Caray, Caray!

Thelma begged Emilio, "Please, I don't want a divorce." She started yelling it wasn't enough for him that she loved him and she'd had his child. She said she wouldn't give him a divorce.

Emilio told her to calm down and think it over. She chased him out of the room, yelling, "You are to blame for what I'm going to do!"

Aida (aka Doctor Loca) told her boss they could do the DNA test on Alina because she was alive, after all.

Back at the Valtierra house, Thelma was locked in her room, drinking, smoking, and crying. Singing Aunt called to her through the door. Thelma refused to let her in. She told herself, "I want to die."

Singing Aunt went to Emilio and said she was worried about Thelma.

Meanwhile, Thelma cried and swallowed some pills while sitting in a tub full of water.

Elsewhere: Someone showed Hugo the video of Alfonsina shooting the hotel clerk. Hugo claimed not to recognize her, then told himself he would get the money back from Alfonsina.

Mariana went to prison to see Alvaro (aka Don Loco). Seeing her standing there in her walker, he asked, "Are you cured?"

Yeah, no thanks to you, Bro! But no, that's not what she said. She just said she had to talk to him. "There is something you must know. I have to tell you the whole truth." She sat down.

Don Loco asked, tolerantly enough for him, if she'd married the "good-for-nothing doctor." Mariana said no. She kept hemming and hawing, saying he might not react well to her news because he'd always been possessive and violent.

Finally she came out with it: "Alfonsina lied. Jose's letter wasn't for Soledad, it was for me. I was Jose's woman, and we had a daughter, who died." She added that Alina was Alvaro's daughter, then asked why he wasn't saying anything in response to all this.

Alvaro replied that he didn't believe a word of it, she had invented it all to protect Soledad! Mariana insisted it was true. Don Loco yelled, "That is a lie! Soledad cheated on me!" He banged his fist on the table, said Alina was a bastard etc. etc. -- the usual.

Mariana observed, "How bad you are, Alvaro." She told him to talk to Soledad and Alina. Nastily he informed her that Alina was dead.

After recovering from her surprise, Marina yelled, "You committed the worst mistake of your life. Alina is your blood. Open your eyes!"

Don Loco said Mariana was a liar like Soledad, all women were the same, and he never wanted to see Mariana again in his life, so there!

Mariana mused that one day he would realize he was wrong, but it was already too late for him to repent.

Back at the Valtierra casa, the unconscious Thelma was slipping under water as Emilio kept talking to Singing Aunt in another room. SA said she knew Thelma had done ugly things, but Thelma loved Emilio and SA was afraid for her.

Finally Emilio got around to checking on Thelma, with Singing Aunt tagging along. He banged on Thelma's door, then heard the baby crying and kicked the door open. (Why is that always so easy on these soaps? What's the point of doors at all if they're so flimsy?)

Instead of looking for Thelma, Emilio made a beeline for her abandoned glass, picked it up, and observed insightfully that she had been drinking.

Singing Aunt -- who for some reason seems to have an occasional brain despite being a character on this show -- found Thelma. SA sobbed while Emilio scooped Thelma out of the tub and shouted her name.

Meanwhile, at Coral's house: Some guy -- I think it was Dr. Loca's boss, although I didn't really recognize him without Dr. Loca simpering across a desk at him -- visited Soledad and Alina and told them he wanted to do a DNA test to prove whether Alina was Alvaro's child.

(He didn't say what the DNA test had to do with the charges against Don Loco -- if Alina wasn't his child, would that make it OK for him to shoot Emilio twice? -- but whatever.)

Soledad agreed to the test. What's His Name assured them he would keep it secret that Alina was actually alive, so Alina agreed to have the test, too.

After he left, Coral told Soledad and Alina that she had named her shop Coral's Boutique.

At the Valtierra house: Thelma, soaking wet and wearing a pink bathrobe that matched Emilio's pink shirt, sat on her bed drinking tea and apologizing to Emilio. He grunted in his usual sensitive, charming way that he wanted a divorce. No wonder she loves this guy.

I think Thelma threatened to kill herself. Emilio ordered her to think of their son, "What kind of mother are you?" (Um, maybe a depressed, suicidal mother who needs some professional help, Emilio?)

Thelma went on saying she loved him but Emilio insisted he wouldn't be happy with her, he could never forget what she did to Alina.

She said, "Let the dead rest in peace!" and Emilio said in his deadpan way, "You are wrong. For me Alina always exists." Lucky Alina.

After Emilio left the room (my grandmother pointed out that he ends every scene the same way, by stalking out of a room), Thelma told herself Emilio would stay with her till death did them part. Uh oh.

Elsewhere: An agitated Mariana told Malena and Dr. Love how badly Don Loco had reacted to her revelation. Later, after she went to sleep, Dr. Love told Malena he was afraid the stress would send Mariana into a catatonic state.

Meanwhile, Don Loco raved to Dr. Loca that he'd always thought Mariana was an honest girl, but it turned out she was a traitor like all the others.

Dr. Loca -- who seems to have regained some of her slutty senses where Don Loco is concerned -- said maybe Mariana had told the truth. Don Loco raved some more and mentioned that Mariana had turned out to be just like their mother.

Dr. Loca perked up and asked if he wanted to talk about his mother. I'll bet she read something in her psychology text books about how mothers are to blame for everything.

Elsewhere: Bratty Gaby told her father, Rodrigo, that she wanted Alina to live with them. "I found out that she has a dog and once lived in a cave -- so forget all that stuff about my mother being irreplaceable!" OK, she didn't say exactly that, but close enough. These writers are so realistic.

Alina chatted with Soledad. They agreed that it was too late for them to ever forgive Don Loco for all he'd done to them.

Back in jail: Dr. Loca asked Don Loco if he thought all women were like his mother. He ranted. Dr. Loca said some of Alina's hair had been found on her clothing -- enough to do a DNA test to prove whether he was right about Soledad or sick from jealousy. Don Loco scowled.

And now it was time for Gaspar's luchador (pro wrestling) match! He was announced to the audience as Intocable ("Untouchable") and he came out wearing -- no, not his torn overalls -- an actual costume! It looked to me like a cowboy hat and a Buffalo Bill-type jacket with a fur collar.

The jacket didn't stay on him for long; after hugging the agitated Luba, he jumped into the ring bare-chested and started fighting three or four guys at once. Gaspar, of course, was not winning. It all looked very staged, but Luba hid her eyes in distress.

The announcer said, "The punishment of Intocable! How barbaric! The audience screams! The audience is furious!"

Gaspar left the ring briefly. Luba cried and begged him, "No more!" but he returned to the ring. The announcer said, "The crowd is enthusiastic. His debut until now has been frustrating. Only a miracle can do it!"

The bad guys kept throwing Gaspar around while Luba shrieked. Finally he was thrown out of the ring and sprawled on the ground, apparently unconscious, to Luba's dismay. She shook him and screamed. His manager also knelt over him and looked worried.

What -- does this mean Gaspar really WAS injured? It isn't just a stunt? I guess Luba was right to worry, after all.

Later Luba and the manager had a conversation that I almost completely missed, but I think she said Gaspar was in a bad state and the manager said something about him surviving the night.

(I'm hoping he took a second blow to the head that will restore his lost intelligence -- maybe then he can seek out Thelma and finally make His Muñequita fall in love with him -- OK, it's farfetched, but this is "Duelo de Pasiones" we're talking about, after all.)

Frank had a conversation with the still-imprisoned Orlando that I didn't follow, something about it being tough to prove the charges against Orlando. You'd think that would please Orlando, but no, he acted annoyed and snarled to himself that he wanted to confront Emilio and wouldn't have pity on him or Thelma.

Alina introduced Gaby to Tonqui. (Rodrigo called him Ponqui -- ha ha! I guess Caray Caray recappers aren't the only ones confused by the dog's name.) Overcome by the Power of Tonqui, Gaby asked Alina if she wanted to be her new mommy. Alina said, "For the moment, your papa and I are just friends."

Alfonsina went back to Sierra Escondida -- why? What's she going to do there with all that money?

The teenaged boy, Tito, told Hugo he had seen Alfonsina. Hugo confronted Alfonsina and hit her, demanding, "Where is my money?"

Alfonsina feigned ignorance, but he said he'd seen her on the tape, hit her again, and called her a thief. He started choking her, but Tito ran in and rescued her. Hugo apparently hit his head because he was knocked unconscious.

Alfonsina swore to Tito she hadn't done anything wrong, Hugo had just gone crazy. They started to move Hugo somewhere.

Back in Valtierraville: Emilio told Angel that Thelma wasn't the mother his son needed.

