Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Qué Pobres, Weds 4/16/14 (#72): He Hugged a Boy and He Liked It

Oh, man. This is painful. So much awesomeness to report; so little time. Most of this is from memory and I am paraphrasing like mad, so please don't hesitate to correct errors/omissions.
Diego calls Leo about his next art lesson. Leo hesitates. Diego suggests having the lesson at his place. Leo is afraid to go out on the street, but Diego offers to pick him up. Leo agrees; the things he'll do for the sake of art!

Leo comments on the decor at Diego & Nepo's house. (Sometimes a banana is just a banana, right? Right??) It's still super-naco, Leo says; just as tasteless as at the Menchacas', but he also observes that it's a better neighborhood and a nicer grade of hyper-naco stuff. Diego gets a kick out of the way Leo speaks, with everything being -uki and little sprinkles of English.

AS gives Perla an etiquette lesson. The topic: fancy dinners. Perla faces a dizzying array of plates, glasses, and cutlery. Everything she says and does is wrong, according to AS. Perla is overwhelmed, but motivated. AS thinks Perla also could use some lessons in "diction" because of the vulgar, common way she speaks. She urges Perla to encourage the rest of her family to take the lessons too, because (she's said this before to Carmelita) they could transform this greasy spoon restaurant into a fine dining destination. (Does AS really believe this transformation is possible, or is she just trying to entice them with something she thinks would interest them?)

Diego wants to give Leo the lesson today: self-defense. Leo says his delicate genius hands are only for creating art. But Diego puts a pair of boxing gloves on him and takes a couple of swipes at him. Leo doesn't know what to do right away; Diego's first punch at Leo's gloved hand causes Leo to punch himself in the face. But Leo starts getting into it and even manages to get Diego with a hammer fist. Then they run at one another and get wrapped up in a clinch.

Their eyes lock momentarily. It gets a little bit warm. Then it gets awkward and they separate, hurriedly. Leo runs out of the house and apparently rushes home on foot (or maybe he takes the bus but I doubt it). Alarmed, AS ends Perla's etiquette lesson, but Leo doesn't reveal anything. He calls Maca in a hot panic. It appears to be the middle of the night there, and she seems to be in a nice-looking room, so maybe she really is in Spain. Or maybe she just sleeps late. Anyway, he gushes over how much he misses her kisses and her body. She just wants to go back to sleep.

Just after finding out how much money Ahole has, Mini tells Saul that Ahole has been beating her and asks Saul to represent her. It also comes up that Saul is (supposedly) no longer representing MA (he is telling everyone this, but Connie, his assistant, knows what's really going on.) Mini tries to find out more about the mystery woman that MA is in love with (she seriously doesn't know it's Lupita?) and asks Saul what was the date of Aureliano's death, but Saul gets a phone call at that moment and doesn't have a chance to answer Mini.

Queta is getting uneasy about having Bambi around. Her friends are starting to talk about the things they've heard about her nephew on the news, and he's a terrible slob. He gives her a thick wad of cash and tells her not to worry; to make an excuse and close her food stand for a few days while things cool off; and to buy herself some stuff. Also to get him a burner phone. The cash rejuvenates Queta's enthusiasm for her houseguest.

Queta goes shopping, all right, and ends up at the market with lots of shopping bags and a euphoric air. Also, a hankering for tepache. She runs into MA and buys him a tepache too. She's very chatty and tells MA she feels like she's won the lottery. Alas, she doesn't tell him anything useful; but the unexpected cash infusion makes him suspect that she's harboring Bambi.

Trofeo is jealous that after just a month working at the fruit stand, MA can take time off and hang around drinking tepache. MA encourages him to take some initiative. Later, with Nepo, he suggests giving Trofeo a bigger role in the business, but Nepo doesn't seem open to the idea.

MA takes a call from Saul in front of Nepo and at one point even says "kissies," which only makes Nepo more certain that MA is gay. Nepo says he's very open-minded, and in fact there are even "two or three of your 'people' in La Nopalera." MA doesn't know what he's talking about.

At home, MA tells his own family that Saul isn't his lawyer any more.

Tizoc and Lupita talk about how much they miss Carmelita.

Ahole goes back to the school and offers a big donation. Again the principal allows him to roam freely among the children, and he goes straight to Emiliano and sucks up to kids, saying how much he approves of video games because they sharpen the minds of "smart kids like you." Emiliano isn't sure how to react. He doesn't exactly smile at the obvious flattery. Maybe he is suspicious.

