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

This is even briefer than usual because I have to blog Sortilegio in three minutes... I'll try to clean it up later.

Well, Jorge wasn't dead. Azucena the maid thought he'd committed suicide! ("And he left owing me money!") The doc looks him over. At first he thinks it was a heart attack, but it turns out Jorge took a few sleeping pills thinking they were vitamins "or something for my memory." His sis sez nobody is going to tell Ale about this little mistake.

Ale is annoyed Claudia has been draping her assets over Rafa - he needs to concentrate. He was going to lunch with Claudia but Ale says "his training is not over" and takes him out in the parking lot. She was intending to drive him to lunch with Carlos Porda, a petroleum company exec, and her ex-boyfriend - Rafa's startled because she's in no shape to drive - but she's not going to let him, a beast, an assassin, drive her - he says "I was practically born driving" - she refuses - but Beltran the boss shows up and gives the keys to Rafa.

She yells at him for speeding (he isn't), he drives erratically because her shouting is frightening him, she scolds him again for trying to kill her That Night, he says he was distracted That Night because when she was leaning over (for her cellphone) he thought nobody was driving the car... she thinks he's going to hit that biker who is about 100 blocks away... she harps on the accident and says he was drunk, he denies it...

Meanwhile the sales force is dividing up the 70 pages (!?!?!) of contacts and squabbling about how to divide them up. Jimenez ("Dios Mio") sees them - he wasn't invited to the party - he instantly figures out what they're doing and says he'll have no part of it. But reminding him - "excuse me, aren't you poor and a loser?" - he has kids to put through school, the ringleader convinces him into it. Soon all are settled down with a few pages of clients, making calls.

Vic calls Rafa constantly, he never answers. In quite a state she goes to the beauty parlor run by the jail boys. She has a few grey hairs ("he gave them to me!") and wants them covered. There is a dumb conversation around their confusion about her "pajarito" (little bird) and cats are nice pets and so are boa constrictors etc.

Finally Rafa and Ale get to the restaurant, where her ex-boyfriend is waiting. She tells him the harrowing tale of the beast who almost murdered her (without saying it was Rafa). Carlos asks what she's been up to, since university. She says she went to Harvard. Him, in English: "No kidding, I was in Boston too, best years of my life!" they talk in English, leaving Rafa out, until he says: "Let's get back to cars."

The boyfriend wants a very low price. Ale starts saying that's impossible, the boyfriend says "then I will take my business elsewhere," Rafa starts talking a mile a minute about his cousin's trucks full of cattle and before you know it, the client has said ok, I'm sold. Ale is surprised and impressed.

Rafa jumps up and down and does karate moves in the parking lot, but Ale slaps him down and says the commission goes to the company because he's still in training. "Maybe you can get that cousin of yours to buy more trucks." "I just made that up." "You professional liar!" No matter how much she yells at him, he looks at her admiringly. He asks what kind of music she wants - she says SILENCE.

When they get back to A. Siglo, everybody tells Rafa's phone has been ringing constantly. "Vicky! Vicky! Vicky! Vicky!" He says, "it's my cousin" and slinks into his cubicle to call her back.

Ale tells Susanna it was Rafa who sealed the sale - "I've never seen anybody sell like that before. He's ignorant but creative." She calls Marco and says he can have a new car.

Marco crows to Chavez and rushes over to the agency and slides into a great car - "This is a car like I deserve!" - and drives it off at high speed to the distress of the mechanic. The plan he made with his seedy buddy: to hoochy-koochy with harlots tonight. And now he has a car to do it! He drives Ale home, where all admire the car. He plans for her to take sleeping pills and him to slip out, but her plan is to make love.

Meanwhile, Rafa has gone home, tired but happy. His friend Jaime is helping sis with her homework (and batting her eyelashes she convinces him to take it home and finish it for her).

They say Vicki called him forty times already and in fact is calling again this very minute. He tells V. not to come over but too late! She's already hung up and is on her way. But when he starts kissing her she is pushing him away and squeaking, not here, not now, my daddy, I need to call him, dad calls her ...

... and Marcos is pushing away Ale over and over, saying she is too fragile for this, and besides he forgot to bring condoms ... his cell rings, it's no doubt Chavez saying the harlots are ready, but he pretends it's some biz with the British International Co and he has to leave...

Ale flashes to the tender, loving looks Rafa gave him during the day... careful, Marcos, you haven't landed that fish yet...

Labels: dinero

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

Judy wanted me to share this with y'all! Hombre wrote:

Delayed gratification. That could be the secret to all telenovelas. They make us think something is going to happen, in this very episode. Then we wait, we watch, we lean towards the television set. Our pulses race, our breath quickens, we can just TASTE the revelation to come. Except when it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s a moment of love, sometimes revenge. Usually, we’re just waiting for one character to finally tell another something we, the faithful audience, have known for weeks! Ah, but those writers, have they no shame? Do they think it’s FUNNY when they tease us, only to make us wait until the next episode? And that means waiting through a long weekend? With lots of snow? (at least for me). I guess they do.

Labels: telenovelas

[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

Delayed gratification. That could be the secret to all telenovelas. They make us think something is going to happen, in this very episode. Then we wait, we watch, we lean towards the television set. Our pulses race, our breath quickens, we can just TASTE the revelation to come. Except when it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s a moment of love, sometimes revenge. Usually, we’re just waiting for one character to finally tell another something we, the faithful audience, have known for weeks! Ah, but those writers, have they no shame? Do they think it’s FUNNY when they tease us, only to make us wait until the next episode? And that means waiting through a long weekend? With lots of snow? (at least for me). I guess they do.

