Caray, Caray!

In the barn Soledad is doing some ugly crying, blaming herself for Elias getting shot. I agree, Soledad, it is totally your fault. If you didn’t keep recapturing YOURSELF until they got smart enough to lock your escape hatch this wouldn’t have happened. She roams around the barn yelling and screaming about it. Whatever. It’s her own fault, I feel no pity.

Rosita tells Alina that she (Rosita) has a problem too. In typical woman fashion (sorry ladies but as best I can tell, this is a total woman move) Rosita says he has a problem and in the next breath tries to say “never mind, don’t worry about it, no big deal.” It usually goes like this – Woman: “Siiiiggghhh.” Poor unsuspecting man: “Something wrong?” Woman: “No, nothing, never mind.” Man: “Oh, ok.” Woman: kills man for not seeing through her little scheme and begging to know what’s wrong. The end. Anyway, Rosita tries to pull this on Alina, but Alina falls for it and pushes to get some info. Rosita 1, Alina 0. Alina fell right into her little pity party snare. Rosita says Santos is off doing something else, she’ll handle whatever it is herself. She tells Alina to have faith, Alina ponders the nature of faith.

Oh we’ve been waiting for this! Don Loco is making out with Alfonsina and sees a vision of Soledad over her shoulder. I had to rewind, yes it’s true, Alfonsina was sliding down to get on her knees when Don Loco sees Ghost Soledad. That’s a bit racy for this show, huh? Is he about to feel some guilt? Wouldn’t that be something! Ghost Soledad just gives him a dirty look, shakes her head, and disappears again. Don Loco pulls Alfonsina back up to her feet, she is confused. I can understand why, it’s probably the first time in history a man has stopped a woman from doing THAT. I would think it would take like a hurricane, earthquake, something more than a guilty vision of Soledad. Who are we to understand the ways of Don Loco.

Coral is talking to some old guy, she says she’s dancing in some place and she wants him to come see her. He says his health isn’t good so who knows. But he has a question, will she marry him? After him saying he’s not healthy enough to go see her dance, I would expect the answer to be no. Coral squinches up her face as if to say, “WTF?”

Mexico City – Mariana is grunting. Dr. Love enters and Malena asks when she’ll get better. Dr. Love says soon, Mariana is strong, etc etc. Malena accepts this as the word of God and says, “You hear? You’re going to recover! You have to!” Mariana just makes noises and bugs her eyes out. Maybe she is thinking “This asshole lied to me about Marianita’s chances of recovery, don’t you think he might be painting an extra rosy picture here too?” Malena, of course, believes that Dr. Love knows all and is all. Something about Mariana and her new bugeyes remind me of Rachel Dratch of Saturday Night Live:

That’s what Mariana looks like now, right? Anyway, she doesn’t seem to be buying Dr. Love’s statement.

The guy with Coral is named Celso, but I still don’t know who he is. She thinks she didn’t hear him right, he says yes, he wants to marry her. He gives her some story about coming here every day and finally one day he saw her, what he was looking for. Also, he’s dying. She says everyone dies, he says no, he’s dying, like right now he is actually in the process of dying. How is this supposed to make her want to marry him? No idea.

Rosita’s father gives Santos’s hottie mom a cup of coffee and does a great job of not staring at her chest. Hottie mom is wearing a shirt with (for her) a high neckline, first time I’ve seen that. Rosita comes in and Braulio leaves the women alone to talk. Rosita tells hottie mom that she can relax, she told Santos they won’t get married. Hottie mom says she was wrong before, she came her to tell Rosita that she wants Rosita and Santos to get married, they love each other, hottie mom had no right to interfere. How many times is this wedding going to be on/off? Let’s see – Santos demands to marry immediately, Rosita says no. So that’s an off, without ever having been on officially I think. Santos finally comes back after the rape and it’s on again. Then Rosita told him it was off. Now it’s about to be on again. Cripes. Rosita may be thinking what I’m thinking, she doesn’t look like she wants to go right back to Santos and say “Uh, about what I said like five minutes ago, never mind. Heh heh.”

Old guy Celso keeps going on and on about dying and marrying Coral. She tries to let him down easy, but he cuts her off and says she can answer later.

Angel coughs. Surprisingly, I have had to wait for a long time to write that again. What a great name for a book, show, movie, whatever. Angel coughs. He is looking at the church, Emilioooo asks him if he wants to go get something to eat, Angel says no. He wants to go pray for his own health, newly pious Emiliooo is of course all about praying now so he agrees.

Vera tells Alina that it will all work out. Careful Alina, that’s what people say when they don’t really believe it. Thelma busts in and kicks Vera out of the room, telling Alina “You and I are now alone.”

Angel and Emiliooo pray. You can guess what about, same old stuff. Health and Alina.

Thelma teases Alina about how all her protectors have left the house. She says that Emiliooo told her before he left that he didn’t want to be with Alina anymore. “That’s what he told you too, right?” Alina tries to ignore her but Thelma grabs her and says she has to look her in the eye when she’s talking. Alina says don’t worry, she’s getting out of here anyway. Thelma says where are you going, back to the cave? Maybe the whorehouse? Maybe to have an aventure with a caporal, like your mother? Alina slaps her pretty good and hard across the face, Thelma calls her estupida, so Alina smacks her again. Wow that was pretty cool. Alina the mouse actually let something out. I rewound it to watch again, Alina hit her first with a left, then with a right. Awesome. It’s about time. Well, I’m sure in five minutes she’ll be whining and crying again, telling herself that she has to forget Emilioooo and how Angel is such a great guy but she doesn’t like him ‘that way.’ After smacking Thelma around, she tells her “You better watch what you say.” Thelma actually looks a little scared. I expected her to look at Alina with unbridled rage, then whip out a bat and go DeNiro on her, but she actually looked scared. I guess she was expecting Alina the mouse as well.

Commercial – I have never watched ‘Asi es la Vida’; my wife says it’s just week after week of stories of people cheating on each other, so I’m not interested in that. However – I LOVE the commercials. Every one is full of bikini/underwear babes. Every single one. Today’s commercial even had a 4-5 woman swimsuit car wash thing. These commercials are great. Then later the same break, there is a commercial for a phone number to call and pay per minute to hear celebrity gossip. What? All 250 gossip rags won’t satisfy some people? You have to pay .99 a minute (or whatever it costs) just to hear random gossip about random people?

Alina tells Thelma that she told her before not to diss her mama, well she backed that up. Good for her. I won’t call her stupid for the rest of this recap in honor of her smacking up Thelma. Thelma tells her that she’s going to pay dearly. In fact, Alina won’t leave, she will stay and work off what she owes Thelma (how do you calculate how much work equals two awesome smacks in the face?). Thelma swears, over and over, that Alina will be sorry.

Rosita is sweeping and sees something in the shadows, she freaks out and wants to know who it is. It’s Santos, he apologizes for scaring her. He still wants to marry her, she tells him that he’s so good with her, but she won’t cave in and just say yes. Santos has to resort to begging, she finally says yes and they start kissing. Just then Max rides up, looking extra evil with a smoke in his mouth, and says “Ah, how sweet you look, too bad it’s for such a short time.” Santos and Rosita are impactados. Has anyone else noticed how Rosita has a permanent furrow in her brow like she’s worried? Even when she’s smiling, she has half a worried face going on.

Gasca/New Hugo is now the one making out with Alfonsina. Do you think this actress sees some of the younger, hunkier guys on the show and then realizes that the ones she gets to make out with are Don Loco and Gasca? Do you think she fired her agent over that? It would be like (to make it relevant I’ll use a good example for you ladies) Guy Ecker being on this show and only getting love scenes with the crazy Singing Aunt and Adela. Alfonsina tells Gasca that Don Loco is sick and can’t forget about Soledad. Gasca starts talking about how she can take a little bit of the massive amounts of money Don Loco has, Alfonsina says to just leave it to her.

Santos tells Max that he and Rosita are getting married, Max can’t do anything about it. Max says be careful, you might have an accident! Rosita tells Max she remembers what he did to her, and mentions how she left a cut on his chest. Max says she should keep her mouth closed. I see now how the truth can come out. It will take months, but it will come out.

Alina talks to Donkey, she wants him to stay with her tonight, she’s scared of Thelma. Oh jeez here we go again. “I have to stay here for my mom.” These two women have not escaped a total of 23948 times because they ‘have to stay for mom/Alina.’ I said I wouldn’t call Alina stupid today but does she have to test me like this? In the next breath, she says she needs to get far away. So are you going to go or not?

Luba and Gaspar are walking, she is ragging on him about everything, they find Elias laying apparently dead by the path. Carmel, good one yesterday saying that Luba could fix him right up, well here she is! How fortunate! Gaspar tries to touch him and Luba smacks his hand away. Is she trying to preserve the crime scene until Horatio gets here to dramatically take off his shades and say, “Looks like he took…a SHOT.”

Rosita’s dad is glad that Santos and Rosita are getting married, the couple looks at each other with googly eyes. The couple is going to leave this place, her father is going to stay here. Rosita then tells Santos that with everyone gone, now is their chance to help Alina escape.

