Caray, Caray!

Last time: Elena realizes Jorge is gonna let her take the fall alone if the "Ulises did it" ruse fails; Alex and MJ are off to Toluca to tell gramps something. Maybe the truth!

Lisette has her new friend Lety over to the luxurious digs. "When our parents died, they left us well cared for financially... so I can pay for your transplant and treatments, and I'll go to the city hospital with you." They embrace and frolic.

I am SO bored by Fer and Vic. Rehash: Raquel has promised to stop drinking if nobody denounces Useless; Fer gave Katya a dog to make up for the lack of Bruno. Vic will publish her book of poems under her own name. Fer acts like she's then going to be famous and he will be so proud to be her boyfriend. [In real life the publishing of a volume of poetry does not make a big splash in the news.]

Raquel defends Useless to Maura, who is patently skeptical - after all, it's in her best interests for him to take the fall. "Everybody but you, Raquel, believes him to be guilty, right? Your family believes that, right?" She offers Raq a drink. Which Raq turns down! And leaves.

Paula tells everything to Roberto; she wants Useless to Pay (unaware that he already has). Roberto is a little sad to hear that the hope of saving Useless is an incentive powerful enough to get Raq to stop drinking when he, Roberto, couldn't. Nevertheless, he hopes this will help her be a better mom.

Pau is impressed with his sagacity and niceness. He says "In future, go first to Gabriel, he can learn to understand and help you." [I think Gabe's a bit of a mouth-breather, but whatever.]

On the way to Porfirio's, at MJ's insistence Alex drives to Elena's place. Elena and MJ embrace. "I was worried about you, Sandra." "No, mom, I'm MJ and this is Alex my husband and the father of my child." "Oh, sorry, I fell for Ulises' deception." "Well, ... I'm your daughter, still."

Elena asks anxiously if Porfirio knows yet. Alex says it's time to tell him. Elena is all, "No, no, it would be cruel, please don't, no no no."

Back in the car, MJ is afraid all the news will devastate her faux-grandpa; Alex says this whole farce was set up to extract money, and there should be no more lies!

Elena keeps trying to interest her "husband" in this problem but Jorge is preparing to throw her in the piranha tank. He now hopes the news about not-Sandra will kill Porfirio; Elena says if it doesn't, Jorge may lose his medical license.

Jorge says all this was Elena's idea and he washes his hands of it. "You would abandon me to my fate? You are the cruelest, coldest man in the world." He reminds her of all the lies she told, and he uses nasty air quotes to remind her that they aren't even really married! [Remember, she deserted our sweet lachrymose Pedro, she never divorced him.] "And you did it for ambition, for the hope of marrying Future Nobel Prize Winner Me - so resolve your own problems."

Porfirio exclaims happily to see Sandra/MJ! She introduces Alejandro - "Oh, this is the famous photographer?"

Porfirio berates Sandra/MJ for leaving without even saying goodbye. He calls for tequila, everybody says he shouldn't, he says he'll die anyway. He gets his tequila.

MJ tries to calm him with the "vacation" story but Porfirio presses hard - he knows it's a lie because the servant saw Elena alone in town when she was supposedly away - tell the truth! She calls Alex "mi amor," Porfirio asks "is he your boyfriend?"

"No, we're married and have a child, I'm not Sandra." (Just then Elena, who has been pacing nervously outside, calls Porfirio but he refuses to take her call.)

Evidently, Alex and MJ tell Porfirio everything and then say he should rest. "You've deceived me all this time? That fox Elena, she never married my son? " MJ: "I didn't mean to deceive you, I thought it was all true!"

Alex explains about the memory-erasure, which doesn't interest Porfirio, who goes on to ask Emiliano: "Et tu?"

Emiliano: "I was afraid for your health, that's why I didn't tell you - and why I told MJ to come back."

Porfirio: "I am completely alone."

MJ: "No! In the short time I've known you, I've grown to love you." "For money!" Alex: "No, she's got oodles of her own moola and I'm more than capable of supporting her also."

Porfirio suggests a game of chess but then changes his mind and sends everybody away, saying "Don't tell the buitres (vultures) that I know."

Elena runs up to them outside. "We didn't tell Porfirio The Truth, he still thinks I'm Sandra." Elena is wobbly and grateful. Alex and MJ are leaving for their ride home but MJ suddenly tears away and runs back to embrace her mom and say "Adios."

Porfirio: "I want to sleep - or perhaps die."

Alex and MJ have a little squabble in their hotel room - she says he didn't even want her to say goodbye to Elena. Alex: "But she hurt you and deceived you." "But it was all Ulises' fault." "But she abandoned you and Paula when you were little." "OK, you're right."

Emiliano calls nephew Fer: "They told him everything. He was so hurt. He is my oldest friend. My only friend. When he goes, I'll be completely alone." "You have me." "But you're so far away." "How about I send you Katya? She's nicer now. And she's got a great dog."

Again Elena reports to Jorge. He crafts some complicated new lie to save their butts: part of it was that she should say MJ and Sandra were actually daughters of Porfirio's son. "So what? Even so, MJ won't share the inheritance." "Make her." "Not easy with that husband of hers around."

Next day, Alex and MJ go back to say goodbye to Porfirio and he's in a much better mood. "Though you're not my grand-daughter, I'd have liked to have had one like you." "And I'd like you for a grandpa." "You have a kid, really?" Alex: "We'll bring him next time." Porfirio says, don't wait too long...

Breakfast table debriefing at the Lombardo's. Blah blah blah. Paula wants the guilty to be punished and when she gets too abrasive Alex reminds her not to be late to work, the chauffeur will take her. She pouts and flounces out, indignant to be treated as an employee. Alex apologizes to MJ for being firm with Paula but she's a a bit of a "rebel" - MJ agrees.

MJ comes to see Alex and her sis at the office. Maura enters. Paula doesn't like to see Maura, especially near MJ, who can't remember what a jerk Maura is. Maura acts nice, offers to take MJ to the bank and set her up with her new checking account, help her with the papers she has to sign... we don't like any of this.

Raquel goes to Dr. (I always want to call him Dr. Placenta) and says she hasn't taken a drink but she needs SOMETHING. She wants drugs - he suggests she try rehab again and not leave till she's really better.

Lisette likes Katya's dog. She tells Katya about Lety. The two girls agree they used to be bad but are becoming rehabilitated.

Then Katya tells how Maura set her up with Matteo. "I took something... and thangs happened..."

The girls search for Katya's name on the internet, and - Dang! Somebody has uploaded that video of her getting it on with Matteo! Since Maura gave the cellphone to Bruno, it must have been him. They need to go tell the story to Fer!

Lisette yells at Maura, reminds her "I know about your Mario Aguirre trick," says she's ashamed of her.

Fer listens to Katya and Lisette and then goes and finds Bruno and throttles him. Bruno: "Let me go, you imbecile, it's not my fault your sister is a whore." Bruno tells Fer where to find Matteo, and laughs his brittle psycho laugh. I love Bruno, what a great villain.

Alex works his magic on MJ and gets her to agree to have a civil marriage soon and then a church wedding with all the fixings, and they'll baptise Tony the same day - as they had planned to do before MJ was kidnapped.

Fer goes off to find Matteo's apartment, it's in a squalid barrio with lots of ugly homeys around with nothing better to do than follow Fer up the stairs. When Fer starts getting in Matteo's face, they all gang up on him, beat him and kick him and - thrown him over a Stairway of Doom. He falls to the pavement.

Matteo and the homeys run away. Neighborhood ladies, who saw it all, cluck and fuss and send for an ambulance. Fer is "grave." He asks the ambulance guy to call Alejandro. Ezequiel takes the call - Alex isn't home, but Vic gets the news.

Feb 17th is the last day of Sortilegio.

Labels: sortilegio

Hello all,

I don't have a TV and so I usually go watch Sortilegio with a long-suffering friend who doesn't speak Spanish and is only mildly interested in Telenovelas but gives over her TV to me so I can watch and blog. (thanks Chris!) Today we're having blizzard conditions and I don't think I will be able to make it to her house. If my wifi is up tonight (sometimes it doesn't work in storms) I'll try to find Sortilegio chapter 88 on YouTube and get something up at least. Stay warm and dry, everyone!

Labels: sortilegio

[Because your kiss is on my list of the best things in life

(because your kiss) your kiss is on my list

(because your kiss) your kiss i can't resist...

Because your kiss is on my list of the best things in life
--Hall and Oates, "Kiss On My List" (1980)Voices Album]

Resumen del capítulo 87

First a little review of the redo:

Gabriel and Paula are cleaning up the kitchen while discussing Gabe's new found and eventually reknowned talent as a sculptor of means. He is inclined to believe that his future fortune and fame are written in the stars and hopes that our pretty pug in a ponytail will now begin to see him with $$... er...those same stars in her eyes. Peso-lovin' Pau, on the rebound from an unrequited love for her first crush, Roberto, decides to give Gabe a go. They make a date. She gives him a kiss on the cheek and skedaddles. Once she's gone Gabe the Gimp acts like he is never gonna wash his face again.

At the same time, across town at the hospital, Dr. Hernan and the consulting neurologist and gynocologist give Mary Jo and Alex the results of her brain scan and ultrasound. The scan shows she was not a drug addict and the ultrasound shows she had indeed had a baby. She is 100% certified as Mary Jo, the wife of Alex, and the mother of Tony. With time and the medication they prepared for her, says the neurologist, little by little she will begin to get her memory back. MJ cries tears of happiness and confusion mixed with concern at not being able to relate.
=============

At casita de Nando, Katia is still very down in the dumps and brooding over Bruno's giving his little ho' the big heave. She tells her big bro' Fernando that she hasn't felt like seeing anybody or going anywhere all day. Woe is the ho' cuz now she is jobless and seemingly friendless. Life's a bore and she's a ....(rhymes with snore). Nando gives his bitch of a sister (appropriately enough) a puppy named Sami to cheer her up.

Meanwhile, Maura and Raquel are having coffee at a streetside cafe in town. In between complaints about her drinking, Mau is pumping Raqhell for news from Casota de Lobos y Locos de los Lombardo. Mau is anxious to know how Alex took the news about Ulises being the one who kidnapped MJ, and more importantly, if he's planning on reporting Uli to the police. Raqui says she doesn't know but she hopes not. Supposedly they are waiting to see if MJ recovers her memory first and can tell them what happened during the incident. Mau has a flashback to the kidnapping. Raqui confirms that Mary Jo is being treated in hopes that it helps her to get her memory back. Mau is Ruh-Roh!! impactada when she hears that MJ is under treatment specifically to regain her memory. (A silent prayer goes up to the virgencita throughout Viewerville in hopes that it might be soon--the sooner the better.)

Bruno now shows up at the main house throwing choice insults around at the hired help while looking for Mary Jo. He makes sure with Arturo first that Alex isn't around. Art says Sr. Alex has gone out for the day. Bruno goes inside the house then and asks Felipa if MJ is in. She tells him even if she were, he doesn't have permission to go upstairs. He sneers at her. Victoria walks in on him and Felipa. Vicki asks why he's there. Bruno says he wants to talk to Mary Jo. (Hmm. No more pretense that she's Sandra?) Vicki tells him she's not there. He asks if she's refusing to let him speak to her. (Like, where else would she be, lady?) Vicki deflects and asks what he needs to talk to her about. He gives her the now tiresome line that MJ's now a divorcee and that in Toluca they were dating and yada, yada.

