Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Amor Monday, February 8, 2010: Just like Nostradamus predicted, Paloma actually turns 18
Friday: Luz is knee-deep in orphans at the school. The social worker thinks she’ll make a swell mother. Chris visits Mac’s grave. He’s going to protect Paloma from Carlota, he assures her. Paloma doesn’t think Romina will give Em a divorce and she’s ready to start a new life. Carlota has lunch with Don E and tells him about losing her dad, her brother and her sister. Her life has been very hard, porbrecita. Paloma is like the child she never had. She tells Don E she likes how he’s full of life. He tells her he likes the same thing about her. She thoughtbubbles about how she’s going to make him pay for getting Chris off. He thoughtbubbles about how they have nothing in common. They smile and chink glasses.
Ultimas semanas!
Anamar is doing a little work at the plateria. Her dress is doing a lot of work, because there’s so little cloth and so much to hold up. Em is surprised to see her on the computer looking over their exports. Man, he’s got good eyes to see her screen from across the room. Anamar says it’s my specialty, remember? She says she’s doing work there now. Neat, huh? she says. No, he says, we’re never going to be anything more than friends. To translate literally, he says Don’t confuse the things. So maybe he did actually notice her boobs. We don’t want them confused.
Carlota primly tells Don E that she doesn’t usually go out with men - it doesn’t look proper and the man might misunderstand. He says You’re free and single - and also beautiful. She sighs that it’s easier for a man. He turns on a smoke machine of charm, saying Let’s think of this as a business dinner, shall we? I can’t be your personal lawyer. I want to leave when Gabriel decides to, plus I’m not the kind of lawyer you need.
I’m a trial lawyer, and a moral woman like you (the subtitles say “immoral.” Ha! Freudian slip) wouldn’t run afoul of the law. She says But a lawyer like you could give me the level of security and protection that I feel I need sometimes. I’ll think about it, he says.
Nighttime, or maybe it already was.
Chris offers Rufi some hot chocolate. He thanks her for hinting that Paloma is his daughter. She’s glad they won’t tell her until they are safely in Mexico. Chris says he wants to move there too, if Paloma will allow him to be around her.
They chit chat about Chris’s mother, and Rufi admits it makes her a bit jealous that Paloma will have a real-for-real grandmother. Rufi is a little tearful and Chris hugs her and laughs and assures her that nobody will take her place. The music noodles happily and I can almost see fat little Disney bluebirds singing over their heads.
Orlando and Camila arrive at Romina’s home. She wants to talk to Romina alone, so he drives off.
¿Qué haces aquí? Romina asks her mother rudely. Camila says How are you? As if you care snorts Romina. Em has left me for that new girlfriend. Camila says It’s not her. You knew it would turn out like this. Romina says she doesn’t want to be miserable like Camila was when Samuel left years ago.
Camila says it really shook her self-confidence but after time she realized it was the best thing that could have happened to her. She tells Romina that yeah, Em is a great guy, but if he doesn’t love her, their life will be awful. Romina weeps that she thought the baby would do the trick and now she doesn’t want to live without Em.
Orlando and Em are at a nice restaurant. Orlando urges him to re-think this whole divorce idea. Em says he’s 100% sure, and he’s going to go find an apartment. Orlando urges him to stay with him, but Em says no, he’s starting a whole new life, on his own.
Romina is packing in her room. She’s sad. So many memories, she says. It’s flashback time! Mac is giving her the pearl necklace.
Oh! Just one flashback. That’s it? Just one memory? Guess so, because Rufi comes in and gives her a pep talk about her having a spanking new life, but Paloma still looks wistful.
Carlota comes in and calmly asks if there’s anything she can do to persuade Paloma to stay. No, says Paloma quietly. I’ll be in touch and I’ll come to see you when I turn 21. Carlota says so the money is all you care about? Paloma says no, but I need it to turn my dreams into reality, to finish up my studies.
Paloma says I do thank you for all you’ve done for me. It’s a weird way to show it, says Carlota. I can’t imagine this house without you in it. I want you to know that nobody has done as much for you as I have, that nobody has loved you, or sacrificed for you, as I have. Tears well in her eyes. She leaves.
Paloma says it’ll be hard for her here alone. Rufi says she’s reaping what she sowed. If she’d been different with you, you would have wanted to stay.
Carlota is in her lair, looking mad. She dials her phone. We see Dr B in his house, which is stacked with boxes ready to go. He answers his cell. Carlota thanks him for taking responsibility for Paloma, and says that she’s already starting to miss her. He says he’ll be picking up Paloma and Rufi the day after the birthday party. Carlota says she’ll get Paloma’s papers in order to give to him.
She hangs up and says Enjoy the last hours of your life, Doctor.
Daytime.
German calls Don E and chews him out about costing him his job. He isn’t going to go down alone. Want to hand out some real justice? he says. The person who put the noose around my neck, and around Chris’s, is Carlota.
Why should I believe you? says Don E. German says because I have proof. We see him pick up a big manila envelope. Meet me tonight.
Whoo hoo! Now we’re getting somewhere.
Now Dr B is visiting Mac’s grave with a big bunch of flowers. He addresses her out loud and says he knows she loved Chris, and he will take good care of Paloma, whether Chris goes back to being a priest or not. Paloma is approaching in the background with just one flower because – remember? – she’s poor and can’t afford a whole bouquet like Chris and Dr B. She hears this last bit. What does it have to do with me whether Chris returns to the priesthood?
Good catch Dr B! He tells her that Mac told Chris to watch over Paloma. Dr B hopes she can make up with Chris. Paloma says she doubts it, plus they’re leaving town anyway. Dr B says leave the door open…. He was you mother’s true love.
Okay, we leave Macarena all snuggly under her roses and get back to what we watch this show for: pure evil.
Carlota is checking out Dr B’s hedges again, this time by broad daylight. She peeks in his front door. A neighborhood maid passes by and Carlota stops her and asks her if she knows anybody looking for work. Didn’t Dr B have a maid? The maid says yes, Katita, but she’s already found something else. She’ll ask her, though.
Joel and Rafa are happy that Luz has helped them by finding an export market. And here they thought they were on the verge of bankruptcy! Rafa’s cell rings.
It’s Camila. He’s startled to hear from her. She wants to talk to him about something, and no, it’s not Em and Romina. She asks if they can meet tomorrow. He hangs up, surprised that she’s in Real del Monte, and that she wants to talk to him.
Em is in his hotel room, trying to focus on working on his laptop. He gives up and heads for a shower.
Paloma and a few friends - okay, her only friends - discuss whether Em will come to her party.
Looks like it’s almost party time! The friends and Paloma bring food, and set up Gabriel’s studio.
The sun sets.
Now the guests are here. Paloma has on a pretty little black dress and her little hairbow is actually black and white instead of just white. Go wild, girl! Gabriel takes her hands and tells her she’s lovely. Behind her a voice says For once we agree. It’s Em. Paloma gazes at him. Gabriel watches.
Em hands her a little gift box. She starts to walk away with Gabriel when Em catches her arm and says aren’t you going to open it? She does and it’s a medal on a chain, probably a St Christopher. He says it’s to watch over her, since he can’t. She exclaims over it, then looks over her shoulder at Gabriel, who is watching.
Paloma tells Em that she hesitated about inviting him, but he had been so important in her life that she wanted the opportunity to say goodbye. Maybe this can be the start of a beautiful friendship? she says.
I don’t think so, says Em. I can’t be the friend of the woman I love. The woman I will always love.
Mooning, sulking, and now this. Why can’t poor Gabe, who’s expected to keel over at any moment, get the girl at least before he goes to the Great By and By? Let’s have some cosmic justice. You don’t catch him moping and throwing scenes even though he sees his heart’s desire yearning after whiny Em who right now is looking like no prize.
Don E is coming into a nice restaurant and heads for the bar. He’s talking on his cell to Madeleine who is on cloud 9 about her talk with Chris and the hug. Don E tells her she has another nice surprise coming. She wants to know what it is, but he won’t tell.
She wants to know what she can do for him in return for his kindnesses. Don E says what I want nobody can give me. Nobody. I want a miracle for Gabriel.
Romina tells her maid that going to Paloma’s party is a major drag, but she’s going because she’s not going to let Em be there on his own. He’s for her, and her alone! If Paloma tries to get her hooks into him, she will go after Gabriel. Now, that guy is good-looking! Really? says the maid, getting excited.
Orlando has dropped in on Chris. Manhug! Nice you’re free… thanks, how’s the moneymoon?… great… blah blah. Chris says he’s reconciled with his mama, and Paloma is his daughter. Orlando is impactado at this last morsel. Chris tells him that whole fake daddy thing was set up by Carlota. Chris hopes he’s good enough to be Paloma’s dad. Prison must’ve been hard on his self-esteem. I mean, a while ago they were about to make him a bishop or something.
Orlando says it’s just like what happened to me – finding my child when I was already an adult. And our two children are in love with one another! They yuck it up. Thigh slappin’ time.
German has arrived at the restaurant. Don E, not even looking up at him, tells him to make it short – he has a party to get to. German sits down and comes right to the point. He haltingly tells Don E that Carlota paid him to torpedo Chris. Then she screwed him over - she didn’t even pay him after Don E won the case, and she withdrew her support at the law firm, so his boss fired him.
She’s not the guilty party, says Don E. You are. You should never have let yourself be bought. I learned my lesson, says German. Don E says I don’t know if you did. What has all this got to do with me? German says you’re honest, incorruptible. You’re the only one who can unmask her and show her for the monster she is.
Okay, says Don E. Whisky?
Carlota is in her bedroom with that lace shawl thingy on again. She’s fingering it. Rufi knocks and comes in with a tea and Carlota very slowly starts to slip it from her shoulders. Rufi wants to know why she isn’t going to the party. Carlota curls a lip and says I already told Paloma. Rufi says Dr B is coming by for her shortly.
Carlota says she’s going to go to bed. Rufi says have a good night, and off she goes. Carlota looks calculating.
Back to the party, which actually looks pretty dull so far. Gabriel thinks it’s nice everyone share this important day, and Paloma thanks him for making it possible. Romina comes in and tells Paloma that she couldn’t miss saying goodbye. Even though they’ve become distant, she loves her and is going to miss her. She hugs Paloma, who looks very skeptical. Over Paloma’s shoulder, Romina smiles triumphantly at Em.
German tells Don E about the two wills. He’s sure that one was made up well after Paloma’s parents died. He has copies of both.
Don E says I wouldn’t bother with all of this if it weren’t for Paloma. And German? Don’t even think of messing with me. You do, and I’ll be all over your sorry little hiney. Don’t worry, says German. I told you I learned my lesson.
Romina goes up to Em and tells him she didn’t know he was coming. He said he didn’t know she was either. I couldn’t miss it, says Romina. Right, says Em, you couldn’t miss an opportunity to bug Paloma.
Romina comments to Paloma that she’s going to be 18 in a few hours. Paloma says then she’ll start to feel different. Romina says she did. Paloma says she’s glad Romina came, as it couldn’t be easy to show up now that she’s going to be divorcing. Never, says Romina confidently. Em and I are going to be together all our lives. I’m never divorcing him.
Carlota is about to leave the house. She opens the door and gasps. Chris is standing there. Chris says I wanted to take this opportunity to talk to you when Paloma wasn’t home. And don’t tell me you were headed for her party. Carlota says I was just checking because I thought I heard something.
And why do you have your purse? Chris asks. Carlota says Oh, I just found it on the table there. Chris says I just came to tell you that I have decided not to tell Paloma that I’m her father. I don’t have anything to offer her. They’re leaving for the DF tomorrow and I don’t want to get in the way of the life that Dr B can give her.
Carlota smiles and says So you’re doing it for her good? Chris says the truth is that she doesn’t want to be around me and I’m worried that it might make her lose even more respect for me. Good idea, says Carlota. You’ve definitely decided? For now, says Chris.
Are you going to return to the priesthood? Chris says I don’t know yet. For now, I think it’s just best for me to live a regular life. I just wanted to let you know about my decision. Good night.
She closes the door behind him and smiles with satisfaction. Without God, without a daughter. Excellent news.
The guests have blindfolded Paloma and they bring in a cake with candles and sing Las Mananitas Congratulations and hugs.
Dr B presents her with a tiny box. It’s the engagement ring he bought for Mac, and he says she’s the person it should belong to. Paloma is touched. Em comes up and asks if he can give her a hug. She says okay.
We see German in the background, and Romina too, watching Em and Paloma. Their hug is long. Gabriel watches sadly.
Romina suggests to Gabriel that they console each other . Gabriel says I thought you married Em because you were in love with him. Yes, smiles Romina. But just because I’m on a diet doesn’t mean I can’t look at the menu. Gabriels says the menu isn’t available. Romina says am I not your type, or what? Con permiso says Gabriel, blowing her off.
Carlota has arrived in her car outside Dr B’s. She has that lace shawl with her. She fondles it and stares at his house.
Avances: Congo line time at the party. Looks like Gabriel is going to kiss Paloma. Romina says something to Em about his fabulous love, but the background music is too loud for me to make it out. Carlota scales the hedge and we see her gloved hand on the latch.
Ultimas semanas!
Anamar is doing a little work at the plateria. Her dress is doing a lot of work, because there’s so little cloth and so much to hold up. Em is surprised to see her on the computer looking over their exports. Man, he’s got good eyes to see her screen from across the room. Anamar says it’s my specialty, remember? She says she’s doing work there now. Neat, huh? she says. No, he says, we’re never going to be anything more than friends. To translate literally, he says Don’t confuse the things. So maybe he did actually notice her boobs. We don’t want them confused.
Carlota primly tells Don E that she doesn’t usually go out with men - it doesn’t look proper and the man might misunderstand. He says You’re free and single - and also beautiful. She sighs that it’s easier for a man. He turns on a smoke machine of charm, saying Let’s think of this as a business dinner, shall we? I can’t be your personal lawyer. I want to leave when Gabriel decides to, plus I’m not the kind of lawyer you need.
I’m a trial lawyer, and a moral woman like you (the subtitles say “immoral.” Ha! Freudian slip) wouldn’t run afoul of the law. She says But a lawyer like you could give me the level of security and protection that I feel I need sometimes. I’ll think about it, he says.
Nighttime, or maybe it already was.
Chris offers Rufi some hot chocolate. He thanks her for hinting that Paloma is his daughter. She’s glad they won’t tell her until they are safely in Mexico. Chris says he wants to move there too, if Paloma will allow him to be around her.
They chit chat about Chris’s mother, and Rufi admits it makes her a bit jealous that Paloma will have a real-for-real grandmother. Rufi is a little tearful and Chris hugs her and laughs and assures her that nobody will take her place. The music noodles happily and I can almost see fat little Disney bluebirds singing over their heads.
Orlando and Camila arrive at Romina’s home. She wants to talk to Romina alone, so he drives off.
¿Qué haces aquí? Romina asks her mother rudely. Camila says How are you? As if you care snorts Romina. Em has left me for that new girlfriend. Camila says It’s not her. You knew it would turn out like this. Romina says she doesn’t want to be miserable like Camila was when Samuel left years ago.