So, we’ve arrived at the moment of truth. Mau will tell Moni about Isabel. At least that’s what we’re led to believe. Monita shows up at Mau’s, and he decides to cook some pasta for her. Let’s just say, the pasta never gets made. Well then, does he suelta la sopa (spill the beans)? We’ll see. Moni tells Mau that La Momia said the strangest thing, that Isabel was still alive, and Mau could answer all her questions about the matter. Can you believe that? How crazy is that!

Mau’s response: I love you so much. Moni doesn’t get it, I love you too. There’s a little kiss, but Moni notices that Mau isn’t smiling, in fact, he’s crying a little. What’s wrong? Mau tells her he’s lost so much. He lost Salvador, who was like a father to him. He lost his children. Moni’s all he has left. Without her, he wouldn’t want to continue living.

But over in the cantina, they’re continuing living it up. Beto’s filling Nieves’ glass, while Estrella fills Jacqui’s. Don Cesar observes helplessly as the game of Mujeres All-Shloshed-inas continues. Beto tells Cesar not to be a spoilsport (aguafiestas), as Nieves, beads around her forehead, but sinking down, and Jacqui, hair in face and blouse askew, continue slugging down tequila.

Moni’s never seen Mau this despondent (don’t know if I believe that, we’ve seen him crying at least 5 other times). Anyway, she SWEARS that she’ll never leave, nothing can stop their love, yada, yada. He of the big secret, however, says you’ll hate me in the morning. No way, insists Moni. But Mau starts to let it out. La Momia was right – I AM the person who has the answers about your mother.

Cut to said mother, Isabel, talking to Marcos in her hotel room. What did you tell your daughter? Marcos assures Isabel that all he told Coni was that Isabel and he were just old friends, and he ordered Coni not to bother Valentina. Isabel isn’t so sure La Momia will go along with this. Marcos wants to know when Isabel’s going to approach Valentina (I guess to tell her she’s alive, and that Marcos is her father). Isabel refuses to be rushed. Marcos glares at her – Don’t mess with me, or else! His phone rings, he has to leave. He reminds her, though, don’t forget, you have to get close to Valentina, so after that, she can get close to me. Understood?

Moni asks Mau what’s going on, and he says nothing, but his face tells all (well, not all, but you know what I mean). She goes on a rant, her mother was dead, they were in the hospital, Moni tried to save her life but failed, but her mother loved her! She really loved her! Mau keeps saying he’d like to explain, but Moni’s on a roll. Why are you doing this to me? If my mother’s dead, tell me she’s dead! The only thing I have left is the certainty that she loved me. Mau starts to explain. My love, those days in the hospital…and Moni cuts him off again. If she tricked me, if she didn’t really love me…No, that would be a lie, because my Mamá loved me! My Mamá was really sick. Yes, she was sick, replies Mauricio. And she died in the hospital, right? asks Moni. Mau opens his mouth, and….his phone rings. He doesn’t want to answer, but Moni insists. Uh oh, Aldo and Luisa are in jail!

Cut to our favorite little jail (or police station, they use the word delegación), which has the girl’s cells and the boy’s cells facing each other, right across a little walkway. Cristian enters, truncheon in hand, to check out the new guests. We have Luisa and Katia in the girls’ cell, with Aldo, Andrés and the other boys on their side. I guess that little fight in the club got serious. Cris is perturbed that Aldo’s locked up again, was there another raid on a brothel? The other boys find this a hoot, give us the address, Aldo. How are the ladies there? Aldo gets mad, but Cris cautions them not to make things worse. The cops are contacting all your families. Please don’t call La Momia, pleads Luisa. Cris says they called El Señor Mauricio Sermeño, and unfortunately, La Señora Constanza Lerda de Tejada alias La Momia also has to be contacted. Katia asks if they called her Mom (Jacqui). Sorry, Miss, says Cris, your esteemed mother is in a cantina, and is in no condition to help you out. But we’re calling your Dad. Katia doesn’t like this one bit. After Cris leaves to tend to “procedures” (gestiones, one could also use the word trámites), Andrés tells Luisa he’s really jazzed that she came to hear him sing. Lu smiles shyly. (Is she forgetting about Ivan?)

Said Ivan is grilling Britney Sofia (Coni’s new maid), where’s Luisa, let me see her! But she’s not here, says Britney desperately. Out comes Coni. After calling Britney an idiot (she says burra, or donkey), she haughtily informs Ivan that Luisa went to the club to see her schoolboy singer friend. Yes, Andrés Rivadeniera, a well-educated boy, from a good family, with lots of money. He’s handsome, enchanting, talented, perfect to be the novio of Luisa, unlike you, Ivan, you’ll never amount to anything. So leave now, and never return. Ivan counters that Andrés may be all that, but he’ll never get Luisa to love him. Coni laughs, sure, what you want only happens in telenovelas, so lárgate! (Get out!) Ivan leaves, Coni’s phone rings, and she gets the news about the kids in jail.

