at least he is smiling politely. Jadiya watches with her friends. She tells them she’s going to dance the way her mother taught her and they are to applaud her when she does. Jadiya then takes Rania’s place in front of her father and dances as her friends clap appreciatively; and Rania goes sulking to Amina.

Said has to leave for a ‘business’ appointment. No sooner is he out the door than Rania screams mucosa envidiosa’ (jealous brat) and sets upon Jadiya so aggressively that Amina has to hold her back. Jadiya’s friends look on in horror, but Jadiya smiles to herself. Mission accomplished.

Lucía intercepts Consuelo in her attempted nocturnal escape from the del Valle house. Leaving like that makes her look guilty, Lucía tells her. Unless maybe Consuelo is willing to do her a favor and be her spy in the House of sKanks…

Leo’s cell phone rings as he and Roberto are leaving the hearing. It’s Malicia. She invites him to Salamandra for a drink. He accepts and also agrees to receive her in his office the following day.

At Salamandra, Diana has overheard Malicia’s invitation and now warns her:
Si fuera tú, no me metería con Leonardo Ferrer. Mira, Cristina no es Clara, Alicia.
(If I were you, I wouldn’t mess with LF. Look, Cristina isn’t Clara, A.)
Butt out, says the Malicious one, or you’ll end up cleaning bathrooms.

Leo asks Cris to join him but she’s tired and has a headache so she begs off. But after Leo and Roberto leave, she tries to call Leo and gets his voicemail. She has a feeling… So she and Vicki decide to follow the men.

Malicia greets Leo and Roberto ever so graciously as soon as they arrive at Salamandra.

Dora is at home telling Estela about Daniel’s testimony:
¡Hubieras visto a Daniel! Le dijo al juez que yo era su madre y muy orgulloso!
(You should have seen Daniel! He told the judge that I was his mother – and he was very proud to say it.)
Lucas shows up at their apartment looking for Jade.

Another Ferrer is out paying a surprise visit. Marisa comes calling at Gloria’s looking for Alejandro. Gloria isn’t happy but she does have Ramón escort Marisa to Alej’s room.

Dora tells Lucas that Jade and Daniel have gone out and she doesn’t know where.

But we do. They are in TOPIM (the only park in Miami) and Jade, in a modest purple hippie dress, is dancing for Daniel.

Back at Gloria’s, Alej has just arranged to meet up with Diana when Ramón arrives with Marisa. She is there to ask him to come back to Natalia. She knows she was unfair, she did things she’s not proud of, and she is ashamed of the necklace incident. She was wrong about him and now she is asking forgiveness. But everything was done for her daughter’s sake, to protect her.

Now the situation is out of control and Marisa needs Alej’s help. Nati is killing herself and killing her baby too. But she’ll listen to him. She loves him.

Alej interjects:
No sé si lo sepa, el hijo que está esperando Natalia no es mío.
(I don’t know if you know, the baby N is expecting isn’t mine.)

No, Marisa didn’t know. She is momentarily taken aback but still pleads with Alej to come back to Natalia.

Ramón rushes back to Gloria and fills her in on the conversation. Gloria runs up to Alej’s room and tells him he’d be nuts to go back and make the same mistake all over. Marisa leaves humbly, saying she understands.

When Alej and Gloria are alone, he says:
¿Qué quieres que haga? Yo sé que no debería pero la amo demasiado.
(What do you want me to do? I know I shouldn’t, but I love her so much. literally: too much)

Marisa gets back home only to learn from Rosa that Natalia has, once again, been kidnaped. (La tiene secuestrada de nuevo.) All Rosa knows is that a rude, angry guy has been calling every half hour. They have her somewhere downtown. Marisa tries to reach Leo and Lucas but they both have their phones off.

We see Alej in his room. He appears to have made a decision. He walks out purposefully and shuts the door behind him. [But what is that thing in his room?]

Said is at Salamandra scanning the crowd. [He and Marisa were supposed to get together but they both seem to have forgotten about it.]


As Malicia serves drinks to Roberto and Leo, Leo asks her what she wanted to talk to him about. She tells him it’s something he’ll like, but they should talk in a quieter place. His office tomorrow.

Alej’s decision has taken him back to the Casa Ferrer. Rosa and Marisa bring him up to speed on Nati’s situation. Since no one knows where she is, he’ll look in the Old Scary Drug Place. Marisa gives him her car keys and he sets out to rescue the woman he loves.

And at Salamandra, Said at last gives Zein his answer: Jade is free. (libre, folks, not gratis. Anything but gratis.)

Cris and Vicki enter the club. Mira con quién está Leo (Look who Leo’s with) observes Vicki tartly. Malicia takes Cris aside. She doesn’t want any misunderstandings, she says. She called Leo because Zein wants to make a surprise party for him. Malicia thinks it’s Zein’s way of making things right with Cris (reivindicar contigo) Cris nods and smiles. [There is no thought bubble, but if there were, it would be: ¡Me las va a pagar!]