Camila says it really shook her self-confidence but after time she realized it was the best thing that could have happened to her. She tells Romina that yeah, Em is a great guy, but if he doesn’t love her, their life will be awful. Romina weeps that she thought the baby would do the trick and now she doesn’t want to live without Em.
Orlando and Em are at a nice restaurant. Orlando urges him to re-think this whole divorce idea. Em says he’s 100% sure, and he’s going to go find an apartment. Orlando urges him to stay with him, but Em says no, he’s starting a whole new life, on his own.
Romina is packing in her room. She’s sad. So many memories, she says. It’s flashback time! Mac is giving her the pearl necklace.
Oh! Just one flashback. That’s it? Just one memory? Guess so, because Rufi comes in and gives her a pep talk about her having a spanking new life, but Paloma still looks wistful.
Carlota comes in and calmly asks if there’s anything she can do to persuade Paloma to stay. No, says Paloma quietly. I’ll be in touch and I’ll come to see you when I turn 21. Carlota says so the money is all you care about? Paloma says no, but I need it to turn my dreams into reality, to finish up my studies.
Paloma says I do thank you for all you’ve done for me. It’s a weird way to show it, says Carlota. I can’t imagine this house without you in it. I want you to know that nobody has done as much for you as I have, that nobody has loved you, or sacrificed for you, as I have. Tears well in her eyes. She leaves.
Paloma says it’ll be hard for her here alone. Rufi says she’s reaping what she sowed. If she’d been different with you, you would have wanted to stay.
Carlota is in her lair, looking mad. She dials her phone. We see Dr B in his house, which is stacked with boxes ready to go. He answers his cell. Carlota thanks him for taking responsibility for Paloma, and says that she’s already starting to miss her. He says he’ll be picking up Paloma and Rufi the day after the birthday party. Carlota says she’ll get Paloma’s papers in order to give to him.
She hangs up and says Enjoy the last hours of your life, Doctor.
Daytime.
German calls Don E and chews him out about costing him his job. He isn’t going to go down alone. Want to hand out some real justice? he says. The person who put the noose around my neck, and around Chris’s, is Carlota.
Why should I believe you? says Don E. German says because I have proof. We see him pick up a big manila envelope. Meet me tonight.
Whoo hoo! Now we’re getting somewhere.
Now Dr B is visiting Mac’s grave with a big bunch of flowers. He addresses her out loud and says he knows she loved Chris, and he will take good care of Paloma, whether Chris goes back to being a priest or not. Paloma is approaching in the background with just one flower because – remember? – she’s poor and can’t afford a whole bouquet like Chris and Dr B. She hears this last bit. What does it have to do with me whether Chris returns to the priesthood?
Good catch Dr B! He tells her that Mac told Chris to watch over Paloma. Dr B hopes she can make up with Chris. Paloma says she doubts it, plus they’re leaving town anyway. Dr B says leave the door open…. He was you mother’s true love.
Okay, we leave Macarena all snuggly under her roses and get back to what we watch this show for: pure evil.
Carlota is checking out Dr B’s hedges again, this time by broad daylight. She peeks in his front door. A neighborhood maid passes by and Carlota stops her and asks her if she knows anybody looking for work. Didn’t Dr B have a maid? The maid says yes, Katita, but she’s already found something else. She’ll ask her, though.
Joel and Rafa are happy that Luz has helped them by finding an export market. And here they thought they were on the verge of bankruptcy! Rafa’s cell rings.
It’s Camila. He’s startled to hear from her. She wants to talk to him about something, and no, it’s not Em and Romina. She asks if they can meet tomorrow. He hangs up, surprised that she’s in Real del Monte, and that she wants to talk to him.
Em is in his hotel room, trying to focus on working on his laptop. He gives up and heads for a shower.
Paloma and a few friends - okay, her only friends - discuss whether Em will come to her party.
Looks like it’s almost party time! The friends and Paloma bring food, and set up Gabriel’s studio.
The sun sets.
Now the guests are here. Paloma has on a pretty little black dress and her little hairbow is actually black and white instead of just white. Go wild, girl! Gabriel takes her hands and tells her she’s lovely. Behind her a voice says For once we agree. It’s Em. Paloma gazes at him. Gabriel watches.
Em hands her a little gift box. She starts to walk away with Gabriel when Em catches her arm and says aren’t you going to open it? She does and it’s a medal on a chain, probably a St Christopher. He says it’s to watch over her, since he can’t. She exclaims over it, then looks over her shoulder at Gabriel, who is watching.
Paloma tells Em that she hesitated about inviting him, but he had been so important in her life that she wanted the opportunity to say goodbye. Maybe this can be the start of a beautiful friendship? she says.
I don’t think so, says Em. I can’t be the friend of the woman I love. The woman I will always love.
Mooning, sulking, and now this. Why can’t poor Gabe, who’s expected to keel over at any moment, get the girl at least before he goes to the Great By and By? Let’s have some cosmic justice. You don’t catch him moping and throwing scenes even though he sees his heart’s desire yearning after whiny Em who right now is looking like no prize.
Don E is coming into a nice restaurant and heads for the bar. He’s talking on his cell to Madeleine who is on cloud 9 about her talk with Chris and the hug. Don E tells her she has another nice surprise coming. She wants to know what it is, but he won’t tell.
She wants to know what she can do for him in return for his kindnesses. Don E says what I want nobody can give me. Nobody. I want a miracle for Gabriel.
Romina tells her maid that going to Paloma’s party is a major drag, but she’s going because she’s not going to let Em be there on his own. He’s for her, and her alone! If Paloma tries to get her hooks into him, she will go after Gabriel. Now, that guy is good-looking! Really? says the maid, getting excited.
Orlando has dropped in on Chris. Manhug! Nice you’re free… thanks, how’s the moneymoon?… great… blah blah. Chris says he’s reconciled with his mama, and Paloma is his daughter. Orlando is impactado at this last morsel. Chris tells him that whole fake daddy thing was set up by Carlota. Chris hopes he’s good enough to be Paloma’s dad. Prison must’ve been hard on his self-esteem. I mean, a while ago they were about to make him a bishop or something.
Orlando says it’s just like what happened to me – finding my child when I was already an adult. And our two children are in love with one another! They yuck it up. Thigh slappin’ time.
German has arrived at the restaurant. Don E, not even looking up at him, tells him to make it short – he has a party to get to. German sits down and comes right to the point. He haltingly tells Don E that Carlota paid him to torpedo Chris. Then she screwed him over - she didn’t even pay him after Don E won the case, and she withdrew her support at the law firm, so his boss fired him.
She’s not the guilty party, says Don E. You are. You should never have let yourself be bought. I learned my lesson, says German. Don E says I don’t know if you did. What has all this got to do with me? German says you’re honest, incorruptible. You’re the only one who can unmask her and show her for the monster she is.
Okay, says Don E. Whisky?
Carlota is in her bedroom with that lace shawl thingy on again. She’s fingering it. Rufi knocks and comes in with a tea and Carlota very slowly starts to slip it from her shoulders. Rufi wants to know why she isn’t going to the party. Carlota curls a lip and says I already told Paloma. Rufi says Dr B is coming by for her shortly.
Carlota says she’s going to go to bed. Rufi says have a good night, and off she goes. Carlota looks calculating.
Back to the party, which actually looks pretty dull so far. Gabriel thinks it’s nice everyone share this important day, and Paloma thanks him for making it possible. Romina comes in and tells Paloma that she couldn’t miss saying goodbye. Even though they’ve become distant, she loves her and is going to miss her. She hugs Paloma, who looks very skeptical. Over Paloma’s shoulder, Romina smiles triumphantly at Em.
German tells Don E about the two wills. He’s sure that one was made up well after Paloma’s parents died. He has copies of both.
Don E says I wouldn’t bother with all of this if it weren’t for Paloma. And German? Don’t even think of messing with me. You do, and I’ll be all over your sorry little hiney. Don’t worry, says German. I told you I learned my lesson.
Romina goes up to Em and tells him she didn’t know he was coming. He said he didn’t know she was either. I couldn’t miss it, says Romina. Right, says Em, you couldn’t miss an opportunity to bug Paloma.
Romina comments to Paloma that she’s going to be 18 in a few hours. Paloma says then she’ll start to feel different. Romina says she did. Paloma says she’s glad Romina came, as it couldn’t be easy to show up now that she’s going to be divorcing. Never, says Romina confidently. Em and I are going to be together all our lives. I’m never divorcing him.
Carlota is about to leave the house. She opens the door and gasps. Chris is standing there. Chris says I wanted to take this opportunity to talk to you when Paloma wasn’t home. And don’t tell me you were headed for her party. Carlota says I was just checking because I thought I heard something.
And why do you have your purse? Chris asks. Carlota says Oh, I just found it on the table there. Chris says I just came to tell you that I have decided not to tell Paloma that I’m her father. I don’t have anything to offer her. They’re leaving for the DF tomorrow and I don’t want to get in the way of the life that Dr B can give her.
Carlota smiles and says So you’re doing it for her good? Chris says the truth is that she doesn’t want to be around me and I’m worried that it might make her lose even more respect for me. Good idea, says Carlota. You’ve definitely decided? For now, says Chris.
Are you going to return to the priesthood? Chris says I don’t know yet. For now, I think it’s just best for me to live a regular life. I just wanted to let you know about my decision. Good night.
She closes the door behind him and smiles with satisfaction. Without God, without a daughter. Excellent news.
The guests have blindfolded Paloma and they bring in a cake with candles and sing Las Mananitas Congratulations and hugs.
Dr B presents her with a tiny box. It’s the engagement ring he bought for Mac, and he says she’s the person it should belong to. Paloma is touched. Em comes up and asks if he can give her a hug. She says okay.
We see German in the background, and Romina too, watching Em and Paloma. Their hug is long. Gabriel watches sadly.
Romina suggests to Gabriel that they console each other . Gabriel says I thought you married Em because you were in love with him. Yes, smiles Romina. But just because I’m on a diet doesn’t mean I can’t look at the menu. Gabriels says the menu isn’t available. Romina says am I not your type, or what? Con permiso says Gabriel, blowing her off.
Carlota has arrived in her car outside Dr B’s. She has that lace shawl with her. She fondles it and stares at his house.
Avances: Congo line time at the party. Looks like Gabriel is going to kiss Paloma. Romina says something to Em about his fabulous love, but the background music is too loud for me to make it out. Carlota scales the hedge and we see her gloved hand on the latch.
Labels: amor
un Gancho al Corazón Mon. 2/8/10 Mauricio Takes Valentina on a Field Trip
Today we begin with Mao and Beto just outside Moni's door as they discuss, who else? That's correct, Coni, who these days is on everyone's mind, but no longer in anyone's heart (unless one counts a few Constanza Loyalists like yours truly). She is a threat to spill the beans about Isabel, Moni's mom, who has faked her love for Moni and subsequently her own death, after availing herself of a piece of Moni's very flesh (bone marrow to be exact), aided, abetted, and financed by Mauricio, who until recently was the only other person (save a less than honest physician) aware of this deception. Mao has decided that his best course of action is to take Moni to see for herself that mom is still with us, and then try to explain his involvement as best he can. Good luck with that, Mao. Beto swears his allegiance to Moni and Mao, and to help in anyway he can.
Meintras tanto, we are shown a flashback, complete with tears, of Isabel's apology to Moni for abandoning her and assuring her of her motherly love and pride. Well, I was convinced too at the time.
Moni puts away her photo of her and her mom as Mao comes back in. He crawls into bed with her but instead of fireworks and passion, it appears that we will be treated to another one of their interminably tedious conversations.
Oh well, let's join them. "I love you." "I love you too. Now go to sleep, tomorrow... tomorrow is another day." OK, that was sweet.
Nieves is lying in her bed, head and face covered, complaining. At least she is still alive after consuming a potentially fatal quantity of Tequila. As is often the case when someone over-imbibes, the cameraman has taken advantage of her comatosity to arrange a gag shot.
Cute.
Here's Beto in high spirits. She's not in the mood for his vivacity. He tells her that at least he's not waking her up with a whack with a skillet. If this is how he feels after one of his drunken binges, she's now sympathetic. Being the thoughtful caring son that he is he prepares her his own personal menjunje (evil tasting beverage) to soothe her suffering. She almost loses it but he encourages her to keep it down. He fills her in on a few details which she can't recall. His bet with Estrella, "Oh no, Estrella saw me drinking?" and the fact that she caved on him, but so did Jaqui. Don Cesar was there, "Where is Cesarín?" Here Beto is downright exuberant, "He threw a fit (berrinche), packed his bags , and left us alone," he enthuses. Nieves closes her eyes, tears up, and moans softly.
An elevator door opens and M&M emerge, Moni clinging to Mao, questioning why he has brought her here. She looks very cute in a black top with white polka dots which is precariously held up by a thin string looped around her neck. She is wearing pink tights and of course high heels. Not fashionable but effective. He pleads with her, that once she sees whom he's brought her to see, to give him an opportunity to explain. She's confused but agrees. They hug. He looks worried. He knocks.
Now the air is electric with anticipation. Hombre addressed this in the preamble to his last recap. A moment that we TN aficionados live and breathe for. That definitive moment of truth. This is Isabel's apartment. Moni is about to confront... well let's watch. A delicate feminine hand reaches for the knob, turns it, partially opens the door. Moni and Mao cautiously enter like the vaguely wary young couple in so many horror flicks. They spot a ghostly figure of a woman clad in white whose back is to them. She turns, Mao and Moni brace, she faces them and speaks, "Looking for someone?" Hey! that's not Isabel! It's a beautiful young woman we've seen before in other shows, whom I can't place. She's expecting a masseuse and... OK, this is O. K. She drops her white bathrobe as the camera quickly moves behind her
(Drat!). Mao tells her to cover herself, Moni spins Mao around. "I just want a massage." Cute. Moni is not amused. She basically says, "Cover up, or I'll bust you up." Clearly a mistake was made. Moni ushers Mao out. The young woman is puzzled, "What a shame." I'll say.
Well, here's our Isabel, accompanied by Coni, entering Coni's old apartment, furniture covered with white sheets. Coni looks great in a black and silver sun dress, accented with a red stripe below the bodice, held up by two tiny straps. Nice indeed. Coni hands her the key. "This is your madriguera (den, burrow)." Isabel tells Coni that she's not accustomed to sleeping in sarcophagi. Well, that clears that up for some of us. Coni assures her that the beds are comfortable and the pillows are goose down. Coni reminds her that her dad is to know none of this. Fine with Isabel, and she refers to her as Momia. She notes that everyone is terrified of Coni. Coni tries to startle her, "Boo!" Isabel is unfazed. With what she's been through in her life, "Nothing scares me." Coni wants to know one thing, "What's going on between you and my father?"
M&M are waiting for the elevator, laughing it up. "I still don't understand who you wanted me to see." "Just forget about it." That's it? Just forget about it? Mao must be one who embraces the old dictum, "Carpe mañana."
Coni is wanting an answer
but Isabel cautions that she will not like the reply. Coni's not reluctant to open Pandoras box, especially if it will hurt Moni. "Valentina will find out, it's just a matter of time." Coni has to leave to meet Daddy ay Groupo Sermeño. "Got any message for him?" Isabel looks perturbed as Coni exits.
