Caray, Caray!

Alonso hangs out with bikini clad models at the pool. Mr. 5ft wants him to fall in and drown, but there's a waist-high wall between him and the water. Sorry, sweetie. His assistant bugs him about working too hard and needing to chillax. Al says he will, but for now, it's time for the models to work it some more. What's up with those gratuitous shots of the assistant's tight-jean-clad ass? Al is still having headaches.

Gui hangs out in a warehousy place rigging something. Mr. 5ft: "Who knew he was a recycler?" But the green bags hold the equipment he needs for his nefarious and probably stupidly useless doings. Gui thinks he'll have fun.

Rox and Xi come to hang out at Casa Burnie. Xi walks in like she owns the place. She gives Team Burnie the news that she's the Queen Bitch now. The complain that they're supposed to vote. Too bad, Burnie owns 51% of the shares, so she makes the decisions…unless they want to sell off the company…? Xi tells Luciano to do more daring designs, then dismisses everyone so she can talk to the lawyer. He wants to talk about Burnie's appeal. Xi and Rox pretend they know how to read, then tell him they're not appealing, at least not for the moment. Xi says they're going to let Burnie extend her vacation just a bit.

Luci hangs out at Nueva Casa Vic and molests a picture of Fabian…BUSTED! She tries to walk out after leaving him a copy of the budget, but he wants to know why she moved out of his place. Luci says she doesn't think it's ever going to happen with the two of them, so she figured she'd go find a man who actually…um…is a man and is going to make a play for her instead of pining after a girl who barely gave him the time of day before she had her major attitude adjustment. Or something like that.

Maria D fills Max in on her convo with PJP. He's not in the mood to talk about Al right now. Maria D is worried Al will find out she's faking. Riiiiight, because refusing to kiss him isn't a dead giveaway. Max tells her about Fausto saying that Linda's killer was Xi. MD can't believe she's just sooooo evil. What's up with all these evil people doing bad, bad things while she obsesses over telling little white lies (like…I love you and want to marry you and no, you're not dying of some exotic nameless disease), wonders Maria D. Smoochies. Fabian busts them.

Gui and Burnie hang out in the visiting room in jail. Burnie says this little stint in the pokey won't disrupt their plans. She won't be there long. She promises him payment. She thinks he has a thing for Vic and encourages him to do whatever he wants with her, but that MD shouldn't suffer. Um, isn't he supposed to be killing her?

Cruz gives a press conference. These are the nicest, most well-behaved reporters ever. His bitch of a producer lies and tells them that Cruz doesn't have a girlfriend and won't have one for a long time because he wants to dedicate himself to his music.

Meanwhile his WIFE (who is totally either going to kick the producer's ass when she can walk again or is going to kick her ass by running it over with her wheelchair) is at physical therapy with Mama Vic. Dr. Cesar tells her they'll perform the surgery next week. Vic is grateful to him for everything he's done for Fer. Doc flirts. Os walks in and wants to know what's going on and if she's just coming to Fer's therapy to flirt.

Fabian is now in on Operation Let's Not Tell Alonso He's Dying and he is not happy about it. He tries to be the voice of reason, but ends up saying if Max wants to screw up his life, it's his own business. Max swears him to secrecy and they joke about Fab being "chismoso" (a gossip). Fab tells him Luci moved out and he's bummed about it.

Antonieta tells Luci that if she really wants Fab, she can't give up. Toni, seriously, SHUT UP! You spent years pining after a guy who was hopelessly in love with your best friend and couldn't be bothered to marry you until someone else set up a shotgun surprise wedding. You're the last one I'd be taking love advice from! Luci has too much self respect to keep pining after Fab. I hope she sticks to that. Luci won't follow Toni's path. She's happy it all worked out for Toni, but she's just not that patient. She's also decided to quit and go work somewhere else.

Max tells Fab not to go after Luci unless he really wants her. Women want men who know what they want (a woman wants a man who knows what he wants…not what she wants…though that would probably be useful too, but it's not what he meant).

Os thinks Vic and Dr. Cesar have a thing going on. Plus he has no right to ask what's going on. Fer comes up and hears the tail end of his jealous scene. Os says if she likes Doc better, he'll step aside. And so he does. Fer wants to go after him, but Doc wants to talk schedule. Fer won't let him operate because she thinks he's taking advantage of her to get to her mom. Dr. Cesar consoles an upset Vic.

Maria D wants Xi to pay for killing Linda.

Some shady dudes hang out in an alley. I'm ignoring them. Oh, someone has footage of Linda's death on his cell phone. The dude wants to turn Xi in for killing Linda.

Luciano's designs are not pleasing Xi. Who despite acting like she owns the place answers her own phone. She dismisses Luciano, who tells her to watch herself…"No one talks to Luciano Ferreti like that!" Then quit, you dumbass! He struts out of the office and lets Max in on his way out. Max asks her about selling the ring he gave Maria. She claims to remember the letter, but she didn't sell the ring…it was her mom. Max wants to sue. Xi tells him he's got no proof, so he should just chill. The ring's back with the bitch and they're broken up, so who cares?! She sucks on Max long enough for Maria to walk in. Oh, great, another stupid break up.

Gui sneaks around and puts something into a water bottle.

MD thinks something was going on. Max reminds her bitch crazy. Max and Maria can't properly argue with Xi because they can't tell her that they haven't really broken up. Maria tells Xi that she's going to turn her in for killing Linda. She bitches at Max and says she'll leave him there to kiss Xi some more. They both leave and Xi calls them stupid. Oh, shit, I just agreed with Ximena about something.

Prison ladies gossip about Burnie. She's going to get free sooner than expected because her son is a priest who has influence with the bishop. "Siniestra" the goth prisoner says she'll sure as hell be leaving sooner than expected, cause she'll be DEAD, muahahahaha. What. Ever.

Doc thinks Fer's reaction was perfectly natural. Vic says it's her fault for neglecting Fer while she was growing up. She wants to talk to Fer, but Doc says he'll do it.

Oh, shit. Gui was doctoring Leonela's water with booze. She undresses way too slowly to be doing it only for herself. Gross!