Diana observes to Pablo that Alej is taking a long time getting to the club. Then Pablo gets a call from Alej. We hear him say: Where are you? And then: ¿Otra vez, brother? (Again?) Diana snatches the phone. Alej tells her somewhat cryptically that he has a problem and they’ll talk tomorrow. Then he hangs up leaving Diana feeling uneasy.

Clara is at home regaling Caro with the story of sadsack Escobar showing up with his flowers and wine and finding her with Rogelio. When Caro asks how he reacted (¿y qué cara puso?) (literally, what face did he put on?), Clara says:
Bueno, fue una cara como entre estreñido y tener un callo en el pie y que se lo estén pisando.
(Well it was an expression somewhere between constipated and having a callus on your foot and you’re walking on it.)

Rogelio has taken the apartment papers home to analyze them point by point.

This smiling conversation is cut short by an ominous phone call. Says Clara:
¡A Fernando se lo llevaron preso por droga!
(Someone’s holding Fernando, it’s something to do with drugs).
Caro takes the phone and takes charge.

Albieri (you remember Albieri? Little guy, huge ego?) comes home to an empty house. He calls Anita but she says Luisa’s not with her.

Ah, but she is. Poor Albieri, she says to Luisa. He is beside himself (desesperado) looking for you. Wait until I take my revenge, answers Luisa. Then he’ll know what desperate feels like.

Lucas comes upon Daniel and Jade (her face attractively flushed from the dance) in the park. Lucas has come to claim Jade but Daniel is not about to give her up. You shut up, says Lucas. Jade – come with me! Daniel blocks his way, Lucas is prepared to fight for his story, his life, his woman; he punches Daniel in the face and the fight is on. Jade is appalled by their behavior and runs away.

Since Lucas hasn’t spent a lot of time working out with Pablo and the guys in the gym, it’s no surprise that his twenty-year-old counterpart is the one who is ultimately left standing.

There follows a sort of post-combatal truce (If these guys were smokers, they’d be lighting up right now):
Daniel: How would you feel if you were a copy of someone?
Lucas: It’s better than being the leavings (desperdicio) of someone else. I was always an inferior copy, first of Diego, then of you.

Daniel looks thoughtful. Did you feel like that when you were my age? he asks. Yes, he did. And what did you do when you felt that way? Lucas tells him: I felt like escaping, running away. I used to cry. And I wanted to die.

At Casa Ferrer, Marisa takes the call from the drug guy: Yes, I know where that is, she says and sets out alone, despite Rosa’s urging her to wait for help.

The Zombie trio – Fernando, Natalia and Paula – are being held together in a New but equally Scary Drug Place. Natalia is feeling some pains in her belly. She’s afraid she’s going into labor and she begs the drug guys to let her go.

Paula tries to bargain for her freedom by offering to sell ectasy to school kids – you know how much kids love it, she says.

Outside the New Scary Drug Place, Marisa – in her usual skintight, low-cut, miniskirted dress – asks the first scuzzball she meets where she can find El Perro (the dog).

It appears that Clara has already found the hound. She is sitting opposite him, desperately trying to buy time because she doesn’t have enough money to pay off Fernando’s drug debt in exchange for his freedom. El Perro tells her she has 24 hours or her Playboycito of a son will die.

Marisa is led inside and quickly arranges to pay off Fernando and Natalia’s debts.

Fernando and Natalia are set free. Paula thinks she’s included in the deal, but she discovers that her ransom hasn’t been paid. Her captor has other plans for her. [Fortunately, with the Ectasy for Kiddies remark, the writers have inoculated us against feeling sorry for Paula. And her friends don’t even seem to notice they are leaving her behind.]

Alej arrives at Casa Ferrer after an unsuccessful search. If anything happens to Natalia, he says, he’ll never forgive himself.

Clara takes Fernando home. They’d have killed you if it weren’t for Marisa she tells him. He says he saw his band play and the guy who replaced him is good. Not better than you, says Clara.

Natalia and Marisa arrive at Casa Ferrer. At this point the pains are so bad, Nati can barely walk down the stairs. She sees Alej and tells him to go away, that it isn’t his baby. If it’s your baby, it’s mine too, he tells her, no matter who is the father. He says:
No te voy a dejar. Nunca más te voy a dejar.
(I’m not leaving you. I’ll never leave you again.)

Help me, mama, Nati pleads to Marisa. I don’t want to lose my baby.

Marisa takes charge. She tells Rosa to notify Leo and Lucas. Natalia is going to the clinic.

Back in the barrio, Gloria pumps Ramón for information on Alej’s whereabouts and, as usual, when he tells her (He went looking for Natalia), she scolds him for being a gossip.

Across the street Gloria is attracting some eyeball action. As the offending Abdul says to the equally guilty Mohamed:
El haram entra por los ojos cuando el hombre está descuidado.
(Sin enters through the eyes when a man is careless.)

When Dora goes to Cris’s bar to ask Miguel to testify at the paternity hearing – he needs to confirm that he saw her when she was pregnant – he tells her she can count on him for anything.