Angel got a phone call from Coral, asking him to attend the opening of Coral's Boutique. He claimed Coral wanted Emilio to attend, too (I don't think that's true. So, after spending the whole show trying to keep Alina and Emilio apart, is Angel now trying to reunite them?)

Angel added that Soledad wanted to see Emilio, too. Emilio was surprised to hear that Soledad was with Coral.

At the episode's end, Don Loco was found GUILTY on all counts and sentenced to TWENTY FIVE YEARS IN PRISON! WOO HOO!

Vocabulary word from this episode:
grabación = recording

Labels: duelo

Labels: duelo

Ok, all is here now. Sorry again about the delay, I am traveling and had sleep dep issues, show watching issues, and wireless network issues rolled in with a work project that required my attention and I am sorry you had to wait for this, but hope this is still helpful. It's been a rough 24 hours. The stars just weren't aligned for me. Thanks for your anticipation!!


Lety tells herself to calm down. The cuartel comes in and wants to know what the heck. Lety tells them she’s decided to suspend her wedding with Aldo.

When then flash to Simon talking to Jaimito in an amusement park and telling him that he bought this balloon for him to remember him by. Jaime says but it’s going to deflate and then can’t save it forever. Simon says no, well let it go into the air together don’t worry you’ll always remember me. He says of course I will remember you. They both cry. How sad.

Lety confirms that yes that’s what she’s going to do. Lola asks if there is no way to fix this, that you won’t find a another guy like Aldo. Irma puts in a plug for Fer and Sara says no way that traitor is not good enough for her. Sara tells her she has to calm down and think well about this. Lety insists he betrayed her and she’ll never be happy. At this the cuartel decides they will leave. Now Lety wonders what the heck. A plot is a foot. Lola claims yes they have a kilo of work, and Sara says they have to get a coffee and contemplate this harsh decision of hers. Lety looks at Aurora’s picture in her camera. She convinces herself she’s making the decision to cancel because Aldo doesn’t deserve a grand diva like her. She switches to a picture of herself and wonders how she will deal with them learning that she is Aurora. She decides marriage just isn’t for her, not with Aldo, nor Fer.



Half the cuartel runs in and tells the boys still sparring that they have something important to tell Fer. Fer says after he lets Domensolin see what he’s capable of. They say no now and pull him away. Suffocating and choking insults exchange. Just then the other half of the cuartel “Camp Aldo” (Sara and Lola) run in and tell him they have to tell him something important. Lety has decided not to marry you. Aldo is impactado.

Clearly Camp Fer has shared the same info with him and he is elated because she shouldn’t marry him anyway of course she should marry me. Camp Fer agrees, they like Aldo but know Lety will only be happy with you. They tell him he needs to take advantage of this opportunity. Juana tells him he is the champion. He smiles like a little boy given a lollypop.

Camp Aldo tells him he needs to talk with Lety and talk her out of it or else the enemy traitor will take advantage. He doesn’t get it. They say this is a grave situation you betrayed her and she dramatizes it for effect. He insists that he is incapable of betraying Lety. Lola asks well is he not in love with her anymore?

I liked Sanson kissing Celso.

Aldo tells them look, Lety is the love of my life, I’m not going to lose her. They say but what about Don Fer. He says no, I know she loves me and I love her and this will work out. He kisses Sara’s hands and tells them thanks but run along.

Fer is walking with his half of the cuartel being convinced he now has the grand opportunity. Camp Aldo watches on. He says nothing would make him happier than to get her back. He walks in to her office on the way to his cave and tells her he needs to tell her something, then reason gets a hold of him and he can see she is a bit upset so he decides he shouldn’t tell her, so he says nothing and continues on, throwing her a big kiss behind her back, then covers by stretching when she turns around in the middle of it. Lety looks very despondent. Poor Lety.

Aldo is despondent too in his office. He flashes back to their “si” poem in the park when he asked her to marry him. He smiles.

Lety thinks about it too, and starts crying that she’s not going to marry him.

Aldo tells himself how much he loves her.

The cuartel fight like us about which man is better. It comes to blows until Irma and Martha say their friendship is more important than all this. Irma says we can’t doing anything anyway about this affair of the heart. Marta makes a food comment and the cuartel shockingly remind her of her promise. They retreat to the their meeting room to reconfirm their friendship.

We see Julieta come in off the elevator. She sees Tomy and Ali and she hides. He is questioning that she ate 12 hamburgers and 18 hotcakes. She tells him the treatment makes her hungry but he is worried about the baby. She leaves and Juli sneaks up on Tomy telling him she came to see Fer but doesn’t want Lety to know. When she tells him it’s because Lety should marry Fer not Aldo, Tomy gets mad and tells her no way he’s a traitor he’s a bad guy etc. and Juli starts laughing because Fer is behind him. They go off and Tomy wonders what’s up.

Juli apologizes for bothering him and he says she is never a bother for him she can tell him whatever she wants. She starts by asking him to confirm that he was a womanizer. He admits, but that was way before. She says her real question is whether when he was with Marcia did he have women that were friends. He laughs very nervously and says well in his case it and usually it’s very hard for men to have female friends in that situation. Juli says yes, that’s what has me confused, because Aldo says the photo with the woman means nothing to him, she’s just a friendShe wants to know what he thinks as a man. . Fer is shocked that she saw a picture and wants more details. She tells him they were holding each other. He asks if they were with or without clothes. She says with clothes. Though it kills him to say this, he finally says he just doesn’t think Domensolin is the kind of guy to be unfaithful and that Lety really loves him. Juli is shocked at his selfless maturity. Thanks heavens. I’m glad someone is.

Tomas is trying to convince Lety she’s making the wrong decision. She says she can’t pardon him. Tomas tries to ask her what he rally did, it’s just a photo. She’s made because they never talk seriously. So in his 007 voice he asks what she thinks she’s going to do. She says she will take a photo with some guy and send it so he knows how she feels. Tomy wonders where she’ll find someone. They end up laughing anyway.

On the way out of the office Juli repeats that he is right, that Aldo would never cheat. The cuartel over hears this and makes their respective judgments, yeah he’s leaving Lety alone, or boo he’s not going to fight.

Juli and Fer go to Aldo’s office. They whisper about who should go first. They go in, and Aldo and Carmaniac are in an embrace. They are muy impactados, but Fer eeks out a bit of a hopeful smile.

Aldo tells them, look how can I tell you that this isn’t what it seems. Juli says it seems there’s nothing to explain. Fer says that they both believed in you. Carmaniac pipes up that she should explain. Al says it’s useless. Juli says no let her explain what we saw with our own eyes. She says we are just friends and I only came to say goodbye it’s true, I even offered to explain what happened in Puerto Vallarta to Lety. She continues that Aldo is very in love with Lety and he would never even look at another woman. Oh it was a nice touch that she touched Juli’s hands. She leaves. Fer says I better go too, but he whispers that it was a friendly hug.

The cuartel discusses again for some reason something to do with her divorce.

Juli tells Aldo that when he ahs children he wil understand he says he already does. He assures her he loves her daughter and will give his life to make her happy. They make up. Juli is happy.

Fer comes out with Carmaniac and confirms that everything she said is true, and she swears it is and he says perfect and kisses her goodbye. What did she tell him????

Just then PM shows up with her son and asks to speak to Fer but he doesn’t have time right now. She tells the cuartel she’s saying good bye that their flights leave tonight. Simon gets a sad smile.

Fer gets an idea. Fer shows up in Lety’s office with flowers, he says they are not from him, they must be from the fry boy and tells her to look at the card. She does and they are from him and Fer tells her to go run and thank him. She says ok and goes. He smiles his bittersweet smile that turns to sad because it appears he made her happy even though he’s not.

Lety runs into Aldo’s office. She tells him she loves him over and over again and he says that great but what happened to change your mind. She said because I’m a fool and you always know how to make me feel better. She thanks him for the flowers and he doesn’t understand. She asks how he can’t understand when he sent them. He says he didn’t send them. She says but the card says you did. He swears he didn’t and she wonders who. She figures it out, Aldo too knows it was Fer. She thinks it was disrespectful, how could he dare. He reads the card. A love without trust isn’t true love, and I need yours to keep on living. Fer wrote this love note pretending to be me. He shouldn’t have meddled but why do you think he did this. He did this to make us content. What else could have gotten us back together like this. Lety wants Fer to explain why he did this to get us to reconcile. Aldo too is intrigued as to why he did this.

Lety asks herself how she should handle this with Fer. Lopez is telling PM she has no additional salary due to her. The cuartel wish her the best and tell Jaime to take care of his Mom. Simon too chokes back tears as he says goodbye. PM says she ahs to say goodbye to Lety and Fer. Jaime says he wants to stay with Simon. He doesn’t want to go to his Dad. PM wants to know how he decided that.

