Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Eva Luna #90 Mon 3/14/11 It's The Clink for Dano; Eva Admits She Got It Wrong




Giorgio is all for Marcela having Bruno found, tried and sentenced to at least twenty years in jail for the fraud and embezzlement of funds.  Marci assures him that Bruno will receive his "just desserts" (i.e., something quite a bit more permanent than any jail sentence).

Marisol goes to Geraldo's offices to sign the recording contract.  They celebrate with a bottle of champagne and Gerry assures her this is only the beginning of things to come and invites her to a celebratory dinner.

Matilde tells Alicia that Eva left early to catch Daniel at home before work.  Dan is already at work,though and asks Olga why she's not in her office yet this morning.  He has a batch of paperwork to go over with her which he leaves on Eva's desk instead to discuss later.

Liliana surprises Laurita at school and they spend time at the beach together. They take pictures of seagulls with the new hot purple camera Lil gave her.  Francisco waits at the car.  Lil's plan to make Laurita like her is working like a charm.  (Who'd have thunk all it took was bribing the kid with a digital camera and a ride home for lunch?)

Mari returns to the boarding house and tells Don Ricardo and Just a that she just signed a recording contract.

Ali arrives at work and one of the make-up gals tells her about Bruno absconding with the company's funds and that no one knows whether they'll have a job since the modeling division might be forced to close.  Ali says she'll mention it to Eva and see what's what.  Tony shows up and she starts to go ballistic.  He says she told him clearly the day before what she felt about him butting in.  He says that today he's there to tell her what he feels and he looks like she better listen or else.  

Lil takes Laurita home for lunch.  Laurita shows Jackie the new camera.  "--Liliana is nifty neato ya know!"  Dano arrives home for lunch.  The police ring the doorbell looking for Dan.  They explain they're there because Eva Gonzales has accused him of running down her father and killing him.  Dan is totally dumbfounded.  He gets dragged away to jail in handcuffs [esposado].  The others are in shock.  Laurita's in tears.

Tony tells Ali she's acting crazy and selling herself to a jerk who treats her like dirt and beats her.  "--This is supposed to be open-minded, liberal thinking?  You're sleeping with your sister's boyfriend!  That makes you a whore!"  Ali tries slapping him but he grabs her arm and continues.  Somebody has to tell her and try to get her to see reason, he says.  He's doing it because he loves her more than anyone else.  "--The only thing that matters to Leonardo is Eva.  You're only a toy, a diversion for him but I really love you!"  He pleads his case telling her that he had no idea how to appreciate her when they were together before.  He didn't know how much he cared for her or how much he loved her until the moment he realized he'd lost her.  She begs him to leave but he won't.  He begs her not to tell him she's fed up with him again since he knows that deep down she really does love him as much as he loves her.  She'll always have him to be there for her to help her and to protect her --even to protect her from herself!  With that he lays a major lip-lock on Ali.  Ali doesn't exactly fight it, but then suddenly she catches herself and pushes him off her.  "--Let go of me!" She races away.  There's a smile on Tony's face because the wall she's put up around herself is beginning to crumble.

Just a and Ric tell Adrian that they're having a birthday party for him with balloons and cakes.   He should invite his friends from school.  Adrian is overjoyed.  He's never had a party before!  FF>>

From her bedroom window Victoria watches the cops take Dan away.  She thinks the police were there because Eva filed charges for kidnapping the baby.  At first she's angry but then thinks it's not such a bad idea because it would definitely separate Dan from Eva.  

At the agency's coffee shop, Ali is thinking to herself that Tony was right about her.  The only thing she knows for certain is that she can't bear the thought of Leo leaving her.  Deb walks in looking for her there.  She stops for a quick chat to plead her case to Ali.  Ali asks her to stop giving her the same lie and admits she was too little at the time that Deb left for it to have effected her emotionally; so if she'd admitted she'd done wrong from the beginning, says Ali, she would have been inclined to forgive her.  Deb insists it is the truth.  Alicia excuses herself and says she wished it were because she could have used her mother to confide in about now and to help her to find herself.

Leo's arrives at work and takes a worried call from Icky.  He tells her to calm down because Eva didn't accuse Dan of kidnapping.  Icky asks why?  Because his nosy maid came over to tell Eva that Dan came home alone a while after the baby was taken.  So, yes, Eva and the others suspect Icky's taking the baby was her idea alone.  "--Then why was Dan taken out in handcuffs?"  He tells her it's not important right now and she'd better just stay in her room after the baby incident.  Her crazy act will get her thrown into an asylum.  Ick-toria realizes she very well may now be between a rock and a hard place. 

Back at Eva's, Eva tells Tilde how Leo forced the issue over the death of her father by calling the police himself to accuse Daniel.  Eva thought he jumped the gun a bit since she'd wanted to discuss it with Dan first.  Tilde thinks that it is just as well because now the police will do a proper investigation and they'll eventually know for sure whether he is guilty or not. Just then Laurita runs into Eva with Lil right behind.  Laurita wants to know if it's true she had her father sent to jail.  Eva finds it difficult to explain.  Lil comes down on her like a ton of bricks.  "--It's not easy for you to find the words to lie to a child, eh? Why don't you just come out and say it?"  Eva  hisses at her not to interfere.  Lil says she will interfere because of the way Eva had Dan dragged out in handcuffs, "-- like he was a common criminal [vulgar delinquento]!!"  Laurita assures Eva that her father wouldn't hurt a fly.  Eva agrees but says everything points to him.  Lil turns to Laurita and says Eva's lying.  She only accused her daddy because she wants to get even with him for marrying another woman.  Eva tells Lil she doesn't know what she's talking about and to just stay out of it!  Laurita begs her to get her father out of jail.  Eva tearfully says she can't do it.  Laurita turns on her and says she agrees with Liliana that Eva's wicked, and that she never wants to see Eva again.

Downtown, Dan talks with his lawyer.  He doesn't know why Eva has charged him.  The lawyer's working on bail.

Back at the Villanueva's, Lil and Jackie follow Laurita into her bedroom to pacify her.  Lil tells Laurita that Eva doesn't care what happens to her.  Jackie objects but Lil says that with her father in jail and Icky sick, Laurita will be left all alone; that the authorities will probably send her to some children's home.

Eva is distraught over Dan's being in jail and what it's doing to his daughter, but she's determined to carry through with her promise to avenge her father's death.

Deb prays in a nearby chapel for Dios to let her daughters see the light.

Marisol has a fabulous business lunch with Geraldo. He gets around to asking her what she did for a living before this.  She stretches the truth a bit and says she was in "public relations".  When he wants more details she avoids answering and changes the subject to the marvelous way the food tastes.

That evening Tony is with Leo in the office at the casino.  Leo fires him him for kissing Ali that morning and trying to turn her against him.  Leo says he saw it all and then attacks Tony, pushing him up against the wall.  Tony breaks away and says fine, let's have it out here and now, man to man: "--I did kiss Alicia and I told her you're a liar and a cheat.  You stole Alicia from me!"  Leo says she left Tony because he was more man than Tony in all ways possible.  "--You don't know how much I enjoyed her in bed!"  Tony goes for Leo's jugular.  He's got Leo in a death grip, choking him till El Gallo and a goon of his walk in on the fight and break it up.  El Gallo shoos Tony out and asks Leo what's got him so angry he's ready to kill him.

Meanwhile, Dan paces his cell.  He can't stop wondering why Eva would do such a crazy thing as to accuse him of killing her father.  He asks himself just how long Eva and he will continue hurting each other like this.  The guard yells over that he's got a visitor.  It's Eva.  "--Why did you do such a thing, Eva?  What makes you think I killed your father?"  She tells him she was there and saw the red sports car, that it didn't stop.  He's the owner of that sports car.  Dan looks like he's awake in the middle of his own Kafka-esk nightmare.   He swears by their son that it wasn't him!!  He tells her it could have been any number of people with a red sports car like his!!  She says she thought that too and wanted to let it go, but there was a witness.  He swears that's impossible since he never ran over anyone!  Well, she insists, there is one and he's going to have to face him at the trial.  Dan says any witnesses are liars.  Exasperated, he makes his own accusations.  "--What's the idea?  To make me into a criminal to separate me from my son?"  Eva swears it isn't like that at all.  She knows he didn't kidnap Pablito and that it was Icky who took him.  She wanted to tell him that this morning, but then the business with her father happened.  It's the reason she didn't marry him that time, and the reason that they can't be together now.  He continues to swear he's innocent as the guards drag him off again.

El Gallo has a big laugh after Leo tells him why he and Tony were fighting.  El Gallo can't understand him wanting to kill the kid just because he saw him kissing his lover!  He should thank the kid instead because he'd get the girl off his back finally.  Leo yells back that he'll get rid of Alicia when he wants to and not before.  No way he's going to let anybody take her from him, either!  El Gallo laughs at him for being a dog in a manger over Alicia.  Leo says no matter!  He want's Tony dead!  El Gallo pulls rank and says Tony is too important a part of his organization and he won't have him killed over a problem with some female!  Leo says ok.  "--Calm down.  Chill.  I take care of it myself.  I'll get rid of him."  El Gallo threatens Leo. "--If you want to continue breathing, don't do it."  Leo stalks off.  