Vicki says MJ never mentioned it. Bruno says well, he's telling her now, and that it means that Mary Jo loves him. Vicki is stone faced. He whines for effect, trying to elicit a little motherly guilt, complaining that even now that MJ's stopped loving Alex, his momma is forceably keeping him from a chance at happiness with her. (¡Ay! Talk to the hand, Bruno, cuz that face stopped listenin' a while ago.) Vicki reminds him she's his brother's wife, for crying out loud. He reminds her that technically she isn't. (Ugh! Here we go uh-gain!) Felipa interjects with something about as soon as MJ gets her memory back, but El Bruto tells her to shut her trap and starts heading for the stairs. Vicki yells at him to stop right there.

El Broodo de Bruno asks Vicki why she insists on stopping him and is taking the side of somebody who isn't even her real son. Felipa makes a pointed aside that they all wish to God that Alex was her son and not him. (Ten points team Felipa!) He yells at Felipa to stop meddling in his business. Vicki tells Bruno to stop yelling and acting like some deranged crazy person because Felipa is right. As soon as MJ gets her memory back his scheming will all be for nothing anyway because she'll know Alex is her one and only true love. He whinges (I do like that word!) that before all this memory stuff they were serious with each other.

Vicki throws her hands up in the air and says what the heck is his problem, anyway? They had and have had nothing going on between them. "What do you want? To snatch her from your brother? To destroy a family?" Bruno carps that Alex did that to him so why can't he do the same to Alex? It's only fair. Vicki tries reasoning with him, telling him again that it doesn't make any sense, that he's destroying himself, and --bottome line--that the way he's tied himself to this need for MJ is almost sick. (Almost, Victoria???) She pleads with him to look for another woman to have a relationship with and to forget this obsession so that he could actually be happy for once. "Just forget her and all this resentment of yours!!" Broodo says she doesn't know the first thing about it or him: Alex took away everything and has made him what he is! Alex not only took everything from him but he flaunts it in front of his face all the time! How is he supposed to feel? Who's being unfair then? Just who?

Vicki loses her patience and yells. "Enough already!" The commotion is so loud that as Alex and MJ return and enter the house, Alex has to intercede. He asks what's happening here. Felipa spouts off that "what's happening" is that Bruno is a spawn of the Devil. Vicki tries to cover and smooth things over. She lies and says nothing's going on and then tries changing the subject to what they found out at the hospital. Alex looks suspiciously over at Bruno and tells her that it turns out that tests showed there were no drugs and therefore it's not Sandra, but really Mary Jo, just like they thought. Besides that, the ultrasound proved she had had a baby.

Bruno yells back at Alex that the kid isn't his and that even so, MJ doesn't feel a thing for Alex now. (Nanny-nanny-boo-boo!) Alex says, yeah, but she'll remember soon enough. Bruno glares at Alex. "Oh yeah? What's she going to remember?" Alex gets in Bruno's face and keeps verbally punching back. He doesn't miss a beat. "You know what she'll feel whenever she looks in your face? Scorn! Rejection! That's the only thing you've ever aroused in her." Bruno is ready to explode. Vicki tries getting Mary Jo out of there. Mary Jo takes a hint and says she's going upstairs to see Tony.

Bruno starts after MJ but Alex blocks him. He's in Bruno's face again and telling him that his alegations are useless, cuz she's his wife and that's that! Bruno taunts back. "--In Toluca we were a serious item. We dated and we got touchy-feely with each other. We kissed each other. I even went to bed with her! (Oh noes!) Yep. That's how it was!" Alex has heard enough; he goes for Bruno's jugular. (Viewerville is up for another one of those exhillarating knock-down drag-outs, but...) Vicki jumps in between them and yells at them (despite Viewerville's multitudenous groans of protest) to stop it, and now! She turns to Bruno accusingly. "--No way will I witness [presenciar] another fight in my house!" Alex threatens that he'll kill him if he doesn't stay away from Mary Jo.

Bruno looks like he welcomes the challenge, but then he turns to his Mama with tears of frustration in his eyes. "What's Alex got to do with any of this? After all he's nothing but a filthy mooch since now the house belongs to you and Mary Jo!" Vicki is caught in the emotional squeeze-play. Somewhere she finds the strength to tell Alex to ignore Bruno, and, yes even to cut the apron-strings with her pain-in-the-ass progeny. "Precisely because I own this house I'm now telling you to clear out!" Bruno balks and stalls saying they'll wait to see what MJ has to say about it. Alex spits back a warning not to mix her up in this! Vicki has to break it up again. "Enough already! You get out of here or I'll throw you out myself--unless you've been so poorly raised that you'd lay a hand on your own mother!" Bruno threatens her not to force him to. Vicki (along with an incensed Viewerville) yells at him to just "Get out!!" Alex backs her up. "--Beat it!!" [¡Largate!] Bruno backs down (for now) and mumbles to himself on his way out the door. "--Again! Again!" [Otra vez]

Alex says next time Vicki should let him kick him out. Vicki is apopleptic. "--NO! There are not going to be anymore fights in this house! Is that clear?" (In a pig's eye.) Alex says then he and MJ will have to leave with Tony and go somewhere else to live. Vicki begs him not to do that. Alex hands her an ultimatum: she'll have to find the way to throw Bruno out. He walks off in disgust. (The screamfest has left Viewerville emotionally exhausted.) Vicki grabs her head as Felipa worries and warns that all of this emotional upheaval is going to kill her.

Alex heads upstairs to the nursery and learns that Mary Jo took Tony into their bedroom.

MJ is cooing at Tony and telling him she knows she's his mother now, though she doesn't really remember him. Alex walks into their room and MJ wants to know what happened. He says Bruno acted like a fool is all. He sits down and starts to stutter through a question. "I know you thought you were Sandra and I can understand... he was trying to get close to you. So I won't take your answer the wrong way... I just need to know is all. You are everything in the world to me, but I just can't handle it anymore... I ...just can't handle it. I need to ask you; I need to know..... Just how far did the trap Bruno set for you go? Because I would never forgive him, never in my life. He would have to pay for that. --Did you go to bed with Bruno?" Mary Jo immediately and firmly answers him in the negative. "--Of course not!" Alex nervously rubs his brow, lets out a deep sigh of relief and hugs her. MJ hugs him back, but a bit awkwardly.

Mary Jo then asks Alex why he would ask her such a thing. Alex tells her that it's what Bruno just finished telling him about her. She asks why Bruno does these sorts of things. (Do you have a few years to spend learning the psychology behind sociopathology?) Alex explains that he's always done stuff like that, ever since they were kids. "He would always take advantage of me, hassle me, beat up on me. I never let myself lose control, but........" MJ wondered what his parents ever did about it. Alex says he told about some things and they scolded Bruno. Other things he just let pass and kept quiet about. "Things got worse as we grew up." Alex just sort of resigned himself to it all, he tells her. Mary Jo says she thought brothers were supposed to love each other. (Ever heard of Cain and Abel?) Alex reminds her that they are only half-brothers. Anyway, he says, Bruno always was doing something to upset and anger him --and MJ as well. MJ wants him to tell her everything in detail. If it's that disturbing for him, she says, she needs to know all of it. They decide to eat up there in the room and have a long overdue discussion.

Later that evening Mau and Bruno have a pow-wow at the usual watering hole. Mau says she's going crazy from this whole thing and can't deal with it anymore. She's unable to sleep, to eat, or to even think straight any more. The poor dear even has to take tranquilizers to calm herself down. She's desperate. Bruno asks just what it could be that's bothering her. Mau says she is really worried about what happens if and when MJ remembers what went on during the kidnapping and that MJ heard her. "--What the hell was it you said?" She explains that when the kidnappers rushed in she was afraid that they might make a mistake and take her instead. She pointed at MJ and told them she was the one they were supposed to take. "--You should have kept your mouth shut!"

Mau says she was too frightened, so now she's worried that MJ will remember and she'll be arrested for being an accomplice. Bruno thinks it's a small detail and Mary Jo probably won't remember it. Or, they'll just have to hope that she doesn't. "--But what if she does?" "--Then you deny it! Remember they're only interested in the real culprit. That will be Ulises." (It helps not to have a conscience, of course. However, Mau isn't a sociopath like you, dude. She is just a rich, run-of-the-mill, jealous female out to get back at her competition.) "--Do you know where he is?" Bruno lies and says he doesn't. She whimpers again. She is really afraid. He loses his patience with her and tells her to just deal with it! He pays the tab (big of him), kisses her hand gallantly (what a jerkwad) and leaves her alone with her conscience.

Back at The Compound, Alex finishes telling MJ about all the little intrigues they've suffered through with Bruno recently. Mary Jo wants to know why he didn't just put a stop to it all or go to the police with it. Alex tries to explain that he didn't in order to save their families from scandal. She's surprised that he included her family into the mix. He says it was because he had fallen in love, head over heels, with her; that he still feels that way about her now. Alex misses her kisses and hugs, and especially the sex. This makes her uncomfortable. (Ah, come on. Look at this guy! Who in their right mind wouldn't want to jump his bones and/or have him jump their bones after a romantic come on like that?) MJ gets up from the table and walks away. Alex asks her to tell him --truthfully-- if she feels anything, anything at all, for him now.

Mary Jo tries to explain how it was in Toluca. "When I was in Toluca and Don Porfirio told me he wanted me to get married, I told him about Damian and introduced him. Don Porfirio didn't like him. So then, I told him about you --a photographer-- and that I was undecided about what there was between you and me. He wanted to meet you." Alex wants to know what she felt for the "photographer" at least. She admits he came across as sweet, pleasant, and kind. She liked him. He's disturbed that she talks about him in the past tense. She tries explaining that with everything that's happened since then, his taking her by force, and then telling her so many painful things about her mother that it's hard to say. He reminds her that everything he told her about her mother was the truth.

Mary Jo says it's hard to feel something nice about a guy who treats her like that. She lost control of her life because of what Alex did, so frankly, she finds it hard to imagine herself being able to love him. She doesn't know that she even wants to. (Ouch!) He says fine. But, she should know--and he swears to her-- that what they had between them before she was kidnapped was more beautiful than either of them could have ever imagined. He only wants the chance to show her and to get back what they had. "Open your heart with me. Try to love me, a little, please?" Mary Jo is brutally honest and says she doesn't know if she can. He says fine. "Have it your way. Just forgive me if I handled things badly. I thought I was doing the right thing by bringing you back here to your real life and home. Apparently you prefered your new life there." He politely says good-night and leaves her alone to mull.

The next morning the rest of the women are having breakfast together. Raqhell says they knew all along that she was really MJ. Felipa agrees. Vicki says the tests she took gave them proof what Bruno was telling them was a lie. Paula says she never believed her mother for a minute. No way could the woman have mistaken her for Sandra. "No, you know it when you're dealing with a loved one." Raqui puts in a worried good word for Uli. "Nobody can possibly think it was Ulises who took her. He had nothing to gain. [interés = reason to pursue, i.e., financially or romantically] Vicki insists that nobody is accusing him. Felipa suggests that he might know something, though. Just then MJ appears at the table asking for Alex. They tell her he already left for work. Apparently he left without saying good-bye and Vicki finds that a bit disconcerting. Mary Jo says she'd really like to visit her father. Paula happily says she'll take her to see him.

Once MJ and Paula are gone Vicki says that something must have happened for Alex to take off like that. Raqui thinks maybe the big love affair is caput. Felipa says it's a shame since MJ just found out she's his wife and all.