The mood in the del Valle house is anything but mellow these days. Lucía is downright testy and explodes when Andrea mentions Roberto’s audiencia de paternidad. Even though the hearing is closed and Lucía will be denied entry, she insists on going with Roberto. She has no intention of leaving him alone with the sKanks.

Andrea gets a call from Alej. The baby is 7 months along and anything could happen, he says. She heads off to the hospital.

Natalia tells Alej that the baby is really his. She lied to him after seeing him with Diana. If she had been willing to give up drugs, he would never have left her, he tells her. Yes, she agrees, she destoyed everything. But we’ll rebuild it, Alej tells her.

Lucas has been waiting outside Dora’s apartment all night for a chance to talk to Jade. Just as Dora comes out and tells him that Jade is inside – she was asleep when Dora left – Lucas gets a call informing him that Natalia is in labor. He leaves in a hurry.

In the apartment, Jade tells Estela and Dora about last night’s fight and Dora rushes to check on Daniel.

The clan is gathering at the hospital. Natalia is being wheeled on a stretcher to the delivery room while Marisa, Lucas, Enrique, Rosa, Alejandro and Andrea wait.

We hear a few screams, a few grunts and then we realize we are in the presence of a miracle: from those skinny loins, instead of a scrawny 7-month premie crack baby, we see emerge a large, wide-eyed three-month-old infant that may just weigh more than Natalia. But we don’t hear the baby cry. Says Natalia:
¡Quiero ver a mi hijo! ¿Por qué no llora mi hijo?
(I want to see my baby! Why isn’t my baby crying?

Credits roll.

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Friday, October 22, 2010

El Clon, Fri., October 23 - Summary for Discussion

Marisa comes home from her appointment with the shrink to find Nati hosting a party in Marisa's bedroom. Nati claims that the stereo in her room was broken but Marisa corrects her, 'No, you sold it.' Marisa throws the zombies out and then she and Nati have their usual confrontation. Nati accuses Marisa of only using her to keep Lucas from running away with Jade. Apparently, this was the cause of all Nati's problems.

Cut to the beach and who walks up on Alej and Diana kissing but Nati, of course. She touches her pregnant belly and leaves without their seeing her.
Latifa, Zoraida and Jade are having fun teaching Estela to belly dance. The Naz wanders off and sees a picture of Daniel. Estela tells her that is her grandson who lives here and wants to marry Jade. Party over, announces the Naz and herds her sister in law and Zoraida out the door.

When the ladies return to Mohamed's apartment, they find Jadiya, Rania and Amina visiting. [Where is Munir?] Jadiya wants to know where her mother is staying. Said comes in and wants to know the same thing. Latifa replies that Jade is staying with a friend. 'Why don't you tell the truth,' says the Naz. Jade is with Lucas and they are going to get married. Latifa says that Jade isn't with Lucas, she is with Daniel. Since the Naz doesn't know about the whole clone thing, she thinks Latifa is lying. Jadiya is concerned about her mother marrying again. Latifa reassures her that her mother doesn't want to get married. The guy wants to marry her but she doesn't want to marry him. With that, Said and his family depart.

Estela tells Jade that she hopes she didn't offend the Naz. Jade replies that the Naz is always like that. Estela says that before she was afraid when Daniel talked about marrying Jade but now she is ok with it. Now Jade clearly draws the parallel that was hinted at in last night's episode. She tells Estela that all this happened before but it didn't work out. Her boyfriend's family rejected her. That's horrible says Estela. Where is the guy now? Jade replies that it is Daniel - 20 years older. 'You mean Lucas?' asks Estela. But now Jade can't understand why everything is going swimmingly just like she dreamed. 'Aren't you happy?' asks Estela. 'I don't know,' replies Jade.

Alí tells Mohamed that he wants to go back to Fez. He misses his house and the medina. Mohamed wants to go back too. He says that Zamira has crushed his heart (se sentó sobre mi corazón). Alí curses the cobra that he took into his house. She has probably cost him his place in heaven. Zoraida comes in andAlí tells her that if she is bringing him news of Jade, she can turn around and leave. She does so.

Zoraida tells Latifa that she was just going to offer Alí some tea when he started yelling at her. Alí comes in and tells Latifa that they are going back to Fez. He asks how Jade is and Latifa replies that she is sad.

Abdul does some 'I told you so-ing' to Alí who reminds him that Said is in his family. Said is a lost sheep, replies Abdul, every family has one. Latifa tells Zoraida that she is worried about what will happen to Jade. Alí comes in and starts in all over again on how Jade deserved her fate. He tells Latifa and Zoraida that he forbade her name to be mentioned. 'You started it,' Zoraida reminds him.

In their carefully staged confrontation (probably shot in front of a green screen) Daniel claims that he is not like Lucas. Lucas wasn't brave enough to keep her. Lucas asks what he is talking about. Daniel tells him that Jade is living with him in his house. 'I'm not like you. I didn't leave her in the street,' says Daniel. Lucas is impactado.

