Monday, May 30, 2011
Triunfo del Amor #132-133 5/30/11 The Big Tease –or- A Whole Bunch of Stuff Almost Happens
In which:
Victoria almost finds her daughter and ends up losing her son;
We almost find out what’s wrong with Alonso;
Leonela almost falls off the wagon when The Murder Club meets at the Best Restaurant in Mexico;
And we almost lose our cookies when a bubble bath leaves us all feeling a little dirty.
Part One
El Alacrán’s hide-out:
Padilla buys his own reprieve by selling out el Alacrán. Once Bernarda has shot the Scorpion, she turns on Padilla himself and jams his own gun under his throat. If he betrays her, she warns, he won’t live to talk about it. And now she lowers the gun and gives the order: Bury him in the hole where her money was hidden – demons belong underground:
De otra manera, vagarán por el mundo para la perdición de las almas.
(Otherwise they’ll wander the earth and destroy souls.)
Casa Sandoval:
I can only imagine how much you’ve suffered, Osvaldo tells Victoria, her face still streaked with tears. She admits that, more than the physical pain, it is the emotional pain of her illness that torments her – that and the fear of the disease itself. Osvaldo comforts her.
Heriberto and Leonela are wrapping up their visit. She’ll try to control her drinking for her own sake and for Max. When Heri leaves, she reflects:
Ese hombre me trajo paz y tranquilidad y me quitó las ganas de beber –
(That man brought me peace and tranquility and took away my desire to drink – )
And then she adds soberly:
Por lo pronto…
(For now…)
Max stops in at M ya no D’s place in the vecindad. He invites her and little Juan Pablo to join him for comida – he has a surprise for her, something long overdue. Smoochies. ♪♪A partir de hoy♪♪
In the offices of Casa Bernada, Doña Demente has Eva cornered.
She gooses Eva’s face with a peacock plume (I guess you could see she peacocks her). Fausto says you were unaware of his true intentions, she says. Somehow Little Eva intuits what Fausto has told Bernarda and with a show of bravado replies: Fausto isn’t my nephew – and I’m glad he told you the truth. You’ve been so good to me… But if you don’t believe me, she adds with mock humility, it would be better if I left…
Not so fast, Eva. Demente puts an arm on her shoulder and reminds her that SHE is the one who makes the decisions. Eva has heard so many things in the time she has lived in the Demente house that NOW SHE BELONGS TO BERNARDA!
Here the recapper’s mind wanders and she imagines a duet in the Mexican Idol contest – Little Eva and Bernie singing do-wop ♪♪You’re Mine … and we belong to – geth – er♪♪ Yes we belong to-geth-er♪♪ For-or-or-or eter-ni-ty ♪♪
Ok. Back to unreality.
Eva kisses Bernarda’s hand – blech -- and thanks her for believing in her. (Thereby proving that you can, in fact, BS a BSer.) For now! says the Demented One pointedly.
Meanwhile, at the church:
Fausto frets to Juan Pablo that he hasn’t had time to warn Eva about his outburst to Bernarda. But PJP is more concerned about Fausto’s own safety. Let his mother find another super for the vecindad – Fausto can stay in the parochial school where he, Padre Jerónimo and the boys can protect him. As for the job of protecting María ya no D:
¡Lo haré yo!
(I’ll do it!)
Then the padre sets off to see his mother. Left alone in the sacristy, Fausto kneels and prays for forgiveness. He is ready to leave his thirst for vengeance behind.
Chiaroscuro
Chiaro –
Our sweet bride Fer stretches luxuriantly in bed and tells Cruz she’s so happy, she feels like she’s dreaming. You’re not, he reassures her as he hands her a rose. Cruz wants to show her the town – it’s small but soooooo cute (requetechulo) and they can buy some food, and call their families. She smiles so fetchingly that he pulls off his boots and hops back under the covers with her.
Oscuro –
Juan Pablo confronts his mother in her office. He knows about her conversation with Fausto, he tells her. She doesn’t understand why he is so quick to believe the word of others over that of his own mother. Because, he says sadly, you lie. But he’s not there to argue. He is there to warn her: If anything happens to Fausto or Eva, he personally will denounce her to the authorities and she’ll spend the rest of her life in prison.
Chiaro –
A bucolic tableau. Fer and Cruz sit on the grass. A beautiful white horse stands behind them. Fer remembers her fantasy of being swept away by her Prince Charming (principe azul) riding in on his white horse – and now her dream has come true. Sing me the song you sang at her wedding, she asks her prince. And he does. Awwwww.
Cruz carries his light as a feather florecita into the little store in the pueblo.
And meanwhile in the DF:
Juan Pablo has made it back to the church and finds Max waiting for him in the sacristy. Max invites JP to a special comida at the family home. Sure thing, says JP. What’s the occasion? Before Max can answer, his cell phone rings: It’s Dr. Heri and he wants to talk to him about Leonela.
The owners of Casa Sandoval are enjoying a rare moment of domestic contentment as they smile at each other over the breakfast table. Osvaldo answers the phone with his mouth full and Cruz, on the other end of the line, jokes that he must have dialed the wrong number because it sounds like a dog is talking. Then Fer takes the phone. Os, mouth still stuffed, chokes and coughs and Victoria finally takes over. Giggles all around as Os recovers. Father-daughter banter. Fer tells Daddy he's still her favorite guy. He tells her she can't fool him:
¡No me des atole con el dedo!
All is well.
Alonso has finally agreed to have some lab tests done. PJP, who has accompanied him to the hospital, is amused to learn that the same man who has gone fearlessly into the jungle for photo shoots, is deathly afraid of needles, tourniquets and blood (lo de la aguja y la liga y la sangre – todo eso). That’s a big, honkin’ needle, says Alonso dubiously as the tech prepares to draw his blood. PJP puts a comforting hand on his shoulder and tells him not to move.
Now Millie gets a call from the newlyweds and the whole vecindad gang gathers around the communal phone to hear the latest. Don Joel tells her to pass along a message to Cruz: Televisa has called several times looking for him. If they call again, says Cruz, tell them I’ll get in touch when I get back from my honeymoon.
Before she hangs up, Millie gives her nephew a long and scary blessing which might make a lesser man afraid to get out of bed in the morning.
The (in)action moves back to Casa Sandoval. Osvaldo has told Oscar about Padilla’s latest attack on Victoria. It has to be handled with discretion but Os is determined to make Padilla answer for what he did. Oscar assures Os he’ll keep the matter confidential.
There’s something else Osvaldo needs to know, says Oscar. It’s about the theater. Blah blah blah -- legal crap – blah blah blah. Bottom line: Gui’s probably going to able to produce his play. But Oscar’s still on the case and working to recover Osvaldo’s money.
Now Oscar has a favor to ask: He and Antonieta are getting married. Will Vic and Os be their witnesses?
Toni is asking the same thing of Vic. Toni’s kind of nervous about this marriage stuff – neither she nor Oscar has ever lived with anyone else. Ms. Ruffo, consummate professional that she is, manages to keep a straight face when she assures Toni that:
Cuando hay amor, todo se puede.
(When there’s love, you can do anything.)
Suddenly Victoria experiences a spasm. She doubles over and gasps – oh this treatment… they weren’t able to get rid of the cancer completely…
Which thought brings us back to subjects medical -- but this time, it’s Alonso, not Vic, who is the patient. I thought you were going to faint right there in the lab, PJP tells Alonso laughingly.
JP reminds him the results will be back later today. Alonso promises he’ll go back to pick them up but now he wants to talk about what really matters: How is María Desamparada? Forget her, says PJP. And then he patiently repeats the litany: She’s not for you. She loves Max with all her heart. She has a child with him. Accept it – it’s not your destiny to be with her.
But Alonso won’t accept it – he’d rather die! And to the advice that he find another girl: There is no other girl for him. He needs his ternura!
Heriberto is now the official Go-To Guy for the familia Sandoval:
The two hunky cubanos, Max and Dr. Heri, hunker down and talk. Dr. Heri thinks Max is doing the right thing by Leonela. They agree that alcoholism, like all addictions, hurts not just the addict but everyone around that person. Heri warns him that addicts often behave selfishly, insensitive to how they are affecting others. Max will have to confront the issue of relapses and the suffering that goes along with them.
The object of their concern is right now receiving a visitor:
Guillermo shows up at Leonela’s hotel suite brandishing a document – Bernie’s lawyers have gotten him permission to use the theater on the date they need. Gui, being not just an ordinary bastard but a pretentious bastard, proceeds to rant about Sun Tzu and The Art of War:
If you’re ten times more powerful than your enemy, surround him;
if you’re five times more powerful, attack him;
if two times more powerful, divide him;
and if you’re equals, engage him:
That’s what we’ll do, says Gui – we’ll open on the day we planned even if it makes Osvaldo furious.
Leonela laughs delightedly, they kiss and leave to celebrate their triumph.
What happens next is so dirty they have to do it in the tub. Double. Bubble. Bath. Faces. Nails. Ya basta.
The docs in the hospital are shaking their heads over Alonso’s lab results and hoping the guy takes them to his own doctor right away. Serious stuff.
Alonso himself walks in the park where he first met M ya no D and continues to obsess about his ternura.
I guess bubblebaths give Leonela an appetite. She tells Gui to take her to the Best Restaurant in Mexico. He warns her not to drink. And she warns him not to try to tell her what to do.
It’s all happy happy at the new Casa Victoria. Love is in the air. Pip and Toni are glad to see María and little Juan Pablo, both dressed in their Sunday best for the special comida Max has planned. Toni reminds María that she is invited to her upcoming wedding.
Max arrives at the hotel looking for Leonela and he’s upset when the manager tells him she went out. Max figures she must be with Gui – who else? He decides to ask Dr. Heri for help.
Alonso picks up his test results at the lab. The nurse passes along the hospital doctor’s advice: Show these to your doctor right away!
What makes this comida different from all other comidas?
Victoria and Osvaldo, handsomely turned out for the occasion, wait for Max to get home. They are curious about the reason for this special meal. They are surprised when Padre Juan Pablo arrives at the door, and then more so when Max himself shows up with María and little Juan Pablo. Everyone smiles. Vic asks if she can hold the baby. María hesitates a moment and then agrees, putting the child in her arms.
Max takes the floor: I wanted to let you know -- I’d like to marry María Desamparada as soon as possible. And I wanted the whole family present when I asked for the hand of the woman I love.
Whoa… Victoria is confused. María Desamparada is an orphan and doesn’t have a family. Just whose permission is Max looking for?
Max answers by turning to PJP: Padre, will you give me MD’s hand in marriage?
Now Victoria is really bewildered. Why is Max asking PJP?
Because, answers Max, he’s her father; Padre Juan Pablo is María Desamparada’s father.
Victoria’s face is a canvas of changing emotions as understanding dawns… if Juan Pablo is María Desamparada’s father…
Part Two
Now it’s Max’s turn to be confused. He sees that Victoria is overwhelmed by emotion. Why?????
It is PJP who breaks the spell:
Yo soy como su padre, su padre confesor ...
(I’m like her father, her confessor …)
Then he turns to María: ... her spiritual guide, he concludes.
Max laughs incredulously and asks: What are you talking about, Father? But now MD chimes in and says yes, PJP has always been like a father to me.
And we watch the joy drain out of Victoria’s face as it turns to stone. She hands off the baby to Micaela. Then she faces Max. Listen, she says, I’ll be honest with you. I won’t try to stop you because I know you’ll go ahead with your plans, no matter what I say. But let me make this clear:
Aunque la tolero, yo no la quiero – mucho menos la quiero como tu esposa.
(I may tolerate her but I don’t like her – especially not as your wife.)
María is wounded and furious at these words: So what you said to me when my son was missing – those pretty words of consolation – they were false?
I was hurting because of Max, Victoria answers coldly.
No, says María – you just felt sorry for yourself because it reminded you of your own lost daughter.
María continues lashing out: I’m glad you lost your daughter. You didn’t deserve her! And if God hasn’t granted your prayer, it means you still don’t deserve her -- that you’ll never find her!
Shut up, screams Vic. And wham! She slaps her hard. Get out of my house!
Don’t you dare hit me ever again, answers María with cold rage, because the next time, I’ll hit you back! I never want to see you again! And you’ll never see my son again!
You can’t keep me from seeing my grandson, retorts Vic. And María answers icily:
Ese niño no es nada suyo porque Max no es su hijo biológico.
(That child is unrelated to you because Max isn’t your biological son.)
There’s no blood tie between you!
Now Victoria spits out her final venom: I don’t know why JP had to take so much trouble with you – you’re just a poor orphan, one of so many…
The same arrogant woman as always, says María. Being here disgusts me, she tells Victoria and she goes off to get her son. PJP follows her.
And now at last Max has seen – really seen and been wounded by – the arrogance – la soberbia -- of Señora Victoria Sandoval. He too follows María out of the room.
Osvaldo glares at Victoria. Hell. We all glare at Victoria. But also at Juan Pablo for letting this ugly scene play out.
We need to get out of that house for a moment. Let’s take a peek at the Televisa studios – Millie and the Jarochas have just arrived and are shlepping through the lot looking for the contest stage.
In some circles, soberbia – high and mightiness -- is a quality to be desired:
At Casa Bernarda, Luciano is thrilled that Ximena’s very appearance cries out “soberbia”; and Xi – with a model I don’t know -- is buttering up Luciano – he’s the Best Designer in Mexico, he’s so handsome… They wheedle a lunch invitation out of him. To the Best Restaurant in Mexico, natch.
Take a cleansing breath. Okay. Back at Casa Sandoval, Max, with little Osvaldo in his arms, announces he is leaving. He still loves Victoria – that’s the worst thing about it! But he’ll be living with Leonela in an apartment until he and María are married. If Vic doesn’t want to see the woman he loves, well, she won’t see Max either.
Victoria is left alone to weep.
Let’s spend some time in the Best -- and by Best, we mean Most Expensive -- Restaurant in the city. Over here are the brilliant thespians, Leo and Gui. And over there, are the fashion glitterati, Xi and Luciano. Xi stands up and introduces Luciano to the room at large. She toasts him with champagne (and we wonder, ever hopeful, if she is still taking the pills that interact fatally with alcohol).