Pau and MJ arrive at the mall and she tells MJ not to think it's going to be a first class operation, but at least it's an honest way for their dad to make a living now. Pedro and the others are excited to see MJ there. Meche and Chucho reintroduce themselves to her because she can't remember even a little bit. Chucho reminds her (uh-gain) how he saved Alex's life way back when. Pedro tells her that she met Meche when Bruno played a dirty trick on Meche's kid brother, Gabe, and the rest of them. The three of them head for Pedro's humble abode so that they can have a little chat.

Meanwhile, back at Lodge Lombardo, Vicki has a chat of her own with Bruno. She tells him she really wants him to look for another place to live since he cannot seem to get along with Alex and MJ. Broodo insists on staying there as the judge decreed is his right. The chalet is his and that's that. They can leave if they want. He's staying. Vicki asks him to show a little class. (Him? Might as well spit into the wind, Vicki dear.) "Everything you've done up to now has been a waste. Why don't you just man-up and go your own way? Let everyone have a litte peace around here." This opens it up to a discussion about Bobo and his errant ways. "Are you trying to say I'm like Roberto?" Vicki smiles with just a hint of a snicker. "Roberto has a greater sense of decency than you." "--I'm not leaving! We'll just see if you can run me off!"

Vicki tries to reason with him again. "You have stock in the company and money." "--Yes, but I am lacking the love of my family." (Geez, Louise. It's back to this again.) Vicki gives up and walks off. Bruno watches her walk away and curses her under his breath. "You have never loved me you old fuddy-duddy! Now you can just rot!"

Back at Papi Pedro's apartment, MJ finds out that everything Alex told her about Bruno/Damian was true, and that the reason they never did anything to stop it was because Bruno was blackmailing Pedro for selling pirated merchandise and threatening to throw them all in jail. Pedro insists with his bum leg that nobody would give him a decent job. (To believe this line of self-pity regarding Pedro's game gam, please adjust the beany two notches. He had a desk job, you know?) Pedro continues his tale. When MJ found out, she went along with the fake marriage to Alex to protect them all from Bruno. Pau inserts herself here. "He's the worst kind of human being!" MJ asks why Alex went along with it once he found out. Pau and Pedro insist he kept quiet out of the kindness of his heart and because he fell in love with MJ.

MJ asks if she loved Alex also. Paula assures her she was head over heels for him, too. [derrapar = skidd, spin] Pedro asks what she feels for Alex now. MJ admits he's a stranger now to her. Pau wonders how this could be since they have a child together. Papi P. tells her to think of the rest of them and how they must feel, and how badly Alex suffered when he found out she was kidnapped. Pau tells her how Alex locked himself up with their baby for weeks afterwards because of his depression. Now, says Pedro, he's suffering because she doesn't feel the same for him anymore. MJ starts processing.

Back at Casa Lombardo Vicki tells Felipa she failed to get Bruno to see the light. Felipa's all for putting bugs, rats and whatever other vermin they can find in his place to run him off. (Viewerville is definitely down for that!) Vicki tells her to get real. She says she expected to pay dearly for all her sins, but never like this. She just can't cope any longer. Just then there's a call from Vicki's editor wondering if she's ready to publish her book of poems. Vicki says yes and that she wants it published under her real name. (Anybody wonder if it'll be dedicated to young lover Fer?) The editor is elated and says it will be sensational. FF>>

At Lombardo, Inc. MJ shows up with Pau for a look-see. Pau tells her it's the largest construction company in the state. Alex is thrilled to see her. MJ tells Alex she wanted to see the place where he works. Pau asks if he remembered offering her a job. He tells Mari to see to it immediately. He and MJ go into his office for a chat. MJ tells him about her chat with her papi and how Alex saved him from himself by paying his debts, etc. Alex admits he felt sorry for the old guy. It's obvious that MJ now sees him in a different light.

Meanwhile, Mari and Paula make quick friends with each other, especially when Mau shows up and they can secretly agree on how disagreeable Meowra is. Mau wants to speak with Alex. Mari and Pau let her know he's busy speaking with MJ and cannot be disturbed. Meowra says she wanted to tell him what Dr. Hernan told her about Lisett and to have him call her later when he's free. She pads out on all fours. Mari and Pau want to gag. They share a secret snicker.

Back in Alex's office he and MJ begin to flirt a bit. He takes the rest of the afternoon off and says after lunch he wants her to see the sights of the city with him. She says fine and blushes. He says there's a change in her. He wonders if it's good or bad. She asks him what he thinks. He says he has lots of questions he might ask her, but there's only one he will ask. "Can I kiss you?" She nods. He makes his move. They kiss. She goes with the flow and the two of them end up panting on his love seat. Just when it starts to get out of hand and we think they're going to do the deed right then and there and are asking ourselves if they remembered to lock the door, Alex pulls away. He politely asks her to forgive him for getting so carried away. "It's just, well, the fact is that I'm dying to make love to you. (Viewerville swoons.) It seems like years since we've done it." MJ giggles as Uni breaks for a little crass commercialism and gives us all a chance to catch our breath.

When we return, Pau and Mari are sealing their friendship. Pau says it's obvious Alex and MJ adore each other, so she is not about to be a third wheel. She asks Mari where Bobo's office is and heads there for a surprise visit. Bobo is happy to see her. He shows her the project he's working on. She mentions that BTW she's got a job there now also. He's happy to hear it. She's wondering if he'll end up going to Brazil for a while. He thinks he probably will. She says she'll miss him. He says he'll miss her also, then asks in his best Big Brother voice if she's managed to meet anyone yet. She says yes and that he knows him but probably doesn't remember him because the guy's been a nobody all this time although he is about to become a famous sculptor. Bobo says she doesn't sound very enthused about the guy. She says that's because the one she's been so enthused about was him. Bobo gets suddenly stiff. "I already explained that to you."

We beam over to the hospital now where Lisett is being discharged today. Her new friend from the free clinic, Lety, comes by and introduces her to her brother, Checo. (Uh, where is the scarf, Lis? --Hubby can't resist remarking that she looks like a conehead without it. Sadly, he's got a point. Show a little self-respect there, Lizzie. That turquoise thing looked pretty good the other day.) Lis introduces both of them to Big Sis, Meowra, and then invites them to come the next morning to the Hello-Kitty Castle for a big surprise she's got planned for them.

On the way out of the hospital Meowra scolds Lis for wanting to pay for the other girl's transplant. "What's the matter? Don't I have the money?" "--Of course you do, but you don't go throwing it around like that! I'm your sister and I'm supposed to take care of you." Lis says it's good that she remembered that because it seemed she forgot while Lis was laid up in the hospital all this time. (Ten points, team Lis.) Luckily she had Lety who did come to visit and she became her friend. Meowra can only gripe about the class Lety and her brother--with a name like Checo--come from. Lis walks off and leaves Meowra to stew and spew by her sorry damn self. (Another ten-pointer for Lizzie.)

Meanwhile, Pau and Gabe have their date. He shows her through an art museum nearby and explains what he knows about techniques or some such. FF>>

That night at the Casota, up in the nursery, Alex and Mary Jo tuck little Tony in. Alex tells her she'll be the best mother. MJ says it seems she remembers him telling her that exact same thing before. Could it be she's finally starting to remember? Alex says it could be. She's elated and hugs him. They walk towards their bedroom door. She thanks him for a wonderful day together then asks where he's going to be sleeping. Alex chuckles and says he's sleeping in the guest room. MJ asks him if he wants to come in with her. He smiles and says it will not be just for a kiss good-night. It looks, though, that she might be seriously considering the option. Mary Jo makes up her mind and invites him in. Alex asks her not to turn the lights on. He tells her that he understands how she feels and that he realizes it must be like the very first time they were together. He promises to be kind and gentle with her. He goes in for The Kiss. She tries to get into it but she's still too nervous and not really ready for it. Alex says not to worry. If she's not sure about it he can wait. He wants her to be completely confident so that next time they're together nothing is stopping her. He kisses her good night. She tells him to rest well. [Descansar] He chuckles to himself. (As if.) She smiles. He leaves. She's hot but not quite ready to trot.

The next morning they are all at breakfast. Alex and MJ tell Vicki they're going to visit Porfi but first he's stopping at the police station to report Uli to the police for the kidnapping. Raqui walks in on the discussion. Vicki tells her now that they know MJ is really MJ those responsible must pay for their crime. Raqui is desperate. She says all they have is Bruno's word that it was Uli. (We all know what that's worth. It seems like Mama and Alex are suffering from amnesia all of a sudden, here, too.) "Perhaps it's nothing but a big lie!" Vicki says that's why the police have to find him, to get at the truth. "But Mary Jo is just fine!" Pau pipes up to add that whoever did that to MJ has to pay! "--But he's my child's father!" Felipa chides her. "--And a courageous man you chose for the father, too! Anyway, you could give a flip about your daughter!" "--Stay out of it!" Alex tells Raqui that his mind is made up. He's reporting Uli to the police. Raqhell is frantic. She begs him not to do it. She turns to Vicki and tells her she'll die if Uli's sent to prison. "If you don't do this...I promise...I promise I'll never take another drink! Please! I'm begging you!" Vicki asks if she's really serious. Raqui nods. Serious as a heart attack.

Mary Jo says she has no problem if they choose not to report Uli to the police. Besides, she's back, safe and sound. Alex says then he'll think about it, but it is a crime that should not go unpunished. Raqui runs to MJ and tries to thank her --as best she can, considering. Pau starts to say something else but Mary Jo shuts her up on the spot. "There's nothing more to say. Perhaps we're making a mistake in not reporting Uli to the police, but with what Raqhell has promised, we've come out with a win."

Back in Toluca, Elena has been found out by Porfi's manservant, Isaías. Isaías goes back to Porfi's bedside and reports that he's sure he's seen Elena around town. So where is Sandra? Does that mean they have returned from wherever? Porfi doesn't like how things are shaping up. He has his man call Elena's rancho. The housekeeper answers and says yes, Sra. Elena is there. When she goes to hand the phone to Elena, Elena tells her to tell whoever it is that she's still away on a trip. Oops! Too late. The housekeeper tries to tell Isaías she's still traveling, but Porfi isn't buying any of Elena's B.S. and gets on the phone himself.

"If she's back why hasn't anyone bothered to tell me? It's not like we live in another country or something! Look, I want to speak to Elena! Put her on!" Elena pretends she's just walked back in the door. "So where's Sandra?" Elena pretends she left her to visit or something. "--You left her alone?" "--Oh, Porfirio. She's lived on her own for years now." "--You tell her she's to come back here immediately! That's an order!" Click.

Elena races over to tell Jorrible Jorge the bad news. "What do we do now?" Jorge tells her to call Merida and convince Mary Jo to come. "--And if she doesn't want to?" "CONVINCE HER!!!!!" (Viewerville waits for the rafters to stop shaking. What a freakin' ogre! It's Three Billygoats Gruff come to life. He and Porfirio are such a freak show.) Elena takes the phone from him and starts dialing. Vicki takes the phone from Zeke. She lets Elena know that MJ and Alex are on their way to Toluca to visit with Porfirio. "--Uh, Mary Jo?" Elena acts confused. Vicki says yes. They've medical proof now that MJ isn't Sandra. Vicki is so cool towards Elena the phone nearly gives Elena frostbite. "--Is there anything else I can help you with?" Elena says no, thank you, and then hangs up. She chokes giving Jorge the bad news that they've found out Mary Jo is not really Sandra and that she and Alex are on their way to visit the old man. What if they tell him the truth now?

Jorge wonders what's the big deal. "Not to worry. Ulises was the one who did the kidnapping, remember? He assured us she was Sandra." Elena is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She can't believe that Jorge can be so cool and calm about it. Doesn't he realize the threat they are facing now, she asks. Jorge robotically explains to her that if one panics one cannot think clearly. Elena just blinks at him. She is panic personified.