The producer takes Cruz home. She explains that if all the chicks think he's single, he'll be a bigger hit. Then she hits on him. Fer catches them.

Leonela gets dressed again way too slowly. No, wait, I figured it out! The mirror is a 2-way mirror and there's a guy on the other side who's paying some exorbitant fee per minute to watch, right? She drinks from the vodka-ed bottle and freaks out.

Cruz lays down the law to his producer and refuses to let her talk smack about Fer. He throws her out. Of course Fer didn't hear that part.

Producer Bitch runs into Fer outside and tells her that Cruz loves her and would sacrifice his singing career for her, but she doesn't think it's fair. "If you really love him, you should convince him to continue." Fer agrees and says she'll talk to him, but she doesn't promise anything. She ducks a kiss on the cheek and cries.

Leo starts to leave the room and has to give herself a pep talk. Sealed bottles only from now on, Leo, and don't trust any drink that leaves your custody. Aw, shit, she convinces herself she can take just one more drink.

Os and Gui get ready to film the scene, but Os is distracted. The producer starts yelling for Leonela. She shows up drunk. And half falling out of the top of her dress. Os asks if she's been drinking. "Shh! Just a little!"

Vic comes to visit Burnie in jail. "Asesina!" Yeah, Vic, I think you're going to have to be just a little more specific.

Oh, Tomasa. Burnie denies. Then she says she's just punishing sinners. "Tomasa was a sinner?" Burnie says it was Vic's fault. "You're the one responsible for her death. I killed her for betraying me. The money you gave her made her brave. I'll tell you how it happened, but if you tell anyone else, I'll deny it. She threatened me…." Burnie flashes back to Tomasa threatening to tell PJP that she kept Vic's pregnancy a secret from him. "I killed her because she deserved it. See how it was your fault? You made her disobey me. You fed her rebelliousness." Vic says she'll pay for her crimes. Burnie doubts it. They won't find a body. She needles Vic some more about how MD will never forgive her.

Two dumbasses in a truck with ski masks chase after Maria D.

Vic needles Burnie about her son the priest knowing his mother is a murderer. "Do you think your son will forgive you?"

The bishop feels sorry for PJP, who is very confused and wonders what he did wrong. Why he never realized his mom was batshit crazy. The bishop says he's not the boss of Burnie. "Don't get confused. You don't have anything to do with her behavior. It's the parents who have to raise the children, not the other way around."

MD gets shoved in the back of the truck by the guys in ski masks.

PJP doesn't know how he can ask his parishioners to follow the rules when his mother is such a big 'ol sinner!

Burnie says it's her son's job to forgive, so she's off the hook. He'll pray for the salvation of her soul. Vic thinks it's waaaay too late for that. But Burnie says they'll just see who suffers more. She smoothes her 'do and struts out.

The guys take off their ski masks since MD is blindfolded. They tell MD that her worst enemy sent them.

No Sweet William Levy in a Kayak? What the hell did I watch this episode for?

Tomorrow: MD is kidnapped, Burnie's still in jail. I guess that's it.

Labels: triunfo

Last night's refrito

• PJP cries
• Maria can't believe Mee-maw is a murderer
• Burnie stomps out the opposition to become the queen of cell block 666.

Labels: triunfo

Labels: triunfo

Sometimes eavesdropping is its own punishment:
We pick up from last Friday when Victoria overhears María telling Juan Pablo:
¡No la soporto! ¡La desprecio igual o más de lo que ella despreció a mí!(I can’t stand her! I despise her as much as she despised me – or even more!)
Yet despite her bravado, María’s eyes are filled with tears. JP’s face is a mask of anguish. Victoria withdraws silently.

Toni comes upon her friend crying. Vic looks up in despair and says:
¡Antonieta, ya no puedo más!
(I can’t take it any more!)

[And to those of you at home who are muttering -- ¡Ni yo tampoco! I say:
¡Sí se puede! Bunch of wusses!]

Remember how Fabián scooped Fer up in his arms after the XiMonster knocked over her wheelchair? [No really. If you missed this episode, I’m not kidding. Oh Xi’s so going to hell…]

Anyhow, Luci hasn’t forgotten. From the way Fabían looked at Max’s little sister, it’s clear to Luci that he still loves Fer. Fabián finds Luci in tears; but when he asks her what’s wrong, she walks away.

Father and daughter continue their talk:
To PJP’s pleas that she free her heart of bitterness and resentment and open herself to forgiveness, that God expects no less of her, MD remains unyielding.

At a certain boutique hotel in the city:
Dr. Voice and his glamorous neighbor, Leonela Montenegro, meet, by chance, in the lobby. He saw her interview on television, he tells her admiringly. And then he invites her to dine with him. He’ll pick her up at the theater after rehearsal.

Cousin Chente comes to the parish looking for Fausto. Padre Jerónimo tells him Fausto’s off hobnobbing with the bishop about becoming a priest. [So I guess Jero doesn’t know that Fausto is in jail!]

Darkness falls at Bernies:
Doña Demente is in her bedroom.
Eva is nearby. She smiles evilly.

An Evening with Pip – or - Great Expectations Dashed!
The whole Casa Victoria gang is gathered at Pip’s. María stands somewhat apart from the Sandoval clan –- Victoria, Osvaldo, Max, Fer and Cruz. Fabián and Luci and Toni and Oscar complete the tableau. Pipino bounces in and the silly song plays – so catchy, so cheery, even the Mavens are on their feet and dancing. Then the doorbell sounds and – it’s not Luciano! It’s a couple of suits! How disappointing! Pip’s own vida sentimental isn’t in play tonight.

Since it looked like Oscar and Toni were never going to take the initiative, Pipino explains to his puzzled – and impatient – guests, he had to be the one to take action. And then he opens a box, pulls out -- a bridal veil! Toni is the bride! The suits are a judge and his secretary. And Toni and Oscar are getting married this very moment. They seem to think it’s a swell idea.

Eerie strains of Gregorian chants.
Bernie lies in her usual uneasy sleep and relives the infierno she created for Rosalía, Gonzalo and Fausto. Eva lurks nearby holding a lamp. She sets frayed wire to frayed wire...