Fer talks to himself wondering how the flower trick went down, he thinks maybe Aldo wouldn’t let on that he didn’t send them. Just then he opens the door and Lety falls in. He wonders what she was doing she tries to hide that she was listening in, but changes the subject and wants to know about the flowers (flores) Fer says Jorge Flores told you something? What did he say. She said no not him the flowers. He finally admits that Aldo didn’t deserve that you were so mad at him.

Simon is happy because he says Pm wanted to go to the US because she thought Jaimito wanted to go and vice versa. So it turns out they aren’t going and she tells Lopez she doesn’t resign.

Fer rehashs that Carmaniac explained everything and he doesn’t blame Aldo. She still wants to know why he did. He admits that he wants to see her happy and he knows that she loves Aldo so to see her happy he did this.

PM tells Jaime’s Papa they aren’t coming. They are happy there, and he didn’t exactly show any concern when she was pregnant, so they are fine with their friends and their loves and maybe one day he can come to Mexico to meet his son.

Aldo is talking to Gerardo on the phone about the possibility of getting back his restaurant. He says he’s only short a million but he explains that Aurora disappeared. He tells him he’ll think about it and he’ll call him back later. Lety comes back to him after having listened to his conversation and he asks how it went with Mendiola. She brings up that he needs Conceptos to pay him back the debt. He says he was talking about that and it was always his dream to have that restaurant and she knows that. She says of course your restaurant by the she and she promises to do everything to pay him back as soon as possible. He tells her not to worry. He wants to know what happened with Fer. She says well I was wrong. You have nothing going on with Carmaniac. Aldo gets a weird smile and we close.

Labels: fea

I typed this up in a hurry sorry for typos, I'll come back later to clean them up......

At Esmeralda’s ‘grave’, Almudena faints and Diego catches her. Mariangel does a fantastic job of acting concerned for her aunt. Mangle appears to be somewhat anguished. Is she dead, she wails and for good measure, Mangle starts to pray. They rush Dena to Agapito, our jack of all trades. Aga checks her out and tells Diego that his stepmother has a weak heart. Thankfully, Aga’s got some good drugs and he administers one to Dena. Afterward, he pulls Diego aside and says that he’s done all he can, the rest is up to Dena. If Dena doesn’t snap out of the depression, it very well could be the death of her. In the background it appears that Mangle is listening in on this conversation, but I can’t be so sure.

Maria Pia cries out that she still loves Fernando. Alejandro seems impactado and gives us acting face number 10 to let the audience know this. Maria Pia begs for forgiveness because it is the truth, she does love FS even with all of the terrible things he has done, she still loves him (I know just how you feel, Maria Pia). Meanwhile, Fernando is just laying on the ground and Arturo Peniche gives us the more sub textual performance, but we (a savvy audience) can tell that his Fernando is deeply moved by Maria Pia’s confession. MP starts to cry and actually throws a bit of a pity party for herself, she states that she doesn’t deserve anything, blah, blah, blah. Alej takes the time to let Fernando know that he won’t be making a shish kabob out of him today, because he won’t get blood on his sword for the love of his sister. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t kill you somewhere down the road. Alej orders Fernando to steer clear of Maria Pia. Alej’s going to take care of his sister now and if FS so much as comes close to her, Al will have to kill him if he tries.

Sgt/Pvt Garcia (SAM) is excited to hear that Esme’s alive. He almost shouts out the news to the entire cantina. Auggie tells him to keep it down. SAM’s bewildered. Didn’t they witness Esme’s funeral and burial? So who’s in the grave?, he asks. Auggie fills SAM in on what he knows. He tells SAM that Montero is holding his wife, but no one can know. SAM thinks it is cruel to not tell Dena because she is suffering so much. Oh yeah, and they should tell Diego because a love like his for Esme’s is a rare thing. Auggie is insistent. They have to keep it quiet and he gets SAM to swear on is mother that he won’t tell a soul.

Ricardo Montero pays a little visit to his wife in la casa escondida. He starts off with his usual taunting, but espies the bottle of wine Auggie left for Esme. He goes nuts and knows immediately that Auggie has been betraying his orders. Monty tells Esme that Auggie will pay with his life. Esme insists it wasn’t him, but Monty’s no fool he knows it has to be Auggie.

Fernando returns home and is walking on cloud 6---she finally admitted she loves him. He’s stunned that she revealed the secret she’s been guarding in her heart for so long. Now she won’t be able to run from me, he says, he won’t allow it. He really needs to hear the adage, if you love someone set them free……

Heading home in their carriage, Mangle mentally rehashes Monty keeping Esme alive. She gets angry and thinks that Monty will have to get rid of her sister!!

Alej tells Maria Pia that Fernando won’t be bothering her anymore. She tells him that she can’t keep running from him anymore and she doesn’t know what to do. She decides she needs to face her life and that she’s going to return to the hacienda. Alej wonders why she’s not going back to the convent.

Auggie lets SAM know that he’s got some money hidden, he won’t say where he got the money, but if anything were to happen to him, SAM should get it and use it to care for his wife and kids. SAM tells Auggie to be careful.

Esme rages in her basement cell. She’s upset with Montero and swears he’s going to pay for all of the innocent people he’s killed.

Auggie heads toward Monty’s hide-away and comes across three of Monty’s goons. Ever the brave man, Auggie pulls out his sword and faces off against three pistols.

Mangle and Diego share a drink. She tries to play the role of concerned wife asking about her husband’s former lover. She can’t carry it off. She comes from an new angle and says that her baby is growing and all it is going to need is love from both parents (yes, studies have show that fetal alcohol syndrome can be prevented---not by not drinking, as you might think, but rather by the love of both parents, so pour me another one Diego). Diego isn’t falling for her clever little tricks. He wants to hammer out the details of their separation. He tells Mangle that he’ll make sure that she’ll have money and that she won’t be socially ostracized. Mangle throws her glass and storms out of the room. She heads upstairs and proceeds to have a hissy fit. She wants it all!!! (I’m sure she’s talking about the money).

Dolores lectures Dena about not eating.

Selenia and Olmos discuss the potion she’s making for him. She tells him that the tears are the most important ingredient. She also lets Olmos know that it will take 111 days to take effect. This doesn’t make Olmos happy.

Diego goes to find Mangle. He tells her he didn’t mean to insult her, but they need to find a way that is best for the both of them. Mangle says that he needs to get over Esme because life goes on. She says she went to Esme’s grave to ask for forgiveness from her sister, because the two of them had their differences. Mangle, angling again, says to Diego that they are still alive and she makes a move on him. He steps away and says just think about my offer.

Auggie faces off against the three goons and they have him backing up. Suddenly, out of no where, there is a suspicious hole in the ground---freshly dug and just about the size of a grave. Auggie gets backed into it and the three men each get off a shot at close range. I’m saddened, but a little hopeful that these men have bad aim just like everyone else in this show or perhaps Auggie will have a miraculous recovery like both Maria Pia and Sara Kali (both shot at close range) or like Diego and Tobias---both shot while being Zorro, then there was Renzo’s recent gunshot wound, and didn’t Esme get shot in the arm---am I leaving anyone out? However, the thugs put an end to my hopes by throwing the dirt on Auggie’s body…there’s no Agapito near by to dig him up. So let’s pause for a moment in memory of Aguirre, he was a man who didn’t always make the best choices, but he had a good heart.

Monty fills Pizarro in on discovering that Auggie was feeding Esme. They’ll need a new guard now. Piza asks what’s up with Auggie (dare I think he looks a bit concerned? This can’t actually be for Auggie, it must be because of the snafu to his plans). Monty tells Piza to choose a guard loyal to him and get him to guard Esme. Piza leaves the room and starts to have an asthma attack. Someday, he swears, I’ll be the one in charge and I’ll give the orders for your execution, Montero.

Diego rehashes with Alej about what happened with Dena at Esme’s grave. Alej fills Diego in on what happened with Maria Pia and Fernando.

Maria Pia tells Padre Tomás that she’s leaving the convent. She knows Fernando is bad, but she loves him and she admitted it. PT says I thought you were trying to get rid of that feeling, but love is like that sometimes you can’t shake it. PT wonders what this means about the vows MP took. She tells him that she’s in limbo (not the Catholic kind) because she’s not a wife to God nor can she be one to Fernando.

The Marquesa gives Fernando a warning. She lets him know that she knows about him keeping Sara Kali/Mercedes locked up for so many years. He’s going to eventually pay for that. Feranando says that if the Marquesa thinks that Mercedes could have taken the Crown, she’s sadly mistaken. No one in court would have taken her seriously, she’d have never lasted there.