Back at the Lombardo's Fernando is visiting his one true love. Vicki tells Fer that MJ and Alex have gone to see Porfirio. He asks if they plan to tell the old guy the truth. Vicki says she isn't sure MJ has it in her. He says he'll call his tío abuelo to warn him because if Porfi gets the bad news he won't take it well at all and somebody will need to control him. The man flies off the handle all the time and only his tío can really manage him. She has Fernando make the phone call. Emiliano answers and thanks him for the heads up, then heads over to Porfi's for the assist.
　

Labels: sortilegio

Permalink posted by Jardinera654 @ 2:29 PM 112 comments

Yesterday:
The boys argue over MJ. Alex wins and Bruno leaves. Instead of having a family dinner Alex decides to take MJ out to dinner and enjoy the rest of their evening. Bruno heads back to his Chalet and rants and raves and has a tantrum. Eric shows up and wants to know how things are going. Bad idea. Bruno bites his head off and says that if he can’t have her then neither can Alex.

Tonight.

Alex and MJ arrive at the restaurant where their table is waiting.

Dr. and Mrs. E-vil are discussing Sandra. Dr. E wants to know the scoop with MJ and Alex. Elena explains they are divorced but they live together. Dr. E doesn’t look pleased. There is a knock on the door and who should appear but Useless. Even though he is out of his coma he is still—well, useless. He tells Dr. E that he’s heading for Merida. Dr. E doesn’t think that his body is ready. Useless doesn’t care. He wants to go to Merida and bring Sandra back. But first he’s going to pay a visit to Bruno. Uh oh! He says he’s going to need some money. Of course says Dr. E. The phone rings and it is someone from Porfirio’s house saying that Porfirio’s condition has worsened. Dr. E is on his way because he doesn’t want the old guy to kick the bucket before he signs his will.

Back to the land of sunshine and roses MJ and Alex are having dinner. She wants to know about Useless and why Damian brought up his name. Ok, let’s get this straight. His name is Bruno not Damian—Damian is his second name. Useless is friends with the Mexitrash crowd. In fact, he’s the founding member. He explains that Useless is the father of Raquel’s baby. MJ wants to know if Robertoo knows about the baby and he says yes. When Raquel was pregnant Useless disappeared and no one knew where he went. Alex tells her about being kidnapped. She wants to remember. We were happy. He asks her to dance. He sings to her as they dance. She likes it. Lots of smiling and almost kissing. At least we didn’t have to hear the theme song again. Finally they kiss.

Back at the Casa they head upstairs. He thanks her for going with him. Then there’s the awkward, “Do I kiss her or do I not?” scenario at the bedroom door. He wants to come in for just a little bit so they can talk about some other things. R i g h t He wants to know when she wants to go to the hospital to have the tests done. She says whenever you want. Alex thinks they have to talk to Porfirio and tell him the truth. She agrees. Reluctantly he leaves. There’s a split screen of them thinking about each other. Sigh…

Bruno is in bed when the phone rings. It’s Dr. E informing him that Useless is heading for Merida tomorrow. Don’t you fail me. Bruno assures him everything will be fine.

Fer and Vicky are drinking coffee. She is telling him about the dinner and that Bruno came and everything went to Hell in a handbasket. Stamp me stupid for thinking it would go smoothly. He’s glad because he got to have coffee with her. Seriously dude, you are such a wuss. He wants to talk to her about Katia. It seems Bruno terminated their relationship and she is devastated. He doesn’t care why it ended but he’s glad that it did. They switch to the topic of Maura being involved in the kidnapping. Fer thinks she's involved because she is so obsessed with Alex. She wants to help him with Katia. Vicky loves Fer and he loves her and he doesn’t want her to think about an end to their relationship. There is no end. Snore—FF>>

Paula, Felipa, and EZ are sitting around shooting the breeze. It is unanimous that they are glad that MJ and Alex are together again. They are so in l-u-u-v. Felipa wants to know if Paula has a hunk-a, hunk-a, of burnin’ love to call her own. Well, sort of—but he’s married so maybe not. But then again, there is this one guy---(and we all know who that is –blech).

Dr E gets back from Porfirio’s. Elena wants to know what happened. Did he die? Like she really cares. No, but he doesn’t have much time. He wants to see Sandra. That can’t happen. No, duh, you stupid heifer! We can’t lose the money. We need it. Elena wants to know what they are gong to do. Dr. E tells her to stop bothering him with all these questions. He thinks they need to get Useless to take the fall for the kidnapping of MJ. Everything depends on it.

Next day. MJ is in Tony’s room and Alex comes in on his way to work. They talk about the babies. She thanks him for everything last night. He was glad that she went with him. Vicky wants to get some things for the babies. She says she doesn’t have any money. He tells her not to worry about it. She wants to know if her mom went back to Toluca. Praise the Lord, she did. He leaves for work and gives her a kiss. Paula is downstairs playing the piano. She wants to know how everything is going with MJ. He says not too bad. She says she’s bored and wants to know if he has a job for someone with her fabulous computer skills. He says he’ll see what he can do. On his way out he asks EZ to fix the phone in his bedroom. Paula is excited about having a new job that she doesn’t even have yet. Alex shows up at Bruno’s chalet. Bruno wants to know what he wants. Alex says it’s MJ and not Sandra. Bruno is like, so? It doesn’t matter, she’s not your woman right now. Alex says that will be rectified shortly. Bruno makes that awful clicking thing he does and says don’t be too sure. They have a stare down and I couldn’t hear what they said.

Paula is excited about having a job. MJ is concerned about calling her mom to let her know she is ok. Paula doesn’t want her to talk to Elena because she doesn’t deserve to know anything about their lives. MJ wins and calls Elena. She tells her that she is still confused. He keeps wanting me to remember that I am MJ. Paula chimes in and says that she is not Sandra. Elena explains that Useless found her and brought her home. MJ says they are telling her the medicine that Jorge gave her has messed with her memory. Elena tells her not to take any medicine they give her. You need to come home. Porfirio is very bad. He doesn’t have much time. He needs to see you. I don’t want him to die. You have to come.

Tio is talking to Porfirio—he wants to see his granddaughter. He suspects something is wrong. He wants to know what is going on. Porfirio makes Tio promise to tell him what is going on. There’s a knock on the door. It is the doctor. He orders him out. The doc says he needs the oxygen. They just want me to sign my will. Tio tries to convince him that he needs the oxygen.

MJ gives her mom a phone kiss. Paula looks like she wants to hurl. Bruno enters and rushes to MJ and tries to give her a kiss. Paula gets in between them. She pushes him away. Victoria comes down the stairs and Bruno rushes to her and greets her with a kiss. Vicky and MJ are going shopping for the babies. He stands behind then on the stairs of death waiting and watching. When they leave he comes down the stairs but Paula stops him and tells him what a scumbag he is. If they only knew just how bad you really are. He tells her to shut up. She doesn’t know anything. He either tries to head-butt her or kiss her, I’m not sure which and she tells him to get away from her. Felipa seconds that and he walks out with a snort.

Alex and Fer are at the office discussing how things are going. Alex says not too bad. He held her in his arms and kissed her and thought she would remember. But she is still confused. Fer tells him he has to have patience. Alex is worried that she might feel something for Bruno.

Letty comes to visit Lissette. She says she doesn’t have money for something. They talk and Letty leaves. Hernan comes in and Lissette asks him for a favor. Sorry FF>>

Useless enters his apartment. Bruno is there waiting for him. (This doesn’t look good. Dun, dun, dun). Useless looks surprised (but what else is new) and wants to know what he is doing there and how did he get in. He made a copy of the key. Useless wants to know who told him he would be here. Ah, the good Dr. Kruger. Useless still doesn’t get what is going on. He says something and I don’t know if it is because he is still under the influence of his drug induced coma or what, but I can’t understand him. Bruno laughs and says isn’t it obvious? They lied to you except for one thing. You are taking the fall for the kidnapping of MJ. He says it was Sandra he brought to Toluca not MJ. He grabs Bruno by the throat and bends him over the bar. Muscles bulge. Bruno’s face gets red. Just when it looks like all is lost for Bruno he kicks Useless and he falls to the floor. That gives Bruno the chance he was waiting for. He whips out a pistol with a silencer and POP. Oh snap! <
Vicky and MJ get home from shopping. Victoria and Felipa talk about MJ and how sad it is that she can’t remember. They can’t understand how her own mother could treat her like that. FF>>

Bruno is on the phone with Dr. E-vil. It’s done. I killed him. It was very quick. He had no idea it was coming. I left him in the apartment. Dr. E says not to tell anyone. Then he says something I don’t understand. Bruno says I don’t understand. Dr. E tells him to just do what I say.

Back at the hospital—Alex reassures her everything will be ok. He promises her that if they determine she is Sandra he will let her go home to her mother. What if they find something. Still insecure, he wants to know what she feels for Bruno. She says nothing. Nothing happened. Hernan says they are ready. Hernan says they are ready. She looks nervous.

Dr. and Mrs. E-vil are discussing Bruno’s latest accomplishment. What happened to the body? They will think he died because he was guilty of the kidnapping. We will wait and see.

Paula is telling the gang about her new job. She wants to know where Gabe is. Oh, he’s at home working on some art. Pedro wants to know how MJ is. Paula tells him about her going to the hospital for some tests.

MJ is gong into the MRI. Hernan comes out and says everything is fine.

Gabe is back at the house working on a statue. Paula shows up. I guess you are too busy. He says he’ll fix her something to drink. She touches his hand as he gives her her drink. She smiles coquettishly at him. He asks her to go with him tomorrow. She says it’s a date and kisses him on the cheek. He is in heaven. Like we didn’t see that one coming.

At the hospital everything is fine. You aren’t Sandra you are MJ. She is overcome with emotion. You will begin to remember little by little. Everyone is happy for her.

Labels: sortilegio

Permalink posted by Connie @ 2:17 AM 75 comments

Emilio leaves for home.

Ale explains to SMJ why they are divorced, tells her about the pills she should take and asks her to see Tony.

Maura shows Bruno that she has on her cell the video of Katia with Mateo. Maura asks Bruno about the "other" matter and Bruno tells her how Alex showed MJ's scar, but not to worry that Useless will be blamed for everything. Maura is all over Bruno's arm.

In the nursery SMJ comes in and the nurse asks how she is and how is her father? SMJ says fine, but I don't think she has seen him yet. The nurse goes on how she has much affection for Don Pedrito and she doesn't know why anyone would want to harm a good man like him. The nurses tells SMJ about little Vicky and how she is suffering from the consequences of her mother drinking while pregnant. The nurse says what a good baby Tony is and how Ale loves him. She encourages SMJ to pick him up. SMJ says he is beautiful and shes asks the nurse if she is sure he is her son. The nurse says of course. But that she wasn't called in the first few weeks because SMJ was nursing him. SMJ asks why she stopped and the nurse says maybe she didn't like but don't ask her. SMJ caresses baby Tony with her hand and tells him she is his mommy.

Bruno is walking somewhere and he calls Katia. Katia says she is angry with him and Bruno says he they need to talk. Katia says go ahead, but Bruno says not on the phone. Bruno says he wants to talk in his hotel room.

At the market Pedro is telling Paula how well Gabrials show went. Ale comes and Pedro asks if he has news of MJ. Ale says yes, she is at the house. Pedro is thankful. Paula says to Ale to tell him the rest. Ale tells Pedro she has no memory. Ale says he wanted to prepare him for when she doesn't recognize him.