Ahole asks the principal about Emil's family. She tells him about their financial situation (in what universe would this be acceptable, to discuss a student's family finances with a stranger?). It's not the swankiest school in town, but it's more than many families can afford. Ahole says he's so impressed with the boy that he wants to fund his education, and on this pretext she actually agrees to give Ahole the family's address!!

At the office, Ahole reminds Vilma to hurry up and get him that divorce; he wants to get married. Vilma thinks he's talking about her. Of course he's talking about Lupita. If he marries her, Emiliano will then be his legitimate son. (I think there's room for the zombies to balk at this; a strict interpretation of the grandfather clause would require that Ahole be married to the boy's mother before he is born.)

Disappointed, Vilma nails him in the "injury" with her briefcase and then pretends to be sorry.

Ahole won't share any of the details of this campaign with Vilma, who is supposed to be focusing on the divorce. So even though he thinks Lupe's address looks familiar, he doesn't know where he's seen it before, and Vilma doesn't know what it is so she can't tell him that it's Grandpa's house in the Nopalera district and she's already been there.

Mini and Mom listen to Ahole on the baby monitor (which Ahole will notice sooner or later, right?). They hear Ahole plotting to divorce Mini, and he mentions the name "Menchaca" but not "Lupita." So it appears that Mini/Isela, Vilma, and Ahole each have 1/3rd of the puzzle pieces that they want, and might not get the rest for quite some time.

Tizoc is having a very warm conversation with someone on the phone. It sounds like a girlfriend... but it's Carmelita. He and Lupe plot to close the fonda early and go visit her, or to get her tickets for his band's gig... I missed the details. I think they are trying to trick both Chuy and Carmelita into going to the show, in hopes that they'll make up.

But Chuy doesn't approve of Tizoc letting Frida get him the gig. They're supposed to be having as little to do with the RPs as possible. Lupe looks uncertain; she may have to conceal the romance a little longer. Tizoc and Frida too. And Perla taking fork-sorting lessons from AS in exchange for a discount (which Chuy didn't agree to) on their food bill? That's not going to go over well either.

MA interrupts AS's telenovela to watch the news on TV. Boy Cop (and Girl Cop? who, apparently, are married to one another) are talking about the Bambi case. The hostess is that mystery woman who's been getting friendly with Saul. (Thanks for these details, Madelaine!) I missed most of this scene and will be late to work if I rewatch it now, but I bet we'll see it all again tonight. All I know is that Boy Cop is very awkward on TV, and Bambi and Queta are watching the show.

Next time: Um... missed the avances too. Sorry :-(

Labels:


Comments:
Oh, and please don't wait for the recap to comment. There is plenty to discuss: Perla's table manners, JT's telephone conversation with Camelita, and much much more!
 

Julie:

I can't wait for your take on this epi! I laughed at Mini and Isela and Ahole still hasn't discovered that bebe monitor!

I too liked AS' etiquette lessons with Perla, while Perla talks slang and AS has no idea what she is saying, lol.

MA playing along with Nepo was so funny.

Oh, and the cops are married, who knew! Oh, and one more thing. The woman that was sliming all over Saul is the TV reporter. Maybe she got him drunk a couple epis before to see if he'd spill what he knew about MA, hmmmmm.......
 

Julie, looking forward to your recap.

Like seeing Nepo's continued cluelessness toward MA and his more polished style. Of course the convo with Saul just made things more confused.

Meanwhile, he may get to confront some real guy-on-guy attraction even closer to home.

I'm thinking Vilma may be on the verge of turning on Alejo, whose disregard of her is insulting as well as painful. In fact, he could have a group of women taking him down like a pack of angry dogs.
 

Oh, and I forgot about Vilma socking Ahole on the "injury" after he said he wanted to marry Lupe. Too funny. I really hope that Vilma puts a monkey wrench in the works for that divorce from Mini, that would be fantastic and a bit of revenge for Vilma.
 

Julie thanks for the space and I look forward to your recap.

Minnie and her Mom are such fun. I do not look forward to them hurting Lupita but she can handle herself.

Vilma will have a hard time getting that divorce and watching her try will be fun. And La Paloma & Mads are right, Alejo's pursuit of Lupe looks like the push she needs to do him in. Love that image of women being after him like an angry pack of dogs. Maybe then he'll understand how various women really think of him.

Mads thanks for the info on the reporter. And Vilma socking Alejo was satisfying.
 

Thank you, Mads... I got distracted towards the end and did not even realize the reporter was Saul's mystery chick. Verrrry interesting...

I also didn't get that the cops were married. I wouldn't have thought that "partners" would be allowed to be "partners"...