In the Lucas/Daniel confrontation, Rosa defends Daniel. Cristina tells Lucas that Rosa raised Lucas and she will always see Lucas as a 20 year old. She sees Daniel as Lucas. Lucas asks Cristina what she would think if there were a 20 year old Cristina and Leo fell in love with that Cristina. Naturally, Cristina replies that she wouldn't permit that and would beat up the other Cristina. Lucas agrees and says that is what he is going to do to Daniel. Rosa puts herself between Lucas and Daniel. Lucas leaves. Cristina asks what he did to provoke Lucas. Nothing, says Daniel, I only told him that Jade was living with me.

Clara tells Carolina that she thinks that her move to be Lucas' secretary is just the prelude to being fired. She says that Fer is ruining his life and hers. Caro tries to make see the positive - she has Rogelio. '¿Pero hasta cuando? Si tiene al lado Alicia y ella echándome tierra,' But for how long? Malicia is with him putting me down. She tells Carolina that she is going to get the paper from the Chump that shows Malicia is evil.

Luisa must be truly desperate to get info on Albieri. She comes to see Malicia and asks her to disclose the vague threats about Albieri that Malicia used to blackmail Luisa. Since Malicia never really knew anything, she has nothing to tell but of course she doesn't say that to Luisa. Apparently she doesn't guess or doesn't care that Luisa suspects Albieri of cheating on her. If she did, I'm sure she would have made up something to push Luisa's buttons.

More recap of the story for those who tuned in late or forgot what happened. Jade tells Estela that when she met Lucas 20 years later, he was married and had a child. She says that he was a completely different person. She realized t that the man she had dreamed of was nothing more than a fantasy that she had created. So she reconciled with her husband and tried to start a new life with him. Then Daniel showed up and she realized that Lucas existed and it was just that time had changed him. [Has she been watching the same novela as us? I think she has fantasized about her own past.] Jade asks Estela what she should do.
Lucas testifies in court that it is as if Daniel has robbed him of his identity. When Daniel appeared at their house, he stopped being Lucas and Daniel became him. Daniel got all the attention. He says that if Leo establishes paternity of Daniel, he doesn't want to be Leo's son anymore. [What kind of court proceeding is this where people just say whatever they want? The lawyers are supposed to elicit the necessary testimony by examining and cross examining witnesses. ]

Luisa is losing it. She accuses Anita of knowing what was going on with Albieri and not telling her about about it so that she was the last to know. Anita says that Julio convinced her not to say anything and that she only saw Albieri having lunch with Amalia. Luisa quizzes Anita on how the two of them were behaving. Then she tells Anita that she will show Albieri what he is worth without her. She opens the safe and takes out Albieri's Book of Cloning and leaves.

Albieri has gone to see if Luisa is with Father Andres. He says that he may be called to testify at the hearing at any time but he has to try and find Luisa before she disappears again. The padre asks if Albieri is sure that cloning won't be mentioned at the trial. Albieri replies that Leo told him that it wouldn't be. [Well that cat is out of the bag and from Leo, too.] Albieri says that even if it is mentioned, he doesn't care.

Father Andres explains to Albieri that even though he hasn't had a relationship with Amalia, he has has betrayed Luisa by exchanging her admiration for him for Luisa's. Albieri replies that he didn't ask Luisa to give up her life for him. He can't stand to have her watching him all the time. The padre says that it is ironic that Albi left the Seminary because he couldn't stand to have God watching him all the time and he just exchanged that for Luisa watching him all the time. Albieri says that he is afraid of what Luisa will do. He is in her hands.

Daniel testifies that everyone had told him different things about his paternity and now they are saying that he is a clone. The judge asks him if he understands why this hearing is taking place. Daniel replies that it is to establish who is his father. The judge asks him if the DNA evidence shows that Dora cannot be his mother, is he ok with her name being removed from his birth certificate. Daniel replies, 'No, ella es mi mama,' No, she is my mother.

The younger generation - Amin and Zamira - offer their opinions on the Jade situation as they walk to school. Suddenly, Amin finds that Zamira has disappeared. Carlos has returned from his trip. [If Nati really is 6 mos pregnant after she lost the first baby, then Carlos has been away for about 8 months.] He is ready to convert to her religion to be with Zamira.
When Zamira doesn't come home from school with Amin, the old Mohamed returns blaming Latifa for everything and saying that if Zamira is going to follow her cousin and want to marry a Westerner, he will send her to Fez to live with Abdul. Abdul urges him to do this and says that he will make sure that Zamira comes back tamed.

Gloria approves of Alej and Diana as a couple but Ramoncito says that Alej doesn't look happy. He is sure that their romance won't last long.

Zamira finally turns up and Latifa shoos her and Amin inside.

Team sKank is out for a stroll. Consuelo sKank tells the other two that she won't return to work at Lucía's house. She will go back when Lucía is asleep to get her stuff.

