Caray, Caray!

Meanwhile, at Maura's Hello-there Pink Kitty kiddie pad of premeditated prostitution, various unsuspecting priviledged youth are enjoying the free booze 'n eats. Crotchya is now high on Spanish Fly which fake Mario Aguirre, alias Matteo, alias "El Güero" [Blonde-boy/White Boy]--now all platinum and curls-- has been slipping her in her drinks. Mau checks off another success on her list of schemes as she watches him walk the Crotchya into a back bedroom to be seduced/date-raped (take your pick) and Bruno's image fades from what remains of the lollipop-licking little lush's conscious.

Speaking of lushes, the next day Roberto and Raquel finalize their quickie, no-contest divorce. The only problem is custody of Victoriacita. Raqhell refuses to give her to him. The judge says Bobo has no parental rights as he's not the biological father. Bobo, fearful that his bro-mance with the AWOL Ulises will come out, refuses to officially contest Raqhell's custody.

In Toluca's back forty at Mengele Manor, "Pau-li-esther" [kudos, Susanlynn] finds Mary Jo/Sandra reading on the patio and invites her along for a helicopter trip to a shoot with "Nicolas" and her. MJ/S refuses because she's still angry at Nico for standing her up the other night. "He didn't even have the courtesy to let me know he wasn't going to be able to make it!" Pau apologizes and explains it must have been because they were called away to a very ill person's bedside at the last minute and that they didn't get back till late the night before. This softens MJ/S up a bit. She's even sympathetic when Pau mentions the person died and they went to the funeral after.

Pau then butters MJ up by mentioning that ever since Nicolas met her he can't stop talking about her. Flattered, MJ/S gives in and agrees to go with the two of them but first wants to tell her mother she's leaving. Pau talks her out of that wrong-headed notion, saying she knows the woman doesn't like her and Nico that much. Since it will only be a couple of hours, MJ/S can just go and explain when she gets back that they went on a walk together; no harm, no foul, no argument. MJ/S agrees that's better and the two of them race off to meet up with Nicolas.

Back at the rental house, Alex is giving Arturo instructions on paying the landlord and getting their stuff back to Mérida when Pau shows up with MJ. Pau mentions that MJ/S was angry at being stood up until Pau had explained what happened to them. Alex is confused and looks over at Arturo who swears he gave the message to her mother. Obviously, Mama didn't mention it to "Sandra". Nicolas's smile wins out and she takes off with him and "Esther" in the 'copter.

Back in mah-h-h-vellous Mérida, Fer and Emiliano are about to leave to pick up Vicki for their trip to Chichén Itzá. (Hubby and I note the vanilla couches in this 30-something male's living room and shake our heads listing various reasons his couches aren't done up in dark, seductive leather like any self-respecting horny male would generally have. 'Nuff said.) T.E. wonders if Katia might change her mind and want to go with them, but Fer says he doubts it. She got back late and when he went to discuss it with her she had locked the door to her room. T.E. offers to talk to her about it, but Fer says not to waste his time. "The more one scolds the more she rebels." He's hardpressed to know what to do with her at times.

After Fer and his Tío leave, Katia comes out of her room and walks downstairs. Lisett rings her on the phone. Lis asks why she hasn't come to visit. She's feeling lonely and left out. Katia tells her not to start since she's got a hangover from the party Mau had the night before. Lis feels even more left out than ever and whimpers a bit as she explains how lonely and scared she is that the doctor may come in to say that the transplant has failed. Lis is facing death while they just party on. Crotchya rolls her eyes, bored, and heartlessly refuses to sympathize with Lis. "--Life goes on. Don't blame me because you got sick!" As Dr. Hernan walks in and silently overhears the one-sided conversation, Lis answers back that she guesses she was wrong to think that Katia might care to share a bit of her precious time by keeping her company. Click! Hernan can't help but take pity on Lis. (Viewerville blows the old dude a kiss.)

Meanwhile, we are beamed back to Mengele Manor as Elena realizes MJ/S is gone and the gardener tells her that she left only twenty minutes before with Pau-li-esther.

At the Lombardo compound, Bobo returns from the divorce hearing with bad news. He tells Vicki he let Raqhell keep custody of the baby for fear of the gossip his aforementioned bro-mance with Uli would cause. She sympathizes and says she'll speak to Raqui about it ASAP. He says he's only there to pick up his things before moving into his new apartment. He asks for permission to visit the baby from time to time because he's worried that Raqhell will refuse him. Vicki says of course. Felipa adds that the state Raqhell's in all the time she'd hardly even notice. Once Bobo leaves, Vicki starts for the chalet to give Raqui a piece of her mind. Talk turns to Fernando's visit that lasted from 8-11 PM. They snicker over the significance and Felipa promises that mum's the word.

Across the way at the chalet, Vicki comes a callin'. She lets Raqhell have it straight betweeen the eyes. Vicki says she heard about the custody hearing but doubts rocky Raqui, drunk as a skunk 110% of the time, would be able to care for that little baby. In fact, she's certain Raqui did it just to irritate and frustrate Roberto. Raqhell replies, "Better a drunk than in the hands of a sexual pervert." Vicki seems to realize that neither is optimum and says she'll never let Raqui touch little Victoria as long as she's still drinking. In fact she's tired of feeling pity for her and hoping she'll eventually mend her ways. Raqui can only guffaw at the baby's name. "Victoria?" Vicki sneers back that Roberto named her that and she'd still be nameless if they'd waited on her to give the baby a name. Raqhell teeters a bit and then laughs. "Call her what you want. I could give a damn. Keep her if you want. Consider it a gift!" She stumbles away to swill down the rest of the glassful. Vicki (along with Viewerville) sighs a sigh of relief at that one. (Hmmm. This might solve the problem of Fer having a chance at fatherdom. --Echhh!)

Meanwhile, Fer and his tío arrive at the manse. Emiliano is amazed at the wealth of the estate. Fer states that "hard work and brilliant negotiating skills earned them this fortune." Vicki and Felipa arrive. There are introductions all around. They head off for the tourist ruins.

At the same time somewhere in the air over Mexico, Mary Jo is becoming anxious at being gone too long and not having told her mother so that she won't worry about her. Alex and Pau try to stall for time. He pretends his cell won't work in that area and guilts her into trusting him a little while longer, then promises to take her back as soon as the picture shoot is over. He also promises to explain things to her mother for her. This calms MJ/S down a bit finally. She's antsy but she gives in.

Back in the boonies of the Tolucan outback Bruno is now complaining to Elena about letting MJ go off with that photographer and his sister. Elena says they'd never been gone so long before and didn't think it would matter. Anyway, she didn't "let" her daughter do anything. The girl didn't tell her. "She pretty much does what she has a mind to anyway." Bruno asks for a physical description of the brother and sister and smacks the wall when he realizes it fits Alex and Paula's description to a T. He tells Elena his suspicions. She tells them they rented a house nearby. He races off to the place to verify what he suspects.

At Chichén Itzá, it seems Fer and Company have the entire site to themselves. (Note: There's not another living soul around in a place that is always teeming with people.) We get a lecture on mesoamerican history and the area, as well as the ritualistic games and the architectural design and placement of the stones that always manage to catch the light of the biennial solstice. [http://www.mesoweb.com/chichen/features/tour/23.html] FF>>

Back in Toluca once more we see Bruno racing over to speak to the caretaker of the rental house Alex and Pau had occupied till that morning. He gets a physical description and knows for certain he just got duped by Alex.

Alex now has the helicopter land among some romantic ruins (a national park I think). MJ/S races ahead and asks nervously what story he planned to tell her. He follows with Paula and begins: "I met a rather humble man a while ago. He had two daughters. One was named Paula and the other Mary Jo." MJ/S stops in her tracks and listens intently. She flashes back to the time she walked in on Jorrible Jorge griping at Elena about some guy " not taking very long to realizethe girl is not Mary Jo" and her asking them who Mary Jo was. Alex continues: "A bit after the man told me he had another daughter also, but that his wife left him and took her along with her. That other daughter was Mary Jo's twin." MJ/S stops to process and frowns deeply as Viewerville teleports back to C.I. and a lecture about the ritualistic antecedent soccer fields. [http://chichenitza.com/listingview.php?listingID=9&name=Great+Ball+Court].

T.E. compliments Fer's choice in girlfriends. This embarrasses Vicki, but Emiliano smoothes right over it and says many men would give their all to have a wise, cultured and lovely girlfriend like her; they continue the tour arm in arm, all smiles. [Blech.] FF>>

Meanwhile, back at the other ruins, MJ/S continues processing the tale "Nicolas" is telling her. Instead of taking it in stride, she decides to scream and race through the place like a ninny. She is crying and yelling because she doesn't understand. Pau frantically tells her to trust them. MJ/S screams back that she wants to leave. She won't listen to this story. Alex tries reasoning with her. He says he understands the anxiety she must be feeling, but it's only because down deep she senses the story is true. MJ stops and stares at them like a scared, trapped little animal. Alex tells her she's one of the twins. She's Mary Jo. She refuses to believe him. "NO!" He continues. "--We have a son and you are my wife." In a one-hanky scene, she covers up her ears and refuses to listen to any more of it. She races away again and screams for help, then falls to the ground and cries. Alex trails after her and cries at her side.

Back at Mengele Manor, Jorrible Jorge scolds Elena for letting MJ out of her sight. "You were to take care of her. That's all I asked you to do, damn it!" She reminds him that it was his idea that she have a few friends and adds that MJ took off without letting her know. (What is it with the plaster of Paris rooster and chicken in country kitchens, anyway? Why are these things always presumed to add that touch of rustic authenticity? --I guess they are too damned big to be just your average salt and pepper shakers, though, huh.)

Jorge wonders if those two friends were possibly Alex Lombardo and her sister. Elena says that is what Bruno had thought. She has no idea. Just then Bruno races back in to tell them his suspicions were right and it was Alex and her daughter, Paula. They kidnapped her for sure! (That's "rescued", Bruno. R-E-S-C-U-E-D.) Jorge needs to be certain. Bruno calls Maura and tells her he needs her to investigate whether MJ has returned back home at the Lombardo compound. (Man, what Viewerville wouldn't give for a lillypond like Mau's.) Mau asks why and then how. He snaps at her to just do it and he'll explain later.

Jorge, meanwhile, asks Elena if she knows whether MJ took her pills but Elena has no clue. He yells at her to go find out. Bruno asks him what happens if she stops taking them. Jorge says the effect will wear off; she'll become irritable and unbalanced [descompensarse] and then she'll begin to recover her memory little by little. Bruno admits that will mean a trainwreck for their plans.

Elena returns and says the bottle is gone. Jorge wonders if it means Mary Jo was thinking to leave and not return.

We continue touring C.I. with Fer and Company (FF>>) while MJ continues screaming and yelling in the helicopter now that she just wants to go home. The pilot gets antsy. Alex winks and tells him she's just nervous. "You know where to take us now....Toluca." This buys them a little peace and quiet.

At the hospital back in Mérida, Hernan lends a sympathetic ear to lonely Lis as she explains how she's been kicked to the curb by everyone, including her big sis. When Maura does visit it's only for a minute or two. Hernan tells her he's got a place they'll visit together soon. She's dying to get out of that hospital room and says that's great.

In the C.I. ruins again, Fer and Co. have a late lunch. Emiliano is thrilled with the Yucatan. They join him in a toast to the birthday boy. He gets on a first name basis with Vicki. Finally he asks her and Fer if they know someone named "Damian Alebeniz." He explains about his old, sick friend, Porfirio and his wish to make his granddaughter, Sandra, his sole benefactor --but not until she marries. The guy who she's supposedly engaged to is this Damian and Porfi wants more information about him. Fer tells Vicki it's time to face up and 'fess up, painful as it might be. She does. "--Damian is my son's second name. He goes by Bruno Alebeniz or Bruno Lombardo." Emiliano wonders if this is the same Bruno Katia was supposedly engaged to. Fer clarifies that they were never engaged as they'd led him to believe, but yeah, that's the guy. Vicki says it may sound crazy, but the girl isn't Sandra. She's really Mary Jo. Tío E. is saucer-eyed-impactado and very confused.