Bruno is in the swimming pool when Katia arrives. Katia says she has looked all over the hotel for him. Bruno says yeah, but she is late and he doesn't have time. Katia starts telling him all the things she can talk about like the DR thing and her being a minor. Bruno pushes her down on the bed and says lies, you are a wh0re! Katia jumps back up and slaps him, not hard enough. Bruno licks her hand. He tosses her the phone so she can see the evidence of her being with Mateo. Katia can't believe it. Bruno walks in the the bathroom that has a full tub and gets in without removing his shorts. Katia tries to tell him she loves him and he grabs her head and pushes underwater and then he tells her to get out already. Katia crys. So sad!

Elena gets back home and asks the maid where her husband is. He's in the clinic.

Then we see Emilio knocking on Porfirio's door.

We see Jorge and Elena at the bed Useless. His hair is gone and because of his nervous system he is all jerky.

Emilio and Porfirio talk. Porfirio says he doesn't have much time left. He is dying. Porfirio is adamant that Emilio confirm his suspicions that Damian is deceitful. Emilio confirms.

Ale along with Paula and Pedro drive up to the Lombardo casa. SMJ comes down the stairs Ale greets her and asks how she is feeling. Ale then introduces her to her father. SMJ says Usted? Paula says yes, he was there when their mother abandoned them. Pedro asks if he can kiss her. SMJ does not remember. Ale and Paula leave so Pedro and SMJ can talk. Pedro starts explain how they went to church... SMJ still remembers nada.
SMJ asks Pedro if Elena is her mother. Pedro says yes she is the mother of SMJ, Paula and Sandra who died a few days ago. He tells her that the doctors said it was a drug overdose. Ale was with her at her last moment. SMJ wants to know where she is buried and Pedro tells her that Sandra was cremated and he has her ashes at his home. SMJ then says that the truth is that she really is MJ? Pedro says yes. He is telling her the truth. MJ says that she can feel his love and that she did not feel love at the house of her mother. There she felt fear, a horrible feeling, jailed repressed and now after speaking with Pedro she realizes here she is wanted, and she is thankful.

Maura is on the phone with Lissette. Maura is passing along the news that it was Useless that kidnapped MJ. Katia comes to ask why Maura did it. Katia knows that Maura is behind the video etc. Katia tells her they are pigs. Maura tells her she is stupid. Well Katia is finding out what kind of friends she has.

Lety, Lisettes friend comes to visit and help her eat. They laugh about por el pipip.

MJ comes in with Pedro and tells Ale that her Padre told her the history. Pedro says that he will pray that she remembers soon. Ale says she will remember sooner if she takes the medicine that Hernan brought. MJ says she will and that she wants to remember and she also wants to have the brain scan. She needs to remember because she sees Ale as a stranger that she wants to remember.

Fernando comes home and Katia runs down crying and asks for forgiveness. Fernando was right about Bruno. Fernando tells her to cry and that her life will get better, that he will always love her. Sooooooooo is this Katia's redemption?

Jorge in Useless room is on his cell with Bruno and are getting their stories correct and that Useless will be in Merida the next day. Bruno has it all under control. Useless will take the fall.

Useless is asking what is wrong with him? He is useless.

Bruno is trying to meditate while Rachel asks him to explain how Useless kidnapped MJ. Bruno says it is the truth. Rachel says she doesn't want him to go to jail. Bruno says Useless was irresponsible. He tells Rachel she is pathetic and it is not his fault. Rachel says she doesn't believe it.

We are back at the clinic where Useless is brought in and fed some bull. Useless is getting stronger by the second.

Emilio calls Fernando and wonders if MJ couldn't visit Porfirio. Fer says her will talk to Ale.

Elena and Jorge tell Useless that he has problems. Bruno is going to blame him for kidnapping MJ.

Rachel is telling Victoria that she doesn't believe that Useless kidnapped MJ. Victoria woud like to believe it was Useless.

Ale is at work and Fer tells him about the call from his Tio and that they should go see Porfirio and tell him the truth. Ale agrees. Victoria calls and suggests that Ale take MJ to dinner and start making new memories.

At the market Chucho is closing shop and Paula is telling Meche and Gabe everything about MJ.

Roberto is holding baby Vicky. MJ comes in and says hello to Roberto and then Victoria comes in. Roberto has to leave. Victoria talks to MJ about going to dinner with Ale, and at first she protests because she doesn't remember but Victoria talks her into it.

Ale comes home and Victoria brings MJ downstairs. Ale compliments MJ and MJ says she not used to being called MJ. Bruno walks in and says that she is Sandra and that it is the fault of Useless. Rachel says no. Victoria says end of discussion. Bruno takes MJ's arm and Ale says that is my woman and Bruno says she is his woman and that they divorced. They fight again on the floor. Victoria finally gets it broke up and MJ says she is going with Ale. Bruno continues his lies but finally leaves. Victoria apoligizes to MJ and Ale says the rest of MJ's night will be restful. They leave. Rachel says 'see" to Victoria. Bruno can't leave MJ alone.

Bruno in his room is getting crazy mad. He hates that Ale always seems to get what he wants, but if he can't have MJ Ale can't either

Labels: sortilegio

Folks, I have gotten mighty tired of the bellowing baritones belting out our theme song.

We review MJ's testy few minutes at the restaurant and Alex's ham-fisted, bungling, overbearing attempts to get her to remember him.

She yells that step-daddy Jorge SAVED her and how terrible that she's been torn from the bosom of her loving family!

Poor MJ. First marrying Bruno-the-faux-Alejandro, then having to fake it with the real Alejandro, getting thrown out of the house pregnant, then slapped around, kicked when she was pregnant, stolen and drugged etc., it's no wonder she's testy.

Lisette and her new chemo buddy bond at the clinic.

Gabriel tells Paula how successful his exhibit was: one sale of a sculpture netted as much as three months of his usual work. Soon he'll be able to buy a car! Paula says when he gets his car they can go out and celebrate. Oh, ye material girl.

Doc Hernan talks about studies, treatments, a brain scan to figure out how to help MJ. Maybe they should force Jorge to help cure her, threatening him with the closing of his clinic. [But then, what would happen to those stacks of zombies he's got in there?]

Bruno and Elena arrive at Casa Lombardo and MJ, delighted, flies into Bruno's arms: "Thank goodness you've come, get me out of here!"

Luckily, Vic and Alex rush up in time, and therefore Elena is forced to make nice and get introduced to everybody.

The servants regurge the whole current plot tangle.

Sitting in the living room like civilized people, everybody struggles to have a conversation. It's tense.

Alex asks about Bruno's supposed business in Toluca which turned out to be bogus. Bruno says he was an innocent dupe. Alex asks why he used his middle name, Bruno says it was because he didn't want Alex to find him and ruin everything as he always does.

Elena presents her story (that MJ is actually Sandra, saved by Jorge, newly awoken from a drug-overdose coma) several times. Vic and Alex present their side several times. Elena says it was Ulises who found Sandra in a hospital and spirited her away to be saved by Jorge.

Alex and Doc bring up the scar! Bruno's comeback: "Sandra could have been wounded in the same place." Doc: "A gynecological exam will prove she's a mother."

MJ doesn't want any of this. She pounds on Alex, says she hates him, and runs upstairs.

So then, a satisfying fist-fight and roll on the floor, Bruno and Alex yelling "I'll kill you!" "No, me, I'LL kill YOU!" etc. The captions read: "Blows and complaints." Elena and Vic agree at last: they both yell "Enough already!"

Elena tells her story again and says she'll call the police if she doesn't get the girl back. Alex: "Go ahead and call them, but she's my wife and mother of my son and she leaves here over my dead body."

Bruno and Elena give up and leave, very very grumpy. They phone Jorge and give him the bad news. He's grumpy too and says, predictably, that Bruno is an idiot, "You should have warned us about the scar." And Elena was an idiot too, to say she'd call the police. "That doctor can prove it's MJ and then you can kiss the $$$$ goodbye." Bruno whines: "She likes me better, and anyway, she and Alex are divorced."

Bruno goes to Maura's house. His brilliant plan: they'll all keep saying MJ is Sandra till the last possible second. Ulises will back them up, he's been in it for the money all along. "Whoah, I thought you said Ulises was dead!" "No, he's just resting. [No, actually "in a coma."] We'll wake him up, use him, and then send him to jail."



Jorge and an assistant hover over Ulises, who's coming back to life, but it will take a few days, and he's kind of weak. If he doesn't revive fully, they can always glue his feet to the floor (see video)...

The good guys have a final living-room pow wow prior to Uncle Emiliano's departure, yes, he is going back home, he has to talk to gramps - but first, he kneels to Vic and says she's beautiful, sexy, smart... Fer and the Doc glare furiously as Emiliano kisses Vic's hand...

Roberto is in a hotel in Merida, getting ready to move into his new house. He felt awkward in the big house with Raquel around. Paula says she's sad in the big house too, so she's staying with Pedro the Pitiful. Roberto is anguishing about Vicky Jr. Paula says of course he should get her.

He says again, "you don't know what I've done..." and ends up telling her about his "experimentation" and about being bisexual - Paula looks queasy... she asks if he's "still that way."

He says honesty is the most important thing, and that if he's ever in a relationship again he will be completely himself, hiding nothing. Paula says she accepts him and that he'll find a woman - he's so sexy and tender - and Paula likes him the way he is... she cries...

Good ol' Roberto. "Paula, I don't want to hurt you... I love you too, but in a different way... Are we still friends?" Paula says yes.

Next day, MJ wakes up (still in her dress from the restaurant) and there, in her face yet again, is Alex. He makes headway this time! She softens as he says he's desperate, he loves her... he cries... "You can't have forgotten our kisses..." [I personally think he should have shaved...] but anyway they kiss and MJ likes it plenty. Then she backtracks: "I am confused. I was promiscuous, so I'd probably like kissing any man. My mother wouldn't lie to me..."

Alex mentions her dad. She's astounded: "You know my father?" "Of course. He's a simple man with a good heart." Again the donkey to the wheat: "Do you really feel nothing when I embrace you? Look me in the eyes! I love you, don't you feel it?" [Oh, so this is the spell (sortilegio) of the novela's title - the spell MJ is under, which must be broken.]

After a brief bad-guy scene in which, again, Bruno was stupid not to remember the scar... and what good will Ulises be... and they can't denounce the Lombardo's since there is proof ...

... back to Alex and MJ. She looks much more tender, but asks woefully: "What if I'm not what you think I am?" He reassures her that she is.

Fer and his uncle fear the news about faux-Sandra would kill the grandfather.

Raquel regurges plot with Maura and Katia. Raquel is electrified to hear Ulises is back in the picture. Where is he? "Hidden." [Resting.]

It's another day. Roberto decorates his new home. Paula calls, asks if he's lonely. "Better alone than in bad company." (Meaning Raquel.) He tells Paula she should start going out. "You can count on my friendship, but I want you to find someone to make you happy."

[Commercial: girls playing American football in bikinis? ¡Qué colmo!]

Alex is finally going to go to work - he figures, correctly, that he shouldn't hang around bugging MJ all the time. Vic is upset, it's hard to wait, she wants Tony to get baptised and there's the wedding...

Doc shows up with pills for MJ, pills to treat her memory loss - "One pill a day, without fail, don't interrupt the treatment for anything!" he warns portentously. [Are you as uncomfortable as I am to see that "our" team drugs MJ as much as Jorge did? How many nights has she been drugged to sleep here?]