Clara tell Rogelio that she has a surprise for him. She is going to unmask the real Malicia. Rogelio doesn't want to hear any more about Malicia but Clara says that the woman has ruined her home and work life and Rogelio has believed everything that Malicia told him. Rogelio agrees to hear what she has to say as long as they never talk about Malicia again. The doorbell rings and, of course, it's the Chump with wine and flowers. Once he sees that Rogelio is there, he pretends that he is dropping off the papers on his way to a date. Uh oh, it looks like a reconciliation might be in the works. Clara seems kind of regretful at seeing the Chump and the Chump goes outside and takes swigs from his wine bottle while he flashes back to when he surprised a pregnant Clara with the house. He acknowledges to himself that she made him happy but he didn't make her happy.

Nati tells Paula that she wants to stop taking drugs, they don't do anything for her but she can't stop. Paula replies that was once clean for a month. Nati asks why don't they stop when up comes Fer with some drugs. PSA from Enrique about how drugs become your God.

The zombie teens come to party at Nati's house with the usual ineffectual attempts to throw them out and the usual claims by Nati that no one cares about her. Marisa tells Rosa that she wants to go somewhere. Her phone rings and it is Said. He's calling from home. You can see Rania and Amina in the background. Marisa eagerly agrees to meet him.
The credits roll.

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El Clon Thursday October 21: Summary for Discussion

Capítulo 175: In Pursuit of Truthiness

Amalia excuses herself and edges away carefully leaving Luisa alone and hyperventilating. [I hope they have paper bags handy in the courthouse.]

The Naz barrels into Said’s house: ¡Vengo por las cosas de Jade! (I’m here for Jade’s things!) She is only looking out for her brother. She doesn’t want people to say he is the kind of man who gives things to his wife and then demands they be returned. When she paints Rania and Amina with the odalisca brush, the sisters protest. Mi amor, retorts the Naz:
Si no fueras una odalisca, mi hermano nunca se habría casado contigo.
(If you weren’t an odalisque, my brother would never have married you.)

And she orders them all – Rania, Amina and Said – to help pack Jade’s things and carry them downstairs.

Rania angers Said when she complains about the way the Naz talks to her. (Said: She talks to me like that too! She talks to everyone like that!). And Amina gives her sister a warning: You talk too much! Keep it up and he’ll send you back!

At the del Valle home, Lucía is interrogating Consuelo about her ‘Tía Hilda’. [Maybe she’s the one who should have gone to law school. She’s pretty good at this.] Lucía is going to file a criminal complaint: Tell them they’re going to jail. And unless you take me to them right now, you’ll be in jail with them.

In Mohamed’s house, Latifa and Zoreida ask Alí to come with them to pick up Jade’s belongings. but he is still fuming. Don’t mention her name in my presence, he says.

Lucía pulls up to the sKank residence with a reluctant Consuelo riding shotgun.

Down the street Gloria is dismayed to hear (via the Ramoncito Wire Services) that Alej has been visiting Natalia.

Alej gets back to the restaurant. Your mother’s looking for you, Ramón tells him, and Diana waited two hours for you, then finally left with Pablo.

In the land of the sKanks, the UbersKank has no fear. The UbersKank has no shame. Karla is nervous and even Consuelo hangs back, but Hilda marches up to Lucía and says, in her most elegant English: Hello lady!

She says that Lucía’s husband is unwilling to man up and take responsibility for his child. Lucía fires right back. Those sKanks will pay for their false accusations! But when Hilda pulls out a photo of Roberto clowning with a very pregnant Karla, Lucía is left slack-jawed; Hilda twists her mouth in a way that makes her look even more grotesque than usual.

Karla, come here, says the UbersKank. Leave Roberto Jr with Consuelo. Roberto Jr??? echoes Lucía miserably. And she listens with increasing despair to their story. When she hears that Karla met Roberto at the Beach Club, she protests: He only goes there with me!

The court proceedings continue. Leo describes the birthmark which his sons inherited from his late wife. And now Daniel has the very same mancha.

Leo never had a past encounter with Dora, he assures the judge. And while he is sorry to cause her distress, he has no intention of giving up his claim to Daniel’s paternity.

Roberto, allowing his attention to stray to his own contested paternity, passes a note to Enrique: ¿Y si me rehuso hacer el examen de ADN?
(And if I refuse to do the DNA test?)

And Enrique answers: It would be worse for you because the judge would interpret your refusal as an admission and would declare paternity without the exam results.

It’s Dora’s turn to testify.

Albieri is looking for Luisa. No, Cris hasn’t seen her.

That is because Luisa, chest still heaving with rage, is back at the clinic. Albieri is cheating on me with that reporter, she tells Anita and Julio. How could he? I devoted myself to him and he just discards me like trash! Now he’ll find out what it’s like not having me at his side!

Malicia, with supreme self-confidence, strides into Empresas Ferrer on her 6-inch tacones (the heels have grown with her arrogance) and demands an audience with Leo. She is convinced that Clara is lying when she tells her Leo is gone for the day. She wants to speak to Clara’s superior. Carolina wheels around to face her. She is of ‘higher rank’ and she confirms what Clara has said. Malicia leaves her card with Carolina with a message for Leo to call her.

Malicia drives right past Escobar on her home and their eyes meet. He smiles expectantly and starts to approach her. She smirks and keeps on going.