Now Xi suggests sending a glass of champagne over to Leo and Gui’s table. Luciano will do her one better – he trots over and places the glass in Leonela’s hand. Gui tries to intervene but Leo insists that refusing would be an insult to Luciano. But before she can bring the glass to her lips –
Dr. Heri appears! Magically. Like something out of Harry Potter! He strides up to the table and takes the glass away from Leonela. Not a single drop, he tells her. To the others he explains: I’m her doctor.
Leonela surprises everyone with her reaction: Let’s celebrate, she says. But without alcohol!
Time out for some characters who aren’t sociopaths:
Luci has her suitcases packed. She’s moving out of the apartment, she tells Fabián, because she knows he doesn’t share her feelings. Fab is.. you know … confused. And hurting from Fer’s wedding. He persuades Luci to stick around while they sort out their feelings for one another.
And back on the ranch:
Fer confides to Cruz that she’s afraid he’ll get tired of having a paralítica for a wife. He scoffs at the thought – he’ll never tire of her. What they have will last a lifetime. Having a child together would make their happiness complete, she tells him.
Had enough normal? Back to Bernie:
Bernarda thinks about her latest murder – el Alacrán – and then JP’s threat to turn her in to the police. She has to reconcile with her son, she tells herself.
Her son, meanwhile, pleads with María ya no D to cut Victoria some slack. She tried, she says, but you heard her: She tolerates me but she doesn’t like me.
Max is still at Casa Sandoval saying his goodbyes to Osvaldo. He explains his reasons and plans. Osvaldo warns him that Leonela may be a bad influence on him. Os doesn’t believe she has really changed:
Arbol que nace torcido jamás sus ramas se enderezan.
(A tree that’s born twisted never grows straight. As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.)
In the Best Restaurant in Mexico, Ximena and Luciano have joined Gui and Leo; and Dr. Heri has taken his place at the table. Xi turns to Heri and asks maliciously:
So you’re the one who did Fer’s surgery?
Yes, he says, and unfortunately the results weren’t what we hoped for.
Now Gui snorts and says: Maybe because the doctors didn’t know what they were doing.
Leonela contradicts him: I don’t think so, Guillermo. Sometimes doctors find themselves faced with impossible cases…
That’s true, agrees Dr. Heri.
Now Leo brightens and suggests they talk about happier things. She turns her charm on Luciano and asks him if he’d like to design the wardrobe for her upcoming show – she’s Desdemona in Gui’s production of Othello. Desdemona – she gets killed, doesn’t she? asks Xi. And then adds: Watch out: Guillermo likes to kill actresses. And Gui rejoins: Yeah, like you like to kill your rivals.
And somehow, Dr. Heri knows these two aren't joking.
Leonela and Ximena have a staring contest.
The crowd at the Televisa hall is in a festive mood as they wait for the contest to get started. Ay caray! One of the Jarochas goes rogue! She runs up on the stage and kisses the host, Adal Ramones.
At the hospital, a doctor remarks that Alonso’s test results were worse than they expected.
Oblivious Al, far from following the advice to see his doctor right away, hasn’t even opened the envelope with the test results. And then, when he gets distracted by a phone call – it’s someone named Carmona who wants another Lovely Cosmetics commercial – he drops the envelope without even noticing.
Guillermo takes Leonela back to her suite at the Casa Vieja.
He’s pleased with the way she handled herself but not so pleased with that metiche, Dr. Heri. Gui tries to get … um .. chummy … but Leonela’s not in the mood. She is in the mood to gloat, though. Now – after hearing Xi say that he likes to kill actresses -- she’s sure Gui is a murderer. So what? he says. So are you! Yeah, but I’ve paid for my crime, she smirks.
Back on the ranch, Cruz and Fer daydream about having a child and they imagine all the things Cruz will teach him to make him todo un ranchero. Fer reminds him he needs to finish his studies in the DF. He knows. After the honeymoon, they’ll be moving back to the city – he has a cozy little place ready for them in the vecindad – María and Nati helped him furnish it.
At the church, Juan Pablo is with Jero and he is lamenting Victoria’s blindness to the miracle God put right before her. ( I’m no theologian, but it seems to me Juan Pablo himself is the Miracle Blocker here.) That is the cue for Bernie’s entrance and uninvited explanation: It’s because God doesn’t want Victoria to find her daughter.
Eva may be little but man, she’s lethal. She tears into Fausto for telling Bernie the truth and calls him a coward for not following through on his plan for vengeance. And he’s also a coward for not telling María Desamparada that he loves her.
Fausto knows Eva is mocking him. He remembers what his mother taught him -- don’t harm others; love thy neighbor as thyself. He wishes Eva well but he and she are following different paths now. He’ll be going to the parish school. Is he going to become a priest? He hasn’t yet decided.
Speaking of priests –
Bernarda rudely dismisses Padre Jerónimo. Once she and JP are alone, she promises him that she won’t do anything to harm Eva and Fausto.
Toni, now with Vic at Casa Sandoval, speaks plainly to her friend: Victoria was wrong to say what she did to María. Vic won’t back down though. She mutters that she won’t be a hypocrite; she was just speaking the truth. Maybe, says Toni, but this time Max isn’t going to sacrifice his happiness. (¡Dios te oiga, Toni!)
And maybe he really isn’t (going to sacrifice his happiness, that is). Because when he shows up at María’s place, little Osvaldo in arms, he brushes aside her worries about his family coming between them. Not this time, he tells her. Nothing will come between us. You are the love of my life. Nothing is more important than you.
But I never want to see Victoria again, María tells him. And I don’t want her near our son. He’s willing to accept that. But right now he and little Os have a surprise for her: clutched in Osvaldo’s fat little baby hand is a ring. Max asks: Will you be my wife?
Cue the kayak
Victoria almost finds her daughter and ends up losing her son;
We almost find out what’s wrong with Alonso;
Leonela almost falls off the wagon when The Murder Club meets at the Best Restaurant in Mexico;
And we almost lose our cookies when a bubble bath leaves us all feeling a little dirty.
Part One
El Alacrán’s hide-out:
Padilla buys his own reprieve by selling out el Alacrán. Once Bernarda has shot the Scorpion, she turns on Padilla himself and jams his own gun under his throat. If he betrays her, she warns, he won’t live to talk about it. And now she lowers the gun and gives the order: Bury him in the hole where her money was hidden – demons belong underground:
De otra manera, vagarán por el mundo para la perdición de las almas.
(Otherwise they’ll wander the earth and destroy souls.)
Casa Sandoval:
I can only imagine how much you’ve suffered, Osvaldo tells Victoria, her face still streaked with tears. She admits that, more than the physical pain, it is the emotional pain of her illness that torments her – that and the fear of the disease itself. Osvaldo comforts her.
Heriberto and Leonela are wrapping up their visit. She’ll try to control her drinking for her own sake and for Max. When Heri leaves, she reflects:
Ese hombre me trajo paz y tranquilidad y me quitó las ganas de beber –
(That man brought me peace and tranquility and took away my desire to drink – )
And then she adds soberly:
Por lo pronto…
(For now…)
Max stops in at M ya no D’s place in the vecindad. He invites her and little Juan Pablo to join him for comida – he has a surprise for her, something long overdue. Smoochies. ♪♪A partir de hoy♪♪
In the offices of Casa Bernada, Doña Demente has Eva cornered.
She gooses Eva’s face with a peacock plume (I guess you could see she peacocks her). Fausto says you were unaware of his true intentions, she says. Somehow Little Eva intuits what Fausto has told Bernarda and with a show of bravado replies: Fausto isn’t my nephew – and I’m glad he told you the truth. You’ve been so good to me… But if you don’t believe me, she adds with mock humility, it would be better if I left…
Not so fast, Eva. Demente puts an arm on her shoulder and reminds her that SHE is the one who makes the decisions. Eva has heard so many things in the time she has lived in the Demente house that NOW SHE BELONGS TO BERNARDA!
Here the recapper’s mind wanders and she imagines a duet in the Mexican Idol contest – Little Eva and Bernie singing do-wop ♪♪You’re Mine … and we belong to – geth – er♪♪ Yes we belong to-geth-er♪♪ For-or-or-or eter-ni-ty ♪♪
Ok. Back to unreality.
Eva kisses Bernarda’s hand – blech -- and thanks her for believing in her. (Thereby proving that you can, in fact, BS a BSer.) For now! says the Demented One pointedly.
Meanwhile, at the church:
Fausto frets to Juan Pablo that he hasn’t had time to warn Eva about his outburst to Bernarda. But PJP is more concerned about Fausto’s own safety. Let his mother find another super for the vecindad – Fausto can stay in the parochial school where he, Padre Jerónimo and the boys can protect him. As for the job of protecting María ya no D:
¡Lo haré yo!
(I’ll do it!)
Then the padre sets off to see his mother. Left alone in the sacristy, Fausto kneels and prays for forgiveness. He is ready to leave his thirst for vengeance behind.
Chiaroscuro
Chiaro –
Our sweet bride Fer stretches luxuriantly in bed and tells Cruz she’s so happy, she feels like she’s dreaming. You’re not, he reassures her as he hands her a rose. Cruz wants to show her the town – it’s small but soooooo cute (requetechulo) and they can buy some food, and call their families. She smiles so fetchingly that he pulls off his boots and hops back under the covers with her.
Oscuro –
Juan Pablo confronts his mother in her office. He knows about her conversation with Fausto, he tells her. She doesn’t understand why he is so quick to believe the word of others over that of his own mother. Because, he says sadly, you lie. But he’s not there to argue. He is there to warn her: If anything happens to Fausto or Eva, he personally will denounce her to the authorities and she’ll spend the rest of her life in prison.
Chiaro –
A bucolic tableau. Fer and Cruz sit on the grass. A beautiful white horse stands behind them. Fer remembers her fantasy of being swept away by her Prince Charming (principe azul) riding in on his white horse – and now her dream has come true. Sing me the song you sang at her wedding, she asks her prince. And he does. Awwwww.
Cruz carries his light as a feather florecita into the little store in the pueblo.
And meanwhile in the DF:
Juan Pablo has made it back to the church and finds Max waiting for him in the sacristy. Max invites JP to a special comida at the family home. Sure thing, says JP. What’s the occasion? Before Max can answer, his cell phone rings: It’s Dr. Heri and he wants to talk to him about Leonela.
The owners of Casa Sandoval are enjoying a rare moment of domestic contentment as they smile at each other over the breakfast table. Osvaldo answers the phone with his mouth full and Cruz, on the other end of the line, jokes that he must have dialed the wrong number because it sounds like a dog is talking. Then Fer takes the phone. Os, mouth still stuffed, chokes and coughs and Victoria finally takes over. Giggles all around as Os recovers. Father-daughter banter. Fer tells Daddy he's still her favorite guy. He tells her she can't fool him:
¡No me des atole con el dedo!
All is well.
Alonso has finally agreed to have some lab tests done. PJP, who has accompanied him to the hospital, is amused to learn that the same man who has gone fearlessly into the jungle for photo shoots, is deathly afraid of needles, tourniquets and blood (lo de la aguja y la liga y la sangre – todo eso). That’s a big, honkin’ needle, says Alonso dubiously as the tech prepares to draw his blood. PJP puts a comforting hand on his shoulder and tells him not to move.
Now Millie gets a call from the newlyweds and the whole vecindad gang gathers around the communal phone to hear the latest. Don Joel tells her to pass along a message to Cruz: Televisa has called several times looking for him. If they call again, says Cruz, tell them I’ll get in touch when I get back from my honeymoon.
Before she hangs up, Millie gives her nephew a long and scary blessing which might make a lesser man afraid to get out of bed in the morning.
The (in)action moves back to Casa Sandoval. Osvaldo has told Oscar about Padilla’s latest attack on Victoria. It has to be handled with discretion but Os is determined to make Padilla answer for what he did. Oscar assures Os he’ll keep the matter confidential.
There’s something else Osvaldo needs to know, says Oscar. It’s about the theater. Blah blah blah -- legal crap – blah blah blah. Bottom line: Gui’s probably going to able to produce his play. But Oscar’s still on the case and working to recover Osvaldo’s money.
Now Oscar has a favor to ask: He and Antonieta are getting married. Will Vic and Os be their witnesses?
Toni is asking the same thing of Vic. Toni’s kind of nervous about this marriage stuff – neither she nor Oscar has ever lived with anyone else. Ms. Ruffo, consummate professional that she is, manages to keep a straight face when she assures Toni that:
Cuando hay amor, todo se puede.
(When there’s love, you can do anything.)
Suddenly Victoria experiences a spasm. She doubles over and gasps – oh this treatment… they weren’t able to get rid of the cancer completely…
Which thought brings us back to subjects medical -- but this time, it’s Alonso, not Vic, who is the patient. I thought you were going to faint right there in the lab, PJP tells Alonso laughingly.
JP reminds him the results will be back later today. Alonso promises he’ll go back to pick them up but now he wants to talk about what really matters: How is María Desamparada? Forget her, says PJP. And then he patiently repeats the litany: She’s not for you. She loves Max with all her heart. She has a child with him. Accept it – it’s not your destiny to be with her.
But Alonso won’t accept it – he’d rather die! And to the advice that he find another girl: There is no other girl for him. He needs his ternura!
Heriberto is now the official Go-To Guy for the familia Sandoval:
The two hunky cubanos, Max and Dr. Heri, hunker down and talk. Dr. Heri thinks Max is doing the right thing by Leonela. They agree that alcoholism, like all addictions, hurts not just the addict but everyone around that person. Heri warns him that addicts often behave selfishly, insensitive to how they are affecting others. Max will have to confront the issue of relapses and the suffering that goes along with them.
The object of their concern is right now receiving a visitor:
Guillermo shows up at Leonela’s hotel suite brandishing a document – Bernie’s lawyers have gotten him permission to use the theater on the date they need. Gui, being not just an ordinary bastard but a pretentious bastard, proceeds to rant about Sun Tzu and The Art of War:
If you’re ten times more powerful than your enemy, surround him;
if you’re five times more powerful, attack him;
if two times more powerful, divide him;
and if you’re equals, engage him:
That’s what we’ll do, says Gui – we’ll open on the day we planned even if it makes Osvaldo furious.