The helicopter now lands back on the grounds of the Lombardo compound and MJ/S is on the warpath. She struggles with Alex all the way down the embankment. She calls Pau and him a couple of charlatans and threatens to have them put in jail. Alex tells her he'll give her the rest of the details back inside the house. He calls her "My love." Big mistake. She slaps him. Zeke then greets her as "Sra. Mary Jo." She screams at him that her name is Sandra and lets him have an earful, too.

Across the way from the porch at her chalet, Raqhell, soused and steadying herself on the railing, squints and blinks at the scene. She can't believe her pickled peepers. It seems that the nearly dearly departed Mary Jo has returned from the edge of her grave. She mutters to herself. "Has she been cured?"

Inside the main house it's near bedlam. Pau tries to get Mary Jo to calm down. Zeke tells Alex where his mother's gone as MJ screams in the background that she's tired of all their lies and that she knows perfectly well who she is: she is SANDRA! Alex manages to keep her away from the phone and calling the police. She screams at him. "You're taking advantage of me! You're a couple of cunning cons!" She finally races upstairs to get away from them. Alex yells back as he runs up after her. "--Just like Jorge and Elena were when you met them a month ago!"

MJ/S tries shutting the bedroom door in his face but is unable to keep him out. She hides in a corner by the bed stand and cries. "What are you going to do with me now?" He takes the photo album off the nightstand and hands it to her. She refuses it, saying the pictures could have been photo-shopped. Besides, she has seen pictures of herself at the rancho in Toluca. In another one-hanky scene Alex explains those were of her twin. MJ demands to know then what happened to her twin. Alex says that unfortunately she died a couple of days ago. Mary Jo crawls away howling in frustration, fully confused, totally frightened and disoriented from what she's been told. Alex crawls towards her and grabs her. She asks what he wants from her. "I want you to listen to me and to be the same way you were before: tender, loving." She bawls even harder. He weeps beside her.

Back in C.I. Emiliano learns from Fer and Vicki that the real Sandra died from an overdose of drugs and that, in order to get hold of her inheritance, Jorge and Elena kidnapped her twin, Mary Jo, making her believe she was Sandra through a treatment of mind-altering and memory suppressing drugs Jorge developed. Tío E. is Tales-From-The-Crypt-impactado. He says he knew Jorge was reknowned for his research but had no idea that he would put it to such use. He asks them how they knew the girl dropped in front of the house wasn't MJ. Vicki explains about the robbery and stabbing that left MJ's back scarred. This girl didn't have that scar and her tattoos had been erased chemically, says Fer. Again Emiliano is drop-jawed impactado and says he will have to inform his friend about what he found out. (This is something the whole of Viewerville anticipates seeing. It'll be popcorn and pizza with obligatory ring-side seating for one and all!)

In Mérida, meanwhile, Mau pays a visit to Raqhell under the pretext of still considering them to be friends in spite of all that's gone on. Rocky Raqui is playing chess with an imaginary friend in between guzzles of white wine. Mau's disgusted. "--Still drinking I see." Raqhell tells her to save the sermons or leave, but of course Mau needs information. She says she came to find out how Raqhell was getting along. Raqhell thought she could care less about her anymore, but Mau says sure she cares, just like she cares about the family and Alex. Alex still matters to her. "How are Alex and Mary Jo, by the way?" Raquel steadies herself in her chair and giggles. "You won't believe it but Mary Jo is back! Alex brought her home!" Mau is sour-puss impactada. "Are you sure it was Mary Jo and not her twin? All the doctors said it was impossible to save her." "--She has a twin?" Raquel mentions then that Bobo told her once MJ had a twin, but she never believed him. "--Well, now you know he was telling the truth so she could very well be that twin." Mau's nervous smile is crooked as a dog's hind leg.

Inside the main house again, Alex is on the phone with Hernan explaining what's happened. Hernan gets angry because Alex didn't follow their plan. Alex says MJ was being stalked and so he had to take action. He then mentions that he brought back her bottle of pills with him for testing. He explains that she's fine but hysterical. Hernan is worried that without her medicine MJ could become irrational and have a complete breakdown. (I'd say we're there already, doc.) Alex says it's more important to find out what's in the compound so they can find something to counteract it. Hernan wants the bottle of pills ASAP so he can send them to the lab.

Pau mentions to Alex afterwards how badly it hurt seeing the hate in her sister's eyes. Alex says not to worry because Hernan will help them. Pau wonders if she should let Papi Pedro know MJ's back, but Alex says to hold off.

Zeke takes a tray of food up to MJ. She knocks it out of his hand and chases him out, telling him she's Sandra, not Mary Jo, and that they're all criminals who belong in jail.

Downstairs, Pau asks Alex what else they can do especially if she's refused to accept the photo album. He says it can't be helped because right now she only remembers the recent past.

Zeke returns to the kitchen. He tells Felipa and the housekeeper what a monster Mary Jo's become. Felipa says it's to be expected after being kidnapped by strangers and told that she's really somebody else. "She probably thinks she's gone crazy." [volver loco] The housekeeper asks if Sr. Alex might have made a mistake and the girl is really Sandra. Felipa doubts it and says that "a man so in love as Alex would recognize his love even with his eyes closed." She thinks that once she holds the baby in her arms the memories will come rushing back to her. Zeke is afraid that MJ's too violent and might hurt the baby.

Mau now struts into the living room of the main house and questions Pau whether MJ is really back home since according to the doctors recovery was out of the question. Pau is not up for sh!t from the likes of MJ's main competition. She sneers back. "Yes, though it pains you to know it, Mary Jo is back home." Mau asks if it isn't really her twin. Pau suddenly jumps Mau. It's catfight city. "Of course it isn't her twin!!!" Alex races back in after hearing the commotion. (Alex, move just a bit slower, can't you? Let The Pugster get in a few more shakes and hair-pulls, all right?) He breaks them up. Mau says Pau's gone nuts. Pau insisits she's not nuts and runs upstairs. Mau calls her an idiot. Pau spits back that Mau's the idiot. Mau ignores the reply and asks Alex if it's true that MJ is back and recovered. Alex half fibs. "Yes, it's true." "--How did you manage that?" "--It was a miracle. Even the doctors were surprised." Mau struggles to mask that sour-puss look of hers. Trying to cover her tracks --if not her nearly naked buttocks--when MJ or somebody else eventually blames her for her role in the kidnapping, she suggests that MJ will no doubt be confused about everything. Alex says they'll see, but he hasn't had a chance to talk much with her. (Get a clue, Alex! The woman is bad to the bone.) Mau gives him a sweet, sensual peck on the cheek and asks him to keep her informed. They're still friends, after all. She struts away. He frowns as she goes.

The housekeeper is now upstairs cleaning the room for Mary Jo as she comes out of the bathroom. She is greeted with another "Sra." MJ asks if the housekeeper recognizes her. The housekeeper says of course: she's Sr. Alex's wife and Baby Tony's mother. Mary Jo asks the baby's age and learns he's only 3 1/2 months old. The housekeeper leaves. Mary Jo sits on the side of the bed and begins leafing through the pictures of her and Tony. "This is the baby I painted!" She remembers breastfeeding a baby boy and painting his picture. Doubt takes over and she begins to wonder about what they've all been telling her. "Could they be right?"

Labels: sortilegio

Permalink posted by Jardinera654 @ 6:15 PM 89 comments

Our handsome but dim Mauricio has gotten shafted in the juicio
He’s lost his kids, he’s lost his money, it really wasn’t very funny
He lost his pal, whose name was Sal, and what’s he gonna do right now?
He’s visited by Isabel, not seeing she’s the gal from Hell

She warns him, “take Valentina far away”, and live to fight another day
After all, she’s in grave danger, from a bad but as yet un-named stranger
As usual, Mau must decide at once, if only he weren’t such a dunce
But could a miracle happen tonight? Could anyone convince Mau what’s really right? That he must stay, and he must fight? Well, Moni might.
----------------------------

We begin with Beto drunk in the cantina, urging his buddies to hit him so hard the hurt’ll go away. They grudgingly help him out with this.

Coni tells herself not to cry. She pulls herself together just as Aldo and Luisa appear to let her have it. They alternate in letting Coni know how they feel. How could you? Dani’s been crying all day. Are you happy now? Do you want to send us away again? Even that would be a thousand times better than being around you. I wish you never existed. I hate you!

As they march off, in comes Jacqui (looking especially fine), asking Coni if she’s satisfied. Coni really isn’t happy at all about her “victory” and wants to get some air. Jacqui counsels that what’s choking her is her conscience, and even a tank of oxygen can’t fix that.

Beto is now not only drunk, he’s bloodied and crying. He lies down on his side, and the buddies he was fighting with feel sorry for him. They lift him into a chair to help him out – with more tequila, of course.

Rolu, having just heard Arnie tell him that Lalu said that Xime no longer loves Rolu, can’t believe it. Then why would she stay? Arnie’s theory? Pity (lastima). Rolu’s still dubious, asks Arnie to invite Lalu for dinner so they can really be sure. Arnie gives every reason in the world why he can’t call Lalu, but big bro’ Rolu insists.

Xime’s loving her new office (formerly Jerry’s), since she has 10% of the company, and Jerry has none. She asks Paula if she can see her as an executive. Paula thinks doing Jero’s job won’t be too hard, as Jero did nothing, anyway. The hard part will be filling Sermeño Group (Mau)’s chair. Paula realizes that if Coni’s the owner now, she could lose her job, and she’s been spending 4 years here, knocking her head against the wall (she says picando piedra, which literally is chopping rocks, so Xime’s amazed that Paula’s become a bricklayer (albaníl). But Xime has a flash of inspiration, and tells Paula that now that she’s a busy executive who knows nothing about this company, she’ll need a secretary to help her figure out what to do, and Paula can have the job! Paula’s overjoyed, and now that she can speak English (which she does, getting better each time), she’s definitely qualified. Xime decides to dictate a letter. It’s to Salvador, but after a few lines, she remembers what she recently heard, and tells Paula to stop, that letter will never be read by Salvador. Paula doesn’t understand, until Xime sadly tells her Sal died in Venezuela. Paula is impactada, and they both agree that Gabi must feel destroyed.

Aldo’s also destroyed, and is talking to Katia outside the house. It’s always the same story, nothing ever works out for the 3 kids, if he were older, he’d just grab his sisters and take them far away from this hurt. Katia tries to calm him, advises that running away is not the solution. But he can’t stand it, and tells Katia he and his sisters are leaving, and let the Momia rot! (qué La Momia se pudra).

Jero’s upset, too. He’s inside the house, complaining to Jaquelínay, Look at me! Have you ever seen someone so desperate, overwhelmed, humiliated, crushed? Jacqui looks at him, and she agrees. What happened? Jero relates how Oscar tricked him, sold his shares, and now he has nothing. He’s tried calling Oscar all day, but there’s no answer. Jacqui says she warned him about Oscar, she tries to smell out guys like that. Jerry’s response – ”Well, what do I smell like, a dummy, an idiot, an imbecile?” Well, yes, a little, she replies.

Beto and buds are boozing their troubles away. Beto’s a real man, a billy goat, no woman can push him around. Enter his Ma and Monita, who proceed to do just that (yelling at him for drinking, lifting him up to take him home). Beto’s carnales protest. The first wants to lend a shoulder to their new friend. “To soften the pain you dames have caused” adds cuate #2. This angers Moni, and she swiftly knocks out each guy with a single punch. She remarks that HER pain is certainly softened now. They drag Beto off.

Jero wonders if Jacqui had anything to do with Oscar’s plan. No way, and don’t you threaten me. Okay, okay, says Jero. But you know what else? Oscar’s a murderer. Salvador, that old coot, is dead, died in Venezuela. And I’m sure that Oscar was behind the whole thing. Jacqui’s impactada. Gabi must be shattered. Yeah, well not as much as me, says Jerry. I’m starting to reek (apestar) of death. Your ex-husband is the guy who bought the shares. He just arrived in Mexico City. If he finds out about you and me, I’m a goner. Ah, says Jacqui, Marcos is behind all this. Have you seen him? Yes, says Jerry, I had some business with him. But what can I do now? Aw, don’t you worry, reassures Jacqui. I won’t let him touch a hair on your head. After all, you’re my pet, my slave. I’m your mistress, and nobody’s gonna mess with my possessions. Jerry gives her a rabid puppy kiss. She calms him down a bit, warns that Oscar will PAY, and the Mistress and her puppy lock lips again. Woof, woof!

