Me Declaro Culpable #57 May 6, 2020 --- Franco’s wedding ring is finally gone!

Some scenes are combined.  Some stuff omitted (I’ll probably pay for that later).  And some translations might  earn a C+.  No snark, just some frustrated recapper comments.  I’m so ready for this show to be over and to get these people out of my life.    Never thought I would say this, but I miss Hijas.  (Ack!)   I WANT A COMEDY NEXT!

GABRIÉL

When Gabe and Mia (a/k/a lollipop girl) overhear the police are looking for them, they take off running.   Mia is really weak and cannot keep up with Gabe.   He finally realizes this when he looks behind him and she’s not there.  Oops.   He lost her a mile back.  He finds her, she is running a fever, and she tells him she cannot take the pain anymore and  begs him to help stop her pain  Gabe ponders that this is what his dad said, too, when he asked Alba to end his life.   (nothing like insight, eh?)

Gabe takes off running back to the bus station, screaming “Help!” all the way.  By the time he returns to Mia with the police, she has passed away.

Later, when Gabe and Alba are reunited, Franco asks Gabe about the boatload of cash the police found in his luggage.   Gabe tells him that Roberta gave it to him, to get rid of him.   And he accepted it because he was tired of her slapping him around.    Alba is appalled.  

PAOLO    ( and a Katia-free day!)

Pao is upset that Emanuel went to see Natalia.  Emanuel isn’t having it, because he knows Pao still loves Natalia, do not deny it, and 'to love is aprender a perdonar.’  Whatevs.   That’s the least of Paolo’s problems today.  Why isn't he upset that Kat and Emanuel were ... moving the sofa?

Next, Mauro pays  home alone Paolo a visit.  Daddy Nose Hairs is not happy that Paolo was ugly to Natalia over the baby business, threatens him, then lands a good punch that almost knocks Pao’s teeth out.  (Such a niiice guy, smacking down a guy in a wheelchair)  The punch lands Paolo on the floor, and while Mau is standing over him and ranting,  it looks like Mauro kicked Paolo in the family jewels for good measure.  Owie!  He tells Paolo to drop the charges against Natalia, lose the venganza, or your own life won’t be worth living.

Paolo goes to see Nat at the prison and tells her he is tired of her family  messing with him.  She shoots back that SHE did not appreciate Katia coming to visit her and telling her that they’re living together.  Tit for tat.  I guess they're even.

JULIÁN (who had a very busy day)

First, he showed someone, maybe Tiziano (sorry, I didn’t write it in my notes)  the security video of Berta pushing the H&R witness over the roof ledge.  

Then, he visits Nat in the prison while Paolo is still there.  Natalia insists Julian tell Paolo the truth about who is her babydaddy.   We never see if he did, and I don't know nor do I care.

ROBERTA  (who was also very busy today)

Roberta tells Mauro that she knew about the H&R (hit & run) all along and that she killed the only eye witness.  She begs Mauro to keep Julian away from talking to Franco, or she will be destroyed (a little late for that, dontcha think, Berti?)   Mauro is looking like that little consequence might not be such a bad thing.   He tells Roberta that he will not lift a finger to save her, and that it would be best if she leaves,  disappears forever, never to be seen again.

INGRID – AND JAVIER

The usual conversation about how she idolized  him, yadda yadda yadda.   In today’s convo, though, Javi drops the bombshell  that her son, Patricio, is … ALIVE!   And then he vanishes. 

Later on, Ingrid is looking over all the baby things she had for her child.  Javier is there, again, and tells her she…is…all…alone.  He invites her to join him and hands her the bottle of pills.   Viewerville has their fingers crossed.

Some time later, Ingrid has taken the pills.  While in a drugged fog,  she sees a young man entering her house, and asks “who are you?”  “My name is Patricio”.    (Ingrid is probably thinking “oh boy, a reason to live”)    “Patricio”  says he has been looking for her, and hands her something he says is all he has from his mother.  It is the matching pendant to the one Ingy has (see paragaraph  above) aaaand she passes out.

Gabe and Alba go by the Turquoise House of Horrors and Skankiness to invite Ingy out to get a bite to eat with them, and they find her unconscious, on the floor.

FRANCO & ALBA

Franco must have read the comments here on Caray, because his wedding ring is gone. Finally.  Or else his Emily Post book told him it is crass in bad taste to get engaged to one woman while still wearing your old wedding ring from wife #1.

