Ladrón de Corazones UPDATED 8/3/03: May 19, 2003 – July 29, 2003

Argos/Telemundo co-production.

Telemundo. 5/19/03 – 12/10/03

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Telemundo synopsis: 'Ladrón de Corazones' es una novela de intensa pasión, acción y drama que cuenta la historia de amor entre Gustavo Velasco, un ladrón por obligación, y Verónica Vega, una policía encubierta. El destino los une para destruir una red de narcotraficantes, responsable por la muerte del padre de Gustavo. Lo que ninguno sospecha es que Antonio Vega, el padre de Verónica es el verdadero asesino y está involucrado con la red. El es un hombre despiadado y ambicioso cuyo gran propósito en la vida es la acumulación desmedida de poder. Juega una doble vida, por un lado es un respetado hombre de negocios, ex policía de alto nivel y buen padre. Por otra parte, es el 'capo' de la organización mafiosa más temible del país la cual dirige bajo el manto del anonimato. La historia comienza cuando Gustavo vuelve a México después de diez años de ausencia en busca de vengar la muerte de su padre. El joven trata de proteger a su padrino Ferreira, quien está a punto de ser liberado de la cárcel. Por su parte, la brigada Omega pretende seguirle los pasos a Ferreira una vez excarcelado, porque están seguros de que éste va a conducirlos a presas mayores del narco. Es allí cuando Verónica ve por primera vez a Gustavo y es por ello que, en principio, lo supone involucrado con la red. Más tarde, Gustavo, buscando información, se acerca a Verónica quien en ese momento actúa de encubierta como prostituta. A pesar de las circunstancias, Gustavo se siente fuertemente atraído hacia ella. Verónica, por su parte, se llena de emociones contrarias en ese primer encuentro porque ningún hombre había podido ver tan dentro de ella como Gustavo. Posteriormente él es detenido por la brigada, por las propias manos de ella. El tiempo que alternan en los interrogatorios causa gran impacto para ambos. Para Verónica todas sus certezas se rompen: su próxima boda con Esteban, la seguridad sobre sus sentimientos, la frialdad de la rutina sentimental que siempre ha sentido. Toda su existencia sufre un colapso cuando comienza a sentir que Gustavo es el hombre de su vida. Que ese hombre, para colmo un delincuente, ve en ella cosas que nadie ha visto, que le provoca un caos emocional, que la desarma y finalmente la hace sentirse una mujer completa. Por su parte, la atracción que Gustavo siente por esa mujer, para colmo policía, es tan grande que olvida su promesa de no comprometerse con ninguna mujer. Siente que es capaz de todo por ella, que quiere amarla de un modo total, completo, que quiere tenerla para siempre en su vida. Gustavo y Verónica se enamoran perdidamente a pesar de todos los obstáculos que enfrentan. ¿Podrán estos dos jóvenes, de vidas totalmente opuestas, vivir juntos y ser felices?

SUMMARIES

USA, 5/19-23/03

www.telenovela-world.com - USA, 5/19/03 - quick summary of 5.19.2k3 Author: chriss Date: 05-20-03 07:39 PDT

alright... i don't know all the names of the characters so, whoops. also, mi espa~ol es okay, pero se que no entendi todo... entonces si hay errores graves, perdonenme, si? this is most of the episode. small scenes cut out b/c, hey, i have to do work today.

basic thing you've got to know is that there are two story threads woven together: gustavo's story and veronica's story. (shocker)

[San Diego, CA] in the beginning, we see gustavo (manolo cardona) getting dressed in a tux. he beckons to his girlfriend stick-thin-blondy (okay, i don't know her name) and they leave for a black-tie event that evening. turns out that the black-tie event is a celebration of gustavo's recent naming to vice-presidency of some e-business/tech firm. we hear gustavo reminiscing about how much he's changed in the last 10 years since he left mexico.

[Fancy House, D.F. Mexico] Veronica's Dad is sitting with a bunch of old snooty people in a wonderfully beautiful dining room. they have a pretentious meal. vero's dad laments her absence (she's the jewel of his life) b/c she's doing police work. on his way out, vero's dad talks to Corrupt Judge and says, "so, are you going to grant me the little justice thing we talked about?" CJ says, "sure thing. this very night."

[Jail Cell, D.F. Mexico] three attorney/bailer types go to a cell where a white-haired man lives. his name is Feraglihgshsdrsdfdk, Fera for short (okay, i don't quite recall his name either). they notify him, "sir, the judge has ruled in your favor. you will be set free." he goes all pyscho yelling, "no, you can't let me out of here! they're going to kill me!"

[Cabaret, D.F. Mexico] Gratuitous scenes of scantily clad women grinding on poles, chitchatting with desgraciados, etc. Veronica is wearing the bright red wig so we can see her easily. she's under cover (not much of it) trying to get the confidence of the cabaret's owner (esteban) b/c the cops think he's a narco. in order to do so, she tells a sob story to another dancer Ines, who's really in esteban's confidence. this is where we all really begin to like ines b/c she's so nice and generous to vero. vero also likes ines a lot.

while random girl is dancing on the pole, vero goes out and flirts w/the customers & kisses one on the mouth. ines chastises her about it "stay away from him. never kiss the customers, you'll fall in love. also, stay away from him, he gives me the cop vibe. cops are the worst." turns out ines is right, mr. man is a cop on a secret op and is actually vero's special friend.

[San Diego] gustavo is schmoozing and demonstrating his command of english. we hear an american speaking spanish with an out-of-control accent. gus' phone rings. who could it be? we wonder. so does he. he picks it up and it's Fera, his padrino. gus is all stoked b/c Fera says, "they're letting me out of prison tomorrow. it's not a good thing, listen to me. stop celebrating. they're going to kill me tomorrow. those people who killed your father 10 years ago (& threatened you, which was why we moved you to SD) are going to kill me. i just wanted to say 'bye' and that i love you and that i'm so terribly sorry for all that happened." gus shows us that he's bitter about his father's death, thinking that his father was a narco.

[Fera's cell, D.F.] fera writes gus a letter saying: i don't have the right or the heart to ask you and your mother for forgiveness for all that i've taken from you. the truth is that your father was not a narco. i was. he got the rap for it and died..."

[Cabaret] more grinding.

[Judge's House] vero's dad kills him after getting what he wants.