Pipino fusses about, arranging the wedding party. He is padrino de los anillos, he announces, and he pulls out rings for bride and groom. A moment later, the witnesses are signing the registry. Now it’s Vic’s turn to sign. She smiles -- almost shyly -- as she passes the pen to María. Hugs all around. Well, almost all around. Vic looks on wistfully when María and Fer hug.

Beethoven and Shakespeare at the same time, so you know nothing good can come of it.
Alone in the darkened theater, Leo reclines on a bench and Gui looms over her menacingly, his hand in a chokehold around her neck. They’re rehearsing the murder scene in Othello – or are they just rehearsing? Gui recites with convincing menace: Esta misma noche morirás. Morirás por un beso …
(This very night you shall die. You shall die of a kiss …)

I’ll toast to that!
Back at Pip’s, everyone is raising a glass to the newlyweds.

While in the theater that cost him his son --
Guithello leans over his Desdemona, his hand still around her neck:
... Un beso de amor será nuestra despedida.
(A kiss of love will be our farewell.)
The sound of clapping startles Gui and he releases his hold on Leo. Leonela’s look of terror changes to surprise (and relief?) Both actors look up and see Dr. Voice watching the stage from above. Sorry, says the Voice, I didn’t mean to interrupt…

At his appearance, Leo is all “I’ll just go get changed”. Gui is all “Curses! Foiled!” If he had a mustache, he’d be twirling it. He has to settle for glaring.

Back at Pip’s, the gang’s still toasting.
Fer takes her turn:
Yo quiero brindar por mis hermanos – brindo por Max y por María Desamparada. ¡Les deseo toda la felicidad del mundo! Toda!
(I want to raise a toast to my brother and sister – here’s to Max and María D. I wish you all the happiness in the world!)

MD – who by now is getting to be a real aguafiestas (party pooper) – thanks Fer but stuns the gang when she tells them that she and Max have decided to separate. Max – still in the same ill-fitting suit he wore earlier which makes him look more like the Incredible Hulk than the Incredible Hunk – tells everyone not to worry: No pasa nada. Sigamos con la fiesta. (Nothing’s wrong – let’s just keep on partying.)

The party’s over
Vic and Max have gone back to Casa Sandoval. Vic is dying to tell MD what a mistake she’s making in choosing Alonso but Max begs her not to interfere. Besides, he and MD will love each other forever. Now Vic is really confused: What is going on here? Max admits that he and MD have a secret but refuses to say more. Victoria repeats: I think you two are making a big mistake!

While at the vecindad: The Ring Recycle
The big mistake himself, that is, Alonso, shows up on Maria’s doorstep. As usual, he is hidden behind a bouquet of flowers. He’s a tad disconcerted because no one told him about Pip’s wedding soirée and he’s been left waiting for his ternura all this time. When María apologizes and explains where she was, Alonso pounces on the fact that Max was at the gathering too. He sputters a bit and then gets down to business babbling a flowery declaration of devotion. He kneels before María, pulls out The Ring and offers it to her as he proposes marriage cuanto antes (as soon as possible). The sight of The Ring – identical to the one Max gave her (maybe even the very same ring – are we to assume that Max brought it back to the jewelry store for a refund? Isn’t that a little…er… practical for our boy?) –

-- Anyway, the sight of The Ring seems to be the spoiler Xi was hoping for: María remembers how Max gave it to her as a symbol of their love. Her lips purse as if she’s just bitten into an unripe persimmon – and she tells Alonso: No puedo. No puedo aceptarlo. No puedo. (I can’t. I can’t accept it. I can’t). Al is slack-jawed impactado.

In the sacristy:
Padre Jerónimo feels bad for his friend but sadly, he had no choice in ousting Bernarda from the house of God. Juan Pablo understands. And it pains him to know that his mother may die in sin and that the flames she fears so much may be her final resting place (su última morada).

Bernarda, as if in anticipation of her toasty última morada, dreams on of the hellfire she imposed on her first victims.

Eva also enjoys toasting – in her own way.
Frayed wire to frayed wire. Sparks. Flames flare and spread to the room where Bernarda sleeps. Eva watches and smiles. Then she slips out the door – wearing a little Clara Barton cape – and says with satisfaction: You’ll rot in the flames, Bernarda, and then you’ll rot (pudrirás) in hell!

Still on his knees…
Alonso, more pathetic than ever, cries out:
Pero ternura – yo pensé que me habías aceptado. ¿Me mentiste? ¿No quieres casarte conmigo?
(But darling – I thought you’d accepted my proposal. Were you lying? You don’t want to marry me?)
Here’s what she should say: That would be “yes” and “yes”.
Here’s what she does say: Where did you get that ring, Alonso? Did Max give it to you?

Now Alonso is completely lost – and more than a little miffed at María’s bringing up the Name That Must Not Be Spoken – What does Max have to do with the price of atole in Chiapas? And María explains – This is the very ring that Max gave her; the very one that she gave back to him when he told her he was going to marry Xi.

In a yuppie poolhall, Ximena twirls her hair and thought-bubbles nastily:
Seguramente Alonso ya le dio ese anillo a la zorra.
(Alonso must have give the ring to that whore by now).
Xi would have loved seeing her face. Wait a sec… If Alonso is marrying the dirty little slut (zarrapastrosa), that means Max is free. How interesting!

NovelaMaven Rant – Feel free to skip.
Really Xi? Really??? You tricked him into a loveless marriage for his money when you were already pregnant by Gui. You and your insufferable mother made his life hell when you were together. You tried to kill him and little Osvaldo. You tried to kill María. You crashed the New Casa Victoria and tipped over Fer’s wheelchair. You tore Victoria to shreds in front of the whole Casa Victoria gang. Max would sooner swallow crushed glass than exchange a word with you, let alone exchange rings, vows or body fluids with you! Zorra? Zarrapastrosa? Look in the mirror!

Whew. Okay. I feel better now.