Gaspar starts yelling that Elias is dead. Luba says he’s moving, he’s alive, Gaspar picks him up to carry him back to the cave.

Alina talks to Donkey some more. She says she needs to escape on her own, not wait for someone else. How sensible! She makes plans for about 2 seconds, then gives up because she doesn’t have any help or money. Someone turns the doorknob, Alina looks back but we don’t see who it is.

Don Loco has a drink and talks to himself. Blah blah Soledad blah blah. He throws his glass down on the floor and shatters it.

Thelma rants to her singing aunt about Alina. Thelma vows to humiliate Alina. SA tells her to be careful, because Emiliooo… Thelma screams at her that Emilioooo isn’t here! I get the feeling that Thelma said something stronger than that she was going to humiliate Alina but I’m not sure what exactly.

Emiliooo stands and watches Ifgenia (-a? that’s what the captions have) load their stuff into a taxi. They had to come this far to catch a cab. If the haciendas are so remote and there are no decent roads, how did those houses get built? Ifgenia finishes loading the car and asks Emiliooo how long he will be gone, Emilioooo says it could be weeks or months. Emilioooo dramatically takes out he heart necklace and looks at it, and says “Goodbye Alina.”

Donkey is barking his head off at Orlando, who apologizes for not knocking. He says Emiliooo left him in charge of Alina, she can count on him for whatever she may need. Stup- argh Ican’t call her that today--- Alina is still falling for his nice guy act. She tells him she doesn’t need anything, he’s being really pushy. She says no, nothing, I’m fine, leave me alone already, but thanks for the attention. He reminds her again, for some reason, that he’s there to help her with whatever she needs. He wants to be friends. He leaves. Stu-DAMMIT WHY MUST SHE TEST ME--- Alina thought bubbles “Will he REALLY help me with anything I need?”

Rosita, Santos, and Vera are begging Mexican Larry for help in setting Alina free. He is worried about what will happen when Emilioooo returns. Even Vera tells him that they can’t leave Alina here with Thelma. Mexican Larry finally says ok and asks about their plans. They seem to have worked out the plan between Rosita’s house and here, they are going to do it all tonight, and Soledad will get sprung free too.

Mariana Dratch bugeyes and twitches. Dr. Love has a ball in her hand, or is it a new red clown nose? He says on the count of three, squeeze. He counts to three and nothing happens, he closes her hand around the ball himself. Mariana thought bubbles about how she can’t move anything, she’s pissed off about everything. Well, I can understand that, but she only has herself to blame for the paralysis part. She asks herself, “Where is Jose?” How very nice of both Malena and Dr. Love to not tell her that Jose was here!

Some guy named Lucas says Celso is loco, but she should marry him anyway, for the money. Maybe change her name to Anna Nicole then too?

Gasca is tired of taking care of what isn’t his. He looks at a big portrait of Don Loco on the wall and says nasty things to him. Why is there a big picture of Don Loco on the wall? What the hell? Gasca issues all sorts of threats to the air, then we hear, “Talking to yourself, Hugo?” Don Loco was standing there in the room right behind him!

Two highway guys are at Elias’s house, trying to figure out where he is.

Alina skulks around the house looking for help to escape. How about the front door? Vera finds her and takes her to her room to talk.

Don Loco sweats Gasca a bit. DL says he heard Gasca send him a blessing, thanks for that. Gasca thinks he got away with it and says Don Loco has been more than just a boss to him, so of course. He tries to make small talk, Don Loco looks constipated as usual. DL starts talking about how awesome his romps with Alfonsina are, Gasca sweats and twitches. DL goes on and on and on, she would drive a man crazy, no? He really lays it on, Gasca tries to keep himself together.

The doctor is in the cave, he pulls out the bullet from Elias’s shoulder and Luba covers the wound. The doctor says Luba’s herbs are enough to heal him, he has seen them work before. He just wonders who shot him. Gaspar says there are bad people around here, Luba says she knows that whoever shot him was from the house of Montellano. The doctor needlessly warns her against messing with those people. Luba tells Gaspar that her worry is that Soledad is still in the hands of Don Loco. She goes to find out more, leaving Gaspar in charge of Elias. Luba goes and touches the mysterious box before leaving. She is barely out the door when Gaspar runs over to look at the box, he says now he’s going to see what’s in there.

Vera tells Alina that everything is ready to get her out of there. She asks, what about my mom? Vera says not yet, they’ll get Alina out first, then figure something out for Soledad. Alina accepts that, but of course later on, when she’s finally free, she’ll change her mind and come back to jail, “I can’t leave my mom there.” Alina tries to asks about details, Vera tells her she has it under control.

Soledad pouts and feels sorry for herself. She whines that if she died it would be ok, but not Elias. Well, dumbass, it’s your fault, pray all you want.

Gaspar makes to open the box. Suddenly he stops, realizing that his mother would kill him if he opened it He puts it back. Sometimes ol’ Gaspar thinks better than he realizes.

Adela is riled up, she is talking to who I assume is the new Nora. I miss the old Nora, this one isn’t as pretty. Oh well. Adela gets herself all fired up to go sic the cops on Sergio, but Sergio himself shows up just in time to stop her from leaving. She claims that she just needs to go out for some air. Sergio doesn’t believe her (duh). He threatens Adela, Nora pulls her free and the women leave the room. Sergio grumbles to the empty room about what he has gotten himself into.

Thelma is in the stable, she finds a nice riding crop, I expect that she’s going to try and whip Alina with it. Wait, there is a bunkbed there, is this a servant’s quarters or something? Whatever, Thelma starts practicing, whipping the hell out of the bed with the crop. Castulo, conveniently shirtless, happens to wander by and grabs her to stop her. She smacks him to get free but he doesn’t let her go. She makes threats about something, then we hear a voice calling for Castulo. Castulo says it’s Don Max. He puts his hand over Thelma’s mouth to keep her quiet, he says he’ll take care of it. I’m confused. It’s not like he kidnapped Thelma and brought her here or anything, what’s with the mystery?

Sergio is riding his horse, he stops and ties it to a tree. He takes a shovel and walks over to where he left Elias, but of course there’s nothing there. He freaks out. Where did the rug go? Did some wild animals drag it off to decorate their cave?

Ah, this must be Castulo’s room, it looks different than what I remember. Thelma is hiding behind a door while Castulo acts casual outside. Now I understand why Castulo didn’t want Max to know she was here. Max asks the obvious question, why don’t you have a shirt on? Castulo says it’s hot. Max tells him to put on a shirt, then do some other stuff, yada yada, Castulo stands up and shows off his nice fingernail scratch scars, right across his chest. Don Max is impactado, he stares at Castulo’s chest and thought bubbles what Rosita told him earlier about leaving a cut on her attacker. Castulo, on the other hand, might be thinking “Why is he looking at me that way? AH! THAT’S why never got married!” They continue to stand there like a couple of pendejos as we go to commercial.

Don Max asks him how he got cut on the chest. Castulo says something about a horse, Max grabs him by the neck and accuses him of being the rapist. Castulo says nothing, behind the door Thelma is getting an earful. She doesn’t look quite as impactada as I would have imagined, perhaps the fact that she had sex with Gaspar, tried to kill Angel (more than once), and is planning to horsewhip Alina keeps her from being shocked by this sort of thing.

Luba visits Soledad, talking to her through a window of the barn. Soledad tells Luba that Sergio shot Elias, Luba says Sergio is the dirty rotten scoundrel who did this? Soledad is confused, she doesn’t know how Luba knows anything about it. Also – this window has crossbars made of balsa wood. Elias couldn’t have attached THAT with his mighty +1 pickaxe of excellent escaping? No, he has to go after the one part of the barn made of steel. Soledad herself could just kick out this window and be on her way. Oh wait, I forgot – she doesn’t want to escape, she has SESID. Luba tells Soledad that Elias is still alive and is in the cave. Soledad begs her to save him. Luba says she will.

Don Max beats up Castulo. Max hits and kicks him, yelling that he knew that Rosita was the girl he liked and then he did that. Maybe that is our motive – Castulo wanted to stick it to Don Max, so he raped the girl he liked. Castulo tries to say he didn’t do it, but Max tells him to leave and never come back. Max leaves. Thelma slaps the crop against Castulo’s neck and says that now she has something on him, so he can forget the jewels. I guess she was going to pay him blackmail, now she doesn’t have to. She tells him to leave, adding “me das asco.”

Emiliooo and Angel are back in their own house in Puebla. Angel says he wants to go to bed so he can call the doctor early to see if he can get an appointment. He wants to get better as fast as possible so he can go back to La Rinconada and ask Alina to marry him. Snoooorrrre. This part of the story has gotten way lame. Let’s get back to the lying and blackmail, that was much more interesting. If you can’t tell, I hate the show much less today, at least until we get 30 seconds of people moping about Alina, then I hate it fully once again. I appreciated the break though. Anyway, after Angel said that, Emiliooo huffs that he’s going to put away the luggage. Angel says you look so serious, what’s the deal? HELLO you idiot you keep going on about marrying Alina, even though all the men in SE get hot in the pants at the mention of her name. Haven’t you figured that out yet? Well, this is the same guy who doesn’t seem to figure out that his sexy nurse comes to work every day one step away from naked just for him. He’s an idiot. Emiliooo comes back into the room like he’s going to answer Angel’s question, but he doesn’t, he just stands there with the same look he always has.