So Alex goes back upstairs; he's glad to see MJ is eating her breakfast. He flirtatiously drinks some of her juice. Then he tells her: "You need a brain scan, and also these pills." She predictably doesn't want either.

She asks, "Is it true we're divorced?" and when he says yes, she flies into another rage and decides he's been doing it all for money. He despairs: "we can't exchange two words without a fight," then tells her about her knife wound and how Bruno would only donate blood in exchange for the divorce and the presidency.

Finally, he asks her to go see Tony, who needs his mother. "He's an innocent baby, none of these intrigues are his fault!"

Labels: sortilegio

of the girl.

SandyJo takes a look at Tiny Tony's baby pictures and wonders if perhaps the people in this house are not big fat liars.

Maura comes home and calls Bruno. She is very confused because she thinks that Sandra woke up in addition to MaryJo being missing from Toluca. She also tells him that she's got video of Katia with another guy. Skank.

Bruno reports back to Dr. and Mrs. Evil. He proposes accusing Alex of having kidnapped Sandra. Dr. Evil says that won't fly because medical experts would be able to tell that MaryJo has had a baby. Mrs. Evil proposes that they just say that Sandra had a baby in Spain. Dr. Evil wonders if they can use Ulises somehow. He says they have the word of the people at the clinic in Mexico that Ulises is the one who left with her. Now Bruno is confused--he thought Ulises was in Argentina. Doc says he's in an induced coma, but they can revive him whenever. You should be worried Bruno…if you had an ounce of sense left in that pretty little head, you'd be picturing yourself in a hospital bed, pale and flabby, with no hipster scarf to accessorize your hospital gown.

Ulises has grown a pretty decent beard. Bruno is impressed, but he does look a little freaked out. The doc explains how they'd revive him. Bruno is worried about what happens after he wakes up. Doc says they'll just bribe him--all Ulises is ever after is money anyway. Bruno reminds him that Ulises wanted to marry Sandra and get the old guy's money…why would he settle for less? Dr. Jor-hey-he's-evil says they'll figure something out. "It's him or us." Bruno gives another freaked out look.

Chucho works on some pottery as Pedro comes home with flowers. I didn't know it was like that with them. Oh, the flowers are for the Virgen. Chucho wonders if they shouldn't take Sandra's ashes to a church. Oh, no, the flowers are for Sandra, got it. Pedro hasn't had any word about MaryJo and he's kind of nervous about it. Chucho tells Pedro that there's a party going on later being thrown by the guy who's going to make Gabriel famous, in order to introduce Gabe to rich people with no taste who like to buy art. What? Maybe his stuff's good, but we haven't really seen it yet. Pedro doesn't want to go, but Chucho tries to talk him into it. And fails. Chucho then tries to talk Pedro into going to Toluca and dragging MaryJo back by force. Pedro won't do it. That would take a spine.

Vicky, et. al., come home to hear the news that Alex, Paula, and MJ are all back. Ezequiel doesn't know the details, though.

Hernán checks out SandyJo. He gave her a sedative. She's very worked up and she's going through withdrawal from the medication. Alex asks if Hernán knows what it is yet, but Hernán is waiting for test results. He counsels Alex to have patience and reminds him that right now MJ thinks Alex and everyone in that house are her captors. Alex is not happy about this.

Paula cries and tells the assemblage at Casa Lombardo how MJ didn't believe them. She's very upset about the whole thing. Felipa suggests lots of praying. Hernán and Alex come downstairs. Fernando introduces Alex to Tió Emiliano. Tió suggests talking to SandyJo since she remembers him from before. Alex walks him upstairs while Vicky comforts Paula.

Emiliano tells Alex to buck up, he'll see what he can do. Alex hides in the hallway to listen. Emiliano wakes SandyJo up. She's thrilled to see him.

Bruno is getting antsy waiting for Doc Evil to come back from his lab. He's still stuck on the calling the cops plan. Doc Evil comes in right then and tells Bruno to cool it. They'll wait for Ulises to wake up. Bruno doesn't want Ulises marrying MJ, but Jorge says it's no big deal--Bruno can just kill him after. Once again, kiddies, why doesn't Evil do it himself? That's right, he's not a killer. Bruno laughs and Mommy Evil just looks mad.

Emiliano gives SandyJo the info about the scar on her back as a way to confirm that what Alex, etc., are saying is true. She says she knows she has a scar, but they probably are just using her scar to support their story. But why would Sandra have a scar? Well, probably from doing dangerous stuff in Spain. And why would both Sandra and MaryJo have a scar in the same place? Well…. She doesn't have an answer for that one, but it just makes her more confused. She woke up with no memory and people telling her who she was and now she's got a whole new set of people telling her she's someone else. Emiliano says that he's sure that the people here are her real family and she only feels like she doesn't know them because she's upset, but deep down she knows.... SandyJo doesn't want to keep discussing it. She keeps trying to make it Emiliano who's really the one who's confused. Emiliano keeps calmly trying to tell her that these are her people. She ends up crying and hugging Emiliano.

Gabriel looks uncomfortable at his party. Meche and Chucho are having fun, but Gabriel looks like he smells poo. He wishes Paula were there to see him in his new tan suit. But Paula's busy with her family drama. Gabe's patron comes over and grabs him so he can make the official introduction to the crowd. Gabe's pants are not fitting well. I can't tell if they're too tight or too loose. It's kind of a diaper-y effect.

Emiliano is still upstairs talking to SandyJo while Paula and everyone else are downstairs. Emiliano comes downstairs and reports that SandyJo is upset and confused. SandyJo doesn't want Emiliano to leave. He's not sure if he should stay, though, and he wants to go home and tell Porfirio what's going on. Alex wants to go to talk to Porfirio too. Emiliano says they've got to worry about MJ first. Alex wants vengeance, but Fernando tells him to leave it to the cops.

Maura paces the pink pad. She picks up the phone to call Bruno. Bruno, meanwhile is packing his suitcase while he shouts the entire story to Erick who keeps annoying him by asking stupid questions like "how the hell did that happen?" Bruno picks up the phone and Maura starts panicking. She calls Bruno an idiot when he tells her that Alex came to get MJ. This is when she realizes that it actually is MJ at the Lombardo house and not Sandra. Maura says Alex will never forgive them and he'll have her locked up forever. Bruno, just as brilliantly as ever, tells Maura that they've got a plan and if everything goes as planned, no one will get in trouble. Translation: I have yet another stupid plan that's going to end up getting us all thrown in jail as I have been incapable thus far of carrying out any of my plans in an advantageous way, except for killing the judge, but he'll probably come back in the end after having spent the last several months recuperating from a stabbing, a near-drowning, and amnesia back in the DR and be so pissed off that he'll make sure I get the book thrown at me for identity theft and attempted murder, even if it means he has to go to jail himself. Maura tells him to swear, but first he wants her to calm down. He tells her she has to have cold blood and stick to her original story, until some indefinite point in the future, when he will give her a different song to sing. He won't tell her what and he won't tell her when, but, hey, unless she's got a better plan…. Maura decides to "trust" him and says he'd better not let her down. Maura is an idiot, but then, we've known that for a while now. Bruno gets off the phone and gripes at Erick for staring at him. Then he makes Erick pack his suitcase. Erick looks a little dazed as he starts putting stuff in the suitcase.

Vicky comes upstairs with food for SandyJo. SandyJo asks who she is, but Vicky answers with "I brought you dinner. I hope you don't throw it at me like you did poor Ezequiel." SJ asks again and this time Vicky says she's Alex's stepmother and Bruno's mother. She also says that SJ knows Bruno as Damián. SJ refuses to sit down and eat. Vicky sits down to eat her own dinner. SJ sobs, asking why they did this to her. Vicky comes over to comfort her and tells her to cry it out, that life is screwing with her, but they really are her people. SJ accepts the comforting and keeps crying.

Roberto interrupts Raquel playing a solo game of Truth or Dare. I thought it was Spin the Bottle, but she's using Spin the Bottle Truth or Dare rules. She asks herself about her first love and is about to answer herself as Roberto walks in. He came to tell her that he's leaving in a few days. She doesn't care and apologizes to her imaginary guests for the interruption. You know, some girls just have tea parties, but whatever. Roberto wants to say goodbye to Alex, but Raquel says he's busy with MJ. Roberto is surprised to hear it. Raquel says that Maura thought it was the twin, so there's some confusion. Raquel returns to talking to the empty room about her first love.

Alex fumes downstairs while Paula keeps crying. Alex thinks Bruno will be there tomorrow. Fernando doesn't think he'll dare. Paula runs to Roberto for comforting as soon as he walks in. They explain to him that Sandra is the one who was in a coma and now she's dead. Paula will explain the rest to Roberto, but he has to promise not to tell anyone.

SandyJo wakes up to Alex sitting in a chair staring at her. She's still upset. She feels like her life has been stolen just when she was figuring out what her life was. Alex tries to explain that he's her husband, they have a baby. He wants to take her to see the baby, but she freaks out. Alex talks about how upset he was when she disappeared, but she refuses to let him call her María José. She's Sandra! Alex tells her that Sandra died of a drug overdose and MJ has never had drugs, so she needs to get it into her head that she's not Sandra. He leaves and MJ sobs. I know she's upset, but come one…on the one hand there are two bitchy people who seem to hate you and keep telling you that you're a whore and a druggie and a supposed ex-boyfriend who gives you bad vibes and keeps trying to get you to sleep with him. On the other, you have a whole bunch of people who seem happy to see you and they're telling you that you're basically a decent person married to a hot guy and with a cute little baby and none of them are trying to make you feel bad about yourself. And still, you'd rather be the whoring druggie?

Vicky gets an update from Alex. She's sad about what's going on. Alex is afraid they've lost her. Felipa comes over to ask how MJ is doing. She asks if she can have a chance. Alex says he's going to the office. Vicky gives him a blessing.

Felipa comes in with Cuco and a balloon. SandyJo digs Cuco. Felipa says "see, he recognizes you…and dogs don't lie." SJ is cheerful as she says maybe Cuco's just like that with everybody. Ha, ha…"he knows who his friends are." Felipa wants to show SJ something. She agrees, reluctantly, and lets Felipa lead her out of the room. Felipa tells her the story of rescuing Cuco as they walk downstairs, SJ holding Cuco. Felipa explains that the house is half Vicky's and was half Alex's, but Alex gave his half to her because he loves her. SandyJo is impressed by the size of the house. Felipa leads SJ outside, where the babies are on the lawn. Felipa talks about how much staff they have to maintain the house and grounds. When they get down the stairs, SJ lets Cuco down to walk on his leash. Rosie comes over with the baby, happy to se MJ. SJ coos over the baby and Felipa says it's her son. SJ can't decide whether to hold him or not. She eventually gives in, cause babies suck you in like that. Just as she takes the baby Raquel walks up, getting Cuco all agitated. Felipa basically says, "I told you so." SJ explains she isn't greeting Raquel because she doesn't know her. Raquel says "I can't tell if you're Maria Jose, who seduced my brother to get him to marry her or if you're that Sandra chick." SJ gets upset and gives the baby back to Rosie. She goes back to the house. Felipa tells Raquel that MJ lost her memory. Raquel reminds Felipa to keep to her place and Felipa, I think, calls Raquel a whore. There was bleeping involved.

Pedro mops the floor as Paula walks in. He's apparently mopping with his own tears. Paula heard that Pedro didn't want to go to work. She nags him. Pedro is just feeling toooo sad about Sandra's death. Even though he didn't spend time with her, or see her grow up, or call the frickin' cops to report that her mother had abducted her, he still feels the pain. Some of that I embellished. And on top of that they don't know what's up with MJ. Pedro has already decided they'll never see her again, but Paula reassures him things will be like they were before. Pedro has resigned himself to being left only with Paula. Paula keeps trying to cheer him up, saying that MJ will be back before they know it.