Beto has Nieves seated at the table on which sits two botlles that look like beer. He fetches the salt and lime. She is puzzled about Cesar's reason for leaving. Could it be for drinking in the cantina? Beto on the other hand is glad he's gone. Good riddance. Now Beto has mom all to himself. "I couldn't ask for a better son." She's sorry she lost her grandchild but glad that he is shed of Coni. Now he can meet a nice woman and have a bunch of kids. Well, not exactly. Beto is done with women. "Yeah sure." "I'm going to be a priest." "¿Qué?"
Estrella is looking very sad with tears and all as Jaqui comes to.
"Wake up. Get out." Where am I?" "You've invaded my privacy." Jaqui hasn't felt like this since she was twenty, woke up in another country without even remembering getting on a plane. "Could you bring me a mineral water, an analgesic, a paramedic?" Estrella doesn't have time for this, "How about I call you a taxi?" "Call Katia," as she conks back out.
Meanwhile at Castle Cruel, poor Katia is being castigated by an irate Aldo for lying about Estrella. "You're worse than your sister." Ouch! She reminds him that he is the one who bragged to the school, painting an unseemly picture of Estrella. Now this should have inflicted more damage than it did, he continues berating her until Luisa interrupts, "Hey, cut it out Daniella hears you. Katia, Estrella called. She wants you to come pick up your mom." Perfect thinks Aldo, "You'll apologize face to face with Estrella."
Nieves doesn't think much of Beto's plan but he seems resolute. He's lived rough and his heart has been pureed (hecho pomada, made ointment). She reminds him that time and coddling (agasajos) heals everything. "Even your hangover (cruda)," he quips. She tells him of her dream of many grandchildren. He counters with Moni and Mao. "Not the same." She tells him that whenever he gets a crazy idea he jumps in with all four legs (patas). "Five," he corrects. She winces and so do we. Beto! "So you really want to be a priest?" "Yes, earthy (jacarandoso) and talkative (dicharachero) like Cantiflas." She asks that he wait a few months and if he still feels the same she will support him... heck, she'll become a nun. He is delighted.
Katia doesn't want to apologize. Aldo insists. Even Luisa thinks she should. "OK, let me take a bath first." Aldo decides that he needs a bath as well. Luisa is frustrated? Kids. Who can tell?
Ximena pops out of the elevator at the offices of... well, let Paula tell us, "Hi! Welcome to Sermeño Group," she greets Ximena cheerily. Ximena is impressed, "¡Guau!" Paula is ready to be her secretary, but Ximy has bad news, which as our Ximy is wont, she expresses in tres cosas. "Una, you look super dressed as an executive secre, that is... ¡maraviguau! Dos, there's been a change in plans, I'm going to sell my shares to Coni's dad so no more Sermeños in Groupo Sermeño. Tres, that's why I can't give you a job as I promised. Sorry." They hug. Pau spots "¡Gabi!"
All hug. Gabi has just returned from Venezuela. She has lost the love of her life. All hug.
A zombified Sal and Loriloca are seated on a bench in an undisclosed manicomio. They are joined by Oscar who already has confirmed first class reservations in Hell and who is now accumulating frequent flyer miles, hoping for a corner room overlooking the Valley of Flames. She's... well she hasn't been helped much, she seems afraid. "Relax, it's me, Oscar." "That's why," she explains. He leads her to the window, "Take a look at heaven. You'll never be there." Nor you, Oscar, nor you. He tells her that he has arranged for Sal to be crazy too and that he will be with her forever. Poor Sal, the camera focuses on his blank stare. I think I liked him better as a twitchy rabbit. Job didn't have it this bad. At least he still has the dignity of his wig. Lori strokes it. O hasta leave now, "Enjoy your unhinged (desquiciado) love. He greases the palm of the desalmado Dr.'s palm, "You know what to do." You're a credit to our profession... jerk!
Are there any honest physicians or judges in DF?
Gabi is distraught. She tells Ximy and Pau how she was met with the news. Gone without a trace. They didn't even recover the black box. All she has is a death certificate. She wishes that she had something of him to bury here in Mexico among his friends. Like the song Ximy offers
and Pau begins to sing, Mexico Lindo, with Ximy joining in. . "Um yeah, more or less (más o menos)," Gabi replies. They gallantly try to cheer her up. Ximy observes that he was probably thinking about their lavish wedding when the plane crashed. Can they recycle the wedding invitations?
Mauricio is walking Moni home. As always their conersation is borrring. She asks him to let her keep her pleasant memory of mom. "OK." That's it? "carpe mañana," Mauricio ... Next!
After the commercial they're still together. She invites him in. No, he's meeting Estrella at Groupo Sermeño to be sure that Marcos doesn't take advantage of the simple Ximena. ¡Por favor! Moni is glad to hear that Ximy is loaning Mao the money from selling her shares. He plans to use it to form a new company so Gabi and Pau will have jobs. Are you kidding me? Awww!
Moni enters the courtyard of the 'hood. A monkey is playing on the laundry basin.
Ewww! Estrella is filling her bucket with water from the large basin. Moni inquires about the casting. Yes, Estre got the part as the amante cachonda (lover in heat). Moni thinks that she looks un happy. Is she disappointed with the part? "No." Estrella gets to play an evil person. "Then you can use Coni as a model Moni offers. This makes Estre smile, "Ya think?" Moni thinks this will make her popular among the directors. "What are you going to do with the bucket?" "Remove a weight off me," Estrella says ruefully.
Ewww! Estrella is filling her bucket with water from the large basin. Moni inquires about the casting. Yes, Estre got the part as the amante cachonda (lover in heat). Moni thinks that she looks un happy. Is she disappointed with the part? "No." Estrella gets to play an evil person. "Then you can use Coni as a model Moni offers. This makes Estre smile, "Ya think?" Moni thinks this will make her popular among the directors. "What are you going to do with the bucket?" "Remove a weight off me," Estrella says ruefully.She carries the bucket into her apartment, sets it down and tries once again, "¡Señora, señora, ya dispierte!" "Did you bring me my mineral water with lime and salt?", she dumps the bucket of water over the disabled Jaqui. "Here's your water.
Pau, Ximy, and Gabi are quietly singing about a Llorona as Coni walks up and wonders what is going on. Ximy tells her of Sal's dreadful accident, "he went in an airplane and he went splat (se hizó pomada... remember Beto's heart?), not even his wig (peluquín) survived. Coni seems affected, then takes the opportunity to fire Gabi and Pau. Cold, Coni.
Estre is trying to animate Jaqui. She stinks of Tequila. She selects one of her outfits for her. "Go take a bath." "Where, is there a bath here?" "In the community bath." "What about my special soap of queen bee royal jelly, my sea sponge, and cream of Russian caviar?" "You'll use normal soap from the market and my creams from the market en tianguis (outdoor bazaar). Now hurry, your daughter is coming for you." Jaqui tries to thank her, but Estre is not doing it for her but for her daughter, Katia. "I wouldn't want my child to be ashamed of me." "Are you going to have a child?" "No, no..." Jaqui closes in, "You're embarazada, aren't you?"
Dr. Judy... next!
Carlos
Labels: gancho
Monday, February 08, 2010
Sortilegio 2/8: Just when you think we're going to have a whole novela with no Staircase of Doom...
Last time: Elena realizes Jorge is gonna let her take the fall alone if the "Ulises did it" ruse fails; Alex and MJ are off to Toluca to tell gramps something. Maybe the truth!
Lisette has her new friend Lety over to the luxurious digs. "When our parents died, they left us well cared for financially... so I can pay for your transplant and treatments, and I'll go to the city hospital with you." They embrace and frolic.
I am SO bored by Fer and Vic. Rehash: Raquel has promised to stop drinking if nobody denounces Useless; Fer gave Katya a dog to make up for the lack of Bruno. Vic will publish her book of poems under her own name. Fer acts like she's then going to be famous and he will be so proud to be her boyfriend. [In real life the publishing of a volume of poetry does not make a big splash in the news.]
Raquel defends Useless to Maura, who is patently skeptical - after all, it's in her best interests for him to take the fall. "Everybody but you, Raquel, believes him to be guilty, right? Your family believes that, right?" She offers Raq a drink. Which Raq turns down! And leaves.
Paula tells everything to Roberto; she wants Useless to Pay (unaware that he already has). Roberto is a little sad to hear that the hope of saving Useless is an incentive powerful enough to get Raq to stop drinking when he, Roberto, couldn't. Nevertheless, he hopes this will help her be a better mom.
Pau is impressed with his sagacity and niceness. He says "In future, go first to Gabriel, he can learn to understand and help you." [I think Gabe's a bit of a mouth-breather, but whatever.]
On the way to Porfirio's, at MJ's insistence Alex drives to Elena's place. Elena and MJ embrace. "I was worried about you, Sandra." "No, mom, I'm MJ and this is Alex my husband and the father of my child." "Oh, sorry, I fell for Ulises' deception." "Well, ... I'm your daughter, still."
Elena asks anxiously if Porfirio knows yet. Alex says it's time to tell him. Elena is all, "No, no, it would be cruel, please don't, no no no."
Back in the car, MJ is afraid all the news will devastate her faux-grandpa; Alex says this whole farce was set up to extract money, and there should be no more lies!
Elena keeps trying to interest her "husband" in this problem but Jorge is preparing to throw her in the piranha tank. He now hopes the news about not-Sandra will kill Porfirio; Elena says if it doesn't, Jorge may lose his medical license.
Jorge says all this was Elena's idea and he washes his hands of it. "You would abandon me to my fate? You are the cruelest, coldest man in the world." He reminds her of all the lies she told, and he uses nasty air quotes to remind her that they aren't even really married! [Remember, she deserted our sweet lachrymose Pedro, she never divorced him.] "And you did it for ambition, for the hope of marrying Future Nobel Prize Winner Me - so resolve your own problems."
Porfirio exclaims happily to see Sandra/MJ! She introduces Alejandro - "Oh, this is the famous photographer?"
Porfirio berates Sandra/MJ for leaving without even saying goodbye. He calls for tequila, everybody says he shouldn't, he says he'll die anyway. He gets his tequila.
MJ tries to calm him with the "vacation" story but Porfirio presses hard - he knows it's a lie because the servant saw Elena alone in town when she was supposedly away - tell the truth! She calls Alex "mi amor," Porfirio asks "is he your boyfriend?"
"No, we're married and have a child, I'm not Sandra." (Just then Elena, who has been pacing nervously outside, calls Porfirio but he refuses to take her call.)
Evidently, Alex and MJ tell Porfirio everything and then say he should rest. "You've deceived me all this time? That fox Elena, she never married my son? " MJ: "I didn't mean to deceive you, I thought it was all true!"
Alex explains about the memory-erasure, which doesn't interest Porfirio, who goes on to ask Emiliano: "Et tu?"
Emiliano: "I was afraid for your health, that's why I didn't tell you - and why I told MJ to come back."
Porfirio: "I am completely alone."
MJ: "No! In the short time I've known you, I've grown to love you." "For money!" Alex: "No, she's got oodles of her own moola and I'm more than capable of supporting her also."
Porfirio suggests a game of chess but then changes his mind and sends everybody away, saying "Don't tell the buitres (vultures) that I know."
Elena runs up to them outside. "We didn't tell Porfirio The Truth, he still thinks I'm Sandra." Elena is wobbly and grateful. Alex and MJ are leaving for their ride home but MJ suddenly tears away and runs back to embrace her mom and say "Adios."
Porfirio: "I want to sleep - or perhaps die."
Alex and MJ have a little squabble in their hotel room - she says he didn't even want her to say goodbye to Elena. Alex: "But she hurt you and deceived you." "But it was all Ulises' fault." "But she abandoned you and Paula when you were little." "OK, you're right."
Emiliano calls nephew Fer: "They told him everything. He was so hurt. He is my oldest friend. My only friend. When he goes, I'll be completely alone." "You have me." "But you're so far away." "How about I send you Katya? She's nicer now. And she's got a great dog."
Again Elena reports to Jorge. He crafts some complicated new lie to save their butts: part of it was that she should say MJ and Sandra were actually daughters of Porfirio's son. "So what? Even so, MJ won't share the inheritance." "Make her." "Not easy with that husband of hers around."
Next day, Alex and MJ go back to say goodbye to Porfirio and he's in a much better mood. "Though you're not my grand-daughter, I'd have liked to have had one like you." "And I'd like you for a grandpa." "You have a kid, really?" Alex: "We'll bring him next time." Porfirio says, don't wait too long...
Breakfast table debriefing at the Lombardo's. Blah blah blah. Paula wants the guilty to be punished and when she gets too abrasive Alex reminds her not to be late to work, the chauffeur will take her. She pouts and flounces out, indignant to be treated as an employee. Alex apologizes to MJ for being firm with Paula but she's a a bit of a "rebel" - MJ agrees.
MJ comes to see Alex and her sis at the office. Maura enters. Paula doesn't like to see Maura, especially near MJ, who can't remember what a jerk Maura is. Maura acts nice, offers to take MJ to the bank and set her up with her new checking account, help her with the papers she has to sign... we don't like any of this.
Raquel goes to Dr. (I always want to call him Dr. Placenta) and says she hasn't taken a drink but she needs SOMETHING. She wants drugs - he suggests she try rehab again and not leave till she's really better.
Lisette likes Katya's dog. She tells Katya about Lety. The two girls agree they used to be bad but are becoming rehabilitated.
Then Katya tells how Maura set her up with Matteo. "I took something... and thangs happened..."
The girls search for Katya's name on the internet, and - Dang! Somebody has uploaded that video of her getting it on with Matteo! Since Maura gave the cellphone to Bruno, it must have been him. They need to go tell the story to Fer!
Lisette yells at Maura, reminds her "I know about your Mario Aguirre trick," says she's ashamed of her.
Fer listens to Katya and Lisette and then goes and finds Bruno and throttles him. Bruno: "Let me go, you imbecile, it's not my fault your sister is a whore." Bruno tells Fer where to find Matteo, and laughs his brittle psycho laugh. I love Bruno, what a great villain.
Alex works his magic on MJ and gets her to agree to have a civil marriage soon and then a church wedding with all the fixings, and they'll baptise Tony the same day - as they had planned to do before MJ was kidnapped.
Fer goes off to find Matteo's apartment, it's in a squalid barrio with lots of ugly homeys around with nothing better to do than follow Fer up the stairs. When Fer starts getting in Matteo's face, they all gang up on him, beat him and kick him and - thrown him over a Stairway of Doom. He falls to the pavement.
Matteo and the homeys run away. Neighborhood ladies, who saw it all, cluck and fuss and send for an ambulance. Fer is "grave." He asks the ambulance guy to call Alejandro. Ezequiel takes the call - Alex isn't home, but Vic gets the news.
Feb 17th is the last day of Sortilegio.
Lisette has her new friend Lety over to the luxurious digs. "When our parents died, they left us well cared for financially... so I can pay for your transplant and treatments, and I'll go to the city hospital with you." They embrace and frolic.
I am SO bored by Fer and Vic. Rehash: Raquel has promised to stop drinking if nobody denounces Useless; Fer gave Katya a dog to make up for the lack of Bruno. Vic will publish her book of poems under her own name. Fer acts like she's then going to be famous and he will be so proud to be her boyfriend. [In real life the publishing of a volume of poetry does not make a big splash in the news.]