Paloma, I'd love to see Ahole taken down by a pack of angry women. I do hope this is what pushes Vilma to the other side, but it seems too early for that.

I'm working on the recap now. It may take a while, so much happened. I probably won't have time to re-watch, but I'd really like to!
 

I only got to watch a bit of this last night, but did see the hugging scene. Leo was shaken to his core. Poor boy. But right now I think the person he most loves and is attracted to is himself.

I did know that the cops were married from the very first scene they were in when their boss calls them out by the same last name, we saw their gleaming wedding bands, and she's heavily pregnant. It was all part of mental and visual gag that this is a "pareja" in both senses.
 

My faves from last night:

MA sharing the tepache (and choking on it) with Queta.

Vilma "accidentally" hitting Alejo in his injured parts with her briefcase. I don't think that Vilma is just going to make Alejo's divorce happen.

Don Chuy not pleased that Frida --a Ruiz-Palacios- had gotten involved in Tizoc's band business. He reminds Tizoc that they had earlier agreed that they were not going to get involved in any way with the Ruiz-Palacios.

The hug between Diego and Leonardo.

AS disappointed that Saul has left MA's case and that there has really been no progress to get out of their current situation. What with that and the building of their living quarters, she asks if he is planning on marrying a girl from La Nopalera.

Madelaine, thanks for the info on the cops being married. I totally missed that.

Looks like we are on to a good one tonight!

Jarifa





 

I also totally missed all the hints about the cops. Even the pregnancy! LOL!!

The recap is done, but so much happened in this episode that I probably missed a lot of stuff. I couldn't take notes while the show was on, and there wasn't time to rewatch this morning. It's a bummer, because I really liked this one!
 

Julie, thanks for your wonderful recap. The highlight of the avances was Alejo arriving at the fonda with gift in hand.

Jarifa
 

Mads,
ITA with you on...
Ahole asks the principal about Emil's family. She tells him about their financial situation (in what universe would this be acceptable, to discuss a student's family finances with a stranger?).

and I was so moved to see the boy who played 'Mateo' in Refugio as one of Emi's classmates... he is growing up fast!!!
 

That principal must really be smitten with Ahole, to let him have everything he asks for. It's so unprofessional, it blows my mind. (Or it could be the money. She said the donation he made to the school would be enough to renovate the entire place.)
 

Julie- The recap was perfect!

That principal needs to be fired. Why would Alejo need the boy's home address to pay for his tuition. It should all be done at and through the school.
 

Julie:

This whole recap is awesome. This is one of the best on the fly recaps I have ever read. You rock!

They did say the cops' names, the woman is Jennifer and the guy's name begins with a J too, only I can't remember what it is now. Wonder if it's Julio, lol. It seems I get more just watching and not taking notes. I think I'll do what you did, Julie. Scrap the notes and just listen and jot things on commercials ; )

I did like that boxing lesson Deigo was giving Leo. I really thought there would be a bit of a smooch there, for half a second. Leo is really running from himself isn't he? He is so scared that he wants to marry Maca toute suite! I didn't like the way that AS told him, WE are leaving this barrio, when Leo said HE couldn't wait to get married to get out. AS is going to tag along whether he wants her to or not. Can you imagine AS on the honeymoon? Perish the thought, lol.
 

Yes the two freeze scenes were my fav last night...
the freeze after the DA and Leo hug... LOVE THE RECAP TITLE BTW!!!
and the freeze on MA's face when AS asked if he was planning on marrying a girl from La Nopalera.
 

Loved this recap and the title, this one a great episode. Thank you!

My favorite scenes were the Leo/Diego exchange leading to the hug. Leo was definetely shaken up by this, I wonder if he'll start seeing Diego Armando in a different way from now on. Diego is clearly drooling over Leo already.

Vilma hitting Alejo in his injury, LOL.

I love to see Carmelita talking on the phone. It's like she's talk to IT.

Also, liked the etiquette classes. I think AS will get some gray hair just trying to teach Perla some refinement. Should be fun!

Evelin
 

Thanks for such a nifty recap, Julie. Well done.

I'm sorry I missed out on the discussion yesterday. Although I read and enjoyed your excellent recap, Marta, I didn't get to watch the episode until late in the day.

Evelin,

"I love to see Carmelita talking on the phone. It's like she's talk to IT."

Me too. I meant to comment the other day about this. Güendy handed her the phone to speak to don Chuy, and she took a moment to primp a bit before speaking into the phone.

Again I agree with you guys about the principal. That is completely unacceptable.