Leonela laughs delightedly, they kiss and leave to celebrate their triumph.
What happens next is so dirty they have to do it in the tub. Double. Bubble. Bath. Faces. Nails. Ya basta.
The docs in the hospital are shaking their heads over Alonso’s lab results and hoping the guy takes them to his own doctor right away. Serious stuff.
Alonso himself walks in the park where he first met M ya no D and continues to obsess about his ternura.
I guess bubblebaths give Leonela an appetite. She tells Gui to take her to the Best Restaurant in Mexico. He warns her not to drink. And she warns him not to try to tell her what to do.
It’s all happy happy at the new Casa Victoria. Love is in the air. Pip and Toni are glad to see María and little Juan Pablo, both dressed in their Sunday best for the special comida Max has planned. Toni reminds María that she is invited to her upcoming wedding.
Max arrives at the hotel looking for Leonela and he’s upset when the manager tells him she went out. Max figures she must be with Gui – who else? He decides to ask Dr. Heri for help.
Alonso picks up his test results at the lab. The nurse passes along the hospital doctor’s advice: Show these to your doctor right away!
What makes this comida different from all other comidas?
Victoria and Osvaldo, handsomely turned out for the occasion, wait for Max to get home. They are curious about the reason for this special meal. They are surprised when Padre Juan Pablo arrives at the door, and then more so when Max himself shows up with María and little Juan Pablo. Everyone smiles. Vic asks if she can hold the baby. María hesitates a moment and then agrees, putting the child in her arms.
Max takes the floor: I wanted to let you know -- I’d like to marry María Desamparada as soon as possible. And I wanted the whole family present when I asked for the hand of the woman I love.
Whoa… Victoria is confused. María Desamparada is an orphan and doesn’t have a family. Just whose permission is Max looking for?
Max answers by turning to PJP: Padre, will you give me MD’s hand in marriage?
Now Victoria is really bewildered. Why is Max asking PJP?
Because, answers Max, he’s her father; Padre Juan Pablo is María Desamparada’s father.
Victoria’s face is a canvas of changing emotions as understanding dawns… if Juan Pablo is María Desamparada’s father…
Part Two
Now it’s Max’s turn to be confused. He sees that Victoria is overwhelmed by emotion. Why?????
It is PJP who breaks the spell:
Yo soy como su padre, su padre confesor ...
(I’m like her father, her confessor …)
Then he turns to María: ... her spiritual guide, he concludes.
Max laughs incredulously and asks: What are you talking about, Father? But now MD chimes in and says yes, PJP has always been like a father to me.
And we watch the joy drain out of Victoria’s face as it turns to stone. She hands off the baby to Micaela. Then she faces Max. Listen, she says, I’ll be honest with you. I won’t try to stop you because I know you’ll go ahead with your plans, no matter what I say. But let me make this clear:
Aunque la tolero, yo no la quiero – mucho menos la quiero como tu esposa.
(I may tolerate her but I don’t like her – especially not as your wife.)
María is wounded and furious at these words: So what you said to me when my son was missing – those pretty words of consolation – they were false?
I was hurting because of Max, Victoria answers coldly.
No, says María – you just felt sorry for yourself because it reminded you of your own lost daughter.
María continues lashing out: I’m glad you lost your daughter. You didn’t deserve her! And if God hasn’t granted your prayer, it means you still don’t deserve her -- that you’ll never find her!
Shut up, screams Vic. And wham! She slaps her hard. Get out of my house!
Don’t you dare hit me ever again, answers María with cold rage, because the next time, I’ll hit you back! I never want to see you again! And you’ll never see my son again!
You can’t keep me from seeing my grandson, retorts Vic. And María answers icily:
Ese niño no es nada suyo porque Max no es su hijo biológico.
(That child is unrelated to you because Max isn’t your biological son.)
There’s no blood tie between you!
Now Victoria spits out her final venom: I don’t know why JP had to take so much trouble with you – you’re just a poor orphan, one of so many…
The same arrogant woman as always, says María. Being here disgusts me, she tells Victoria and she goes off to get her son. PJP follows her.
And now at last Max has seen – really seen and been wounded by – the arrogance – la soberbia -- of Señora Victoria Sandoval. He too follows María out of the room.
Osvaldo glares at Victoria. Hell. We all glare at Victoria. But also at Juan Pablo for letting this ugly scene play out.
We need to get out of that house for a moment. Let’s take a peek at the Televisa studios – Millie and the Jarochas have just arrived and are shlepping through the lot looking for the contest stage.
In some circles, soberbia – high and mightiness -- is a quality to be desired:
At Casa Bernarda, Luciano is thrilled that Ximena’s very appearance cries out “soberbia”; and Xi – with a model I don’t know -- is buttering up Luciano – he’s the Best Designer in Mexico, he’s so handsome… They wheedle a lunch invitation out of him. To the Best Restaurant in Mexico, natch.
Take a cleansing breath. Okay. Back at Casa Sandoval, Max, with little Osvaldo in his arms, announces he is leaving. He still loves Victoria – that’s the worst thing about it! But he’ll be living with Leonela in an apartment until he and María are married. If Vic doesn’t want to see the woman he loves, well, she won’t see Max either.
Victoria is left alone to weep.
Let’s spend some time in the Best -- and by Best, we mean Most Expensive -- Restaurant in the city. Over here are the brilliant thespians, Leo and Gui. And over there, are the fashion glitterati, Xi and Luciano. Xi stands up and introduces Luciano to the room at large. She toasts him with champagne (and we wonder, ever hopeful, if she is still taking the pills that interact fatally with alcohol).
Now Xi suggests sending a glass of champagne over to Leo and Gui’s table. Luciano will do her one better – he trots over and places the glass in Leonela’s hand. Gui tries to intervene but Leo insists that refusing would be an insult to Luciano. But before she can bring the glass to her lips –
Dr. Heri appears! Magically. Like something out of Harry Potter! He strides up to the table and takes the glass away from Leonela. Not a single drop, he tells her. To the others he explains: I’m her doctor.
Leonela surprises everyone with her reaction: Let’s celebrate, she says. But without alcohol!
Time out for some characters who aren’t sociopaths:
Luci has her suitcases packed. She’s moving out of the apartment, she tells Fabián, because she knows he doesn’t share her feelings. Fab is.. you know … confused. And hurting from Fer’s wedding. He persuades Luci to stick around while they sort out their feelings for one another.
And back on the ranch:
Fer confides to Cruz that she’s afraid he’ll get tired of having a paralítica for a wife. He scoffs at the thought – he’ll never tire of her. What they have will last a lifetime. Having a child together would make their happiness complete, she tells him.
Had enough normal? Back to Bernie:
Bernarda thinks about her latest murder – el Alacrán – and then JP’s threat to turn her in to the police. She has to reconcile with her son, she tells herself.
Her son, meanwhile, pleads with María ya no D to cut Victoria some slack. She tried, she says, but you heard her: She tolerates me but she doesn’t like me.
Max is still at Casa Sandoval saying his goodbyes to Osvaldo. He explains his reasons and plans. Osvaldo warns him that Leonela may be a bad influence on him. Os doesn’t believe she has really changed:
Arbol que nace torcido jamás sus ramas se enderezan.
(A tree that’s born twisted never grows straight. As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.)
In the Best Restaurant in Mexico, Ximena and Luciano have joined Gui and Leo; and Dr. Heri has taken his place at the table. Xi turns to Heri and asks maliciously:
So you’re the one who did Fer’s surgery?
Yes, he says, and unfortunately the results weren’t what we hoped for.
Now Gui snorts and says: Maybe because the doctors didn’t know what they were doing.
Leonela contradicts him: I don’t think so, Guillermo. Sometimes doctors find themselves faced with impossible cases…
That’s true, agrees Dr. Heri.
Now Leo brightens and suggests they talk about happier things. She turns her charm on Luciano and asks him if he’d like to design the wardrobe for her upcoming show – she’s Desdemona in Gui’s production of Othello. Desdemona – she gets killed, doesn’t she? asks Xi. And then adds: Watch out: Guillermo likes to kill actresses. And Gui rejoins: Yeah, like you like to kill your rivals.
And somehow, Dr. Heri knows these two aren't joking.
Leonela and Ximena have a staring contest.
The crowd at the Televisa hall is in a festive mood as they wait for the contest to get started. Ay caray! One of the Jarochas goes rogue! She runs up on the stage and kisses the host, Adal Ramones.
At the hospital, a doctor remarks that Alonso’s test results were worse than they expected.
Oblivious Al, far from following the advice to see his doctor right away, hasn’t even opened the envelope with the test results. And then, when he gets distracted by a phone call – it’s someone named Carmona who wants another Lovely Cosmetics commercial – he drops the envelope without even noticing.
Guillermo takes Leonela back to her suite at the Casa Vieja.
He’s pleased with the way she handled herself but not so pleased with that metiche, Dr. Heri. Gui tries to get … um .. chummy … but Leonela’s not in the mood. She is in the mood to gloat, though. Now – after hearing Xi say that he likes to kill actresses -- she’s sure Gui is a murderer. So what? he says. So are you! Yeah, but I’ve paid for my crime, she smirks.
Back on the ranch, Cruz and Fer daydream about having a child and they imagine all the things Cruz will teach him to make him todo un ranchero. Fer reminds him he needs to finish his studies in the DF. He knows. After the honeymoon, they’ll be moving back to the city – he has a cozy little place ready for them in the vecindad – María and Nati helped him furnish it.
At the church, Juan Pablo is with Jero and he is lamenting Victoria’s blindness to the miracle God put right before her. ( I’m no theologian, but it seems to me Juan Pablo himself is the Miracle Blocker here.) That is the cue for Bernie’s entrance and uninvited explanation: It’s because God doesn’t want Victoria to find her daughter.
Eva may be little but man, she’s lethal. She tears into Fausto for telling Bernie the truth and calls him a coward for not following through on his plan for vengeance. And he’s also a coward for not telling María Desamparada that he loves her.
Fausto knows Eva is mocking him. He remembers what his mother taught him -- don’t harm others; love thy neighbor as thyself. He wishes Eva well but he and she are following different paths now. He’ll be going to the parish school. Is he going to become a priest? He hasn’t yet decided.
Speaking of priests –
Bernarda rudely dismisses Padre Jerónimo. Once she and JP are alone, she promises him that she won’t do anything to harm Eva and Fausto.
Toni, now with Vic at Casa Sandoval, speaks plainly to her friend: Victoria was wrong to say what she did to María. Vic won’t back down though. She mutters that she won’t be a hypocrite; she was just speaking the truth. Maybe, says Toni, but this time Max isn’t going to sacrifice his happiness. (¡Dios te oiga, Toni!)
And maybe he really isn’t (going to sacrifice his happiness, that is). Because when he shows up at María’s place, little Osvaldo in arms, he brushes aside her worries about his family coming between them. Not this time, he tells her. Nothing will come between us. You are the love of my life. Nothing is more important than you.
But I never want to see Victoria again, María tells him. And I don’t want her near our son. He’s willing to accept that. But right now he and little Os have a surprise for her: clutched in Osvaldo’s fat little baby hand is a ring. Max asks: Will you be my wife?
Cue the kayak
Labels: triunfo
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Alborada, Characters and Plot Synopsis. 5/30/2011.
Don't forget! Alborada starts Tuesday night, 10 PM, on Telefutura. Many count it as their all-time favorite telenovela. Almost everyone considers it one of Colunga's two best. With only 90 episodes, the plot really gallops. I've been told that it starts with a bang, so be sure not to miss the first episode!
I plan to post the page on Caray by 9 PM Eastern each night. For those who can't access Telefutura, I'll include a YouTube link for the night's episode. For now, here is an introduction to the characters and a synopsis of the plot.
Hipólita's People
Hipólita. Female lead. Antonio's wife. Illigitamate daughter of Asunción and Agustín.
Asunción. Hipólita and Catalina's mother, Francisco's wife, Andrés's stepmother.
Francisco. Hipólita's stepfather. Andrés and Catalina's father. Asunción's brutish husband.
Catalina. Andrés and Hipólita's half-sister. Asunción and Francisco's daughter. Forced into a convent by her father, to avoid paying a dowry.
Antonio. Hipólita's husband. Son of Doña Adelaida.
Luis's People
Luis. Male lead. Married to Agustín's daughter Esperanza. Believed to be Juana's son and cousin of the count. Actually he is the rightful count, son of the deceased count and countess.
Diego. Luis's cousin, believed to be the Count of Guevara. He is actually Juana's son, cousin of the true count. He is two months younger than Luis.
Doña Juana. Believed to be Luis's mother, but actually false-count Diego's mother and true-count Luis's aunt. The previous count's sister. Widowed. Her husband died when she was two months pregnant with Diego.
Isabel. Juana’s sister-in-law. Juana's husband was Isabel's brother. She's VERY rich. I think she never married. She was away in Peru when the fire occurred.
Esperanza. Luis's wife. Daughter of Agustín and his rich wife. Half-sister of Hipólita. She is too frail to carry a pregnancy to term.
Felipe. Luis’s right-hand man. Martin's father
Martín. Felipe's son. Young buck; recently attended university in Spain; now he works for Luis. He fell in love with Hipólita.
Cristóbal. Priest. Luis's best friend. His sister is Sor Teresa, abbess of the convent.
Perla. Luis's favored prostitute. He bought her freedom from the brothel and set her up in business.
Minor Characters
Marcos. One of Luis's men. He was a street orphan.
Marina. Isabel’s servant.
Adelaida. Antonio’s mother. Hipólita's mother-in-law.
Rodrigo. Antonio's friend.
Andrés. Hipólita's step-brother. Francisco's son, but not by Asunción.
Adalgisa. Hipólita's maid.
Rafael. Hipólita's son by Luis.
Agustín. Father to Hipólita and Esperanza. Knows Juana's secret.
Carlota. Hipólita's maternal grandmother.