Alonso Realizes He’s Been Had.
The poor schmuck is asking himself how he could ever have trusted Ximena. Again. She’s the one who convinced him The Ring would make María happy. Alonso apologizes for doubting her and offers to return The Ring but María asks him not to. If it found its way back to her, there must be a reason. [Like maybe her destiny is to end up with Max? Ay, Alonso!] And she accepts it and agrees to marry him on the day he chooses.

En serio (really?) asks Alonso. Now he’s beside himself with joy, like a puppy who finally earns his mistress’s approval by pooping on the newspaper and not the rug (but he also looks alarmingly ill and on the verge of another collapse). He babbles happily about the spectacular wedding he’s going to put together – fireworks, rockets, balloons. María suggests she’d like something a little ... um ... simpler.

Speaking of fireworks,
Inside Bernie’s house, the flames are blazing merrily all around the Demented One. She wakes from her dream of hellfire and realizes she wasn’t dreaming. She curses Rosalía.

Outside, a neighbor sees the flames in the window and tells someone to call the fire department. Eva, in her demure Clara Barton cape, stands by and enjoys the show.

Chente and Napo are on duty at the fire station playing cards and chewing the fat. Chente has just told Napo to cut the pollón and self-pity crap. You can see a mile away (a leguas) that he’s nuts about Aunt Millie (se está babeando, he’s drooling over). Then the fire bell sounds and the chitchat is cut short. The bomberos run to answer the call.

At Casa Sandoval
Victoria is going out to visit Fer. Osvaldo wonders if she’s using that as an excuse to see María. Maybe so, Vic admits, but she really has been wanting to talk with Fer. She turns down Os’s offer to accompany her; she prefers to go alone this time.

Osvaldo counsels patience with María. Pressure won’t help the situation. I know, says Vic, but I’ve waited so long for this moment…

Osvaldo repeats: Be patient. And have faith. María has a big heart and a good soul. She’s probably very confused right now and that’s understandable. But sooner or later, she’ll accept you.

I don’t know if I can wait, says Vic. I’m dying for the day she calls me “mamá”. But I also realize that her rejection was blinding me to something I should be enormously grateful for:
Ahora sé que mi hija está viva! ¡Que está viva!
(Now I know that my daughter is alive. She’s alive!)

Alonso’s tail stops wagging and his ears droop to the floor when María gently suggests foregoing Barnum and Bailey as their wedding planner. Does that mean María is afraid to let the world know he’s her husband? María smiles indulgently, scratches his belly and tells him she’s not afraid of anything. They’ll get married his way, whenever he wants, however he wants. (Nos vamos a casar como tú dispongas, cuando tú quieras, como tú quieras.) That’s all he needed to hear. Now he’s flashing his large, overly whitened teeth in an answering smile. He leans in for a kiss…

María stops him. No, Alonso, she says. Down boy. Down...

Let’s hope the bomberos, now arriving at the Blaze at Bernie’s, are are efficient at putting out fires as María.

Padre Juan Pablo is reading from his prayerbook when he gets a phone call. I’m on my way, he tells his caller. (Voy para allá). My mother is in danger, he shouts to Padre Jerónimo and he rushes out the door. Her house is burning!

Back in the vecindad
Milagros, still wearing the pretty blue dress with the tulips (well, why not? Cruz has worn the same thing every day for the past two years), gets a phone call from Juanjo and he updates her on his plans.

Cruz is impactado by the news that María is Fer’s sister. Fer didn’t have a chance to talk privately with María earlier so she’s heading to her apartment now. She wants to convince her to forgive Victoria. And she has a gift for her. Cruz blesses her (a sweet, domestic detail that bodes well for them) and wishes her luck.

No kiss for you, Alonso.
So let’s see. His ternura won’t kiss him. And she wants to keep the ring that Max originally gave her. Think, Alonso, think. He does. And this is what he comes up with: He’s willing to wait for her to give him that first kiss; then he’ll know he’s her one and only and she has forgotten Max.

María is spared the need to reply to delusional Al by a fortuitously-timed knock on the door. It’s Fer; and she needs to talk to her sister.

In another part of the city
Fabián comes home to a silent, empty apartment. Luci’s things are gone. Se fue, says Fabián softly. She’s gone,

Back in the vecindad -- Warning: Llorathon Ahead
Fer asks Alonso to give her and María some time alone. When he leaves, Fer says: So it’s true? You and Max...? Yes, says María, but she’d rather not discuss it. Fer wants to know why María can’t forgive nuestra mamá – our mother. She reminds her of the time María, then an orphan, told her that she, Fer, had something very valuable – a mother. Now María, by refusing to forgive Victoria, is losing her own chance to have a mother.

María doesn’t want Fer to suffer for her sake – she has already suffered so much.

And sometimes eavesdropping has its rewards:
At this point Victoria arrives and is about to knock on the door. She hears her daughters’ voices inside and stops to listen…

You’ve also suffered a lot, she hears Fer tell María. Maybe that’s why I want to bring you close to all of us – to protect you. And then she hears María’s reply: No puedo. No puedo perdonarla. (I can’t. I can’t forgive her.)

Now Fer, her face streaked with tears, says:
María, mi mamá es tu mamá. Que la perdones, María, por favor.
(María, my mom is your mom. Forgive her, María, please.)

María is also crying. So is Victoria, standing outside the door. María hugs Fer: No llores hermana (Don’t cry, sis), she says. And adds: I never knew I had a sister – te quiero mucho! And she bends down and kisses her hand. And I love you too, answers Fer. That’s why I brought you this gift. And she holds out the box to María.

Hello Dolly!
María opens the box and pulls out -- The Doll That Trumps DNA!!! Her fingers trace the sewn-on features of the doll’s face; and seeing and touching the doll triggers a powerful memory. She remembers her mother -- Victoria, her mother! -- giving her the doll for her birthday. Mi muñeca, says grown-up María, the tears now streaming freely. Fer cries. Vic cries. NovelaMaven cries. Even Mr. Maven is surreptitously sniffling into a tissue.

Bye Bye Bernie?
Padre Juan Pablo has arrived at the fire scene. He tries to press forward to the blazing house – his mother and Eva are inside! – but the bomberos hold him back. Eva pops up from the crowd and tells him she managed to escape safely. She claims she’s the one who called the fire department.