Luisa screams that it’s Aldo’s fault they’re in jail. Aldo says no, it’s these dummies, they were bragging that they went to see Estrella, saying she was a prostitute, that they threw money at her. One of the nerds gets up and says, well, Katia’s the one who said she was a prostitute, even said she was in porn movies. She even gave us Estrella’s address. (Ahhh, Katia’s been found out, looks as if she wants to sink into the ground).


Aldo realizes what happened, looks at Katia, so it was YOU.

We now peer through a spiral of ironwork into Rolu’s bed. Does this symbolize the circuitous nature of his relationship with Xime?


Xime pops into view, love letter in hand. The letter was maraviguau, no one’s ever written something like that. Rolu takes full credit, those are his true feelings. Xime is enchanted. She then tells Rolu she sold her shares, is he happy? He sure is. But, she adds, she’s giving the money to Mau, is Rolu mad now? No way, he’s fine with that (since he wants Xime to impoverish herself, thus leaving himself indispensable as sole provider). Xime thought he’d be mad, what with their race car rivalry, but Rolu of course says, Mau’s family now, cousin of the woman I love, and you can do whatever you want with your money. And I promise as long as we’re together, you won’t want for anything, I’ll buy you anything you like. Xime says he’s divine, and they kiss, but he’s still WAY more into it than she is.

Jerónimo! Yes, we’ve missed our bungling baddie. He breezes into the apartment, complaining to high heaven to anyone who’ll listen (which at this point means Arnie) how Oscar abandoned him. Jacquelinay won’t answer his calls. What’s he gonna do? Oscar left him destitute (en la miseria). He sees his future passing before his eyes. He’s standing at a traffic light, with a clown nose, two balloons balanced on his butt, juggling (haciendo malabares), and all for what! He was a stockholder, dammit! Now he’s a nobody. But maybe…. you and I could do something together. Arnie’s appalled. Business, replies, Jero, just business. Arnie starts to flee. Sure, abandon me, says Jerry ruefully. Just like everyone else. I’ll have to get used to it, just like they’ll reject me when I’m holding my little bottle of cleaner, trying to clean those windshields. That’s my destiny. Arnie leaves.

Jerry spies the love letter from Lalo, looks around furtively, decides to read it. He’s entranced, then mad, then wistful. How come Lalo never wrote anything so pretty to me? Don’t I deserve it? Don’t I?

At the cantina, we’re winding down, as Beto and Estrella now have to lift the hands of their drinkers to get those shots into them, Nieves and Jacqui having lost the ability to handle such matters on their own. The hands are lifted for another round, but Nieves can’t quite manage it, and her head sinks down onto the table, she’s out cold. Same with Jacqui. Darn, says Estrella, a tie! Okay, game over, says Cesar, let’s get the ladies back to the vecindad. You, Beto take Nieves, I’ll take Jacqui. Hey, says Beto, why do I get the heavier one? Well, it’s your Mom. But I could get a hernia, says Beto. They enlist some strong guys from the next table to help. The guys will help carry Beto’s ex-suegrita, and he and Cesar will take Nieves. On the count of three!

Mauricio, Monita and Connie all arrive at the police station at the same time. Connie won’t even let Mau and Moni see the kids, ‘cause they’re her kids. So this is how you take care of the kids? asks Mau. Coni reminds him that when the kids were under his guardianship (tutela), there were problems, too, but now, with Coni’s firm hand, they’ll behave like cultured people, not animals. Mau says the kids were never animals, and rather than teaching manners, shouldn’t one teach them how to be good people? He doubts Coni will teach that. Enter Marcos, what’s happening? Coni fills him in, but he then notices Moni, what’s she doing here? Moni says she came with Mauricio, the kids are more his that hers (Coni’s)! Ahh, he says, walking over to Mau, so you’re Mauricio Sermeño.

Ivan is distraught that he’s losing Luisa to Andrés. Paula gives him some words of encouragement in English. “Don’t worry, be happy” (isn’t she cute?) Meanwhile, here come the wounded soldierettes, returning from the field of battle.


After a few joking remarks from the crowd, Ivan helps Beto get Nieves to her house to sleep it off. But what to do with Jacqui?

Mau tells Marcos these are his kids, but Marcos says the law is the law, and he’s the adoptive grandfather. He stands up to Mau and says Mau’s a wretch, to mess with two womens’ lives. Marcos is GLAD Mau’s without money, in the street, because that way it’ll be easier to stop him for good. As usual, Mau’s quiet, but Moni’s enraged, and jumps in to defend her man. Mau and Moni insist they just want to SEE the kids, to make sure they’re okay, but even that’s too much for Coni and Marcos. Moni threatens to break Coni’s head in two. Marcos says violence never solved anything (he must have missed the first two thirds of this show), and also tells Coni to control herself, too. Moni gets in another jab, saying the Mummy should open up her museum, we have some relatives here (implying Marcos is just like Coni). Valentina! yells Marcos in frustration.

Okay, what’s to do with Jacqui? First idea, a taxi. No, says Cesar, she’s in no condition, and La Momia would kill us all. They decide the guys from the bar have helped enough, so Beto and Ivan each take a shoulder, and Don Cesar gets between Jacqui’s legs and lifts. Not too dignified, but at least they’ve got her in motion. Okay, let’s take her to Estrella’s house. No, no, no, says Estre, frantically waving her hands, take her to Paula’s house. Wait a minute, says Paula, she won’t fit in my house, we have my father, Cristian and me. How about with Ivan and Terry? No, please no, says Terry, we have Alicia, Ivan and I, and Alicia’s sleeping soundly right now. Ivan suggests calling La Momia, but Beto says she wouldn’t help out her mother for anything. Okay, Paula has another idea, let’s take her to Moni’s house!