Victoria. Marína’s mother.
Gasca. Diego’s henchman.
Modesta. Juana’s maid.
Vicente. Juana's prominent servant. He wears a silk head scarf.
Cirilo. Luis's white servant lad.
Carmela. Felipe’s wife, Martín’s mother.
Ramón and the mute. Two thugs.
Mirtha. Esperanza’s maid.
Carlos(?) and Aurora. The former count and countess.
Juana's "Debts"
The big secret of this novela is that Juana switched her son with the baby count. If that secret is found out, she and her son will be destroyed, so she must manage her house of cards very carefully.
Agustín knows the truth because he saw the identifying scar on Luis's leg. To keep him happy, Juana did three things: 1. She hid his illigitimate daughter Hipólita in Panama so her existence wouldn't embarass him. 2. She arranged for him to marry someone much richer than himself. 3. She married his homely, feeble-brained daughter Esperanza to her supposed son Luis, cousin of the count. Now she must keep Hipólita hidden, and keep Luis married to Esperanza, to continue to keep Agustín happy.
Asunción of course knows that Agustín is Hipólita's father. Juana must keep her happy or scared, to keep that secret. He got her a husband, the brute Francisco, with a promise that no one would find out that his wife had a baby before he knew her. I believe they live on their estate rent-free. Later Juana got Asunción's daughter into the convent and got her stepson Andrés a job working for the count.
Plot Synopsis
Translated from Esmas.com
The story takes place in colonial times in Latin America, a time of injustice and great differences between social classes, when people lived under the rule of the nobility, and everyone, rich and poor, under the dark shadow of the Inquisition.
María Hipólita Díaz lives with her grandmother, Doña Carlota, in the village of Santa Rita, Panama. Hipólita was born in Mexico but when she was very young she was separated from her mother, Asuncion, and does not know who her father is. In exchange for a handsome dowry, Doña Carlota manages to arrange the marriage of her granddaughter with Antonio, the son of Doña Adelaida de Guzman. That will trigger a series of events that completely changes Hipólita's life. Several months later, Doña Carlota dies without knowing that Antonio is impotent, Hipólita's marriage was not consummated, and Antonio’s mother Adelaida treated her with contempt for being illegitimate.
Knowing that Antonio will inherit the fortune of his uncle Prospero only if he has a child, Adelaida takes advantage of the fact that her servants have captured a fugitive. She makes him masquerade as Antonio and to have relations with Hipólita in the dark so she’ll become pregnant. The "criminal" is Luis Manrique y Arellano, a Mexican businessman who came to Santa Rita to close a deal on the orders of his cousin Diego, the Count of Guevara, suspecting it was part of a plot to kill him. Faced with the threat of being brought to justice, Luis pretends to accept Adelaida’s deal, but he intends to escape through the window instead. In the end, Hipólita’s tenderness seduces him and they make love. Afterwards he repents and confesses the truth to her. He leaves and Hipólita has neither learned his name nor seen his face. All she knows is that he is from Mexico.
Three years later, Hipólita arrives in Mexico with her young son Rafael, having escaped the evil Adelaida, and willing to confront everything to find the Mexican and force him to give his name to her son.
Amid a storm of intrigue and violence caused by Doña Juana, sister of the former Count of Guevara, Hipólita will have to fight for her son’s life and her own, while her heart is torn between hatred for the stranger who made her a woman with tenderness and passion, and the love she now feels for Luis, not knowing that both are the same man.
I'm the moderator, and if I want to add gratuitous eye candy, that's my prerogative!
I plan to post the page on Caray by 9 PM Eastern each night. For those who can't access Telefutura, I'll include a YouTube link for the night's episode. For now, here is an introduction to the characters and a synopsis of the plot.
Hipólita's People
Hipólita. Female lead. Antonio's wife. Illigitamate daughter of Asunción and Agustín.
Asunción. Hipólita and Catalina's mother, Francisco's wife, Andrés's stepmother.
Francisco. Hipólita's stepfather. Andrés and Catalina's father. Asunción's brutish husband.
Catalina. Andrés and Hipólita's half-sister. Asunción and Francisco's daughter. Forced into a convent by her father, to avoid paying a dowry.
Antonio. Hipólita's husband. Son of Doña Adelaida.Luis's People
Luis. Male lead. Married to Agustín's daughter Esperanza. Believed to be Juana's son and cousin of the count. Actually he is the rightful count, son of the deceased count and countess.
Diego. Luis's cousin, believed to be the Count of Guevara. He is actually Juana's son, cousin of the true count. He is two months younger than Luis.
Doña Juana. Believed to be Luis's mother, but actually false-count Diego's mother and true-count Luis's aunt. The previous count's sister. Widowed. Her husband died when she was two months pregnant with Diego.
Isabel. Juana’s sister-in-law. Juana's husband was Isabel's brother. She's VERY rich. I think she never married. She was away in Peru when the fire occurred.
Esperanza. Luis's wife. Daughter of Agustín and his rich wife. Half-sister of Hipólita. She is too frail to carry a pregnancy to term.
Felipe. Luis’s right-hand man. Martin's father 
Martín. Felipe's son. Young buck; recently attended university in Spain; now he works for Luis. He fell in love with Hipólita.
Cristóbal. Priest. Luis's best friend. His sister is Sor Teresa, abbess of the convent. 
Perla. Luis's favored prostitute. He bought her freedom from the brothel and set her up in business.Minor Characters
Marcos. One of Luis's men. He was a street orphan.
Marina. Isabel’s servant. Adelaida. Antonio’s mother. Hipólita's mother-in-law.
Rodrigo. Antonio's friend.
Andrés. Hipólita's step-brother. Francisco's son, but not by Asunción.
Adalgisa. Hipólita's maid.
Rafael. Hipólita's son by Luis.
Agustín. Father to Hipólita and Esperanza. Knows Juana's secret.
Carlota. Hipólita's maternal grandmother.
Victoria. Marína’s mother.
Gasca. Diego’s henchman.
Modesta. Juana’s maid.
Vicente. Juana's prominent servant. He wears a silk head scarf.
Cirilo. Luis's white servant lad.
Carmela. Felipe’s wife, Martín’s mother.
Ramón and the mute. Two thugs.
Mirtha. Esperanza’s maid.
Carlos(?) and Aurora. The former count and countess.
Juana's "Debts"
The big secret of this novela is that Juana switched her son with the baby count. If that secret is found out, she and her son will be destroyed, so she must manage her house of cards very carefully.
Agustín knows the truth because he saw the identifying scar on Luis's leg. To keep him happy, Juana did three things: 1. She hid his illigitimate daughter Hipólita in Panama so her existence wouldn't embarass him. 2. She arranged for him to marry someone much richer than himself. 3. She married his homely, feeble-brained daughter Esperanza to her supposed son Luis, cousin of the count. Now she must keep Hipólita hidden, and keep Luis married to Esperanza, to continue to keep Agustín happy.
Asunción of course knows that Agustín is Hipólita's father. Juana must keep her happy or scared, to keep that secret. He got her a husband, the brute Francisco, with a promise that no one would find out that his wife had a baby before he knew her. I believe they live on their estate rent-free. Later Juana got Asunción's daughter into the convent and got her stepson Andrés a job working for the count.
Plot Synopsis
Translated from Esmas.com
The story takes place in colonial times in Latin America, a time of injustice and great differences between social classes, when people lived under the rule of the nobility, and everyone, rich and poor, under the dark shadow of the Inquisition.
María Hipólita Díaz lives with her grandmother, Doña Carlota, in the village of Santa Rita, Panama. Hipólita was born in Mexico but when she was very young she was separated from her mother, Asuncion, and does not know who her father is. In exchange for a handsome dowry, Doña Carlota manages to arrange the marriage of her granddaughter with Antonio, the son of Doña Adelaida de Guzman. That will trigger a series of events that completely changes Hipólita's life. Several months later, Doña Carlota dies without knowing that Antonio is impotent, Hipólita's marriage was not consummated, and Antonio’s mother Adelaida treated her with contempt for being illegitimate.
Knowing that Antonio will inherit the fortune of his uncle Prospero only if he has a child, Adelaida takes advantage of the fact that her servants have captured a fugitive. She makes him masquerade as Antonio and to have relations with Hipólita in the dark so she’ll become pregnant. The "criminal" is Luis Manrique y Arellano, a Mexican businessman who came to Santa Rita to close a deal on the orders of his cousin Diego, the Count of Guevara, suspecting it was part of a plot to kill him. Faced with the threat of being brought to justice, Luis pretends to accept Adelaida’s deal, but he intends to escape through the window instead. In the end, Hipólita’s tenderness seduces him and they make love. Afterwards he repents and confesses the truth to her. He leaves and Hipólita has neither learned his name nor seen his face. All she knows is that he is from Mexico.
Three years later, Hipólita arrives in Mexico with her young son Rafael, having escaped the evil Adelaida, and willing to confront everything to find the Mexican and force him to give his name to her son.
Amid a storm of intrigue and violence caused by Doña Juana, sister of the former Count of Guevara, Hipólita will have to fight for her son’s life and her own, while her heart is torn between hatred for the stranger who made her a woman with tenderness and passion, and the love she now feels for Luis, not knowing that both are the same man.
I'm the moderator, and if I want to add gratuitous eye candy, that's my prerogative!
Labels: Alborada, synopsis-cast
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Cuando Me Enamoro #27 Friday 5/27/11 Antonio has a sad past, Matias loses his cool fast, and the Monterrubio family are once again aghast.
Evening, all! Sorry for the delay. I'll forgo extra chatter and get to what we've been waiting for...
Opening the show, we are treated to supremely depressing re-play of Renata resigning from Empresas Monterrubio.
Regina asks Antonio why he never told her about his past. She wants to hear the story from him. Tony never told because he had to learn how not to live like a victim and Regi has been the perfect example for him. Regi gives him a tepid kiss. She is starting to like Tony more and more as she gets to know him.
Gonzalo vents to Honorio about the Renata situation. "I'm not going to let her leave the house or the company!" Honorio is sure that once Renata has made up her mind, she will stick to it. But that isn't to say she will never come back. Give it a few months and maybe Ren will want to return. Gonzo had never thought of that. He asks Honorio to watch over Renata and let him know what her plans are. Hon readily agrees; he already knows that Renata has moved in with Adriana. But he does have some very unpleasant news...(Yes! Out with it!)...but Matias storms into the office and interrupts. Drat. Gonzo tells Mat about Renata's resignation.
Adriana and Renata regroup in the office. Adri thinks Ren is being a little too hasty with her decisions. Ren says it would be far too awkward for her to stay. She hopes that Mat will stop hating her but, until then, she has to leave. "If you leave, I'm going with you." Renata appreciates it but refuses to let Adri quit. Adri needs the work so she can support her mother. They tearily promise to stay amigas and to stay connected with each other. Aww.
Matias doesn't like that Renata is resigning, especially since it means that Ren is mixing her personal life with business. "I'm annoyed but I am not the only loser who wants to ruin Renata." On that odd note, Matias stalks off. Gonzo laments that all his plans for Renata and Matias have gone down the tubes.
Chema the delivery boy drops off some more fruit and flirts a little more with Constanza. The conversation turns to Antonio and Coni tells Chema about Tony's past. "Antonio was bullfighting in Spain and his wife and daughter were traveling to see him. The airplane failed and it crashed. He lost his entire family in an instant." Chema thinks maybe that's why Tony gets along so well with Regi. They both have a lot of suffering in their pasts.
Coincidentally, Tony is relating the same story to Regi. He lost his wife Marina and his daughter Tamara in the plane accident. He held out futile hope for years that they were still alive because their bodies were never recovered from the wreckage. But, in time, he came to accept the sad truth. Tony quit bullfighting because it always upset his daughter. She was afraid he would be killed in a bullfight but it turns out that she was the one who ended up dying. Pobre Tony.
Antonio says he identified with Regi and understands what it feels like to want to die of depression and anguish. Regi is both touched and saddened.
Renata sadly packs up her desk as Jero calls. Ren tells him she is leaving the Empresa. Jero feels responsible but Renata says it was her decision. "Do you regret it?" Jero asks. "Finding you and your love? No way." Says Renata. After hanging up, Jero is confused. "Something here doesn't coincide, Renata. With me, you don't care to lose everything and yet no matter what Rafael offered you - it wasn't enough. Why, Renata, why?"
Selene and Roberta sunbathe by the pool and discuss Fina's master plan. Sele is surprised that Fina would ask Robbie to sleep with Matias but she thinks it's the better option than an abortion. Roberta knows her mother often does things that no other mother would. "Are you sure that you and Renata are her hijas? She is so cruel to Renata. If I didn't know better, I would swear you two were adopted." Sele says. Roberta chuckles.
Honorio and Gonzo finally get a spare minute to discuss the helicopter fiasco. Honorio found out who was behind the photoshopped pictures and the copter rental. Gonzo is shocked. "Renata's reputation is in doubt again, I thought maybe there was nothing to clear up anymore." Seriously? Gonzo, go sit in the dunce corner for awhile and think about what you're saying.
"No, Gonzo! Renata is totally innocent regarding those pictures." Honorio explains. "Two people were involved. One was Baquero's son Diego and the other was your daughter Roberta." Gonzo looks like he was hit by a ton of bricks. "Are you sure?" Yep, the entire thing was Roberta's idea. Gonzo calls Fina and demands that Roberta be home when he gets there; no excuses. Dear Robbie might finally be caught!
Matias has a hissy fit in his office and shouts at the secretary. Jero has showed up to talk with him. Mat grabs Jero by the lapels. "I never want to see you again in my life! I am not a sore loser but you betrayed me! You know what she meant to me and how much I loved her!" Now who's letting personal feelings get in the way at work, Mr. Inappropriate...er...Matias? Gonzo storms over just in time to keep things from getting too physical. Jero apologizes for causing a scene; he only wanted to talk things out. The entire office rushes over to get the scoop on what's going on.