Raquel defends Useless to Maura, who is patently skeptical - after all, it's in her best interests for him to take the fall. "Everybody but you, Raquel, believes him to be guilty, right? Your family believes that, right?" She offers Raq a drink. Which Raq turns down! And leaves.
Paula tells everything to Roberto; she wants Useless to Pay (unaware that he already has). Roberto is a little sad to hear that the hope of saving Useless is an incentive powerful enough to get Raq to stop drinking when he, Roberto, couldn't. Nevertheless, he hopes this will help her be a better mom.
Pau is impressed with his sagacity and niceness. He says "In future, go first to Gabriel, he can learn to understand and help you." [I think Gabe's a bit of a mouth-breather, but whatever.]
On the way to Porfirio's, at MJ's insistence Alex drives to Elena's place. Elena and MJ embrace. "I was worried about you, Sandra." "No, mom, I'm MJ and this is Alex my husband and the father of my child." "Oh, sorry, I fell for Ulises' deception." "Well, ... I'm your daughter, still."
Elena asks anxiously if Porfirio knows yet. Alex says it's time to tell him. Elena is all, "No, no, it would be cruel, please don't, no no no."
Back in the car, MJ is afraid all the news will devastate her faux-grandpa; Alex says this whole farce was set up to extract money, and there should be no more lies!
Elena keeps trying to interest her "husband" in this problem but Jorge is preparing to throw her in the piranha tank. He now hopes the news about not-Sandra will kill Porfirio; Elena says if it doesn't, Jorge may lose his medical license.
Jorge says all this was Elena's idea and he washes his hands of it. "You would abandon me to my fate? You are the cruelest, coldest man in the world." He reminds her of all the lies she told, and he uses nasty air quotes to remind her that they aren't even really married! [Remember, she deserted our sweet lachrymose Pedro, she never divorced him.] "And you did it for ambition, for the hope of marrying Future Nobel Prize Winner Me - so resolve your own problems."
Porfirio exclaims happily to see Sandra/MJ! She introduces Alejandro - "Oh, this is the famous photographer?"
Porfirio berates Sandra/MJ for leaving without even saying goodbye. He calls for tequila, everybody says he shouldn't, he says he'll die anyway. He gets his tequila.
MJ tries to calm him with the "vacation" story but Porfirio presses hard - he knows it's a lie because the servant saw Elena alone in town when she was supposedly away - tell the truth! She calls Alex "mi amor," Porfirio asks "is he your boyfriend?"
"No, we're married and have a child, I'm not Sandra." (Just then Elena, who has been pacing nervously outside, calls Porfirio but he refuses to take her call.)
Evidently, Alex and MJ tell Porfirio everything and then say he should rest. "You've deceived me all this time? That fox Elena, she never married my son? " MJ: "I didn't mean to deceive you, I thought it was all true!"
Alex explains about the memory-erasure, which doesn't interest Porfirio, who goes on to ask Emiliano: "Et tu?"
Emiliano: "I was afraid for your health, that's why I didn't tell you - and why I told MJ to come back."
Porfirio: "I am completely alone."
MJ: "No! In the short time I've known you, I've grown to love you." "For money!" Alex: "No, she's got oodles of her own moola and I'm more than capable of supporting her also."
Porfirio suggests a game of chess but then changes his mind and sends everybody away, saying "Don't tell the buitres (vultures) that I know."
Elena runs up to them outside. "We didn't tell Porfirio The Truth, he still thinks I'm Sandra." Elena is wobbly and grateful. Alex and MJ are leaving for their ride home but MJ suddenly tears away and runs back to embrace her mom and say "Adios."
Porfirio: "I want to sleep - or perhaps die."
Alex and MJ have a little squabble in their hotel room - she says he didn't even want her to say goodbye to Elena. Alex: "But she hurt you and deceived you." "But it was all Ulises' fault." "But she abandoned you and Paula when you were little." "OK, you're right."
Emiliano calls nephew Fer: "They told him everything. He was so hurt. He is my oldest friend. My only friend. When he goes, I'll be completely alone." "You have me." "But you're so far away." "How about I send you Katya? She's nicer now. And she's got a great dog."
Again Elena reports to Jorge. He crafts some complicated new lie to save their butts: part of it was that she should say MJ and Sandra were actually daughters of Porfirio's son. "So what? Even so, MJ won't share the inheritance." "Make her." "Not easy with that husband of hers around."
Next day, Alex and MJ go back to say goodbye to Porfirio and he's in a much better mood. "Though you're not my grand-daughter, I'd have liked to have had one like you." "And I'd like you for a grandpa." "You have a kid, really?" Alex: "We'll bring him next time." Porfirio says, don't wait too long...
Breakfast table debriefing at the Lombardo's. Blah blah blah. Paula wants the guilty to be punished and when she gets too abrasive Alex reminds her not to be late to work, the chauffeur will take her. She pouts and flounces out, indignant to be treated as an employee. Alex apologizes to MJ for being firm with Paula but she's a a bit of a "rebel" - MJ agrees.
MJ comes to see Alex and her sis at the office. Maura enters. Paula doesn't like to see Maura, especially near MJ, who can't remember what a jerk Maura is. Maura acts nice, offers to take MJ to the bank and set her up with her new checking account, help her with the papers she has to sign... we don't like any of this.
Raquel goes to Dr. (I always want to call him Dr. Placenta) and says she hasn't taken a drink but she needs SOMETHING. She wants drugs - he suggests she try rehab again and not leave till she's really better.
Lisette likes Katya's dog. She tells Katya about Lety. The two girls agree they used to be bad but are becoming rehabilitated.
Then Katya tells how Maura set her up with Matteo. "I took something... and thangs happened..."
The girls search for Katya's name on the internet, and - Dang! Somebody has uploaded that video of her getting it on with Matteo! Since Maura gave the cellphone to Bruno, it must have been him. They need to go tell the story to Fer!
Lisette yells at Maura, reminds her "I know about your Mario Aguirre trick," says she's ashamed of her.
Fer listens to Katya and Lisette and then goes and finds Bruno and throttles him. Bruno: "Let me go, you imbecile, it's not my fault your sister is a whore." Bruno tells Fer where to find Matteo, and laughs his brittle psycho laugh. I love Bruno, what a great villain.
Alex works his magic on MJ and gets her to agree to have a civil marriage soon and then a church wedding with all the fixings, and they'll baptise Tony the same day - as they had planned to do before MJ was kidnapped.
Fer goes off to find Matteo's apartment, it's in a squalid barrio with lots of ugly homeys around with nothing better to do than follow Fer up the stairs. When Fer starts getting in Matteo's face, they all gang up on him, beat him and kick him and - thrown him over a Stairway of Doom. He falls to the pavement.
Matteo and the homeys run away. Neighborhood ladies, who saw it all, cluck and fuss and send for an ambulance. Fer is "grave." He asks the ambulance guy to call Alejandro. Ezequiel takes the call - Alex isn't home, but Vic gets the news.
Feb 17th is the last day of Sortilegio.
Labels: sortilegio
Dinero 2-8: Rafa makes his first sale.
This is even briefer than usual because I have to blog Sortilegio in three minutes... I'll try to clean it up later.
Well, Jorge wasn't dead. Azucena the maid thought he'd committed suicide! ("And he left owing me money!") The doc looks him over. At first he thinks it was a heart attack, but it turns out Jorge took a few sleeping pills thinking they were vitamins "or something for my memory." His sis sez nobody is going to tell Ale about this little mistake.
Ale is annoyed Claudia has been draping her assets over Rafa - he needs to concentrate. He was going to lunch with Claudia but Ale says "his training is not over" and takes him out in the parking lot. She was intending to drive him to lunch with Carlos Porda, a petroleum company exec, and her ex-boyfriend - Rafa's startled because she's in no shape to drive - but she's not going to let him, a beast, an assassin, drive her - he says "I was practically born driving" - she refuses - but Beltran the boss shows up and gives the keys to Rafa.
She yells at him for speeding (he isn't), he drives erratically because her shouting is frightening him, she scolds him again for trying to kill her That Night, he says he was distracted That Night because when she was leaning over (for her cellphone) he thought nobody was driving the car... she thinks he's going to hit that biker who is about 100 blocks away... she harps on the accident and says he was drunk, he denies it...
Meanwhile the sales force is dividing up the 70 pages (!?!?!) of contacts and squabbling about how to divide them up. Jimenez ("Dios Mio") sees them - he wasn't invited to the party - he instantly figures out what they're doing and says he'll have no part of it. But reminding him - "excuse me, aren't you poor and a loser?" - he has kids to put through school, the ringleader convinces him into it. Soon all are settled down with a few pages of clients, making calls.
Vic calls Rafa constantly, he never answers. In quite a state she goes to the beauty parlor run by the jail boys. She has a few grey hairs ("he gave them to me!") and wants them covered. There is a dumb conversation around their confusion about her "pajarito" (little bird) and cats are nice pets and so are boa constrictors etc.
Finally Rafa and Ale get to the restaurant, where her ex-boyfriend is waiting. She tells him the harrowing tale of the beast who almost murdered her (without saying it was Rafa). Carlos asks what she's been up to, since university. She says she went to Harvard. Him, in English: "No kidding, I was in Boston too, best years of my life!" they talk in English, leaving Rafa out, until he says: "Let's get back to cars."
The boyfriend wants a very low price. Ale starts saying that's impossible, the boyfriend says "then I will take my business elsewhere," Rafa starts talking a mile a minute about his cousin's trucks full of cattle and before you know it, the client has said ok, I'm sold. Ale is surprised and impressed.
Rafa jumps up and down and does karate moves in the parking lot, but Ale slaps him down and says the commission goes to the company because he's still in training. "Maybe you can get that cousin of yours to buy more trucks." "I just made that up." "You professional liar!" No matter how much she yells at him, he looks at her admiringly. He asks what kind of music she wants - she says SILENCE.
When they get back to A. Siglo, everybody tells Rafa's phone has been ringing constantly. "Vicky! Vicky! Vicky! Vicky!" He says, "it's my cousin" and slinks into his cubicle to call her back.
Ale tells Susanna it was Rafa who sealed the sale - "I've never seen anybody sell like that before. He's ignorant but creative." She calls Marco and says he can have a new car.
Marco crows to Chavez and rushes over to the agency and slides into a great car - "This is a car like I deserve!" - and drives it off at high speed to the distress of the mechanic. The plan he made with his seedy buddy: to hoochy-koochy with harlots tonight. And now he has a car to do it! He drives Ale home, where all admire the car. He plans for her to take sleeping pills and him to slip out, but her plan is to make love.
Meanwhile, Rafa has gone home, tired but happy. His friend Jaime is helping sis with her homework (and batting her eyelashes she convinces him to take it home and finish it for her).
They say Vicki called him forty times already and in fact is calling again this very minute. He tells V. not to come over but too late! She's already hung up and is on her way. But when he starts kissing her she is pushing him away and squeaking, not here, not now, my daddy, I need to call him, dad calls her ...
... and Marcos is pushing away Ale over and over, saying she is too fragile for this, and besides he forgot to bring condoms ... his cell rings, it's no doubt Chavez saying the harlots are ready, but he pretends it's some biz with the British International Co and he has to leave...
Ale flashes to the tender, loving looks Rafa gave him during the day... careful, Marcos, you haven't landed that fish yet...
Well, Jorge wasn't dead. Azucena the maid thought he'd committed suicide! ("And he left owing me money!") The doc looks him over. At first he thinks it was a heart attack, but it turns out Jorge took a few sleeping pills thinking they were vitamins "or something for my memory." His sis sez nobody is going to tell Ale about this little mistake.
Ale is annoyed Claudia has been draping her assets over Rafa - he needs to concentrate. He was going to lunch with Claudia but Ale says "his training is not over" and takes him out in the parking lot. She was intending to drive him to lunch with Carlos Porda, a petroleum company exec, and her ex-boyfriend - Rafa's startled because she's in no shape to drive - but she's not going to let him, a beast, an assassin, drive her - he says "I was practically born driving" - she refuses - but Beltran the boss shows up and gives the keys to Rafa.
She yells at him for speeding (he isn't), he drives erratically because her shouting is frightening him, she scolds him again for trying to kill her That Night, he says he was distracted That Night because when she was leaning over (for her cellphone) he thought nobody was driving the car... she thinks he's going to hit that biker who is about 100 blocks away... she harps on the accident and says he was drunk, he denies it...
Meanwhile the sales force is dividing up the 70 pages (!?!?!) of contacts and squabbling about how to divide them up. Jimenez ("Dios Mio") sees them - he wasn't invited to the party - he instantly figures out what they're doing and says he'll have no part of it. But reminding him - "excuse me, aren't you poor and a loser?" - he has kids to put through school, the ringleader convinces him into it. Soon all are settled down with a few pages of clients, making calls.
Vic calls Rafa constantly, he never answers. In quite a state she goes to the beauty parlor run by the jail boys. She has a few grey hairs ("he gave them to me!") and wants them covered. There is a dumb conversation around their confusion about her "pajarito" (little bird) and cats are nice pets and so are boa constrictors etc.
Finally Rafa and Ale get to the restaurant, where her ex-boyfriend is waiting. She tells him the harrowing tale of the beast who almost murdered her (without saying it was Rafa). Carlos asks what she's been up to, since university. She says she went to Harvard. Him, in English: "No kidding, I was in Boston too, best years of my life!" they talk in English, leaving Rafa out, until he says: "Let's get back to cars."
The boyfriend wants a very low price. Ale starts saying that's impossible, the boyfriend says "then I will take my business elsewhere," Rafa starts talking a mile a minute about his cousin's trucks full of cattle and before you know it, the client has said ok, I'm sold. Ale is surprised and impressed.
Rafa jumps up and down and does karate moves in the parking lot, but Ale slaps him down and says the commission goes to the company because he's still in training. "Maybe you can get that cousin of yours to buy more trucks." "I just made that up." "You professional liar!" No matter how much she yells at him, he looks at her admiringly. He asks what kind of music she wants - she says SILENCE.
When they get back to A. Siglo, everybody tells Rafa's phone has been ringing constantly. "Vicky! Vicky! Vicky! Vicky!" He says, "it's my cousin" and slinks into his cubicle to call her back.
Ale tells Susanna it was Rafa who sealed the sale - "I've never seen anybody sell like that before. He's ignorant but creative." She calls Marco and says he can have a new car.
Marco crows to Chavez and rushes over to the agency and slides into a great car - "This is a car like I deserve!" - and drives it off at high speed to the distress of the mechanic. The plan he made with his seedy buddy: to hoochy-koochy with harlots tonight. And now he has a car to do it! He drives Ale home, where all admire the car. He plans for her to take sleeping pills and him to slip out, but her plan is to make love.
Meanwhile, Rafa has gone home, tired but happy. His friend Jaime is helping sis with her homework (and batting her eyelashes she convinces him to take it home and finish it for her).
They say Vicki called him forty times already and in fact is calling again this very minute. He tells V. not to come over but too late! She's already hung up and is on her way. But when he starts kissing her she is pushing him away and squeaking, not here, not now, my daddy, I need to call him, dad calls her ...