Eva gets home and finally gets a chance to tell Alicia that Daniel is the one who ran over and killed their father.  She explains that Leo is the one who says he's guilty.  That's why she was so upset the day before the wedding and why she ended up not marrying Daniel.  Neither one really believe Dan did it, though Ali says if he's guilty then let him pay for it!  Eva says she hopes he can prove his innocence.  Ali mentions Sra. Deborah keeps coming to see her at the agency swearing she's innocent also.  Eva gets ticked at the way the woman keeps showing up like a bad penny.   Eva will go have a talk with her in the morning about leaving them alone once and for all.  

The next morning Dan's lawyer comes back for another meeting.  He mentions that things are complicated since he was the owner of a red sports car at the time of the accident and it doesn't look good that he sold it a little bit afterwards.  He adds that Leo is Eva's mystery witness and the only conclusive evidence they have against Dan is Leo's testimony, which was what the police used to have him arrested.  Dan swears it's a lie.  The lawyer will follow up on it.  First they deal with the bail hearing.

As Eva drives up to the front entrance of Deborah's house, she remembers this as the house that she and her father were about to visit when he was run over.  She has numerous flashbacks to a number of hints her father began dropping just before and right after they arrived in L.A. 

Laurita tells Jackie she'll never forgive Eva for what's she's done to her and her father.

Lileach comes upstairs to see V-icky.  She sees right through the bimbutt's psycho act and the two have a good laugh over how ingenious it was.  Now Icky needs to find a way out of playing La Loca and to eliminate Eva.  She admits, though, that she can't think of anything right now.

Deb graciously greets Eva despite knowing she's there to bite her head off again.  Deb tries once more to convince her that she spent years having detectives trying to locate the three of them.  Eva says she knows from personal experience what it is to lose a child.  She's acting rather subdued and eventually she apologizes to Deborah for doubting her and treating her so unfairly.  The kicker was this morning when she drove up and recognized the house as the one they were coming to visit the day he was killed.  Eva says she realizes now that her father was bringing them to L.A. to meet her.  If she refused early on to consider Deb might be telling them the truth, it was only because she didn't want to sully her father's memory; but seeing the house this morning she knew then and there that Deb had been telling the truth all along.

Back at the agency, Giorgio shows a maudlin Marci the picture of the models they'd hired.  Marci has him throw them in the trash since Bruno had been the one to pick them.  She authorizes G. to hire all new ones.  After Giorgio leaves Marci answers her cell phone.  Julio's voices greets her: "--Hi there!  Remember me?  It's your husband."  Marci flips out from fright and drops the phone.

Later that day, Leo gets back to Eva's and asks Renata where Eva has been since she didn't go to the office today.  Ren says she might have gone back to visit Dan at the jail again.  Leo asks when Eva saw him the first time.  Ren says she went the night before to speak to him.  He wonders why.  She don't know, but she thinks Eva still isn't convinced Dan did it.  Ren says she isn't exactly convinced he did it either.  Leo doesn't like the sound of that one bit and looks a bit worried.

In his cell that evening, Dan begins to think back to the time he, Leo, Icky, and Claudia went for a sail on the yacht, the day that Leo had begged to take Dan's car for a spin.  He also remembers Leo coming back and apologizing for hitting some planters in the median or something with it, and Leo offering to pay for the repairs.  (That way it'd be off the record and there'd be no insurance or police reports needing to be filed.)  "--Of course!  How could I have been so blind?  Leo's the one who killed Eva's father!  He's …a murderer!" 


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Llena de Amor #148 (Mex. 158-159) Mon 3/14/11 The unexpurgated version

Here are capitulos 158 & 159 (of 206) taken from the web, which of course has no captions. As a public service, and because I’m really chapped about Univision cutting out half of the scenes (cero cool!), I decided to recap the both in their entirety. Capitulo 158 I got from noseq.com, but for 159 it told me “video not found or access denied,” so I found 159 elsewhere, and it may be from the showing in Mexico, as some of the scenes were in a different order that our show tonight. I was unable to get the last 8 or so minutes to load, so I didn’t get to write up any scenes that might have been cut there.

Since I didn’t know which scenes were destined to be cut, I put in more detail than usual on the minor ones, and as this is two episodes, I hope you will forgive that I abandoned snark in favor of content so it wouldn’t run too long.

Then I watched Univision’s version to check what I’d written against the captions, but in the second half the captions went out, and toward the end, the part I hadn’t been able to get off the web, the video and audio were scrambled. Not my day for technology!

So with those caveats in mind, jump right in.

Friday: Eman has slept with Ilitia, then decides to leave town for a few days to think.


We see him coming down the stairs with his suitcase, saying goodbye to the family who have gathered – Fedra, Emil, Axel and Gretel – and also MariVicky who looks sadly on. Montage: MV is in her room, looking at herself in her mirror and crying. Jorge appears behind her, faking looking understanding. Emanuel is riding off into the woods on his motorcycle, MV is walking in the gardens, arms folded, thinking hard. Now it’s nighttime and Eman is having a weenie roast at his campsite. Ilitia and MV run into each other in the halls of the big house and are cranky at each other. Eman is jogging in the woods. Ain’t nobody happy.

Two weeks later! MV and Delicia discuss Eman. MV thinks that he will never ever forgive her, but Delicia thinks that their love is TAN GRANDE that he will.

Eman’s not back yet, but Fedra tells the gathered family that Ilitia has some news. Kristel wonders if it’s about their divorce and Ilitia looks daggers at her. Apparently Lorenzo is going to show up for the big announcement, because Emil rants that he doesn’t want him in his house. Miss Manners Fedra tells him that Lo is Ilitia’s father, and that everyone has to behave around him and Muñeca. Axel and Gretel think Kristel’s the one who can’t behave, but Kristel waves that off, and says all that’s over and she’s heading for New York, so there.

Here comes Muñeca, but not with Lo! She is on the arm of Leon Garduño, who she happily presents to everyone has her “companion.” Ilitia is shocked, but Muñeca reminds her that she’s a divorced woman now and can go out with anyone she wants to. Lo arrives behind them and everyone throws looks while he looks grim.

Meantime, MV is still finishing up her makeup. Jorge comes in and tells her that he’s bummed that she’s distant with him. He knows she’s feeling bad about what happened between them. (In looking at the last episode, I saw a cut scene in which he and MV have a talk when she awakens next to him, and he tells her that she got drunk and wanted it as much as he did.) He wants to keep her friendship, and she tells him not to worry, they were both at fault.

Oh, and by the way, he says, he thinks it’s good that Bernardo is allowed to stay in the house. (I don’t remember how Bernardo got out of jail. Did we see that?) MV says if it helps his plan to get in with Fedra’s business deal, then yes, it’s better to have her nice and peaceful as possible.

Downstairs, Emil spits epithets about Lo to Muñeca and Garduño. They assure him Lo will behave, Garduño’s assurance carrying more heft. But Lo is still Lo, and off to one side, he tells Fedra she’s looking better than ever. She snarls at him that she’s surprised he showed up given that nobody can stand the sight of him. He counters that nobody can stand her either, and yet she stays in this house which doesn’t even belong to her. They toss some more delicious insults, then he mentions that she set Mauricio on him to kill him and yet look! here he is whereas Mau has been lying in a hospital bed for two weeks now staring death in the eye. She lights up and wants to hear every detail. He says when they can break away here, they can head over to his apartment and work off all their anger at one another – in bed. Yum – she likes the idea. Bernardo, who is listening in the background, doesn’t.

Gretel and Axel are walking with arms around one another and are laughing that their family pretty much sucks. In the background, Eman roars up on his motorcycle. Big hugs and he asks what’s new. They tell him the whole family is gathered in the living room waiting for an announcement from Ilitia. Eman thinks he’ll duck into the service entrance instead because he wants to talk to Victoria.

He runs off and Axel and Gretel sigh about how in love Eman and Victoria are, but then Gretel slips and says MV’s been in love with him since they were kids. What? says Axel. She just known him since she arrived from Spain!

Delicia is filling in MV on who all is downstairs, Garduño the gangster and even Lo! After stealing all the money, and having an affair with Kristel, says MV, what if he also found out… She catches herself and Delicia wants to know what she was about to say. MV quick changes the subject to the dress she’s going to put on. Delicia gossips a bit about crazy Kristel who needs that lady shrink more than Gretel does.

MV wonders if Eman has arrived yet, and Delicia says no, but just then we hear him greeting them and the music swells and gets happy. Delicia leaves, telling them she’ll keep watch to make sure nobody bothers them.

Fedra, smiling happily, steps away from Lorenzo and Emil takes the opportunity to bear down on him. He tells him that after Ilitia has made her announcement, he expects that Lorenzo will do the right thing and get the hell out of there. Lorenzo points out that it’s not Emil’s house any more. Emil warns him not to get him riled, and reminds him that he no longer is married to Muñeca.

Now we’re with Axel and Gretel outside the house. They each want the other to be happy, she begs him to run away with Delicia, and he tells her to forgive Oliver who of course materializes right at that moment with Brandon. Oliver asks her to give him another opportunity, and Brandon decides that he’ll go look for MV, but Axel tells him she can’t be interrupted because she’s with Eman. Brandon says actually he doesn’t want to interrupt Oliver and Gretel.

Muñeca asks Jorge, seeing that he’s so capable and he’s Marianela’s husband, if he would represent her shares at the company. Gladly.