Coni’s visiting her Daddy Marcos in his hotel room. Coni laughs at Jero, what a fool! Marcos agrees, he wasn’t as bright as he thought he was. You know, at your age, your mother liked dummies, too. You are she are pretty similar. Coni doesn’t like this part. Daddy continues. You married that idiot Mauricio, and that’s not all. You had your little adventure with that stinky guy we met in the restaurant. Connie protests, he’s a fighter (un luchador). Marcos disagrees, a fighter has aspirations. No, Daddy, he’s a luchador in the ring, a wrestler, he’s El Fantasma Vengador. What?! That’s even worse, he’s not up to your station. I command you to break it off with him immediately. Don’t worry, Coni says contritely, it’s over anyway.

Estrella is bubbling over with enthusiasm, bragging to an enthralled Cris, Paula, Terry, Ivan and Alicia about her meeting at Televisa. It’s like her second home now, they even gave her bottled water when she met with Pepillo Origél, and she also met the nice lady producer. Although she’s not formally hired yet, she’s going to do some screen tests, and if everything goes okay, the producer will give her a part in the next telenovela! Everyone’s happy except Alicia, who pulls Estre aside (with Paula) and asks, what about the baby and moving with me to Moroleón? Estre says this is her big chance, but Alicia says she’ll have to make a choice. Okay, says Estre, I’m going to do the screen test, and if everything works out, I’ll stay in Mexico City, but if not, I’ll go to Moroleón.

Going to Moroleón? Inquires Mau, who’s just entered the vecindad. Estre covers, it’s to try on some clothes Alicia has, and she’ll also help with my acting. At this point, Beto’s being lugged in by his athletic supporters (Moni and Nieves). Mau asks the crowd to listen, he has something to say. He wants to apologize for letting the whole neighborhood down. He lost the case, and sadly, Constanza now owns the vecindad. Everyone’s despondent, until Moni steps forward, and announces that NONE of them will lose their houses. Jaw jutting proudly, she tells the crowd that in two months, she’ll meet with La Momia in a boxing match for the ownership of the vecindad, and Moni will WIN!

Jacqui reassures Jero again that she’ll make Oscar pay, and she’ll handle Marcos. Jero barks happily, gives his mistress a final lick, and scampers off to find a biscuit, or maybe his squeeze toy (okay, I’m embellishing a little). Jaqui calls Katia, who pops out one second later as if she were an actress waiting behind the set for her cue (oh right, she is). Daughter, I need to talk with your mafioso of a father. What hotel is he staying in (hospedando)?

Beto’s sleeping it off, as Nieves, all dressed up, checks the little card Marcos gave her, and tucks it back into her bra. She grabs a blue unicorn purse, and is just about to step out when Don Cesar appears, liking what he sees, she’s guapisima, but where are you goin’, hon’? Don’t you remember, Cesarin, it’s the bridal shower for the locksmith’s daughter. Cesar’s a little foggy about this, but Nieves (which means snows) SNOWS him but good, asks him to watch over her Betito, make sure he doesn’t go out, and definitely not drink anything, so bye, now! She’s off for her hot date with we know who.

Okay, they’re really going to have to do something about all the scenes in the exact same part of Coni’s-was-Mau’s house. Looking back in this recap, we first had Coni talking to the kids. They walked out, Jaqui walked in, and talked to Coni. Then Coni left, and Jero walked in and talked to Jacqui. Jero left, and Katia popped in to talk to Jacqui. Now Jaqui is offstage, and the kids are back, all packed up to leave for who knows where (stage left?). Can you spell budget crunch? Anyway, I like Luisa’s white coat, but they apparently decided to go with a Snuggie to wrap up little Dani (as I said, budget crunch). Katia agrees to keep their secret, gives a huggie to the snuggie (and to Aldo).

And now for the turning point of this entire novela (oh, I don’t know about that, I’m just feeling a little dramatic tonight). Mauricio and Moni enter her apartment, and he tells her she’s crazy to fight La Momia. She shoots back, I HAVE to, our entire neighborhood is at risk. Besides, she’s itching to leave La Momia lying on the canvas (la lona). Mau points out that Coni cheats. Moni says, she’d better not, or I’ll REALLY let her have it. Mau calms down, they both sit down, and he has a request. Don’t ask me why, but I need you to go to Moroleón with Estrella and stay with Alicia. Moni doesn’t want to, she wants to stay and fight for the vecindad. Mauricio asks her just to do it for him, please. Moni feels they should fight together, side by side (she says codo a codo, which is elbow to elbow). Mau just wants to protect her. From whom? He can’t tell. But trust me.

No, says Moni. The music changes to happy organ, trumpets, as she starts to feel the power. I’m not leaving. I’m going to stay here in my house with you. We’ll fight together. Because together we’re stronger. We keep each other going. Mau agrees, you’re the motor that keeps me running. Right on, says Moni, keep the faith. Our love will keep us alive. Love will keep us together. Our love will make us invincible. (I think they’re running through just about every soul song I can remember). She continues the pep talk. You always ask me to trust you, well trust me now. You cured my wounds, let me cure yours. He smiles, she smiles, come on Mauricio, let’s do it together. Mau pauses a second….and he’s putty in her hands. You’re right, Monita. Nothing can stop us. They kiss. All right! Power to the People!

However, back in the hotel room, Marcos wants Mauricio to suffer even MORE than he already has. Coni agrees, that’s why she’s getting ready her secret weapon plan, her final sword thrust (estocada). Ah, daughter, you’re always thinking two steps ahead, just like me. So what’s the plan? Well, Daddy, I know this woman, and she knows a secret that if revealed, could absolutely ruin Mauricio’s love. Marcos, intrigued, asks who is the woman? What’s the secret? Knock, knock, goes the door. (Okay, sports fans. Who’s that knockin’ on that door? It could be Isabel, Nieves or Jacqui, right? Isabel, because Marcos just asked about “that woman”. Nieves, as we saw, was all dressed up with business card in bra. And Jacqui just asked Katia what hotel Marcos is staying in. I’m starting to have visions of Wack-a-Mole, déjà vu, but we’ll probably have to wait til Monday for this, if it happens.) Coni thinks it’s some little chippie girlfriend of her Dad’s, and gets up to fix a drink. Marcos opens the door, and it’s Isabel. Good eeeevening, she says, in her best Alfred Hitchcock imitation (she actually just said buenas noches).

Isabel sees Coni, and is surprised (we can’t really use impactada for her, but the eyebrows did move this time). She’s La Momia, utters Isa. She’s the woman who wants to destroy Valentina. Marcos IS impactado, and Coni looks like a deer in the headlights. Isabel starts to laugh. This is rich. You (Coni) have no idea what Valentina means in your life. Sure I do, she tore my life to pieces. Well maybe, replies Isa, but you might change your opinion if your father told you what happened between us 20 or so years ago. Coni asks her Dad, what’s she talking about? Marcos gets mad, and while Isabel exhorts him to tell the truth, since she wants to see Coni’s face, he brusquely tells Coni he needs to talk to Isabel alone, and hustles Coni right out of the hotel room.

Mauricio is so relieved that Moni has forced him to see the light, he’s filled with emotion. Besides, this has been the most difficult day of his life. Besides losing the trial, he received another swordthrust (estocada, two times in one episode, maybe I’ll actually learn this word). Salvador died of an accident in Venezuela. Moni is deeply saddened, but summons the strength to help her man. She tells him she knows Salvador was like a father to him. She hugs him tight. Just then, the door opens, and the kids have arrived. Aldo announces they’ve left home, and aren’t going back.

Marcos can’t believe what’s happening. Constanza knows Valentina? That’s right, says Isabel with amusement, your daughter hates Valentina, and Valentina hates La Momia with all her might. Don’t call my daugher La Momia, snarls Marcos. Oh, I didn’t give her that name, Valentina did. Marcos lets loose with a few “no puede ser”s. But why do they hate each other? he demands. I don’t know, replies Isabel, maybe it’s the same story as ours. To this very day, Nieves and I detest each other. And Valentina and your daughter also love the same man. Mauricio Sermeño? asks Marcos. Bingo. Then, do you know Mauricio Sermeño? Oh course, says Isa, he’s the love of my daughter’s life. So, Marcos, are you going to tell your daughter who Valentina really is?

Aldo’s ready to go. Let’s all escape, and live our life free of problems. La Momia will never find us. Mauricio stands up, Monita at his side. Children, today Monita made me understand something very important. Running away accomplishes nothing. You have to confront your problems. If you try to escape, to hide, your problems will remain, and you’ll live in fear. You have to stand fast, and fight your problems head on (Mau and Moni are trading platitudes here). You must fight on the battlefield. Like Monita in the ring. Or like Furia Enmascarada.

Back at Estrella’s, she into the fight theme, too, telling Cris and Pau she can’t wait to see Monita plaster Coni. Paula wants to see her break Coni’s nose and leave it crooked (chueca, which as we’ve seen in other episodes, can also mean crooked as in dirty dealings). Cris is glad Paula’s a little happier than she was, for some reason she was sad. Pau tells them that Sal died, and Cris and Estre are impactados. They all agree that this must be very hard for Gabi, and they’ll try to comfort her when she comes back from Venezuela. Cris strokes Paula’s hair.

Mau, Moni, Aldo and Luisa are sitting down now (Dani’s sleeping), as the parents explain to the children that they’ll always be together, even if the kids have to live with La Momia for now. They’ll find a way to visit, and Aldo has Mau’s cellphone, so they can always stay in touch with each other. Moni adds that they know she, Monita is a fighter, she’ll always fight for the children, and Coni can’t win, because she doesn’t have what they have – love. They remember when Moni knocked out some kids who were bothering them, and they first felt that she should be their mother. Mau tells the kids they have to go back to Connie’s house, but they’ll find a way to be together. Aldo says right here, right now, this is the family we should be, the five of us together. Mau agrees, this is the family we WILL be, son, there’s no doubt. Moni agrees, as sure as her name is Valentina La Monita Lopez. Broad smiles all around.

As the evil music rises up again, Marcos tells Isabel not to tell Coni the truth about Valentina, and Isabel agrees. Marcos can’t believe that now that he’s finally seen Valentina, all this happens. What? You’ve seen her? asks Isabel. Well, it was a coincidence. I went to see Nieves, and she showed up. Of course, says Isabel, angry now. You just HAD to see Nieves. Why, Marcos, why? I’m the one who has always loved you. She reaches up and starts to kiss him, but he roughly rejects her. Isabel, please! Knock, knock, goes the door. (Who is it this time? We have two suspects left). Marcos looks through the little hole in the door, rushes back. You have to hide. It’s my ex-wife!

Previews of coming attractions: Beto decides to become a priest!!!!
And Marcos may have been lying, because it looks as if Nieves is in his hotel room, armed with that unicorn purse, and does she still love him? YES!

Vocabulario:

Juicio – a trial (when I said Mauricio got shafted in the juicio, how many of you were thinking body parts?)
Picando piedra – knocking one’s head against the wall, doing a good for nothing thing over and over with no reward, literally chopping stones or rocks
Pudrirse – to rot, as in Qué La Momia se pudra, let the Momia rot!
Hospedarse – to stay, or be put up in (a hotel, for example)
Codo a codo – elbow to elbow, we’d probably say arm in arm, or side by side, as in fighting together
Estocada – final sword thrust, as in bullfighting

Labels: gancho

Hola todos! I did not get to see this show last season, but after watching the first 15 minutes of last night's episode I had the burning urge to recap it. It's so dark, there may not be a lot of snark involved, but there's always the possibility of some good vocabulary!

Beginning with the title: "Mujeres Asesinas" which Mr. 5ft kept insisting must mean "Woman Assassins." Eh, not quite, as "assassin" in English implies a certain level of expertise and/or doing it for pay. A better translation would be "Women Who Kill" or "Murderous Women."

In tonight's episode, Carmen Salinas plays "Carmen, honrada" (Carmen, honorable), a mistreated maid with one heifer of a "jefa" (boss lady).

As the episode starts, we are told it was inspired by true events. We hear crying and we see Carmen being handcuffed and led away while the CSI: Latina team places evidence markers and photographs the crime scene and the body. Carmen looks at a scruffy teenage boy and quietly asks him to forgive her as a streaky-haired teenage girl keeps up the sobbing.