Cris tells Mau and Moni they don’t have any rights, so they agree to leave. But Moni has a parting shot for Marcos. If you’re on La Momia’s side, how do you expect me to trust you? They leave, and Marcos tells Cris he wants to take care of the fines. Coni will go check on the kids.

Chaos continues in the vecindad. Estrella nixes the idea of Moni’s house, there’s only one bed, and Moni hates La Momia, what would happen when she got home? Fine, says Beto, then tells Estrella, it’s your house and that’s that, since my jefa is in mine, and we had a tie, right? So you get Jacqui. Estre grudingly agrees as the entire crowd carries the passed out rich lady in the white pantsuit off to her fate.


(Think about it, though, if a poor woman passed out in the rich neighborhood, would the neighbors be so kind? Not in THIS novela).

Luisa, Katia and Aldo have been released, and Coni insults them for about 5 minutes, until her Dad comes back to muzzle her. He also wants to be introduced to his grandchildren. Fine, says Coni, and states their names dismissively, adding there’s also a little one sleeping at home. She’s disgusted, but Marcos is amused and happy. He gives both Aldo and Luisa some high fives and fist bumps,


tells them to cheer up, let’s go out to dinner. Coni opposes this, but Marcos reminds her she was young once. But I’m still young! she insists. Well, then why did you adopt adolescents, instead of having your own babies? To bother our father, says Luisa. You see this insolence, says Coni, this is why I have to be strict with them. Nah, says Marcos, adolescence is a very tough stage, you have to be understanding. Now let’s go to dinner, kids and your new granddad will get to know you. No way, shoots back Coni, we’re going home. Come now, children. She marches off defiantly, leaving her Dad to sputter helplessly.

Outside Moni’s apartment, Mau’s still down about the kids, and he’s also worried about Marcos, but he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. Monita gives him a happy little salute, yes, sir, as you order sir,


and gives him a hug. Mau wants to continue talking about the matter they were discussing before. Moni’s too sleepy to finish the talk, but asks him to come in, and stay with her until she falls asleep. They enter her house, hand in hand.

Nieves is snoring away, as Beto and Cesar tease each other. Cesar thinks Beto set a bad example, egging his Mom on in the cantina. Beto disagrees, after all, she almost won. Cesar tells Beto to go to the store and get some things for a hangover, Nieves will need these. Beto agrees, but not before Cesar has to give him the necessary lana (dough) to pay for the items.

After he leaves, Cesar looks lovingly down at Nieves, bemused that she drank so much. He leans in to kiss her, but is overwhelmed by the liquor smell, thinks he could get drunk from the smell (la pura tufa). He takes off his shades, kisses her hands, calls her his little chocolate candy, he’s here with her, he’ll never leave her alone. Nieves stirs a bit, mumbles where are you? Where is who? asks Cesar. Marcos. The love of my life. Come back to me, I still love you, Marcos, let’s kiss, ah Marcos! Don Cesar is sunglasses-off impactado.


Monita has fallen asleep in Mau’s arms, and he gently places her head on the pillow and quietly gets up. Outside, he runs into Beto, who tells him about the drunk ladies. Beto then notices that Mau looks sad, how come? Valentina now suspects her Mamá is alive. What are they going to do?

Inside, Moni wakes up. She thinks of her Mom, gets out the cigar box with that picture they took when she last saw Isabel. Moni flashes back to all the kind words Isabel said, that she adored Moni, that she was proud of her, that she was so sorry for having abandoned Moni, and begged her forgiveness.

Mau tells Beto that now that Moni has this doubt, there’s no turning back. Sooner or later, through La Momia or otherwise, the truth will come out. Beto agrees, Coni would never stay quiet. He tells Mau how Coni had the chance to choose between love and vengeance, and chose vengeance. Her life’s goal (su meta en la vida) is to destroy La Monita. Mau says he’d understand if Beto doesn’t want to get involved after being hurt by Coni, but Beto says Mau’s his soul brother, and they’re on the same team. He’ll do whatever he can to protect La Monita. Mau says he’s tired of lying. Tomorrow morning, he’ll take Valentina to see her mother.

Moni thinks back some more about those beautiful things Isabel said. But then we see Moni’s face turn thoughtful, wondering, doubtful.


I guess she’ll have to wait until Monday to find out what Mau was trying to tell her.

Previews for Monday: Oscar uses the power of the purse, to make sure Sal stays the same – or worse. And Moni gets to see what’s behind Door Number Two. Will she like what she sees?

Vocabulario:

Un aguafiestas – a spoilsport, a party pooper, a wet blanket
Delegación – police station
Gestiones – procedures (such as legal ones), similar to the word trámites
Miseria – poverty, destitution, it’s a false friend, as the word for “misery” is sufrimiento
Malabarismo – juggling
Tutela – guardianship, tutelage, protection
Tufo – something stinky
Meta en la vida – life’s goal, aim in life

Labels: gancho

We start with Ale telling Rafa she’s going to give him an on-site lesson on how to be a businessman.