At work, Alex and Fernando review Dr. Jorge's web page. Nothing on the web page talks about how to restore the memories after they've been wiped. Alex is sick of MJ looking at him with hate and fear. He's sick of looking at medical textbooks to figure out how the brain works and not being able to understand half of it. He just keeps feeling more trapped. What if MJ never gets her memory back and keeps thinking he's a kidnapper? Fernando says if she loved him before, she can love him again. Alex is down and Fernando is waving the pom-poms for all he's worth. He suggests getting MJ to go have lunch with him, Vicky, and Emiliano. Alex gives the ok, if Vicky can talk her into it.

Maura walks in, all smiles and swishy hips. Alex will not let himself be cheered up by her. He refuses to give her any additional details about what's going on. Maura's good cheer evaporates.

Vicky gets the call from Fernando and goes to talk to MJ. MJ is looking at the photo album. She tells Vicky she saw the baby, but she doesn't remember having a baby. She says she was excited to see him, and she also felt tenderness for the other baby, but…she just doesn't know. MJ felt a lot of things with Tony, but she figures that's what she would feel for any baby. Vicky thinks it's a good sign that MJ dreamt about breast feeding, but now SJ says she's not even sure she was the one breast feeding. Vicky says she knows it's all confusing, but they're not lying to her. Vicky invites MJ to go out with her, Fernando, and Emiliano, but SJ is scared to go out in a strange place. SJ gets stuck on not having clothes, but Vicky points her in the direction of the closet. After Vicky leaves, MJ goes into the closet to find a nice burlap sack to wear.

Hernán takes Lisette to a clinic where people without means get cancer treatment. He points out another girl, Lety, who is Lisette's age and also had leukemia. Hernán says Lisette needs a friend right now. Lisette goes over and introduces herself.

Vicky and SandyJo join Emiliano and Fernando for lunch. She is happy to see Emiliano, and even Fernando, who she remembers from the party. Alex comes up, but he upsets SJ, who refuses to let him call her MJ. She also refuses a drink, but Emiliano and Alex suggest that this could be additional proof--she can try a drink and see if she feels the need for another. SJ agrees and orders a tequila. Emiliano starts talking about Chichen Itza. SJ and Alex get into another spat when SJ says she loves historical stuff and Alex says she can't know that if she's lost her memory and she says people know what they like, regardless. Dude, right now, she's not liking you very much, but at least this is more fire of any kind than she showed around Bruno. She ends up screaming at him and calling him the shameless guy who kidnapped her from her family. She gets up and tells the whole table that she was a promiscuous drug addict in Spain and she ended up in a coma from an overdose and Jorge was the one who brought her back, but in order to cure her addition he had to wipe her memory and now they're taking advantage of it. She storms off. Alex goes after her and insists she was never a promiscuous drug addict. SJ can't see any other explanation for her memory loss. Alex says it's what Elena and Jorge wanted her to believe so that they could swap her out for Sandra and get her to inherit her grandfather's money. SJ says maybe it's Alex who wants the money. She wants to go home to Toluca. Vicky comes up as Alex is grabbing MJ's arm and separates them. Vicky and SJ leave to go back home. Way to ruin a nice lunch, Alex. I vote they just lock her in somewhere and let her finish drug withdrawal. Preferably somewhere where Bruno and Co won't know where to look.

But alas, as we have seen from promos, that is not to be. And judging by the outfits, we don't have long to wait before Bruno comes to reclaim what was never rightfully his in the first place. Again.

Labels: sortilegio

Meanwhile, at Maura's Hello-there Pink Kitty kiddie pad of premeditated prostitution, various unsuspecting priviledged youth are enjoying the free booze 'n eats. Crotchya is now high on Spanish Fly which fake Mario Aguirre, alias Matteo, alias "El Güero" [Blonde-boy/White Boy]--now all platinum and curls-- has been slipping her in her drinks. Mau checks off another success on her list of schemes as she watches him walk the Crotchya into a back bedroom to be seduced/date-raped (take your pick) and Bruno's image fades from what remains of the lollipop-licking little lush's conscious.

Speaking of lushes, the next day Roberto and Raquel finalize their quickie, no-contest divorce. The only problem is custody of Victoriacita. Raqhell refuses to give her to him. The judge says Bobo has no parental rights as he's not the biological father. Bobo, fearful that his bro-mance with the AWOL Ulises will come out, refuses to officially contest Raqhell's custody.

In Toluca's back forty at Mengele Manor, "Pau-li-esther" [kudos, Susanlynn] finds Mary Jo/Sandra reading on the patio and invites her along for a helicopter trip to a shoot with "Nicolas" and her. MJ/S refuses because she's still angry at Nico for standing her up the other night. "He didn't even have the courtesy to let me know he wasn't going to be able to make it!" Pau apologizes and explains it must have been because they were called away to a very ill person's bedside at the last minute and that they didn't get back till late the night before. This softens MJ/S up a bit. She's even sympathetic when Pau mentions the person died and they went to the funeral after.

Pau then butters MJ up by mentioning that ever since Nicolas met her he can't stop talking about her. Flattered, MJ/S gives in and agrees to go with the two of them but first wants to tell her mother she's leaving. Pau talks her out of that wrong-headed notion, saying she knows the woman doesn't like her and Nico that much. Since it will only be a couple of hours, MJ/S can just go and explain when she gets back that they went on a walk together; no harm, no foul, no argument. MJ/S agrees that's better and the two of them race off to meet up with Nicolas.

Back at the rental house, Alex is giving Arturo instructions on paying the landlord and getting their stuff back to Mérida when Pau shows up with MJ. Pau mentions that MJ/S was angry at being stood up until Pau had explained what happened to them. Alex is confused and looks over at Arturo who swears he gave the message to her mother. Obviously, Mama didn't mention it to "Sandra". Nicolas's smile wins out and she takes off with him and "Esther" in the 'copter.

Back in mah-h-h-vellous Mérida, Fer and Emiliano are about to leave to pick up Vicki for their trip to Chichén Itzá. (Hubby and I note the vanilla couches in this 30-something male's living room and shake our heads listing various reasons his couches aren't done up in dark, seductive leather like any self-respecting horny male would generally have. 'Nuff said.) T.E. wonders if Katia might change her mind and want to go with them, but Fer says he doubts it. She got back late and when he went to discuss it with her she had locked the door to her room. T.E. offers to talk to her about it, but Fer says not to waste his time. "The more one scolds the more she rebels." He's hardpressed to know what to do with her at times.

After Fer and his Tío leave, Katia comes out of her room and walks downstairs. Lisett rings her on the phone. Lis asks why she hasn't come to visit. She's feeling lonely and left out. Katia tells her not to start since she's got a hangover from the party Mau had the night before. Lis feels even more left out than ever and whimpers a bit as she explains how lonely and scared she is that the doctor may come in to say that the transplant has failed. Lis is facing death while they just party on. Crotchya rolls her eyes, bored, and heartlessly refuses to sympathize with Lis. "--Life goes on. Don't blame me because you got sick!" As Dr. Hernan walks in and silently overhears the one-sided conversation, Lis answers back that she guesses she was wrong to think that Katia might care to share a bit of her precious time by keeping her company. Click! Hernan can't help but take pity on Lis. (Viewerville blows the old dude a kiss.)

Meanwhile, we are beamed back to Mengele Manor as Elena realizes MJ/S is gone and the gardener tells her that she left only twenty minutes before with Pau-li-esther.

At the Lombardo compound, Bobo returns from the divorce hearing with bad news. He tells Vicki he let Raqhell keep custody of the baby for fear of the gossip his aforementioned bro-mance with Uli would cause. She sympathizes and says she'll speak to Raqui about it ASAP. He says he's only there to pick up his things before moving into his new apartment. He asks for permission to visit the baby from time to time because he's worried that Raqhell will refuse him. Vicki says of course. Felipa adds that the state Raqhell's in all the time she'd hardly even notice. Once Bobo leaves, Vicki starts for the chalet to give Raqui a piece of her mind. Talk turns to Fernando's visit that lasted from 8-11 PM. They snicker over the significance and Felipa promises that mum's the word.

Across the way at the chalet, Vicki comes a callin'. She lets Raqhell have it straight betweeen the eyes. Vicki says she heard about the custody hearing but doubts rocky Raqui, drunk as a skunk 110% of the time, would be able to care for that little baby. In fact, she's certain Raqui did it just to irritate and frustrate Roberto. Raqhell replies, "Better a drunk than in the hands of a sexual pervert." Vicki seems to realize that neither is optimum and says she'll never let Raqui touch little Victoria as long as she's still drinking. In fact she's tired of feeling pity for her and hoping she'll eventually mend her ways. Raqui can only guffaw at the baby's name. "Victoria?" Vicki sneers back that Roberto named her that and she'd still be nameless if they'd waited on her to give the baby a name. Raqhell teeters a bit and then laughs. "Call her what you want. I could give a damn. Keep her if you want. Consider it a gift!" She stumbles away to swill down the rest of the glassful. Vicki (along with Viewerville) sighs a sigh of relief at that one. (Hmmm. This might solve the problem of Fer having a chance at fatherdom. --Echhh!)

Meanwhile, Fer and his tío arrive at the manse. Emiliano is amazed at the wealth of the estate. Fer states that "hard work and brilliant negotiating skills earned them this fortune." Vicki and Felipa arrive. There are introductions all around. They head off for the tourist ruins.

At the same time somewhere in the air over Mexico, Mary Jo is becoming anxious at being gone too long and not having told her mother so that she won't worry about her. Alex and Pau try to stall for time. He pretends his cell won't work in that area and guilts her into trusting him a little while longer, then promises to take her back as soon as the picture shoot is over. He also promises to explain things to her mother for her. This calms MJ/S down a bit finally. She's antsy but she gives in.

Back in the boonies of the Tolucan outback Bruno is now complaining to Elena about letting MJ go off with that photographer and his sister. Elena says they'd never been gone so long before and didn't think it would matter. Anyway, she didn't "let" her daughter do anything. The girl didn't tell her. "She pretty much does what she has a mind to anyway." Bruno asks for a physical description of the brother and sister and smacks the wall when he realizes it fits Alex and Paula's description to a T. He tells Elena his suspicions. She tells them they rented a house nearby. He races off to the place to verify what he suspects.

At Chichén Itzá, it seems Fer and Company have the entire site to themselves. (Note: There's not another living soul around in a place that is always teeming with people.) We get a lecture on mesoamerican history and the area, as well as the ritualistic games and the architectural design and placement of the stones that always manage to catch the light of the biennial solstice. [http://www.mesoweb.com/chichen/features/tour/23.html] FF>>

Back in Toluca once more we see Bruno racing over to speak to the caretaker of the rental house Alex and Pau had occupied till that morning. He gets a physical description and knows for certain he just got duped by Alex.

Alex now has the helicopter land among some romantic ruins (a national park I think). MJ/S races ahead and asks nervously what story he planned to tell her. He follows with Paula and begins: "I met a rather humble man a while ago. He had two daughters. One was named Paula and the other Mary Jo." MJ/S stops in her tracks and listens intently. She flashes back to the time she walked in on Jorrible Jorge griping at Elena about some guy " not taking very long to realizethe girl is not Mary Jo" and her asking them who Mary Jo was. Alex continues: "A bit after the man told me he had another daughter also, but that his wife left him and took her along with her. That other daughter was Mary Jo's twin." MJ/S stops to process and frowns deeply as Viewerville teleports back to C.I. and a lecture about the ritualistic antecedent soccer fields. [http://chichenitza.com/listingview.php?listingID=9&name=Great+Ball+Court].