Gloria Trevi sings the opening theme, Que Emane: "Let it come like blood, let it come, come, come, let it run, let it drain, let it well up, let it flow, like blood comes in an open wound…let it come, the pain, the disdain, the resentment, and all the humiliation and grief, let it come sweat and all humiliation, revenge, snubbing, and fears." In other words, time to get down and dirty!

Flashback: Carmen rings a bell. Her bitchy boss, Susana answers the door. Susana is played by Cecilia Gabriela, last seen in flashbacks as Altagracia Elizalde in Mañana es Para Siempre. Gee, uh, nice to see she's not being typecast. She complains about Carmen ringing the bell. See, Carmen was supposed to be there at 9am, but not supposed to wake Susana up. However, Susana refuses to give her a key: "What do you want keys for? So you can make a copy and come empty out my house?" After this tirade, she snuggles up on the couch under a blanket. Carmen solicitously asks how she's feeling. Turns out boss lady had a rough night. She asks Carmen to fix her breakfast. The usual, fruit, cereal. Carmen tries to tempt her with chocolate and Susana goes on about maybe also making a "torta de tamal" (a tamale sandwich)…yeah, what do you call them, "guajolotas" (tamale sandwich)…or no, wait, how about a "torta ahogada" (a fried pork sandwich dunked in chili sauce, literally "drowned sandwich")…yeah, all fried up in tons of oil. From the look on Carmen's face, Susana probably means this sarcastically, like "sure, you think I'm gonna eat peasant food," but it sounds damn good to me! As Carmen heads for the kitchen, Susana demands to see her hands, front and back. She gives grudging approval. Then she asks if Carmen is planning on fixing breakfast dressed like that, in her "ropa de pesero" (the clothes she wore on the minibus). Carmen says she'll change. Susana gives her a "you'd better" look.

In the kitchen, in uniform, Carmen prepares a pretty fruit plate. As she brings it over, Susana says "see how pretty," but I'm not clear on whether she means the fruit or Carmen's uniform (as in, see how much better you look when you're not wearing your own crappy clothes). Carmen timidly offers her coffee and Susana accepts.

Now we see Carmen in her own kitchen, preparing another plate of food. She calls her granddaughter, Jenny to breakfast. Jenny looks at the plate and says it's way too much food! But Carmen says she needs to eat, she's too skinny. She offers to prepare some strawberry "atole" (a hot corn drink). But Jenny laughs at the idea of having both "chilaquiles" (which have fried tortillas as a base for salsa or mole and eggs) and atole…too many carbs, I guess? Carmen says that Jenny is looking as delicate as her boss, Susana, and she'd rather she looked like a little nut, a little almond (uh, rounder and more tan?). She mocks Susana, "are your hands clean? Show me?" Then she's gotta sit down because her back is hurting from all that cleaning. Jenny offers to come help her once her school semester is over. Carmen's not sure, Mrs. Susana is kind of weird, so Carmen will have to ask her first. Jenny asks where her dad is. Carmen tries to lie and say he went out early, but Jenny knows he never came home last night. She assumes he was waylaid by a bottle of alcohol.

Just then, there's a ruckus at the door and Carmen tells Jenny to go to school. Jenny pushes past a uniformed officer dragging her father, Guillermo in the front door. Guillermo tries to claim that he weren't botherin' nobody. The cop rolls his eyes. Carmen offers him breakfast, but he says he has to get back to work. He tells her to keep an eye on her son. She sits Guillermo down at the table and says she was worried about him. He starts eating Jenny's breakfast, cradling his head. In response to Carmen, he says he didn't go to his AA meeting last night, cause he can do it on his own. Riiiiight. Carmen says he's not putting in enough effort. He comments that Jenny left without saying goodbye, but what did he expect? He wants to take her to the basilica to do a "manda" to the "virgencita" (make an offering to the Virgen). Carmen laughs it off "you really think the virgin wants to talk to drunks? You've already gotten Alcoholics Anonymous put in front of you. What more help do you need?" Guillermo says maybe he's not making enough effort. Carmen says maybe she and Jenny aren't either. Then he backtracks and says it's his life, anyway. Carmen really laughs now and says "your life? What kind of life?"

Carmen shows Susana some sheets. Susana says they're fine, but she doesn't want Carmen to take them. Carmen wants to lay them out in the sun to bleach, but Susana doesn't see why she can't do that here. Susana says she doesn't have control over things coming back. Carmen says things always come back. Sure, says Susana, until they don’t. Susana asks if Carmen got her pills. She did, and the girl at the pharmacy wants to know why she doesn't use stronger antidepressants cause the current dose doesn't seem to be working. Susana is about to go off on the absent pharmacy girl, but her son, Leo walks in. We get hit over the head with how Leo's not like his mom as he asks Carmen how she's doing and how her back is. Carmen tells him his dad called. Susana is upset that Carmen didn't tell her, but Carmen forgot and Susana was in the shower when he called. Susana reminds her she's supposed to be writing down all the phone messages…oh, unless she doesn't know how to write? Leo shuts his mom up…about that, anyway. So she starts in on how Carmen shouldn't be using "tú" to address her son. In the absence of her husband, he is the man of the house. Leo is shaking his head and he tells her to drop it. Susana says she's the one who gives orders and she expects them to be obeyed. Both Leo and Carmen walk off and Susana gripes at them both "oh, so sorry you don't like it, but I can't be controlling everything!" Carmen mutters something under her breath, so Susana calls her back to clarify that she's the boss here. Of course, if Carmen doesn't like it, she can leave. Not that she could get a job somewhere else, at her age, and just FYI, Susana won't even giver her a letter of recommendation. Now that she's been warned, she is dismissed.

Susana's body lies facedown on a table as a medical dude explains to the lead detective, Sofía Capellán, that she was struck 5 times, 4 of them piercing major organs. She died immediately. They don't have prints back from the weapon, but so far everything is pointing to Carmen. There were no previous indications of violence on the body, or on Carmen. Nor is their any evidence to dispute that Carmen is the one who killed her. The medical guy says there was no previous violence, no attempt at robbery, she never tried to flee and she accepted responsibility immediately. Det. Capellán wonders (as do I) if she could be covering for someone. The son, Leo, is the one who called the cops, at the request of Carmen. The medical dude says Carmen must have just had a sudden, momentary rage. Capellán looks only somewhat convinced.

Another flashback. Jenny is cleaning windows while Carmen vacuums. Susana comes in, demanding to know who this person is washing her windows. Carmen reminds her that they'd discussed this before, it's her granddaughter. Susana asks her name and when she responds with "Jennifer" Susana, in English, says "excuse me, oh my god!" She laughs as she asks what her brothers and sisters' names are, but Jenny says she doesn't have any. Susana says if she did, they probably would have been "Jennifer, Brian, and Donovan." Carmen doesn't get the joke. Susana, now letting a gringa accent creep into her Spanish tells Carmen it's fine if Jenny is there, but she'd better not even DREAM of getting paid. She walks off laughing and tosses off a gringafied "Bienvenido" over her shoulder. Carmen wants Jenny to explain why Susana reacted that way, but Jenny tells her not to pay any attention.

Jenny explains to Det. Capellán that she doesn't really pay attention to whether people are rich or poor or how they dress. She doesn't care, as long as they're good people. She doesn't judge people on appearance. She didn't look at people the way "that woman" looked at her.

Flashback to Jenny bringing Susana a fruit plate. Susana asks if she washed her hands and demands to see them, front and back.

Det. Capellán wants to know how Susana looked at Jenny. "With disdain. Not like you. Or my grandma. Or Leo." Her son?

Flashback to Leo walking into the kitchen. Susana is surprised to see him. She thought he wasn't going to make it home for lunch because he'd be at his lecture on "becerros" (calves). But no, it was "borregos" (sheep) and he is, in fact, home for lunch. She calls "Jennifer," and Leo is surprised to hear that there's a Jennifer running around the house. Jenny comes in and Susana tells her to serve lunch to "el señor" (the gentleman). Leo says no way, he's just Leo. He wants Jenny to address him with "tú", you know, like all the pretty young things his age do (no thanks, mom, for trying to make me sound older). He asks where Carmen is. Jenny gets flustered and says Carmen is ironing…"uh, should I call her?" Susana says yes. Leo makes the mistake of commenting to mom that Jenny's, like, hot. Susana swats him with a napkin and says she's sick of his "aires de proletario" (proletarian airs, i.e., acting like a peasant). Carmen and Jenny come back in. Leo says hi to Carmen and asks how she's doing. He asks how her telenovala is going (awww, that's sweet). She's obviously uncomfortable answering in front of her boss. She asks if he wants her to fix him something to eat, but he says she can go back to ironing if she wants to and Jenny can do it.

Det. Capellán asks if Jenny fell in love with him (nod) and if his mother knew.

Flashback: Leo is working on his computer as Jenny comes in with freshly laundered shirts. He shows her where they go in the closet. He gets up in her personal space as they chat about school. They both like math. He's into engineering, though, and she's into accounting. As he starts putting the moves on her, Susana's Virgin Alarm (TM Mel Brooks) goes off and she comes storming into the room. Just before Jenny can make her escape, Susana demands to know what she's doing there. She continues that Jenny has no business in Leo's room. "I know it doesn't matter to you people…." Jenny runs out and Leo tells Susana to shut it, already. Susana says "that's how they are. They sleep with a bunch of people all in one room. Who knows what kind of things she's learned!" She says if you don't control the maids they steal from you. And her proof of it is that she keeps her maids controlled and so "nin-gu-na" (not a single one) has stolen from her. Leo tells her to quit trying to control things, "that's why dad left." "Oh, you're blaming me for your dad leaving?" She point-blank tells him that he's both the man of the house and a child. A five-year-old at that, in terms of taking care of himself, "you saw how that girl was looking at you!" Sure, he says, I need to worry that she'll rape me. Susana says Jenny will open her legs for him and next thing he knows he'll be a dad. "And I don't want to have a gross, ugly grandchild."

Jenny complains to her dad about how crappy grandma's boss is. Carmen is too tired to talk about her. And besides, the poor woman has been sick since her husband left her. She says if she's put up with it it's to put bread on the table. At least, until Guillermo gets a job. He says he might get a job tomorrow. A fellow AA member might be able to get him some part-time work. Jenny is thrilled that he's going to meetings again. He tells both ladies that he's really trying. Carmen says she hopes God helps them all.

As Carmen counts her week's pay, Susana tells her to be back at 9am sharp on Monday. "None of this going out and getting drunk with your son and then I have to put up with your hangover." Carmen says her pay is 200 pesos short, but she didn't miss a day. Susana claims that Jenny washed the windows so badly that she had to hire a professional person to do the work over. And she's certainly not going to pay twice for the same work. Carmen tries to argue that Susana can't do that. Susana laughs and says of course she can, pointing at Carmen's pay as proof. "So, early Monday, then, at 9." Before she can go, Susana stops her and demands to see what's in her bag. Carmen says it's just her uniform, a couple of buttons are loose and she wants to fix them. She turns the bag upside down to show that there's nothing else in it. Susana shoos her off.

As Carmen walks out, Leo walks in, having heard at least part of what's going on. He tells his mother he doesn't know how Carmen puts up with her. "Ha! You mean how I put up with her…every day she gets worse. I'm supporting her and her useless son, and now that Jenny." Leo hands her the phone and says to just get it over with, call his dad and tell him what she thinks of him so she can quit taking it out on other people. Susana asks him if he ever returned his dad's call. Is he still with that "piruja" (ho)? Leo says he's been with her for two years now. Susana says she's still a ho. And what's more, she's only a couple of years older than Leo. She could be his sister! So what, says Leo, she's not, she's dad's girlfriend and that's neither my business nor yours. Susana laughs this off. She says "Just wait and see, when one of them gets tired of the other, your dad's going to come crawling back crying and begging forgiveness, but he won't be able to get back in." Leo says that's not going to happen. He has to be the one to break it to her that Dad's call was to tell him that he's going to have another kid. His girlfriend is six months pregnant. "So if I were you, I'd get over it and start putting my life back together."

Det. Capellán asks Leo if his dad was in the house when "the tragedy" happened. Leo recaps the living situation. He says he shouldn't have told Mom about the new baby on the way. She didn't take it well. Capellán asks about the relationship between Susana and Carmen. Leo says Susana didn't treat her well, she was always rude to her, she insulted her. He says Carmen is one of the best people he's ever met. "Then your mother must have done or said something really terrible for her to react like that." Leo says that his mom was severely depressed and was taking it out on everyone else, she was completely nuts.