Clara calls Rogelio. She wants him to know that Malicia showed up at her office just to upset her. He explains that Malicia had a perfectly innocent reason for being there: she is planning a surprise celebration for Leo! (Does anyone else think Rogelio is too stupid to deserve Clara?)

That Leo is the next one on Malicia’s list is obvious to Clara and Caro. But this time she is taking on Cristina’s man. And, says Clara:
¿Sabes qué? Con Cristina no va a poder. ¡Cristina tiene que vengarme!
(You know what? She won’t get away with it with Cristina. Cristina has to get even with her for me!)

Lucía tries frantically to get past the guard at the entrance to the courtroom. She has to find Roberto! Lucas sees her and gently leads her away explaining that she will have to wait.

Inside the courtroom, Dora is telling her story: how she worked as a manicurist and how she told Luisa, one of her customers, about her desire to have a child; how Luisa convinced her to go to Albieri’s clinic.

At the clinic, Dra Silvia determined that it was Dora’s partner who was infertile. The plan was to do an artificial insemination using a donor who resembled her partner, Osvaldo.


And while Dora is testifying:
Estela and Jade are getting acquainted. They hear someone at the door. Estela peers out to see who it is and the Naz whooshes past her and into the room followed by Latifa and Zoraida. There are smiling introductions and updates on the home situation. She hears about Alí, Rania and Said but when Jade asks about Jadiya, the question goes unanswered.

Latifa wants to know how Jade met Doña Estela. She explains: This is the house of la sombra. On the night she left, she was walking down the street and Allah led her to an encounter with him:
La sombra hizo por mí lo que Lucas nunca hizo. Me trajo a su casa, me recibió aquí, y él hizo que hiciera la historia con Lucas pero con amor.
(The shadow did for me what Lucas never did. He brought me to his house, he received me here. He repeated my story with Lucas but with love.)

Back in the court building, Lucas and Daniel come face to face. Daniel pauses for the obligatory head-scratch and then asks Lucas why he abandoned Jade. You don’t abandon a woman you love!

You don’t have my problems, retorts Lucas. Besides, you’re the same as me – you’ll end up just like me!

And in the courtroom, Dora continues to tell her story:
Osvaldo had rejected the idea of artificial insemination forcing Dora to choose between a child and her partner. She chose the child but by using a donor resembling Osvaldo, she hoped he would warm to the idea eventually. Dra Silvia did all her treatment but the evening she was supposed to implant the fertilized eggs [yes, I know – it’s not artificial insemination. Let's all just tighten our beanies and keep going] Dra Silvia was called away unexpectedly. So the following morning, Dora returned to the clinic and Dr Albieri did the procedure.

At this point, Dora is overcome with emotion. She never thought, she says, that the happiest day of her life would be the beginning of her worst nightmare.

The judge calls for a 15 minute recess and Dora’s lawyer reassures her and helps her regain her composure.

As soon as Roberto steps outside the courtroom, Lucía swoops down on him and tells him about the photo. He is sure it is a fake. No, she wails, you look like a real couple in the picture – you’re touching her pregnant belly! And they say you spend every morning at the Beach Club and many nights too!

Roberto insists on his innocence. He is sure a DNA test will exonerate him and then they will sue the sKanks for psychological damages.

A distracted Albi wanders by still looking for Luisa. She’s not with me, says Cris.

Luisa the Huntress has tracked Amalia to a classy-looking restaurant where she likes to work. Luisa asks: How long have you and Albieri been in a relationship? Amalia tries to explain that there is no romance. She is Albieri’s biographer and they’ve been working together for a few months. To Luisa, that is as much a betrayal as an actual affair would be. She says to Amalia:
Nadie puede escribir una biografía de Albieri sin contar conmigo.
(No one can write Albieri’s biography without my help.)

When Albieri comes home during the court recess, Luisa is ready to pounce. Amalia confessed everything, she says. She know he gives Amalia little gifts -- perfume (this is a lucky guess on Luisa’s part) and books -- and all he gives Luisa are cheap pens and pencils. He sees her as a secretary. A very efficient secretary.

This is what happens, Albieri now realizes, when you allow the camel into the tent. He tells her:
Tú me ofuscas, tu me ahogas, me quitas mi espacio.
(You confuse my thoughts, you suffocate me, you take my space.)

He goes on: I need to talk to someone alone without another person correcting me and answering questions for me. I’m proud of what I’ve done and I want the satisfaction of talking about it.

So now I’m just someone who gets in the way, says Luisa bitterly.

The phone rangs. It’s Enrique telling them the proceedings are starting again. Let’s go, says Albieri. Now you need me -- to defend you, says the stony-faced Luisa. And she gets in her car and drives away leaving Albieri standing alone in the street.

Marina has been left in charge at Casa Ferrer since Marisa is meeting with her therapist and Lucas, Leo, Marisa and Cristina are all at court. The insufferable Paula shows up and Natalia invites her inside. There’s really nothing Marina or the security guard can do to stop here. Nobody wants to be responsible for provoking Natalia.