I really enjoyed the boxing lesson. Poor Leo actually panicked.

I'm also enjoying the bonding between AS and Perla. Who would have guessed?

Carlos
 

I think Perla is the only one so naive that AS can talk like that to and get away with it... loved and laughed at Perla calling her Mamacita (or stte) and AS kept protesting and Perla kept on doing it.

 

Thanks for your recap Julie.

Marta, ITA w/you about Perla and AS. She's clueless while the other family members would realize AS snotty attitude.
 

I haven't seen this yet because I went to bed early, but now I'm really looking forward to it. The recap is such fun!

So Don Chuy is on Tizoc's case for doing bidness with Frida, and Lupe worries about what he will do when he finds out about her relationship with MA, but all the while he is openly slavering over AS, the nastiest of the bunch, and granting her all manner of special favors like *asking Carmelita to be her servant*?!?! He lets AS use and abuse him like he's Don Chew-toy, and Tizoc is supposed to turn down something that could be very beneficial to him just because Frida is involved? Okay, hypocrite.

I'm glad Diego got a quality "lesson" in although it freaked Leo out. Can't wait to find out how Nepo will react when he realizes his suspicions about MA should have landed on a closer target.

HOW does the principal not find Ahole's interest in Emiliano creepy?!?!
 

I love Carmelita on the phone too. It's funny how she constantly moves the phone from her ear to her mouth as if she thinks it's too small for her head (though I probably do the same thing).

I'm not so sure that Perla is clueless about AS's attitude. When she went to the editorial to audition as a model, they said stuff to her that even the most oblivious person would find insulting. Perla took it in stride. It bummed her out, but she didn't seem to take it personally.

So I think she knows when she's being insulted, but writes it off as typical behavior from fancy people. And she can live with that - just so long as it isn't Frida talking snotty to Tizoc!
 

I too agree that Carmelita's phone habits are cute... reminds me of my dad when my brother gave them their first microwave oven.
She thinks she has to have the phone by her mouth when she speaks so she constantly moves it from ear to mouth and back.
Julia...
typical behavior from fancy people.... hmmm... i think you are right in how she categorizes AS' attitude. But the difference between her and Tizoc and Lupita and certainly Carmelita is that they are not willing to take that emotional beating. They don't need anything from AS whereas Perla seems to live on AS' every word of what celebrities she has met and her stories on those meetings and in exchange to hear those stories she has to 'tolerate' AS' nasty comments. Tizoc and Lupita and Carmelita take AS' words for what they are: denigrating remarks that you don't really have to swallow whole... so they fight back.
 

Actually, I think Perla's attitude is healthier than the others walking around with a chip on their shoulders, ready to fight or cry about it. AS and Leo should be ignored when they make their insulting comments. Or laughed at, like how Diego just laughs at Leo's funny fresa talk, which is funny as Diego's naco talk. She is dazzled by the thought and talk of celebrities and wealth, but she also seems to have a healthy does of self esteem and confidence, so it balances out her start struck attitude. I'm sure she'll eventually figure out that AS is full of BS.
 

Vivi, that's how I see Perla too. It would be nice for her to assert herself once in a while, but at the same time I like that she isn't as prone to retaliatory name-calling as her brother, either.

And despite her starstrickenness, she still doesn't put on airs. You'd think that if she actually saw AS as a role model she'd have picked up some of her mannerisms by now, but she hasn't. Maybe Mati is a balancing influence. (And maybe she should be giving the lessons!)
 

Good point ladies... i had not seen it that way but the 'ignore it/laugh at it' would certainly be the best attitude toward AS' insults/downgrading comments for sure.
 

Julie, Thanks for the great recap. I'm impressed you could do this from memory. Guau!

Don't have really anything to add as I agree with everything said. And I too think the best scenes were Leo and Diego and AS and Perla. The writers have left me wanting more, more!

Barbara
 

Thanks Julie. That was a fun recap and a fun episode.

I agree with Julia about Don Chuy not following his own advice. It's hard to take him seriously when he spends so much time sucking up to AS.

I thought the lessons with AS and Perla were so cute. I too love Perla's attitude and the fact that she doesn't get knocked down easily. But I think part of it is because she's a kid and she's in her own little world a lot of the time. It's easier for her to find AS interesting because she doesn't spend a lot of time with her and she isn't expected to wait on her hand and foot like Carmelita and Lupita. I'm sure if Don Chuy made her cook AS's meals and sew her dresses, Perla wouldn't find her so amusing.

Rikki
 

Rikki- True, true. :)
 

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