Don Max grumbles about Castulo. Mexican Larry walks up leading a horse, he claims to be taking out the trash. Max says the women do that, ML says Vera’s back hurts. He talks way too much, a sure sign of lying. Max looks suspicious but leaves Mexican Larry to take care of his business. Max grumbles that everyone is useless. After he leaves, Donkey starts barking from the wagon behind the horse (I guess he’s the garbage) and ML whispers for him to be quiet.

Thelma, still with the riding crop, is back in her room scheming with Singing Aunt. She’s going to move Alina back to slave quarters. SA doesn’t want to be part of it, but Thelma tells her to come.

Mexican Larry walks the horse and wagon down the path in the dark. He calls for Santos, who tells Alina they are finally leaving. When there is light on the wagon again, we see Alina and Santos riding in the wagon too, all smiles.

Thelma enters Alina’s room, which is empty. She still has the riding crop, ready for some whipping. She whips the empty bed out of frustration since Alina isn’t there.

Angel asks Emilioooo again what his problem is, Emilioooo tells him that he doesn’t want to talk about Alina, so eat your dinner and go to sleep. After Emiliooo leaves Angel says he hopes that Emilioooo and Alina forget about each other. If he hadn’t apparently grown up so sheltered, he’d realize how stupid that sounds.

Thelma whines and worries about the fact that Alina escaped. She screams for the servants and demands to know where Alina is. They play innocent, she doesn’t buy it. Orlando manages to show up too. Thelma tells Vera to get everyone together, Vera runs off to comply. Thelma tells Orlando that if anyone helped Alina escape, they will be sorry.

We finally get to see Coral in action a little bit. Only about 3 seconds, but still. After she dances, she tells Viejo Celso that she will marry him. Is she really in it for the money? I don’t remember hearing about when this story started, I don’t know what’s going on. Celso says that after this he can go in peace. Does he feel bad? No, he says he feels fine. This guy is morbid.

Everyone is together in the living room trying to figure out how Alina escaped. Max says that he was by the door a long time, the only person he saw was Mexican Larry taking out the trash. None of these fools puts two and two together. Orlando says, “where can she be?”

The escapees find a campsite where they will leave Alina. She’s worried that she won’t be safe there, but Santos will stay with her. Here we go – she starts going on about trying to find her mom. I told you all, I told you.

Soledad prays for Elias’s life, Sergio busts into the barn and says he just wants to know if Elias came to see her.

Gaspar gives Elias something to drink, Elias has a fever. Elias starts mumbling something about Soledad and Elias.

Mexican Larry and Santos convince Alina to stay in the cave, even she is starting all her crap about going back for her mother again. Santos goes outside to stand guard.

Sergio demands the truth. Soledad says how can he ask that, Elias is dead, by him! Sergio says he was mistaken, he didn’t kill him. Soledad asks what? Sergio says never mind, whatever, but if Elias is around when Don Loco returns, DL will kill him.

Don Loco smokes after a romp with Alfonsina. She compliments him on being such a tiger. He questions her about being with other men, she denies it. He asks her if she wants to come back to SE with him. The doorknob of their room rattles a bit. Don Loco asks her if there is someone else in the house. Who else has keys, who would be here this late? Alfonsina gets a little impactado.

Monday – Don Loco shoots somebody. I’m sure we’re supposed to think it is Gasca/New Hugo, but we’ll see.

Labels: duelo

Labels: Zorro

24-hours later, Little Doormat (who actually cleans up quite nicely), still in her wedding gown, continues to flash back to how Lunkhead dumped her in their hotel room after their wedding vows and drank himself into a stupor at the hotel bar. "This is the second time you've made a fool of me! I should have known you were just paying me back for what F/G did to your family! I never should have believed you really loved me!" Gaby dramatically rips off her veil for emphasis and throws it on the ground. Meanwhile, Larry is clutching the bars of the jail faux-crying. "Gaby, Gaby, Gaby. You probably think I stood you up. If only you knew what happened! I love you, Gaby!"

Caramel enters Pancho's hospital room. She is fawning all over him saying how much she loves him. She asks who could have shot him. Pancho tells her he tried to leave the smuggling business and "management" shot him for being a traitor. Caramel is beside herself. She loves him so much! If anything happens to him, she'll simply die! She's going to stay by his side until he recovers! "Caramel, my love. You can't. SHE'S here!" C—"I don't care if she's come to see you. I'm here now." Pancho then breaks the news that it's a little more complicated. He's now married to Peyote. Caramel is impactada!

F/G, Diana, Diego, and Lala are discussing how afraid they are that Peyote and Caramel are going to discover Pancho is married to both of them at the same time. Lala bemoans the fact her son is a bigamist.

Max is asking Granny DS if she would prefer to stay in the tiny apartment or go live with Dianita at the mansion. Granny wants to know if Max will come live with her as well. "Ain't gonna happen," says Max "We'll have to meet at a park." Bruno tells Max she knows this offer is an excuse to see "that little nurse." Max tells Bruno to take a hike. Bruno walks off in a huff. Yolanda thinks the family should stay together, but Max says it's up to Granny DS. Of course Granny DS wants to live happily ever after at Psycho Mansion.

At first Caramel doesn’t understand how Pancho can be married to Peyote, since Caramel and Pancho are still married. "We just separated because we had a fight, we're not divorced." Slowly, Caramel gets it! Once Caramel starts catching on, she becomes unhinged. She calls Pancho a pig and says she hates him. She tells him what he's doing is illegal and he's going to end up in jail. Pancho tries to smooth things over, but there are just some things that can't be smoothed. Being married to two fieras at the same time happens to be one of them. Caramel continues to yell at Pancho until Lala comes in and tries to quiet the fracas. Caramel asks Lala, "You knew he was married to both of us?" Lala is speechless. Her dopey sons have done her "proud" once again!

Diana is suddenly Little Miss Executive and giving orders to Emili-Oh and Beatriz. Diana has gone from being a nurse, a receptionist, and a seamstress, to a VP of a huge manufacturing company overnight. Of course our plucky heroine can leap all the obstacles in a single bound. Just another one of those suspension-of-all-reality plot lines. She's telling Beatriz to bring her some coffee and wanting Emili-Oh to answer all the correspondence. All while maintaining that signature glazed look of hers. Suddenly Camila and Sylvie burst in. Sylvie is in a fuschia 20's flapper-style wig. Camila can't believe the wallflower nurse is now an executive. Neither can I.

F/G and Granny M are discussing the upcoming move to the mansion. Suddenly Gaby bursts into the room in her wedding dress and collapses in a chiffon heap onto the floor.

Insults are exchanged among Camila, Sylvie, and Diana. Camila and Sylvie make fun of Diana. Diana, in response, acts haughty and calls Camila a parasite. I believe Diana offered Camila a job getting coffee and offered Sylvie a job cleaning bathrooms. Camila tries to point out that Diana is trash. Diana reminds Camila that she (Diana) has held a real job and isn't a parasite. She then says something about Sylvie being a stripper for rich old men. Etc. Diana then alludes to Sylvie's baldness and Sylvie runs out crying. Perhaps one of our viewers can expand upon this scene. Camila follows Sylvie out. Emili-Oh apologizes for his sister's and cousin's behavior. Diana tells him not to worry.

The scene in Pancho's hospital room continues. Caramel can't believe Lala has deceived her; after all they've shared! Pobre de Caramel – everyone seems to know about Pancho and Peyote except Caramel. Caramel runs from the room and sees Diego. She asks if he knew all along about Pancho and Peyote's marriage. Diego looks sheepish. Caramel runs out of the hospital. ***So how long until she ends up happily with Jorge, the Bar Stud? One look at Jorge's face and you can tell he loves his boss' daughter.***

F/G and Granny M are trying to revive Gaby. F/G wants to know why Gaby is dressed like a bride. Gaby sobs that she and Larry were supposed to get married in a church, but Larry stood her up! F/G is impactada!

Larry is hooting and hollering in his jail cell. He has rights! He has the right to call his wife! The soundstage is empty except for poor Larry. It sucks to be Larry right about now.