Nereida announces that Eman has arrived. Ilitia is thrilled and tells everyone to give him a round of applause. But it’s Brandon who walks in instead, and Ilitia demands to know what he’s doing there. He tells her MV wanted to miss the family thing, and said she wanted to go out with him instead. Jorge doesn’t like it, and says MV never mentioned it. Brandon tells them Eman’s already home and he’s in the house somewhere, probably with MV.

Eman spends a long time trying to get MV to say how she feels, while she just looks tragic. Finally she caves and admits she loves him and they kiss.

Oliver is trying to win Gretel back, and tells her that that with Kristel wasn’t real and Gretel cuts him off. Thank goodness for Axel, who tells her to let him explain. Axel gives him a friendly warning that if he cheats on his sister, he’ll have him to deal with. Off he goes and Gretel, who has on way too much eyeliner, tells Oliver he has one minute. He starts talking fast and within seconds it looks like she’s melting.

Eman thanks MV for telling him she loves him. Finally! He’s overjoyed, does a little more past-forgiving and then says he wants their future to start now, with no lies. No lies, she repeats. He says they’ll tell each other everything right now and forgive each other. She accepts, but looks stressed.

He goes first: After what happened with MV and Jorge, he slept with Ilitia.

Delicia is listening from the top of the stairs when Ilitia announces that she’s had it and she’s going to go get Eman. Fedra tells her not to throw a scene. Then Jorge decides he’ll be the one to go get MV, after which Brandon says he will. Delicia is frantic, ready to warn them. Emil tells them nobody’s going - if they need to talk leave them alone.

As everyone stands around, looking at a loss, Lo starts to work his way around the back of the room, maybe towards Kristel but this scene is cut off.

We’re back with Eman and MV. He tells her he’s sorry and he had to get his head together. She asks him if it’s true that he and Ilitia had never been together before. He says it is. She doesn’t believe him and flashes back on Ilitia’s little acting job when she was drunk and pretended to be remembering some delicious love-making with Eman.

He can’t figure out why she doesn’t believe him. Never mind, she says. Now it’s her turn and she says the time with Jorge was nothing, but she has something very important to tell him that she can’t keep hiding.

It was Ilitia Lorenzo wanted to talk to. He thanks her for inviting him and hopes they can settle their differences. She’s furious and says that she wanted her family together, and here her mother shows up with Garduño. Lo clucks that that’s bad indeed, but Ilitia then tells him what he did was worse. Poor Emiliano! And Kristel was her best friend! How could he?

He pleads that he fell in love. Ilitia says she’s had it with both her parents, and wants to just focus on Eman and making a family with him. I think that Lo makes some remark about her hanging out with the policeman, but I’m not sure.

After a lot of insistence that she loves him, MV tells him Victoria de la Garza can’t marry anybody ever. He babbles that he’ll take good care of her. She says that she’s hurt him terribly. She can’t be with him unless he knows who she really is. Tell me! he says.

And if you think she’s going to say it, you are a telenovela virgin. In bursts frantic Delicia, who tells him Ilitia’s outside.

Ilitia of course wants him to explain why he came home and the first thing he did was run to talk to MV. He says he had to talk to MV and now he needs to have a serious talk with her. In fact, here are the divorce papers, they just need her signature. No way until we’ve talked, she says.

Oliver and Gretel are inside now, maybe in the service area. He tells her Kristel set him up, and that it was a job to get money because he didn’t have enough for them. Gretel says she doesn’t care about money, and he shows her the check that he ripped up as soon as he got it. The most important thing in his life is her. She tells him he didn’t just rip up a check, he ripped up her heart. He says he can fix it, and does with a long slo-mo kiss.

Ilitia tells Eman that the whole family, half of whom hate the other half, are down there waiting for the two of them. He’s to get all dressed up and go down, and then she’ll see to the papers. He agrees.

More lovetalk, and Oliver tells Gretel he needed money because he’s not at her level, and what’s going to happen when he asks her father for her hand, him a policeman? Gretel swears she doesn’t care about money. Paula is eavesdropping in the background. Oliver, fighting back tears, says he family does care about money, and he so wants her to feel proud of him.

Don’t leave! cries Gretel. I love you! That works and they hug and kiss and Paula walks in and rejoices. Group hug.

MV tells Delicia that she was about to tell Eman the whole truth when she interrupted them. Delicia protests that surely she didn’t want Ilitia walking in on them. There’s a knock and MV calls out to Eman, asking if he got rid of her, but instead in barges Ilitia saying no, it’s me, his wife. She swats MV with the divorce papers and tells her she’s not going to steal her husband.

Capitulo 159

MV tells Ilitia that Eman didn’t marry her because he was in love, and it’s not her fault that he fell in love with her. Ilitia tells her she’s going to have to say “byeee” to her big plans with Eman. She swishes out and Delicia and MV imitate her “byeee” then MV wonders what Ilitia meant.

Downstairs, Brandon is telling Muñeca that she shouldn’t take up with Garduño because he’s a criminal. Muñeca says she knows, but he’s such a gentleman, and she thinks she can change him into a good man. It’s the least she can do for him after all he’s done for her. Open your eyes, says Brandon. Men like that never change. He asks her how long she was married to Lorenzo, and was she able to change him?

Lo, who was watching this conversation from a distance, sidles over to Garduño and advises him that Brandon is protective of Muñeca, and that he can’t date her without shaking Brandon loose. In fact, they might be setting a trap for him right now. Thank you for the kindess, says Garduño with ironic formality, but I’m capable of taking care of myself.

I didn’t quite catch this part: Lorenzo warns him that the Lirio means a lot to Muñeca and that they are setting a trap, and might be doing the same for him, adding that he’s just trying to help, as he’s his right-hand man and is watching his back.

Eman comes down the stairs, thrilling Fedra. He says thanks, but all this isn’t necessary. Of course it is, she says, Ilitia has an announcement. Ilitia jumps right in, gets her champagne toasts his return.

Paula is very happy about Oliver and Gretel, and tells Gretel to fight to overcome every obstacle. Oliver wants her to leave the house with him right now to get away from Fedra, but Gretel says she can’t. She can’t leave her mother. Oliver scoffs about Fedra. No, Paula, says Gretel. She and Max are my real parents.

MV, in a short form-fitting dress, makes a grand entrance down the stairs. Eman’s eyes pop. Delicia is behind her, arms bent out, her sleeves pulled so far past her hands that she looks like an egret about to take off. Va –va – voom! say Brandon and Jorge who are standing next to Eman. Kristel and Ilitia make catty remarks about her dress.

MV thanks Brandon for coming, and says she’s changed her mind and has decided to stay, and asks if he’ll stay to eat with them. Fedra announces that he can’t possibly actually sit at a table with them, but Kristel tells her she’s rude and that he’ll be her special guest. She invites him to sit next to her. MV reminds Fedra that she and Bernardo are just in the house thanks to her (MV’s) generosity, and if she doesn’t like Brandon eating with them, she can always eat in the kitchen.

Fedra is taken aback that MV would insult her in front of her family and asks them if they’re not going to defend her. Axel smiles that she does deserve it a bit, since she puts down people who aren’t of her… he holds his arms heavenwards.

Muñeca and Lo encourage Ilitia to tell her news, so she does, saying it’s the happiest news of her life. She and Eman are going to have a baby! Caras impactadas, Eman’s most of all.

Gretel, putting her arm protectively around Paula, tells Oliver about Fedra’s threat to kill Paula, and that Fedra is free now because she burned the evidence. Oliver tells her he’s found out that Fedra and Garduño are mixed up together in some dirty business.

Paula, hugging and petting Gretel says she’s glad that her being Gretel’s mother is out in the open now. The two are very sweet together. She tells Oliver it’s his turn now to take care of her and protect her. He enthusiastically says he will, and admires how they look alike.

Everyone except MV is thrilled by Ilitia’s news. Kristel even congratulates her, adding that it’s too bad about what the pregnancy will do in terms of stretch marks and cellulite. Fedra reminds Kristel that it’s her own fault she’s barren.

Eman ask if she’s sure that she’s expecting HIS son? Fedra laughs that women just know these things. MV politely toasts the new member of the family and Ilitia smirks.

Max is furious that Benigno has just now showed up to give him the news of what’s going on upstairs. Of course he could have found out himself if he’d joined the group, but never mind. Benigno informs him of the big news. Max asks how Marianela took it.

Muñeca embraces Ilitia, and so does Lo, who jokes about her making him a grandfather – he’s too young. Oh, you and your delusions of youth, smiles Ilitia.

Fedra takes Ilitia’s and Eman’s hands and says she knows that this baby means that from now on, nothing and nobody can separate them. Eman looks stunned and Emil asks if he’s okay. No, says Eman, I’m … surprised. Ilitia happily says they’re more together than ever.

Kristel thinks they should toast to the two most “cool” families in the whole world, because every day they get closer. Muñeca asks Fedra to control her daughter, or maybe Lorenzo could. Lo pops off at her and Garduño steps up to tell him to watch how he talks to Muñeca – he wouldn’t like to wake up dead, now would he?

Jorge suggests that it’s Eman’s turn to toast to his first child, but Eman avers, saying he’s confused and doesn’t feel like there’s reason to toast.

Oliver and Gretel and Paula come to see Max. Paula tells Gretel to listen to her father, but Gretel says she doesn’t want to leave them alone. Max tells her it’s time for her to live her love and her life, luchar, etc. Paula tells her it’s her opportunity to be happy.