Flashback: Susana squirts cleaner on a mirror and wipes at it. Yeah, you read that right. She complains that she can't believe she's having to do the cleaning in her own house. Meanwhile Carmen is steaming the curtains, but Susana thinks she's going to burn them and asks if Carmen knows what she's doing. "Sorry, it's just that I know you people don't put curtains up in your houses, you just put newspaper over the windows, so how would I know…it just makes me sick to have to be cleaning and running errands like a maid." In the background, Jenny is dusting some wood shelves. Susana gets upset and comes over to take over the cleaning, cause Jenny's doing it all wrong. She keeps spouting crap about how "they" need to use their brains a little "I know it doesn't bother you people to live in filth, but there are people like me who want things clean and want things done right." (Okay, that's it, I confess. I killed her. With a rag soaked in glass cleaner. The stab wounds? Oh, those were self-inflicted, yeah.) Leo comes in, in shock, and asks what's going on. Susana says they're cleaning to get ready for a dinner party next Friday, uh, for some friends from the club. But those are friends of dads, says Leo. Susana rants about how she wants them to come over to see that she hasn't let the house become crap. Her marriage might be crap, her life might be crap, but her house…. Carmen motions to Jenny and the leave the room as Leo tries to calm Susana down.

Carmen and Jenny get off the minibus. They see Guillermo drinking and Carmen just pretends not to see him. But he comes running up, asking where they've been. He tries to say he was at work too. They question his choice of friends. Carmen tells Jenny to quit needling her dad and she swats Guillermo on the arm and tells him to come home with them. She mentions having him do some plumbing over at Mrs. Susana's place. He says no way and the ladies stare at him. Their stares guilt him into saying he'll get up early tomorrow and go with Carmen. Jenny wants to go too, but Carmen mentions Leo. She tells Guillermo who he is. Guillermo laughs at her and says she's trying to fly high. He makes fun of her hat and pulls it off to reveal the streaks of blonde she put into her very, very dark hair. He laughs and says she's trying to be a "guera" (white girl) and Jenny runs off. Carmen tells him to stop making fun of her.

Det. Capellán asks Guillermo why his mother did what she did. He says "ask her." "I'm asking you because I want to know what you think." Guillermo says he doesn't wish harm on anyone, but that woman deserved it. What's more, if Carmen hadn't killed her, he would have done it.

Flashback: Carmen dries dishes as Susana walks into the kitchen. She goes over to where Guillermo is working on the plumbing and sniffs. "Hey, if you were a plumber I would think you'd have put hot water in your house." Carmen, uncharacteristically, says they have hot water in their house and her son bathed this morning. Susana says he must not have changed his clothes then. She can't understand why they would bathe and then put dirty clothes back on. She asks "whatever his name is" what he's going to charge her for the work. He says he can't tell until he gets it taken apart so he can see what needs to be done. Susana laughs and says no way, once it's all taken apart then he can charge whatever he wants to. Guillermo gives Carmen a look. Susana asks Carmen if it wasn't just a seal that needed to be replaced. She says that's why she asking, so she'll know up front. She doesn't want to have problems later. Guillermo says she won't. Then he ignores her and asks his mom to hand him a tool. There's an argument when Susana insists that she'll do it since she needs Carmen to keep working and she's not paying her to be a plumber's assistant. Meanwhile Leo is shouting from upstairs that Mom was supposed to bring him a drink. Jenny comes bouncing in and says she'll take Leo his drink. She pulls a juice bottle out of the fridge. Susana comments on her hair, which Carmen brushes off as "kid stuff." Susana laughs maliciously as she pronounces it, in English, to be "very very natural." She ends up handing Guillermo the right tool and then suggesting that he just get up to get whatever other tools he's going to need instead of asking someone to hand them to him. Guillermo hasn't been in this house a day yet and he already has that "long-suffering" look.

Upstairs, Leo is working on his computer. He admits to Jenny that he doesn't care where she leaves his drink, he just wanted her to come. She says she wanted to. They do what cute kids their age do when left alone for longer than 30 seconds.

Guillermo thinks he needs a different tool. Susana gives him grief about it so he gets up, puts the wrench he as holding on Susana's hand and tells her to fix it her damn self. He says something that gets bleeped out. Susana calls him a "naco igualado" (uppity low-class trash). He leaves and Susana calls after him that he'd better not be drunk, cause she'll call the police. Carmen tries to calm her down.

Carmen goes after Guillermo. He argues that they shouldn't be treated that way, but she says they've got to eat. He tells her they need to have dignity. She repeats "dignity".

Jenny and Leo are not at all dignified. Jenny pries herself away from him before the clothes can go flying.

Carmen tries to apologize to Susana. "If you know he's like that, why did you bring him? Don't you realize he's dangerous!" Carmen says he's not dangerous, just sick and desperate because he can't find work. Susana says she's so upset she even wants to fire Carmen now. She demands that Carmen give her Guillermo's full name because she's going to call the cops on him so that he can't come back to the house and try to get revenge on her. She has flipped her wig. She says she knows them well, he's a drunk and a thief, just like Carmen. She knows Carmen is stealing from her. Jenny walks in on this tirade and Susana turns on her, saying that she's a ho who streaked her hair. She tells them she's had enough and she wants them both out. "Go back to your crap hole and think about what you've lost." Carmen starts crying. She and Jenny turn to go.

Jenny and Carmen are walking around the neighborhood putting up little flyers for cleaning services.

Susana, however, has extremely generously allowed them both to come back to work for her, but only because she has her dinner the following day. She wants to get Jenny into a uniform, but they can deal with that later. For now, she needs them to wash all the stemware--and they'd better be careful not to break any because there's already enough coming out of Carmen's paycheck for what Guillermo messed up and if they break a glass she'll have to take that out of Carmen's paycheck too. Susana says she's going out to buy flowers for the dinner.

The ladies commence to the washing. Leo comes in and greets them both. He apologizes for his Mom's crazy behavior. Leo tells Jenny that he got the scholarship information that she was asking for and it's upstairs at his desk, if she wants to come up and look at it. This is Kid Code for "let's snog." Carmen quietly tells Jenny to leave the door open and goes back to drying glassware.

When Susana comes home, Carmen is downstairs cooking a vegetable soup. She asks about the glassware, but it's not quite finished yet and, uh, she sent Jenny out to get sodas, yeah.

Leo shuts his door as he makes out with Jenny.

Carmen tries to stall Susana from going upstairs by asking of she doesn't want her to make a little bit of pasta. Susana snootily says she doesn't know if Carmen will know how to cook it al dente…so no, nevermind. She says she's going upstairs to rest. Carmen then tries to tempt her with empanadas, but Susana laughs saying they'll probably be swimming in oil like her quesadillas. Then Carmen tries to offer her some Michoacan-style enchiladas. Susana says there's no way she's serving enchiladas at a big important dinner. "What is wrong with you? I told you we'd discuss the menu later!" Susana goes upstairs as Carmen visibly worries.

Susana hears heavy breathing coming from Leo's room, so, like any mother with a complete lack of boundaries, she opens the door. She starts physically pulling Jenny out of bed as she insults her. Then she starts smacking Leo and they argue about who's showing disrespect to whom. Jenny comes flying down the stairs wearing her jeans and holding the rest of her clothes in front of her. Carmen asks "What have you done?" as if it isn't obvious, and continues, "You stupid kids! What have you done!" Well, I'm glad she's not laying this entirely at Jenny's door. Susana comes downstairs now, calling Jenny a ho and accusing Carmen of trying to distract her with food while Jenny was upstairs trying to get herself impregnated to see what they could get out of Leo. Again, with the wig flipping. Leo comes downstairs, finally, and tries to calm Susana down. In the course of her tirade, she eventually gets to "you're just like your father." Sigmund Freud rolls over in his grave in London and gives a hearty "I told you so!"

Carmen thanks Susana as she and Jenny prepare to leave the house. Jenny is carrying Carmen's bag and Susana insists that it's full of things they stole from her. She says they're not leaving until she calls the cops to turn them in for robbing her. Jenny is freaking out cause she has no idea what Susana's talking about. She goes on and on about various things being missing, including some jewelry, tools, and knives. Leo asks her what she's talking about. "You wanna see your knives?" asks Carmen. She pulls a bunch out of a drawer, throws them out on the counter and says, "there they are. What else?"

Det. Capellán asks Carmen, "And were the knives there?" Carmen says, of course they were. "And what was in the other drawers?" Carmen says when she opened them, they were full of years of insults, humiliations, jokes, denigrating words…that's what was in the other drawers.

Flashback: Carmen and Susana continue their argument. Susana is complaining about a bunch of things being missing that Carmen says were never in the house to begin with. Carmen has had it. She tells Susana that she's not a thief and she's not ungrateful, and she's spent years taking care of her and her son. "You're the one who's sick, sick with hate and stinginess and haughtiness and you know what? You're a poor crazy lady who doesn't know how to be grateful for what she has." The two teenagers are looking appalled. Jenny reaches out her hands towards Carmen. Leo tries to restrain his mom as she picks up a frying pan and brandishes it at Carmen, saying no maid is going to insult her like this in her own house. Carmen picks up the pot of soup and flings it in Susana's direction, but Leo grabs her by the arms and most of it ends up on the floor. Susana tells her now she's taken it too far, she's going to regret it, and the cops are going to come lock them up and they'll rot in jail. Carmen picks up a knife and stabs Susana in the back as Susana is picking up the phone. She screams "that's enough." A CGI blood butterfly flies away from Susana's body and upstairs. Carmen drops the knife and looks up.

The aftermath rolls past on screen (with a few letters on the right margin missing, so this is the best I can piece together!): "The judge took into consideration the extenuating circumstances recommended by Det. Capellán. The physical and verbal abuse of servants is considered abuse. Carmen Jiménez was sentenced to five years in prison for unpremeditated murder. Jenny and Leo never saw each other again. In Mexico, discrimination based on social status and violation of rights are the principal causes of crimes of passion."

Next week, prostitution. Yay?

Labels: asesinas

For comments on Friday's ENDA episode.

Labels: amor

Repeat of Carlota lying to Eugenio that Cris put the moves on her and telling him not to trust Cris, and Eugenio not believing her. Rafael tells Camila that Orlando blackmailed him into staying away from her in exchange for not revealing Diana’s sordid past to Emiliano.

Dr. B. and Rufi discuss Carlota inviting him over for dinner. He thought she’d freak out about him taking Paloma away. Rufi thought so too but apparently Carlota wants to set the date so she can thank him for taking Pal to the capital. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to alarm them in the least. Dr. B. asks Rufi if she talked to Pal about Inaki’s ring--Rufi asked her to get it appraised again and thinks Pal will take it to Mexico City with her and do it there. What a surprise she’ll get, but at least she’ll be far away, so the Purple One won’t find out about it. Which means that now that Rufi has said that, Carlota will surely find out she has the fake ring and Pal has the real one.

Romina asks Emiliano to help her look for her mom.

Rafa tells Cami that he did what he did for Emil, who was going through a rough time, and he didn’t want to run the risk that Orly would carry out his threat. Cami doesn’t believe that Orly is like that. Rafa says, ask Orly for yourself.

Angelica and Pal commiserate over the loves of their lives being out of their reach. Ange feels terrible being at this wedding--it must be like what Pal felt when Emil married Romi. Pal wants to keep being friends with Ange once she gets out of Real del Dodge. Ange is going to take off too, as soon as Orly gets back from his honeymoon. Pal says when she gets to the city, she’ll give Ange her new contact info, but she doesn’t want her to give it to anyone else, especially not Emil. Pal looks at Emil talking with Anamar and notes that he found consolation for his ruined love affairs real fast.

Camila returns to her room saying “no puede ser” and wondering what kind of man she’s marrying if this is true. Emil and Romi come in, and after demanding to know where Cami was, Romi actually looks genuinely concerned when she sees that her mother was crying. Cami asks to be left alone.

Montage of Cami and Rafa saying goodbye to each other and during happier times.

Emil and Gabriel run into each other. Gabe politely inquires about the baby and then is about to leave but Emil stops him--he wants to tell him that soon his situation will be settled and he’s going to fight for Paloma. Gabe informs Emil that in the future maybe she won’t be with either one of them, since she’s leaving for Mexico City.