Paco's cell phone is on a beach blanket ringing. Paco runs up to answer with his white shirt billowing in the breeze. It's Diana. She wants to tell him how hard they're working at the factory, and how they are going to be moving into the mansion. Diana mentions F/G has tried to call Paco several times but hasn't been able to reach him. "Those darn cell phones," says Paco. "They're unreliable." ***Now why on earth would Diana call Paco? She has no idea F/G is her mother, so it's not like she's calling someone who could potentially be her step-dad. Paco's just the "friend of a friend." I guess I'm giving this too much thought. I forgot to check reality at the door.*** At any rate, Paco tells Diana he's still working on buying the bar and has decided to stay in Key West for a few more days. He hangs up and who should slither up but Octave. She's looking marvelous in her red bikini. Paco seems to think so as well. Paco asks if she'd like to go for a run with him. Octave declines saying she'd rather read a book. Paco then announces he's going to take a run for a half hour. He is actually jogging in cargo shorts and a buttoned-down gauze shirt.***What's up with that? I've never seen a real jogger wear that get-up!***After Paco leaves, Octave checks his cell phone to make sure F/G hasn't called. She then announced to the camera that Paco is hers. All hers!

Yolanda walks up to Max and wants to talk. Bruno refuses to work around the apartment. Yolanda then points out she doesn't like seeing Max drink so much. Max responds he drinks to ease his pain over Diana. He's lost her forever. Yolanda says "You never know" as Max and Diana's love song plays in the background.

Doc Evil and Andres are drinking their dinner at Paco's. Doc Evil is lamenting that he's going to lose his license to practice medicine because of that maldita. Andres looks up and there is Marfil in the doorway. He sidles up to her and makes some comment that I couldn't quite understand. I'm sure it wasn't important. Marfil can't believe Andres made her come to a place such as this. Andres walks off and Marfil heads to the bar. She is stopped by Doc Evil. "What's a beautiful, respectable woman, such as yourself, doing in a place like this?" M—"I could ask you the same thing!"

Diana walks up to Diego, who is in the hospital waiting room. She asks how Pancho is doing. After some small talk, Diana mentions that Granny DS is coming to live with them at the mansion. Diego calls her a hypocrite. He knows the only reason Diana wants Granny DS to live with them is so she can see Max. Diana, of course, denies it. We then have the typical jealous exchange between these two before Diana walks off. ***I failed to mention this before, but from behind, Diana's blue and black dress looks like a bathrobe. Could this be the robe she bought at the mall before Maxito was born?***

Pobre de Larry is still in his jail cell. There's not another soul in this Miami jail. The only noise is coming from Larry. I didn't realize Miami was so safe and free of criminals. Larry is babbling that Gaby probably thinks he stood her up. Suddenly a casting extra shows up to tell Larry he has a visitor. It's Pilar. Pilar and Larry get into a fight over Gaby again and Pilar storms off, refusing to bail him out of jail.

At the Little House in the Hood, F/G (who is wearing a satin version of Diana's black and blue bathrobe, except F/G's dress has capped sleeves like a bridesmaid's dress) is telling Diana that Gaby got left at the altar. F/G continues to spew venom and fire up Diana about those pesky Irascibles. Diana says she's going to bathe and feed the baby, then counsel The Little Doormat.

Marfil and Doc Evil are whining about Diana. Marfil suggests that Diana should disappear. Doc Evil seems to like this idea.

Gaby is still crying on Granny M's shoulder. "Larry made a fool of me! He was so sincere!" Granny M runs off to get a pill to calm Gaby's nerves. Pilar comes barging in and tells Gaby (in front of F/G and Diana) that it was all a set up. Larry purposely left her at the altar. While Gaby was at the church, Larry was with Pilar making love to her at her apartment!

Marfil and Doc Evil decide to join forces and hatch a plan to kidnap Diana. Doc Evil balks at first. Marfil asks him if he's scared. "I'm not scared, it's just that I have enough problems with the drug-stealing allegations. I'd rather not add kidnapping to the list." Marfil points out she has two accomplices, Isabel and Andres. Doc Evil apparently has forgotten about Andres. "Great idea! Andres would sell his soul to the devil for a few bucks!" points out Doc Evil.

Pilar is raving on and on about Larry's prowess and how much of a fool Gaby is. Gaby is inconsolable. Finally F/G tells Pilar to get out. Pilar makes a crack about F/G being an ex-con. F/G calls Pilar "nasty" and throws her out the door. Gaby just stands there and sobs.

Larry is sitting on his bunk bed in the empty jail cell. In the empty jail, for that matter. His shirt is unbuttoned half-way and his tie is loosened. All he can do is shake his handsome head and utter, "Gaby. . .Gaby!"

The kidnapping plot is developing. Marfil knows of a deserted beach way off the beaten path. Diana will be alone and no one will ever find her. Doc Evil thinks Marfil is brilliant! Sign him up!

F/G is still going on and on about the evil Irascibles and warning Diana not to fall into their traps. Diana tells F/G not to worry. The doorbell rings. F/G is off to console Caramel. Lala is dropping of Diego. Once Lala leaves, Diego ominously tells Diana they need to talk!

Andres lets himself into Isabel's darkened apartment. He calls out but there is no answer. He goes to the back bedroom but Debora is gone! He tries calling his aunt's cell phone but there is no answer. Where is everyone?

Marfil walks into Emili-Oh's apartment as Max is leaving. He tells her he needs fresh air. They have the usual fight in which she wants to save their marriage and Max says there's nothing to save. He loves Diana. Finally he leaves and Marfil is left standing there in her perky polka-dot top, with glycerin tears of true dolor rolling down her cheeks.

Typical fight between Diana and Diego. He's accusing Diana of having Granny DS move in so she can see Max. She's denying it. He tells her he's starting to hate her. Diana says "Marfil is filling your head with poison. My motives are pure and noble!" Diego—"You’re anything but pure and noble!"

Marfil and Bruno are in one of Emili-Oh's bedrooms. Bruno says she overhead the discussion between Max and Marfil. Marfil reiterates that Max is still stuck on that little nurse, but Diana is never going to win. Bruno wants to know what Marfil plans to do about it. Marfil replies that tomorrow she's going to kidnap Diana!

Credits roll.

Labels: acorralada

At the patron's blowout wedding reception, Hilario and Sanjuana party hearty. She tells him that she's surprised by the patron, Mr. Rodrigo. "This is his big day. He should be off whispering sweet things in Isadora's ear about now. Instead, he's drinking with his workers and Mr. James." Hilario chalks it off to her just thinking of sex all the time, but he's down with that.

Ofelia gossips to Roman about the new house-girl, Sanjuana, and Hilario getting suspiciously friendly with one another during the party. She doesn't like her much but Papa Roman says, "Ph-h-ht! Stop playing mother hen. It's way time he had a serious girlfriend!" Then, Ofelia mentions how this wedding thing took them all by surprise. "I had come to think Mr. Rod was in love with Gaviota!" Roman shushes her up and warns her, "For whatever reason, Mr. Rod doesn't want anybody mentioning her name ever around here, much less in front of the new missus. Don't go opening your mouth, ok?" He wonders where Clara is this year.

Clarita is in the rundown hospital in P/pueblo and still delirious from Typhoid. She murmurs Gaviota's name over and over.

Gavi is traveling on the bus back to P/pueblo. She thinks to herself, "Sorry, Ma. I would have gotten back much sooner, but things got complicated." She again remembers (for those of us who weren't fortunate to be here from the beginning) in between catnapping, how she and Rod promised each other that they would wait to get married till he returned for her on the first day of spring. She is certain he's waiting for her with the same hopes that she has. She imagines him running to her and then taking her in front of a smiling priest who is ready to marry them. It is very late and into the wee hours of the next morning, but she thinks to herself "Rodrigo, I am on the way."

At the same time, James is helping Rod get up to his bedroom but Rod keeps goofing around in the hallway, trying for a way to avoid the inevitable. His new wife, Isadora, the bronzed blonde babe with the fabulous plastic parts has gotten into her black silky nothing to wait for him, still figuring she's gonna win him with her wiles. Then those conditions of his will supposedly go up in the smoke of his passion....or some such.

James pushes Rod in the room and scolds him about doing his husbandly duty. Fortunately, by the time Rod, sloshing from rotgut, slinks into the room The Siliconed One has fallen fast asleep. Rod trips over the coffee table, drunk as the skunk he's become, and accidentally wakes her. (Rats!!) He lays down flat on the floor 'cause everything else is spinning out of control around him. (Boy, I can really relate here. College days and upchuck-buckets by the bed or, wherever we managed to crash-land.....)

Isa manages to take Rod's shoes off. He gripes a bit, but he's so wasted we can forgive him. She tries next to get the big palooka up and into the bed, but he resists and then passes out at her feet. (Is she supposed to be a sympathetic character at this point or not? Dunno. If it weren't such a pitiful situation for this lovesick woman on her wedding night I might be choking down a giggle or two at James and Rodrigo's drunken antics.... BUT we cannot forget how she told her momma that her new hubby's tuxedo pockets were deep and Daddy should attach himself to those matrimonial coat-tails. 'Nuff said for me! Rewind and snicker!!)

Gavi finally arrives at the hacienda without anyone recognizing or seeing her. She walks through the garden by the pool which is still full of dirty glasses and liquor bottles. She thinks to herself there must have been one heck of a blowout the night before. She runs into Ofelia then on her way back to their little hut. She is surprised to see her back. "Why aren't you running around all through Europe?" After the small talk, Ofelia promises to go for Roman. "Stay close by."