Marino tells the other vultures...er, employees, that he is going to make copies of Lopez’s list so they can share the clients. They all scatter and try to look busy when Ale and Rafa come in. Naturally, it doesn’t work and Ale tells them they need less talkie and more workie. She singles out Claudia and Rosaura and asks to see them privately.

Marino pulls Nelson and Isabel aside and tells them he’s going to split the list between the three of them. Isabel calls it a little extreme and Marino says she must not want the money because she already has enough to provide for her hijo. I never said that! Isabel gripes. Nelson tells Marino it would better for them to wait to copy it until Ale isn’t around, so they can have more time to decide what to do. He pries the list out of Marino’s hands and puts it back on the desk.

Rafa admires one of the models but Ale snaps him out of it and makes him practice his selling technique with her. Ale pretends to be a family of clients (a husband, wife, and a seven year old) and she critiques how Rafa handles it. (This was really fun; Ale is very good at acting out each part.)

Ale tells Rafa he has to sell forcefully and confidently to assure the customer he can fulfill their demands. Then, she shows him how it’s done by using a flirty voice and two leggy models to help seal the deal. Rafa thought-bubbles that Ale is a little strange but awfully pretty.

Vicky visits Leonor and gives her a huge hunk of meat as a gift since she knows how tight money has been. Leonor doesn’t want to accept it but Vicky says it’s what family does. After all, she feels like a part of the family anyway. Vicky asks about Rafa and Leonor gushes like a proud madre about how well he’s doing. She’s thankful her hijo has finally found stability.

Instead of being happy for him, Vicky mopes that Rafa hasn’t called her. Leonor has to pad Vicky’s ever-fragile ego and assure her that Rafa will call when he isn’t so busy. Unfortunately, Vicky sees the telephone number of the Siglo on a tablet and takes off to call him.

We’re role-playing with Ale and Rafa again. This time she’s a very snappy elderly woman and Rafa doesn’t handle it much better than his first trial. Marino interrupts to tell him Vicky is on the phone. Rafa asks Marino to tell her he’ll call back later. Ale lectures that he should never leave a customer for a phone call. However, Rafa is too busy staring at her lips to be paying much attention to what she says.

Marino snatches the client list and the employees start arguing over how much each person gets from the copies. Claudia wants 50% since she was Lopez’s woman. (For all of half an hour.) Marino says it was his idea so he gets to decide how to split it up. (Very grade school playground mentally. “I saw it first!”) Rosaura says they should split it all up equally but Marino makes no promises. Nelson stops him and says someone trustworthy needs to make the copies with Marino so everything ends up fair. Rosaura nominates Isabel and Marino reluctantly agrees.

Trapito, another employee, brings Ale a cane to replace her crutches. (Everyone better be on the lookout, that cane looks a lot easier to swing around than crutches.) Ale has Rafa practice how to VOCAL-I-ZADO when introducing himself.

Lic. Beltran barges in during this and Ale has to introduce him to Rafa. Beltran takes to Rafa immediately and hopes the many achievements Ale has told him about will help increase their profits. After he leaves, Rafa teases Ale for regarding him so highly to her boss and not mentioning that she hates him. Ale snarks that all she wants is her payment.

Marino and Isabel are at the copy machine and he comes up with a proposition: give 50 pages of the list to the salespeople and keep 20 pages for the two of them. Isabel starts an impassioned speech about honorability; she would never defraud the company that way.

Rafa practices introducing himself again and Ale continues criticizing. She tells him he needs to be more clear and charming, like a caballero or “un sexy boy”. (She did say that and it made me smile.)

Susana interrupts and says a client called looking for Lopez; Ale says to transfer the call to her and declares Rafa’s daily lessons over for the day. She sends him out to practice by himself.

Claudia gets sent to chat up Rafa (to keep him from finding out about his missing list) and he vents a little about how annoyed Ale is with him. Claudia says Ale is bitter and Rafa is surprised because he thought she was only that way with him. Claudia drags him off to get him a cup of coffee.

Claudia asks Rafa if he’s married or has a novia. He says he doesn’t; he likes to be free. “Then who’s Vicky?” Rafa chokes on his coffee and says Vicky is a distant cousin who works in his house.

Nelson runs into the copy room to warn Marino and Isabel that Rafa is out of the office. They grab all the paperwork and run.

Rafa chats with Claudia about his past sales experience and she keeps him distracted long enough for the vultures to rush off unnoticed.

Rafa finally gets back to his desk and calls Vicky. She cries about how abandoned she feels and freaks out when he calls her Vicky instead of Pajarita. (This girl is the definition of clingy.)

Marino emphasizes again that they are going to share the list between them (excluding Rafa).

Vicky keeps sobbing into her phone so her padre grabs it and asks Rafa why he’s making her cry. Vicky blames it on the onions and Rafa has to lay it on thick until Vicky takes the phone back again.

The group tries to send Claudia over to eavesdrop on Rafa’s call, thinking it’s a business deal. She doesn’t want to because Rafa is so darn cute but they convince her to slink over. Rafa struggles to talk to Vicky with Claudia pawing him and has to hang up quick.

Ale tells Susana that the client who called was Carlos Pardo, a friend of a friend from back in college. Ale whines that she wishes she were still as pretty as back then but Susana tells her to cut it out.