The Queen is talking to el Duco (who looks rather handsome today, I didn’t recognize him right away). She’s upset because her Council won’t let her go to America because of potential danger to her personal safety. Well, she decides, she’s the queen and she’s got absolute will. If she wants to go, she’ll go, Council be damned.

Piza brings SAM on board with the Esme hiding. SAM does a fairly good job at acting like Esme being alive is brand new information. Piza promises that SAM will get promoted back to sergeant when this gets over. Piza tells SAM that Auggie failed and they both know how Monty deals with people who fail.

Olmos reports to Mangle about the de la Vega assets and how the property is distributed. Mangle figures with the child she’s good for about half the money (based on what logic, I couldn’t really tell you). She flashes Olmos some leg and he tells her that she got a letter sent over from her father’s house (the one he had forged). He offers to go get it for her. Mangle finds out that it is a letter from Santiago’s sister.

SAM gets Auggie’s family out of town.

MC goes to see Monty and tells him that he’ll be punished for the rotten things he’s done, but mostly for the death of Esmeralda. Monty says he’s gotten no complaints from his superiors. She says she’s leaving, but that he’ll be watched while she’s gone. Monty tells her to have a nice trip. She assures him she’ll be back and leaves. Monty mutters to himself that he’s sure she won’t.

Zorro in the Fox Cave tells Bernardo that he was able to hit Monty where it hurts.

SAM visits Esme and tells her that he’ll take good care of her. She asks about Auggie and SAM says that he’s sure some bad things have happened to Auggie. Esme cries and blames herself. SAM says that Esme can count on him and he’ll help her in any way he can.

Monty is ticked when Piza tells him that SAM is Esme’s new guard. Piza says that SAM wants to get back in Monty’s good graces, so he should easily be controlled. Monty’s not so sure, SAM’s been known to talk to Diego. Piza says SAM will keep his distance from de la Vega. Moving on to a new subject, the two men discuss the explosives experts. Monty wants them killed right after they do their job, he doesn’t like to leave witnesses around. He goes to get the money to pay the men out of his secret room, he moves a wall sconce and reveals his secret chamber. However, there is no money in the room, just a big ‘Z’ on the wall. Monty is livid. END OF EPISODE

Monty freaks out!!! He wants to know how Zorro got in the secret chamber. He goes on ranting and punches out the first soldier/guard who responds to all his yelling. Piza says he’ll send some men out to search for Zorro, he can’t be too far away.

Out riding in the countryside, Zorro has a flood of memories of Esme.

Esme tells SAM she doesn’t believe that Pizarro is truly on her side after all that has happened. SAM says that Piza thinks that helping Esme, the queen’s daughter, will advance his career. Mid sentence SAM starts yelling at Esme that she’ll get no food from him. It is just for show because Monty has arrived. He tells SAM to leave him alone with his wife and SAM looks worried *ulcer 1.

Mangle reads the letter and she’s too sad to finish it. Olmos offers to read it for her. He’s got his hanky handy. Mangle wonders if the letter is to let her know that Santiago got married. Nope, Olmos says, it is to inform her that Santiago is dead.

The Marquesa says goodbye to Alej and says she’ll miss los de la Vega. She warns Alej to be careful, just because Fernando and Monty are on their best behavior now, that won’t always be the case. She tells Al she’d hoped to find Mercedes while she was here, but she didn’t. Al says he’ll keep an ear to the ground and if he finds out her whereabouts he’ll let MC know. MC does a fair bit of fawning over Dolores and Dolo cries because MC is leaving.

Piza plots with the explosive experts on how they are going to blow up the carriage. The TNT guys say that they can make it look accidental because there is a lot of mining in the area where the carriage will pass through. Piza says there will be serious problems if the carriage doesn’t blow up.

Esme asks Montero about Auggie. Monty asks about Zorro. Esme says she’s not talking and Monty seems happy because now he can torture her some more. He tells her that he’ll kill her baby first, then he’ll kill her, slowly.

Zorro hands out money to the poor all the while thinking that he’s doing this for Esme.

Renzo and Nutty Ana Camila (NAC) talk about Esme and his love for her. NAC says his heart will heal and that life gave him another opportunity.

Monty gives SAM his rules for watching Esme. He tells the thugs to keep an eye on SAM and that SAM should be searched for food before going into the house. SAM wonders if he’ll get out of this mess alive.

Mangle cries and rants and cries. Finally she faints and Olmos uses the hanky for her tears.

Maria Pia says her goodbyes at the convent. Nice words are expressed from the nuns. Padre Tomás looks on sadly. Maria Pia expresses regret about how everything came down. Just a note, have you looked at PT’s hair….I was just wondering how they do that, because I’m sure that actor really doesn’t have hair like that…do you think he’s bald and it is a little toupee ring, or something? (Man can you tell I’m getting sick of these Maria Pia and the nun scenes).

Prudencio gossips to Fernando about Maria Pia being spotted leaving the convent in her street clothes. Fernando says that he knew she’d leave, he knows her better than he knows his own self. Soon, he adds, you’ll be in my arms again.

NAC writes a letter to her family, asking them to give money to the gitanos. For the price of a cup a coffee a day, her family can adopt a poor gitano child and they’ll receive monthly newsletters on his/or her progress. Jonas thinks NAC should deliver the message personally, but she says no seeing her would be too hard on her mother. So Jonas decides to send Javier (oh yeah, another one who got shot and recovered---come to think about it didn’t Jonas get shot when Fernando raided the gitano camp? Or did he just get clubbed with a butt of the rifle?) to Santa Cruz to deliver the letter. NAC says how happy she is to find the gitanos and be able to help them out. Laisha angrily says that NAC can’t buy her way into their community.

Yumi is back (UGH!). Alej sees her riding into the hacienda and seems happy to see her. He goes down to greet her and they exchange pleasantries about family. He tells her that there has been no change with Dena, she’s still broken hearted over Esme. Yumi says she’s got some stuff from her abuela to give to Dena. She heads up and finds Dena in bed. They rehash Dena’s visit to Esme’s grave and how sad she is. Dena says again that she’s going to die.

Mangle is spread out on her bed, dressed somewhat like a go go girl. She rereads the letter she got from Santiago. She gets upset because in the letter he declares his love for Esme and that he’s leaving because he knows that Esme is only a child. Damn you Esme!! You’ll pay for this!!

Alej talks to Diego about how worried he is for Dena *ulcer 2. He starts to talk about when he was younger and a reckless captain, how he found meaning when he met Regina. Diego says he can relate, that’s how he felt with Esme. Alej goes on about how depressed he got after Regina died, but all he had to do was look at Diego and that helped him overcome his depression. Diego gave him the will to live, and Dena needs something like that to help her.

Mangle goes to Esme and curse her out. She tells Esme that she never opened Santiago’s letter until today and how she cried over it. Today she found out that Santiago left because of Esme and now he’s dead. Esme says she’s sorry and Mangle tells her to shut up. She threatens Esme, and how she knows that Esme’s going to suffer because her lover, Montero, will do anything she asks. Esme is shocked to hear that her sister has shacked up with Monty. Mangle slaps Esme and chokes her.

Olmos goes to see Selenia and gives her the hanky with the tears. It is the last thing needed for the potion. He questions Selenia’s powers and asks for proof. Selenia says it’s not good to fool with mother nature!! Actually, she just gets angry and with a flash of her ruby ring, she tells Olmos to take a look in the mirror and see what Mangle will see once she takes the potion. Olmos follows orders and looks. He looks all dapper in the mirror and this is pleasing to Olmos.

Piza finds Agapito and wants to know the truth about Sara Kali, is she really dead? He tells Aga that Zorro told him that Sara Kali is alive. Aga is alarmed that Zorro would talk and he questions Piza. Piza says that it wasn’t Zorro exactly—or at least he didn’t believe it was Zorro, it was someone trying to trick him and find out more about his personal life. He threatens Aga and then leaves.

Tobias is bathing and Catalina decides to make a move. Tobi isn’t having it (familiar ---that’s because we’ve seen this before). Tobi calls Cat a hussy and brazen. Cat is confused, she’s supposed to be this way with her husband. Tobi shoos her away and says to himself that he can’t touch her until he knows that Pizarro’s touch is off her skin.

Maria Pia arrives at the hacienda. She and Diego rehash the latest. Maria Pia tells Diego she doesn’t know what she’s going to do, but she compares herself to the clothes still hanging in her closet----old and forgotten.

SAM finds Esme and they rehash Mangle’s visit. SAM swears he’s got to do something to help her.