[San Diego] gus takes to the podium to accept the nomination and shocks us all by refusing it. gasps everywhere. he walks out w/blondy. blondy is all, "this is for a woman. it's gotta be, right?" "no," says gus. "i'm leaving for mexico tonight and it's not about a woman. you want the truth? it's about a man. my farther was a narco..."

he gets on a plane and sits next to Borracho who's handcuffed to a briefcase. bman tells gus this long story about how he swindled a boxer out of tons of money, money that was going to be used to pay medical bills for boxers mom. gus (and we) think this bman is reprehensible. he gets the man wasted, picks the lock of the cuffs, goes to the bathroom, puts all the money is his own bag, changes his clothes, returns the briefcase, and sits at another seat.

[Airport, D.F.] they land. gus gets out of plane w/carryon filled w/goods. he sees a friend from the barrio, there to pick him up. is this guy's name Tarta? i think so. what a weird name. anyway, Tarta is ecstatic to see gus. there's a huge commotion behind gus as bman is all "omigosh! stop that guy. he's robbed me!!!" the cops close down on gus, gus passes his bag to Tarta who walks away calmly, not knowing what's going on but always willing to help. we can't help liking him, too. the bman and cops stop gus who is all "what do you mean i robbed him? i don't even have carry-on luggage. what? $50,000? where could i carry that? and also, how can this guy prove that? has he declared it through customs b/c if he didn't, that's not right." so, police interrogate bman, gus walks away happy.

tarta takes gus home, but before they do, they stop by the hospital of boxer's mom and give her a wad of dough.

gus sees his mom. they're all glad.

[Cabaret] vero is getting it on w/este. este says, "i think you're a cop." she's all, "no, i'm not. also, let me be part of your other business dealings. please, i need the money." vero's man is jealous and they storm the place and arrest este, vero, and ines.

[Police Headquarters] they interrogate este. vero receives orders to try to get info out of ines. vero feels bad for deceiving ines.

[Ines house] ines is comforting vero about the horrors of the night. then she tells vero about her bad experience w/cops. turns out they killed someone close to her and then raped her. only her amigo/novio helped her out of the ensuing depression. "you remember, i told you about him. the guy in san diego." vero leaves to go home.

just after she leaves, gus comes by ines' place. i know y'all won't believe the coincidence, but he's the guy in san diego. ines is all happy. she's been writing him for 10 years. he's happy too but says, "i just want to be friends."

[Outside Jail] tons of cops dressed not-so-subtly in plainclothes are waiting to see what happens once Fera is freed. Fera's wife and kid (??? the kid looks to be less than 10, which is how long Fera was in prison) are waiting. so is vero, in normal get up. vero is concerned about the safety of the kid.

a suspicious car drives up w/ two ruffians in it. they catch the attention of the cops.

Fera walks out and tastes freedom. he walks towards his wife. the guys in the car pull out guns circa 1927 (you know, six-shooters) suddenly, a motorcyclist appears. the cops are nervous about him too. he speeds towards Fera, all the while accompanied by a huge semi. the semi blocks Fera off from all the secret cops and the guys in the car. only Fera, his wife, and vero (who is standing nearby) see what happens next. cycle man takes off his helmet, it's gus. vero stares and stares, enraptured. Fera hops onto the bike. gus warns fera wife to get out of there. they flee.

car men chase after fera and gus, shooting at them. car men don't drive so well and crash into some other car and flip over in a slo-mo shot that made me giggle.

[Back in Barrio] Fera is safe. he gives gus instructions to talk to este (fera's drug parnter) about The Situation b/c that way gus will have all the evidence necessary to captures gus' dad's killers. fera gives gus the letter he'd written, but gus doesn't read it just yet.

[police headquarters] the cops discuss, "who could that mysterious cyclist be?" a power point presentation shows, "that's gustavo v., the son of the dead narco. gus had run-ins with the law for years and now, hey, he's back in the country. hmm... he must be a narco, too." vero has a distant expression on her face as she thinks about gus....

[Ines' place] gus is asking ines how he can talk to este, learns that este is in jail and then hears ines casually mention cynthia(vero's disguise name). gus is all, "who is este tal cynthia?" ines makes mention that cyn seemed to be interested in involving herself w/este's drug business. gus decides, "i'm going to talk to this girl. see what she knows." off to the cabaret they go.

[Cabaret] cyn/vero is wearing an awful gold get-up and flirting with random guy. gus walks in, sees her and goes to talk to her. he introduces himself. vero realizes who he is, that he's the suspected narco guy, and that he's the guy from the morning. she acts all tough. gus just stares and stares at her, captured by something in her eyes.

Freeze Frame

tomorrow: cyn/vero & gus kiss in the middle of the club, ines gets all jealous and yells at cyn/vero (who can blame her?), vero vero talks to some cop friend saying, "omigosh, i just met the most wonderful man."

bye. Chriss

www.telenovela-world.com: sleepy summary of 5.21 Author: chriss (---) Date: 05-21-03 23:36 PDT

liza,

today's episode was more interesting than yesterday's (i thought all of their "omigosh, i've met the most amazing man/woman" scenes seemed a little cheesy).

here's all the episode i remember at this moment.

[Cop Headquarters]after gustavo is interrogated by veronica, Head Good Cop, who turns out to have been a friend of gustavo's father (and always secretly believed his innocence) gives gus the letter ferrera wrote him. vero and HGC watch as gus reads it and is devastated.

they have to set him free b/c the ballistics test demonstrates that he could not have killed ferrera and his fam. HGC asks gus to join them in trying to find his father's killer. gus says, "cops are the worst people in the world. they're the same thing as the narcos. i have dignity, a word you don't know [sounds like marcela valencia, no?]. i will never be a cop." he storms off.

vero is devastated by the utter failure of the day. she feels guilty for deceiving gus, especially when it turns out that he's purely innocent. and she's totally tormented by his accusations that the cops killed ferrera's family by not getting there fast enough. she decides to quit the force. esteban proposes to her [sheesh, this guy looks like he needs some emotional/psychological healing... he's way too needy/attached] and she promises to consider it.

[Cemetary...Gus Home] gus goes to his father's grave and asks for forgiveness for hating him. "i promise you, i will avenge you." back at his house, all of his barrio friends (including abuela, who is by far my favorite character of the whole novela... did you all notice how she went after that guy with a broom last night as he was trying to attack her nieto? yeah, that woman gets all the points) are gathered to listen to gus.

he reads them the letter. they are devastated, confused, relieved. he says, "i'm going to avenge my dad." his mom says, "what you're going to do is come to my room and we're going to have a talk." (she wants to send him back to SD, she doesn't want to lose him.)

instead, gus storms out of the place. he gives tarta an assignment to go and do reconnaissance work in some other neighborhood. gosh, tarta is a good friend. i'm afraid they're going to kill him off. what's up with his name, though?