Ilitia tells Eman that he has to accept that this changes everything, but he doesn’t, saying Ilitia can’t be pregnant. Lo thinks Eman is insulting Ilitia, but Emil tells him he can’t come to his house and play the offended father, and Eman must have a good reason to be doubtful. Fedra agrees with Lo, and Muñeca appeals to Eman not to be so hard on Ilitia.

Eman, suddenly smiling, says he’s sure Ilitia made all this up in order not to have to sign the divorce papers. Lo is outraged, but Emil points out that Ilitia’s word may not be any more reliable than his is. Emil asks Eman to explain, so Eman announces to the whole wide world that the whole time they’ve been together they’ve never slept together. Ilitia points out that there was one time. He finds it hard to believe that she could get pregnant after just that once. She maintains it’s true.

Eman tells MV that he wants to talk to her, but Ilitia puts a stop to that, saying she’s a husband-stealer and the reason their marriage is bad. Eman for his part announces that MV is the only woman he loves and he’s not giving her up.

In another life, says Fedra, holding him to his responsibilities. He tries again to talk to MV, but she tears up the divorce papers and tells him to forget her. The party breaks up.

Gretel tells Oliver this is not the time to talk to the whole family, better just to talk to her papa. She catches herself and apologizes to Max, who says he understands that she will always think of Emil as a father, and that’s fine with him, and if Emil doesn’t agree to Gretel and Oliver being together, Max’ll give him what for. Paula suggests they have a family dinner in Max’s place. Gretel is overjoyed to be with her real family.

Gladiola brings a dinner tray to Doris, who is pining in her room. It’s been 2 weeks since Andre left the agency and she has no idea where he is and is worried something happened to him. Gladiola wonders why she cares, then gets very worried and asks if she slept with him. Doris just looks at her tearfully.

Eman tells everyone it’s something between just Ilitia and him. Emil tells Lo to leave, that there’s no reason for him to stay any longer. Lo gives Ilitia a kiss and warns Emil not to hurt her - how could he say, right when she’d just announced her pregnancy, that he loves somebody else?

Emil demands to know how Lo could threaten Eman after what he did to Kristel. Que? says Eman. You messed with my sister? He heads towards Lo, who tells him it’s over, and Kristel agrees. Axel holds him back. Kristel then says he was going to divorce Muñeca to marry her, right? That’s the exact same thing Eman wants to do! Fedra asks her to dial it down, and to remember that intelligence isn’t her forte.

Eman asks Ilitia to come to his room so they can talk. Kristel meantime says “the party is over” and struts about how she’s going to New York tomorrow and has to get her beauty sleep and besides this is boring. Eman tells Lo there’s no reason for him to stick around. He leaves and Emil glares at Ilitia.

Ilitia goes to see Eman in his room, scared about what he’s going to say. I saw your face when MV tore up those divorce papers, he says, it was a look of triumph. Tell me truth! She swears it’s true, they only lie like that in novelas. He finds it odd that he gets divorce papers and then wham! she’s pregnant. Plus he never told her he wanted to have a child with her. He tells her if it’s a lie, he’ll never forgive her, and he leaves.

Brandon, Jorge and MV arrive back at Netty’s, and Brandon tells her Eman isn’t worth one tear. Jorge agrees, and says Eman deceived her with that divorce story while he was spending the nights with his wife. Brandon thinks the whole family is a bunch of users. MV tells them Eman told her the truth, that he slept with Ilitia after he found out what happened between her and Jorge. She knows that what happened between them was a mistake. Brandon wants to know what it was, and Netty comes in and wants to know too.

Ilitia is sitting on the bed, sad, when Muñeca comes in to talk to her. She wants to know if she got pregnant in order to keep Eman. Ilitia sadly asks if she wouldn’t have done the same thing to keep Lo at her side. What use would that have been? says Muñeca. Ilitia implores her to talk to Eman so he won’t leave her. Muñeca says she will, so that Ilitia won’t suffer and so that the baby will have a father. Eman IS the father, isn’t he?

MV says Jorge didn’t force himself on her, they just drank too much. Jorge asks Brandon if something like that hasn’t happened to him, but Brandon thinks he should have been a gentleman.

Brandon’s phone rings; he finds out Mauricio has awakened from his coma. MV had no idea he was in the hospital, she thought he was in jail. Brandon explains that somebody tried to kill him. He leaves, and Netty asks Jorge to leave so she can talk alone with MV. He does. MV needs a hug from her aunt.

Kristel doesn’t – she’s’ lying on her bed, gloating and dreaming of stepping out of a convertible and being mobbed by admirers. Que cool! Fedra runs in and asks to borrow one of Kristel’s dresses (never mind that she’s about 5 sizes bigger), she’s going to go make sure Mauricio dies in the hospital. What?? says Kristel.



MV is telling Netty the whole story about Eman and Ilitia and the pregnancy. Netty thinks Ilitia is setting a trap, and that MV should tell Eman to insist on a pregnancy test. What’s more, she thinks Jorge is shifty, and that that whole thing about her drinking too much, and then having to tell Eman, it’s very fishy.

MV disagrees. Why, did she know that Fedra took her fingerprints and Jorge got them back? And that he found where the money was that Fedra had stolen after she killed Carlota?

Jose Maria walks in and asks what she’s saying.

Kristel tells her mama that she understands why Lo is her weakness – he really knows how to treat a woman, doesn’t he? Fedra says she could say the same thing about Mauricio. Naw, says Kristel.

Fedra tells Kristel that as long as she stays away from Lo, she can do whatever she wants with her life, and they shake and say they’re friends, and decide to go out together, and lie that they’re going to a movie. (I didn’t get what their plan is.)

Netty introduces MV to Jose Maria. He politely asks her again what it was she was saying when he came in. The transmission breaks up a lot, but it looks like MV has told about Fedra killing Carlota and fixing it so she got her money. She a murderer!


Avances: Lo tells Fedra that there was something in the wine he gave her. She arrives home doubled up, then we see Bernardo hovering over her collapsed form, anguished. Ilitia decides to try to seduce Eman, and knocks on his door, but he’s with MV.

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Monday, March 14, 2011

Triunfo del Amor #57-58 3/14/11 Family Ties – ties that bind, ties that strangle



Part One of Two: Of mothers who suffer, mothers who love, and mothers who destroy – sometimes all at once; of caring sisters and clueless fathers.
Herewith the abridged version:Osvaldo heads off for a retreat looking for inner peace. (No, really. I’m serious.)

In this story, Grandma really IS the wolf -- Bernarda tries to poison María D against Victoria; then Juan Pablo tries to tell MD his mother is a liar. Without actually saying his mother is a liar.

Just as Victoria is ready to start a new stage of life with her lost daughter at her side, Bernarda reveals that Magdalena is the wrong María.

Victoria shows what she’s made of: in spite of Bernarda’s dirty trick, she’ll stand by MM.

And MM shows what she’s made of: she’ll strike out on her own with gratitude for the new chance at life Vic and Toni have given her.

Oscar and Toni start to get to know each other.

The FerBeast softens toward María D, recognizing that she, not Ximena, is her brother’s happiness; but she hardens her heart towards her mother, blaming her for driving Osvaldo away.

Victoria, already devastated by the discovery that MM isn’t really her lost daughter, is further crushed to learn that Osvaldo has left home.
----------------
And now the unabridged version:

María Desamparada continues to pour her heart out to Bernarda: The strangest thing of all, she says, was meeting up with a girl I knew at the orphanage. Now she says she’s Vic’s daughter! Why didn’t she live with her mother when she was growing up?

Suddenly it occurs to María D to ask: It’s obvious you and la sra Victoria have known each other for a long time and you dislike each other – Just what is the link between you? Our only link, replies Bernarda, is that in the past Victoria worked as a servant in my house.

María Magdalena is at Toni’s apartment happily unwrapping her new clothes. She remembers thinking she’d never forgive her mother for abandoning her. But now that she has gotten to know her, she realizes she is such a good person. There’s no reason to turn down her invitation to go and live with her.

At the Casa de Modas, Fabián comes upon the usually cheerful Luci in tears. She admits she is crying over a romantic disappointment.

Vic announces joyfully to Toni: Even though I haven’t told my family yet, today I’m taking María Magdalena home with me. It’s time they knew her. I’m not hiding her any longer.
And what will you tell them? asks Toni. The truth, says Vic. Except for the identity of María’s father – that’s something I have to hide; I’ll only tell Osvaldo.

Valle de Bravo, Osvaldo’s Retreat:
It’s a place for physical and spiritual exercises to heal body and soul; a place to find peace. Just the ticket, says Osvaldo. Enlightenment Lite. Ah peace!

Vic and Toni continue their conversation. Says Victoria: Pip spilled the frijoles -- he told me you’re in love with Oscar. Yes, it’s true, says Toni. But why talk about it when Oscar is in love with you? Vic reminds her that Osvaldo is and always will be the only man in her life.

Bernarda is filling MD’s head with a bunch of whoppers about Victoria: that she was always immoral, always messing with other employees. Because of her, Bernie had to fire gardeners, chauffeurs – she was a slut! MD is dubious:
Me cuesta mucho trabajo creer lo que usted dice.(It’s hard to believe what you’re saying. Literally “It costs me a lot of work…)
When did she leave your house? asks Maria. She didn’t leave, says Bernarda:

I threw her out when I found out she was pregnant.
[Ay, María Desamparada, listen to what Evil Buns is saying! Do you think she will treat you any better?]