... and Marcos is pushing away Ale over and over, saying she is too fragile for this, and besides he forgot to bring condoms ... his cell rings, it's no doubt Chavez saying the harlots are ready, but he pretends it's some biz with the British International Co and he has to leave...
Ale flashes to the tender, loving looks Rafa gave him during the day... careful, Marcos, you haven't landed that fish yet...
Labels: dinero
Sortilegio Monday February 8
Hello all,
I don't have a TV and so I usually go watch Sortilegio with a long-suffering friend who doesn't speak Spanish and is only mildly interested in Telenovelas but gives over her TV to me so I can watch and blog. (thanks Chris!) Today we're having blizzard conditions and I don't think I will be able to make it to her house. If my wifi is up tonight (sometimes it doesn't work in storms) I'll try to find Sortilegio chapter 88 on YouTube and get something up at least. Stay warm and dry, everyone!
I don't have a TV and so I usually go watch Sortilegio with a long-suffering friend who doesn't speak Spanish and is only mildly interested in Telenovelas but gives over her TV to me so I can watch and blog. (thanks Chris!) Today we're having blizzard conditions and I don't think I will be able to make it to her house. If my wifi is up tonight (sometimes it doesn't work in storms) I'll try to find Sortilegio chapter 88 on YouTube and get something up at least. Stay warm and dry, everyone!
Labels: sortilegio
Hombre de Misterio's guide to the lure of telenovelas
Judy wanted me to share this with y'all! Hombre wrote:
Delayed gratification. That could be the secret to all telenovelas. They make us think something is going to happen, in this very episode. Then we wait, we watch, we lean towards the television set. Our pulses race, our breath quickens, we can just TASTE the revelation to come. Except when it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s a moment of love, sometimes revenge. Usually, we’re just waiting for one character to finally tell another something we, the faithful audience, have known for weeks! Ah, but those writers, have they no shame? Do they think it’s FUNNY when they tease us, only to make us wait until the next episode? And that means waiting through a long weekend? With lots of snow? (at least for me). I guess they do.
Delayed gratification. That could be the secret to all telenovelas. They make us think something is going to happen, in this very episode. Then we wait, we watch, we lean towards the television set. Our pulses race, our breath quickens, we can just TASTE the revelation to come. Except when it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s a moment of love, sometimes revenge. Usually, we’re just waiting for one character to finally tell another something we, the faithful audience, have known for weeks! Ah, but those writers, have they no shame? Do they think it’s FUNNY when they tease us, only to make us wait until the next episode? And that means waiting through a long weekend? With lots of snow? (at least for me). I guess they do.
Labels: telenovelas
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Sortilegio, 2/5/10: It's All In The Kiss or, Ignorance Ain't Bliss
[Because your kiss is on my list of the best things in life
(because your kiss) your kiss is on my list
(because your kiss) your kiss i can't resist...
Because your kiss is on my list of the best things in life
--Hall and Oates, "Kiss On My List" (1980)Voices Album]
--Hall and Oates, "Kiss On My List" (1980)Voices Album]
Resumen del capítulo 87
First a little review of the redo:
Gabriel and Paula are cleaning up the kitchen while discussing Gabe's new found and eventually reknowned talent as a sculptor of means. He is inclined to believe that his future fortune and fame are written in the stars and hopes that our pretty pug in a ponytail will now begin to see him with $$... er...those same stars in her eyes. Peso-lovin' Pau, on the rebound from an unrequited love for her first crush, Roberto, decides to give Gabe a go. They make a date. She gives him a kiss on the cheek and skedaddles. Once she's gone Gabe the Gimp acts like he is never gonna wash his face again.
At the same time, across town at the hospital, Dr. Hernan and the consulting neurologist and gynocologist give Mary Jo and Alex the results of her brain scan and ultrasound. The scan shows she was not a drug addict and the ultrasound shows she had indeed had a baby. She is 100% certified as Mary Jo, the wife of Alex, and the mother of Tony. With time and the medication they prepared for her, says the neurologist, little by little she will begin to get her memory back. MJ cries tears of happiness and confusion mixed with concern at not being able to relate.
=============
At casita de Nando, Katia is still very down in the dumps and brooding over Bruno's giving his little ho' the big heave. She tells her big bro' Fernando that she hasn't felt like seeing anybody or going anywhere all day. Woe is the ho' cuz now she is jobless and seemingly friendless. Life's a bore and she's a ....(rhymes with snore). Nando gives his bitch of a sister (appropriately enough) a puppy named Sami to cheer her up.
Meanwhile, Maura and Raquel are having coffee at a streetside cafe in town. In between complaints about her drinking, Mau is pumping Raqhell for news from Casota de Lobos y Locos de los Lombardo. Mau is anxious to know how Alex took the news about Ulises being the one who kidnapped MJ, and more importantly, if he's planning on reporting Uli to the police. Raqui says she doesn't know but she hopes not. Supposedly they are waiting to see if MJ recovers her memory first and can tell them what happened during the incident. Mau has a flashback to the kidnapping. Raqui confirms that Mary Jo is being treated in hopes that it helps her to get her memory back. Mau is Ruh-Roh!! impactada when she hears that MJ is under treatment specifically to regain her memory. (A silent prayer goes up to the virgencita throughout Viewerville in hopes that it might be soon--the sooner the better.)
Bruno now shows up at the main house throwing choice insults around at the hired help while looking for Mary Jo. He makes sure with Arturo first that Alex isn't around. Art says Sr. Alex has gone out for the day. Bruno goes inside the house then and asks Felipa if MJ is in. She tells him even if she were, he doesn't have permission to go upstairs. He sneers at her. Victoria walks in on him and Felipa. Vicki asks why he's there. Bruno says he wants to talk to Mary Jo. (Hmm. No more pretense that she's Sandra?) Vicki tells him she's not there. He asks if she's refusing to let him speak to her. (Like, where else would she be, lady?) Vicki deflects and asks what he needs to talk to her about. He gives her the now tiresome line that MJ's now a divorcee and that in Toluca they were dating and yada, yada.
Vicki says MJ never mentioned it. Bruno says well, he's telling her now, and that it means that Mary Jo loves him. Vicki is stone faced. He whines for effect, trying to elicit a little motherly guilt, complaining that even now that MJ's stopped loving Alex, his momma is forceably keeping him from a chance at happiness with her. (¡Ay! Talk to the hand, Bruno, cuz that face stopped listenin' a while ago.) Vicki reminds him she's his brother's wife, for crying out loud. He reminds her that technically she isn't. (Ugh! Here we go uh-gain!) Felipa interjects with something about as soon as MJ gets her memory back, but El Bruto tells her to shut her trap and starts heading for the stairs. Vicki yells at him to stop right there.
El Broodo de Bruno asks Vicki why she insists on stopping him and is taking the side of somebody who isn't even her real son. Felipa makes a pointed aside that they all wish to God that Alex was her son and not him. (Ten points team Felipa!) He yells at Felipa to stop meddling in his business. Vicki tells Bruno to stop yelling and acting like some deranged crazy person because Felipa is right. As soon as MJ gets her memory back his scheming will all be for nothing anyway because she'll know Alex is her one and only true love. He whinges (I do like that word!) that before all this memory stuff they were serious with each other.
Vicki throws her hands up in the air and says what the heck is his problem, anyway? They had and have had nothing going on between them. "What do you want? To snatch her from your brother? To destroy a family?" Bruno carps that Alex did that to him so why can't he do the same to Alex? It's only fair. Vicki tries reasoning with him, telling him again that it doesn't make any sense, that he's destroying himself, and --bottome line--that the way he's tied himself to this need for MJ is almost sick. (Almost, Victoria???) She pleads with him to look for another woman to have a relationship with and to forget this obsession so that he could actually be happy for once. "Just forget her and all this resentment of yours!!" Broodo says she doesn't know the first thing about it or him: Alex took away everything and has made him what he is! Alex not only took everything from him but he flaunts it in front of his face all the time! How is he supposed to feel? Who's being unfair then? Just who?
Vicki loses her patience and yells. "Enough already!" The commotion is so loud that as Alex and MJ return and enter the house, Alex has to intercede. He asks what's happening here. Felipa spouts off that "what's happening" is that Bruno is a spawn of the Devil. Vicki tries to cover and smooth things over. She lies and says nothing's going on and then tries changing the subject to what they found out at the hospital. Alex looks suspiciously over at Bruno and tells her that it turns out that tests showed there were no drugs and therefore it's not Sandra, but really Mary Jo, just like they thought. Besides that, the ultrasound proved she had had a baby.
Bruno yells back at Alex that the kid isn't his and that even so, MJ doesn't feel a thing for Alex now. (Nanny-nanny-boo-boo!) Alex says, yeah, but she'll remember soon enough. Bruno glares at Alex. "Oh yeah? What's she going to remember?" Alex gets in Bruno's face and keeps verbally punching back. He doesn't miss a beat. "You know what she'll feel whenever she looks in your face? Scorn! Rejection! That's the only thing you've ever aroused in her." Bruno is ready to explode. Vicki tries getting Mary Jo out of there. Mary Jo takes a hint and says she's going upstairs to see Tony.
Bruno starts after MJ but Alex blocks him. He's in Bruno's face again and telling him that his alegations are useless, cuz she's his wife and that's that! Bruno taunts back. "--In Toluca we were a serious item. We dated and we got touchy-feely with each other. We kissed each other. I even went to bed with her! (Oh noes!) Yep. That's how it was!" Alex has heard enough; he goes for Bruno's jugular. (Viewerville is up for another one of those exhillarating knock-down drag-outs, but...) Vicki jumps in between them and yells at them (despite Viewerville's multitudenous groans of protest) to stop it, and now! She turns to Bruno accusingly. "--No way will I witness [presenciar] another fight in my house!" Alex threatens that he'll kill him if he doesn't stay away from Mary Jo.
Bruno looks like he welcomes the challenge, but then he turns to his Mama with tears of frustration in his eyes. "What's Alex got to do with any of this? After all he's nothing but a filthy mooch since now the house belongs to you and Mary Jo!" Vicki is caught in the emotional squeeze-play. Somewhere she finds the strength to tell Alex to ignore Bruno, and, yes even to cut the apron-strings with her pain-in-the-ass progeny. "Precisely because I own this house I'm now telling you to clear out!" Bruno balks and stalls saying they'll wait to see what MJ has to say about it. Alex spits back a warning not to mix her up in this! Vicki has to break it up again. "Enough already! You get out of here or I'll throw you out myself--unless you've been so poorly raised that you'd lay a hand on your own mother!" Bruno threatens her not to force him to. Vicki (along with an incensed Viewerville) yells at him to just "Get out!!" Alex backs her up. "--Beat it!!" [¡Largate!] Bruno backs down (for now) and mumbles to himself on his way out the door. "--Again! Again!" [Otra vez]
Alex says next time Vicki should let him kick him out. Vicki is apopleptic. "--NO! There are not going to be anymore fights in this house! Is that clear?" (In a pig's eye.) Alex says then he and MJ will have to leave with Tony and go somewhere else to live. Vicki begs him not to do that. Alex hands her an ultimatum: she'll have to find the way to throw Bruno out. He walks off in disgust. (The screamfest has left Viewerville emotionally exhausted.) Vicki grabs her head as Felipa worries and warns that all of this emotional upheaval is going to kill her.
Alex heads upstairs to the nursery and learns that Mary Jo took Tony into their bedroom.
MJ is cooing at Tony and telling him she knows she's his mother now, though she doesn't really remember him. Alex walks into their room and MJ wants to know what happened. He says Bruno acted like a fool is all. He sits down and starts to stutter through a question. "I know you thought you were Sandra and I can understand... he was trying to get close to you. So I won't take your answer the wrong way... I just need to know is all. You are everything in the world to me, but I just can't handle it anymore... I ...just can't handle it. I need to ask you; I need to know..... Just how far did the trap Bruno set for you go? Because I would never forgive him, never in my life. He would have to pay for that. --Did you go to bed with Bruno?" Mary Jo immediately and firmly answers him in the negative. "--Of course not!" Alex nervously rubs his brow, lets out a deep sigh of relief and hugs her. MJ hugs him back, but a bit awkwardly.
Mary Jo then asks Alex why he would ask her such a thing. Alex tells her that it's what Bruno just finished telling him about her. She asks why Bruno does these sorts of things. (Do you have a few years to spend learning the psychology behind sociopathology?) Alex explains that he's always done stuff like that, ever since they were kids. "He would always take advantage of me, hassle me, beat up on me. I never let myself lose control, but........" MJ wondered what his parents ever did about it. Alex says he told about some things and they scolded Bruno. Other things he just let pass and kept quiet about. "Things got worse as we grew up." Alex just sort of resigned himself to it all, he tells her. Mary Jo says she thought brothers were supposed to love each other. (Ever heard of Cain and Abel?) Alex reminds her that they are only half-brothers. Anyway, he says, Bruno always was doing something to upset and anger him --and MJ as well. MJ wants him to tell her everything in detail. If it's that disturbing for him, she says, she needs to know all of it. They decide to eat up there in the room and have a long overdue discussion.
Later that evening Mau and Bruno have a pow-wow at the usual watering hole. Mau says she's going crazy from this whole thing and can't deal with it anymore. She's unable to sleep, to eat, or to even think straight any more. The poor dear even has to take tranquilizers to calm herself down. She's desperate. Bruno asks just what it could be that's bothering her. Mau says she is really worried about what happens if and when MJ remembers what went on during the kidnapping and that MJ heard her. "--What the hell was it you said?" She explains that when the kidnappers rushed in she was afraid that they might make a mistake and take her instead. She pointed at MJ and told them she was the one they were supposed to take. "--You should have kept your mouth shut!"
Mau says she was too frightened, so now she's worried that MJ will remember and she'll be arrested for being an accomplice. Bruno thinks it's a small detail and Mary Jo probably won't remember it. Or, they'll just have to hope that she doesn't. "--But what if she does?" "--Then you deny it! Remember they're only interested in the real culprit. That will be Ulises." (It helps not to have a conscience, of course. However, Mau isn't a sociopath like you, dude. She is just a rich, run-of-the-mill, jealous female out to get back at her competition.) "--Do you know where he is?" Bruno lies and says he doesn't. She whimpers again. She is really afraid. He loses his patience with her and tells her to just deal with it! He pays the tab (big of him), kisses her hand gallantly (what a jerkwad) and leaves her alone with her conscience.
Back at The Compound, Alex finishes telling MJ about all the little intrigues they've suffered through with Bruno recently. Mary Jo wants to know why he didn't just put a stop to it all or go to the police with it. Alex tries to explain that he didn't in order to save their families from scandal. She's surprised that he included her family into the mix. He says it was because he had fallen in love, head over heels, with her; that he still feels that way about her now. Alex misses her kisses and hugs, and especially the sex. This makes her uncomfortable. (Ah, come on. Look at this guy! Who in their right mind wouldn't want to jump his bones and/or have him jump their bones after a romantic come on like that?) MJ gets up from the table and walks away. Alex asks her to tell him --truthfully-- if she feels anything, anything at all, for him now.