"what are you going to do, gus?" asks tarta.

"something i should have done long ago," says gus.

[vero's dad's]

at his house he chats with his secret business partner talking about how they need to find a way to bribe the Hardcore Cop Brigade (the one that vero's in)... but money won't work b/c these people are untouchable... they need to find something.

[mental health hospital]

some crazy woman is being drugged to keep her crazy b/c she knows something really important. some normal looking but quite insane woman working for vero's dad wants to keep it that way, per the orders of vero's dad. hmm... could it be that at some point at the very end of the novela, this crazy woman will be the key to solving all the intricate web of deception?

[Cop Headquarters] vero is there, hanging out with her former coworkers, who are sad she's leaving.

in another room, Head Good Cop sits in a tiny, cluttered, believable office. the door opens and in walk gus. he says, "alright. i'm going to join you guys. i want to find the man who killed my father."

HGC says, "you know what this will mean."

gus says, "yes. the scorn and derision of all in the barrio. they will think me a traitor. i'm ready to face that."

HGC says, "great. let's get started."

in the main meeting room, vero stares off into the distance when HGC comes out and tells her once again, "i don't accept your resignation. i need you to finish what you started. don't give up."

she looks at him sadly, as if wondering what on earth could possibly make her want to stay in such a frustrating job. sigh... it's all hopeless anyway.

HGC says, "alright. listen up, everybody. from now on, we're going to be doing things differently around here. we've got a very important addition to our team. let me introduce you to him."

out walks gustavo. shocked faces everywhere.

Freeze Frame

laughs of delight from chriss in her living room.

www.telenovela-world.com: what happened on Friday [5/23/03] Author: chriss (---) Date: 05-24-03 15:29 PDT

... note that i'll be at a religious retreat for all of next week, so i won't be watching any of ladron (and i'm not taping it) so i'd love it if someone caught me up... just brief one line summaries of the major plot points of the week is quite enough, like: "este found them and is all distraught" "gus took the key to the heladeria & found the money and an erased computer disk that he must take back to SD to get it read by an old techy friend of his"...

[catholic church]

antonio wants to confess. he tells anselmo that he's all eaten up inside by the fact that vero is a cop. she's the light of his soul, he says. he's terrified that she discover things about him b/c if she does, he'll have to silence her. he gets all torn up by this, very emotional. it seems as if he's actually conflicted by his care for himself and his care for vero.

aselmo (priest) then gives the viewer tons of info by saying things like: you'd kill vero? is that why you raised her? to kill her? is that why you took her as your daughter, knowing that she actually isn't your daughter?

turns out that crazy lady (teresa) left her husband (antonio's brother) for antonio, but none of them knew she was already pregnant. hmm... seems antonio loved vero from the very first.

also we learn that anselmo entrusted maria to antonio's care and under those pretexts, antonio seduced her.

[tony's car]

he's got a gun, got booze, got his mom's car and he's going for a joyride. he drives up to a corner where he buys some drugs and picks up a prostitute.

later, she asks to see money before she does anything. he shows her his currency: the gun he presses against her temple. she escapes from the car. he drives on and, falling asleep at the wheel, crashes.

[maria's house]

s he's gone to talk to priest anselmo about the fact that tony vanished. anselmo accompanies her to her home so that they can go search for tony. she gets a call from the hospital telling her tony was in an accident. they rush off to the hospital.

[cabaret] gus is feeling all sad b/c he overhears vero accept este's proposal. but, as we find out later, he's down but not out.

he pesters ines to get Bald Bad Guy to chat w/him. BBG finally agrees when he hears that ines' insistant friend is a guy with news from Ferreira. gus goes into the bathroom and takes off the super secret mic. this freaks out the guys in the van who think he's going to betray them now that gus got what he needed out of the cops (the half of the $20).

a mysterious bad guy notices gus and calls ramiro to tell him that gustavo is there with BBG. ramiro, per antonio's orders, gives the okay to kill BBG but to keep gus alive. they want to question him a little before killing him.

gus goes into the BBG's office and, after being searched, displays the $20 bill. BBG has just inhaled some coke and so he's pretty strung out. after demanding to know who gus is and realizing that gus is the very image of his father, he trusts him. he gives gus a key.

G: "what's this key to?"

BBG: "the place where $500k is and information necessary to finding your dad's killers."

G: "so why didn't you take out the $500K?"

BBG: "b/c i don't know what the key is to. ferreira kept that knowledge, i kept the key. that way we'd never betray one another. but now my life is worthless. i'm a dead man. i want nothing to do w/this. take it."

G: "wait, he didn't give you any clues about what the key's to?"

BBG: "hmm... he said something about a place where your dad and he would hangout"

as gus is inside, the van cops notice other baddies going into the cabaret, presumable to kill BBG. chepe tells vero to get out of there and then says that there are people who are going to x-out BBG. vero says, "and gus? they're going to kill him. they're going to kill him."

she can't let that happen. she lights a trashcan full of paper and, causing a fire, evacuates all of the cabaret except for gus & BBG in the office. she storms the office, pulls a gun and tells them to get out of there.

as they rush out, the baddies who are trying to kill BBG attack. they kill BBG. vero shoots one of them dead. gus is injured, although not too bad, we later learn.

doubled in pain, gus runs out of the backside of the cabaret w/vero. he picks the lock of a nearby car w/vero's bobby pin and then hotwires it the same. all the while, they're increasing the romantic tension between the two via looks and other stuff.

they drive off. vero calls chepe to tell him that they are okay. chepe tells her, "great, we'll meet you at the brigade in 20 minutes." but vero hangs up on him b/c she's upset that they were basically using gus as a human shield to get what they want.

[in van] este is all distraught, thinking that gus has kidnapped vero.

[vero/gus in car]

g: i thought you didn't care whether anything happened to me.

v: no, gus. i do care.... i do care.

g: where are we going?

v: a safe place.