Susana asks Beltran if she and Ale can borrow one of the cars so they can go out for lunch with a client who wants to buy 10 of them. He agrees but says Susana needs to take a message to his wife and Rafael should go in her place.

Susana tells Ale about it and she is as happy about it as you can imagine. Ale overhears Claudia and another employee talking about how great Rafa is compared to all the other grumps they work with.

Rosario and Azucena wonder why Jorge hasn’t gotten up yet so they sneak into his room. Rosario is hysterical when she can’t wake him, no matter how much she shakes him and yells.

Avances: Vicky (surprise) whines that Rafa hasn’t called her all day and says it’s “all that woman’s fault”, Rafa and Ale get ready to go to lunch with the client.

Labels: dinero

Tonight, Angelique Boyer is "Soledad, Cautiva" (Soledad, captured).

A couple gets hot and heavy in a bright orange retina-burning room. The guy mumbles something about her being very expensive, but she says she's worth it.

Credits.

A "family" is traveling in a car. We gather that the girl in the back seat is Soledad. Dad is driving, and Stepmom sits up front. Dad is sick of the other two fighting and wants Soledad to get over it and Stepmom to just shut up already. Soledad is pissed that Stepmom was dad's lover before Mom died. Stepmom doesn't like how either Dad or Soledad treat her. Soledad won't let go of Stepmom being "Lover" first. Dad actually pulls the car over in the middle of nowhere rather than threatening and Soledad gets out and starts walking down the road in the opposite direction. Dad orders Stepmom back into the car and they drive away.

Soledad has no luck hitching a ride until, finally, an old beat-up truck pulls over and she hops in the back. They drive her to a roadside stand, where, due to her lack of money, she just asks for a glass of water. A hottie in a much nicer, newer truck pulls up. He orders his usual, whatever that might be. He notices Soledad crying and asks if she's ok, but she just shakes her head. He picks up his tacos and goes to sit next to her. He asks if she's hungry and he shares his…quesadillas? On blue corn tortillas?

He gives her a ride to somewhere. She talks about Dad and Stepmom and tells him the whole story, according to her. Her cell phone battery is dead, so she can't call her best friend and his is only for inbound calls. She finally realizes she's been talking this whole time and starts asking him to talk. What he comes up with is "I like listening to music while I drive and being with pretty girls." He turns the radio on.

It's getting late and she figures he must be getting tired. She feels bad about it. He asks what she's going to the city for. She's going to see her aunt. He offers to put her up in a hotel for the night so they can rest. Just a nice, simple, clean place.

He said it wasn't a by-the-hour place, but when they get there, it is. He says maybe that's how other people use it, but they're just there to sleep, so it's no big deal.

Ah, but now it turns out there's only one room available with only one bed in it. No worries, though, he'll take the floor.

At some point, he asks if she's awake, which she is. He playfully grabs her hand and pulls her off the bed and onto the floor with him. This suits her just fine and the by-the-hour motel room heaves a sigh of relief as it gets to fulfill its life's purpose.

Dad calls Yolanda, the aunt, I presume, and is surprised to hear that Soledad isn't with her. She also hasn't called. Dad defends himself for yesterday, saying Yolanda wasn't there and she shouldn't judge him. He agrees to call her later. Stepmom tells Dad to chill, that Soledad is probably with a friend.

A male, naked friend, in fact.

They keep driving on. The guy drops her off at an intersection of two highways. He says when he comes to Mexico he'll call her at her aunt's place. She asks if his uncle's house is much farther away. It sounds like she's scared to go to her aunt's. He offers to wait, but she declines. He finally, very seriously, says it was a pleasure meeting her. She giggles and ends up asking what if she goes with him to his uncle's house. He asks if she's sure and she gets back in the truck and kisses him. Nice shiny truck like that…I've got a bad feeling about this. Really, man, there's no point getting informed consent unless it's actually informed. But I bet that "are you sure?" is going to come back to haunt her. Safe bet on a show like this.

He pulls up to a gate and honks. A man in a dark suit holding some kind of rifle waves them in. There are several of these men around, and also a pool and a lot of pretty girls in bikinis. As the truck pulls up, several of the girls start walking over. Since I'm sick of calling him "the guy" I looked up his name on IMDB--Esteban. Esteban greets a man in a lighter suit, Jorge, and introduces Soledad as his girlfriend. Jorge calls her precious and says she's got beautiful eyes while carressing her face. Jorge asks if Esteban explained. He starts copping a feel and Soledad freaks out. Esteban tells her it will be better if she plays along. Better in the sense of "not getting quite as bruised in the process" I imagine. She starts backing away as one of the dark-suited guys goes after her. She starts asking the bikini crew for help, but all they do is watch. The one woman not in a bikini comes up and injects something into Soledad's arm as two suits hold her. This is Clarissa, who I recognize from playing Marta on Tormenta en el Paraiso. The hair's different, but she has a very distinctive, almost manly jaw. Soledad gets carried off and sure enough, Esteban yells after her "Hey, this was your decision, remember?" Jorge asks how much for the girl.

Soledad wakes up with blurry vision, surrounded by a posse of other girls her age. One of them tells her that her name is Cindy now, as per Don Jorge. Another girl whispers not to worry, that as soon as they can they'll all get out of there. Don Jorge and Clarissa walk in. Soledad begs to go home. She throws up from the drugs and Jorge gets pissed off. Clarissa wipes the vomit off Soledad's mouth and tells her that's the last time she does that. Soledad keeps begging to go home. Jorge tells her she's to open her legs and not her mouth. He tells Clarissa to have her washed and brought to him. He tells her that she will open her legs.