Gonzo is blunt as ever. "Get out. You aren't welcome here." Honorio steps in and says Jero should discuss this with Mat another time, in a more appropriate place. Jero tells Matias to come find him if he ever wants to talk. "It was never my intention to hurt you." Jero gives up the fight when Renata asks him to leave. "You know where to find me if you wish to." Matias nearly foams at the mouth as Honorio drags him away. Gonzo, ever-so-smoothly, tells everyone to get back to work.
Roberta tells Selene that her mom is "unconventional" (in that she loves sharp objects and plotting vile deeds) but she is not going along with her plan this time. Fina calls and orders Robbie to come home, Gonzo has demanded to see her; something might have happened to mess up their plans.
Outside the Empresa, Renata wishes Jero hadn't caused such a scene. "You've made Matias even more angry than he already was!" Jero couldn't help it. He gives her a comforting hug.
Matias is spitting fire but Gonzo tells him to cool it. Renata will be gone soon and then he can relax. Gonzo agrees with Honorio that accepting Renata's resignation is the best thing for now. Gonzo tells Matias that everyone is meeting that night because they discovered that Roberta is behind the picture scandal. Mat doesn't want to go. It bothers him too much to see the woman he loves with another man.
Ines and Isidro ask the doctor what would happen if neither of them could be donors for Andrescito. The doctor says they will cross that bridge when they get there. Meanwhile, Doña Cata chats with Andres. He is sure he will be fine because he made a pact with Dios; if God lets him live and takes away his parents' suffering, Andres will grow up to be a doctor so he can care for children who have leukemia. Cata tears up and gives him a hug.
Renata wants nothing to do with the family meeting. Honorio pleads with her to show up to clear her name. Renata already feels like a disappointment to her family and doesn't want to upset them more. "Life is full of troubles!" Hon says. "But everyone does crazy things in the name of love. Sooner or later, everyone will understand." Honorio, you are too awesome. And I had to laugh that they gave him the line "En nombre del amor", considering that Alfredo Adame was on that show and it had the same producer as CME. Was it a coincidence or are they throwing an in-joke at us novela-junkies? ;)
Renata gives Tio Honorio a hug in thanks and agrees to show up. Adriana gives her amiga a hug and wishes she had an uncle like Honorio. Oh, how I love dramatic irony.
Meanwhile at the vineyard, Doctor Nesme slithers out into the field to see Alfonsina. Alfi admits she is afraid of Agustin; he could put her whole family on the street. The doctor would put his job on the line before he let Agustin get rid of Alfi. He holds her hands and says the vineyard could not function without her love and care.
Karina gets a little relationship advice from Padre Severino, which is not exactly the place I would look for couples counseling. Padre thinks Lazaro is still carrying a torch for Karina and that Alvaro is not living up to Karina's expectations. Padre is sure Lazaro will get over it sooner or later. He knows a ranch where Lazaro can work to take his mind off of it. Karina doesn't think Lazaro would like working so far away but she doesn't know what else they can do.
Carlos talks to a lawyer about the vineyard business. Carlos had the papers notarized but the lawyer says such paperwork usually takes weeks to process; Agustin wants it done in only one week. The lawyer is headed out there personally since Agustin is already the owner of the harvest. Carlos is not afraid of Agustin and tells the lawyer that he better have done the paperwork by the book, regardless of Agustin's threats.
Constanza hurriedly tells Regina that she has to run home early because of a family meeting involving Renata and Roberta. Regi is accommodating as always.
Adriana helps Renata pack up the car, assuring her amiga that she won't be in the way no matter how long she needs to stay with them. Adri comments how odd her mother behaved after seeing Honorio again and meeting Constanza. "My Ma said she and Honorio had nothing in common anymore and that his wife was a beautiful, distinguished woman while she is old and worn out." The amigas are mystified as to why Agatha would feel that way.
Gonzo gets home and demands that Roberta and Fina come with him to Hon and Con's house, where everyone is waiting.
Jero's contact in Spain, Almudena, tells him all is going well with his business. Great, says Jero. Send me a letter that says my entire empire is failing. "Qué the heck?" Almudena thinks. Jero wants to find out if someone is actually interested in him or only in his dinero. She agrees. Blech, FFWD.
Fina and Roberta are riled immediately once Renata shows up at the casa. Gonzo explains that Honorio has discovered who doctored the photos and rented the helicopter.
Renata: Who was it?
Honorio: A guy named Diego Lara.
Gonzo: This wretch didn't work alone. There was someone else who planned the whole thing.
Honorio: That person is you, Roberta!
Roberta: I did no such thing!
Fina: How dare you accuse my daughter of something so low!
Honorio: I have proof!
Honorio ushers Diego himself into the party. "It was Roberta." Diego says. All eyes are on Robbie, who squirms a little.
Regi wonders what could be going on with Coni's family. "Why do I worry so much about Renata and her family?" Not exactly the opportune moment to be wondering that because we would rather be watching Roberta get grilled at the moment.
Hooray! We return to the interrogation quickly. Diego viciously tells the group that Roberta planned the entire helicopter scandal. Roberta sobs to Gonzo that it is a lie. "Of course it's true!" Diego says coldly. "We planned it all together and figured it would have the best effect if we did it during Matias's party so the entire world would see."
Renata sits on the couch, Adriana at her side. It is Roberta's turn to plead her innocence to Gonzalo. "I swear it wasn't me! Why does no one believe me." Robbie cries. "Everyone is always against me." Roberta starts in on Diego but he has no sympathy. "I warned you that I was not going to go down alone if we got caught. You swore no one would find out"
Renata finally finds her voice. "Why would you do this to me? Humiliate in such a way. Why did you do it?" Tia Coni pipes in. "Out of resentment! Out of envy of Renata!" Roberta claims she never envied Ren. Adriana scoffs. "Of course you did! And Diego helped you because Renata rejected him." Bullseye for Coni and Adri!
Fina, unfortunately, finds her voice as well. "Enough foolishness! Roberta is the rightful victim of all Renata's actions." Gonzo asks Roberta for the truth. Roberta squeals that it isn't true. Diego mouths off some more and Fina makes to slug him until Gonzo pulls her away. Gonzo rips Diego a new one and promises to tell his padre what he's done. Diego has a few final words before leaving. "Roberta hates Renata. She has always hated her and would do anything to hurt her. Renata, she is your worst enemy."
Renata stands while Fina protectively holds Roberta.
Renata: Why do you hate me? We're sisters, Roberta.
Coni: She hates you because she wishes she were like you but can't be.
Robbie: Shut up! I know you're trying to separate my family.
Coni: I'm not trying to separate anyone! I'm only telling the truth. It is more evident than ever that all your negativity towards your sister is because she is better than you and you know it! (Ouch! The truth hurts, no?)
Gonzo steps in. He still isn't sure about Roberta's innocence. "Tell me the truth, Roberta."
Robbie's tears flow anew. "Papa, Renata and I are very different. We never got along well but hating her is something entirely different. Please believe me for once in your life!" Roberta clings to Gonzalo and faints mid-sob. The room erupts into more chaos than before.
After the commercial, Regina chats with Doña Cata. She supports Regi's new outlook on life and encourages her to take a chance on Antonio.
Things have settled down at the battle ground. Roberta is awake and feeling better. She makes a final plea to Gonzo. "I am innocent. Please stop constantly accusing me of things I didn't do." If Gonzo believes her after always putting Renata through the ringer, I will slap a fictional character upside the head. For real, you guys.
Fina and Robbie take their leave. Gonzo tells Renata that they need to talk soon, when she feels up to it. Adriana says Roberta deserves and Oscar for her crocodile tears and fainting spell. Renata sincerely thanks Honorio for investigating and finding the truth. Honorio never doubted her and neither did Constanza. They both lay a hand on top of Renata's and guarantee that they will always be her family and she will always have a place to stay with them. Tripple Aww.
Once in the safety of home, Fina corners Gonzo. She lays into him for putting Roberta in front of the firing squad, especially since she has a heart condition. "Leave Roberta alone! Your whole family is against her, pobrecita." Gonzo agrees to back off for a while, but this conversation is far from over.
Fina then turns her rage onto Roberta. "You were a fool to trust Diego!" Rob never wants to see him again in her life but Fina wants her to go beg him to retract his story. "Do it or everything will be ruined! You have to earn back Gonzalo's trust so you can lure Matias, understood?"
Roberta is upset that her own madre is asking her to sleep with a man just so her madre can keep her social position. "Not just my place." Says Fina. "Yours too." Roberta is still annoyed. "Am I really your daughter?" Roberta asks. Fina laughs a bitter, villainous laugh. "What silly things you say. If you weren't my daughter, I would not care about your future. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices to keep what we desire."
Avances: Fina tells Roberta that it's now or never to enact their plan. Lots of little snippets cut together so we can't tell a thing going on.
Vocab:
Si tú te vas, me voy a ir contigo - If you leave, I will go with you. (Adriana to Renata)
Todo se vino abajo - Everything fell apart. (Gonzo about his plans for Ren/Mat).
Se estrelló - It crashed (Tony's family's plane)
Mal perdedor - Bad/sore loser (Matias to Jero)
Sinsabores - Troubles (What Honorio calls Renata's family problems)
Hacer la poda - To do the pruning (What needs to be done at the vineyard)
Atropellar las fotos - To doctor/photoshop pictures (literally "to run down/trample" photos)
No me iba a hundir sólo - I would not go down alone (Diego to Roberta)
Opening the show, we are treated to supremely depressing re-play of Renata resigning from Empresas Monterrubio.
Regina asks Antonio why he never told her about his past. She wants to hear the story from him. Tony never told because he had to learn how not to live like a victim and Regi has been the perfect example for him. Regi gives him a tepid kiss. She is starting to like Tony more and more as she gets to know him.
Gonzalo vents to Honorio about the Renata situation. "I'm not going to let her leave the house or the company!" Honorio is sure that once Renata has made up her mind, she will stick to it. But that isn't to say she will never come back. Give it a few months and maybe Ren will want to return. Gonzo had never thought of that. He asks Honorio to watch over Renata and let him know what her plans are. Hon readily agrees; he already knows that Renata has moved in with Adriana. But he does have some very unpleasant news...(Yes! Out with it!)...but Matias storms into the office and interrupts. Drat. Gonzo tells Mat about Renata's resignation.
Adriana and Renata regroup in the office. Adri thinks Ren is being a little too hasty with her decisions. Ren says it would be far too awkward for her to stay. She hopes that Mat will stop hating her but, until then, she has to leave. "If you leave, I'm going with you." Renata appreciates it but refuses to let Adri quit. Adri needs the work so she can support her mother. They tearily promise to stay amigas and to stay connected with each other. Aww.
Matias doesn't like that Renata is resigning, especially since it means that Ren is mixing her personal life with business. "I'm annoyed but I am not the only loser who wants to ruin Renata." On that odd note, Matias stalks off. Gonzo laments that all his plans for Renata and Matias have gone down the tubes.
Chema the delivery boy drops off some more fruit and flirts a little more with Constanza. The conversation turns to Antonio and Coni tells Chema about Tony's past. "Antonio was bullfighting in Spain and his wife and daughter were traveling to see him. The airplane failed and it crashed. He lost his entire family in an instant." Chema thinks maybe that's why Tony gets along so well with Regi. They both have a lot of suffering in their pasts.
Coincidentally, Tony is relating the same story to Regi. He lost his wife Marina and his daughter Tamara in the plane accident. He held out futile hope for years that they were still alive because their bodies were never recovered from the wreckage. But, in time, he came to accept the sad truth. Tony quit bullfighting because it always upset his daughter. She was afraid he would be killed in a bullfight but it turns out that she was the one who ended up dying. Pobre Tony.
Antonio says he identified with Regi and understands what it feels like to want to die of depression and anguish. Regi is both touched and saddened.
Renata sadly packs up her desk as Jero calls. Ren tells him she is leaving the Empresa. Jero feels responsible but Renata says it was her decision. "Do you regret it?" Jero asks. "Finding you and your love? No way." Says Renata. After hanging up, Jero is confused. "Something here doesn't coincide, Renata. With me, you don't care to lose everything and yet no matter what Rafael offered you - it wasn't enough. Why, Renata, why?"
Selene and Roberta sunbathe by the pool and discuss Fina's master plan. Sele is surprised that Fina would ask Robbie to sleep with Matias but she thinks it's the better option than an abortion. Roberta knows her mother often does things that no other mother would. "Are you sure that you and Renata are her hijas? She is so cruel to Renata. If I didn't know better, I would swear you two were adopted." Sele says. Roberta chuckles.
Honorio and Gonzo finally get a spare minute to discuss the helicopter fiasco. Honorio found out who was behind the photoshopped pictures and the copter rental. Gonzo is shocked. "Renata's reputation is in doubt again, I thought maybe there was nothing to clear up anymore." Seriously? Gonzo, go sit in the dunce corner for awhile and think about what you're saying.
"No, Gonzo! Renata is totally innocent regarding those pictures." Honorio explains. "Two people were involved. One was Baquero's son Diego and the other was your daughter Roberta." Gonzo looks like he was hit by a ton of bricks. "Are you sure?" Yep, the entire thing was Roberta's idea. Gonzo calls Fina and demands that Roberta be home when he gets there; no excuses. Dear Robbie might finally be caught!
Matias has a hissy fit in his office and shouts at the secretary. Jero has showed up to talk with him. Mat grabs Jero by the lapels. "I never want to see you again in my life! I am not a sore loser but you betrayed me! You know what she meant to me and how much I loved her!" Now who's letting personal feelings get in the way at work, Mr. Inappropriate...er...Matias? Gonzo storms over just in time to keep things from getting too physical. Jero apologizes for causing a scene; he only wanted to talk things out. The entire office rushes over to get the scoop on what's going on.
Gonzo is blunt as ever. "Get out. You aren't welcome here." Honorio steps in and says Jero should discuss this with Mat another time, in a more appropriate place. Jero tells Matias to come find him if he ever wants to talk. "It was never my intention to hurt you." Jero gives up the fight when Renata asks him to leave. "You know where to find me if you wish to." Matias nearly foams at the mouth as Honorio drags him away. Gonzo, ever-so-smoothly, tells everyone to get back to work.