[old house w/draped furniture] vero takes gus to a house that she and her mom used to weekend at many years before.

there she cleans his wound. the room is lit only by candlelight.

v: i'll find a bed where you can sleep.

g: where are you going to sleep?

v: i'll keep watch.

g: so, you're going to marry este?

v: [pause] yes

g: then why are you doing all this for me?

v: i might as well ask you why you said that you like me (que te gusto).

g: i said it b/c it's true. i like you. i love you. i want to protect you. blah blah more romantic stuff that it seems is very unlikely could develop in real life in, um, 2 days.

vero draws back as he moves in for a kiss.

g: no, don't be afraid. don't ever be afraid.

they kiss... Freeze Frame

advance of monday:

indeed, they sleep together. and guess what else happens? the cops who've been searching for vero & gus breakdown the door to the house and catch them.

... not my favorite plot development... too easy, too predictable. oh well.

Chriss

USA, 5/26-30/03:

www.telenovela-world.com: chriss- per your request: short and sweet summary for Monday 5/26/03

Author: Janet Date: 05-26-03 23:24 PDT

Here’s what I remember - please note that I still don’t know everyone’s names; also, I’m not sure I got everything right so corrections are welcome...

We pick up with Veronica and Gustavo hangin’ in the empty summer house in the woods. Gustavo’s already half undressed due to the wound bandaging foreplay. After starting to kiss, Vero makes a half-hearted attempt to back out: “this isn’t gonna happen”; but it does - we end up with Vero and Gustavo kissing by candlelight/firelight, and a lot of artistic posturing in the sheets through the night. Gustavo endulges in some romantic but clichéd pillow talk, but Vero is smart enough to be a bit cynical and figures she knows a smooth talker when she sees one (or beds one) - so she states “it’s not going to happen again.” I guess it just must have been all that adrenalin that gets kicked up doing that undercover work...

Antonio, meanwhile, is at the hospital trying to see what happened with Tony, but his mama won’t let Antonio go into his room to see him. Antonio is at least able to smooth some things out with cops hanging out at the hospital by flashing his badge (as they found Tony with a handgun and drugs, I believe). Once home, Antonio confronts long, darkhaired woman (Mistress #2?) because he figured out she didn’t give him the phone messages earlier in the day relating to Tony being missing. Dark-haired woman is acting out her jealousy, and I can understand a bit where Humberto Zurita is concerned; but I’m starting to think she’s not that bright - more behavior like that and I’m sure she’ll be in serious trouble...

Back in cop land, Chepe, Esteban, and the gang (well, especially Esteban) are freakin’ because they don’t know where Veronica is, as she hasn’t communicated with anyone - and the idea is put out there (don’t remember the details, but I’m betting it was Esteban) that Gustavo may have kidnapped Vero. Chepe ends up going to Antonio and fesses up that Vero went missing and explains that Gustavo whatever (forgot last name) is working with them. Antonio rightly upbraids Chepe for putting Vero in danger by having an untrained, unprepared nonprofessional work with her, but then he does give Chepe the lead on where to find them.

Scenes of the undercover team sneaking around in the woods are interspersed with scenes of Vero and Gustavo talking in the morning, still wearing artfully draped sheets. He’s talking magic, “te amo,” and “por toda la vida”; but Vero sees no future in their relationship and is more realistic about the length of a relationship with a charmer like Gustavo - I guess she’s also thinking about Inés. Vero and Gus manage to be halfway dressed when her cop friends bust in, pulling guns on Gustavo (of course Esteban manages to be the one holding a gun to Gustavo’s head, as he frantically yells at Vero “Did he hurt you?!!”). Looks like Vero and Gustavo will have to finish their conversation another time. Once out in the van, Esteban gets the word from Chepe by phone that they have to let Gustavo go.

Antonio meanwhile talks with blond bearded guy, and after getting a report on what happened the night before at the bar, puts out the order to kill Gustavo.

Gustavo finally arrives home to find his mom really pissed at him when he offers a casual apology - not only did she wait all night without a word from him, but cops came looking for him and stayed nearly all night as well, without giving her any explanation. Gustavo gives some song and dance about how he’s decided to make up the 10 years he lost in Mexico by helping out with the factory (?? I didn’t quite pick up on what sort of work he said he would do), but she’s not buying - she knows Gustavo is up to something.

While Gustavo’s mama is reading him the riot act, Vero, after being prodded by Esteban, admits that she’s “muy confundida” and decides she needs to put off the wedding. After taking Vero to her place, Esteban is back at the station, and a coworker (Marcela) seems to be angling after him as she told him “You need to relax - come over to my house and I’ll fix you something to eat...”

Gustavo’s hanging with Tarta and the balding bearded guy who seems to like his mom - Gus admits he got involved with the cops and ended up hiding out with one of them - he’s smart enough to protect her by not giving out her name, but drops enough hints that he’s pretty taken with her. Balding guy warns against women cops, saying they’ll lie, that they’re trained to do ANYTHING to get what they want (we know what that’s supposed to mean - it reminded me of those KGB/spy novels)...Gus also shows them the key...

Turns out Esteban turned down Marcela’s dinner invitation because he has an errand to do (and the camera points out that he’s packing heat). She rightly guesses that it has to do with Gustavo. Shortly after, we see Esteban accost Gustavo on the street, warning him to stay away from Veronica, “the woman he’s going to marry...” yawn... Poor Esteban. I hope someone will buy him a multidimensional personality before the novela ends...

Well, I guess it’s news to Vero that she’s still going to marry Esteban, because at home, after waiting around to talk to her dad, she ends up mentioning to him that she and Esteban are pretty much over - she confesses to her dad that she realized she doesn’t really love Esteban anymore. She also realizes that her dad must have told her coworkers where to find her...Actually, for me, this scene between Veronica and Antonio was the best scene of the evening - they are both dealing with rather complicated, conflcting emotions, and seem to want to reach out to the other even though they fear revealing their failings to each other (though I suspect Antonio fears it most). Vero ends up admitting that she’s fallen in love with someone else, and then she tells her father it’s Gustavo. The look on Antonio’s face was worth the price of admission tonight...

Well, I guess my summary wasn’t so short after all...

www.telenovela-world.com For chriss -- tonight's show (summary for Monday 05.26.03)

Author: B. Date: 05-27-03 03:19 PDT

previouslies:

Daddy Dearest confessed to Father Anselmo that his conscience bothers him about all the bad things he's done. Since FA knows he's being used and that DD will almost certainly continue to do these bad things, FA pretty much told DD to get stuffed. We do learn, however, that Veronica is DD's niece, not his daughter, tho she doesn't know that.