MC’s carriage heads out of town. She tells SEC that she loves los de la Vega and wants to protect them always. She also hates Monty and Fernando and she’ll make sure they pay for all the bad things they’ve done.

Diego confabs with his papa. They talk about MC’s leaving and all of her good qualities. Alej tells Diego he’s worried for her (ulcer 3) and Diego wants some clarification, when did she leave town?

Esme decides she needs to escape. She starts to pile up bags of seed stored in the basement. Way up high, there is a barred window or some other opening. She climbs up the bags and reaches for it. Am I the only one concerned because she’s wearing a flowing dress and is dangling above a lit torch?

The TNT guys (all wearing brand spanking new boots) meet with Piza and lay down their powder trail. Piza reminds them they need to be exact, they’ll only have one chance to get it right. On a perch above them, Zorro says we’ll see about that. END OF EPISODE/ Ulcers 3

Labels: Zorro

Today, we are still trying to get Bruno to reveal the baby's whereabouts. I will shorten the suspense for all by summarizing these long and repetitive scenes. Bruno asks to have Diana sent in. She wants to see her suffer. She makes Diana humiliate herself with tears. She blames her for Marfil's unhappiness and Debora's death. Finally, she says she will tell her where the baby is for something in exchange--she wants her to give up Max for the happiness of her daughter Marfil. Diana says she has already given him up--there is nothing between them. But you still love him, says Bruno, and he loves you. I want you not to love him and him not to love you. Diana says she can't control another person, and besides, he needs to work at the factory. But there's nothing between them. Dimwit strikes again! Bruno begins to have another heart attack. Or fake heart attack, I'm not sure.

Diana goes back in the hall, where Marfil and Max and Diego are waiting. Marfil doesn't want her to go back in, because she is intent on protecting her mama! She really wants her mother to die without revealing the truth, but she is not letting on. This is pretty much where we end up.

In another room at the hospital, we see the Mummy getting ready to reveal herself. She takes the bandages off her severely wounded hand and holds it up for us to see. Then she flashes back to when she was getting burned. Then she says "I can't feel my hand!"


Diana goes home at the end and finds her mother drinking and tries to get her to stop.

Larry and Yolanda rehash news on the beach. Yolanda doesn't want to reveal her relationship to Max yet, because he is preoccupied with the kidnapping.

Now for a new development: New characters! We see Camila and Iggy strolling on the beach and lamenting how they have no money. Suddenly Iggy's cell phone rings, and it's his cousin Eduardo, who he hasn't seen in two years. Eduardo is very rich and is coming from California (we see him in his mansion) to work for two years. He is going to rent a place, it seems, and Iggy offers him the run of his homeless shelter. (This part makes no sense, because if the guy is so rich, why would he want to stay in Iggy's little apartment?) Eduardo asks why Iggy isn't at the hospital, and Iggy says, oh, things, you know. After the call, Iggy and Camila figuratively high-five at their sudden good luck. The arrival of cousin Eddie will solve their dinero problems.


Anyway, Eduardo has a wife who he's crazy about. She's out shopping, he says. She just loves shopping. The camera cuts to a scene of wifey in bed with some shirtless hunk. He must be her personal shopper.
Later, she comes home, and they discuss the move to Miami and their upcoming stay with cousin Iggy. She wants to go to the movies, but he is too busy. She's very excited about the move to Miami. She seems to harbor a great desire to get it on with Iggy, I think, and she says that once she's in Miami she will have men who pay attention to her.

Finally, the Orlando vacation comes to a dramatic conclusion!
Puncho is in the pool kissing some strange girl. He pulls away from her just in time for Caramelo to come downstairs in another thong bikini. She starts kissing him. Paco comes out and tells her that Paola was there. Meanwhile, Octy is upstairs telling Paola that Caramelo is there. Paola runs downstairs, and the fun begins. Paola and Caramelo start the usual bitch-slap fest and go into the pool. Then Paco, Emilio and Puncho start exchanging blows and also fall into the pool. The action continues with a five-way free-for-all. Finally it is over, and Puncho is much the worse for wear, with his face bloodied.

Caramelo doesn't want to leave, and she cries that she still loves him. Paco tries to convince her that Pancho is trash, and she should divorce him and take up with a nice working stiff, like Emilio, who respects women. She cries some more.

Meanwhile, Paola is trying to clean Puncho's wounds, and she gets angry because she thinks he had planned the trip knowing Caramelo would be there. For once, he is in the clear, but no matter. Finally, she leaves with Octy. Pancho is left looking in the mirror and lamenting how his fieritas have disobeyed him. He begins to look and sound delusional and mad.

Meanwhile, the others still don't know that Paco is Paola's father!

Labels: acorralada

Once again captions have disappeared from local Univision. Tonight was the first time I've ever recapped without reading the screen! So it's going to be vague - feel free to fill in details. Hopefully subtitles will be back by next week.

Gaviota is depressed, she wants to hide away and sleep, she feels bad about bagging her job at Montalvo's but she can't take any more. Italian Bennie has taken the two jimadoras off to Cuernavaca for R&R but Gav just mopes around, tears leaking from her eyes, which can't do much for Bennie and which even de-bounces her mom somewhat.

Smarmy Frankie is lurking around Isa, in the dark, saying her husband should be dedicated to her, he shouldn't abandon such a marvellous woman (pours on the compliments). She cries, cue the sexy saxophone music and they have at it. Afterwards she tells him to get out, she vvvvannts to be alone.

Meanwhile Rod drinks in a bar, listening to a love song, kisses-of-yore-ing. (We need a better term for flashbacks which include nothing but kisses and embraces. And by the way these kisses-of-yore flashbacks are as tired as Rod's wornout cassette, we need some NEW kisses and enough already with the old ones.) Rod is way too drunk to drive so he spends the night in a hotel conveniently near the bar (but he still drives there, shame).

Gav, in Cuernavaca, cries and remembers Christmas Eve, how they kissed and he told her she's the only woman he's able to love.

Next morning Sofia and Grannie are sitting around the mansion doing nothing, as usual. A phone call with Elvira reassures them: Rod is at work and Gav isn't. Sofia gets a greasy obnoxious smile and tells Pilar: This means Rod and Mariana Franco were NOT together last night (Christmas) ...

At the office, Rod is not working; he is making many phone calls, maybe all to the same number, trying to find Gav/Mariana. Oñate pops in with more crooked documents to be signed. Rod actually asks a question about the tequila and the ports in question! [Without captions, I could not capture the details of the business conversations.] Rod signs. Oñate, wearing his yukky Uriah Heep smile, wants Mariana to sign too.

[If somebody peered over a document at ME with that creepy self-satisfied grin - I would not sign. -- Ed.]

Videgaray shows up and tells Rod: "You're being used, by Aaron, to cover up dirty business, and other tequila kingpins are beginning to realize there's something suspicious going on at Montalvo Inc. -- and it's your head plastered on the bullseye." Rod is impactado into - and out of - the commercial break.

Videgaray reiterates: "Aaron is not the man you grew up with." He suggests Rod do some investigating himself in three ports Videgaray suspects to be part of the "irregular" shipments - but insists Rod keep it completely to himself. He says some employees and possibly even family members are probably involved, and he shouldn't tell anybody what he's up to. Rod tells Videgaray he completely trusts Mariana and would like to share this investigation with her - but of course she's not around.

In Cuernavaca Italian Benny pops in with breakfast for the girls and a day of sightseeing is planned. Gav is very lackluster. Benny says she should see a shrink, he happens to know a great one. After some resistance Gav agrees to go.

Pilar and Sofia, since they have nothing else to do, traipse into Rod's office. He's still trying to call Gaviota. They ask if he's serious about leaving Isa. He says yes. Sofia asks nosy questions. He says stay out of my personal business and reiterates: I don't love Isa. Sofia asks, "Where were you last night?" "In a hotel alone - hoping to avoid the very inquisition I'm getting right now. And Mariana is gone on vacation and I don't even know where." He says he'll take care of Isa (oh, I'm sure her lawyer will see to that). Grannie and Sofia want him to move back home.

The travel agent calls Elvira to give Rod his full itinerary for the upcoming super-secret secret spying mission. Elvira helpfully repeats all the details with clarity as Oñate listens around the corner (twirling his moustache and memorizing every word). He gives her candy. [Operant conditioning.]

Rod comes out, snatches his itinerary, asks Elvira if anybody knows about it, she says no, he reminds her it's a super-secret secret and she should be more discreet.

Oñate, who suspects Videgaray has instigated Rod's planned investigation, calls Aaron. Aaron goes ballistic, fearing that his whole scheme will be exposed. He orders Oñate to figure out some way to keep Rod from figuring out what's going on in the three ports. Minerva overhears the furious phone call and comes in asking cheerfully: "Oh, is this about your irregular exports?" "Shut up," Aaron explains as he pinches her lips closed and tells her it's a super-secret secret.