Inside, Bernarda writhes on her bed, seemingly untouched by the flames that surround her. [Does this devil wear asbestos?] She screams:
No... no quiero morir en el infierno. No quiero morir así! ¡Auxilio! ¡Nooooooooo!!!
(No, I don’t want to die in this hell. I don’t want to die like this. Help! No)

Cue the Alonso Mortuary Montage

Labels: triunfo

El Refrito de miércoles
All Viewerville is still basking in the glow of Ximena being b!tch-slapped by B!tchtoria (say what you will, but the woman made a couple of redemption points with that slap.) As the episode begins, we realize we will get to enjoy this glorious moment all over again. Ximena has walked in and is being snide to Maria and Fer. "Awwww how sweet, the slut hugging the crip." Maria kisses Fer tenderly and....THWWWAAAAPPPP!!!! Slaps the snot out of Xi. (We need a visual echo effect for that one...you've let us down Sr. Meh-jía.) That's so you learn to shut up, says Maria. We know the rest: cat fight, folks come running. Vic slaps Xi and tells her "¡María ya no Desamparada es mi hija! (cue echo machine)" Take that, Ximena!!! SQUEEEEE! This is why we keep watching.

La porción de hoy


The Aftermath
Xi is straight up impactada and still holding her stinging cheek. She says to Vic, so you're telling me she's your daughter?! She's part of the family? Enter Mush-Mouth Max with his lines. Xi continues to rage: I was your wife. I belonged to this family. I'm mumbledy in this place, not this slut, she's just your lover. Max tells her Maria has the right because she carries the blood of Victoria (cue the echo machine. If you're keeping track that's twice in less than 3 minutes.) She was separated from Victoria for many years. Vic smiles and it begins to dawn on Fer that she has a sister (Livia Brito: the other reason we watch this show.)

En la vecindad
Millie, Napo and Chente as they dine. FF>>

Pip is verklempt--Y'all get your tissues
Mama Mia! Princess! María Desamparada is the daughter and Vic for a mom. He "fuchi fuchi-ies" as he pushes Xi out of the way (which is like "ugh!" or "ick!" or I guess "get the hell out of here"in this context.) Fer wheels between mother and daughter and asks is this true? Is it true that María Desamparada is...my sister? And she reaches out her hand. Maria takes it. Vic answers. Yes, Fer. Maria Desamparada is my Pequeña María. The daughter for whom I cried so much. María cries. Fer cries. I cry. Give me a moment please. *sniff*

Xi bears her claws and Vic is in deep mierda
Xi-b!itch destroys a beautiful scene. Really? This ragamuffin (zarrapastrosa--only took 5 rewinds and a lot of wordreference.com research) is your daughter? Vic whirls on Xi- "Don't call her that again! Don't look down on her! (despreciarla)" Whoa, woman! Says Xi "You looked down on her first! You are the one that set me against her. You intimidated her. You were the one who suggested that I get pregnant in Miami because you wanted a grandchild!" She turns on Max "That's why I went to your bed. 'Cause your mother asked me to!" Max asks "Is this true?" María wants to know, too. "Is this true Señora?"

Vic confesses. "Yes. It's true." "Oh mom", Fer says. "How could you?" Now Vic explains. Just shut it honey. We don't believe your "I didn't know what kind of gal Xi was. I thought she would make Max happy" line of BS. Nope. Not a word of it. Max lets her know that she made him UNhappy. REALLY unhappy. Xi starts up again. "There you have it, the great Victoria Sandoval, the perfect mother. You knew what kind of woman María Desamparada was and that's why you condemned her." Xi really lights into Vic and reminds her about all the really mean stuff she did to María. Xi says Vic was just looking out for her own interests. And now Vic is telling her that she loves her like a daughter?! No one is going to believe that. Toni says Vic totally regrets all of that. Xi says it's all too late. Ask the slut. See what she says. Will she forgive her all those years of abandonment? The insults? Maria wants to know why it's Xi's business. Xi just keeps going. All this suffering at the hands of her mother. It's like Doña Bernarda says: It's God's punishment. María walks out. Max walks out. Fer cries. Xi stands there like the b!tch she is. Vic cries.

At Televisa
Press conference for the new TN. The return of Leonela Montenegro! Yay! (*muppetflail*...think Kermit the Frog everyone.) I'm pretty sure the new TN is called "Venganza de Amor. " Photo ops, some scene-stealing by Gui, Os takes it in stride. Gui takes advantage of the moment to invite the press to his modern production of Othello: Beso Mortal (Fatal Kiss.) TN producer is peeesed. FF>>

Are they serious?
Another plot line? Jebus. So Napo (he's still pollón by the way) has a daughter and he keeps her glamour shot picture hidden away (in Millie's apartment?) He's so lonely since she left. (I can't figure out if she's dead, but I'm thinking since we got to see a head shot, she's still alive.) Napo cries and monologues to a sugar cube. FF>>

At Casa Bernarda
Burnie talks with Luciano. They have to win this bienal (biennial exhibition.) She wants him to put all his creative mojo into winning. The money isn't what matters to her, she just wants to destroy Vic once and for all. Luciano is on board and Burnie doesn't have to worry, though he does want to know why it's not Eva giving the instructions as usual. Burnie says Eva didn't come 'cause she felt bad...she has a cold (I'm thinking "stone cold dead" is the better diagnosis.)

Oh Whew!!! Eva is still alive and whittling on some electrical wires and thought bubbling. Apparently her plan is to have Burnie die the same way her sister did. Burnie's gonna burn fo' shizzle.