Mummy María left word with Refugio, the evil snotty lady who seems to be Daddy Dearest's housekeeper (and is the same one that got the crazed look when she told the people at the asylum to keep medicating Teresa), that Tony the Brat took off and she wanted DD to call her immediately. However, Refugio did not give the message to DD. We can all see that she's eaten up by jealousy, but I guess that's escaped DD's notice. Or maybe he just doesn’t care?

Tony, drunk and high, driving Mummy's car and packing Mummy's pistola, gets into a crash and ends up in the hospital. Accompanied by Father Anselmo, Mummy runs to be with him without bothering to try to call DD again, since he hasn't called her back.

Egged on by Esteban the Unstable, when Veronica pretends she's lost the connection but really hangs up on them, the A-Team decides that Gustavo has betrayed them and has forcibly kidnapped Veronica. EtU nearly goes ballistic, Chepe takes all the responsibility on himself.

Vero and Gus are holed up together in the country house Vero used to go to as a child. Gus tells her not to be afraid and they kiss.

credits

Vero breaks off their embrace, tells Gus she can't. He asks why not -- Nos dos lo sentimos, nos dos lo queremos, ¿no? She says she's not sure. He tells her he's never --never!-- felt this way about anyone. They continue kissing and make love in front of the fire. He seems to doze off as she continues to caress him, looking contented.

<A-Team squad room>

One of the team members tells Esteban the Unstable that someone in the neighborhood of the club reported his car stolen around the time of the club incident. EtU jumps to the conclusion that Gus stole the car when he kidnapped Vero, and tells the guy to put out an APB on the car. Meanwhile, Chepe tells EtU to stay and listen for any news about Vero, and that Marcela the Pushy should be getting to Gustavo's house at any moment. He, however, has somewhere he has to be.

Daddy Dearest is told that Tony the Brat appears to be ok but they're holding him overnight for observation. DD then uses his influence as an ex-police official to run off the two cops that are there waiting to talk to TtB because of the gun and the drugs that were found in the car (altho the doctor had said if TtB tests positive for drugs he'll be in trouble for sure). DD gets rid of them by saying he will take the matter into his own hands. Only then Mummy María runs DD off, telling him she doesn't need or want him around. She yells at him for not even returning her call all day. DD is surprised to learn she called.

Gus asks Vero how she feels. He can't believe he's never met her before, and says she's perfect. Now that he's felt her, smelled her, kissed her, he feels like he's found the woman he's looked for for so long, the woman he's only ever seen in his dreams, except that now he has her right in front of him. Vero says, If only that could be true... He insists it is true. He tells her he couldn't deceive her, he doesn't want to deceive her, because he feels he loves her. She asks him, For how long, and he tells her, "Por el tiempo que dura el verdadero amor: Para siempre." They lie down and as he caresses her, we can see her looking a little troubled.

<Gustavo's mom's house>

Gustavo's mom and Inés are asking themselves where Gus could be and how long will they have to wait for him to arrive so they know he's safe, when someone pounds on the door. A woman's voice demands to be let in, saying they're from the A-Team. Once Mom lets them in, they ignore all questions, objections, and demands to see a search warrant as they search the house in vain for Gustavo. The squad settles down to wait for Gus to get home, standing warily around the house, guns at the ready. They still won't answer any questions.

Daddy Dearest returns to find Refugio asleep in a chair. He yells at her for not telling him Mummy María called. Refugio says she didn't think it was important, and anyway, MM only ever calls to whine about Tony the Brat. DD tells her TtB is in the hospital and if anything serious had happened to him, he (DD) would have killed Refugio. She says, No he wouldn't, his guilty conscience would have killed *him* first. Later, Chepe arrives to speak with DD. He tells DD that Vero disappeared during an operation, she was protecting someone the Narcos want to kill. They thought the situation was under control, but now he admits there's a chance she may have been kidnapped by the guy. DD asks who the guy is and is told it's Gustavo Velasco, the son of Domingo Velasco. DD demands to know what Gustavo was doing with the A-Team, then loses it when Chepe admits Gus was made part of the team and is "vital" to their operation. Chepe admits he made a mistake involving Gus, and tells DD he needs him to help them find Vero. DD gets on his high horse and informs Chepe that the person who is responsible for finding Vero and returning her to him, safe and sound, is Chepe. And if Chepe doesn't do that, it will cost him his job -- Chepe knows perfectly well that DD has the power to make sure that happens. Then he calms down, telling Chepe that if his daughter really was, as Chepe had said, protecting Gus, then he thinks he knows where she might be.

Chepe calls the squad room and tells Esteban the Unstable where he thinks Vero is. EtU tells the Rescue Squad to get ready for an operation.

Then we're treated to several shots of nighttime traffic and the moon that presumably are meant to show us time is passing, since the next shot we have is an exterior of the country house, and it's daylight.

Gus awakes to find Vero, a sheet loosely wrapped around her that leaves her shoulders and back bare, sitting with said bare back to him as she looks out the window at the trees outside. He asks her what's up and says good morning, but when she doesn't reply asks if she regrets what happened the night before. From the motions of her head and the hand not clutching the sheet to her breasts we are left to infer she is wiping away tears. She finally looks around and tells him no, she could never regret it. She gets up to approach him and he tells her to stop, he wants to take a mental picture of her just like that, she's so beautiful. But she keeps on walking over. She looks a little sad as she sits back down facing him, and when he goes as if to kiss her, she tells him No, she doesn't want him to touch her.

Meanwhile, we see the Rescue Squad, led by Esteban the Unstable, creeping up to the outside of the house through the woods.

Back inside, Gustavo asks her, And what about what happened last night? What we felt? What we said? She tells him maybe it's better they forget about it, she thinks it was a mistake and it's over now. She’s sniffling and sounding like she's about to cry, and says she's very sorry, but she thinks that [forgetting about it] would be better, for both of them. Gus disagrees that it was a mistake. What's more, he says, as he takes her chin in his hand: ¡Fue la noche más felíz que he pasado en toda mi vida! Mírame. Mírame y díme... díme que sentiste lo mismo. Díme que-- que fue especial, que-- que lo sentiste. ¡Dímelo! She tells him she thinks they met too late, but, starting to sound just a teensy bit desperate, he tells her they met when they were supposed to meet, and when they most needed each other. They love each other!

Outside, the Rescue Squad and Esteban the Unstable are still moving into position around the house, looking all official and Special Ops with their black clothing and nasty guns.