Roman tells her how surprised they all are to see her around that way again. When she asks about the party from the night before, he tells her that Young Mr. Rodrigo got married the day before. She is muy impactada, absolutely speechless. "What? Why?" "--Everything took us by surprise. We just found out a few days ago he was getting married. Some city gal."

Roman continues (thanks be to the novela gods) with the juicy details of his story, "He was going around here in such an agitated state. How do you imagine us asking him what happened between the two of you? --Well, after his parents died he did return to wait for you. He was extremely happy, but then suddenly he changed. He seemed like some wounded wild animal. He even forbid us to mention your name."

Roman then tells Gavi that her mother still hasn't arrived for the harvest yet this season. "We thought she'd followed you." After Gavi gets over the initial shock she tells Roman she needs to find her mother right away. "The problem is I don't have any money." Roman offers her cash as an advance. Gavi lets it all fly away and says, "Wonderful luck I have. Now I'm going to be working for Rodrigo Montalvo!"

Gavi has Roman swear he will not tell Rod that she's returned to the hacienda. Isa goes downstairs to the kitchen to make Rod a gourmet breakfast once he wakes up, but she stops unseen in the doorway for a couple minutes to listen to the gossip between Ofelia and Sanjuana.

Saucy Sandy wonders if the new patron always belts them away like that. She and Ofelia then talk about "La Gaviota" and her mother's expected arrival and how there are very few women that help with the jima because it's difficult work and requires lots of strength. Sandy asks if they sleep with the field hands. Ofelia says not at all, they're decent. Though they are migrants, the former patron himself gave them their own hut at the hacienda.

Isa's antennae go up and she seems to begin to have an idea these two jimadoras might have something to do with her problem husband. Isa makes it clear to the two that from now on she herself will be the only one waiting on her husband.

Isa patiently suggests she help Rod get his bath but he rudely tells her no, that he's a grown man and his mother taught him how to bathe himself, thank you very much and then shuts the bathroom door on her. (Bronzed Bleach-Blonde Barbie is slowly realizing she has probably fallen in "luhhhhv" with the only straight guy in the universe who isn't interested in her charms in the least, silicon or otherwise.)

A bit later, Rod and Roman are discussing business needs for the period he is to be away on his honeymoon. (My hubby says the more he watches Rodrigo in action, the more certain he is that there is no way in hell he'd ever trust him to run a hacienda! It'd be Aaron all the way.) Roman seems antsy about something, so Rod has him 'fess up about what's eating him. (This is a relief for Roman, since it's obvious he is just dying to spill the beans.)

Roman breaks his promise to Gavi after a bit and tells Young Mr. Rodrigo that Gavi has returned to the ranch for the harvest. (Ruh-roh!) Rod is double-take impactado and once again "WTF?" is question numero uno in the muddled minds of one of our three young lovers who, always, but always, seem to be mentally one beer can short of a six-pack.

Rod and Isa are about to get into the truck to leave for the airport an hour or so later. She's anxious. He's stalling. As Rod's brain finally churns through what he's just been told, he takes Roman aside and asks how Gavi took the news. (I cannot help think this guy is really just a big dumb burly brut who bought his way into higher education at Cambridge with his Grampy's money. --Dolt! She's back at the agreed time, just like she said she would be. How did you think she was going to take the news that you'd dumped on her like this?)

Roman answers, "Very hard. I thought she was going to faint away. Now, though, what's worrying her is how to find her mother. She's really in a bind for money, too." So, Rod asks Roman to help her out with cash and make sure Hilario takes her looking for her mother. He asks him to also find out what actually went on in Europe and what she was really doing there all this time. (Hey, why didn't you think of this before and maybe take all those big bucks to hire a private detective like other rich galans usually do? I guess 'cause those guys never went through delayed puberty. So I guess we are supposed to cut you a little slack.)

Roman, answers it isn't his place and that Rod is the one who should be doing all the asking. "Help me out here, Roman!" "--I don't think she'll still be here when you get back." "--Well, talk to her, huh?" "--You need to understand that the business with the wedding hit her like a ton of bricks."

Isa is getting impatient waiting inside the truck. She gets out and sweetly offers to put their trip off a day so he can finish last minute business and be worry-free at the beach. Rod says that it's not necessary and they finally head off to the airport.

Back in the hacienda Ofelia is showing Saucy how to make up the patron's bed. "Why bother when the sheets look hardly slept in?" (Now she is my kind o' people.) Ofelia is a bit offended. "Don't get angry at me, Ofelia. I am only telling you what I see. --Hmm. Do you think he slept with Isadora? He sent her up to bed, but he stayed back drinking when normally most couples would be the first to leave in order to be alone together." "--Mind your own business" is the answer she gets.

Meanwhile, Roman goes back with a bit of food to Clara's hut and feels honor-bound to tell Gavi that Young Mr. Rod found out that she had returned. Gavi is livid 'cause she knows Roman broke his promise and told him. She asks where Rodrigo is and Roman sheepishly says he's left for his honeymoon. Oww! "Well, I may have betrayed you, but it seemed so wrong that you should be suffering over his wedding and him there, all smug and nonchalant, like nothing had happened."

"And what did he say?" (Thank you novela gods for again allowing Gavi --and us-- to get all the satisfying details so quickly.) "He wanted to know why you left and went to Europe, what you did there. He said I should give you some money." "--Well, how kind of the gentleman. Hey, I am not going to be indebted to the lord of the manor here. Just tell me when I have to start the jima again and we'll forget everything." He tells her this isn't the time to act prideful. First thing that matters is finding her mother safe and sound. "Tomorrow early Hilario will come for you."

Rod keeps worrying that when he comes back Gavi will already have left the ranch. It will be too late to talk things over. (Sorry, Burly-Bear. That train left the station 24 hours ago.) He makes a quick louie, burns rubber and races on back to the hacienda. He tells Isa she was right, there just are too many things pending at the ranch to go today.

When Rod and Isa pull up to the Big House again, he jumps out and walks over to Roman to ask if Gavi's still around. He answers yes and Rod races off. Isa finally loses patience and asks Roman what is going on. He says nothing out of the normal. Isa doesn't believe a word and stomps back into the house.

Rod runs through the agave fields and down the little path to Clara and Gavi's little hut. He peeks at her through the window. She's sitting on the floor, moping, with her head on her arms. Gavi looks up still in a state of shock and they share a long meaningful stare.

Yep. Rod is staring at her with a "Damn, what-did-I-do?" look. She stares back for a quick second and realizes that the moment they'd been waiting for has gone up in smoke as of the day before and it ain't never coming back. She slams the shutters in his face and locks the door. He bangs and yells, though, until she lets him in. "So, you went all over Europe, huh?"

Haughtily and choking back her rage she answers him. "Ha, so you see that traveling to other countries isn't just a privelege of the rich." (Double zinger. 20 points!) "Why did you go?" "It's not important." "--Of course it is important! It's important to me! Tell me the truth. At least tell me why people say ....you went there looking for me." "--That is just people inventing things." She wipes away a tear. "I left because I wanted to. I had to leave for reasons, well -- the reason I had to leave is my own business."

"Oh I guess so! I came back from London and found out. I couldn't believe it. What? Wasn't it the plan that we were to see each other again on the 21st of March?" He grabs her close. "So tell me and I want to know the truth!" "--Perhaps you should just shut up! You shouldn't go on thinking I went there looking for you..... I came back to look for my mother and as soon as I find her I am leaving! --heh! I found that London is a lot farther than I thought and you were more distant than I ever imagined!"

She pushes him away. "I am a different woman now. Fortunately, I now know how to calculate distances, real distances, and I do know now how to distinguish between love and lust." "I realized that, yeah!" he tells her. She is insulted. She pushes him out the door and slams it shut again. "--Don't you ever come back looking for me again, because the minute I find my mother we'll be vacating your shack!" (Wow, some high-toned vocabulary here for her, huh, Rod?) Through the door he screams at her, "Gaviota you have to tell me the truth! Tell me!" (Our little seagull has just scored a perfect 10! Yesss!!)

When Clara recovers consciousnes, the nurse explains how and why she's there, and assures her at the end of her shift she'll notifiy her daughter and the hacienda.

Isa is again determined to use all her skills to seduce Rodrigo. She is now in a red slinky something, with chilled champagne and strawberries.

Back at the hacienda that night, Rod and James have a little heart-to-heart about Gavi's having returned just like she said she would. "James, she's not the same as she was before. She's changed, she's full of irony and sarcasm. She is harsh. Life must have treated her badly. Because of it she is really more lovely than ever. Whatever she did to me cannot be undone. It is irreversible, just the same as my marriage to Isadora." (Yep, you have really screwed the proverbial pooch on this one, Burly-Bear.)

James says he needs to clarify things with her. (Talk about the blind leading the blind.) "No. Talking to her doen't make sense now. The best thing is to forget her. I ought to just forget her. She needs to go somewhere far away so I can forget her. She should go off somwhere I shouldn't have to ever see her again. (As always it's about him and what he feels. This reckless, feckless imbecile has just wrecked the lives of two innocent women who both love him.)