Roberta tells Selene that her mom is "unconventional" (in that she loves sharp objects and plotting vile deeds) but she is not going along with her plan this time. Fina calls and orders Robbie to come home, Gonzo has demanded to see her; something might have happened to mess up their plans.
Outside the Empresa, Renata wishes Jero hadn't caused such a scene. "You've made Matias even more angry than he already was!" Jero couldn't help it. He gives her a comforting hug.
Matias is spitting fire but Gonzo tells him to cool it. Renata will be gone soon and then he can relax. Gonzo agrees with Honorio that accepting Renata's resignation is the best thing for now. Gonzo tells Matias that everyone is meeting that night because they discovered that Roberta is behind the picture scandal. Mat doesn't want to go. It bothers him too much to see the woman he loves with another man.
Ines and Isidro ask the doctor what would happen if neither of them could be donors for Andrescito. The doctor says they will cross that bridge when they get there. Meanwhile, Doña Cata chats with Andres. He is sure he will be fine because he made a pact with Dios; if God lets him live and takes away his parents' suffering, Andres will grow up to be a doctor so he can care for children who have leukemia. Cata tears up and gives him a hug.
Renata wants nothing to do with the family meeting. Honorio pleads with her to show up to clear her name. Renata already feels like a disappointment to her family and doesn't want to upset them more. "Life is full of troubles!" Hon says. "But everyone does crazy things in the name of love. Sooner or later, everyone will understand." Honorio, you are too awesome. And I had to laugh that they gave him the line "En nombre del amor", considering that Alfredo Adame was on that show and it had the same producer as CME. Was it a coincidence or are they throwing an in-joke at us novela-junkies? ;)
Renata gives Tio Honorio a hug in thanks and agrees to show up. Adriana gives her amiga a hug and wishes she had an uncle like Honorio. Oh, how I love dramatic irony.
Meanwhile at the vineyard, Doctor Nesme slithers out into the field to see Alfonsina. Alfi admits she is afraid of Agustin; he could put her whole family on the street. The doctor would put his job on the line before he let Agustin get rid of Alfi. He holds her hands and says the vineyard could not function without her love and care.
Karina gets a little relationship advice from Padre Severino, which is not exactly the place I would look for couples counseling. Padre thinks Lazaro is still carrying a torch for Karina and that Alvaro is not living up to Karina's expectations. Padre is sure Lazaro will get over it sooner or later. He knows a ranch where Lazaro can work to take his mind off of it. Karina doesn't think Lazaro would like working so far away but she doesn't know what else they can do.
Carlos talks to a lawyer about the vineyard business. Carlos had the papers notarized but the lawyer says such paperwork usually takes weeks to process; Agustin wants it done in only one week. The lawyer is headed out there personally since Agustin is already the owner of the harvest. Carlos is not afraid of Agustin and tells the lawyer that he better have done the paperwork by the book, regardless of Agustin's threats.
Constanza hurriedly tells Regina that she has to run home early because of a family meeting involving Renata and Roberta. Regi is accommodating as always.
Adriana helps Renata pack up the car, assuring her amiga that she won't be in the way no matter how long she needs to stay with them. Adri comments how odd her mother behaved after seeing Honorio again and meeting Constanza. "My Ma said she and Honorio had nothing in common anymore and that his wife was a beautiful, distinguished woman while she is old and worn out." The amigas are mystified as to why Agatha would feel that way.
Gonzo gets home and demands that Roberta and Fina come with him to Hon and Con's house, where everyone is waiting.
Jero's contact in Spain, Almudena, tells him all is going well with his business. Great, says Jero. Send me a letter that says my entire empire is failing. "Qué the heck?" Almudena thinks. Jero wants to find out if someone is actually interested in him or only in his dinero. She agrees. Blech, FFWD.
Fina and Roberta are riled immediately once Renata shows up at the casa. Gonzo explains that Honorio has discovered who doctored the photos and rented the helicopter.
Renata: Who was it?
Honorio: A guy named Diego Lara.
Gonzo: This wretch didn't work alone. There was someone else who planned the whole thing.
Honorio: That person is you, Roberta!
Roberta: I did no such thing!
Fina: How dare you accuse my daughter of something so low!
Honorio: I have proof!
Honorio ushers Diego himself into the party. "It was Roberta." Diego says. All eyes are on Robbie, who squirms a little.
Regi wonders what could be going on with Coni's family. "Why do I worry so much about Renata and her family?" Not exactly the opportune moment to be wondering that because we would rather be watching Roberta get grilled at the moment.
Hooray! We return to the interrogation quickly. Diego viciously tells the group that Roberta planned the entire helicopter scandal. Roberta sobs to Gonzo that it is a lie. "Of course it's true!" Diego says coldly. "We planned it all together and figured it would have the best effect if we did it during Matias's party so the entire world would see."
Renata sits on the couch, Adriana at her side. It is Roberta's turn to plead her innocence to Gonzalo. "I swear it wasn't me! Why does no one believe me." Robbie cries. "Everyone is always against me." Roberta starts in on Diego but he has no sympathy. "I warned you that I was not going to go down alone if we got caught. You swore no one would find out"
Renata finally finds her voice. "Why would you do this to me? Humiliate in such a way. Why did you do it?" Tia Coni pipes in. "Out of resentment! Out of envy of Renata!" Roberta claims she never envied Ren. Adriana scoffs. "Of course you did! And Diego helped you because Renata rejected him." Bullseye for Coni and Adri!
Fina, unfortunately, finds her voice as well. "Enough foolishness! Roberta is the rightful victim of all Renata's actions." Gonzo asks Roberta for the truth. Roberta squeals that it isn't true. Diego mouths off some more and Fina makes to slug him until Gonzo pulls her away. Gonzo rips Diego a new one and promises to tell his padre what he's done. Diego has a few final words before leaving. "Roberta hates Renata. She has always hated her and would do anything to hurt her. Renata, she is your worst enemy."
Renata stands while Fina protectively holds Roberta.
Renata: Why do you hate me? We're sisters, Roberta.
Coni: She hates you because she wishes she were like you but can't be.
Robbie: Shut up! I know you're trying to separate my family.
Coni: I'm not trying to separate anyone! I'm only telling the truth. It is more evident than ever that all your negativity towards your sister is because she is better than you and you know it! (Ouch! The truth hurts, no?)
Gonzo steps in. He still isn't sure about Roberta's innocence. "Tell me the truth, Roberta."
Robbie's tears flow anew. "Papa, Renata and I are very different. We never got along well but hating her is something entirely different. Please believe me for once in your life!" Roberta clings to Gonzalo and faints mid-sob. The room erupts into more chaos than before.
After the commercial, Regina chats with Doña Cata. She supports Regi's new outlook on life and encourages her to take a chance on Antonio.
Things have settled down at the battle ground. Roberta is awake and feeling better. She makes a final plea to Gonzo. "I am innocent. Please stop constantly accusing me of things I didn't do." If Gonzo believes her after always putting Renata through the ringer, I will slap a fictional character upside the head. For real, you guys.
Fina and Robbie take their leave. Gonzo tells Renata that they need to talk soon, when she feels up to it. Adriana says Roberta deserves and Oscar for her crocodile tears and fainting spell. Renata sincerely thanks Honorio for investigating and finding the truth. Honorio never doubted her and neither did Constanza. They both lay a hand on top of Renata's and guarantee that they will always be her family and she will always have a place to stay with them. Tripple Aww.
Once in the safety of home, Fina corners Gonzo. She lays into him for putting Roberta in front of the firing squad, especially since she has a heart condition. "Leave Roberta alone! Your whole family is against her, pobrecita." Gonzo agrees to back off for a while, but this conversation is far from over.
Fina then turns her rage onto Roberta. "You were a fool to trust Diego!" Rob never wants to see him again in her life but Fina wants her to go beg him to retract his story. "Do it or everything will be ruined! You have to earn back Gonzalo's trust so you can lure Matias, understood?"
Roberta is upset that her own madre is asking her to sleep with a man just so her madre can keep her social position. "Not just my place." Says Fina. "Yours too." Roberta is still annoyed. "Am I really your daughter?" Roberta asks. Fina laughs a bitter, villainous laugh. "What silly things you say. If you weren't my daughter, I would not care about your future. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices to keep what we desire."
Avances: Fina tells Roberta that it's now or never to enact their plan. Lots of little snippets cut together so we can't tell a thing going on.
Vocab:
Si tú te vas, me voy a ir contigo - If you leave, I will go with you. (Adriana to Renata)
Todo se vino abajo - Everything fell apart. (Gonzo about his plans for Ren/Mat).
Se estrelló - It crashed (Tony's family's plane)
Mal perdedor - Bad/sore loser (Matias to Jero)
Sinsabores - Troubles (What Honorio calls Renata's family problems)
Hacer la poda - To do the pruning (What needs to be done at the vineyard)
Atropellar las fotos - To doctor/photoshop pictures (literally "to run down/trample" photos)
No me iba a hundir sólo - I would not go down alone (Diego to Roberta)
Labels: Cuando
El Mundo de Telemundo, Week of May 30, 2011: Discuss Amongst Yourselves
La Reina del Sur – as of Friday, May 27
We viewers are having almost as much trouble as Teresa in saying our goodbyes to this amazing story.
In its last full week, we see Teo finally exposed for the rat he has always been. When Flores and his men lead a raid on the decoy ship, Teresa knows without a doubt: Teo is the Judas. Teo has to die.
When Pote takes Teo from his home and forces him to join Teresa aboard the Sinaloa, he deals with the police bodyguards Culichi style – dead men can’t talk. And Teo earns himself a burial at sea.
Spanish Comisario Flores wants the pleasure of seeing Teresa Mendoza punished. He wants her in jail, on Spanish soil.
Willy Rangel wants Teresa back in Mexico to testify against the now presidential candidate, Epifanio Vargas.
The U.S. Ambassador, he of the atrocious Spanish pronunciation and flawless Spanish grammar, wants to keep Mexico from becoming an official Narco Republic.
We still don’t know what Teresa – and her unborn child – want.
Flores has good reason to hate Teresa – she did threaten his children early on in the story and he felt forced to send his family out of Spain to protect them from her. But now his personal need for vengeance has blinded him to any sense of the greater good.
For us at home, Flores has been one of the bad guys. Willy Rangel, on the other hand, has become more and more sympathetic; and the actor’s portrayal more and more credible.
Flores has been waiting for the judge’s order to arrest Teresa. Now, even though his star witness, Teo Aljarafe, is missing, with the death of the Spanish police guards, the balance tips in Flores’s favor. The police comb Marbella looking for her.
It is Teresa’s soulmate, Oleg, who takes her in – and incidentally introduces her to the wife and child she never knew he had – and then helps her escape out the back way when the wolf, i.e. Flores, inevitably arrives at the door looking for her. By then she has already agreed to Willy Rangel’s proposal – now that she knows it was Epifanio Vargas who ordered el Güero’s death, that instead of a friend, he has always been her enemy – she is willing to return to Mexico and testify against him. She and Willy will meet at the airport where a private jet awaits them.
Twelve years ago, Teresa – hobbled by cheap blue tacones -- ran for her life through the streets of Culiacán. Now once again she runs for her life – still hobbled by ridiculously high heels, even if they are on expensive and stylish boots – this time down a steep flagstone path in the south of Spain.
Last night, in the penultimate episode of our story:
Teresa gets to the airport ahead of Flores. She has had a chance to say her goodbyes to Conejo – Oleg had her brought to his house earlier – but she doesn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to Pote as well. Surprise! Pote is already on board the plane. He scoffs at the danger that awaits them in Mexico: Pa' morir nací, he says plainly. I was born to die. It’s a good thing to be able to choose the place to do it.
Pote reluctantly surrenders his gun to Willy and the plane takes off.
During the flight, Willy asks Teresa what she did with Teo. “What would you have done in my place?” is her answer. “I’d never be in your place”, says Willy rather smugly. “I’m one of the good guys”. (Soy de los buenos.) “De los buenos” repeats Teresa. “¿Cómo ves Pote?” She and the guarura exchange weary smiles.
She acknowledges that learning the truth about Don Epifanio Vargas has turned her life upside down (se me revolvió la vida). But it’s not a thirst for vengeance that is bringing her to Mexico – what she wants is to stop running:
It’s time for her to decide how she wants to live.
Back in Mexico, the President won’t take Epifanio Vargas’s calls.
And Don Epifanio won’t take Batman’s calls.
Batman and his two little boys are being followed by another vehicle. The Batman knows a hit when he sees one. He coolly calls his wife and tells her he and the boys will be home in half an hour. Then he pulls his camioneta into a clearing, inviting a confrontation with the other vehicle. Two guys get out and take aim at the Batmobile. But the Batman proves too wily for these cut-rate sicarios. He starts to drive, gunning down one with his left hand, while steering with his right. Then he runs over (and over) the second. Now we know what “rematar” really means.
Then Batman turns to his sons in the backseat:
¡Qué calor está haciendo! Les invito a una agua de cebada. ¿Qué dicen?(It’s getting hot. How about a cold drink (barley water)? What do you say?)
Both kids nod. Just another day in the family business.
In Marbella, Conejo is telling Ramos and Alberto about her secret farewell meeting with Teresa – she felt like she was in a spy movie, she confesses. She doesn’t think Teresa will be coming back. But the good news – Teresa left them the yacht, the Sinaloa. “¡Que viva México!” says Dr. Ramos happily. The trio’s toast to Teresa is cut short when Flores arrives at the door. He has a judicial order to inventory all of Teresa’s property. The beyond wilted Flores tells them they will have to testify in the proceedings against Teresa; all her property will be seized; and they are not to leave the country.
When Flores leaves, Dr. Ramos says ruefully: Adios, yate! But he brightens quickly when Conejo tells him about the second part of Teresa’s severance package for the faithful trio – a stash of twenty million Euros. She cautions them:
Va a ser muy difícil pillar la pasta.
(It’s going to be very hard to get hold of the dough.)
It’s hidden in plain sight in the living room of Teresa’s house, Las Siete Gotas!