Back inside, Gus continues fighting what I suspect is a losing battle, to judge by the mulish look on Vero’s face. He tells her, Te amé y lo sabes. Y me amaste, porque lo sentí. Everything in their lives built up to last night’s magic. He doesn't understand how she can now say it was a mistake, that he doesn't mean anything to her. She interrupts to ask him what sort of future he thinks they can have -- they're just too different. He dismisses the future, saying they need to live for now. And to fight-- She interrupts again, telling him that's not enough. Not enough?? he says -- What is "enough?" He points out that every day she goes out to fight injustice and crime... but yet she's not able to confront happiness or love? He can't understand her, or how she can reject the man who loves her for real. Vero asks him to suppose that she gives up everything for him... What is her guarantee that tomorrow he's not going to meet and go away with someone new? Gus asks her if that's the problem. She says Yes, it is -- for heaven's sake, she's living it <referring to herself and Esteban>. Then she brings up Inés, pointing out that Inés is in love with him and he made love to her (remember that that's what Inés told Vero in the club after she caught Gus kissing "Cínthia"). Gus tells Vero that Inés is “another story.” But before he can expand on that, she interrupts yet again, saying she's not a little girl anymore, believing everything she's told. Gus replies that that's good that she doesn't believe everything people tell her; she should believe the facts, what her heart tells her. And her heart tells her she's in love with him, doesn't it? Why does she think he got himself onto the A-Team? Yes, he had a reason, but he also wanted to be with her. He could risk his life on anything as long as he has her by his side. And why is that? Because from the moment he first saw her, he loved her. He loved her. He loved her! Vero smiles a little bit, almost wistfully, and tells him it was the same with her -- she didn't fight them not accepting her resignation because she knew if she stayed she could be with him. He adds, "Y porque me amas. Dílo. Dí, 'Gustavo, te amo.' ¡Dílo! O no, mejor dí, 'Gustavo, no te amo,' y me voy." When Vero doesn't say anything, he insists that if she tells him she doesn't love him, he'll disappear from her life forever.

The Rescue Squad and Esteban the Unstable have the house surrounded, and are practically at the door. Esteban tells the rest of the team he wants Veronica alive and if Velasco resists, to shoot him in the head. Then we see them going up a circular staircase, so presumably they have gotten inside without attracting any attention.

Back in the attic with Gus and Vero, Gus asks Vero why she won't answer him. He wants her to tell him what she's thinking, or feeling, at least. What does she feel when she looks at him? She finally replies that she's already told him she can't stop herself around him, but she knows this is a mistake. There is an "abyss" between them, which is why they can't be together. Gus is about to argue the point further when they both hear a noise, that we see --courtesy of another cut to some feet on the staircase-- is caused by at least one member of the Rescue Squad stepping on creaky steps. Gustavo realizes right away what the noise must be and, saying in a disgusted tone, So, no-one knows about this place, hunh...! he gets up and starts hastily pulling on his clothing. Vero is a lot slower on the uptake and says she doesn't know who it could be. Gus snaps, Who else could it be?! Tus amiguitos, ¿no? He mutters to himself that he can't believe he let himself be carried away by her once again. While he's been doing this, Vero has evidently managed to get herself dressed. Gus is still pulling on his shirt when the squad bursts in. He immediately puts up his hands, but of course the entire gang train their guns on him anyway, while Esteban the Unstable immediately runs over to "subdue" Gus. EtU forces Gus to his knees and puts his pistol to his head even as Vero continues to insist that nothing happened, Gus is not armed, and there is no reason for this. She demands that the lot of them lower their guns and finally, after she screams at them, the other three squad members do so. Naturally, Esteban the Unstable has no intention of letting his rival go and even as Gus keeps his hands in the air, not resisting or even protesting at all, EtU keeps Gus' head smushed on a low table with his one hand on Gus' neck and his other pressing his pistol to Gus' head. Vero finally strides over and slaps the gun away from Gus' head, asking EtU what the hell is wrong with him. Looking like an angry, sulky goon, EtU demands to know if "ese imbécil" hurt her, like he can’t see for himself that Vero is not only unhurt, she’s incredibly pissed off. Vero doesn't answer. Meanwhile, Gus stands up between EtU and Vero and, his back to Vero, angrily twitches his shirt into place as he glares haughtily at Esteban.

Frosted Blond Bad Guy Who Lusts After Vero calls Daddy Dearest, asking if he's seen the news about Espinoza (the bad guy they shot in the club last night). He adds that Espinoza's business partner was furious, and wonders why Gustavo was in the club. DD claims to have no idea, and says the only thing he wants FBBG to do is kill Gus. FBBG says he thinks DD should rethink this plan. He thinks there's no need to kill Gus, and it would be better if they recruit him to work for the Narcos. DD insists he wants FBBG to kill Gus.

Esteban the Unstable is on the phone arguing with Chepe as we see two of the squad members leading Gus out, his hands cuffed behind his back, and (presumably) toward the squad van. Vero follows some way behind them, and the third squad guy brings up the rear. EtU tells Chepe they have Gus prisoner and asks what Chepe wants them to do with him. Clearly, he doesn’t like the answer. He finally agrees, and as he arrives at the squad van behind Vero, tells the two that are holding Gus there to let him go, Chepe's orders. They're to take him wherever he wants to go. The two squad guys look like they don’t believe what they’re hearing, but they release Gus. Then EtU looks at Vero and says, You and I have to talk, don't you think? He has to jerk her arm to make her turn around and look at him, because all she is doing is looking at Gus, who is looking back at her, a measured look in his eye. She turns back to look at Gus again, but he doesn't say anything, only looks her up and down in an almost disgusted way. She turns back to EtU, who is glaring at her.

<Gustavo's Mom's house>

Marcela the Pushy and her team get a call from Chepe on the walkie-talkie, telling them to come back to the squad room. She apologizes briefly and insincerely to Mom, Inés and Auntie, then the squad leaves, still not answering any questions.

Esteban the Unstable is driving, which I can only feel is a mistake on Vero's part, but whatever... She isn't saying anything, and he is obviously stewing. Finally he snaps that he's “waiting for her to explain to him the meaning of what happened last night.” Vero tells him all she was doing was protecting "Velasco." EtU states that Gus took off his microphones and put her and the whole operation in jeopardy (i notice he clearly hasn't bothered to consider that an agent about to go into a meeting with a stranger who is clearly on edge could expect to be frisked and possibly killed if a microphone were discovered, which would almost certainly have been a greater risk to the operation... why any sane commander would want this loose cannon on his squad is beyond me. but i digress...). Vero replies that Chepe abandoned Gus to his fate, but she could not.