We return to Casa Victoria Redux
Vic doesn't want to hear Burnie's name again. That woman made her life a living hell. Vic curses her and hopes she pays for all her evil. Xi says happy that they are all paying for their soberbía. She says the family is cursed and deserve everything that's happening to them. Fer tells her to shut up. Fer tells her to get out. She knew Xi was self-serving and never loved Max. Xi calls her a crip and is really a complete be-yotch...says Jardinero doesn't love her. Xi may not be able to have kids, but Fer has even less 'cause no one can really love someone like Fer. Fer says she may not have legs, but Xi doesn't have a heart or soul and that's why no one loves her. Xi flips...literally....she pushes Fer's chair over and knocks her down. Vic goes all THWAAP SLAP on Xi and tells her not to mess with her family. Pip has to pull Vic off Ximena.Vic is still going off--telling Xi she doesn't know how to be a mother; that she deserves all kinds of punishments. Xi says Vic deserves the same and that María Desamparada is never going to forgive her. Vic tells Xi to get out. Pip is still holding Vic back. Oscar drags Xi out. Fabian has picked up Fer. She thanks him and says she's fine. Lucy looks on. Fer is put back in her chair. Vic is blubbering. Fer is crying and wants to know why Vic never told her María Desamparada was her long-lost daughter. (Ya know, if we had been playing the drinking game tonight we would all be completamente borrachos...María Desamparada got said A LOT.)

Max and Maria: the usual stuff
Max enters the office to which María had fled. Their theme song fires up. Guess what: María tilts her head and sighs. They hug. Max says he knows María must be suffering because of what his mother did. María says she can't forgive her. Vic looked down on her and was the cause of their separation. She reminds Max he promised not to interfere and asks him to butt out. He says he can't. The two most important women in his life are suffering. Can't María see how much his mother is suffering? Vic is like a mother to him and he loves both of them. I miss a bit, but he ends by saying Vic loves her. María insists she can't forgive her until the final episodes.

Meanwhile, in the land of Televisa
Leonela is being interviewed for a TV entertainment show. The interviewer reminds her about the last time they spoke (After the desfile, remember?) Leonela says she was confused. Os has treated her very well and that she and Gui are kaput. Gui looks a little surprised by the news (and so does Os and so does the interviewer.) The interviewer says there's a lot of gossip about her disappearance from telenovela-land. He asks if she's going to keep it a secret. She thinks not. 'Cause if she keeps it a secret it will still come out sooner or later and she thinks it best if she confesses it herself.

Dr. Heri is settling down to watch some TV. It appears that Leonela's interview is being broadcast live. Because Dr. Heri is watching. He turns up the TV as she begins her tale. It was very sad what happened. She is an alcoholic and due to this illness she killed  a man (in Reno just to watch him die.) The crowd goes wild. She is surrounded by the press. Dr. Heri is glued to the set. She explains she was in jail for almost 20 years. She's paid for her crime. She's confessing because she is in some group and Alcoholic Anonymous and these groups have helped her find peace and put her on the right path. One of the steps she has to take is to ask forgiveness for all she's done. She asks Max's forgiveness; she came back for him. She wants to regain her dignity blah blah. Dear public forgive me...oh, and support me in my return. Talk about great press for your new projects.

Gui is also watching. He talks to him self and does menacing things with his tie.

Head Tilt and Mush Mouth and Pappy makes three
Maria says it was a mistake to come back to Casa Victoria Redux. She's out. Max stops her. Their theme song kind of drowns out any dialogue. They end up hugging as usual. She blah blahs about sacrifice, Alonso, how much she loves Max. Smoochies and the the song swells. PJP comes in. Door slamming will have to do since he doesn't have a hose to separate them. He looks kind of mad. María Desamparada he says...what is this? Soooo, what Alonso said about your engagement was a lie? PJP  says Alonso is shaky chihuahua excited that María has accepted him and now here she is smooching Max? PJP doesn't know what's going on. Max explains that he and María are making Alonso's final days happy. PJP asks for some clarification. Maria tells PJP Alonso is terminal (remember the word?: desahuciado) and we get a visual echo of his impactado state (no, no Meh-jía, visual echos of SLAPS!) Cue Volverte a Besar and cut to Alonso in his studio. Ternuras and sighs. He's going to do everything he can so María forgets Max. He's going to buy the engagement ring today! He will make sure they set the date for the wedding tonight.

Livia Brito has a great future in this biz
Fer asks if Vic is sure María Desamparada is her daughter. Vic has no doubt. PJP has known all this time, but couldn't share the good news because his mother had revealed it during confession. Vic discovered all on her own that she was her daughter thanks to a crucifix she had given to PJP. Fer doesn't see what that has to do with it. Vic says PJP is the baby daddy... the "hombre prohibido" (prohibited man) of her youth. Fer asks if MD knows about her dad. Vic says yes. She found that out first. Fer wants to know how Maria reacted to finding out that Vic was her mother (Livia Brito is really a great actress. She has this great facial expression like "am I going to have a for-real sister?") Vic tells her María didn't accept her. She rejected her. She doesn't love her. "Your sister doesn't love me." Fer promises to help her mother win Maria back. Count on her. She's going to do everything she can to see that MD forgives Vic.

Burnie settles a little fashion house business then heads out 
Xi is modeling Luciano's flapper dress and she and Burnie discuss Maria and Vic. Yup. María rejected Vic. Luciana asks if Burnie likes the design. Burnie likes the design, but the necklace is a disaster. She wants to know why no one in this office has any taste. Why does she have to do everything. Xi says she told Luciano that something more fine and distinguished was needed. A little more fashion prattle and Burnie excuses herself to go to church to--and I quote (in translation)--beg God that Maria never forgive that woman; that viper (since God is all into granting vengence to crazy people like Burnie.)

PJP denounces Operation Alonso
PJP can't wrap his head around what he's hearing. Does Alonso know he's dying? Er, well, no. Just Max, María and Dr Heri. It was Dr. Heri that confirmed that Alonso only has a few episodes left. PJP gets angry. Have they thought about what happens if Alonso finds out they hid his condition from him?; that they played with his emotions? María says they just wanted to make him happy. Well, if Alonso discovers the lie, he will be UNhappy.