Back in Mexico, Ratas gets the call: the idiots they sent to kill the Batman are dead. Now Ratas wants to do the job himself but Epi talks him down – Batman is old-school, he’d never betray them. [Really? After they just tried to kill him?]
Now Epifanio gets the call: “Hay piedras en el camino” he tells Ratas. Teresa gets in tonight. “Habrá que darle la bienvenida” replies Ratas.
And the Batman tells his trophy wife, who has been waiting anxiously at their NarcoMansion, that things have changed. He used to be the boss and now he’s the black sheep. He knows too much. Epifanio just tried to kill him. Mrs. Batman wants to get the hell out of Dodge. “Vámonos pa’ el Gabacho” she says. Batman agrees but first: “Vamos a medir el agua para los camotes” (Let’s analyze the situation first, let’s figure out what’s what.) If Epifanio gets the presidency, he’ll be able to get to them wherever they are.
Teresa’s arrival is imminent and Ratas is assembling the troops and their weapons. He literally has a small army of men who will cover all areas of the airport and runway. He holds out a million dollar reward to “quien se tumbe la morra” (the one who shoots the girl.)
In the DF, Don Epifanio is ignominiously turned away when he tries to see the president. And he reflects:
Se me hace que el señor Presidente ya sabe de todo.
(I think the president knows the whole story.)
Teresa’s plane lands and she, Pote and Willy walk onto the tarmac, right into the sights of the snipers. But before Ratas can give the order to shoot, Epifanio calls him and aborts the mission. He needs to talk to Teresa in person.
Teresa is introduced to the army officer who is in charge of her security, Col. Ledesma. She and Pote demand – and are given – their personal guns when she reminds Willy that this is Culiacán, not Spain.
Don Epifanio apparently thinks he can BS his way out of this one. He phones Teresa and asks her to meet with him. He waxes philosophical, Culichi style:
Pues ni modo mi hijita, al toro hay que agarrarlo por los cuernos. Mira, mi hija, en esta vida lo que te toca es para ti aunque te quites y lo que no, pues, aunque te pongas.
(Let’s take the bull by the horns. In this life, when it’s your turn it’s your turn, no matter what you do. [literally, ‘it’s yours although you may try to take it off and what’s not…well … although you may put it on.]
We see Ratas in what I think of as the Culiacán branch of the Bada Bing Club where he channels Scarlet O’Hara: Tomorrow is another day, he tells himself. Then they can eliminate all of their enemies: Teresa, Pote and Batman.
He heads to the bathroom. We see the pointy-toed black boots and the black trousers of the man following him. Then we see Batman himself reflected in the mirror. Batman aims at Ratas but doesn’t take the shot. He pauses and listens to Ratas’s phone conversation and learns that Teresa Mendoza is in Culiacán.
Now a black camioneta drives up to the secured property where Teresa and Pote will stay. That the army is guarding the outer periphery and the federal police are inside the grounds reassures neither Teresa nor Pote. She knows the Sinaloa cartel can buy off the guys who are there to protect her.
She announces, to the chagrin of both Col. Ledesma and Willy, that she will need transportation tomorrow. She’s going out. She’s not a prisoner, is she?
Tomorrow: The Last Goodbye
Tuesday: Cristina and the cast at 9pm/8central
-----------------------
Mi Corazón Insiste
This is the replacement for Aurora. I watched a bit of it and realized it’s not for me. Jean, are you going to watch this one? Hombre, thanks for getting the discussion started on this show.
------------------
Aurora
Just in case anyone missed it, Urban Anthropologist wrote a terrific wrap-up on the last few episodes of this oddly ill-conceived novela. You can find it in the comments of last week’s Telemundo page.
--------------------
La Casa de al Lado
This is the replacement for Reina. It looks intriguing but if I watch it, I’ll be a day behind in the conversation because I’ll be watching the online version. (My dance card is full at 10pm/9c.)
Ok. Your turn!
We viewers are having almost as much trouble as Teresa in saying our goodbyes to this amazing story.
In its last full week, we see Teo finally exposed for the rat he has always been. When Flores and his men lead a raid on the decoy ship, Teresa knows without a doubt: Teo is the Judas. Teo has to die.
When Pote takes Teo from his home and forces him to join Teresa aboard the Sinaloa, he deals with the police bodyguards Culichi style – dead men can’t talk. And Teo earns himself a burial at sea.
Spanish Comisario Flores wants the pleasure of seeing Teresa Mendoza punished. He wants her in jail, on Spanish soil.
Willy Rangel wants Teresa back in Mexico to testify against the now presidential candidate, Epifanio Vargas.
The U.S. Ambassador, he of the atrocious Spanish pronunciation and flawless Spanish grammar, wants to keep Mexico from becoming an official Narco Republic.
We still don’t know what Teresa – and her unborn child – want.
Flores has good reason to hate Teresa – she did threaten his children early on in the story and he felt forced to send his family out of Spain to protect them from her. But now his personal need for vengeance has blinded him to any sense of the greater good.
For us at home, Flores has been one of the bad guys. Willy Rangel, on the other hand, has become more and more sympathetic; and the actor’s portrayal more and more credible.
Flores has been waiting for the judge’s order to arrest Teresa. Now, even though his star witness, Teo Aljarafe, is missing, with the death of the Spanish police guards, the balance tips in Flores’s favor. The police comb Marbella looking for her.
It is Teresa’s soulmate, Oleg, who takes her in – and incidentally introduces her to the wife and child she never knew he had – and then helps her escape out the back way when the wolf, i.e. Flores, inevitably arrives at the door looking for her. By then she has already agreed to Willy Rangel’s proposal – now that she knows it was Epifanio Vargas who ordered el Güero’s death, that instead of a friend, he has always been her enemy – she is willing to return to Mexico and testify against him. She and Willy will meet at the airport where a private jet awaits them.
Twelve years ago, Teresa – hobbled by cheap blue tacones -- ran for her life through the streets of Culiacán. Now once again she runs for her life – still hobbled by ridiculously high heels, even if they are on expensive and stylish boots – this time down a steep flagstone path in the south of Spain.
Last night, in the penultimate episode of our story:
Teresa gets to the airport ahead of Flores. She has had a chance to say her goodbyes to Conejo – Oleg had her brought to his house earlier – but she doesn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to Pote as well. Surprise! Pote is already on board the plane. He scoffs at the danger that awaits them in Mexico: Pa' morir nací, he says plainly. I was born to die. It’s a good thing to be able to choose the place to do it.
Pote reluctantly surrenders his gun to Willy and the plane takes off.
During the flight, Willy asks Teresa what she did with Teo. “What would you have done in my place?” is her answer. “I’d never be in your place”, says Willy rather smugly. “I’m one of the good guys”. (Soy de los buenos.) “De los buenos” repeats Teresa. “¿Cómo ves Pote?” She and the guarura exchange weary smiles.
She acknowledges that learning the truth about Don Epifanio Vargas has turned her life upside down (se me revolvió la vida). But it’s not a thirst for vengeance that is bringing her to Mexico – what she wants is to stop running:
It’s time for her to decide how she wants to live.
Back in Mexico, the President won’t take Epifanio Vargas’s calls.
And Don Epifanio won’t take Batman’s calls.
Batman and his two little boys are being followed by another vehicle. The Batman knows a hit when he sees one. He coolly calls his wife and tells her he and the boys will be home in half an hour. Then he pulls his camioneta into a clearing, inviting a confrontation with the other vehicle. Two guys get out and take aim at the Batmobile. But the Batman proves too wily for these cut-rate sicarios. He starts to drive, gunning down one with his left hand, while steering with his right. Then he runs over (and over) the second. Now we know what “rematar” really means.
Then Batman turns to his sons in the backseat:
¡Qué calor está haciendo! Les invito a una agua de cebada. ¿Qué dicen?(It’s getting hot. How about a cold drink (barley water)? What do you say?)
Both kids nod. Just another day in the family business.
In Marbella, Conejo is telling Ramos and Alberto about her secret farewell meeting with Teresa – she felt like she was in a spy movie, she confesses. She doesn’t think Teresa will be coming back. But the good news – Teresa left them the yacht, the Sinaloa. “¡Que viva México!” says Dr. Ramos happily. The trio’s toast to Teresa is cut short when Flores arrives at the door. He has a judicial order to inventory all of Teresa’s property. The beyond wilted Flores tells them they will have to testify in the proceedings against Teresa; all her property will be seized; and they are not to leave the country.
When Flores leaves, Dr. Ramos says ruefully: Adios, yate! But he brightens quickly when Conejo tells him about the second part of Teresa’s severance package for the faithful trio – a stash of twenty million Euros. She cautions them:
Va a ser muy difícil pillar la pasta.
(It’s going to be very hard to get hold of the dough.)
It’s hidden in plain sight in the living room of Teresa’s house, Las Siete Gotas!
Back in Mexico, Ratas gets the call: the idiots they sent to kill the Batman are dead. Now Ratas wants to do the job himself but Epi talks him down – Batman is old-school, he’d never betray them. [Really? After they just tried to kill him?]
Now Epifanio gets the call: “Hay piedras en el camino” he tells Ratas. Teresa gets in tonight. “Habrá que darle la bienvenida” replies Ratas.
And the Batman tells his trophy wife, who has been waiting anxiously at their NarcoMansion, that things have changed. He used to be the boss and now he’s the black sheep. He knows too much. Epifanio just tried to kill him. Mrs. Batman wants to get the hell out of Dodge. “Vámonos pa’ el Gabacho” she says. Batman agrees but first: “Vamos a medir el agua para los camotes” (Let’s analyze the situation first, let’s figure out what’s what.) If Epifanio gets the presidency, he’ll be able to get to them wherever they are.
Teresa’s arrival is imminent and Ratas is assembling the troops and their weapons. He literally has a small army of men who will cover all areas of the airport and runway. He holds out a million dollar reward to “quien se tumbe la morra” (the one who shoots the girl.)
In the DF, Don Epifanio is ignominiously turned away when he tries to see the president. And he reflects:
Se me hace que el señor Presidente ya sabe de todo.
(I think the president knows the whole story.)
Teresa’s plane lands and she, Pote and Willy walk onto the tarmac, right into the sights of the snipers. But before Ratas can give the order to shoot, Epifanio calls him and aborts the mission. He needs to talk to Teresa in person.
Teresa is introduced to the army officer who is in charge of her security, Col. Ledesma. She and Pote demand – and are given – their personal guns when she reminds Willy that this is Culiacán, not Spain.
Don Epifanio apparently thinks he can BS his way out of this one. He phones Teresa and asks her to meet with him. He waxes philosophical, Culichi style:
Pues ni modo mi hijita, al toro hay que agarrarlo por los cuernos. Mira, mi hija, en esta vida lo que te toca es para ti aunque te quites y lo que no, pues, aunque te pongas.
(Let’s take the bull by the horns. In this life, when it’s your turn it’s your turn, no matter what you do. [literally, ‘it’s yours although you may try to take it off and what’s not…well … although you may put it on.]
We see Ratas in what I think of as the Culiacán branch of the Bada Bing Club where he channels Scarlet O’Hara: Tomorrow is another day, he tells himself. Then they can eliminate all of their enemies: Teresa, Pote and Batman.
He heads to the bathroom. We see the pointy-toed black boots and the black trousers of the man following him. Then we see Batman himself reflected in the mirror. Batman aims at Ratas but doesn’t take the shot. He pauses and listens to Ratas’s phone conversation and learns that Teresa Mendoza is in Culiacán.
Now a black camioneta drives up to the secured property where Teresa and Pote will stay. That the army is guarding the outer periphery and the federal police are inside the grounds reassures neither Teresa nor Pote. She knows the Sinaloa cartel can buy off the guys who are there to protect her.
She announces, to the chagrin of both Col. Ledesma and Willy, that she will need transportation tomorrow. She’s going out. She’s not a prisoner, is she?
Tomorrow: The Last Goodbye
Tuesday: Cristina and the cast at 9pm/8central
-----------------------
Mi Corazón Insiste
This is the replacement for Aurora. I watched a bit of it and realized it’s not for me. Jean, are you going to watch this one? Hombre, thanks for getting the discussion started on this show.
------------------
Aurora
Just in case anyone missed it, Urban Anthropologist wrote a terrific wrap-up on the last few episodes of this oddly ill-conceived novela. You can find it in the comments of last week’s Telemundo page.
--------------------
La Casa de al Lado
This is the replacement for Reina. It looks intriguing but if I watch it, I’ll be a day behind in the conversation because I’ll be watching the online version. (My dance card is full at 10pm/9c.)
Ok. Your turn!
Labels: casa-lado, herederos, insiste, reina-sur, telemundo
Triunfo del Amor #130-131 5/27/11 P1. Vicki Makes New Friends and Lush-ous Leonela Longs for Auld Lang Syne; P 2. You Don’t Tug on Superman’s Cape, You Don’t Spit Into the Wind, You Don’t Pull on the Mask of That Ol’ Lone Ranger And You Don’t Mess Around With Burnie!
Vicki Makes New Friends and Lush-ous Leonela Longs for Auld Lang Syne
Capítulo 130
As Viewerville checks in for its nightly nosh of novela drek, Bernarda has accused Rudy Padilla of robbing her along with El Alacran and Rudy playing the wronged victim has accused Fausto; Maria (looking super sleek and chic sans the barrio braids) is excitedly talking with Max about going to the park with the two baby boys just like a real family; Padre Juan Pablo has overheard Fausto lying to Tomasa’s godson about her whereabouts; and Vic has just slapped the spit out of Leonela for having the brash balls to bring up Osvaldo’s trading Vic in for a newer model with half the miles and twice the bells and whistles a while back.
Osvaldo angrily throws Lush-ous out of the house and then begs Victoria to forgive him for what just happened. Vic refuses to accept his apology and says screw it! As much as she continually tries to forget, somebody always manages to dredge it up again.
Outside the vecindad, Maria and Max run into their new super, Fausto, who tells them to be especially careful these days because of Padilla. Yep, he says, he believes Padilla was the one who shot at them the other day because he had to rip away a rifle from him during Cruz and Fer’s wedding to avoid her getting shot at! Maria wonders why the guy is so dead set on harming Max’s family. Max thanks Fausto who pledges life, limb and undying loyalty to Maria and their two babies.