Poor, deluded Victoria continues telling Toni: Now I have what I always wanted: my daughter, my family, my husband. And you know what?

I’m going to leave this business in Max’s hands and yours so you can take charge of everything!

Toni is delighted but the Telenovela Imminent Tragedy Alarms (TITA) are flashing – Threat Level Orange! Orange Alert!
Alas, there’s no joy in Max’s office at the moment: He rages impotently against Ximena’s invasion of his privacy: What right do you have to go through my stuff? (¿Con qué derecho revisas mis cosas?) What right do you have to to torture María D with the letter she wrote me?

I'm your wife, explains Ximena matter-of-factly. Max retorts: I’ve told you a thousand times you have no rights over me or my life. As soon as the baby is born, we’re getting divorced.

This just rolls over Ximena. She’s there for money for her expenses and her mother’s. Max agrees to give her a check for herself – it’s his obligation as her husband – but her Mami can fend for herself (or Ximena can use her money to take care of Mami). If Rox is hard up, she’ll have to find a job. Maybe they can find something for her in the business, if they have to.
[Max, Max, what are you thinking? You might as well let loose ten thousand roaches in the office – the result would be just as nasty and equally hard to eradicate!]
Ximena flounces out angrily.

Fabián laughs when Max tells him Ximena expects him to support her mother too. En serio? Qué descaro! (Really? What a nerve!)

Bernie continues weaving her fabric of lies for María D. She tells her Victoria had several lovers before she met Osvaldo Sandoval. She married him for his money and his social position. MD is still skeptical:
Se me hace muy extraño. La señora Victoria siempre ha dicho que se enorgullece de sus origines humildes.
(That sounds odd to me. Sra Victoria has always said she’s proud of her humble beginnings.)

Oh that’s just an act, says Bernie dismissively. Osvaldo provided her with access to a new world. For that, she was willing to abandon her daughter in the street. Thank God the nuns found the child and took care of her.

But how do you know that? María asks. I found out by chance, says Bernie. She felt so sorry for Victoria’s poor daughter that she wanted to rescue her from her life of sin. Why, she even took her in to live with her. But Vic took her away. Who knows what plans she had in mind?

Then María D asks:
¿Y quién es el padre de María M?
(Who is MM’s father?)
Bernie throws up her hands? Maybe one of those lowlifes (pelados) she ran around with? There were so many!

Casa de Modas: Toni reproaches Pip for squealing to Vic about her feelings for Oscar. He is unrepentant. Someone had to break through her wall of reserve.

Victoria tells Oscar he has to find a woman who loves him – she’s not the one!

Meanwhile, María D can scarcely believe what she is hearing from St. Bernarda. How sad! In spite of everything, she admired Vic and wanted to be like her.
Pero después de lo que usted me ha contado, me siento tan desilusionada que jamás me hubiera gustado tener una madre como ella. Jamás.(But after what you told me, I feel so disappointed
that I would never have wanted to have a mother like her. Never.)
Bernie strokes MD’s hair, holds her face in her hands and locks eyes with her. [This is impressive. Bernarda is a sociopath who has learned to mimic human emotions to perfection.]

Ximena pays a visit to her mean Mami. Mama Rox turns up the nasty another notch when she hears that Max won’t fork over money for her upkeep. Then, out of idle curiosity, she asks her daughter: Do you love Max? Her answer:
Max es el hombre más aburrido y correcto que he conocido en toda mi vida!(Max is the most boring, the most proper man I’ve ever met in my life.)
The only thing interesting about him is his money. Well, agrees, Rox, that is the most important thing. And tomorrow she’ll show up to work at Casa Victoria – they don’t know what’s in store for them!

Vic is heading off to pick up María M and take her home to Casa Sandoval. She asks Luci to find Os and Fer. She wants them present for an important occasion:

This is going to be the happiest day of my life, she tells Toni.
[Ay! TITA! TITA! Now the Telenovela Imminent Tragedy Alarms are flashing red! Red Alert! Run, Toni, Run!]

Linda rides up a mall escalator and thought-bubbles: She sold JuanJo’s engagement ring and the bracelet and ring she got from Osvaldo. Now she’ll use the money for something worthwhile. (algo que vale mucho la pena.)
Osvaldo’s exercises at the retreat may not exorcise the conflicting images of Linda and Victoria from his mind. But they do give him a chance to show off his big arms and shoulders.

Linda pulls a stuffed toy – a teddy bear on a rocking horse -- out of a shopping bag and wonders if everything between her and Os is really over.

Toni is in Oscar’s office checking out the titles on his book shelf. She sees not just accounting texts, but also volumes of Latin American fiction -- Rulfo, Vargas Llosa, García Marcos. And now he’s into some of the newer authors, he says. What about you, Antonieta? asks the newly minted galán who has suddenly awakened to Antonieta’s many charms. What are you interested in? What are your hobbies?

I’m into bondage and self-abnegation… um.. I mean … music, she says. Shy smiles on both sides. They’ll have to go to a concert together some time.

Secretary Luci tells Max that Vic has already left for home but she wanted him, Fer and Osvaldo together at the house because she has a big surprise for them.

Waiting for the fall:Vic and María Magdalena are leaving Toni’s apartment and heading for Jaime and the Casa Victoria van. MM is so happy, she’s afraid it’s all a dream and when she wakes up it will be over. They are both startled by the sound of a horn honking; then a black SUV driven by Fausto pulls up to the curb. Bernarda gets out and approaches them.

Vic looks her in the eye and defiantly declares that she is taking her daughter to live with her. Forever. Bernie will never be able to come between them.
Bernanda replies dispassionately:
“Nunca” y “siempre” son dos palabras muy peligrosas, Victoria. Hay que tener mucho cuidado con ellas.(“Never” and “always” are two very dangerous words, Victoria. One has to be very careful with their use.)
Bernarda goes on:
Yo sólo vine a sacarte de tu confusión, de tu mala información.(I only came to clear up your confusion and correct the bad information you were given.)
She reaches into her purse, pulls out a paper and hands it to Vic. Read it, she tells her.

María D and Juan Pablo walk and talk. María wants to discuss what Bernie said about Vic.

Bernie looks on without apparent emotion while Vic seems to crumble as she reads: ¡Eso no es posible!, she cries. (That’s not possible!)
It’s a DNA result, a laboratory study, not something I made up, says Bernie.
¿Qué cosa Mamá? (What is it?) asks MM.
¡Mamá! repeats Bernie mockingly.
Que le guste o no, la señora Victoria es mi madre! says MM defiantly.
(Whether you like it or not, Señora Victoria is my mother!)
Tell her the truth, Victoria, says Bernie: María Magdalena is not your daughter.

Victoria calls the lab and verifies the test results. [Estudios Clínicos de México -- Their motto: Count on us to blab your most intimate secrets to any fool who calls!]

She turns to MM and says tearfully:
Efectivamente, tu no eres mi hija, no eres mi hija, no eres.(It’s true, you’re not my daughter...)
[Why say it three times? Maybe it’s a spell to fend off Evil Buns. Doesn’t work, though. Those of us who expected a house to fall on Bernie are left nursing our disappointment.]

I told you so, says Bernie, snatching the paper back. My mission is done. But you and I still have a lot to talk about.

Meanwhile, Juan Pablo says carefully to María Desamparada: That’s what my mother told you about Victoria? Yes, she says, that’s what she said.
JP: Daughter, let me clarify something. You don’t know everything Vic had to live through.
He continues trying to find a rational explanation for his mother’s lies:
It’s very common for human beings to make assumptions and later convince themselves they are absolute truths when the reality is very different.
So you know something about Señora Victoria’s life? asks MD.

After the fall:Victoria turns to the now devastated María Magdalena. Listen carefully, says Vic:

I don’t care what that woman said. I accepted you as my daughter and my decision to take you to live in my house hasn’t changed.
Tú eres mi hija y vas a seguir siéndola, pésele a quien le pese.(You’re my daughter and you’ll continue to be my daughter, whether others like it or not.)

And back at the Casa de Modas, Toni and Pip are imagining the excitement of the moment -- Vic must be taking MM home right now!

Let’s go, daughter, says Vic. But MM turns away and refuses: Yo no soy su hija. (I’m not your daughter.) They’ll go to Toni’s apartment where they can talk.

Valle de Bravo, Osvaldo’s Retreat:
The blindfolded Os puts his hand on his guide’s shoulder and follows him. The guide says:
Este es el laberinto de tu alma. Yo te voy a guiar a encontrar la salida. Y luego te vas a intentar tú solo guiado únicamente por un solo pensamiento: el salir del laberinto en que tú mismo te has metido.
(This is the labyrinth of your soul. I’ll guide you to the way out. And then you’re going to try it alone, guided only by one thought: the way out of the labyrinth in which you have trapped yourself.)

Os takes his hand off the guide’s shoulder, sinks to his knees, removes the blindfold and sobs. [Maybe he’s crying because he realizes that a little New Age mumbo-jumbo won’t make him any less weak and selfish. Or maybe not.]