Did you bring what I asked for? asks Nati. Paula grabs a decanter of whiskey and taking swigs from the bottle, she follows Nati up to her room.

Marina is over her head. She calls Rosa for help. The situation is about to get worse, she says: Fernando is coming over too! Just at that moment, Andrea walks through the door and Marina passes her the phone. Rosa explains her concerns and tells her:
¡Esa casa está patas pa’ arriba!
(That house is upside down. Literally, paws up.)
Rosa is relieved when Andrea agrees to stay there until Marisa comes home.

Nati is telling Paula about Alej’s visit and how she told him the baby wasn’t his. He has a girlfriend, she says:
¡Que disfrute porque no va a ver a su hijo!
(Let him enjoy himself because he’s not going to see his child.)

When Andrea enters the room, Nati asks her nastily what she wants: Did my mother send you? Andrea says she and Alej were concerned about her. The pregnancy is no concern of Alejandro’s, she says. The baby isn’t his. I’ve been with a lot of men. Tell her, Paula. And Paula confirms: Con media ciudad. (with half the city). Nati turns to Paula and asks: Did you bring the good stuff? Paula pulls out a plastic envelope and Andrea leaves.

Andrea finds Alej at the gym. She sadly confirms what Natalia has already told him: the baby isn’t his. You need to get on with your life, she tells him. The Natalia we knew isn’t coming back.

Escobar is talking to Clara on the phone. She would like a copy of the document he had drawn up requesting that Malicia return his apartment to him. He doesn’t understand why she wants it, but agrees to bring it to the house that night.

Julio overhears Escobar’s end of the conversation and praises him for the absence of rancor. He suggests reconciliation may be in the air. Escobar likes that idea. He’ll take some flowers and wine to Clara’s tonight.

Clara isn’t really looking for a romantic gesture from Escobar. She wants to be able to show the apartment document to Rogelio, Zein and everyone else at Salamandra so they will finally see that Malicia is a money-grubbing tramp. And Carolina agrees: It’s time for everyone to know what a gem she is.

The friends agree that Malicia’s next target is Leo. And Cristina had better watch out – because she’s won over every man she has set her sights on.

Dora is still testifying:
Cuando Daniel nació yo me di cuenta que no parecía para nada a Osvaldo. Todo el mundo lo notó.
(When Daniel was born, I realized he didn’t look at all like Osvaldo. Everyone noticed it.)

As Daniel grew older, he looked less and less like his family. Dra Silvia had gone abroad and there was no one to explain what had happened. The jokes, the rude remarks of strangers took their toll. And Dr. Albieri wouldn’t stop bothering her, wouldn’t let her be simply be Daniel’s mother. So finally, to escape from all that, she took Daniel and she fled.

Outside the courtroom, Cristina asks Luisa what’s wrong. What’s wrong, she tells her, is that she is tired of Albieri’s treatment, tired of being stepped on, ignored and degraded.

Alej and Diana meet up at the beach. She knows he went to see Nati, she starts to say. But he interrupts her and tells her: I came here to begin something. I still love Nati but it’s over. And Diana answers that she will always be there for him. He gives her a cinematic kiss. And she gives it right back.

Credits roll.

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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

El Clon, Wed., October 20 - Summary for Discussion

Jade pulls away from kissing Daniel and laughs. He asks why. She says that she isn't 18 anymore but he is. She says that she is sad because she can't go back in time and he can't know the person she was then. Daniel replies that he likes the person she is now. 'Lucas...' says Jade and apologizes saying that she is confused. Daniel replies that he knows that she only noticed him because he looks like Lucas. At first, he was angry about that and then he forgave her. They laugh together.

Lucas finds Cristina prancing around with a veil. She is planning to do a dance that will knock Leo's socks off. Lucas remarks how 'tú siempre subiendo el ánimo,' you always raise our spirits. 'I know there are problems,' says Cristina, 'but no one's dead.' Lucas says that he feels like he is dead. Cristina tells him that Jade was right, he is always looking for excuses not to be happy - now it is Natalia. She tells him that he has to break out and go crazy. Lucas says that Jade wants the 20-year old Lucas, not him. She won't accept him with his problems. Cristina says that she wouldn't do that either. Accepting someone's problems is different than living apart from them because of those problems.

Jade tells Daniel that she has nowhere to go. She has given up everything. He invites her to live with him. She says that Lucas never did that for her. There were many times when she was in this same position and he just left her alone.

Daniel brings Jade to his house and introduces her to Dora. He shows her his room. She can sleep on the bed and he will sleep on the floor. Jade tells him that she is afraid of causing him problems. Daniel says that the only thing he is afraid of is not being with her. He asks her to marry him.

[Instead of the opening credits for the show, we get a promo for Aurora and the first confirmation that it will premiere on Nov. 1]

Estela doesn't think Dora should let Jade stay with them. Dora replies that Daniel is going through a lot right now with the hearing tomorrow. She will let Jade stay for a few days and then they will see about it.