Xi really gets around
Alonso is at the jewelry store asking for simple, yet elegant and pretty rings. Xi slithers up and asks if he's buying anything. He says nothing that concerns her. She takes offense at his attitude. She says he's obsessed with the past. He can't forget she aborted their baby. She tells him to forget it. She did. Does he think it was easy for her; that she isn't aware that she made the biggest mistake of her life and lost the opportunity to marry a guy like him? She makes an amorous move and he reacts as if he's been touched by acid. He turns to the saleslady and asks which one she thinks would be good for his Maria Desamparada. Xi lights up like a Christmas tree. She congratulates Alonso. She's so happy! She wants to help him shop for the ring. One of the rings the saleslady has displayed is the same ring Max gave Maria. Xi gets her scheme on and thinks it would be a lot of fun if Alonso gave María the same ring.

Xi sets to work convincing Alonso. He's a little iffy, but the saleslady seems to think it's the best ring, too. Alonso decides to buy it. Xi congratulates him again and says it's going to be wonderful surprise for Maria Desamparada. As she leaves, she thought bubbles about what an imbecile Alonso is and how "surprised" Maria is going to be.

Maria and PJP/Max and Vic
PJP tells Max he wants to talk to his hija alone. Oh, so know you call her hija Max snarls. What about when I was asking for her hand in marriage? María asks to be left a lone with PJP. Max kisses her before he leaves. Maria and PJP face off.

We cut to Pip, Toni and Oscar (and that annoying song) FF>>

Max and Vic are hugging. He asks about Fer. Vic says Fer is going to talk to Maria, but not now. Therapy and all. Maria's rejection really hurt Vic. She's afraid to be around María. She's afraid she's never going to forgive her. Max tells her not to say such things. Remember that Os, Fer and he will always be with her. Vic says she realized too late about things. She never thought about the happiness of others. If she hadn't stood in the way of their relationship, the road to María's heart would have been easier. Some mumbling and Vic finds out that PJP is talking to María as they speak.

PJP wants to talk to María about her soberbía. María is like "my pride?" PJP is like yup. She's being all judgmental and  acting like she's the only victim and she's not. He knows who is responsible for all this mess: his mother. She's the one that condemned Vic to pain and desperation. What María has suffered, Vic has suffered twice that. It's his mother's fault that she and Vic are at odds and separated. María says God won't forgive PJP's mom. He says it's true. His mother is excommunicated.

Padre Jer is the MAN!
Services are about to begin when Burnie sashays in. He asks where she is going. Burnie says she's there to pray for the souls of sinners. Padre Jer says he's sorry, but she doesn't have the right to enter the church. Juan Pablo already told her that, but she didn't want to pay him any mind. Today Padre Jer is going to give her a lesson she won't forget. Burnie asks what he's talking about. He grabs her arm and escorts her out. In front of the whole congregation!  He tells her this is her place...the street. He says not to try to enter the house of God again because she's excommunicated. If she does, he'll keep throwing her out until she understands. This scene is made all the sweeter because the congregation has followed and is watching it all! Burnie is all "what are y'all lookin' at?" Everyone but Burnie returns to church. She calls Gui and says she's just suffered the worst humiliation of her life. They have to get moving on their plan ASAP. They gotta get rid of those two!

Back to PJP and Maria
He's rehashing what we already know. Burnie is nuts and thinks she is God's avenging judge-on-earth. María says it must be hard having a religious nut as a mom...especially since he's a priest and all. PJP tries to make María see that Burnie condemned Vic and Vic never had a chance. María tries to make PJP see that the woman who has hurt her most in life was her own mother. C'mon María, it's not like Vic knew you were her daugher. Now you're holding a grudge. Just like....your mom. Anyhoo. Lot's of blah blah that boils down to PJP begging María to forgive her mother. Meanwhile Vic has come in...at the exact moment that María is saying things like "I can't stand her" and "I despise her."

Cue the Alonso montage-of-doom.

Labels: triunfo

Viewerville returns to the land of the lusty, the lusting, and the naively trusting to catch Victoria’s reaction to Bernarda’s matter-of-fact confession that years ago she was the one who ran Bitchi down because she wanted both her and her little daughter dead! D.E.A.D.! Once Vic hears this admission of guilt from our demented dowager, she totally--but totally--loses it. Thwapppp! Caaaat fiiiiight!!! Bitchtoria slaps the old broad across the choppers and takes her by the throat. Burnie collapses onto the couch. Vic jumps on top of her for an even better choke-hold. Unfortunately, the chauffeur and the maid come running in and pull her off before any real and long lasting harm is done. (Viewerville lets out a communal “awwww!” in solidarity of disappointment!) Alas, Burnie gloats that Bitchtoria can’t lay a glove on her since Her Son the Priest, Juan Pablo, is sworn to secrecy under rules of the confessional, so Vic hasn’t got any proof to make a complaint to the police over it. She smooths a wrinkle on her brow, lifts a supercilious eyebrow, and smirks as she strolls out the front door, obviously enjoying Bitchi’s resulting conniption fit to the hilt. “--Don’t bother to show me out. I know the way.”

Labels: triunfo

Bad Bernie’s where we left her -- in front of the church-sized Cristo in her home, still gnashing her teeth over Victoria's learning the identity of her daughter:
¡Las tengo que separar para siempre!
(I have to separate them forever!)
Bells are ringing and it ain’t the Avon lady.

And the sad conversation between Victoria and María Desamparada by Choice is over. Now, outside the apartment, Victoria wonders if MD will ever be able to forgive her. While inside, MD leans on the door and sinks miserably to the floor and thinks:
Dios mio, no tengo fuerzas para perdonarla.
(My God, I don’t have the strength to forgive her.)
She holds the magical crucifix.

Max gets to the vecindad in time to meet Vic on her way out. She tells him how profoundly unhappy she is, that she is now paying for her arrogance. He wants to know if this has anything to do with María. It does, admits Vic. She is deeply wounded by something that happened but she prefers not to say any more about it. She heads out. And Max goes inside to see María.

I found my mother, María announces flatly. My mother is Victoria Sandoval.

Max is impactado: How do you know that? Who told you?

María tells him how she and Vic got into an argument and went into the apartment to continue scratching each other’s eyes out in private. It was then that Vic caught sight of the magic crucifijo (which -- holy Mejía! -- now twinkles). And she knew.

Max thinks that is just excellent news. María should be, like, happy.