He and Alba are out to dinner & dancing.   Alba sure has made a speedy recovery from being stabbed in the stomach & brought back from the dead.   Franco proposes to her and has an engagement ring.  Of course, Alba says yes.   Well, isn’t that nice.  ~eye roll~

JULIAN

... tells Franco that Roberta killed the only witness to Natalia’s H&R.  Franco thinks he is lying, so Juls shows him the video.   Everyone has seen it by now, so next week it will probably  be on YouTube.

Again with Julian.   Always there, never wanted.  He goes  to see Natalia at the prison, with one of Tizzy's bodyguards in tow.   (why does Natalia keep talking to this schmuck?)   Juls says he is there to help her escape.   Freedom is calling.  He has a dress for her to change into and a very narrow window of opportunity.  Our upright citizen (Natalia) tells him no way, Jose.  She is staying and doing the time for her crime (and I made a rhyme).

ROBERTA

Has come to the Heartbreak Café to wreak more havoc upon her half-sister.   Alba grabs Roberta’s wrist to stop her from slapping her, and Berta sees the engagement ring.  Not to be upstaged, Roberta goes all high school and  says her own rings from Franco are much nicer ---neeener! neener!--, and while maybe not by the court of law, she is still married to Franco in the eyes of God.  (can this woman just not let it go?)   Berti  wishes Alba all the unhappiness and worst in the world.  (Is there a Hallmark card for this type moment? )

TIZIANO, ROBERTA, AND FRANCO.  ON THE VERANDA.  WITH A GUN.

Tizzy is frustrated that Roberta has showed up late.  They’re supposed to leave in a few hours, gosh darn it!  Berti goes all high school on him, saying she can’t go because she has bigger fish to fry.   Franco is engaged to Alba!  I saw the ring!  I’ve got to put that bastarda in her place!  

Franco shows up, so Tizzy tells Roberta to go to her room and wait for him there.  Tizzy  then pulls a gun on Franco and tries to negotiate, justifying Roberta killing the H&R witness as an act of love for her daughter. 

Eh, no, says Franco, that was cold-blooded murder and way different from Alba’s case, just sayin’.  Berti needs to pay for killing that poor guy, just like Tizzy needs to pay for HIS OWN CRIMES, like killing Ruffino Santos.  

Ruh-roh.  Fight scene!  They struggle for the gun.  Tiz overpowers Franco and says the only way for Roberta to be free is when Franco and Alba are dead.    Then Franco overpowers Tiz and knocks him out.   The Patio cheers. The gun lands on the ground a few feet away.

Roberta, who is about as obedient as my dog, did not go to her room.  She comes back out onto the patio, grabs the gun that was laying on the ground, and fires it into the air.  3x.  Then she points it to her head and Viewerville wishes she would pull the trigger again.  Well, we get our wish and she does, but it is out of bullets.  (darn it!)  So she goes for the injured martyr card with speech #109 about dedicating her life to Franco, yadda yadda yadda.  

Franco isn’t playing this game anymore and walks away.  Robert picks up something big and heavy  that  looks like a smaller version of the Stanley Cup….(this would normally be NHL playoffs season, but I digress.  #withdrawals)  She whacks him hard, from behind, on the back of his head, he goes down, and she continues to whack him with that thing, saying over and over Speech #149 ---  “I hate you, I love you, I hate you, I love you, you’re the love of my life for ever and ever, now die!”  

If Franco survives this without a brain or spinal injury, it can only be a telenovela miracle.    Franco is face down on the steps, blood is trickling down the side of his face from the back of his head, and he looks sort of  dead to me.

Tiziano wakes up in time to hear her Speech #149, see what she is doing to Franco,  and you would think the guy might get a clue and dump her like last week's garbage, right?  Nopis.    Tizzy looks at Franco, declares him dead, and tells Roberta to change her clothes (the blood splatters on her face and clothes are a nice touch)  and then they need to clean up this mess.   Okaaaaay….

Mauro shows up at that moment and sees dead Franco on the ground.

Mauro --- eh, what up?

Tiziano --- what we need to do right now is get rid of Franco’s body

Mauro --- and what will we say when people are looking for him?

Tizi --- well, nobody can know he is dead, much less know that Roberta killed him.

Mau seems okay with this, and that is where we are left today.  

Recapper wonders what happened to the Mauro who told Berta, earlier in this episode,  that he would not lift a finger to save her.  Oh, wait, a  disappearing Berta is much better than murder scandal Berta.  Got it.    

 And there we have it.  Stay tuned.  Must see TV.