Gavi is left alone with her memories. Her mother's scolding when she learned Gavi had slept with a man she hardly knew, and a Montalvo to boot, haunts her.

Rod goes upstairs to his bedroom lost in thought. Isa surprises him with a couple of glasses of champagne. He tells her he appreciates her attention to detail, but it is totally unnecessary. They have a deal and he expects her to stick to it. She insists they're married and that all he needs is to relax. She seductively massages his shoulders. He begins to imagine Gavi dressed in red like a cabaret singer: red dress, long red fingernails, seductively puffing on a cigarette while shirtless men girate all around her. He snaps out of it and then runs out of the bedroom telling Isa that he feels like he's choking to death. She angrily slams their door shut.

The next morning Roman lets Gavi know that they've located her mother and she and Hilario leave to pick her up at the clinic.

Román meanwhile tells Rod that Clara has been found. Rod, aparrently, is in no mood to leave the hacienda with things still up in the air about Gavi. He informs Roman that he's canceling the honeymoon. He explains that he will try to clarify what went on with Gavi during this past year, and if she refuses he'll go to Clarita to find out what she is hiding.

Eventually Gavi, her mom and Hilario return from the clinic. Clara is extremely weak. She lays down on the bed in their hut. They have a sweet hug and she tells Gavi that she's missed her so badly. She must never ever leave her again. Clara's thoughts clear a bit and she remembers about the pregnancy. "Where is my grandchild? I want to get to know him." This brings tears to Gavi's eyes. (Lots of water has passed under that London bridge.) "Ma, I lost it. I lost my little baby."

Labels: Destilando

Sorry this is so late, folks. Life intervened. (Actually, I had to go back and watch some missed scenes, but I fell asleep.)

Andres is in the Little House, where Debora is tied up. She is remembering how she got kidnapped after the party by two masked men. She asks him to help her escape.

Max and Marfil are resuming their argument in Emilio’s living room. He is drunk. She says she has always loved him. He says no. They talk about how she was unconscious for two years, he no longer loves her, doesn’t she realize, now he knows what class of woman she is. It’s not really making much sense. I am too bored to care.

Fedora is lip synching at the bar. Caramelo and Jorge are talking about Caramelo’s lost relationship. He says she’ll be over Pancho in a couple of months. Then Caramelo is talking to Gaviota. Gaviota can’t reach Paco on the phone. She’s been trying to call to tell him the good news that now she has time for love.
Caramelo is happy for her. All women suffer for love, they conclude.

At Hospital TeleMiami, Gaby and Diana are waiting to see how Pancho is. While they wait they rehash the usual irrational Irascible hate. Gaby is upset by all of Gaviota’s hate. More blah blah blah.

Debora and Andres continue talking.

At the hospital, the operation on Pancho is a success. I guess that he and his brother won’t be competing together as a wheelchair volleyball team.

Back to Little House and Isabel comes back. He says to her, guess who’s in there—that’s my wife. He wants her to let Debora go, but as best as I can understand it, she says she can’t help him because she’s being paid by someone else (so blood is not thicker than water). Anyway, she says, Debora’s a traitor. He warns her not to let anything happen to his dear spouse.

Pancho and Paola speak by his hospital bed. He looks drunk, but I suppose it’s the anesthetic. They bill and coo. Isn’t it wonderful that he has recovered. What a close call. Someone wants to silence him—we don’t know who. He tells her not to tell Lala.

Gaby goes over to the church with her dress and talks to the priest.

Diana and Max are talking at the mansion. He has come to collect Granny’s dolls. They talk about Granny moving in, but Fedora won’t allow it. Diana says she will convince Fedora. Max says that when she acts like this, she’s like the old sweet Diana. But after a moment’s hesitation, she goes right back to Detesting Diana. She says his family deserves everything they’re getting. Once she was in court being judged, now it’s their turn, etc.
Max gets kind of angry, and raises his voice above his usual monotone. Lips remain in lemon-sucking position, however. He asks her what she feels about him, and she says just compassion and pity. He storms out to get the dolls, but his storming is reduced in impact due to his goofy white shoes, which are beginning to look like circus clown shoes.

Rene and the Bonbon are talking. She says his visits do her a lot of good. Her old friends are not taking her calls. More of their odd May-December flirtation. Rene tells Yolanda she’s not so old. She says she doesn’t want to go out with such a young guy.

Paco and Octave are walking on the beach. She is wearing a surprisingly subdued sundress in white cotton with blue flowers. They are talking about how they stayed up all night—talking. Now we hope we’ll get some background, but of course, since she is a fleeing felon, we’re not going to get much.

He says that so many years they were waiting, and with all the time that time, he never knew anything much about her. She reminds him that she was a married woman and had to hide things. She tells him that she has three children (and thought bubbles that “my daughter Paola is yours.”). He reminds her that he told her yesterday that he also has a daughter and hopes that they all will be great friends (we know that Paola and Caramelo are already great friends . . . ).

She then wants to confide in him. She loves him still but fears that he loves another. He says he was very truthful with her the day before, that he told her that with all the years apart, he took up with someone else (anyone else get this? He makes it seem as if he’s been with Fedora for a long time, but she hasn’t been out of prison long. I’m confused).
But he never stopped thinking about her (Alicia) and he doesn’t want to lose her. You are the only thing I want. Octave thought bubbles that the “other woman” must be Fedora. She won’t let him go back to her. Paco is mine!

Gaby is in the church with the priest. The priest tells her she’s one of the most beautiful brides he’s ever seen. Larry is driving over in his gigantic SUV, wearing his tuxedo. Pilar is following him and calls Kiki.

Gaby is praying to God in the church to thank him for this wonderful blessing.
Gaby really does look pretty. Her wedding dress is much better than the first one.

Fedora is still trying to reach Paco. Leaves her third message. Guess she’s not going to reach him again because he’s frolicking on the beach with Octave. It’s a miracle she can move her body. Her face doesn’t move.

Back to Larry: We see the diabolical plot of Kiki and Pilar. Larry stops the car at a stop sign and Kiki walks in front of the car and simply hurls himself at the front of the stationary vehicle and falls to the side to fake an accident. The hurling stunt is pretty funny, as he has to heave himself pretty high up to be on the hood of the SUV. Pilar is watching and calls police anonymously.

Nancy and Diana talk. Nancy tells Diana that Diana shouldn’t deny that she loves Max. Diana does deny it. Nancy looks dubious. Then she prays for Diana. (I suppose if Diana gets back together with Max, the way is clear for Nancy to have Diego.)

Larry is arrested. Pilar laughs from her hiding place. Obviously that blind servant was left at the altar, she exults!

Gaby tells the priest that Larry asked her to marry him just as a joke. You really have to feel sorry for Gaby here. She's also just about the only innocent person left in this mess, aside from Granny DS.

Paco and Octave are frolicking on the beach. She wants him to stay. He mentions Caramelo. No, let her be, says Octave. Let’s rediscover and reinvent ourselves. (well, she was planning on plastic surgery. Won’t that option be out now?)

Let’s recoup our lost time. Then Paco begins thought bubbling that he is a traitor to Gaviota.

Fedora and Diana are in the bar talking about moving in to the mansion. Diana wants Granny DS to move in She says she’s a good woman with a mind of a child. Gaviota wonders if the Irascibles will permit it. She agrees to the plan.

Someone comes in to tell them that Pancho is shot, Caramelo overhears and runs to hospital.

Diego and Lala are talking at the hospital.

Diana and Caramelo go to the hospital.

Gaby cries.

Larry is in jail. Couldn't he have called the priest with his cell phone before he was arrested? Oh, yeah. That's why we call him Lunkhead.

In the hospital, Pilar finds Kiki waiting for treatment for his fake wounds (funny—they’re all in the same ER, but each group doesn’t see the other. I suppose that the Pancho group is no longer in the ER but in some surgical wing). Pilar fills him in on the success of the plan. Gaby will now hate Larry more. But they need a special finishing touch. Kiki will make Pilar pregnant, but they will tell everyone it’s Larry’s baby. Kiki loves this idea, as it will really solidify his relationship with Gaby. Pilar lies down on the gurney, spreads her legs and Kiki hops on. This is the only way to describe this stomach-churning situation. Yech.

Gaby is worried as time passes. She begins to think Larry is doing this as vengeance for his family.

Max collects the dolls. Diana says she wants to see Granny. Her saintly love for Granny is a bit much, especially with her latest behavior. Diana tells Max to have Granny move in.

The Irascibles are gathered at their new homeless shelter, otherwise known as Emilio’s apartment. Granny says she likes the new place, but she really misses the old place. Marfil tries to get the old lady to stop yammering, but Max tells Marfil to shut up. They discuss where Granny will live. Granny wants her “Dianita,” as usual.

Gaby is remembering her first wedding in Las Vegas as the horror of the second wedding sinks in. She continues to think that Larry set her up to make fun of her and for vengeance.