Patricio and Aaron have a very unfriendly conversation - I think Aaron's ordering Pat to help Oñate hide the illegal shipments (if anybody wants to add details, please do). Lluvia comes in - I don't think Patricio's told her about the crooked stuff he's been lured into. Aaron has a kneejerk lascivious reaction to his former lover. Pat sends him packing.

Isa is ripping big pink bows off her Christmas tree, doorbell rings, it's Smarmy Frankie, he wants to pick up where they left off last night, she seems pissed and tells him to go try his "my phone is broken may I please use yours" line someplace else, he says he's nevvvver done anything like this before, he grabs her, she says suéltame (let me go) and then they grab each other and go at it again and the clothes start to come off and - cue the doorbell!

"It's Rodrigo!" she hisses and they both start to put their clothes back on, but no, it's Sofia, who's come to reassure Isa that Rod was NOT with Gav last night and - yes - to urge her for the 1500th time to reconcile with Rod for the good of the family (ie for Sofia's own inheritance). Isa says she's decided never to go back but Sofia doesn't take no for an answer and just nags, nags, nags.

[When we did this, my mother would unsympathetically mock us, saying "drip, drip, drip." She called this kind of nagging "Chinese Water Torture." -- Ed.]

Meanwhile smarmy Frankie is fakely pretending to make a phone call (to justify his presence) and Sofia eyes him. He leaves ("Thanks, neighbor!") and Sofia, favorably impressed by his purple shirt and sleazy aura, says she'd like to be introduced to him. Isa looks unenthusiastic, then tells Sofia: "I'm leaving town to get over the pain Rod's caused me, I'll visit friends in Acapulco." Sofia gets teary thinking about the possibility that due to Isa's divorce she, Sofia, may one day have to raise herself up off the sofa and go get a job. They say goodbye. Smarmy Frankie is lurking in the hallway - after Sofia leaves he's right back trying to munch on Isa some more. Isa isn't in the mood because Rod could come home at any moment and she doesn't need more problems.

Rod rehashes to James ("She doesn't believe in my love!") while Gav, simultaneously, rehashes in Cuernavaca to the Virgincita ("When I looked in his eyes, I believed - but afterwards, not so much...")

Italian Bennie takes her to see his friend Dr. Erica the psychologist who is, of course, a babe. Gav recaps her dilemma yet again and asks Dr. Erica if it's possible that a man could really love only one woman as Rod swears is the case...

Tomorrow: at least one brand new never-thought-bubbled-before kiss!

Labels: Destilando

Not much happens in this episode, so I will recap quickly. Can you believe we have watched 100 episodes of this doo doo?

Isabel is still taking care of the baby with the help of the neighbor lady in rollers.

Gaby and Silvia bond.

Rene and Larry discuss how bad things are--the baby is missing, Gaby will be on trial for murder, and Kiki and Gaby are engaged!

At the Orlando hotel, Paco and Octavia are trying to get Paola to leave Puncho. Puncho is telling them to MYOB. When Octy tells him that Paola is too good for a delinquent like him, Puncho reminds Octy that she's hasn't exactly been on good behavior herself. Later, Paco and Octy see Puncho and Paola making out by the side of the pool. Octavia once again laments the comedown her high-class daughter has made in taking up with a naco.

At the hospital, they are still trying to get Bruno to divulge the baby's whereabouts. Max shakes her, and she has a heart attack, and might not be able to tell them where she is. There is much consternation. This goes on and on for several scenes, with nothing but repetition. Back at Mansion Manicomio, the nutty assemblage wrings their collective hands over the situation, but Diego thought bubbles that he hopes Bruno dies without revealing his involvement and where the baby is.

We see the following variants:
Marfil visits her mom alone, and she wishes her mother would die without revealing where the baby is. Fedora drinks in the hall while vowing to find the baby.
Diego shows up, obviously needing to take matters into his own hands. He wheels into Bruno's room, over the objections of Fedora. He and Marfil exchange knowing glances about how it would suit both of them if Bruno died without revealing the baby's whereabouts. If the baby never reappeared, this strong link or lasso (lazo) between Diana and Max would be gone and they would return to their respective spouses. Marfil seems to be egging Diego on to kill Bruno.

They leave, and Bruno calls Diana in for a special conference. She vows that she will never reveal where the baby is, and she's going to die, and it is her special revenge for all the bad things that have happened to her.

Max vows that he will find the baby even if Bruno dies. They set about getting the TV stations alerted so someone can report the existence of the baby. I suppose roller lady will see this and reveal location of the baby.

Granny DS cries that it is her fault the baby is gone. Gaby comforts her.

At the end, Bruno calls for the doctor and seems to want to say something, but my recording cut off. I think they have shifted the timing of the show, and I may have to start recording for a few minutes extra at the end of the hour.

Labels: acorralada

Stupid Soledad backpedals from almost spilling the beans to Emilio that Alina is alive. She tells him she didn't mean to say what she said, she's just dazed and confused by all that has happened. They talk about Orlando being the one who allegedly raped Alina, but it turns out he was an opportunist who lied about it anyway. Soledad says at least Alina didn't have to suffer That Particular Shame.

Emilio regrets not having been able to help Alina. Soledad assures him that Alina is at peace, she's sure Alina knows the truth. Emilio says since Alina died he has no reason to live. Alina was everything to him.

Singing Auntie sobs in grief for Maxi Pork Kebab even though he was an uncouth boor. Thelma tells her she's pathetic being in love with a dead guy. "Oh yeah..." counters Auntie,"you're married to a guy who has nothing but contempt for you!" Thelma hisses she's glad Max died because he threatened to ruin her plans. Auntie pisses Thelma off by saying she pities Thelma and her unhealthy love.

Emilio tells Soledad that tomorrow he plans to testify against Alvaro. He will also tell the court what a disgrace his uncle was.

Next Morning:

Alina tells Coral that she wants to see Emilio just one more time, even if from afar. She acts all sad and pathetic until Coral agrees to go with her to the jail so they can hide behind a wall or something and spy on Emilio.

Just as there is only one church in town, there also seems to be only one hotel...Hugo leaves his room and Alfonsina starts to break in. Just then Mariana, Malena and Dr. Love come hobbling down the hallway and Alfonsina slithers off to hide. Oops! Silly Dr. Love, he got them on the wrong floor. He loudly announces what their correct room number is and they leave. Alfonsina sees them and thought bubbles that Mariana must be there to tell the patron the truth, that she (Alfonsina) is the one who deliberately started the misunderstanding that turned into this telenovela.

Rodrigo goes to Coral's to "protect" Alina but she's not there. Adela lets the cat out of the bag that Alina went to the courthouse because her father is in prison. He acts impactado and dashes off heroically.

Emilio enters the court and says he wants to testify that not only did DonLoco imprison and torture his wife and daughter, but he also tried to kill Emilio on two occasions. Shady Lawyer tries to discredit Emilio but Emilio says his military word of honor, and the words of honor of other military witnesses, will support what he says. I say lift your shirt and drop your pants and show them the bullet wounds.

Thelma visits Soledad in jail. After insulting all the members of the Montellano family she says she has a friend who happens to be dating an Alina Montellano. Doesn't Soledad find that to be quite the coincidence?

Soledad tries crying...how black is Thelma's soul that she mentions the name of Soledad's dead daughter? Boo hoo. Thelma doesn't fall for this tactic that used to work on DonLoco. She says she'll keep snooping until she finds out the truth.

Emilio testifies that Sierra Escondida was a lawless land and DonLoco was used to taking the law into his own hands. Shady Lawyer says Don Maximo said Emilio abused his military rank and power by messing with DonLoco. Emilio answers that DonLoco and Don Max were of the same ilk; they broke the law and protected each other. Emilio goes through the list of bad things that DonLoco and Max did but we all know them so no need to repeat them here.

DonLoco starts going loco against Emilio. Doctora Loca tries to intervene so that her patient can calm down but the judge orders her to backoff and for the trial to proceed. I wonder if the judge and warden are beginning to see through her professionalism?

Emilio concludes his testimony by confirming that Soledad and Elias never had a relationship that was anything but honorable. (How does he know this?) Alina and Coral peek around the corner to spy on the proceedings. They get to hear Emilio spout that Soledad and Alina were always honest, wonderful people and Alina was DonLoco's legitimate daughter. (Again, how does he KNOW this?) He says the word of Alina Montellano was all the proof of this that he ever needed. (Oh, OK.) She was a pure and honorable girl. Alina and Coral giggle and dash across the hallway.