Mary Jo tries to explain how it was in Toluca. "When I was in Toluca and Don Porfirio told me he wanted me to get married, I told him about Damian and introduced him. Don Porfirio didn't like him. So then, I told him about you --a photographer-- and that I was undecided about what there was between you and me. He wanted to meet you." Alex wants to know what she felt for the "photographer" at least. She admits he came across as sweet, pleasant, and kind. She liked him. He's disturbed that she talks about him in the past tense. She tries explaining that with everything that's happened since then, his taking her by force, and then telling her so many painful things about her mother that it's hard to say. He reminds her that everything he told her about her mother was the truth.
Mary Jo says it's hard to feel something nice about a guy who treats her like that. She lost control of her life because of what Alex did, so frankly, she finds it hard to imagine herself being able to love him. She doesn't know that she even wants to. (Ouch!) He says fine. But, she should know--and he swears to her-- that what they had between them before she was kidnapped was more beautiful than either of them could have ever imagined. He only wants the chance to show her and to get back what they had. "Open your heart with me. Try to love me, a little, please?" Mary Jo is brutally honest and says she doesn't know if she can. He says fine. "Have it your way. Just forgive me if I handled things badly. I thought I was doing the right thing by bringing you back here to your real life and home. Apparently you prefered your new life there." He politely says good-night and leaves her alone to mull.
The next morning the rest of the women are having breakfast together. Raqhell says they knew all along that she was really MJ. Felipa agrees. Vicki says the tests she took gave them proof what Bruno was telling them was a lie. Paula says she never believed her mother for a minute. No way could the woman have mistaken her for Sandra. "No, you know it when you're dealing with a loved one." Raqui puts in a worried good word for Uli. "Nobody can possibly think it was Ulises who took her. He had nothing to gain. [interés = reason to pursue, i.e., financially or romantically] Vicki insists that nobody is accusing him. Felipa suggests that he might know something, though. Just then MJ appears at the table asking for Alex. They tell her he already left for work. Apparently he left without saying good-bye and Vicki finds that a bit disconcerting. Mary Jo says she'd really like to visit her father. Paula happily says she'll take her to see him.
Once MJ and Paula are gone Vicki says that something must have happened for Alex to take off like that. Raqui thinks maybe the big love affair is caput. Felipa says it's a shame since MJ just found out she's his wife and all.
Pau and MJ arrive at the mall and she tells MJ not to think it's going to be a first class operation, but at least it's an honest way for their dad to make a living now. Pedro and the others are excited to see MJ there. Meche and Chucho reintroduce themselves to her because she can't remember even a little bit. Chucho reminds her (uh-gain) how he saved Alex's life way back when. Pedro tells her that she met Meche when Bruno played a dirty trick on Meche's kid brother, Gabe, and the rest of them. The three of them head for Pedro's humble abode so that they can have a little chat.
Meanwhile, back at Lodge Lombardo, Vicki has a chat of her own with Bruno. She tells him she really wants him to look for another place to live since he cannot seem to get along with Alex and MJ. Broodo insists on staying there as the judge decreed is his right. The chalet is his and that's that. They can leave if they want. He's staying. Vicki asks him to show a little class. (Him? Might as well spit into the wind, Vicki dear.) "Everything you've done up to now has been a waste. Why don't you just man-up and go your own way? Let everyone have a litte peace around here." This opens it up to a discussion about Bobo and his errant ways. "Are you trying to say I'm like Roberto?" Vicki smiles with just a hint of a snicker. "Roberto has a greater sense of decency than you." "--I'm not leaving! We'll just see if you can run me off!"
Vicki tries to reason with him again. "You have stock in the company and money." "--Yes, but I am lacking the love of my family." (Geez, Louise. It's back to this again.) Vicki gives up and walks off. Bruno watches her walk away and curses her under his breath. "You have never loved me you old fuddy-duddy! Now you can just rot!"
Back at Papi Pedro's apartment, MJ finds out that everything Alex told her about Bruno/Damian was true, and that the reason they never did anything to stop it was because Bruno was blackmailing Pedro for selling pirated merchandise and threatening to throw them all in jail. Pedro insists with his bum leg that nobody would give him a decent job. (To believe this line of self-pity regarding Pedro's game gam, please adjust the beany two notches. He had a desk job, you know?) Pedro continues his tale. When MJ found out, she went along with the fake marriage to Alex to protect them all from Bruno. Pau inserts herself here. "He's the worst kind of human being!" MJ asks why Alex went along with it once he found out. Pau and Pedro insist he kept quiet out of the kindness of his heart and because he fell in love with MJ.
MJ asks if she loved Alex also. Paula assures her she was head over heels for him, too. [derrapar = skidd, spin] Pedro asks what she feels for Alex now. MJ admits he's a stranger now to her. Pau wonders how this could be since they have a child together. Papi P. tells her to think of the rest of them and how they must feel, and how badly Alex suffered when he found out she was kidnapped. Pau tells her how Alex locked himself up with their baby for weeks afterwards because of his depression. Now, says Pedro, he's suffering because she doesn't feel the same for him anymore. MJ starts processing.
Back at Casa Lombardo Vicki tells Felipa she failed to get Bruno to see the light. Felipa's all for putting bugs, rats and whatever other vermin they can find in his place to run him off. (Viewerville is definitely down for that!) Vicki tells her to get real. She says she expected to pay dearly for all her sins, but never like this. She just can't cope any longer. Just then there's a call from Vicki's editor wondering if she's ready to publish her book of poems. Vicki says yes and that she wants it published under her real name. (Anybody wonder if it'll be dedicated to young lover Fer?) The editor is elated and says it will be sensational. FF>>
At Lombardo, Inc. MJ shows up with Pau for a look-see. Pau tells her it's the largest construction company in the state. Alex is thrilled to see her. MJ tells Alex she wanted to see the place where he works. Pau asks if he remembered offering her a job. He tells Mari to see to it immediately. He and MJ go into his office for a chat. MJ tells him about her chat with her papi and how Alex saved him from himself by paying his debts, etc. Alex admits he felt sorry for the old guy. It's obvious that MJ now sees him in a different light.
Meanwhile, Mari and Paula make quick friends with each other, especially when Mau shows up and they can secretly agree on how disagreeable Meowra is. Mau wants to speak with Alex. Mari and Pau let her know he's busy speaking with MJ and cannot be disturbed. Meowra says she wanted to tell him what Dr. Hernan told her about Lisett and to have him call her later when he's free. She pads out on all fours. Mari and Pau want to gag. They share a secret snicker.
Back in Alex's office he and MJ begin to flirt a bit. He takes the rest of the afternoon off and says after lunch he wants her to see the sights of the city with him. She says fine and blushes. He says there's a change in her. He wonders if it's good or bad. She asks him what he thinks. He says he has lots of questions he might ask her, but there's only one he will ask. "Can I kiss you?" She nods. He makes his move. They kiss. She goes with the flow and the two of them end up panting on his love seat. Just when it starts to get out of hand and we think they're going to do the deed right then and there and are asking ourselves if they remembered to lock the door, Alex pulls away. He politely asks her to forgive him for getting so carried away. "It's just, well, the fact is that I'm dying to make love to you. (Viewerville swoons.) It seems like years since we've done it." MJ giggles as Uni breaks for a little crass commercialism and gives us all a chance to catch our breath.
When we return, Pau and Mari are sealing their friendship. Pau says it's obvious Alex and MJ adore each other, so she is not about to be a third wheel. She asks Mari where Bobo's office is and heads there for a surprise visit. Bobo is happy to see her. He shows her the project he's working on. She mentions that BTW she's got a job there now also. He's happy to hear it. She's wondering if he'll end up going to Brazil for a while. He thinks he probably will. She says she'll miss him. He says he'll miss her also, then asks in his best Big Brother voice if she's managed to meet anyone yet. She says yes and that he knows him but probably doesn't remember him because the guy's been a nobody all this time although he is about to become a famous sculptor. Bobo says she doesn't sound very enthused about the guy. She says that's because the one she's been so enthused about was him. Bobo gets suddenly stiff. "I already explained that to you."
We beam over to the hospital now where Lisett is being discharged today. Her new friend from the free clinic, Lety, comes by and introduces her to her brother, Checo. (Uh, where is the scarf, Lis? --Hubby can't resist remarking that she looks like a conehead without it. Sadly, he's got a point. Show a little self-respect there, Lizzie. That turquoise thing looked pretty good the other day.) Lis introduces both of them to Big Sis, Meowra, and then invites them to come the next morning to the Hello-Kitty Castle for a big surprise she's got planned for them.
On the way out of the hospital Meowra scolds Lis for wanting to pay for the other girl's transplant. "What's the matter? Don't I have the money?" "--Of course you do, but you don't go throwing it around like that! I'm your sister and I'm supposed to take care of you." Lis says it's good that she remembered that because it seemed she forgot while Lis was laid up in the hospital all this time. (Ten points, team Lis.) Luckily she had Lety who did come to visit and she became her friend. Meowra can only gripe about the class Lety and her brother--with a name like Checo--come from. Lis walks off and leaves Meowra to stew and spew by her sorry damn self. (Another ten-pointer for Lizzie.)
Meanwhile, Pau and Gabe have their date. He shows her through an art museum nearby and explains what he knows about techniques or some such. FF>>
That night at the Casota, up in the nursery, Alex and Mary Jo tuck little Tony in. Alex tells her she'll be the best mother. MJ says it seems she remembers him telling her that exact same thing before. Could it be she's finally starting to remember? Alex says it could be. She's elated and hugs him. They walk towards their bedroom door. She thanks him for a wonderful day together then asks where he's going to be sleeping. Alex chuckles and says he's sleeping in the guest room. MJ asks him if he wants to come in with her. He smiles and says it will not be just for a kiss good-night. It looks, though, that she might be seriously considering the option. Mary Jo makes up her mind and invites him in. Alex asks her not to turn the lights on. He tells her that he understands how she feels and that he realizes it must be like the very first time they were together. He promises to be kind and gentle with her. He goes in for The Kiss. She tries to get into it but she's still too nervous and not really ready for it. Alex says not to worry. If she's not sure about it he can wait. He wants her to be completely confident so that next time they're together nothing is stopping her. He kisses her good night. She tells him to rest well. [Descansar] He chuckles to himself. (As if.) She smiles. He leaves. She's hot but not quite ready to trot.
The next morning they are all at breakfast. Alex and MJ tell Vicki they're going to visit Porfi but first he's stopping at the police station to report Uli to the police for the kidnapping. Raqui walks in on the discussion. Vicki tells her now that they know MJ is really MJ those responsible must pay for their crime. Raqui is desperate. She says all they have is Bruno's word that it was Uli. (We all know what that's worth. It seems like Mama and Alex are suffering from amnesia all of a sudden, here, too.) "Perhaps it's nothing but a big lie!" Vicki says that's why the police have to find him, to get at the truth. "But Mary Jo is just fine!" Pau pipes up to add that whoever did that to MJ has to pay! "--But he's my child's father!" Felipa chides her. "--And a courageous man you chose for the father, too! Anyway, you could give a flip about your daughter!" "--Stay out of it!" Alex tells Raqui that his mind is made up. He's reporting Uli to the police. Raqhell is frantic. She begs him not to do it. She turns to Vicki and tells her she'll die if Uli's sent to prison. "If you don't do this...I promise...I promise I'll never take another drink! Please! I'm begging you!" Vicki asks if she's really serious. Raqui nods. Serious as a heart attack.
Mary Jo says she has no problem if they choose not to report Uli to the police. Besides, she's back, safe and sound. Alex says then he'll think about it, but it is a crime that should not go unpunished. Raqui runs to MJ and tries to thank her --as best she can, considering. Pau starts to say something else but Mary Jo shuts her up on the spot. "There's nothing more to say. Perhaps we're making a mistake in not reporting Uli to the police, but with what Raqhell has promised, we've come out with a win."
Back in Toluca, Elena has been found out by Porfi's manservant, Isaías. Isaías goes back to Porfi's bedside and reports that he's sure he's seen Elena around town. So where is Sandra? Does that mean they have returned from wherever? Porfi doesn't like how things are shaping up. He has his man call Elena's rancho. The housekeeper answers and says yes, Sra. Elena is there. When she goes to hand the phone to Elena, Elena tells her to tell whoever it is that she's still away on a trip. Oops! Too late. The housekeeper tries to tell Isaías she's still traveling, but Porfi isn't buying any of Elena's B.S. and gets on the phone himself.
"If she's back why hasn't anyone bothered to tell me? It's not like we live in another country or something! Look, I want to speak to Elena! Put her on!" Elena pretends she's just walked back in the door. "So where's Sandra?" Elena pretends she left her to visit or something. "--You left her alone?" "--Oh, Porfirio. She's lived on her own for years now." "--You tell her she's to come back here immediately! That's an order!" Click.
Elena races over to tell Jorrible Jorge the bad news. "What do we do now?" Jorge tells her to call Merida and convince Mary Jo to come. "--And if she doesn't want to?" "CONVINCE HER!!!!!" (Viewerville waits for the rafters to stop shaking. What a freakin' ogre! It's Three Billygoats Gruff come to life. He and Porfirio are such a freak show.) Elena takes the phone from him and starts dialing. Vicki takes the phone from Zeke. She lets Elena know that MJ and Alex are on their way to Toluca to visit with Porfirio. "--Uh, Mary Jo?" Elena acts confused. Vicki says yes. They've medical proof now that MJ isn't Sandra. Vicki is so cool towards Elena the phone nearly gives Elena frostbite. "--Is there anything else I can help you with?" Elena says no, thank you, and then hangs up. She chokes giving Jorge the bad news that they've found out Mary Jo is not really Sandra and that she and Alex are on their way to visit the old man. What if they tell him the truth now?
Jorge wonders what's the big deal. "Not to worry. Ulises was the one who did the kidnapping, remember? He assured us she was Sandra." Elena is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She can't believe that Jorge can be so cool and calm about it. Doesn't he realize the threat they are facing now, she asks. Jorge robotically explains to her that if one panics one cannot think clearly. Elena just blinks at him. She is panic personified.
Back at the Lombardo's Fernando is visiting his one true love. Vicki tells Fer that MJ and Alex have gone to see Porfirio. He asks if they plan to tell the old guy the truth. Vicki says she isn't sure MJ has it in her. He says he'll call his tío abuelo to warn him because if Porfi gets the bad news he won't take it well at all and somebody will need to control him. The man flies off the handle all the time and only his tío can really manage him. She has Fernando make the phone call. Emiliano answers and thanks him for the heads up, then heads over to Porfi's for the assist.
Labels: sortilegio
Gancho, Friday February 5th. What do you do with a very drunk Dama, when No One has an extra Cama?
Delayed gratification. That could be the secret to all telenovelas. They make us think something is going to happen, in this very episode. Then we wait, we watch, we lean towards the television set. Our pulses race, our breath quickens, we can just TASTE the revelation to come. Except when it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s a moment of love, sometimes revenge. Usually, we’re just waiting for one character to finally tell another something we, the faithful audience, have known for weeks! Ah, but those writers, have they no shame? Do they think it’s FUNNY when they tease us, only to make us wait until the next episode? And that means waiting through a long weekend? With lots of snow? (at least for me). I guess they do.