Larry is in jail lamenting that he knows what Gaby must be thinking.

Caramelo goes to the hospital to see Pancho and apparently bypasses the other family members. Who did this, she asks. “The Organization.” She tells him how much she loves him. He is torn between two loves. He tells Caramelo that Paola is there, and she says it doesn’t matter. Then he tells her that he married Paola. She is impactada.

Labels: acorralada

or, "Doesn't your dog deserve Alpo?"
"He told me that he loved you," says Moty. Oh - it's Julieta. "And you know what? I believed him. What happened, dear? Did he make a scene? Do something bad?"

Lety angrily questions how her mother could have believed Fernando. What did he say? Julieta recounts their conversation and said he seemed very earnest; that he had split up with Marcia, and hadn't been with another woman since he and Lety were together.

Lety reminds Julieta that when she first heard the story, she said Fern's behavior was unpardonable. Julieta says he's truly repentant; she could feel it.

"But mom, today he read my diary! That was the last straw. I'm not going to ache over Don Fernando anymore." Lety throws the bag onto the floor. Julieta shows her the napkin bearing Fern's heartfelt words: Only God knows how much I love you. Only God knows. Fernando. A faint smile forms on Lety's lips as she reads it.

Meanwhile, Fern goes home to the Mendiola homestead, exhausted. He's gloomy and realizes he can't even call his ol' buddy Omar. Surely, he wouldn't even take his call.

Lety prepares to burn the cards and letters in a plate on her bedroom desk. An apparition of Alpo (on her bed) tells her that fire purifies, and will soothe her pain. Just as she's about to set fire to the first letter, an apparition of Fern (standing at her side) tells her "I wasn't able to throw away these mementos, yet you're going to burn them?!" She ignores Fern's apparition, and burns one of the cards (with difficulty). She opens the diary and sees the tear-stained page. "Those are my tears, Lety" Fern's apparition says. She holds the flame to her diary anyway, then immediately changes her mind and puts it out. She stands in front of the smoldering letter, her features contorted with doubt.

Chattering happily to herself, Alicia drives home in her long-lost Swigglemobile. Tomas, still running, catches up. He's not mad - he's laughing at her clever joke. He asks her to let him up to her apartment for a drink of water. She says no, he'll never be up there again. He offers to help fight off any thief that might be lurking up there. She tells him that any thieves would be lurking down here, wanting her car. He then offers to go up to check for gas leaks. She tells him she'll die before she ever lets him into her apartment again. She leaves him on the street and ignores his request for a goodnight kiss. He blows a kiss at her retreating form and says to himself, "Alicia Ferreira de Mora, never say 'never-ever.'" He drives home happily.

Alicia finds a letter slipped under the door of her apartment. She hopes it's a check from some long-lost uncle. (I've had the same thought for years, every day when I check my mail, but it hasn't happened yet.)

Indeed, it is a check! It's the kind of "check" where someone wants to check to see whether she realizes she hasn't paid her rent in five months. She has ten days to vacate, or they'll evict her. She's shocked that they would do such a thing after just a mere five months of nonpayment. She wonders where she's going to live.

Martha is at home with her gordo lobo (fat wolf). They talk about getting a new car, I suppose with the special deal offered in conjunction with Bored Motor Company in a previous episode. She is in favor of it. Paco is not, but she talks him into it.

After three minutes of commercials, it's the next day. (We didn't even get to see the sun go down!) Lety is wearing a clay-colored blazer with black skirt. She tells the nosy cuartel that she went out with Alpo last night, but then Fernando came to her house looking for her and her mom told him where she was. She starts to tell them more, but Tomas interrupts to tell her he's got the final numbers from the expo. Lety and Tomas go to her office, leaving the cuartel hungry for more gossip.

The cuartel grump about Fern. Irma admits she helped him because he's in love with Lety. Lola and the others say they prefer Alpo for Lety. Sara insists they take a survey. Irma is alone in supporting Fern. She scolds them gently.

Tomas tells Lety they made 1,753,000.80 dollars on the expo, falling somewhat short of their goal. (All of the pencils are point-up in Lety's pencil-cup.) Tomas blames Luigi, but Lety blames herself. She tells him she's going to call a board meeting to tell them of her failure. Lety and Tomas reach across the desk and hold hands.

At his rental home which I hope he will soon vacate, Alpo looks up from whatever he's doing and is surprised to see his dad. I guess Alpo doesn't lock his door. And why should he - a rich guy staying in the DF doesn't need a burglar alarm, watchman, or staff. Not if he's a guru like Alpo. He can just hypnotize any intruders with his necklace and his dazzling smile and then talk them to death about the Flavor of Life.

But I digress. Fausto says he got a tip from his friend at the bank that Alpo is doing some sort of transaction. (What's the name of this bank, so I know not to ever do business with them; gossiping about transactions is a big no-no.) Alpo tells his dad he's selling the restaurant as soon as possible. He wants to go back to his home in Acapulco.

Fausto is surprised. He thought Alpo wanted to be with Lety. Alpo says the idea was to take Lety with him to Acapulco and win her heart. Fausto offers to hire Alpo to come work for him instead; Fausto's getting old, and he wants Alpo to take over his construction business.

Long story short, that's not what Alpo wants. Without Lety and his life by the sea, he'd die of sadness. Just then, PM calls to let him know they're having a meeting. Alpo and his dad hug and Alpo leaves Fausto alone there in the house to just help himself to whatever he finds and sell it on eBay.

Alicia meets with Marcia in Marcia's ultra-green office. Alicia is wearing a matching green bustier; Marcia is wearing something flattering, for a change - a purple dress. (I'm jealous, because I look awful in purple.) It's cut way too low for the office, but then, when she's standing next to Alicia or PM it seems pretty conservative.

They puzzle over Fernando's whereabouts; Marcia worries about him and says she feels so alone. Alicia has a great idea - she's worried about Marcia, so perhaps she should move into Marcia's place. Marcia turns her down sharply. Her nights are sad now, but with Alicia, they'd be hell.

She stomps out of her office, leaving Alicia there to just help herself to whatever she finds and sell it on eBay. (I'll grant you that Fausto might be trustworthy, but not Alicia. No way would I leave her alone in a room full of my stuff!)

In the conference room, Humberto, Mama Bozo, Fernando, Ariel, and Lopez wait for the meeting to begin. (Why is Lety always the last to show up?) Humberto wonders why they're meeting. Ariel makes an irrelevant remark about Fern's "brilliant deals." Lopez begins to laugh, then thinks better of it and squeaks his scalp. Ariel goes on about how glad he is that Fern broke up with Marcia. For once, Mama Bozo (probably more concerned about Marcia than about Fern) shushes Ariel.

Marcia shows up, followed closely by Alpo and RoboPop, whose voice is being dubbed yet again. Ariel greets RoboPop and Alpo with "how nice, the intruders have arrived." Teresita scolds him again for his rudeness! (Omar's not there - remember he quit. Oh how I miss him.) Humberto again says he's worried about this unannounced meeting. RoboPop says he doesn't know what it's about either.

Lety and Tomas show up. Ariel rudely wonders aloud what unpleasant surprise she has for them today. He is now shushed by RoboPop! Humberto shushes both of them. Tomas hands out the reports. Lety cuts to the chase: they didn't make enough money to make their first month's debt. Tomas tells them they're 350,000 USD short, thanks to Luigi's expenses.

Mama Bozo worries that the judge is going to shut them down this time. Ariel whines. Marcia says, "Fernando, say something!" but Ferni is mute. Erasmo tells Lety there must be another way. Humberto says he's sure Lety has some strategy to solve the problem. Lety sadly says no, she doesn't. She acknowledges that her leadership of Conceptos was a failure. Therefore, she's resigning. They are impactados.

(In the early days of this novela, when Chris Ferro was recapping, he kept count of how many times Lety quit and how many times she got fired. I forget what the score was, but it was impressive. It's really not something you want to see on a person's resume.)

Alpo says Lety is not a failure. What happened was the fault of everyone who participated in the project. Marcia disagrees - she and Fern did exactly what they were supposed to do. I disagree too! I wish Donald Trump were here to talk some sense into these idiots!

Ariel (who does NOTHING for Conceptos) accuses Lety of abandoning ship like a rat. Erasmo says she will do no such thing. Humberto agrees and tells Lety she can't quit. Lety is crying and says she can't. She made her best try and it didn't work out. She can't be there any more. Ariel says they never should have allowed such a clown to be in charge in the first place.

Lety runs out crying to her office. Alpo follows. She tells him she can't go to Acapulco with him and forget about everything, because she's obligated to stay here. Alpo whines that she already accepted his offer. She says she's sorry, but she's just realizing that they've humiliated her very much here, and she's not going to let them do that.

He asks why she insists on saving this company. (Is this the kind of attitude you want on your team when you're fighting against bad odds?) She says she'll never feel good about herself if she doesn't. If she lets the company sink, she'll feel useless. He gives her a hard time for sacrificing her happiness for them. She says she wants to be happy, but she can't be happy with a failure like this for the rest of her life. A person can't live with such mistakes; they have to confront them. Alpo kisses Lety's hand. He says "that's why I love and admire you."