Soledad gets hosed off by another of the girls, while the one who woke her up gives her a quick swipe with the soap. Clarissa watches, smoking a cigarette, and another girl holds a towel and looks worried.

She ends in what looks like a hotel room, dressed in lingerie. Don Jorge walks in and she starts the crying and begging all over again while he starts getting undressed. From the way he bites into a strawberry, he seems to get off on the crying and begging. The crying and begging continues, as does the undressing. She asks what she has to do so they'll let her go and starts telling him not to come closer. Back in the bunk room, the other girls cry and/or cover their ears as she continues screaming "no." One of the girls says she hopes Soledad passes out. Other than "no" and "please" we also get "me duele" (it hurts)…yeesh! Clarissa waits out in the hallway and smokes.

I take it we're keeping the same cops throughout the whole series. Dad has brought Det. Capellan Soledad's purse and a picture of Soledad. He says all she would have with her is her cell phone. Det. Capellan says it's been 24 hours since his daughter disappeared. Det. C thinks it's odd she hasn't called in that time. Actually, Dad says she called her friend, but just when she was about to tell her friend where she was, the call got disconnected. It seems like she was with someone. He thinks it's the first time she's gone off with someone and that's what worries with him. Det. C tells the cop behind her, whose name I didn't catch, but whose hair I covet, to set up a 100km perimeter around a spot she points to on the map and to notify her of any sighting of Soledad. She hands over the photo.

"From me, you will learn everything you need to know to give pleasure. To serve men, to please them, to not suffer. Forget about the other day with Jorge. I'll show you how things are here. I'll turn you into a geisha, a goddess. From now on, see me as your teacher, your protectress, your friend. You need to be obedient, pleasing, servile. Under my care, nothing will happen to you. And one day, if you do what I say, a client will come, who will notice you. He'll be with you once, and he'll come back again and again for you until he falls completely in love with you and he pays us everything you're worth. And that's how you'll get out of here." This is Clarissa's little motivational speech to Soledad as she introduces her to the fine art of whoring. Aren't these shows so much more fun when you actually know what people are saying?

Soledad spends some quality time with a Hugh Heffner wannabe, complete with satin robe.

"And now, I'll tell you one of the great secrets. Here, it's the clients who enjoy, not you."

Mr. 5ft thinks it would be nice of Soledad blows this whole place up. Given the show, I think that's entirely possible.

Curly-haired cop explains to Det. C and a hot male cop that within that perimeter she found other missing girls. She has points of disappearance and pictures up on the computer screen, mapped out. The guy is Lt. Moran. He reports that there are several whorehouses in the area, many of them with registered sex workers (http://www.illegaleconomy.com/prostitution/prostitution_in_mexico.php) but none of those correspond to these missing girls. Dec. C wonders, then, what's going on.

At Casa Jorge, the girls sunbathe. Soledad notices Enrique's truck pull up. Another girl tells her not to be stupid. Soledad watches another girl try to run as the "Don't be stupid" girl tells "Cindy" not to "echar a perder" (ruin) things. "Soledad," Soledad insists, "my name is Soledad." The other girls start talking about needing to escape. DBS is working on a plan. Another girl says in the meantime, they've got to go welcome the new girl. Soledad looks over at Esteban and Jorge.

Estaban asks how it's going. Well, but they need more, according to Jorge.

Back in the bunk room, the new girl is laid out on a table, in some distress from the drugs and the kidnapping and the suspicion that she's about to start a fun new job she didn't ask for. The other girls hover, comforting her. DBS points out that today is Monday and on the first Monday of every month, Don Jorge leaves. She presumes, to go move his money around. And with two of the guards gone with him, that leaves less eyes to watch the girls. Another girl thinks DBS is saying stupid stuff. If they get caught, they're dead. "We're already dead," says another girl. DBS says if someone doesn't want in on the plan, fine, but they need to keep their mouth shut. Don Jorge comes in, asking if the girl is awake yet. DBS says they're working on it. Jorge tells them to get the girl ready quickly and bring her to his room.

Out on the floor, one girl wipes a glass, another fiddles with her necklace, and a third attaches her thigh-highs to her garter belt. Clarissa comes in, suspicious, and asks where Karen and Soledad are. Thigh-high girl says they're getting changed.

Outside, one of the girls seduces a guard to get him to leave his post. Others start sneaking out. Another one waits by the breaker box and cuts all the electricity.

Clarissa is still asking the few girls who are left where Karen and Soledad are…"Where is everybody?"

The girls outside get chased by guards with lights attached on their big scary guns.

Inside, Clarissa reprimands the other girls for their lack of discipline. One of the girls is lying on a table, at least hurt, but possibly dead. Clarissa asks the girl who seduced the guard "Since when do you care about others?" For Soledad, she has a "Why did you do this to me?" And for the guard, she says if he breathes a word of this, he'll have to deal with Jorge. She zips his pants up. Right then, Jorge walks in, asking what happened. I guess the girl on the table is dead after all. Jorge says "look what you've done to her." He asks Clarissa if she knows how much money he's losing. He orders the guard to get the body out of the room.