So, we’ve arrived at the moment of truth. Mau will tell Moni about Isabel. At least that’s what we’re led to believe. Monita shows up at Mau’s, and he decides to cook some pasta for her. Let’s just say, the pasta never gets made. Well then, does he suelta la sopa (spill the beans)? We’ll see. Moni tells Mau that La Momia said the strangest thing, that Isabel was still alive, and Mau could answer all her questions about the matter. Can you believe that? How crazy is that!
Mau’s response: I love you so much. Moni doesn’t get it, I love you too. There’s a little kiss, but Moni notices that Mau isn’t smiling, in fact, he’s crying a little. What’s wrong? Mau tells her he’s lost so much. He lost Salvador, who was like a father to him. He lost his children. Moni’s all he has left. Without her, he wouldn’t want to continue living.
But over in the cantina, they’re continuing living it up. Beto’s filling Nieves’ glass, while Estrella fills Jacqui’s. Don Cesar observes helplessly as the game of Mujeres All-Shloshed-inas continues. Beto tells Cesar not to be a spoilsport (aguafiestas), as Nieves, beads around her forehead, but sinking down, and Jacqui, hair in face and blouse askew, continue slugging down tequila.
Moni’s never seen Mau this despondent (don’t know if I believe that, we’ve seen him crying at least 5 other times). Anyway, she SWEARS that she’ll never leave, nothing can stop their love, yada, yada. He of the big secret, however, says you’ll hate me in the morning. No way, insists Moni. But Mau starts to let it out. La Momia was right – I AM the person who has the answers about your mother.
Cut to said mother, Isabel, talking to Marcos in her hotel room. What did you tell your daughter? Marcos assures Isabel that all he told Coni was that Isabel and he were just old friends, and he ordered Coni not to bother Valentina. Isabel isn’t so sure La Momia will go along with this. Marcos wants to know when Isabel’s going to approach Valentina (I guess to tell her she’s alive, and that Marcos is her father). Isabel refuses to be rushed. Marcos glares at her – Don’t mess with me, or else! His phone rings, he has to leave. He reminds her, though, don’t forget, you have to get close to Valentina, so after that, she can get close to me. Understood?
Moni asks Mau what’s going on, and he says nothing, but his face tells all (well, not all, but you know what I mean). She goes on a rant, her mother was dead, they were in the hospital, Moni tried to save her life but failed, but her mother loved her! She really loved her! Mau keeps saying he’d like to explain, but Moni’s on a roll. Why are you doing this to me? If my mother’s dead, tell me she’s dead! The only thing I have left is the certainty that she loved me. Mau starts to explain. My love, those days in the hospital…and Moni cuts him off again. If she tricked me, if she didn’t really love me…No, that would be a lie, because my Mamá loved me! My Mamá was really sick. Yes, she was sick, replies Mauricio. And she died in the hospital, right? asks Moni. Mau opens his mouth, and….his phone rings. He doesn’t want to answer, but Moni insists. Uh oh, Aldo and Luisa are in jail!
Cut to our favorite little jail (or police station, they use the word delegación), which has the girl’s cells and the boy’s cells facing each other, right across a little walkway. Cristian enters, truncheon in hand, to check out the new guests. We have Luisa and Katia in the girls’ cell, with Aldo, Andrés and the other boys on their side. I guess that little fight in the club got serious. Cris is perturbed that Aldo’s locked up again, was there another raid on a brothel? The other boys find this a hoot, give us the address, Aldo. How are the ladies there? Aldo gets mad, but Cris cautions them not to make things worse. The cops are contacting all your families. Please don’t call La Momia, pleads Luisa. Cris says they called El Señor Mauricio Sermeño, and unfortunately, La Señora Constanza Lerda de Tejada alias La Momia also has to be contacted. Katia asks if they called her Mom (Jacqui). Sorry, Miss, says Cris, your esteemed mother is in a cantina, and is in no condition to help you out. But we’re calling your Dad. Katia doesn’t like this one bit. After Cris leaves to tend to “procedures” (gestiones, one could also use the word trámites), Andrés tells Luisa he’s really jazzed that she came to hear him sing. Lu smiles shyly. (Is she forgetting about Ivan?)
Said Ivan is grilling Britney Sofia (Coni’s new maid), where’s Luisa, let me see her! But she’s not here, says Britney desperately. Out comes Coni. After calling Britney an idiot (she says burra, or donkey), she haughtily informs Ivan that Luisa went to the club to see her schoolboy singer friend. Yes, Andrés Rivadeniera, a well-educated boy, from a good family, with lots of money. He’s handsome, enchanting, talented, perfect to be the novio of Luisa, unlike you, Ivan, you’ll never amount to anything. So leave now, and never return. Ivan counters that Andrés may be all that, but he’ll never get Luisa to love him. Coni laughs, sure, what you want only happens in telenovelas, so lárgate! (Get out!) Ivan leaves, Coni’s phone rings, and she gets the news about the kids in jail.
Luisa screams that it’s Aldo’s fault they’re in jail. Aldo says no, it’s these dummies, they were bragging that they went to see Estrella, saying she was a prostitute, that they threw money at her. One of the nerds gets up and says, well, Katia’s the one who said she was a prostitute, even said she was in porn movies. She even gave us Estrella’s address. (Ahhh, Katia’s been found out, looks as if she wants to sink into the ground).
Aldo realizes what happened, looks at Katia, so it was YOU.
We now peer through a spiral of ironwork into Rolu’s bed. Does this symbolize the circuitous nature of his relationship with Xime?
Xime pops into view, love letter in hand. The letter was maraviguau, no one’s ever written something like that. Rolu takes full credit, those are his true feelings. Xime is enchanted. She then tells Rolu she sold her shares, is he happy? He sure is. But, she adds, she’s giving the money to Mau, is Rolu mad now? No way, he’s fine with that (since he wants Xime to impoverish herself, thus leaving himself indispensable as sole provider). Xime thought he’d be mad, what with their race car rivalry, but Rolu of course says, Mau’s family now, cousin of the woman I love, and you can do whatever you want with your money. And I promise as long as we’re together, you won’t want for anything, I’ll buy you anything you like. Xime says he’s divine, and they kiss, but he’s still WAY more into it than she is.
Jerónimo! Yes, we’ve missed our bungling baddie. He breezes into the apartment, complaining to high heaven to anyone who’ll listen (which at this point means Arnie) how Oscar abandoned him. Jacquelinay won’t answer his calls. What’s he gonna do? Oscar left him destitute (en la miseria). He sees his future passing before his eyes. He’s standing at a traffic light, with a clown nose, two balloons balanced on his butt, juggling (haciendo malabares), and all for what! He was a stockholder, dammit! Now he’s a nobody. But maybe…. you and I could do something together. Arnie’s appalled. Business, replies, Jero, just business. Arnie starts to flee. Sure, abandon me, says Jerry ruefully. Just like everyone else. I’ll have to get used to it, just like they’ll reject me when I’m holding my little bottle of cleaner, trying to clean those windshields. That’s my destiny. Arnie leaves.
Jerry spies the love letter from Lalo, looks around furtively, decides to read it. He’s entranced, then mad, then wistful. How come Lalo never wrote anything so pretty to me? Don’t I deserve it? Don’t I?
At the cantina, we’re winding down, as Beto and Estrella now have to lift the hands of their drinkers to get those shots into them, Nieves and Jacqui having lost the ability to handle such matters on their own. The hands are lifted for another round, but Nieves can’t quite manage it, and her head sinks down onto the table, she’s out cold. Same with Jacqui. Darn, says Estrella, a tie! Okay, game over, says Cesar, let’s get the ladies back to the vecindad. You, Beto take Nieves, I’ll take Jacqui. Hey, says Beto, why do I get the heavier one? Well, it’s your Mom. But I could get a hernia, says Beto. They enlist some strong guys from the next table to help. The guys will help carry Beto’s ex-suegrita, and he and Cesar will take Nieves. On the count of three!
Mauricio, Monita and Connie all arrive at the police station at the same time. Connie won’t even let Mau and Moni see the kids, ‘cause they’re her kids. So this is how you take care of the kids? asks Mau. Coni reminds him that when the kids were under his guardianship (tutela), there were problems, too, but now, with Coni’s firm hand, they’ll behave like cultured people, not animals. Mau says the kids were never animals, and rather than teaching manners, shouldn’t one teach them how to be good people? He doubts Coni will teach that. Enter Marcos, what’s happening? Coni fills him in, but he then notices Moni, what’s she doing here? Moni says she came with Mauricio, the kids are more his that hers (Coni’s)! Ahh, he says, walking over to Mau, so you’re Mauricio Sermeño.
Ivan is distraught that he’s losing Luisa to Andrés. Paula gives him some words of encouragement in English. “Don’t worry, be happy” (isn’t she cute?) Meanwhile, here come the wounded soldierettes, returning from the field of battle.
After a few joking remarks from the crowd, Ivan helps Beto get Nieves to her house to sleep it off. But what to do with Jacqui?
Mau tells Marcos these are his kids, but Marcos says the law is the law, and he’s the adoptive grandfather. He stands up to Mau and says Mau’s a wretch, to mess with two womens’ lives. Marcos is GLAD Mau’s without money, in the street, because that way it’ll be easier to stop him for good. As usual, Mau’s quiet, but Moni’s enraged, and jumps in to defend her man. Mau and Moni insist they just want to SEE the kids, to make sure they’re okay, but even that’s too much for Coni and Marcos. Moni threatens to break Coni’s head in two. Marcos says violence never solved anything (he must have missed the first two thirds of this show), and also tells Coni to control herself, too. Moni gets in another jab, saying the Mummy should open up her museum, we have some relatives here (implying Marcos is just like Coni). Valentina! yells Marcos in frustration.
Okay, what’s to do with Jacqui? First idea, a taxi. No, says Cesar, she’s in no condition, and La Momia would kill us all. They decide the guys from the bar have helped enough, so Beto and Ivan each take a shoulder, and Don Cesar gets between Jacqui’s legs and lifts. Not too dignified, but at least they’ve got her in motion. Okay, let’s take her to Estrella’s house. No, no, no, says Estre, frantically waving her hands, take her to Paula’s house. Wait a minute, says Paula, she won’t fit in my house, we have my father, Cristian and me. How about with Ivan and Terry? No, please no, says Terry, we have Alicia, Ivan and I, and Alicia’s sleeping soundly right now. Ivan suggests calling La Momia, but Beto says she wouldn’t help out her mother for anything. Okay, Paula has another idea, let’s take her to Moni’s house!
Cris tells Mau and Moni they don’t have any rights, so they agree to leave. But Moni has a parting shot for Marcos. If you’re on La Momia’s side, how do you expect me to trust you? They leave, and Marcos tells Cris he wants to take care of the fines. Coni will go check on the kids.
Chaos continues in the vecindad. Estrella nixes the idea of Moni’s house, there’s only one bed, and Moni hates La Momia, what would happen when she got home? Fine, says Beto, then tells Estrella, it’s your house and that’s that, since my jefa is in mine, and we had a tie, right? So you get Jacqui. Estre grudingly agrees as the entire crowd carries the passed out rich lady in the white pantsuit off to her fate.
(Think about it, though, if a poor woman passed out in the rich neighborhood, would the neighbors be so kind? Not in THIS novela).
Luisa, Katia and Aldo have been released, and Coni insults them for about 5 minutes, until her Dad comes back to muzzle her. He also wants to be introduced to his grandchildren. Fine, says Coni, and states their names dismissively, adding there’s also a little one sleeping at home. She’s disgusted, but Marcos is amused and happy. He gives both Aldo and Luisa some high fives and fist bumps,
tells them to cheer up, let’s go out to dinner. Coni opposes this, but Marcos reminds her she was young once. But I’m still young! she insists. Well, then why did you adopt adolescents, instead of having your own babies? To bother our father, says Luisa. You see this insolence, says Coni, this is why I have to be strict with them. Nah, says Marcos, adolescence is a very tough stage, you have to be understanding. Now let’s go to dinner, kids and your new granddad will get to know you. No way, shoots back Coni, we’re going home. Come now, children. She marches off defiantly, leaving her Dad to sputter helplessly.
Outside Moni’s apartment, Mau’s still down about the kids, and he’s also worried about Marcos, but he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. Monita gives him a happy little salute, yes, sir, as you order sir,
and gives him a hug. Mau wants to continue talking about the matter they were discussing before. Moni’s too sleepy to finish the talk, but asks him to come in, and stay with her until she falls asleep. They enter her house, hand in hand.
Nieves is snoring away, as Beto and Cesar tease each other. Cesar thinks Beto set a bad example, egging his Mom on in the cantina. Beto disagrees, after all, she almost won. Cesar tells Beto to go to the store and get some things for a hangover, Nieves will need these. Beto agrees, but not before Cesar has to give him the necessary lana (dough) to pay for the items.
After he leaves, Cesar looks lovingly down at Nieves, bemused that she drank so much. He leans in to kiss her, but is overwhelmed by the liquor smell, thinks he could get drunk from the smell (la pura tufa). He takes off his shades, kisses her hands, calls her his little chocolate candy, he’s here with her, he’ll never leave her alone. Nieves stirs a bit, mumbles where are you? Where is who? asks Cesar. Marcos. The love of my life. Come back to me, I still love you, Marcos, let’s kiss, ah Marcos! Don Cesar is sunglasses-off impactado.
Monita has fallen asleep in Mau’s arms, and he gently places her head on the pillow and quietly gets up. Outside, he runs into Beto, who tells him about the drunk ladies. Beto then notices that Mau looks sad, how come? Valentina now suspects her Mamá is alive. What are they going to do?
Inside, Moni wakes up. She thinks of her Mom, gets out the cigar box with that picture they took when she last saw Isabel. Moni flashes back to all the kind words Isabel said, that she adored Moni, that she was proud of her, that she was so sorry for having abandoned Moni, and begged her forgiveness.
Mau tells Beto that now that Moni has this doubt, there’s no turning back. Sooner or later, through La Momia or otherwise, the truth will come out. Beto agrees, Coni would never stay quiet. He tells Mau how Coni had the chance to choose between love and vengeance, and chose vengeance. Her life’s goal (su meta en la vida) is to destroy La Monita. Mau says he’d understand if Beto doesn’t want to get involved after being hurt by Coni, but Beto says Mau’s his soul brother, and they’re on the same team. He’ll do whatever he can to protect La Monita. Mau says he’s tired of lying. Tomorrow morning, he’ll take Valentina to see her mother.
Moni thinks back some more about those beautiful things Isabel said. But then we see Moni’s face turn thoughtful, wondering, doubtful.
I guess she’ll have to wait until Monday to find out what Mau was trying to tell her.
Previews for Monday: Oscar uses the power of the purse, to make sure Sal stays the same – or worse. And Moni gets to see what’s behind Door Number Two. Will she like what she sees?
Vocabulario:
Un aguafiestas – a spoilsport, a party pooper, a wet blanket
Delegación – police station
Gestiones – procedures (such as legal ones), similar to the word trámites
Miseria – poverty, destitution, it’s a false friend, as the word for “misery” is sufrimiento
Malabarismo – juggling
Tutela – guardianship, tutelage, protection
Tufo – something stinky
Meta en la vida – life’s goal, aim in life
So, we’ve arrived at the moment of truth. Mau will tell Moni about Isabel. At least that’s what we’re led to believe. Monita shows up at Mau’s, and he decides to cook some pasta for her. Let’s just say, the pasta never gets made. Well then, does he suelta la sopa (spill the beans)? We’ll see. Moni tells Mau that La Momia said the strangest thing, that Isabel was still alive, and Mau could answer all her questions about the matter. Can you believe that? How crazy is that!