T.E. compliments Fer's choice in girlfriends. This embarrasses Vicki, but Emiliano smoothes right over it and says many men would give their all to have a wise, cultured and lovely girlfriend like her; they continue the tour arm in arm, all smiles. [Blech.] FF>>

Meanwhile, back at the other ruins, MJ/S continues processing the tale "Nicolas" is telling her. Instead of taking it in stride, she decides to scream and race through the place like a ninny. She is crying and yelling because she doesn't understand. Pau frantically tells her to trust them. MJ/S screams back that she wants to leave. She won't listen to this story. Alex tries reasoning with her. He says he understands the anxiety she must be feeling, but it's only because down deep she senses the story is true. MJ stops and stares at them like a scared, trapped little animal. Alex tells her she's one of the twins. She's Mary Jo. She refuses to believe him. "NO!" He continues. "--We have a son and you are my wife." In a one-hanky scene, she covers up her ears and refuses to listen to any more of it. She races away again and screams for help, then falls to the ground and cries. Alex trails after her and cries at her side.

Back at Mengele Manor, Jorrible Jorge scolds Elena for letting MJ out of her sight. "You were to take care of her. That's all I asked you to do, damn it!" She reminds him that it was his idea that she have a few friends and adds that MJ took off without letting her know. (What is it with the plaster of Paris rooster and chicken in country kitchens, anyway? Why are these things always presumed to add that touch of rustic authenticity? --I guess they are too damned big to be just your average salt and pepper shakers, though, huh.)

Jorge wonders if those two friends were possibly Alex Lombardo and her sister. Elena says that is what Bruno had thought. She has no idea. Just then Bruno races back in to tell them his suspicions were right and it was Alex and her daughter, Paula. They kidnapped her for sure! (That's "rescued", Bruno. R-E-S-C-U-E-D.) Jorge needs to be certain. Bruno calls Maura and tells her he needs her to investigate whether MJ has returned back home at the Lombardo compound. (Man, what Viewerville wouldn't give for a lillypond like Mau's.) Mau asks why and then how. He snaps at her to just do it and he'll explain later.

Jorge, meanwhile, asks Elena if she knows whether MJ took her pills but Elena has no clue. He yells at her to go find out. Bruno asks him what happens if she stops taking them. Jorge says the effect will wear off; she'll become irritable and unbalanced [descompensarse] and then she'll begin to recover her memory little by little. Bruno admits that will mean a trainwreck for their plans.

Elena returns and says the bottle is gone. Jorge wonders if it means Mary Jo was thinking to leave and not return.

We continue touring C.I. with Fer and Company (FF>>) while MJ continues screaming and yelling in the helicopter now that she just wants to go home. The pilot gets antsy. Alex winks and tells him she's just nervous. "You know where to take us now....Toluca." This buys them a little peace and quiet.

At the hospital back in Mérida, Hernan lends a sympathetic ear to lonely Lis as she explains how she's been kicked to the curb by everyone, including her big sis. When Maura does visit it's only for a minute or two. Hernan tells her he's got a place they'll visit together soon. She's dying to get out of that hospital room and says that's great.

In the C.I. ruins again, Fer and Co. have a late lunch. Emiliano is thrilled with the Yucatan. They join him in a toast to the birthday boy. He gets on a first name basis with Vicki. Finally he asks her and Fer if they know someone named "Damian Alebeniz." He explains about his old, sick friend, Porfirio and his wish to make his granddaughter, Sandra, his sole benefactor --but not until she marries. The guy who she's supposedly engaged to is this Damian and Porfi wants more information about him. Fer tells Vicki it's time to face up and 'fess up, painful as it might be. She does. "--Damian is my son's second name. He goes by Bruno Alebeniz or Bruno Lombardo." Emiliano wonders if this is the same Bruno Katia was supposedly engaged to. Fer clarifies that they were never engaged as they'd led him to believe, but yeah, that's the guy. Vicki says it may sound crazy, but the girl isn't Sandra. She's really Mary Jo. Tío E. is saucer-eyed-impactado and very confused.

The helicopter now lands back on the grounds of the Lombardo compound and MJ/S is on the warpath. She struggles with Alex all the way down the embankment. She calls Pau and him a couple of charlatans and threatens to have them put in jail. Alex tells her he'll give her the rest of the details back inside the house. He calls her "My love." Big mistake. She slaps him. Zeke then greets her as "Sra. Mary Jo." She screams at him that her name is Sandra and lets him have an earful, too.

Across the way from the porch at her chalet, Raqhell, soused and steadying herself on the railing, squints and blinks at the scene. She can't believe her pickled peepers. It seems that the nearly dearly departed Mary Jo has returned from the edge of her grave. She mutters to herself. "Has she been cured?"

Inside the main house it's near bedlam. Pau tries to get Mary Jo to calm down. Zeke tells Alex where his mother's gone as MJ screams in the background that she's tired of all their lies and that she knows perfectly well who she is: she is SANDRA! Alex manages to keep her away from the phone and calling the police. She screams at him. "You're taking advantage of me! You're a couple of cunning cons!" She finally races upstairs to get away from them. Alex yells back as he runs up after her. "--Just like Jorge and Elena were when you met them a month ago!"

MJ/S tries shutting the bedroom door in his face but is unable to keep him out. She hides in a corner by the bed stand and cries. "What are you going to do with me now?" He takes the photo album off the nightstand and hands it to her. She refuses it, saying the pictures could have been photo-shopped. Besides, she has seen pictures of herself at the rancho in Toluca. In another one-hanky scene Alex explains those were of her twin. MJ demands to know then what happened to her twin. Alex says that unfortunately she died a couple of days ago. Mary Jo crawls away howling in frustration, fully confused, totally frightened and disoriented from what she's been told. Alex crawls towards her and grabs her. She asks what he wants from her. "I want you to listen to me and to be the same way you were before: tender, loving." She bawls even harder. He weeps beside her.

Back in C.I. Emiliano learns from Fer and Vicki that the real Sandra died from an overdose of drugs and that, in order to get hold of her inheritance, Jorge and Elena kidnapped her twin, Mary Jo, making her believe she was Sandra through a treatment of mind-altering and memory suppressing drugs Jorge developed. Tío E. is Tales-From-The-Crypt-impactado. He says he knew Jorge was reknowned for his research but had no idea that he would put it to such use. He asks them how they knew the girl dropped in front of the house wasn't MJ. Vicki explains about the robbery and stabbing that left MJ's back scarred. This girl didn't have that scar and her tattoos had been erased chemically, says Fer. Again Emiliano is drop-jawed impactado and says he will have to inform his friend about what he found out. (This is something the whole of Viewerville anticipates seeing. It'll be popcorn and pizza with obligatory ring-side seating for one and all!)

In Mérida, meanwhile, Mau pays a visit to Raqhell under the pretext of still considering them to be friends in spite of all that's gone on. Rocky Raqui is playing chess with an imaginary friend in between guzzles of white wine. Mau's disgusted. "--Still drinking I see." Raqhell tells her to save the sermons or leave, but of course Mau needs information. She says she came to find out how Raqhell was getting along. Raqhell thought she could care less about her anymore, but Mau says sure she cares, just like she cares about the family and Alex. Alex still matters to her. "How are Alex and Mary Jo, by the way?" Raquel steadies herself in her chair and giggles. "You won't believe it but Mary Jo is back! Alex brought her home!" Mau is sour-puss impactada. "Are you sure it was Mary Jo and not her twin? All the doctors said it was impossible to save her." "--She has a twin?" Raquel mentions then that Bobo told her once MJ had a twin, but she never believed him. "--Well, now you know he was telling the truth so she could very well be that twin." Mau's nervous smile is crooked as a dog's hind leg.

Inside the main house again, Alex is on the phone with Hernan explaining what's happened. Hernan gets angry because Alex didn't follow their plan. Alex says MJ was being stalked and so he had to take action. He then mentions that he brought back her bottle of pills with him for testing. He explains that she's fine but hysterical. Hernan is worried that without her medicine MJ could become irrational and have a complete breakdown. (I'd say we're there already, doc.) Alex says it's more important to find out what's in the compound so they can find something to counteract it. Hernan wants the bottle of pills ASAP so he can send them to the lab.

Pau mentions to Alex afterwards how badly it hurt seeing the hate in her sister's eyes. Alex says not to worry because Hernan will help them. Pau wonders if she should let Papi Pedro know MJ's back, but Alex says to hold off.

Zeke takes a tray of food up to MJ. She knocks it out of his hand and chases him out, telling him she's Sandra, not Mary Jo, and that they're all criminals who belong in jail.

Downstairs, Pau asks Alex what else they can do especially if she's refused to accept the photo album. He says it can't be helped because right now she only remembers the recent past.

Zeke returns to the kitchen. He tells Felipa and the housekeeper what a monster Mary Jo's become. Felipa says it's to be expected after being kidnapped by strangers and told that she's really somebody else. "She probably thinks she's gone crazy." [volver loco] The housekeeper asks if Sr. Alex might have made a mistake and the girl is really Sandra. Felipa doubts it and says that "a man so in love as Alex would recognize his love even with his eyes closed." She thinks that once she holds the baby in her arms the memories will come rushing back to her. Zeke is afraid that MJ's too violent and might hurt the baby.

Mau now struts into the living room of the main house and questions Pau whether MJ is really back home since according to the doctors recovery was out of the question. Pau is not up for sh!t from the likes of MJ's main competition. She sneers back. "Yes, though it pains you to know it, Mary Jo is back home." Mau asks if it isn't really her twin. Pau suddenly jumps Mau. It's catfight city. "Of course it isn't her twin!!!" Alex races back in after hearing the commotion. (Alex, move just a bit slower, can't you? Let The Pugster get in a few more shakes and hair-pulls, all right?) He breaks them up. Mau says Pau's gone nuts. Pau insisits she's not nuts and runs upstairs. Mau calls her an idiot. Pau spits back that Mau's the idiot. Mau ignores the reply and asks Alex if it's true that MJ is back and recovered. Alex half fibs. "Yes, it's true." "--How did you manage that?" "--It was a miracle. Even the doctors were surprised." Mau struggles to mask that sour-puss look of hers. Trying to cover her tracks --if not her nearly naked buttocks--when MJ or somebody else eventually blames her for her role in the kidnapping, she suggests that MJ will no doubt be confused about everything. Alex says they'll see, but he hasn't had a chance to talk much with her. (Get a clue, Alex! The woman is bad to the bone.) Mau gives him a sweet, sensual peck on the cheek and asks him to keep her informed. They're still friends, after all. She struts away. He frowns as she goes.

The housekeeper is now upstairs cleaning the room for Mary Jo as she comes out of the bathroom. She is greeted with another "Sra." MJ asks if the housekeeper recognizes her. The housekeeper says of course: she's Sr. Alex's wife and Baby Tony's mother. Mary Jo asks the baby's age and learns he's only 3 1/2 months old. The housekeeper leaves. Mary Jo sits on the side of the bed and begins leafing through the pictures of her and Tony. "This is the baby I painted!" She remembers breastfeeding a baby boy and painting his picture. Doubt takes over and she begins to wonder about what they've all been telling her. "Could they be right?"

Labels: sortilegio

Permalink posted by Jardinera654 @ 6:15 PM 89 comments