Um. Not exactly. It’s kind of a downer to find out your real mother is an arrogant tyrant, a woman who has made you suffer so much. But Max insists she is being too hard on Vic. After all, he knows first-hand how much she struggled to find her lost daughter. But María isn’t budging. She nurses too many hard feelings, too much resentment, too much hatred. Quite simply, she says: No la quiero.

At home, tragic hunky Dr. Heri reflects on the promise he made to his wife on her deathbed. He swore – but only because she insisted – that when she was gone, he would find another woman to share his life with. He never kept that promise – he never found another woman to take her place. [Is it just me or did anyone else see the number on the bottom of the screen: 1-800-LUV HERI?] And then he thinks about Victoria…

Victoria, now back at Casa Sandoval, can’t stop thinking of María’s harsh words:

Understand once and for all that little María – your little María – is dead!

Osvaldo sees how stricken she looks. She tells him that what she was longing for has happened – she has finally found her daughter. And it’s ... Wait a sec. Set up the echo chamber, Sal. Okay, listo:
María Desamparada! María Desamparada! María Desamparada!

Let’s look in on the happiest couple in the vecindad, Fer and Cruz. They are in bed chatting about his plans to record a disco, his determination to become a vet. Smoochies, a red rose, weird animated hearts. ♪♪ Mi riqueza ♪♪ One thing leads to another. Bottom line: If Fer is not with child, it’s not for lack of trying.

At Casa Sandoval, it’s now Osvaldo’s turn to be impactado. He can’t believe it. María?

Yes, says Vic wretchedly. It's María. The same María who despises me and wants nothing to do with me. And it’s all my fault for treating her so badly. Even so, she tells Os, María’s rejection was the most painful moment of her life, more painful than losing her in the first place. She is sure that María will never forgive her, not after all the harm she’s done to her.

Back to Cruz and Fer, still snuggling in bed now in a smoke ‘em if you got ‘em moment. Fer decides she’ll pay a visit to Dr. Heri’s consultorio tomorrow to find out why she hasn’t gotten pregnant.

Victoria, alone in her bedroom, prays for a second chance with María and hopes the day will come when MD calls her “mamá”.

It’s a new day and María comes to see PJP at the church. She knows Victoria is her mother but it gives her no joy. On the contrary, the knowledge is bitter and painful. Juan Pablo knew. Why didn’t he warn her? He couldn’t, he tells her, because he was bound by the secret of the confessional. But he did try to prepare her. And María knows how much Victoria has suffered…

María doesn’t want to hear it. She doesn’t believe Vic even has feelings. She will never forgive her! Her stony declaration:
Last night Victoria ceased to exist. She is dead to me!

PJP begs her to show some compassion for Vic – it’s her own mother she’s talking about. And it’s not good to hold on to all that hatred. She needs to learn to forgive.

I can’t, says María. And how sad -- if this is my family, I was better off as an orphan.

Doña Bernarda de Iturbide has summoned Guillermo to her office. She has a little job for him:
Quiero desaparecer a Victoria Sandoval y a María Desamparada para siempre.(I want to get rid of Vic and MD forever).
[So Gui, before you sign on with Bernie, you might want to talk to some of her former employees. Oh wait. They’re mostly in hell, aren’t they? (Except for poor Tomasa who is in that pueblito norteño in the sky).]

At Casa Sandoval, Max understands that María’s rejection is very painful to Victoria; and he is sympathetic. But he also reminds her that she brought this on herself. He doesn’t know if María will forgive her; if she does, it won’t come easy. He’ll do what he can to soften María’s heart.

Victoria, remembering MD and Alonso together, tells Max she’ll never forgive herself if, because of her, he and María stop loving each other. That will never happen, he tells her.

Of course poor deluded Alonso thinks differently. And now, alone with María in the vecindad, he tries to help her sort out her feelings toward Vic. He encourages her to let go of her resentment and embrace the chance to be with her mother. He also reminds her of Bernie’s role in the way her life played out. If the Demented One hadn’t kept JP unaware of Vic’s pregnancy, things would have turned out very differently.

María tells Alonso the same thing she told Max and Juan Pablo: She can’t accept Vic as her mother.

I’d give my life to make you happy, Alonso tells her. [And here, some in the viewing audience are shuffling their feet impatiently.] You love me that much? asks María. She allows him to lean in and caress her face but she deflects his kiss to her cheek. I’m so sorry, she says, it’s just that… But Alonso won’t hear apologies. He promised he’d be patient.

But not all that patient. He’s downright grumpy when Max shows up at the door casting a large shadow: Are you here to trash María’s life again? Go away, Max, please, go away!

Fer and Cruz sit in Dr. Heri’s office at CRIT and explain their problem. Still no pregnancy “por más que nos aplicamos” (as hard as we try).
Heri thinks a second operation may help. Fer’s thrilled they have a chance and she’d like the surgery done “lo más pronto que se pueda” (as soon as possible).

Alonso is still trying to get Max to leave. After all, María has made her choice. But Max reminds him that he and María have a child together –

Here Alonso interjects pathetically: Soon little Juan Pablo will have lots of brothers and sisters --

But he grudgingly agrees to step out so María and Max can talk privately, maybe for the last time.

As soon as he is out the door, our lovers fly into one another’s arms. Te amo's. Smoochies.

In the final scene, Doña Bernarda de Iturbide comes to call on Victoria. She has a little disinformation to share: María Desamparada is not your daughter!

But Victoria knows what she knows. Her proof? First, the crucifix. Second, Bernie herself told her --
-- Hey, I lied, says Bernie.
And third her maternal instinct (mi corazón de madre) which drew her to María even when Bernie poisoned Vic against her. [No room for DNA in Victoria’s epistemology]

You no longer have any power over me, says Victoria. But the Demented One isn’t done. She asks her to recall how she lost María in the first place. Some heartless person ran us over, says Vic. Well, says Demente:
Esa persona desalmada fui yo. Yo las atropellé a propósito porque quería verlas muertas... ¡muertas a las dos!
(That heartless person was me. I ran you over deliberately because I wanted to see you dead – both of you dead!)

Say what??

Credits roll

Labels: triunfo