When Vic and MM get back to Toni’s apartment, Vic tells the girl:
Yo no te di a luz pero he aprendido a quererte como una verdadera hija.(I didn’t give birth to you but I have learned to love you like a true daughter; dar a luz = to give birth)
Stay with me, begs, Vic. You can help me find my real daughter. But MM refuses. She knows that her presence will cause problems in Vic’s family, and knowing there’s no blood tie between them makes her sad. Even so, she won’t go back to her old life. She’ll make her way alone. Someplace far away where she can think about what to do with her life. And she’s grateful for what Vic has done. Vic is sad to see her leave but tells her she is proud of her.

Toni and Pip are at a sidewalk café anxiously awaiting Victoria’s call.
Oscar joins them and Toni’s cell rings – It’s Victoria!
Toni’s joy changes to shock and disbelief while she listens to her friend’s story. Vic will explain more later:
Por lo pronto quiero pedirte que la acompañes a María Magdalena al aeropuerto.(For now, I’d like you to take MM to the airport.)
Vic won’t come with them – MM prefers it that way, maybe to avoid the pain of saying goodbye.

Casa Sandoval:
Max paces and wonders where his father has gone. A cell phone rings – it’s Osvaldo’s. And Linda is calling. She hangs up when she hears Max’s voice. Max sees her name on the caller ID: Linda. Well at least he’s not with her, says Max. Where are you, Osvaldo? sobs Linda. Why don’t you answer me?

Jaime, the chauffeur, is driving while Victoria sits alone in the back and thinks:
Dios mio, mi calvario empieza de nuevo. Tengo que seguir buscando a mi hija hasta encontrarla.(My God, my torture begins again. I have to keep looking for my daughter until I find her.)

Juan Pablo and María Desamparada have made their way back to the church and continue their talk:
Argues Juan Pablo:
Si Victoria fuera de verdad esa mala mujer que algunos creen, Osvaldo no habría casado con ella.(If Victoria were really that bad woman that some people think she is, Osvaldo would never have married her.)
MD agrees:
Pues sí, en eso tienes razón Padre.(Well, yes, you’re right about that, Father.)
MD thanks him for talking to her. He hopes she’ll take his words to heart. His mother will always be his mother, but for reasons he can’t explain, she and Victoria have always hated each other. That has caused many conflicts that have affected all of them.

Juan Pablo breaks off when he catches sight of Victoria, tears streaming down her face. Sorrowfully, Victoria tells JP:
No era ella, Juan Pablo, no era ella.(It wasn’t her, Juan Pablo, it wasn’t her.)

Victoria tells him what happened. Juan Pablo can’t believe his mother has done such a thing:
Si mi madre no hubiera llegado con esos análisis, habrías sido feliz al lado de MM aunque no fuera tu hija.(If my mother hadn’t shown up with those analyses, you’d have been happy with MM even if she wasn’t your daughter.)

Vic is so confused, so hurt, she couldn’t bear another disappointment. All she wants right now is to be in Osvaldo’s arms so he can console her. Only he can give her back a sense of peace and hope. [Oh crap.]

JP wipes his brow and says meaningly:
Victoria, en esta vida, uno debe estar preparado para todo, hasta el peor de los golpes.(Victoria, in this life, one must be prepared for anything, even the harshest blow. Alternate translation: Oh crap.)

He continues: Osvaldo is only a human being and he can’t always offer you the peace you’re looking for.

Valle de Bravo, a group session:
Osvaldo, why are you here? the group leader asks him.
I’m here because I’m a coward, he says. [Any arguments to the contrary? No, I didn’t think so.]

Casa Sandoval:
Fer looks at her brother and pities him for his unhappiness; if only she could do something to help him.

In his mind Max relives his intimate moments with MD. All that joy will never come back into my life, he thinks.

MD prays to the Virgin for the strength to go on alone with her child. She’ll never fall in love again.

When she gets home, María D finds the FerBeast, little red car and all, waiting for her in front of her building. María tenses, expecting another round of insults and attacks, but she’s surprised by what Fer has to say: Max is very unhappy. Now Fer realizes that the woman he should have married is MD.
Well it’s a little late for those reflections, says María D. Besides, you never liked me. What made you come here to tell me that?
Fer says that however she feels about MD, her brother’s happiness comes first. She knows he plans to stand by Ximena only until the baby is born. So if María really loves Max, lucha por él! (Fight for him!)
María is unconvinced.
Think about it, says Fer. Maybe you lost a battle. But not the war!
[And for me this is the first time that Victoria’s two daughters actually look like sisters.]

Victoria comes home sobbing. Max greets her soberly: So you know?
Know what? asks Vic. [Way to meter la pata, Big Boy!]
And Max tells her:
Mi padre se fue de la casa.
(My father left the house.)
Fer has been listening in the background and now she springs forward and attacks Victoria, telling her it’s all her fault. She never had time for her father, for her, for Max. All she cared about was her business. I hate you, she spits out, as Max leads her away.

Dios mio, cries Vic, ¿por qué? ¿por qué?


Part Two of Two: Of Conspirators, Unfair Blame and a Shocking and Tragic Death.
The abridged version:
Ofelia and Guillermo – otherwise known as Thing 1 and Thing 2 -- celebrate Victoria’s misery and then add to it by sending her a compromising photo of Linda and Osvaldo.

Victoria thinks Osvaldo is innocent but blames Linda and María D – she must be Linda’s accomplice -- for trying to hurt her.

Millie worries because JuanJo has disappeared. Linda laughs off her concern.

The FerBeast softens toward Cruz.

Milagros, Napo and Cruz finally find JuanJo – sprawled out dead on the street..
----------------------------------------
And now the unabridged:
At the airport:
María Magdalena, despite Bernarda’s machinations, is grateful for the chance to make a new life. Toni tells her she will always be welcome in her home; she and Victoria would have been happy if she had turned out to be the daughter they were looking for. They say an emotional and affectionate goodbye.

Ho Ho Ho! Linda Sortini Claus comes home with shopping bags full of gifts for the baby and new clothes for herself – she needs to look good in her new job, right? Where did she get the money for her shopping spree? An advance on her salary, she fibs. María D’s baby will never lack for anything with three mothers to care for him!

Yes, says María, in an uncharacteristically bitter outburst, he’ll have three mothers and no father. Max will lose out on knowing his child, watching him grow, hearing his first words. And he’s probably waiting anxiously for the birth of his child with Ximena.
But he doesn’t need my child; and my child won’t need him:
Yo me basto para quererlo, para cuidarlo y para protegerlo.(I’m enough – I can raise him, care for him and protect him on my own.)

Pip and Toni discuss what happened with María Magdalena and its effects on Vic – for her, it’s like losing another daughter.
Fer tearfully phones Pip and asks him and Toni to come to the house at once. Something terrible has happened! (¡Ha ocurrido una tragedia!)

Milagros is disconcerted when she realizes JuanJo isn’t home. Napo tells her the last time he saw JJ, he looked depressed.

The evil adventures of Thing 1 and Thing 2:Ofelia tells Guillermo with malicious delight that the bomb is about to explode in Osvaldo’s house. Even Guillermo is impressed with how much pleasure Ofelia takes in Victoria’s suffering. Why do you hate her so much? he asks:
Resulta que Victoria me hizo a mí lo mismo que te hizo a ti Osvaldo con Leonela.(The fact is that Victoria did the same thing to me that Osvaldo did to you with Leonela.)
She stole away Osvaldo’s love.
[And here I confess I was hoping Guillermo would smack Ofelia silly for mentioning Leonela. And then she would pull a weapon on him and this pair of vipers would end up neutralizing each other. But not yet, I guess -- he’s too intent on torturing Victoria right now.]

Fue mi culpa! ¡Fue mi culpa!
(It was my fault!)
Osvaldo left because of me! sobs Vic to Pipino, who, along with Toni, has come running in answer to Fer’s cry for help. I was so distracted by my own problems, I wasn’t there for Osvaldo. Looking for your lost daughter wasn’t selfish, Toni reminds her. Yes, counters Vic, but I should have told him!

Guillermo and Ofelia continue to wallow in Victoria’s pain and the fact that in the end, for all her airs of superiority, she has been betrayed just like any woman. They need to keep their distance but they want to make sure Victoria finds out about Linda. Guillermo has been saving his cellphone photo of Os and Linda for just such an occasion. And like any crook, Ofelia just happens to have a cellphone registered under another name. Gui will send his photo to Ofelia’s phone…

Fer thinks her father is an innocent victim. Max tells Fer she shouldn’t be laying all the blame on her mother. As Max comforts his sister, he recalls Os’s last words to him about Victoria – how controlling she was, how little time she had for him -- that he loved Victoria but she never allowed herself to be loved.

Guillermo and Ofelia send the photo to Victoria.

Vic is inconsolable over losing Osvaldo and María Magdalena in one single day. Max joins her as Toni and Pipino look on. Her cellphone sounds and she rushes to answer it: ¡Tiene que ser Osvaldo! (It must be Osvaldo!)

But it’s the blurry photo of Osvaldo kissing Linda! ¡Osvaldo y Linda son amantes! wails Victoria. (Os and Linda are lovers!)

The three try to convince her that there must be an innocent explanation for the photo. It looks like she’s kissing him on the cheek, suggests Toni.

Back in the barrio, Linda isn’t sorry she sold everything Os gave her. After all, it cheered up María D a little. She still pines for Osvaldo.

Oscar arrives at Casa Sandoval. Max is on his way out and asks Oscar to look after his mother.