The doctor tells Mummy María and Father Anselmo that Tony the Brat's drug tests came back positive, which is bad for TtB. He begs MM to speak with her son, saying he needs "mucha orientación." MM tells FA she doesn't know what to do anymore. FA tells her he will help. They go into TtB's room, where he groggily recognizes MM and apologizes.

Well, at least Esteban the Unstable has realized it's probably not a good idea for him to be driving while trying to carry on this conversation... He gets out of his car and walks a little bit away, asking Vero why, if she was supposedly protecting Velasco, she took him to the country house in the middle of the woods and not back to the squad room. She has also gotten out of the car, but stays next to her door. She replies that she did it because Gustavo was in danger. Well then, he asks (rather reasonably, IMO), why didn't she report in? Vero tells him, because then you all would know where I was and you would come find us, and that's just what happened -- or am I wrong? EtU sighs and tells her that ever since Velasco showed up she's been "muy rara." He asks her if there's something she can't tell him or he can't know or what. She just replies that she'd like him to take her to her house. He challenges her, but she insists there's nothing and again asks him to take her home. They get back in the car and resume the trip.

Mummy María storms in and slaps some papers on Daddy Dearest's desk and doesn't bother to even look at him (sitting in one of the easy chairs and not at his desk) as she gives him some business-related message in an I'm-too-busy-for-you tone. Daddy Dearest stops her as she tries to rush back out and again demands that she tell him what the report said about Tony the Brat. She tells him TtB is at home, out of danger. He states he wants TtB taken to a "decent" hospital and he wants all the necessary tests done. He orders her to take care of it that afternoon. He doesn't trust the scuzzy place TtB was taken to, and wants a second opinion. She snaps that there isn't a second opinion -- all the tests will tell him the same thing: That TtB took cocaine and nearly killed himself. DD is stunned, and says that can't be true. MM invites him to call one of his buddies and have TtB locked up in jail for being a drug addict. It will surely give him more pleasure to fulfill his obligations as a cop than as a father. Oh, and don't come by to visit tonight. She slams the door on her way out. His cel phone rings and he snaps at the person calling. It's Chepe, telling him that Veronica has been found and is fine.

<Gustavo's Mom's house>

Gus greets his mother, who tells him the police were there, all night, waiting for him. She's annoyed he didn't call or do anything to keep his family from worrying about him. Inés was there too, scared out of her mind for him. He says he's sorry (but he doesn’t put a lot of effort into it, it seems), and she says you can't fix everything with an "I'm sorry." He tells her he wants to stay in Mexico, get the business back up and running, blah blah blah, but she's totally not buying it. She tells him he's just like his father, who had the ability to tell her any old story so convincingly she'd believe him. But not anymore. She reminds Gus that just last week he was over the moon because he'd been named VP at some big US company, and now here he is trying to make her believe he wants to throw all that away to get his dad's little business up and running again. Gustavo tries to put a spin on it but she's still not going for it. She tells him she doesn't know what he's mixed up in, and she's sure he's not going to stop doing it just because she asks him to. He should do whatever he wants -- just don't try to tell her lies about it because she wasn't born yesterday. Now that she’s bawled him out, she seems to be in a better frame of mind. As she's about to leave, Gus asks her if she remembers where his dad and godfather used to go eat "gelatinas de anís." She says she doesn't have any idea.

Esteban the Unstable asks Vero if she wants to have dinner that night, but she begs off. He gets a little impatient and asks her again what it is she isn't telling him. She finally 'fesses up: The truth is she's confused. She doesn't know if she wants to marry him just to do it, because she loves him, or because she's running away from something. She doesn't know what she wants, and she needs to be alone to think. She thinks it would be better if they called off their marriage. This is not what EtU wants to hear, and he gets all stony-faced, but tells her tersely, "Está bien, cómo tu quieras, Veronica."

Gus is there with AA Guy and Tarta and has clearly told them pretty much the whole story -- at least, all the part about him joining the A-Team, and that Chepe is the head of it. But as we listen to the answers he's giving AA Guy, who is clearly VERY unhappy about Gus' involvement with the A-Team, it's obvious he hasn't told them any details about Vero except that she was a squad member who protected him. AA Guy tells him these A-Team guys are all trained to trick people, and all but orders Gus (since he can't talk him out of continuing) to be completely on his guard.

Marcela the Pushy and Esteban the Unstable are changing into their "civvies." In reply to a question, EtU tells MtP that Vero said she was with Velasco because she was protecting him. It's clear MtP doesn't buy that for a second. EtU tells her Vero knows what she's doing, so MtP lets it drop and asks about EtU instead. He says he's fine, why wouldn't he be? She says ok, but --with a smug little smile on her face that he doesn't see because she still has her back to him-- if he needs anything to let her know. She turns around and asks if he's eaten yet -- she's dying of hunger. She suggests they eat together. He says he doesn't know about that. She tells him he looks tense to her, he should relax. She suggests they go to her house and she'll make him something yummy to eat. (go, Esteban! go!! find another love interest so i don't have to spend the next months watching you be a total detriment to yourself and everyone around you!! but you won't go, will you? argh!) He sighs and says it's better he doesn't -- he has something he needs to take care of. MtP offers to accompany him, but he says it's personal. As he leaves, she guesses it has to do with Gustavo Velasco. He stares at her but doesn't answer.

Tarta is already 100% on Gus’ team, but AA Guy is still not convinced. Gus shows them the key he got from Espinoza and tells them what he knows about it. Tarta gets excited and wants to help, but Gus says he needs to do it himself. AA Guy returns to the subject of the A-Team and especially this woman cop. Gus should be careful of her -- if they assigned this case (the Narco/Espinoza case) to her, she must be one of the best. He asks what her name is. Gus says her name isn't important, but AA Guy is right about one thing: She's the best. She's... a complete professional. What's more, she's beautiful, very beautiful. In fact, he thinks she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. Tarta grins and nudges him, but AA Guy just looks worried.

Vero is clearly not happy. She tells Daddy Dearest she didn't want to go to her own place because she wanted to see him and hoped he wasn't too busy. He says he's never too busy for her. She says she's unhappy and confused and a bunch of other stuff. He asks why she "disappeared" from the operation yesterday. She realizes he told them where she was. He asks why she took "este señor" to the country house -- doesn't she realize he could have killed her?? She says DD keeps treating her like she's a kid. She goes off on a tangent and then says she wants a bit of his attention but there are things she can't tell him because she thinks they'd ruin DD’s good opinion of her,

Gus is going somewhere. Esteban the Unstable catches up with Gustavo, telling him he'd warned him not to get mixed up with Veronica. Gus: ¡A mí no me adviertes nada! EtU: ¡Tu no sabes con quién te metiste, Gustavo! Gus doesn't have time for this and starts to stride away. EtU grabs at him to stop him. Gus asks what he wants. EtU says he's going to tell him a couple things, and the FIRST has to do with the woman HE (EtU points at himself emphatically) is going to marry!!