Daniel asks if Jade loves him. She tells Daniel that she needs to stay away from him. She is afraid of him. She knows how this will turn out. Daniel says that she is afraid of him because she has been told that he is a clone. He claims that at the hearing tomorrow, Albieri will prove that he isn't a clone and then when she sees him, she won't be reminded of what Lucas did to her. Daniel asks Jade how she met Lucas. When she tells him, he is impactado.

Ramoncito tells Gloria that he thinks Alej and Diana are novios.

Roberto gets notice that Karla has filed a paternity suit against him. Lucía has a spasm and has to sit down. Roberto swears that he hasn't been with anyone else. He tells her that he will prove that the claim is false.

Zein can't understand why Malicia wants to honor Leo Ferrer. She makes up something about wanting to attract wealthy businessmen. Zein says that she is the publicist, she can do what she wants.

Malicia calls Leo's office and gets Clara [I guess she hasn't started her new job yet.] Malicia won't say why she is calling and Clara won't put her through. Malicia replies that it isn't a problem, she will call Leo on his cell. Clara tells Carolina that Cristina ought to be warned.

Pablo tells Alej that Diana is the woman for him. Alej replies that Diana has been very supportive and they are thinking of moving in together. When asked if he has heard from Nati, Alej says that he has heard that she is worse every day.

Everybody's getting ready to go to the big hearing. There is some to-ing and fro-ing with the upshot that Pablo sees that Nati is preggers. He tells Cristina that he didn't know Nati was pregnant and he doesn't think Alej knows. Cristina says that Nati is about 6 months along.

Marisa is visiting Lucía. Lucía says that if Roberto betrayed her, she will die. At this point, Rosario comes in. She has remembered who Karla is and that she is a distant relative of Consuelo. In a flash, Lucía figures out the scam. She is sure that Karla et al won't want a DNA test because they will be shown to be liars. She is so relieved to realize that Robert didn't betray her.

Dora and Daniel leave for the hearing.

At the courthouse, everyone turns up. Roberto tells Rosa not to talk about reincarnation. The trial starts. The judge states that the results of the DNA test show that the DNA of Lucas and Daniel are identical. Leo is called to testify and all the other witness leave the hearing room.

Pablo tells Alej that he saw Nati and that she is 6 or 7 months pregnant. Pablo thinks that it isn't his child but Alej is sure that it is. He almost runs over Diana on his way to confront Nati. Ramoncito tells Gloria about this. 'San Judas Tadeo, esto no es fácil,' Saint Judas Tadeo, this isn't easy,' says Gloria as usual.

Jade and Estela have a little conversation about Morocco and why she wears a veil. [I guess Jade had her makeup in the pockets of her very tight pants because she is perfectly made up right down to the orange eyeshadow.]

Jade may be gone but things are not happy at Said's house. Said is mooning over Jade and won't talk to Rania. Jadiya and Rania have a knockdown drag out fight. When Jadiya curses Rania's father, they come to blows.

Jade calls Latifa and tells her where she is staying. Latifa and Zoraida are about to bring some of Latifa's clothes to Jade when the Naz comes in. She asks why they don't bring Jade her own clothes. Zoraida replies that Said wouldn't like it. The Naz says that no one will stop her if she goes over to Said's house and gets the stuff. [What do you bet it's all going to fit in a little telenovela magic maleta? In real life, she'd need a U-haul van.] When Latifa expresses surprise that the Naz wants to help Jade, once again the Naz shows why she is one of the more interesting characters in this novela. She replies, '¿Y qué es lo que tú quieras? ¿Que la otra odalisca, Rania, se ponga las cosas de tu prima?' Do you want that other odalisque, Rania, to wear your cousin's stuff?

Nati is her usual rude self to the other maid, Marina. When Marina won't leave her alone, she runs outside just as Alej runs up. He says that he won't leave until she explains what is going on. She tells him that the baby isn't his. She goes back inside, locks herself in her room and threatens to jump out the window if he doesn't leave. He tells her that he will leave but it is over between them. Neither of them seem very happy about this turn of events.

Marisa has gone to see Enrique's shrink. She starts to tell him the whole story of the novela. [At least it's a change from Enrique's endless sessions about how drugs ruin your life.]

All the witnesses are hanging around in the hall of the court. Rosa doesn't understand why they just can't have people come to court when they need them. [Good question! But in this respect a novela trial is the same as a real trial - a lot of standing around waiting.] Dora tells Albieri that she never should have come to his clinic- he ruined her life. Albieri replies that Dora is and always will be Daniel's mother. Then he sees that Amalia is there and slinks away. Meanwhile, Luisa does not accept Cristina's conclusion that Albieri has ruined a lot of people's lives. She says that he is a genius who is a benefactor of humanity. Cristina's expression says it all.

Much to the consternation of Roberto and Enrique, Leo testifies that Albieri made a clone of his son Lucas and that that clone is Daniel.

Luisa finds out that Amalia spoke to Albieri the previous day. Then she overhears Amalia on the phone arranging to meet someone. At the end of the conversation, Amalia says, 'Igual un beso para ti, Albieri,' A kiss to you, too, Albieri.

The credits roll.



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