Milagros is dishing out the eats at her stand in the mercado and Napo is serving as waiter. She’s still worried about JuanJo’s whereabouts. Napo will call the fire station to see if he’s there.

Sorrow begins to chip away at the stone that was Fer’s heart:
At Casa Sandoval, Cruz notices Fer’s tearful face. He knows the best medicine for sadness. In his pueblo, people listen to the music of the wind, the trees, the birds, the water and a song sung very softly into one’s ear. And as Cruz begins to sing softly into Fer’s ear, her face breaks into a wistful smile.

Millie stands by anxiously while Napo phones the fire station. The guys haven’t seen JuanJo either.

For a moment, you made me forget my sadness, says Fer. Cruz, forgive me for all the times I was rude to you. She kisses him on the cheek and goes back inside. And he is left to reflect ruefully that he is well and truly in love but to her, he’ll never be more than a simple gardener.

Max once again shows up at María D’s apartment, but this time he’s looking for Linda. He knows his father very well, he says: And he would never have gone to bed with a woman as vulgar as you unless you kept after him until you got what you wanted. Do you realize the harm you’ve done to a married man, a family, a decent woman?
Linda laughs in his face: If your father had an affair with me, it must have been because he was bored with your mother.
She is sure Osvaldo will come back to her. Let Victoria resign herself to the role of victim.
Max leaves in disgust.

Napo has called everywhere and he and Millie still haven’t found JuanJo. Maybe he’s back home…

At Casa Sandoval, Pip, Toni and Oscar try to convince Vic that the photo means nothing. Says Toni:
Te estas ahogando en un vaso de agua.(You’re making a mountain out of a molehill, lit. You’re drowning in a glass of water.)

Victoria says she trusts Osvaldo completely but Linda is up to something. She wants her watched. And she undoubtedly has an accomplice who took the photo and sent it to her – María Desamparada!Esa es su venganza por haberla corrido y por no haberle permitido que se casara con mi hijo Max! Quiero que las tengas vigiladas a las dos!(That is her revenge for my firing her and not letting her marry my son Max. I want you to have them both watched!)
She won’t have pity on either of them. [Guau! Vic’s character hangs another u-ey, morphing from Mother Teresa to Ma Barker faster than you can say TELEVISA!]

Rox asks Ximena if she thinks Vic and Os are going to get divorced. Xi couldn’t care less. She just wants Max to cough up the money so she can live in the penthouse she has her eye on. She’s so sick of living in the hotel. But all he thinks about are his parents’ problems!

It’s dark now and there’s still no sign of JuanJo. Napo and Millie are back in the apartment and Millie is crying. She knows something bad must have happened to her son. Cruz comes home in good spirits. When he hears the story, he says JuanJo is probably with Linda. Millie dashes out to check and to give her a piece of her mind. When she’s out of earshot, Napo confesses to Cruz that he’s worried too. It’s not like JuanJo to just disappear – he’s either home or at the fire station.

Millie pounds on the girls’ door. When Linda opens it, Millie grabs her lapels (I’d have gone for the hair) and demands to know where JuanJo is. How do I know? she says, unconcerned. He’s probably out on a drunk. That’s not so, says Millie.

At the dining room table at Casa Sandoval, Ximena tells Max that her mother isn’t afraid of working. She’ll be at the company tomorrow morning.

Nathy, María D, Cruz and Napo stand by as Millie laces into Linda:
You’re nothing but a cheap whore! It’s your fault I can’t find JuanJo and I don’t know if my son is dead or alive. You did the worst harm a person can do to a mother – destroy her son! You better pray that he’s alive or I’ll tear your eyes out -- I’ll kill you with my own hands!

Cruz and Napo lead Millie away leaving Linda tearful and shaken.

At Casa Sandoval, Micaela tells Max and Ximena that Fer and Vic won’t be joining them at the table. Max and Xi snipe at one another some more.

Millie, Napo and Cruz bundle up for a night to be spent on the streets looking for JuanJo.

Guillermo calls Ximena. She hangs up on him, pretending it’s a wrong number. Xi and Max continue sniping. New Xi threat: If you leave me, she says, forget about your child. Forever. Max looks upward for an answer. He doesn’t seem to find one.

Victoria is tormented by dreams of Osvaldo and Linda together and of María D and Linda mocking her. She prays for guidance.

Napo, Cruz and Millie comb the streets searching for JuanJo.

Max goes to see JP in the church. JP asks Max how Victoria reacted to Osvaldo leaving the house. Badly, answers Max, especially after someone sent her a photo of Os and Linda together. Looking for the bright side, JP replies: That means that Victoria still cares about Os. Nothing is worse (más angustiante) for a marriage than indifference.

Cruz, Napo and Millie search on. Someone tells them he saw a guy resembling JuanJo.

Do you know where my father is? Max asks JP. No, he doesn’t. All he knows is that Osvaldo was planning to go someplace to meditate. He doesn’t want to lose your mother, adds Juan Pablo.
My mother is a great woman, says Max, but very rigid (demasiado dura); I don’t know what’s going to happen.

Linda has recovered nicely from Millie’s threats and now models one of her new dresses for Nathy and María D. The roomies are shocked that she is indifferent to JuanJo’s disappearance and Milagros’s anguish. And once more, Nathy wants to know where she got the money for her shopping spree. She doesn’t believe the story of the salary advance. Linda admits she sold JuanJo’s “horrible” engagement ring (although it wasn’t worth much) and the bracelet Osvaldo gave her:
Los bienes son para remediar los males.(Your possessions tide you over in bad times/ The goods are a remedy for the bad.)
María D hands back the baby gifts and tells Linda to return them. She can’t accept them knowing where the money came from.

A tragic discovery:
Milagros stands at a distance as Cruz and Napo approach a figure sprawled on the ground and surrounded by empty bottles. It looks like JuanJo. They grumble about how irresponsibly he is behaving and try to figure out how to get him home.
When they reach him and turn him over on his back, Napo pulls away in horror crying:
¡Tiene la cara destrozada!(His face is a destroyed!)

Cruz checks for a pulse and finds none. JuanJo is dead!

Milagros’s wails of anguish echo in the empty streets. ¡Noooooo! ¡Mi’jo!
----------------------
No Max in a kayak. Just memories of love lost. Sigh.


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La Fea Más Bella #251-252 3/14/11 A Day Which Will Live in Infamy

Capitulo 251.
Read k-Fuego's original recap, then come back here to discuss it.

1. Aldo tells the judge he wants to pay off Conceptos’ debt. He won’t keep the company, but he’ll require that the families pay to the last cent, with interest. The judge doesn’t believe Aldo’s doing it for moral responsibility, and Aldo admits it’s for love, to free Lety from her commitments.

2. Lety tells Mama that Fern proposed and she said yes. Mama warns her to be careful. Lety doesn’t want to lose Aldo. Mama counsels that if she’s going to marry Fernando, she has to. Some win, some lose.

3. Fernando is bursting with happiness when he tells his parents he’s marrying Lety, but FrostyPop puts a chill on it. Mama says at least it’ll be good for Conceptos. Pop softens – if marrying Lety will make him happy, Pop supports him. He says it’s all because Marcia talked to Lety.

4. Lety writes Aldo what sounds more like a love letter than a “I’ve got good news and bad news” letter.

5. Then a bunch of filler. Ali’s rude to Tom. The cuartel gossips about Lety and Fern. Aldo buys a flower. Marcia’s harsh to Lety. They can’t pay their loan. Fern dances with the cuartel and evicts Tom from Lety’s office.

6. Fernando has a gift for Lety, a new diary, but they’ll both write in it so they don’t have any more misunderstandings (How romantic!). He gives her a big kiss. And then.. let me summarize the remainder of the episode this way.





Capitulo 252.
Read Alma's original recap, then come back here to discuss it.

1. Lety gets her braces off but gets headgear. Aldo tells Tom he’s going back to Acapulco.

2. Fern asks Tom what’s up with the debt. Tom says Aldo is essentially the owner of Conceptos. Fern tells Tom to find out Aldo’s intentions. Ali hears that Tom might go to Acapulco so she angles for an invite.

3. Fern has no one to help him think, so he calls Omar, who hangs up on him. So Fern writes in the diary. His wonderful day turned into a disaster. He is surprised that he was capable of such a sacrifice, to give Lety the freedom to decide. “I’m betting on my luck because I hope that in the end, Lety decides for me.” He has second thoughts about his sacrifice, but in the end, he knows he did the right thing. “Lety has to be certain that she’s in love with only me.”

4. Aldo tells Aldad he bought the debt to free Lety, and now she’s with Fernando! Aldad suggests that Lety’s not the one for him, and he needs to move on. Aldo says he’s going back to Aca to the life he left.

5. Roman’s gang picks on Lety and she cowers and pouts until RoboPop comes out and rescues her. The restaurant’s new owner (I’ll call him Garza) asks Aldo to cook for tonight’s grand opening.


6. Caro calls Omar to see how he’s doing. He tries to take her out, but she has the Anaís event tonight. He decides to crash the event.

7. Fern begs Omar to come back, but Omar kicks him out. Fern moons over Lety’s picture and makes his Lety shrine on his mirror.

8. Caro asks Lety who she really loves. Lety was completely sure she loved Fernando, but when she lost Aldo she felt a horrible pain. She wishes her life were simple like before. Caro says she can’t go back because she’s made two guapisimos crazy for her.