Romi and Anamar run into each other--catfight part 2. Anamar tells her that Emil is her husband only on paper, and she’s here to renew the relationship she and Emil had in Monterrey, or to end it forever.

Cami asks Orlando if it’s true that he demanded that Rafa leave her in exchange for his silence re: Diana. He answers that Diana and Rafa didn’t want Emil to know about Orly being his father, but he couldn’t give up his son. Then he plays the “I was a victim too” card and claims that he wasn’t going to speak badly of Di to Emil. The only thing he wanted was for Emil to know he was his father. Anyway, if Rafa left, it’s because that was his decision, not mine. He then says if she wants to cancel the wedding over this issue, just say so.

Rafa is sitting in the park by himself when he’s joined by Luz and Xochitl. She knows he’s upset about Cami’s wedding. She thinks he was correct in telling Cami the truth about Orly. He asks her to forgive him--he doesn’t want to hurt her. She admits that it hurts a lot, but that’s life and it’s just a question of waiting. She realizes that Rafa is there waiting for Cami’s answer.

Cami thinks she judged Orly too quickly; she sees that he loves Emil so much that he didn’t want to hurt him by telling him about how awful his mom is. Orly repeats what he said earlier about it being Rafa’s choice to leave. But he leaves it up to her to decide if they’re going to marry or not.

Luz tells Rafa that she wants him to be happy--if Cami makes you happy, face the whole world for her.

Ines and her new hubby have just gotten married. Outside the church, Carlota congratulates her--who would have thought that at your age you were going to get married? Ines suggests that it could happen to Carlota too, but the Purple One claims that she doesn’t need a man to be happy, presumably because making everyone miserable and killing whoever gets in her way keeps her plenty happy. After she leaves, the witch parade continues with the appearance of Diana, who says that the weddings of older women are a bit ridiculous. Ines comments about Samuel not being there, so Diana blabs on about how busy and important he is.

Scenes of Orlando and Camila getting married (and Angelica looking distraught), signing the certificate, etc. He’s going to make her the happiest woman in the world, blah blah blah. Not sure how he’s going to accomplish that once she finds out about Houston, but whatever.

Padre Benito is on the phone with the high-ranking church guy, informing him that they will know Cris’s future on Monday. The church guy had to expel Cris because the parishioners’ faith is put at risk when a priest doesn’t conduct himself properly, but he believes Cris is innocent.

Miriam gets a call from Dario, who says he’s going to find her, and she’s going to pay. Maybe she has forgotten what happened the last time she wanted to accuse him of plagiarism. She tries to tell herself that she’s not afraid of him.

German arrives at Cami’s and starts macking on Romi. A couple of people walk by, including Emil, but G and R sneak off to the bathroom without being seen. Dr. B. comes looking for the bathroom, but it’s locked so he and Emil have a chat instead. Emil asks if DNA results can be wrong; he wants to take another test without anyone knowing. Dr. B. remembers his conversation with Camila about how she thought Germy might be the father. Dr. B. agrees to help him and do a test the next day. After they go off to get a drink, Romi and Germy exit the bathroom adjusting their clothes.

Emil asks Pal why she didn’t tell him her plans to leave town and why does Gabe know. She replies that Gabe is a part of her life, and he (Emil) isn’t, so how do you like them apples. And if she were in love with Gabe, she has a right to be, no? Romi sees them talking and can’t stand that they’re together. Anyway, it’s time to toss the bouquet. Paloma catches it, whoop-de-doo. Emil and Gabe smile at her.

Rafa is still at the park. He thinks he’s an idiot but Luz congratulates him on taking risks and tries to cheer him up. She says he has brought so much to her life that she loves being with him. She suggests that now they can begin their own story.

Carlota is sitting in her study doing nothing when Rufi comes in and tells her that Pal is outside talking to Gabe. La Loca is annoyed and wants to know what Gabe’s intentions are. Rufi doesn’t think he plans to pursue Pal. She then informs Carlota that Dr. B. accepted her invitation--how about tomorrow at noon? At first this catches Carlota off guard, but then she says, the sooner the better--she’ll even go buy the fish herself.

Paloma gives Gabe a list of people to invite to her birthday party. He wants her to be happy that day and she promises to try. She’s dreamed so much about turning 18 that sometimes she can’t believe it’s going to happen (neither can I). She feels nostalgic about leaving both the happy and sad memories behind, the ones that made her who she is. Gabe notes that it hurts to let go of everything, it’s the hardest thing to do.

Emiliano visits the baby and promises he won’t abandon him even if it turns out he’s not his biological son and he divorces Romi.

Cami is packing for her honeymoon when Romi comes in to say goodbye. They hug and say they love each other. Romi comments that now she knows how hard marriage is, how awful it feels when your partner doesn’t love you as much as you love him. Cami inquires about Anamar but Romi doesn’t want to discuss it. Anyway, have a nice time, but come back soon to help me with the baby.

Orly visits Cris, who’s down in the dumps about his chances for being found innocent. As we’ve come to expect, Orly would rather think that everything’s going to be fine. He says he’ll keep tabs on Cris’s case while he’s gone, but Cris tells him not to worry--besides, you have to dedicate yourself to Cami.

Angelica cries to Miriam over losing Orlando for what she thinks is forever, but really, it’s probably only for 30 episodes or so.

Scenes of Cami and Orly enjoying themselves at the Mayan Riviera.

Emil is at the hospital to take his DNA test. He’s surprised when Dr. B. tells him about his upcoming lunch date at the House of Horrors. The doc says he’ll be taking Pal to Mexico City after her birthday, so Emil asks if he’ll give him the address there. Dr. B. just smiles.

Carlota buys more belladonna--she tells the lady to give her the same amount that she bought last time. She thinks to herself that the doctor can’t complain, as his death isn’t going to be so painful.

Tomorrow: Carlota cooks up another batch of her witches’ brew and adds it to Dr. B.’s coffee.

Labels: amor

From Tuesday:
SMJ waits at the arboretum for NicholAlex who never shows. She gets tired of waiting and leaves.

Alex and Pedro and Paula are in the hospital. The death cert will be in Sandra’s real name. Pedro thinks they should tell Elena but Paula doesn’t think she needs to know anything about it. Alex wants to know whether he wants a burial or a cremation. He just doesn’t know. He just doesn’t understand. As always, he is leaving it to Alex.


Today:
SMJ is back at home moping at the table. Elena walks up and wants to know what the problem is because she returned so early. She says he never arrived. She waited an hour and then left. Elena says the dreaded words “I told you so.” She says that that kind of man is only looking for an adventure while they are on vacation. SMJ gets up and walks away. Elena looks pleased with herself. Heifer!

Porfirio is talking to Tio. He says he doesn’t feel good. He tells Tio that SMJ has a young man that she is excited about. His name is Nicholas. Tio thinks it’s good that she is excited about somebody. Porfirio says who knows. He’s worried that she won’t find a husband. Tio asks what about the other guy. Porfirio says he has not met him either. Oh, by the way Jorge told me that your nephew is going out with someone older. Tio wants to know how he knows. Porfirio says he has no idea. Tio says something and Porfirio is trying to remember the name of Bruno’s company. Tio knows what he is talking about and says that company doesn’t even exist. Porfirio perks up at that. Tio says that Fernando talked to him about it the other day and they discovered that there is no such company. Hmm… Tio tells him to forget about marrying off his granddaughter. Just relax. Por says he feels worse and worse. He knows he’s going to die. He wants to protect his granddaughter and be sure that she will be all right. Tio says it would be better if he left his money to the dogs. They toast.

Elena is talking to Jorge. She wants to know what happened with Sandra. He doesn’t give a rat’s a$$ about what happened to her. Is she dead? Probably. She doesn’t seem too upset. She wants to know what they are going to do with Useless but the birds are too loud for me to hear. Elena says something and Dr. E-vil says I’ve told you a thousand times I’m a doctor not a murderer. R i g h t—you just keep on telling yourself that. Elena thinks something could be a danger to them. It is the same danger that can implicate Bruno Lombardo. Elena is worried about what will happen when Useless wakes up. Dr. E-vil thinks he will be giving thanks that he is still alive.

Alex arrives with Pedro and Paula at the house carrying the box of Sandra’s ashes. Ez tells them how sad he is. They thank him for his words. Vicky and Felipa greet Pedro and tell him how sad they are for him. FF>>

Alex, who just can’t take it any more, says he’s going to go up and see his son. Pedro will be taken back to his house. Thank God. There’s Tiny Tony in his little blue jammies sleeping, well, like a baby. Alex reaches over and scares the crap out of the poor little guy. What a cutie. Baby talk. Your Mami will be back soon. Tony drops his binky.

Back at the Rancho, SMJ is painting. Surprise, she paints a picture of a little boy. “Why did I paint a boy? she thinks to herself. She doesn’t know why. Just then Elena walks up. She’s just like a bad habit that you can’t get rid of. SMJ asks her if she had a baby while she was in Spain. Of course not, why? I just painted this boy. Elena looks troubled.

Elena tells Jorge she thinks SMJ is starting to get her memory back. He doesn’t seem too concerned about it. He says something about the clinic. (I have the hardest time understanding him.)

Paula and Pedro are walking down the stairs. How is MJ doing? She’s good but doesn’t remember anything. They give Pedro a ride back to his house. Paula tells him to be calm. FF>>

Bruno spies SMJ sitting on the wall. I’m back says Captain Obvious. What’s going on? Nothing she says. Abuelo wants to meet you. Well, let’s get a move on then. He helps her down. He is impressed with Porfirio’s house. He has a lot of money. Wait for me in the living room. Of course. She goes off to find Abuelo. He looks around counting money in his head.

Back and Lombardo Alex is pleased that Roberto was hired. Robertoo assures Alex that he will not fail him. Roberto has some business stuff to do and invites Alex to go with him. But of course he can’t, he has to get back Toluca. They start to have a conversation but Moora barges in and gives him a big hug. Oh, the place was just not the same without you. Whatever! She asks how MJ is doing. He says they are waiting for her to wake up. The heifer has the nerve to tell him that she’s in a coma, there’s no reason to suffer. He gives her the major stink-eye and says he’s got stuff to do and walks past her. As soon as he’s out the door Roberto lays into her. He doesn’t believe that she has any feelings for MJ and she needs to just knock it off. He’s got her number that’s for sure.

Back at Porfirio’s. SMJ and Abuelo enter the living room. Bruno introduces himself and offers his hand. Porfirio pointedly does not shake it. Uh oh, this doesn’t look good—for Bruno anyway. Porfirio tells him that his business is a sham and doesn’t exist. SMJ looks startled. Bruno says in effect it doesn’t exist. He was invited to participate but it turned out to be a fraud. You know, we all hate him but he is good at thinking on his feet. Gramps still doesn’t look satisfied. He says something about Bruno being stupid. He wants to know where Bruno comes from and what other business does he have. Bruno says he’s from Merida and that he has investments. What kind of investments? You go Porfirio! SMJ wants him to lighten up but of course he’s not going to. He just wants to know what this guy is up to. I sure don’t blame him there. She says we aren’t even novios. Bruno says of course we are (and where have we heard those words before?) Not until I remember. He says we’ve been together a long time. She says of course I’m going to wait. You go girl. Porfirio wants to meet the other guy before he makes any decisions. Bruno wants to know what other guy? Uh oh. Good job gramps. Porfirio stomps off and SMJ and Bruno get up to leave. He grabs her arm and roughly turns her around. The way he grabbed her arm should have been a warning right there. If he grabbed her like that once, he’ll do it again. He wants to know what the hell is going on. She says she met this guy and his sister and they went to take pictures and to eat some pizza. He says you made promises to me. Uh, no she didn’t. You’re trying to con her out of her pants, you filthy pig.

They head back to the house where Elena is working in the garden. SMJ doesn’t stop but heads inside the house. Elena corners Bruno and wants to know what happened. He told her that Porfirio said he wanted to meet this “other guy” that SMJ was seeing and he was asking a lot of questions. He’s just some guy that is here on vacation. He was supposed to meet her but he never showed up. He grabs her arm too. She walks past him and says something that I don’t understand.

The three stooges are in Dr. E-vil’s office. Jorge gives Bruno a med report on Porfirio. He’s got 2 months. Now they want Bruno to marry SMJ and tell her that she can get divorced later. You have to be very convincing. She has to think we want to help her.