Alina tells Coral that she still loves Emilio but it's better that he thinks she's dead. Of course Rodrigo has heard this because he walked up behind her. Instead of saying "Hi Rodrigo!" very loudly, Coral says nothing and keeps nodding her head in his direction until Alina finally turns around. Oops!

The judge states that after today's VERY CONVINCING testimony by Emilio, the defense will get to start their testimonies tomorrow. Don Loco starts going loco again and they drag him off to his cell.

Alina apologizes to Rodrigo and tells him she wants to go somewhere and explain everything.

Alfonsina hopes that she can get that cripple Mariana alone.

Ricardo and Malena have errands to run and leave Mariana alone. Alonsina creeps toward the room.

Alina fills Rodrigo in on the big mystery. He has been ordered to protect her because a lot of people, including her father and Emilio, believe she is dead. When her father was going to marry her off to Orlando she decided, with Luba's help, to take a potion that made everybody think she was dead. "Then Emilio doesn't love Thelma," asks Rodrigo? Alina tells him no, he only married Thelma for the baby and now she (Alina) doesn't want to destroy the marriage. Rodrigo tells her he understands and he will fight for her love. Now he has something to admit...that friend he had lunch with? That was Thelma. Alina is impactada.

Shady Lawyer visits DonLoco and scolds him for acting up in court. DonLoco says it's everybody's fault but his.

Alina tells Rodrigo that Thelma was the worst to her of anyone. Thelma mustn't know she's alive. Too late. Rodrigo tells Alina to be strong and have faith in him. They WILL have that dinner with Thelma. Alina looks at him like "*Que the hell?????" (*Becksterism)

Alfonsina pretends to be the maid and Mariana shuffles her walker to the door and opens it. "Damn cripple," shouts Alfonsina, "since when can you move?" Mariana tells her she can speak too, and she's going to tell everyone the truth. The letter was for her, not Soledad, also that Hugo and Alfonsina plotted to blackmail DonLoco with the cofre. She calls Alfonsina pure trash. Alfonsina slaps Mariana onto the bed then leaps on top of her and slaps her again.

Emilio tells the warden he will testify in Soledad's behalf. Sadly his tio was a bad person. The warden says in that case Soledad will surely be freed immediately.

Tina the nanny finds a letter in little Gaby's drawer. It says "Dear Mommy, I know you are in heaven watching down on daddy and me. I saw daddy kissing a hot babe and it made me mad. Was I wrong? Is daddy doing a good thing or a bad thing? What should I do?"

Emilio gets home and the phone rings. He picks it up at the same time Thelma does and hears her make plans to meet Rodrigo and his amiga at the club for dinner. She thought bubbles "Now we'll see about this Alina friend." Emilio thought bubbles "Thelma plans to go out without me. What's going on with Thelma and Rodrigo?"

Alfonsina shrieks "I'm going to kill you, you damn cripple!" Suddenly Malena runs in and yanks Alfonsina off by her braid. First she smashes the back of her head against the wall, then she flings Alfonsina across the room and onto the sofa where she jumps on her, pins her with her knees, and proceeds to strangle her. Alfonsina finally breaks free and rushes out, but not before Malena gives her a parting kick for good measure. Wow, rewind! It's even better the second time! Mariana says Malena is just like Superman, she arrived just in time. Malena is completely jacked up from the fight, all hyper, bouncing up and down and grinning.

Elias is happy to see Dr. Love and over a cup of coffee fills him in on what happened after he left Escondidaville.

Hugo returns to his room chuckling that after tomorrow he will return to Veracruz and Alfonsina won't see a centavo of the money. Shady Lawyer stops by for his daily threat and Hugo assures him he knows what to say in court because he wants the rest of his money. After the lawyer leaves Hugo decides to take a bath. He puts his gun on the nightstand.

Thelma lies to Emilio and tells him Rodrigo is no longer interested in meeting them for dinner. "We'll see," thought bubbles Emilio.

Malena and Mariana fill Dr. Love in on the beating that Malena gave to Alfonsina. Mariana is still all hot to tell DonLoco that Soledad never betrayed him and Alina really is his daughter.

Alina, Coral and Adela (with Rodrigo standing guard) get Soledad out of jail. Hugs all around. Soledad warns Alina about Thelma's visit to her in jail. Rodrigo admits to them that Thelma already knows about Alina thanks to him. Soledad tells him that Thelma is a very bad person and shouldn't know anything about Alina. He and Alina blow everyone's minds by saying they're going to have dinner with Thelma that night. Rodrigo looks confident but Alina not so much.

Shady Lawyer's secretary brings him an enevelope of forensic evidence. He looks at it, scowls, and says DonLoco must know immediately.

Thelma leaves her dark house and Emilio follows. "Thelma will get the surprise of her life," he mutters.

Angel, wearing his unibomber duds, has started a new sketch, apparently not Alina. He says "Claudia, could it be possible? Could Claudia be the love?"

Some masked luchadors (a couple of them look kind of like Coco Verde) stroll by Luba. She sees her wanted poster in the gym, "Is it me?" and tears it down, "Just in case!"

You've got to give Alfonsina credit, she's not going to let an ass whoopin' get her down. She knocks a poor chambermaid unconscious and steals her keys. She goes into Hugo's room and steals his gun while he's in the bath.

Shady Lawyer shows DonLoco the forensic evidence...the tomb of Alina Montellano was empty!

Alfonsina is on a roll. She goes down to the front desk, holds the gun to the clerk's head and orders him to open Hugo's safety deposit box. They go into the security closet where, unbeknownst to her, everything is filmed by a hidden camera. Ain't nobody gonna mistake Alfonsina with her getup. We see everything through the eye of the camera. As Alfonsina leaves she turns back around and, perfectly framed in the camera, shoots the clerk.

DonLoco and Shady Lawyer can't figure out why Alina's tumba was empty unless...unless...someone stole the body to prevent them from comparing the DNA! Who would profane a tomb in order to protect Soledad? DonLoco thinks it's Elias of course. Shady Lawyer suspects it's the person who protected the girl...that Luba. "That damn witch," shouts DonLoco, "It must be her!"

Luba shows Gaspar her wanted poster. "How pretty," he gushes. Luba sets him straight. It means people are looking for her. "Are they going to try to kill us, like the Cacique?" asks Gaspar, beginning to panic. Luba says if they're found they'll go to jail forever. Thanks to stupid Vera the police probably think she killed Flor. Luba says they need to beat it before the cops get their hands on them.

Rodrigo waits at the club. Thelma arrives all dolled up; she says she can't wait to meet his date, where is she? The camera pans to where Rodrigo points. We see a pair of legs sauntering toward the table in slow motion.

In the next "critical episode" - Hugo waves bye-bye to a ranting DonLoco. Emilio arrives at the club, does he see who is attached to the mystery legs?

By the way, there is a cool book called "Lucha Loco" by Malcom Venville. It has superb photos and bios of many luchadors. Check out the website to see some fantastic pictures and short on-line interviews with some of the fascinating characters in this sport.

amor malsano = unhealthy love
aturdita = dazed
calaña = ilk, a type
contudente = convincing
paliza = beating
patán = uncouth boor
Por si las moscas = just in case

Labels: duelo

(This is spur of the moment, so its bare bones, folks.)

Isadora is fit to be tied when Rod finally saunters in. She tempts fate, continuing to harangue him about leaving her there waiting till all hours. She leads Rod down the path of no return, confronting him and insisting he's been with Mariana Franco. He simply answers that he had to stop and think things over and make a few decisions. She essentially dares him to tell her what decisions he's made and if, in particular, is one of them not to have a
baby now?

Rod starts to explain the baby isn't all he was considering. Maddeningly though, every time he tries to open his mouth she interrupts him, till finally he loses patience, showing a bit of the spine he's now begun to grow. He yells at her to let him get a word in and finish. He wants Isa to wait to discuss things till in the morning when they are both calm and rested. He doesn't want to argue about it now, but Isa's been revving her engines and cooling her jets all evening. She is ready to "RUM-BLE!". He leaves her and goes to the bedroom to get ready for bed. It's like watching a little yip dog of a poodle chasing the next car past the corner. Isa gets so enraged that he should dare leave her in the middle of the conversation --or that patch of back yard she's been guarding all night. Just then, the phone rings and it is Sofia asking if Rod finally got home. Isa says he just arrived, then raises her voice 120 decibels higher to yell into the phone, so that Rod can hear, that she knows he was with Mariana Franco all evening.