(What a load of horse-hockey! I mean, really, if she'd said anything else, like "to hell with those ingrates - let's go," I'm pretty sure that would have earned her a "that's why I love and admire you" too.)

He touches her face and says "It was bossy of me to try to get you to go to Acapulco." He says the company is a big wall between the two of them. (Not big enough for my tastes!) Lety says, "Someday we will knock it down." (I assume she's referring to the wall and not Conceptos. ;-)

Out in the Vortex, Alicia looks at her eviction notice, smirks with an idea, and discreetly dials her desk phone. Her cell phone rings. She calls attention to this and loudly narrates "Padre José"'s side of the conversation - he needs an awful lot of money. She can't give it to him, because she's terribly poor herself, but her wonderful friends will help her out. She hangs up, sighing loudly. With exaggerated sympathy (which goes right over Alicia's head), Sara offers her a snotrag. Alicia tells the cuartel her tale of woe. It was the priest at her parish. ("You go to church?" Lola cries. "That's a sacrilege!")

They all begin to exaggerate sympathy. She tells them a poor parishioner is going to be thrown out into the street for not paying her rent. She asks them to reach into their noble hearts and give her some money. Sara blasts her and the others laugh and make fun. "So you're not going to give me anything?" Alicia asks, just to be sure. She tells them they're going to hell.

Back in the boardroom, the rest of the committee mumble amongst themselves, reviewing the report. Tomas tries to speak up, and stutters. Ariel insults him and says if he can't speak well, he shouldn't speak at all. Darth Bozo appeals to Fernando to do something. Stealing my thoughts again, Marcia says "what do you want him to do?"

Ariel says the moment has arrived for a drastic decision. He'll assume the presidency. Humberto says he needs Lety. "I don't need her for anything," Ariel replies. Darth Bozo reminds him of his manners. Bet the senior Mendiolas are really regretting giving him that bike for his saint's day now, huh?

But Ariel is on a roll! He is smiling! He says it's time for them to take back the reins to their company. He addresses these comments to Marcia, Darth Bozo, and Humberto, ignoring Fern, who excuses himself. Erasmo tells Humberto he'll deal with Lety.

Alpo retreats to his office for a phone call. He tells his restaurant guy he's leaving for Acapulco right now - call him back on his cell. Meanwhile, Fern visits in Lety's office and asks if she's really going to quit. He says it's because of him. Because she's that mad at him. She's afraid he's going to bother her. He assures her he won't let that happen. Only she can save the company, so he's going to leave. He quits. Now she won't have to be afraid that she'll open a door around the office and find him on the other side of it, because he won't be waiting there. And she can answer all of her calls, because it won't be him on the phone. Fern reminds her that she asked him to leave her alone, and now he's going to do it. He swears to it. He's not only going to quit Conceptos; he's going to quit Lety.

The cuartel tells Alpo that Lety is talking with Fern. He leaves her a note. "I have to leave right now; I'll call you later. Remember that I love you and that love is freedom." (I am still savoring the irony of that last sentence.) He gives the note to PM, who has to guard it from the curious eyes of the cuartel!

Fern asks Sara to call the travel agency. He wants to go on a trip. He tells them he's quitting so that Lety can work in peace. He's a hindrance to her. The cuartel (even those on Team Alpo) are sad. PM says handsome men are never a hindrance. They beg him not to leave. He says he'll miss them.

Irmita tells the cuartel he's not going to leave. She'll go talk to him.

Alicia comes out of the bathroom with her clown kit and asks why they're so sad. Lola says they're sad for "that poor woman" who will soon be without a home. "The one from Father José, remember?" Lola prompts.

Alpo tries to catch a cab outside Conceptos. All the passing cabs speed by, full of people. The next one that shows up stops, but it's Mr. Martha and he's on his way in to see Martha. Alpo says it's really urgent, and for some reason this changes Paco's mind. (I'm telling you, he Alpo hypnotizes people to do his bidding! We have to give Lety credit for resisting him even a little!)

Lety is listening to the water fountain in her office. You remember - the one that Fernando gave her. That guy who she doesn't want anything to do with who's about to leave her life forever. RoboPop rips her a new one for trying to break her agreement with Humberto. "I never thought you were capable of such monumental irresponsibility." Lety whines in reply. She felt pressured and scared. He's especially mad that she asked his permission last night to go to Acapulco without telling him about this. She tells him she's going to stay until Conceptos is free of its debts. He tells her to stop crying and give the news to the Mendi-Roels. They're very worried. As for him, he's going home. "You can do it," he tells her.

Tomas and Lopez leave the boardroom, but the others stay. I'm fairly sure the Mendi-Roels won't steal anything, but I'd feel better if there was a camera on them or something.

Oh, right.

Ariel says they should never have trusted someone like Lety and her minions. Darth Bozo points out that he never trusted Lety in the first place. Humberto says he wants to go home - he's very nervous. Darth Bozo offers to call him if anything else develops with Lety. Marcia asks if he's feeling okay, and now I'm kinda getting worried about ol' Humbo. He says he'll be fine.

Darth Bozo wants to talk to Fernando. OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT??? She's wearing green eyeshadow that is really too much with that hair color. Marcia asks if she plans to ask Fern to talk Lety into staying. Ariel says that if they don't hear from Lety in ten minutes, he'll leave too. (Okay with me if he wants to leave sooner.)

Humbo leaves the boardroom just as RoboPop is leaving Lety's office. The two meet in the Vortex, and perhaps feeling themselves threatened with the possibility of a dull and vapid conversation, they agree to go somewhere else to have a private talk and a drink.

Irmita watches Fern packs his things. "Please don't look at me that way like you feel sorry for me," he asks. He tells her this is best for both himself and Lety. Irma says that his quitting is not the worst of it. He says no? It's not awful that he's leaving, forever, the company that his father created? Irma says no, the worst thing is that he's going away from Lety. Fern says that she can go away with Alpo, and honestly, he thinks that's a much better option for Lety.

Irma says Alpo's a nice boy, and he's surely ideal for some woman, but... "YOU are Don Fernando," she tells him. She tells him he's the guy. They sit down and he asks if she really believes that. She says she's known him since he was a little boy, and now she can see in his eyes that he's truly suffered much for Lety, and he's sorry for what he did.

He acknowledges that he's suffered since he lost Lety, and he's had to look at life in a different way. He's not the same Fernando Mendiola Irma knows. If he could go back in time before he hurt Lety, he would arrancar (this is a tricky word, but I'm going to go with "rescue" as in "snatch from the brink of destruction") her heart. He deserves everything that's happened. Irma says no - people who are in love should be together and find true love. And it looks to her like they're in love like no one else.

Fern says he loves her so much that he doesn't want to hurt her. He has to go, so she can be happy.

Alpo gets Gerardo's call at the airport. He says he needs to "arrange some things." He wants G. to find an agent to buy the restaurant. G. is very surprised. Sell it? Is there a problem? Alpo says it's a long story, but fortunately we are spared for the moment. :-) Alpo says he'll explain later. He also asks G to contact a development company (inmobilaria) named Casacom and make an appointment for him. G begs for an explanation, but Alpo doesn't have time to give him one!

Meanwhile, back at Conceptos, Lety is writing in her diary. WITH A PENCIL. This really bugs me! Use a pen!! She's telling her diary she would have liked to have disappeared with Alpo. Just then, Carolina shows up. "I think I'm never going to be happy," Lety says.

Out in the Vortex, Tomas kneels in front of Alicia's desk and asks what's wrong. She says, "I have many problems. Imagine, I, Alicia Ferreira, me, I'm left with nothing, no car, no cell phone... I am nobody." Tomas says he would do anything to make her happy. "Yes?" she asks. "What would you do?" They start giggling and snorting (yes, Alicia, snorting) with laughter. Ariel interrupts and loudly announces, "HOW NICE! Conceptos is sinking, and you're in the throes of romance!"

Alicia denies that there's anything between her and Tomas. They were just talking about business. Tomas tries to protest that she's his chica, but Ariel's head is somewhere else. I'm thinking somewhere the sun doesn't shine. He says that if he were the president, everything would change.

Everyone stares at him, impactadisimos!

---

Next week
Marcia and Lety have a heart-to-heart so intense, it turns both their noses red. Join us Monday for a tag-team recap!

Labels: fea

This is the song Tiziano Ferro sang on La Fea last night; Fern asked him to dedicate it to Lety. It totally blew me way. You can hear it and see the video here unless/until somebody takes it down... you can buy the song from the download places too...

Since I won't be here Monday to do "my" night of La Fea, I thought I'd leave you with this... Some of you are much better at this than I am, so feel free to whale away on my translation in the comments ... it's really a lovely song.

Labels: fea

... can be seen over at my Pratie Place blog. Thanks, Marycelis! I haven't had time to make my own selections recently but I'll try to do better in future...

Labels: announcements, humor