Arturo is keeping his eye on SMJ.

Victoria, Alex and Fernando are having a pow wow. Vicky doesn’t understand how they are going to help MJ if she doesn’t’ remember. Alex thinks she will remember once she sees her son. Just then Arturo calls to tell Alex that Bruno has left the building. Alex is pleased and says he has to go. Fernando wants to go with him. Alex wants him to stay in Merida and keep an eye on things there.
Victoria wants to know what is going on. Felipa believes that MJ loves Alex and and that love won’t let her forget.

Bruno is on the phone talking to Maura. I thought you were going to help. He worries about Katia. Maura calls Mateo. She wants him to come to a party at her house. She needs help with something. That doesn’t sound good. She pours herself a drink. The doorbell rings and it is Katia with her lollipop. Oh, what a surprise, I was just thinking about you. Katia is pouting because she hasn’t heard from Bruno. She tells Katia to forget about Bruno. Maura’s having a party does she want to come. Well, let me think? Sit around Fernando’s house doing nothing or come to a party. Ok. I’ll be there. There is nothing better than a lollipop and alcohol. Yum yum. FF>>

Alex and Paula are heading back to Toluca in the helicopter.

Elena wants to know what is going on with Damian. She says nothing. We don’t have a relationship. I don’t feel anything for him. I get the feeling that we never had a relationship. Elena thinks it could be the medicine. Oh, you think? Elena thinks she needs to change so she can go to dinner with Bruno. (Hey, you like him so much why don’t you go out with him?)

Porfirio is taking his meds and talking to Tio. He fills him in on how the meeting with Bruno went. He doesn’t want her to marry someone that is stupid. Tio homes in on the info that Bruno is from Merida. I’m going to see Fernando for his birthday. I’ll do a little investigation while I am there. Porfirio is down with that.

Fernando comes in to see how Vicky is doing. She’s worried about what is going on. He has good news. Tomorrow is his birthday. Vicky asks him what he wants for a gift? Now really, does a woman really have to ask that question? Come on ladies, you know what I’m saying. He’ll get a place where they can be alone. They sneak upstairs. There is some smoochie, smoochie action in the hallway. EZ looks on a little surprised but he is tickled pink. He is happy that finally his dona is getting some. Felipa comes out with a tray. Ez stops her and wants to know what is going on with those two. Like you can’t figure it out. He does a little happy dance kind of like my dogs do when I ask them if they want to E-A-T.

Bruno and SMJ are having dinner. He keeps going on about Nicholas. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s the brother of my new friend. He says she is free to do what she wants. He gives her the medical report of Porfirio. He says that he wants her Abuelo to die in peace knowing that she is taken care of. I’d better get my waders out because the BS is getting pretty deep in here.

Alex and Paula meet up with Arturo. He says Bruno and MJ went to Toluca to have dinner. NicholAlex runs off to find her. Paula tries to stop him but Arturo says he is in love and to let him be.

Bruno is still trying to convince SMJ to marry him and then get divorced later. She is upset. I love you. She is crying. He wants to protect her money—uh, I mean her. He asks her to think about it.

Alex shows up at the Ranch trying to figure out what to do. He gets back in the car. If Bruno sees him you know the sh!! Is going to hit the fan. She doesn’t want dessert. She is sad for Abuelo. It is a good plan but she says no. Thank God! She doesn’t want to think about it. He looks pissed.

Alex is wandering around in the dark waiting for Bruno and SMJ. They kiss and he is not happy. She pulls away. He starts to charge but thinks better of it. I feel a serious beat-down for Bruno coming on in the near future. Alex leaves and goes back to the cabin. Paula wants to know if he found them. He is not happy. He calls Mari. He wants her to have the helicopter waiting in Toluca in the morning and she is not to tell anybody. Paula is stoked thinking they are going home. Alex says yes. It sounds like THE PLAN has changed.

Elena and Jorge want to know what happened with Bruno. He tells them she’s not falling for it. Jorge thinks he needs to convince her. It sounds like he insults his manhood. Bruno looks offended.

Outside Alex is sneaking around in the bushes. He’s looking for SMJ’s room. He finds her and stands and looks at her for a minute and reaches to take the pills but knocks them off and the table and SMJ stirs. She wakes up with a jolt and looks around but no one is there. Oh, wait, he’s hiding on the floor. Dude you were almost so busted. He says very soon, my love, very soon.

Fernando is at home and there is someone at the door. Surprise! It’s Tio. He’s come as a surprise for his birthday. He even brought him a gift. Katia comes down all dressed for the party. She is glad to see Tio. Tio says that if Fernando has other plans with his friends, he totally understands. Fernando wants to know where Katia is off to and she says she’s going to a party. He doesn’t look very happy about it. Tio asks him if the mother of his friend is his novia. He says yes. Tio doesn’t want to impose. Fernando says don’t worry about it, it will be ok. Tio is happy for him.

Katia is at the party. She’s drunk and Mateo is already sliming on her. It’s official—there is NO REDEMPTION for Maura. Mateo sneaks Katia outside with more drinks. I think we all know where this is headed. I know we don’t like Katia but nobody deserves what they are planning for her.

And now a word from our sponsors:

Good evening Viewerville! Loco Larry here. I know you’ve been asking yourself, “Where can I get it.” “How can I get it.” How can I get the most innovative video game on the market today? Well, you asked for it and you got it! Beth-Con Industries is proud to present the new interactive game--“Whack-an-A-hole.” It’s chock full of your favorite Sortilegio bad guys (and some not so bad but very annoying). You’ve got Maura, Elena, Raquel, Dr. Demented and who could forget that loveable bad boy Bruno. You’ve got your sad sack Pedro and annoying Katia. Last and probably least our best bi-guy Useless. The more you whack the more points you score. This fabulous game is triple bagged and shrink wrapped for your protection. How much does an offer like this cost you ask? Well, for only the low, low price of $9.99 you too can have this remarkable game. BUT WAIT—THERE’S MORE-- if you are one of the first 50 callers in the next 10 minutes you not only get the video game—you get the live version to play in your own living room for only $1 more. That’s right folks. Only $1. This set comes complete with rubber masks bearing the likeness of your favorite character and paint ball guns. Each character comes complete with it’s own costume. Bruno comes with silk scarves in several brilliant colors. Maura comes with a perfectly pink party dress and matching sandals. Dr. Demented comes with a large syringe and a white lab coat. I think you get the idea! So what are you waiting for? You know you can’t pass up this offer. Just call 1-800-466-1465 or 1-800-IMN-AHOL. You can smack ‘em, whack ‘em, and stack’em. We’ll even throw in a couple of body bags to protect your carpets and furniture. So whadda ya say? Start having fun today!

And now we return to your regularly scheduled program.

Labels: sortilegio

Marco is hangin’ in da club, the strip club that is, with his sleazy buddy Vicente who is advising him to marry Ale pronto, before her old man kicks the bucket, so that he can take possession of their house.

Ale calls him on his cell phone, and apparently Marco has some pull in the club or Vicente is the owner because everyone shushes and the music is turned off to support his alibi of being asleep in bed. This excuse seems to be enough to convince Ale that this was why he didn’t answer his house phone when she called. I thought Ale was smart enough not to believe such a transparent lie. Perhaps her money woes have stalled her brain.

She informs Marco that the loan shark, that currently holds the deed to dear old dad’s house, is coming down hard on her to either pay up what she owes, or turn over the house. Since Marco is the only one of the two of them working, and apparently she believes he has money of his own, it falls on his strong shoulders to go to his bank tomorrow and get the needed cash to pay the guy off. Marco assures her he will and they end the call with lots of te amos, and a yawn thrown in for effect by Marco. That unpleasant deed done, Marco’s friends at the club are free to start the music, pole dancing and lap dancing up again. The b!itch is gone! Party time!

Apparently it’s now a little too loud for Marco’s taste so he and Vicente decide to throw a private party at Casandra’s house, and they’ll bring along Scarlet too. Vicente assures Marco that his “viejas” are discreet. Are they prostitutes and he’s their pimp, strippers and he’s their boss? What’s your guess? As they leave we learn that Marco is on a first name basis with the door man William (El Negrito) and that the lovely Casandra and Scarlet are wearing school girl uniforms that would put Britney Spears to shame. They hop in Marco’s car and there’s some talk of Marco needing to have a sweeter ride than his current one, considering Ale’s position at the dealership.

It’s the next morning and apparently Ale has gotten up at the crack of dawn because it must have taken her two hours to get dressed and made-up in her current condition. She manages to shoo the hovering maid away and convince her that she will be a good girl and stay in bed all day. Once she’s gone, Ale hops out of bed, not only fully dressed, but also attached to two large bags- a purse and a briefcase. She has some major trouble getting up and out, and particularly putting on her second shoe on the foot encased in the brace. But she manages somehow to look fabulously put together in a black pencil skirt, purple top and sensible black wedges. The look is completed by some fab gray crutches. She has a cab waiting for her outside the house, but refuses all offers of help to get into it by driver. “No me toque! Shut up and drive!”

Meanwhile, Rafa is talking to Jaime, lamenting the prospect of marrying Vicky to get out of his financial troubles. He compares marriage to suicide. Jaime doesn’t understand why Rafa is acting like a condemned man, when Vicky loves him AND has a rich family. “Don’t you love her?”/ “Yes, but not enough to MARRY her!” He also doesn’t want to end up served up as a butchered piece of meat by her crazy brothers if he ever does anything they don’t like.

Jaime asks Rafa how’s he going to get out of this situation if he doesn’t marry Vicky and get her father’s help. He’ll go to jail and Ale will be financially ruined. BINGO! Jaime has said the magic words. Rafa figures that Ale HAS to help him find a way to earn the money, otherwise she’s in deep doo doo too. He’s going to turn the tables on her (voltear la tortilla), and enlists Jaime’s help to spy on her at her place of employment- Autos Siglos.

Speaking of which…while the cat’s away, the mice will play. The salesmen decide that the one month anniversary of Ale being out of commission, meaning one month of not being terrorized on a daily basis, deserves a celebration. It’s only 9 AM, but it’s never too early for wine, song, and women…well, one scantily clad blonde (Claudia) dancing on top of a table. The b!tch is gone! Party time!

Suddenly Ramiro chokes on his wine, utters “Dios mio!”, and we know who’s just stepped through the door. The b!tch is back! Pobre diablos.

Ale quickly puts an end to the party, stares down each member her team, sizes up blondie (and finds that her skirt is lacking in the size and length department), interrogates each team member about their sales record over the last month, threatens to fire them all if they don’t do their jobs properly, and catches Rosaura just arriving to work and trying to sneak by. No one escapes her withering comments or gaze, except Jaime who has come in unnoticed and witnessed this masterful decimation of the human spirit. Morino is the final one to get dressed down when Ale finds him chewing on a toothpick and chatting on the phone in HER office with his legs propped up on HER desk.

Once she is comfortably seated at her throne, uhh..desk, Susana walks in and utters those classic telenovela words, “Que haces aqui?” Well, we all know the reasons. Ale is bored at home, she needs to work to pay the debts, she can’t depend on that jerk (Rafa) to pay her what he owes, etc. Susana can’t sway her, even when she warns her that she is risking the most precious thing of all, her health. Ale scoffs at this and pictures herself in perfect health, but sleeping on the streets with her father and aunt. Just then her aunt calls to: 1) find out why the heck she snuck out of the house when she has another month of bed rest; and 2) to tell her about the arrival of Rigoberto Salazar whom Ale has supposedly spoken to about selling the house. Ale’s aunt and father do not know that this is actually the loan shark that already holds the deed to their house and will take it if Ale doesn’t pay him back. Ale asks her aunt to put Salazar on the phone. She begs him to be discreet with her aunt and father and assures him he will have his payment soon. She better, because he really likes the house and can picture himself living there.

Ale starts to hyperventilate, but Susana calms her down and has her think logically about what she can actually accomplish to help the situation. Marco! That’s the solution! Her big, strong, faithful, financially secure man is headed to the bank today to get the needed money to pay off the loan shark. Ale calls him, interrupting a very in depth study of two nubile young women crossing the street in front of his car. He assures Ale he will get the money and go see Salazar today. Surprisingly (to me at least), he actually does this. We see him next handing a check to Salazar at Ale’s house, and Salazar hands him the deed. Marco looks like Smeagol as he takes the deed into his hands. Mine, mine, mine! The Precious!