Rod is getting ready for bed but Isa, yipping and yapping, decides to follow him to the bedroom and starts barking her harangue again. Isa, our sainted martyr, stretches the truth a wee bit, whimpering that she wasted two years of her life married to him with all his absurd rules, faithfully persevering all in the name of love. Burly Bear turns to face Yip Dog and brutally asks her to look him in the eyes and to tell him just what he had ever done to encourage or to deserve her love. Isa is stunned into momentary silence and admits that she hasn't the faintest idea. She figures she's just one of those women who is unfortunate enough to fall in love with the wrong man.

Becoming defensive then, Isa says if Rods thinking he's going to kick her out, he'll have to look pretty hard to find a good enough reason to force her out. He turns the tables on her though and says then it will be him that's leaving --and for good! She screams to go ahead, traipse after Mariana, since she is no doubt waiting for him anyway. As he leaves the bedroom with his pillow and blanket he emphasizes that unfortunately Mariana isn't waiting for him.

Isa zings him once more before he's out the bedroom door and tells him thanks for her gift. He 's puzzled and she explains how she had hoped he was late because he'd been looking at the last minute for her Christmas gift. Ouch! He tells her he's sorry but it was not to hurt her. Burly Bear is brutishly beyond caring anymore so this bit of emotional blackmail no longer works, and he exits stage right. Isa is left to herself, cursing Mariana Franco.

Later Christmas morning, at breakfast, Dani is left to stick up for her big brother against Grammy P and Sofia. Dani says the guy deserves to be happy, so considering everybody in the family knows his marriage is a sexless sham, why should he continue on like this, physically repressed? In particular, why think that Isa has been such a saint herself in all this time? Grammy P and Sofia take prudish offense at this so Dani puts it into business terms. "Isa stands to take half Rod's fortune for all of the... 21 months she's been living with him. Sounds like a darned good business proposition on Isadora's part, don't you think?"

Minerva wakes up Aaron early Christmas morning telling him her period is late and asks what he plans to do with his lover if she is actually pregnant. She wants to find a lab and he reminds her it's Christmas morning and they'll all be closed, though he could have suggested going to the nearest 24/7 Walgreens equivalent for a pregnancy kit instead.

Isa leaves the apartment and asks Rod to take advantage of her time away to pack his things and to leave. As she walks out the door the phone rings. It's therapist buddy, James, on the line and Rod tells him that it's time the farce of a marriage ends. Rod explains that Gavi told him in no uncertain terms she's not getting back with him because she doesn't want to be blamed for the break up of his marriage. However, he's ready to gamble everything to win her back.

Isa goes to see Grammy P and cry on her shoulder, playing the martyr and assuming that Rod will be leaving her for Mariana. Grammy P wants to talk to her grandson again, but Isa panics. Rod didn't do this on a lark, she admits. She only came to let them know the situation. So Grammy and Sofia ask her to try to call him once more and try discussing it together in the light of day with a cooler head. Hard-headed Grammy wants to blame it all on Rod's simply having drunk too many glasses of wine or tequila the night before. You've got to wonder what is driving Pilar as Sofia hands Isa the phone. They all brilliantly assume the worst afterward, since Rod doesn't answer either the phone or his cell.

Rod has packed his bags. He drives over to Mariana's apartment to speak with her, but Liliana, the apartment manager, informs him she left earlier that morning with her mother and the Italian on vacation. Mariana never said where she went or when she'd be returning. He wonders to himself why she left so suddenly without a word.

Mariana has taken Beni's advice to think her situation over very carefully before making a decision about taking up with Rod again. She loves Rod, she explains and tells Beni how they'd patched things up at the dance but that her conscience is killing her. She does not want to be the reason Rod walks out on his marriage. So, Beni has apparently taken her and Clarita to Cuernevaca to stay a few days at a resort hotel nearby his restaurant so that Mariana can think things over. Mariana tells him that she is seriously thinking of giving up her job and never going back to face Rodrigo again.

The two sourpusses, young and old, decide it's Uncle Bruno's turn to talk to Rod, man to man. He finds the idea distasteful, but says he'll give it a try.

Back at the apartment, Isa wants vengeance and asks her daddy to find the best divorce lawyer he can. She wants to make Rod suffer and to get her 50% of his fortune out of this. Daddy warns her that the Montalvo's are a very powerful family and will have the best lawyers money can buy. This doesn't matter to her. He is also antsy because he is still somewhat honorably indebted to Rod for the loan keeping his textile business afloat. Isa assures him that once she has her half of his property, the debt will be handled and settled, so not to worry. He finally gives in, though Momma is not so happy about the idea and asks her to reconsider.

Gavi feels remorse at destroying Rod's marriage and for breaking her promise to Isadora, though Clarita is at a loss to understand. She reminds Gavi that the marriage was done for spite and was never consummated, so no need to feel burdened. Besides, Montalvo Corporation isn't going to keep that fabulous job open for her forever. They don't even know where she's gone.

Gavi takes this into account and finally tells Clarita if she decides to return to the city it will be to confront the Montalvos as the infamous Gaviota and to risk it all for Rodrigo's love.

Rod, apparently having nothing better to do now, sits outside in his car at Mariana/Gavi's apartment house much of Christmas day and night, uselessly waiting for her to return. He eventually leaves and gets a drink at La Malquerida, the neighborhood bar. It fills him with memories of their cantina-hopping adventures back in Jalisco.

Meddlesome Grammy P begs Bruno to help her keep Rod from divorcing Isadora. He doesn't like the fact that Isa stands to gain half his fortune either, so he considers going along with some plan or other. Bruno arrives at Mariana's apartment a bit after Rod drives off. Liliana tells him the same thing she told Rod, but says she and her mother went with "a male friend", so he assumes it was Rod and returns to Grammy P's with the misinformation. Grammy and Bruno discuss the news about Mariana, but don't figure Isa will go for the jugular. Sofia warns them that they're wrong. Isa plans to take half Rod's fortune if the marriage ends in a divorce.

Dani returns to Grammy's and suggests to Sofia that neither Grammy nor Bruno have the right determining who is useful to the family and who is not. In the end she gives Sofia some much needed advice and tells her to stop playing these stupid games. Her sister is turning into a wrinkled old maid and really needs to get a life. She should look for a good man and forget the intrigues already. Sofia breaks down into tears when she hears this, then wishes Dani the best with her colorful lover and only asks that she not cause a scandal for the family.

Isa goes back to the empty bedroom and drinks herself silly, literally slopping red wine all over her Sak's taupe and creme chi-chi's, while shrieking curses at her husband and his women, La Gaviota and Mariana Franco. "You all rot! Rot! Rot!"

Aaron mentions to Fedra that Minnie thinks she might be pregnant since her period is a bit late and has gone out looking for a lab to give her results from a pregnancy test. Fedra is disappointed that it's Minnie instead of Pamela and asks what he plans to do if Minnie is in fact pregnant again. Bruno arrives and gives them the news about Rod and Isa's break up on account of Mariana Franco. Just then Minnie returns home crying because she isn't pregnant. Aaron embraces his tearful wife, "Cheer up, not all is bad news: Rod and Isa are separated."

Francisco gossips with the manager of his and Rod's apartment building. The manager tells Frankie that Rod left with his bags packed and looked like he didn't have a friend in the world. So Frankie heads upstairs hoping for a little neighborly action...... Isa comes to the door --in her bathrobe. Her eyes are a mess from crying. Frankie persuades her to let him in for just a moment to chat. She gives in and lies that Rod is coming back soon and doesn't want him to find Frankie there.

Right then the phone rings and Isa answers it. It is Minnie who is calling to tell her that Bruno went looking for Rod at Mariana's house, embellishing more than a bit, saying she was gone and he was gone and so it seems they left TOGETHER! Isa screams in a jealous fit and throws the phone against the wall, totally freaking at the news. She pounds the bed over and over and over screaming and crying from her frustration. Minnie, who is thoroughly enjoying digging the knife into her best friend's back and twisting it, laughs to Aaron that Isa hung up on her and he scolds her for creating an even bigger scandal.

Clarita tries to get Gavi to decide for Rod and to return. Gavi is getting cold feet and says she'd rather sleep forever and not have to think at all. She feels she may never return to Rodrigo or her job, ever.

Labels: Destilando

Hi all,
Jody told me that illness in her family means she can't recap Destilando on Tuesdays (not Thursdays as I mistakenly wrote before) anymore. So we have no recap tonight (I'd do it but the captions are down at our local Univision and I'm useless without them) unless somebody steps up.

If you feel like sending in a full recap, great, put it in the comments and I'll post it. Or if you want to just post a few details, that's great too.

And if you'd like a TUESDAY Destilando slot, some Tuesdays or all Tuesdays, let me know.

Sorry for the confusion.
Melinama

Labels: Destilando