Curly haired cop gets a call. She tells Lt. Moran that the Red Cross found one of the missing girls. She's having her transferred to them.

Jorge directs his dark-suited lackeys to "find the girl." They're out there with dogs, not knowing that the Red Cross found her first.

The doc tells Det. Capellan that if what the girl is saying is true, they've got a real horror story going on. They're standing outside the interrogation room, while the escaped girl sits inside with the curly haired cop. Doc says that another doc did some tests and said the girl was fine.

Looks like the ringleader is the one who made it out. The cop is showing her pictures and asking about the girls. She identifies one as "Roxy," who got out with her, but then she thinks they must have caught her. She's sure Roxy is dead by now. She also identifies "Cindy". She explains to the cop that they give all of them new names.

CHC comes out and announces to Det. C that she's identified practically every girl on their list, including Soledad. But she doesn't exactly know how to get to the place where they are. It's a secret place and you have to put in several passwords on the computer, but she knows the main address is "diosasdelamor.com" (goddesses of love). That's actually not a site name that's taken.

The bring a laptop in and Det. C asks Karen to help them, but she only knows the address and she doesn't know any of the passwords. Lt. Moran is going to take care of it. He guesses a couple of wrong passwords. Karen says it's members only and you have to be recommended. Moran pulls up a "search engine" which is really one of those programs to try every different password until it finds the right one. He puts in the password, but then it asks "Who is your contact?" He enters "sierra" and then gets asked for a credit card number. Curly haired cop comes in with a big suitcase and hands Moran the department's Black Amex. He enters the number. Okay, I was only kidding about it being Amex. He gets a menu of pictures and picks Soledad's. He gets a message reading "It's a pleasure to have you as a client. You will receive a phone call giving you instructions to follow. Privacy, sensuality, and good taste await you. Enter your telephone number." He enters a number.

As curly haired cop tapes a mic to his manly chest, Moran answers his phone and hears a recording with directions to get to the whorehouse. These directions, however only get him as far as valet parking. He'll be driven the rest of the way in a company truck. This does not sound like a safe proposition. They will also take his GPS and cell phone away from him. We watch all this happen.

Meanwhile, Det. C and CHC track him on the computer.

Moran wanders around the whorehouse lobby, looking around. He tells Clarissa that he chose Cindy, but he doesn't see her. He tries to insist on her, since that's who he chose on the computer, but Clarissa says she's indisposed and can she offer someone else instead. They'd hate to give him bad service. Clarissa suggests Perla instead (looks like the new girl, especially by the body language) and offers him the Hef's robe.

"Perla" cringes her way into the room, where a guard and Clarissa wait outside.

Soledad is getting a room ready. She considers the lighter she's holding for a moment before she starts to light the candles. Esteban walks in, asking if she's missed him. She agrees that they've treated her well. Esteban brags that he paid a lot for her because he missed her. Soledad smiles faintly and says she's glad he paid. Everyone has to pay.

Soledad, in the interrogation room, cries as Det. C asks "How could you trust him enough to get into his truck?" Soledad says she liked him on sight. He looked at her like no one had before. It was love at first sight. "Hasn't that ever happened to you?" Det. C doesn't answer. She says it was a falling in love that she paid dearly for. "Tell me about the place where you were locked up." Soledad says it was hell. "They hit me, they raped me, and they made me feel like I wasn't worth anything. There you live with the constant worry of waking up dead. Just waiting for the next degenerate to come along." Det. C asks if she knew that Esteban was coming for her that night. Soledad says he acted like nothing had happened.

We see her take the cork off the corkscrew. It seems like she considers the corkscrew for a moment. She turns around and hands him a glass of wine.

The cops roll up in black SUV's and start surrounding the place.

Perla cries and begs Moran to help her. He covers her mouth and shushes her. He tells her he's a cop and they're there to help, but she has to stay quiet.

Esteban keeps flirting with Soledad, and she flirts right back.

Soledad tells Det. C that he showed up so he could treat her like dirt, because he showed up to buy her. He paid for her. "He always considered me his prostitute."

We get the scene from the beginning where he says he paid a fortune for her and she says she's worth it.

Out in the lobby, the cops are quietly moving in. Some of the girls are crying and others are smiling.

Soledad and Esteban keep getting it on. She tells him "no pasa nada" (it's nothing; nothing's happening here) and keeps macking on him. Aw, honey, you don't want him to die happy, do you?

Jorge threatens Clarissa with a gun, calling her stupid. The curly haired cop, with backup, walks in and tells Jorge to drop the gun. She ends up shooting him and he slides down the wall.

Det. C says "if you'd just waited, Soledad. My people were there to save you and all the other girls." Soledad said everything happens in a moment. "In a moment I went from heaven to hell, from love to hate, from his princess to his prostitute. That's why I had to take advantage of the moment. He'd paid for me, we were alone."

She picks up the corkscrew and slashes him across the face with it. Then she breaks the wine bottle and stabs him with it. Repeatedly. She keeps screaming that she's Soledad. And away flies the bloody butterfly.

"Soledad Oropeza was sentenced to 12 years in prison for unpremeditated murder. The extenuating circumstances presented to the judge by Det. Capellan reduced her sentence to half. DIEM dismantled a prostitution and white slavery network. It is estimated that there are 27 million people worldwide trapped in prostitution and pornography networks."

Labels: asesinas