After a day of zero luck, including being unsuccessful getting his car out of the police impound lot (What? You’re supposed to pay the taxes on your car EVERY year?), Rafa returns home for a conversation with Jaime. “Did you see her? How is she?”/ “She’s a panther, a demon. Everyone is terrified of her.”

This new info about Ale does not make Rafa go running for the hills. In fact, his goofy smile spreads wider and his eyes sparkle the more he hears. What a woman! He insists he needs to talk to her in person. “What about?”/”Business!” Apparently Rafa is going to make her an offer she can’t refuse. She gives him a good paying job selling cars (“It can’t be much different than selling booze or lingerie, right?”), and he pays her back what he owes. Good luck with that Rafa…

End of episode.

Next episode: Rafa uses Ale’s designer shoe that got left in his car as an excuse to go see her, but gets tongue tied when he actually has to speak with her for the first time.

Labels: dinero

Read more »

Labels: index

Hi team -
Our show is coming to an end. How many of you are going on to recap for Corazon Salvaje? Leave a comment here or email me. Thanks!
Melinama

Labels: recappers-needed, sortilegio

Fasten your seat belts folks, it's a wild ride tonight.

We start right in with the worst, Beto is giving it to Coni, "You've lost me forever." Coni cries. No comment. As we noted earlier today, Beto has a support group and Moni takes him home for some TLC. Coni has Coni.

Gabi is in Caracas, Venezuela; she calls Mau to say Sal is dead. Nooooooooo!

Oh wow, it's Loriloca, remember her? Salvador's crazy wife? A sweet nurse is giving her meds in the manicomio and Lor takes them like a good girl, even opening her mouth in a wide grimace to prove it. NOT! Nursie leaves and Loriloca strolls over to some guy in a cage, holy crap it's Salvador! He looks drugged too and Lori tells him it's just the two of them forever and she's the happiest girl in the whole D of F. Did anyone see that coming? I sure as heck did not.

And another surprise. El Pepillo is telling his producer (real life Gancho Producer Angelli Nesma Medina) that he knows this chick who's a fab actress and can they give her a chance? Producer says Pepi never recommends anyone but he's got a good eye for talent so what the heck. Some little helper dude announces Estrella Falcon, actríz. "Speak of the devil," Pepi says.

Enter our shining star, she rushes over to Pepi and does heartbreak...you were the master of my heart, I never lied to you...Ta da!! They all look at each other and nod, not bad!

Time for some silliness. Lalu and Arnie, who has turned his wrap into a fulll pink pompom beard, enter a restaurant. Arni is incredulous that Lalu expects Arnie to pull his chair out for him. I guess since Arni has the beard he's the man. Arni tries to bring up the subject of Ximena and they discover they have something in common, neither think Xime and Rolu are a good couple. Things almost take a bad turn when Arni says Xime's stupid but Lalu changes the subject, tonight they just talk about themselves. A toast to the cute couple, coming out of the closet and burgeoning love.

Xime and Rolu are discussing the boys over their dinner. Xime thinks Lalu and Arni are adorable together with that look of happiness one gets with the first blush of love. She shudders with joy as she mentions the excitement of that first kiss. Rolu agrees but feels the important thing is to sustain love, like he and Xime do. She's all uh huh, whatever. Wow what a look she gives him, priceless! "I love you" he says like a sap. "You've said that 10 times" she points out, smiling, sort of. Enough of this dreck, she's gotta go to Sermeño Group for some biz, now eat your salad and get strong arms. Rolu is left slightly bewildered.

Back at the restaurant Lalu is trying to engage Arni in the when-did-you-know-you-were-gay game. He ends up calling brother Rolu a lout. Lalu tells Arni that Rolu was the love of Xime's life but he killed that love little by little and now Xime is trying to get rid of him.

Over at the studios the nice producer Angelii agrees to let Estrella do a screen test for her upcoming novela, if the cameras like her then she can have an itty bit part in something. They are all impressed by her enthusiasm and helper dude who I think is the cameraman seems particularly enchanted. He looks like Tano.

Let's move on to Sermeño Group where bad things are gonna happen. Hey I'm not throwing the soup, we all know this company is a hotbed of strife. Xime and Jero are in a conference room bickering, well Jero bickers, Xime is practicing meditation, ohmmmm. The notary guy from yesterday has called them in to tell them that due to the divorce Mau is no longer the owner. The company now belongs to Constanza. When Mau enters the room Jero cries crocodile tears and attempts a bit of brown-nosing but Mau shuts him down, cut the hypocrisy please. Xime sincerely comforts him but Mau says the bottom line is he's gotta get his stuff and scram. The notary tells the sibs that Mau is very down, what with losing his company and Salvador dying and all. WHAT??? Xime is bummed, what about Gabilu and her new ring? Jero can barely contain his joy but nobody pays attention to him anyway.

Odiously Oily Oski is somewhere enjoying a drink and congratulating his minion in Venezuela for doing a stupendous job of faking Sal's death, an airplane accident I think. He wants the perp to keep an eye on Gabi.

Back at SG Jero is about to bust with glee, with Mau and Sal out of the way he can run Sermeño Group into the ground, er I mean he can run Sermeño Group like he always wanted to as the prime shareholder. Ahem...interrups the notary, but all your shares were sold this morning by Oscar Cardenas with the power of attorney that you gave him. WHAT??? Jero has some sort of seizure or panic attack and Xime decides that with everyone dying and falling apart around her the best thing she can do is sit on the table and "channel positive energy" . She centers herself and finds her inner peace. Gotta love this girl.

Over at the vecindad Nieves and Alicia are washing clothes in the public basin and discussing poor Beto and how Mau will save the day for them. Nieves is still suspicious that the worm of the lawyer has something up his sleeve; she has a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something bad is about to happen. About a half second later Marcos slithers in and removes his sunglasses, Hola Nieves. "Marcos!" hisses Nieves and she's not looking too thrilled.

Could this day get any worse? Let's just say that somebody delivered a full pallet of anvils and we're not done unloading yet.

Mau is packing up his office and his memories, "I'll miss you Salvador" he tells a photo of his pal. The door opens and in comes the viper known as Isabel.

Back at the barrio Nieves has a hell of a time getting the nosy Alicia out of her house to run interference in case Don Cesar shows up. Marcos notes that Al is as much a kibitzer as always and that Nieves is as quirky a dresser. He loves it and says she looks more lovely than ever. He tells her he's been thinking about her a lot and wanted to look her up. "Ah, I didn't know you thought," she cheerfully jabs. He spies her menagerie of purses, thus finding her soft spot and almost derailing her. But Nieves gets back on track, "what do you really want Marcos?" After he left her at the altar in her white dress she never wanted to see him again and it's been over thirty years. What does he want now after breaking her heart? "Nieves, in spite of all that's happened I never stopped loving you." Hmmmm...

Looks like the appearance of Isabel has turned our placid Golden Retriever into a snarling Doberman, i.e. Mau is not happy to see her. He made the worst deal of his life with her and now, to top it all off, she reappears. He suggests she keep her word and get her toxic tuckus outta town pronto before Valentina catches sight of her. He won't allow her to break Moni's heart again. He appeals to her sense of decency in regards to Moni, "she saved your life!" "And I gave her life, so that makes us even." (Thanks to Vivi for pointing out this last bit. WOW is right.)

Isabel is on a mission. No she doesn't want to see Moni or money, she wants to warn Mau to get Moni out of town, out of Mexico, because a powerful and dangerous man is interested and she doesn't want him in Moni's life. (OK, I'll bite, what in the heck does Marcos have to do with Valentina?)

Jero is still in his apoplectic state with Xime trying to get some water down his throat to revive him. She has three things to tell him. Una, he's starting to scare her. Dos, it's not good for the human body to stop breathing. Tres, if he doesn't breathe she'll have to give him mouth to mouth and that would be like incest, gross!! Pau takes a shortcut and throws the water in his face. Nice job! Jero jumps up and threatens (still with a nervous tic) the notary who, in response, reveals that Oski sold Jero's stocks to Marcos. WHAT?????

Arni scampers back home to his brother and angrily relates the indignities of the worst date of his life. The entire world turned around to stare at him. The waiters gave him a rose, a rose! He puts his own glasses back on, sighs in relief and adds he'll change for nobody! But he does have results of the recon and Rolu won't like it. "Your wife has already stopped loving you."

All this back and forth is making me dizzy, and it's back to Sermeño Group where Jero is still in a daze. Jero supposes that Marcos has found out about him an Jacqueline and is exacting some sort of revenge to destroy him. Xime figures out that she is part owner and Jero is not, he'll have to make appointments to see her, neener neener neener. Xime's taunts are too much for Jero so he calls her taradùpida and proceeds to strangle her. When the lawyer tries to break them up they both push him away. Xime asks for a pillow, why? Family, go figure. Oh, I forgot to say earlier that Xime tells the lawyer she's a Señora but very soon when she divorces her husband she'll be a Señorita again. Oh, and I just remembered why Xime wants the pillow. It's so Jero can smother her, remember he's always trying to do that?

Now we have another weird and practically unintelligible (to me) conversation between Isa and Mau. She wants Mau to get Moni out of the DF but she won't give him any details about this supposedly powerful and dangerous man. She says Mau isn't in any position to ask questions (why??) and didn't Salvador Ulloa give Mau the message she was looking for him? Oops, he's dead? How unfortunate, now hurry up and get Valentina away from this undefined danger.



Mientras tanto, Nieves is agonizing over the sudden reappearance of Marcos who is only too happy to remind her that she gave him pain too. She lied to him about the child she was carrying. He was ready to give everything up for her and the child. Fine you're right now get the hell out, she tells him. She doesn't need anything, least of all him. He asks one final thing, did she ever stop loving him?

They are interrupted (naturally) by Monita (naturally) and Marcos smiles at her like a spider to a fly, if spiders smiled.

Back at Sermeno Group...
Mau: I need an explanation.
Isa: I don't have to give one. If you love Moni you'll do it. Oh and beware of the Mummy, she knows all about our deal. She said she'd keep quiet but, eh, who knows? So long and I hope this is the last time we see each other.


And back to the barrio where Nieves introduces Marcos, her lawyer, to Monita. Moni's all out of breath about Beto so Marcos splits but not before leaving his card with Nieves, "call me any time, heh heh". Moni can't wait to tell Nieves that Coni's not pregnant after all, it was all a lie. Nieves is as destroyed as Beto...

...who is finding solace in a tequila bottle. Many, in fact, and they are all over his head as part of the decor. "No vale nada, she's not worth it," he grunts with each downed shot. Grunt, urp, slosh, sufro sufro sufro.

Nieves can't believe she heard that worm (her fave word of the day) sobbing in the hospital telling Beto he was going to be a father. However she's sure that Coni WAS pregant, she knows it! Moni convinces Nieves to go with her to the cantina to retrieve drunk Beto...

...who, drunk, sees a couple of guys looking at him and decides to pick a fight with them. He kicks their feet, insults their mother and they remain cool until Beto cold cocks one of them. The other jumps up and punches Beto. Beto punches back then begs them to beat him up so they do. One hits and the other holds and still Beto begs for more. It's as if he thinks they can beat the despair and sadness out of him.

Speaking of which, Coni, friendless and alone as we all discussed today, begs Beto to forgive her...but she's talking to air.

Mañana: It looks like Dani is sick, Xime tells Pau that Salvador is dead, Isabel figures out that Coni is La Momia and she tells Marcos his daughter is The Mummy who wants to destroy Valentina.



Vocabulary:
Cerrar con broche de oro = and to top it all off (Lit. to close with a golden broche)
Guácala de perro = gross! (Lit. dog doo)
Lameculos = suck-up, toady, boot-licker (what Jero does to Mau)
Lombriz = worm (Coni and the Lawyer)
Metiche = kibitzer, meddler (Alicia)
Patán = lout (Rolando)
Peculiar = quirky, peculiar (Nieves)
Taradùpida = combo of tarada (defective) and estùpida (said of Xime but true of Jero)

Dicho of the day, an oldie but a goodie:
Hablando del rey de Roma, por la puerta asoma= speak of the devil (Lit. speak of the kind of Rome and he comes through the door)

Labels: gancho

Who else haven't I nabbed for the sidebar?? C'mon don't be shy!
Melinama

Labels: announcements