Mau’s response: I love you so much. Moni doesn’t get it, I love you too. There’s a little kiss, but Moni notices that Mau isn’t smiling, in fact, he’s crying a little. What’s wrong? Mau tells her he’s lost so much. He lost Salvador, who was like a father to him. He lost his children. Moni’s all he has left. Without her, he wouldn’t want to continue living.
But over in the cantina, they’re continuing living it up. Beto’s filling Nieves’ glass, while Estrella fills Jacqui’s. Don Cesar observes helplessly as the game of Mujeres All-Shloshed-inas continues. Beto tells Cesar not to be a spoilsport (aguafiestas), as Nieves, beads around her forehead, but sinking down, and Jacqui, hair in face and blouse askew, continue slugging down tequila.
Moni’s never seen Mau this despondent (don’t know if I believe that, we’ve seen him crying at least 5 other times). Anyway, she SWEARS that she’ll never leave, nothing can stop their love, yada, yada. He of the big secret, however, says you’ll hate me in the morning. No way, insists Moni. But Mau starts to let it out. La Momia was right – I AM the person who has the answers about your mother.
Cut to said mother, Isabel, talking to Marcos in her hotel room. What did you tell your daughter? Marcos assures Isabel that all he told Coni was that Isabel and he were just old friends, and he ordered Coni not to bother Valentina. Isabel isn’t so sure La Momia will go along with this. Marcos wants to know when Isabel’s going to approach Valentina (I guess to tell her she’s alive, and that Marcos is her father). Isabel refuses to be rushed. Marcos glares at her – Don’t mess with me, or else! His phone rings, he has to leave. He reminds her, though, don’t forget, you have to get close to Valentina, so after that, she can get close to me. Understood?
Moni asks Mau what’s going on, and he says nothing, but his face tells all (well, not all, but you know what I mean). She goes on a rant, her mother was dead, they were in the hospital, Moni tried to save her life but failed, but her mother loved her! She really loved her! Mau keeps saying he’d like to explain, but Moni’s on a roll. Why are you doing this to me? If my mother’s dead, tell me she’s dead! The only thing I have left is the certainty that she loved me. Mau starts to explain. My love, those days in the hospital…and Moni cuts him off again. If she tricked me, if she didn’t really love me…No, that would be a lie, because my Mamá loved me! My Mamá was really sick. Yes, she was sick, replies Mauricio. And she died in the hospital, right? asks Moni. Mau opens his mouth, and….his phone rings. He doesn’t want to answer, but Moni insists. Uh oh, Aldo and Luisa are in jail!
Cut to our favorite little jail (or police station, they use the word delegación), which has the girl’s cells and the boy’s cells facing each other, right across a little walkway. Cristian enters, truncheon in hand, to check out the new guests. We have Luisa and Katia in the girls’ cell, with Aldo, Andrés and the other boys on their side. I guess that little fight in the club got serious. Cris is perturbed that Aldo’s locked up again, was there another raid on a brothel? The other boys find this a hoot, give us the address, Aldo. How are the ladies there? Aldo gets mad, but Cris cautions them not to make things worse. The cops are contacting all your families. Please don’t call La Momia, pleads Luisa. Cris says they called El Señor Mauricio Sermeño, and unfortunately, La Señora Constanza Lerda de Tejada alias La Momia also has to be contacted. Katia asks if they called her Mom (Jacqui). Sorry, Miss, says Cris, your esteemed mother is in a cantina, and is in no condition to help you out. But we’re calling your Dad. Katia doesn’t like this one bit. After Cris leaves to tend to “procedures” (gestiones, one could also use the word trámites), Andrés tells Luisa he’s really jazzed that she came to hear him sing. Lu smiles shyly. (Is she forgetting about Ivan?)
Said Ivan is grilling Britney Sofia (Coni’s new maid), where’s Luisa, let me see her! But she’s not here, says Britney desperately. Out comes Coni. After calling Britney an idiot (she says burra, or donkey), she haughtily informs Ivan that Luisa went to the club to see her schoolboy singer friend. Yes, Andrés Rivadeniera, a well-educated boy, from a good family, with lots of money. He’s handsome, enchanting, talented, perfect to be the novio of Luisa, unlike you, Ivan, you’ll never amount to anything. So leave now, and never return. Ivan counters that Andrés may be all that, but he’ll never get Luisa to love him. Coni laughs, sure, what you want only happens in telenovelas, so lárgate! (Get out!) Ivan leaves, Coni’s phone rings, and she gets the news about the kids in jail.
Luisa screams that it’s Aldo’s fault they’re in jail. Aldo says no, it’s these dummies, they were bragging that they went to see Estrella, saying she was a prostitute, that they threw money at her. One of the nerds gets up and says, well, Katia’s the one who said she was a prostitute, even said she was in porn movies. She even gave us Estrella’s address. (Ahhh, Katia’s been found out, looks as if she wants to sink into the ground).
Aldo realizes what happened, looks at Katia, so it was YOU.
We now peer through a spiral of ironwork into Rolu’s bed. Does this symbolize the circuitous nature of his relationship with Xime?
Xime pops into view, love letter in hand. The letter was maraviguau, no one’s ever written something like that. Rolu takes full credit, those are his true feelings. Xime is enchanted. She then tells Rolu she sold her shares, is he happy? He sure is. But, she adds, she’s giving the money to Mau, is Rolu mad now? No way, he’s fine with that (since he wants Xime to impoverish herself, thus leaving himself indispensable as sole provider). Xime thought he’d be mad, what with their race car rivalry, but Rolu of course says, Mau’s family now, cousin of the woman I love, and you can do whatever you want with your money. And I promise as long as we’re together, you won’t want for anything, I’ll buy you anything you like. Xime says he’s divine, and they kiss, but he’s still WAY more into it than she is.
Jerónimo! Yes, we’ve missed our bungling baddie. He breezes into the apartment, complaining to high heaven to anyone who’ll listen (which at this point means Arnie) how Oscar abandoned him. Jacquelinay won’t answer his calls. What’s he gonna do? Oscar left him destitute (en la miseria). He sees his future passing before his eyes. He’s standing at a traffic light, with a clown nose, two balloons balanced on his butt, juggling (haciendo malabares), and all for what! He was a stockholder, dammit! Now he’s a nobody. But maybe…. you and I could do something together. Arnie’s appalled. Business, replies, Jero, just business. Arnie starts to flee. Sure, abandon me, says Jerry ruefully. Just like everyone else. I’ll have to get used to it, just like they’ll reject me when I’m holding my little bottle of cleaner, trying to clean those windshields. That’s my destiny. Arnie leaves.
Jerry spies the love letter from Lalo, looks around furtively, decides to read it. He’s entranced, then mad, then wistful. How come Lalo never wrote anything so pretty to me? Don’t I deserve it? Don’t I?
At the cantina, we’re winding down, as Beto and Estrella now have to lift the hands of their drinkers to get those shots into them, Nieves and Jacqui having lost the ability to handle such matters on their own. The hands are lifted for another round, but Nieves can’t quite manage it, and her head sinks down onto the table, she’s out cold. Same with Jacqui. Darn, says Estrella, a tie! Okay, game over, says Cesar, let’s get the ladies back to the vecindad. You, Beto take Nieves, I’ll take Jacqui. Hey, says Beto, why do I get the heavier one? Well, it’s your Mom. But I could get a hernia, says Beto. They enlist some strong guys from the next table to help. The guys will help carry Beto’s ex-suegrita, and he and Cesar will take Nieves. On the count of three!
Mauricio, Monita and Connie all arrive at the police station at the same time. Connie won’t even let Mau and Moni see the kids, ‘cause they’re her kids. So this is how you take care of the kids? asks Mau. Coni reminds him that when the kids were under his guardianship (tutela), there were problems, too, but now, with Coni’s firm hand, they’ll behave like cultured people, not animals. Mau says the kids were never animals, and rather than teaching manners, shouldn’t one teach them how to be good people? He doubts Coni will teach that. Enter Marcos, what’s happening? Coni fills him in, but he then notices Moni, what’s she doing here? Moni says she came with Mauricio, the kids are more his that hers (Coni’s)! Ahh, he says, walking over to Mau, so you’re Mauricio Sermeño.
Ivan is distraught that he’s losing Luisa to Andrés. Paula gives him some words of encouragement in English. “Don’t worry, be happy” (isn’t she cute?) Meanwhile, here come the wounded soldierettes, returning from the field of battle.
After a few joking remarks from the crowd, Ivan helps Beto get Nieves to her house to sleep it off. But what to do with Jacqui?
Mau tells Marcos these are his kids, but Marcos says the law is the law, and he’s the adoptive grandfather. He stands up to Mau and says Mau’s a wretch, to mess with two womens’ lives. Marcos is GLAD Mau’s without money, in the street, because that way it’ll be easier to stop him for good. As usual, Mau’s quiet, but Moni’s enraged, and jumps in to defend her man. Mau and Moni insist they just want to SEE the kids, to make sure they’re okay, but even that’s too much for Coni and Marcos. Moni threatens to break Coni’s head in two. Marcos says violence never solved anything (he must have missed the first two thirds of this show), and also tells Coni to control herself, too. Moni gets in another jab, saying the Mummy should open up her museum, we have some relatives here (implying Marcos is just like Coni). Valentina! yells Marcos in frustration.
Okay, what’s to do with Jacqui? First idea, a taxi. No, says Cesar, she’s in no condition, and La Momia would kill us all. They decide the guys from the bar have helped enough, so Beto and Ivan each take a shoulder, and Don Cesar gets between Jacqui’s legs and lifts. Not too dignified, but at least they’ve got her in motion. Okay, let’s take her to Estrella’s house. No, no, no, says Estre, frantically waving her hands, take her to Paula’s house. Wait a minute, says Paula, she won’t fit in my house, we have my father, Cristian and me. How about with Ivan and Terry? No, please no, says Terry, we have Alicia, Ivan and I, and Alicia’s sleeping soundly right now. Ivan suggests calling La Momia, but Beto says she wouldn’t help out her mother for anything. Okay, Paula has another idea, let’s take her to Moni’s house!
Cris tells Mau and Moni they don’t have any rights, so they agree to leave. But Moni has a parting shot for Marcos. If you’re on La Momia’s side, how do you expect me to trust you? They leave, and Marcos tells Cris he wants to take care of the fines. Coni will go check on the kids.
Chaos continues in the vecindad. Estrella nixes the idea of Moni’s house, there’s only one bed, and Moni hates La Momia, what would happen when she got home? Fine, says Beto, then tells Estrella, it’s your house and that’s that, since my jefa is in mine, and we had a tie, right? So you get Jacqui. Estre grudingly agrees as the entire crowd carries the passed out rich lady in the white pantsuit off to her fate.
(Think about it, though, if a poor woman passed out in the rich neighborhood, would the neighbors be so kind? Not in THIS novela).
Luisa, Katia and Aldo have been released, and Coni insults them for about 5 minutes, until her Dad comes back to muzzle her. He also wants to be introduced to his grandchildren. Fine, says Coni, and states their names dismissively, adding there’s also a little one sleeping at home. She’s disgusted, but Marcos is amused and happy. He gives both Aldo and Luisa some high fives and fist bumps,
tells them to cheer up, let’s go out to dinner. Coni opposes this, but Marcos reminds her she was young once. But I’m still young! she insists. Well, then why did you adopt adolescents, instead of having your own babies? To bother our father, says Luisa. You see this insolence, says Coni, this is why I have to be strict with them. Nah, says Marcos, adolescence is a very tough stage, you have to be understanding. Now let’s go to dinner, kids and your new granddad will get to know you. No way, shoots back Coni, we’re going home. Come now, children. She marches off defiantly, leaving her Dad to sputter helplessly.
Outside Moni’s apartment, Mau’s still down about the kids, and he’s also worried about Marcos, but he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. Monita gives him a happy little salute, yes, sir, as you order sir,
and gives him a hug. Mau wants to continue talking about the matter they were discussing before. Moni’s too sleepy to finish the talk, but asks him to come in, and stay with her until she falls asleep. They enter her house, hand in hand.
Nieves is snoring away, as Beto and Cesar tease each other. Cesar thinks Beto set a bad example, egging his Mom on in the cantina. Beto disagrees, after all, she almost won. Cesar tells Beto to go to the store and get some things for a hangover, Nieves will need these. Beto agrees, but not before Cesar has to give him the necessary lana (dough) to pay for the items.
After he leaves, Cesar looks lovingly down at Nieves, bemused that she drank so much. He leans in to kiss her, but is overwhelmed by the liquor smell, thinks he could get drunk from the smell (la pura tufa). He takes off his shades, kisses her hands, calls her his little chocolate candy, he’s here with her, he’ll never leave her alone. Nieves stirs a bit, mumbles where are you? Where is who? asks Cesar. Marcos. The love of my life. Come back to me, I still love you, Marcos, let’s kiss, ah Marcos! Don Cesar is sunglasses-off impactado.
Monita has fallen asleep in Mau’s arms, and he gently places her head on the pillow and quietly gets up. Outside, he runs into Beto, who tells him about the drunk ladies. Beto then notices that Mau looks sad, how come? Valentina now suspects her Mamá is alive. What are they going to do?
Inside, Moni wakes up. She thinks of her Mom, gets out the cigar box with that picture they took when she last saw Isabel. Moni flashes back to all the kind words Isabel said, that she adored Moni, that she was proud of her, that she was so sorry for having abandoned Moni, and begged her forgiveness.
Mau tells Beto that now that Moni has this doubt, there’s no turning back. Sooner or later, through La Momia or otherwise, the truth will come out. Beto agrees, Coni would never stay quiet. He tells Mau how Coni had the chance to choose between love and vengeance, and chose vengeance. Her life’s goal (su meta en la vida) is to destroy La Monita. Mau says he’d understand if Beto doesn’t want to get involved after being hurt by Coni, but Beto says Mau’s his soul brother, and they’re on the same team. He’ll do whatever he can to protect La Monita. Mau says he’s tired of lying. Tomorrow morning, he’ll take Valentina to see her mother.
Moni thinks back some more about those beautiful things Isabel said. But then we see Moni’s face turn thoughtful, wondering, doubtful.
I guess she’ll have to wait until Monday to find out what Mau was trying to tell her.
Previews for Monday: Oscar uses the power of the purse, to make sure Sal stays the same – or worse. And Moni gets to see what’s behind Door Number Two. Will she like what she sees?
Vocabulario:
Un aguafiestas – a spoilsport, a party pooper, a wet blanket
Delegación – police station
Gestiones – procedures (such as legal ones), similar to the word trámites
Miseria – poverty, destitution, it’s a false friend, as the word for “misery” is sufrimiento
Malabarismo – juggling
Tutela – guardianship, tutelage, protection
Tufo – something stinky
Meta en la vida – life’s goal, aim in life
Labels: gancho
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