In town, meanwhile, Padre Juan Pablo stops in at Casa Bernarda and begs his mama for the upmteenh time to repent of all her sins before it is too late. She screams back at him--also for the umpteenth time--that she has nothing to repent for! (After checking to see if, perchance, anything hanging on the walls is shaking, I start to think that this is beginning to sound like a broken record. I mean, really JP needs to be a bit more creative here. Come on! Let’s give the woman a reason already--something she really feels she can sink her fangs into! Llamas del Infierno just doesn’t cut it!)
Handsome Dr. Heri meets Vicki for cake and coffee. He feels like gettin’ chummy and says he wants to give her a backgrounder and then, afterwards, if he merits her trust, she can tell him her background. (Viewerville wonders if he minored in psychiatry also or if he’s attracted to her.) They start using the familiar “tú”. Ruh-roh!
Eva pays a visit to Fausto and tells him to get his head on straight cuz Burnie was robbed and nearly killed the other night! Fausto says too bad they didn’t succeed! Eva says bad idea since the two of them need to get their pound of flesh from her first! He doesn’t want to play family avenger anymore. Eva tells him then that he has no right to remember his mama any longer. He just gave up that right; he has betrayed her!
Back at the restaurant, Handsome Heri says there isn’t a day that he doesn’t think of his family, and he’s extremely grateful to Vic for letting him get it off his chest. She’s grateful for the interest he’s taken in Fer’s attempt to walk again, she says. Of course, his isn’t the only sad story to tell here and Vic gets a chance to tell him her tale of woe as well. She confides after that she has little energy left and feels there’s nobody she can confide in really, since she found out her hubby was unfaithful to her, that is. (So what’s Antonieta? Chopped liver?) They agree afterwards that the two of them have born heavy burdens of misfortune and misery and are companions in grief. (I would say a groupie of grief in Victoria’s case.) Heri takes her hand in his and squeezes. She is no longer alone, he says, as he looks longingly into her eyes with deep, dark gem pools of his own and silently hopes for something more. Ozzie, call your office!
At the same time across town at Casa Victoria Redux, Oscar asks Pepino to help him with a special request for that evening. FF>>
Milagros and the two jarochas rehearse for the singing contest. FF>>
Pepi makes a dinner date with Antonieta to discuss “something tragically upsetting” for him. FF>>
JP tells Padre Jeronimo that he feels like a failure since he cannot get his mama to repent. Padre Jerry and he decide to pray that some day he will see her do exactly that. FF>>
Guillermo stops by Casa Burnarda to suggest that she help him out financially or he will start looking into why it disturbs her so much that Maria Desamparada and Her Son The Priest are so close. Yeah, he quips, her son may be holier-than-thou, but he’s a saint who’s apparently not without sin of some sort, right? He struts out and leaves her thinking that she’s got to get rid of “that sin” in order to keep her son’s reputation unsullied.
Back at Hotel Casa Vieja, Lush-ous Looni-ella contiues to drown her sorrows, first with the dregs of her bottle of booze and, then, in a luxurious bubble bath, reminiscent of days gone by when being Leonela Montenegro actually meant something. (Otherwise, I see no reason for that gratuitous bathroom bit except to give a few old farts a start with hopes of getting a view of her more or less private parts. Geez!)
That night, Pepi and Toni meet at the restaurant where Mesero Oscar surprises her with an engagement ring for her main course and a violin table serenade for dessert. FF>>
El Alacrán digs up the lock box with the money and papers they stole from Burnie’s safe. “Good riddance to you, Padilla!” FF>>
Vic is now back home, moping alone on her bed and remembering Handsome Heri’s honeyed tones and comforting words from earlier in the day, when she suddenly gets a jarring call from his totally opposite number. “-What in the hell do you want??!!” “--To do you a favor, in exchange for a large sum of money.” What would that be? He’ll tell her who her daughter is!! Why should she believe him? Because he knows the name she couldn’t remember Burnarda whispering in her ear when she was still unconscious from the effects of the anesthesia in the hospital!! Well, then! That’s definitely a horse’s ass of a different color! He gives her the address of where to meet him. Be there or be square!
End P.1.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P.2. You Don’t Tug on Superman’s Cape, You Don’t Spit Into the Wind, You Don’t Pull on the Mask of That Ol’ Lone Ranger And You Don’t Mess Around With Burnie! [My apologies to offended Jim Croce fans--ed.]
Capítulo 131
Osvaldo notices Victoria racing out of the house with her purse. He decides to follow her.
Bernarda pays a visit to Fausto at the vecindad. She wants him to scare Maria Desamparada away from the vecindad and hopefully she’ll even leave town. Fausto refuses and tells Burnie that she better not try anything, either! Just how does he think he’s going to stop her? By reporting her to the police for Tomasa’s murder, but also for Rosalia and Gonzalo as well. Burni is swallow-hard-impactada.
As PJP prays for his mama’s soul, Fausto informs Ste. Burnarda that he knows each and every one of her sins and begins to tell her what he remembers of the day his face got scarred: the house locked from the outside, the flames burning his toys and both his parents; the way his father tried to find a hole for them to escape from but then was stopped because a burning beam fell down on his mother; how his father then, with the last of what strength remained, broke a window and threw him out of it, thereby saving his life.
As PJP prays for his mama’s soul, Fausto informs Ste. Burnarda that he knows each and every one of her sins and begins to tell her what he remembers of the day his face got scarred: the house locked from the outside, the flames burning his toys and both his parents; the way his father tried to find a hole for them to escape from but then was stopped because a burning beam fell down on his mother; how his father then, with the last of what strength remained, broke a window and threw him out of it, thereby saving his life.
“Aha! So you are Gonzalo’s bastard son and the cursed reason he wouldn’t leave your mother!” “--Wrong, Sra.! I was not his son, ” he corrects her. The only bastard in this story was the one she gave birth to--Padre Juan Pablo--the sin that has tormented her all her life! She slaps him and yells at him to stifle. Fausto stares her down, almost daring her to try that again!
In the old parts of the city, it’s Padilla and Victoria, twenty years later, same game, round two. He’s still lookin’ for a little satisfaction. (Hell, if Ozzie can’t get no satisfaction, maybe Padilla shouldn’t be so cock-rock sure, either.) Rudy taunts her. She screams back at him that she came for the name. Money first, please. Be charitable! He wouldn’t know the meaning of the word! Sure he does, he says. It means exchanging the good for the bad. Vicki demands to know why he’s so bent on hurting her family. He blames her daughter again for killing his son and she tells him the kid did it to himself! Slap!! Now give her the name of her daughter! He wants to be paid and she says he knows full well that she hasn’t got any money to pay him with. Well then, says Paunchy Padilla, there are other ways. Vicki sucks in her breath.
Back at the fancy restaurant, Pepi watches Toni accept Oscar’s proposal and wonders if he’ll ever find that special someone. Up behind him walks Luluciano and we (thankfully) can FFFFFFFFFF>>>>>>>>>>>
Returning to Vic and Rudy, he waxes moronically metaphysical and says something about how life has brought them together again...blah, blah, blah...and that she excites him even more than before. “--Don’t you come near me!!” (Excuse me, but whatever happened to stopping off at the local Carrefour’s for a pocket sized can of hairspray or some such? I mean, we are talking about a night-time meet with social menace, raper of women, and otherwise brute extraordinaire, Rudy-Pain-in-the-Patooty-Padilla, remember????) He jumps her, but she manages to eventually fight him off and says all right, just be gentle. He begins to take off his jacket and starts mumbling some crazy crap he thinks is sexy. He jumps for her again and she gets him good in his jewelery box before racing off into the dark. He finds her and gives her a couple of right hooks in the jaw before knocking her down and jumping on top of her unconscious and defective goods.
Ozzie arrives at the abandoned warehouse just in time to save Vic from the sorry S.O.B. He throws himself at Rutting Rudy and the rumble’s on. Oz manages to give Rudy the bloodiest beating of his life--loan sharks not withstanding--and swears he’ll kill him for daring to lay hands on his wife, not to mention what he did to Vicki all those years ago!
Back at Fausto’s place, Burnie screams back demands to know what he and Eva had planned. He says for himself, it was a means of avenging his mother and father’s death until he confessed all to PJP who convinced him not to do it. Burnie is suck-it-in-impactada and demands then to know what said to Juan Pablo. Fausto fesses up to telling him everything, to the last snap, crackle and pop! She is definitely S.F. & D. impactada at this revelation! Oh, yeah, he’d love to wrench her neck but he won’t because altho’ he’s ugly and damaged goods on the outside, he is a good person on the inside. She could care, of course and demands him and his aunt to leave the next morning! Fausto “reminds” her that Eva isn’t his aunt and has no idea of his past. However, if Burnie dares to harm a hair on her head she’ll be sorry for it. (Having had my first--and hopefully last--run in with fire-ants in Florida, I suggest dumping the old gal on a hill of those little critters and let ‘em have at it if she tries anything. Talk about your llamas del infierno!) “--She’s always been loyal to you and you will never find another one like her, I guarantee it.” “--We’ll see!” Burnie picks up her purse and walks out the door.
Once more we’re ringside at the warehouse free for all and Vicki is trying to pull Oz off Padilla because she’s scared to death that Oz really will kill him (and can you imagine the hell to pay for that in the press and with the police?)
Fausto races after Burnie and tells her that if she dares try to spill blood again he'll go straight to Her Son The Priest and tell him everything! (The rest of this is a bit disjointed since he was speaking through clenched teeth.) He forces her to look him in the eye and see the suffering she has caused! Fausto wonders why it's necessary for her to cause so much suffering. He carries the scars on the outside, but she wears just as many of them on her soul! Fausto gets her to shed a tear or two --but for whom and why, we haven't a clue. She tells him to just shut up and then walks away. Maria, who has watched them arguing from a distance, walks up and asks what Burnarda came to talk to him about. "--The truth. She came and heard the truth."
Over at Hotel Casa Vieja, Loonie is down to her last drop and suffering for it. Downstairs at the reception desk, meanwhile, Handsome Dr. Heri finds out from the clerk that Looni-ella Montenegro is Max's mother and that she is also a drunk. Heri asks if he can go up and visit with her. Pedro, the clerk in charge, worries about not having prior permission from Max, but Dr. Heri takes charge and says never fear. She's destroying the place again looking for a bottle of something when he comes knocking on the door and asks if he can talk to her a bit.
Back at Casa Scandal-val, Oz gives Vicki grief for going out that late at night to see that scoundrel without telling him. Ok. He's right, but she was taken with the desire to find out her daughter's name.
At the warehouse, Rudy through much blood, sweat and a few well-deserved sniveling tears, swears (what else?) revenge.
Heri tells Looni that he remembers Leonela Montenegro was a famous actress who mysteriously disappeared quite a while back. Lush-ous says she'd rather not talk about it. He apologizes for starting off with such informal chatter, and then formally introduces himself. She dispenses with formalities and is definitely impressed with the M.D. in front of his name. He says he's there to discuss something they both have in common: a problem with alcohol.
Meanwhile, back at Vic and Ozzie's, she's crying tears of frustration because she can't seem to remember the name Burnarda told her. Oz says it's in there and when she's least expecting it, it will pop out and she'll remember it then. She wonders if she's dealt with her recently but simply wouldn't have known.
Rudy makes it to his car and bemoans the fact that ever since his kid died, his life has turned to crap. (As compared to what, I ask?) He wonders if kids automatically become angels in heaven, because surely his would have become a devil instead. (I believe this was what he was getting at.)
El Alacran has returned to the old warehouse with the dug up box of loot. He hasn't any tools and can't get the chain off, so he goes out to find a locksmith or somebody to who can help him with it.
At the same time, Dr. Heri begins telling Lush-ous how he lost his wife to breast cancer and, due to a drunk driver, his two kids on the very same day. Leonela is touched by the story. Heri mentions that he also happens to be the doctor who operated on her son's sister in order to help her walk again; if there's hope they can do more with Fer in the future then there's obviously hope for Lush-ous also. At least, that's the way she takes it. She agrees she has an illness and promises to work through the alcoholism for her son's sake.
Upstairs in Vic's bedroom, she and Ozzie have just cleaned up and are in their bath robes. She's trying to clean up the cut on his face. They share a moment of closeness when she decides it's time to show him her scar and wonders if he'll be able to stomach it. Oz looks at the empty place on her chest and tries to comfort her. She's still not out of danger yet and is scared she may still die. She begs him to hold her tightly.
Rudy unlocks the box of Burnie's loot and stuffs it all into a pillowcase.
Maria and Max are sharing some quiet time on the couch. Maria says she can't understand why her grandmother hates her so much and why every time she sees Maria she tries to hurt her somehow.
Speaking of La Abuela esa, she's currently ripping Rudy a new one for screwing up the supposed hit job on El Alacran. Rudy says he's sorry, but he thought the guy was dead! Seems he has more lives than a darned cat! Rudy found him tonight hangin' with his buds and havin' a few brews. "--Damn that dog! Biting the hand that feeds him!" Does Rudy know where he is right now? Yeah, sure, says Rudy. Great, says Burnie. We're going to settle this thing once and for all! They head for the old warehouse. Scorpion Dud blames everything on Rudy and claims he's got the only key. Rudy swears he has no key! The key! The key! My life's fortune for that key! Rudy picks it up out of the hiding place and opens the locked box. "--There's nothing there! El Alacran has taken it all!" Burnie grabs Scorpion Dud by the collar and demands to know where her money is. He has no idea and claims that Padilla has set a trap for him. "--How can you accuse me of being your accomplice after stabbing Padre Juan Pablo?!!" Scorpion Dud begs forgiveness for his mistake. Burnarda turns around and goes for the gun in Rudy's belt hidden underneath his jacket. She turns back around and shoots. Scorpion Dud sputters his last. She then turns the gun on Rudy.
End P.2.
Labels: triunfo
© Caray, Caray! 2006-2022. Duplication of this material for use on any other site is strictly prohibited.