9. Anaís checks wardrobe with her stylist, Manuel. He’s looking for someone to showcase the 40’s retro look to Mexico. Caro asks if Anaís’s team can fix up Lety. the press and public swarm around the new diva, Lety. She hasn’t seen herself and she only wants to escape.
GUAPISIMO!

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Eva Luna #89 Fri 3/11/11

Eva is presenting her commercial idea to Buick. They like the idea and it’s approved.

Victoria tells herself that Pablito will be the one that shows everyone just how crazy she is. She takes him while Tia is in the kitchen making Pablito his meal.

Rosaura, Bruno’s lover/cousin is trying frantically to get in touch with him. Leo enters his office and tells her that he wants her to file away some documents. He asks her how she knew that Bruno was on vacation. She says she called him to sign some papers and that’s how she found out. Do you know where he went asks Leo. No, he didn’t say replies Rosaura.

Marcella is at Bruno’s looking through all his things.

Bruno finally calls Rosaura. He asks her if everyone knows what’s going on. Yes, everyone knows. Where are you? In Miami Beach enjoying a cocktail in my preferred hotel replies Bruno. I imagined says Rosaura. As soon as I have everything ready, I’ll be on my way. I already know who to ask for or will I be wrong? Each success (triunfo) has a new name says Bruno. It’s Bruno Arismendez.

Carlos sees Alicia waiting for him by herself.

Eva comes home and greets her aunt. Tia tells her she’s finished making Pablitos’s meal. Eva offers to get him from his crib, but Tia says he’s in the playpen. Eva says he’s not in there and they go back to see. Eva starts freaking out and Tia thinks that perhaps Renata must have picked him up.

Carlos is glad that Alicia came. He wants to talk to her about what happened to him in jail and his feelings. Did you come alone? Alicia is about to answer when she spots Tony.

Eva asks Renata if she has seen her son. Renata has not. My aunt left him in the playpen and now he’s not there says Eva. I did not take him out replies Renata. But there is no one else in the house says Tia. That happens when there is not appropriate supervision replies Renata. Whatever says Eva. She tells Tia to look in the rooms while she looks at the rest of the house and asks Renata to help.

Tony grabs Carlos and tells him that Alicia is not alone. She has him. I have told you not to get near her says Tony. Alicia is in the background telling Tony to stop. Tony tells Carlos that I also told you that if you got close to Alicia that I was going to send you to the cemetery. The boys start fighting and I am actually rooting for Carlos.

Eva and Tia come back from looking outside and yell out for Renata. She didn’t find Pablito. Renata thinks that perhaps Alicia took him out. Tia says she wouldn’t do that without telling her first. They go look again.

Marcella goes to see Gallo.

Eva is freaked out. Who could have taken him? Tia recalls a conversation she had with Daniel. He came over this morning and brought a gift for Pablito. He held him and we talked. And before he left he said that he had rights to spend time with his son. And if you fought him then he would do anything he could to spend more time with him. With that Eva runs out the house.

More fighting between the boys. More yelling from Alicia.

Marisol and her stripper friend talk about the situation with Damian. Aren’t you scared asks the stripper friend. Yes, but I told the police everything. So if anything happens to me, they will look at him first.

Marcella tells Gallo that she will pay him a fortunate for this favor. Didn’t you just say that he ruined you asks Gallo. Yes, but I have jewelry that are very expensive. Gallo tells her that he will personally take care of it himself.

The stripper friend tells Marisol that Damien is very angry with her. Please be careful. Let’s change the subject. Has the guy from the record labeled called? No yet replies Marisol. And if he doesn’t within a couple of days, I am going to look elsewhere. There’s a knock on the door and Marisol goes to answer it. It’s the record label guy, Geraldo.

Victoria comes into Daniels house with the baby in her arms. He’s shocked when he sees her holding his son.

Marisol is happy. He has given her a contract.

Daniel tells Victoria to give him the baby. Victoria says what are you talking about? I’m not Victoria. I’m Eva. This is our child. When Daniel again asks for the baby she tells him no again. All you want to do is give him to the servant. I won’t do that says Daniel. Victoria yells out No! and runs up the stairs with the baby.

Alicia and Tony fight. Alicia tells him she’s tired of him. Tony says he’s trying to protect her. No your not says Alicia. You are trying to keep everyone away from me. Carlos and Leo and I’m tired of it. Leave me alone!!!

Daniel is pleading with Victoria to give him the baby. Victoria cries that she wants all 3 of them to go on vacation. She looks out the woman and sees Eva coming up the drive way. She wants Daniel to get her bag so that she can prepare for there vacation. He gets the bag and pleads with her to give him the baby. She does so just as Eva comes storming into the room and yells at Daniel “You should never had done this Daniel!!

Marcella has given Gallo all the information she knows about Bruno. Gallo tells her it will not be an easy case, but one that he believes he can solve. Marcella asks for discretion and for her son not to find o out. Gallo tells her that she will have to leave quickly because he will be here any minute. As she turns to leave she runs into Leo. What are you doing here he asks. She makes a pack with him. She doesn’t ask what he’s doing here and neither will he.

Eva returns home with Pablito. She tells Tia and Renata that Daniel had him and was packing a bag to take him away. She has now forbidden for either Daniel or Victoria to enter this house.

Ricardo is teaching some guys boxing but his hearts on in it. He tells them they’ll resume again in a couple of days.

Justa talks to the cura and spills out all her secrets. She tells him that she’s married and has asked Julio to leave her alone, but he won’t. The cura thinks that she may still have feeling for Julio and to think more on it.

Eva tells Tia that things happen for a reason. Just like Leo once told her and recalls that conversation. Suddenly they hear Renata yelling at Daniel and he rushes into her home office. We need to talk. Eva tells Tia and Renata to leave.

Victoria thinks her plan worked. Eva left thinking Daniel stole her baby.

Eva says if don’t leave know I will call the police. She starts dialing and he yanks the phone away from her and tells her that Victoria took the boy. Don’t you see she’s crazy in the head? you told me last night that she was faking it. If I didn’t get there in time who knows where you would have taken him. No, that suitcase was made when I told Victoria to leave the house. You’re a liar yells Eva. I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! Leo comes in and yells at Daniel to let her go. Renata told me everything that you did you miserable swine. I didn’t do it says Daniel. It was your sister. Of course, you are blaming her sickness. You are a coward. Eva tells Daniel to leave. Daniel says I can’t believe your doing this. Where are you getting that I will take our child away from you? I will never do that. You were the only here this afternoon replies Eva. You even told my aunt that you would do anything crazy to be with my son. Now if you don’t leave I will call the police. So that they can lock you away for everything. Fine, do what you want says Daniel. Get married, but you cannot prevent me from seeing my son.

Marisol tells Francisco that the guy from the label came. They are excited and coming up with ideas on how to spend the money.

Leo thanks Victoria for her crazy stunt.

Damian still plans at getting back Marisol.

Leo and Eva are eating dinner. She tells him she’s ready to tell the police that Daniel killed her father.

Francisco and Marisol talk more of how they are going to spend their money.

Leo thinks that it’s better to turn him in to the police after they get married. Renata comes in telling Eva that Jackie wants to talk to her. Leo leaves, but only to eavesdrop. Jackie tells Eva that Daniel told her what happened today. And I came over to clarify some things. Daniel did not take your baby. It must have been Victoria. Eva says then Daniel was telling me the truth. She tells Jackie that she will come over tomorrow morning to talk to him and clear up everything.

Liliana pays Daniel a visit. She wants a favor.

Some detectives come looking for Eva. They are there to take a statement. Eva doesn’t know what they are talking about. Leo comes in and says that she will be accusing Daniel Villanueva in the death of her father. Eva is shocked. She asked Leo what is all this. Leo tells her that last night you told me that you wanted to report him to the police for the murder of your father did you not? Yes, but… says Eva. The police ask if it’s true. Leo says it’s time.

Liliana wants permission to take out Laurita. Daniel agrees.

Eva gets mad at Leo. Who told you I wanted to do this know? Eva tells the policemen to go. They tell her that if she has proof they have to investigate. Leo says she’s just nervous. Eva says I’m not. This is my business, not yours. You shouldn’t have done this. Leo apologizes and says it’s too late. Let’s get on with it. They start questioning Eva. And Leo butts in. Accuses Daniel of everything.

Victoria wonders why her mother hasn’t come over to see her.

Monday: Daniel is arrested, Laurita is upset with Eva

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Llena de Amor #147 (Mex. 156-157) Fri 3/11/11 Absense makes the heart grow fonder

Or maybe forget....

Kinda what happened to me. My big project ended this weekend, so I'm relieved. So busy relieving myself (partying, staying out for the weekend), I completely forgot there was this other world out there, and that I was a part of it. Woke up at 4 something this am and while trying to fall back asleep starting thinking about that other world and whoops, yep it was my turn. Ah well. I haven't been home except for about 10 minutes this weekend and I just blanked out on this completely. Am I just getting old? I think it's more out of sight, out of my small little mind. Well, I should have a much easier week going forward, so when I get home to my tape, I'll run a brief recap for you. Hope the show was great, and of course feel free to comment. Sorry, I missed even giving you that opportunity earlier. Well, at least this chapter has concluded for now, so onward and upward.

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