Daddy Dearest is still harping on Vero’s staying on the A-Team. She and DD go around in circles for a while, saying a bunch of stuff that's mostly just filler IMO, so I'm not going to bother with it (sorry!). It mostly boils down to each of them not wanting to talk about whatever the other one wants to talk about. Blah blah blah. Finally, to get out of this no-where conversation, DD suggests they eat and asks if she wants to invite Esteban the Unstable to join them. She says no, she'd rather not, because she broke it off with EtU. DD is startled by this news and asks why. After taking a deep breath, Vero admits it’s because she is in love with another man. When he asks with whom, she tells him: With Gustavo Velasco.

the advances for tomorrow say that this sincere confession will bring "graves consecuencias" as we see snippets of scenes with DD yelling at Vero, EtU again pulling his gun on Gus (right there in the street! he is so TOTALLY a loose cannon!!), and FBBG telling his henchmen they're going after Gus where it will hurt him the most.

www.telenovela-world.com: Impressionist Summary for Tuesday, May 27 Author: Janet Date: 05-28-03 16:42 PDT

Hmmm – I was a bit sleepy; B’s summary posted below picks up many details I missed out on…

We pick up where Vero just confessed to her dad that she thinks she’s in love with Gustavo Velasco, at which point Antonio reads her the riot act: “What? You know what type of lowlife he is? You’re going to throw away your career? What about Esteban? It’s probably just an aventura – how can you be in love with him when you hardly know the guy?” Antonio conveniently doesn’t have the need to mention that he plans on eliminating Gustavo, and I suspect this is not just because of the supposed rival drug connections, but has something to do with dealings that Antonio may have had with Gustavo’s dad in the past, but that haven’t yet been revealed – just a hunch…

By the way, I love the soundtrack to this novela – the incidental music was great in this scene…

Veronica asks her dad to stop and catch his breath, because she hasn’t finished; in spite of having fallen in love with Gus, she’s determined she will never see him again, because her feelings, the whole situation “me da pánico, miedo”…

Cut to a scene with Inés and Mateo (finally – I remembered the name of the balding bearded AA guy who runs a bar and likes Gus’ mom), where she’s whining about how Gustavo treats her – well, if one just lies down and writes “welcome” across one’s chest, people are going to treat you like a doormat... Oh, and throughout this scene, hapless Tarta is staring intensely at Inés – either he’s in love with her, or he’s potential stalker material…

Vero goes to mental hospital and has a long visit with her mom. Vero tries getting her hopes up, but her mom doesn’t even recognize her. Vero then ends up using her mom as a sort of “confessional” explaining how she’s fallen in love… The mental hospital’s doctor calls Refugio(? – not sure of her name, but she works for Antonio – Mistress #2?), saying that to keep Vero’s mom off balance, they’ll have to “increase the dosage” but that could be a bit destabilizing and dangerous…

I was a bit tired, so I may have occasionally dozed off while watching “Ladrón” (through no fault of the novela – it’s just that I stayed up late the night before as I’ve been watching “La Mentira” reruns), but suddenly it looked like we were in the courtyard of a castle! Turns out Antonio was arriving at some druglord meeting, I guess…nice place. Well, Antonio has some radical proposition about them all working together to control (drug trafficking, I assume) along the entire U.S.-Mexico border. And before and after the meeting, I didn’t quite get what bad bearded frosted tips guy said to Antonio, but with regards to Gustavo, Antonio’s changed his mind – in fact he doesn’t want him killed, but instead wants Gustavo brought to him, so he can ask him a few questions before he kills him himself!

Gustavo’s still on a mission to find the place that sold those “gelatinas de anis” that he remembers from his childhood. He ends up having a funny conversation with his abuela, who says,” why would he go to that old place because she knows where he could get better gelatinas?” But she does give him the info he’s looking for.

At some point, Tarta guy gets up his nerve to talk to Inés, saying how much he’s going to miss her if she leaves…but what I noticed most about the scene was how at the beginning Tarta wiped his nose with his hat – disgusting!

Chepe’s now talking with Veronica, not to reprimand her for going against orders the night before, but because he really wants to convince her to stay, working in his unit. Vero says she needs time, and Chepe agrees she can take some time, but he tells her a quite touching story about how he really started questioning what he was doing when his wife was killed… Vero agrees she’ll think about things, but then says “they couldn’t have killed your wife – because you’ve never been married!” Chepe nearly had me hook, line, and sinker – that was hysterically funny! I love that they took a “typical novela/cop drama" cliché moment, and then added a “gotcha!” humorous twist…

Next, we see Tio Padre (oh – I guess the priest is related to Gustavo) talking to Gus, mostly just warning him to not get involved with all the narco/cops stuff, that he’ll be in over his head, get himself killed, and then where will his mother be? If this is the same priest who listens to Antonio’s confessions, I guess he knows what he’s talking about…

After their run-in, Esteban continues to tail Gustavo and take photos. Gustavo follows his abuela’s lead on the “gelatina” place, sees they still sell gelatins similar to the ones he got as a kid (hopefully not the same ones!), and after a quick flashback, ends up asking about lockers in the building, walks through what looks like a men's steam bath area, and after fumbling around a bit with a bank of lockers, finds the one his key fits - voila! It contains a briefcase. Once out of the steam bath area, he opens up the briefcase to find wads of dollars, and what looks like some sort of computer hard drives (I didn’t get that close a look)… Esteban is lurking on some roof still taking photos.

What else happened? I’ve got to wrap this up or I’ll never get any work done! We find out Antonio is keeping Vero’s mom alive but “out of it” because in that state she serves as a never-ending cash source; Gustavo hooks up the computer drive he found, finds some encoded lists (and some flashy animated graphics to give us viewers something to look at) related to drug cartel dealings and calls his San Diego girlfriend saying he’s going to email her some info and wants her to keep copies in a safe place in case anything happens to him; some goon with a knife working for frosted hair bearded guy surprises Gustavo’s mom in her home; Esteban’s adrenalin macho attitude about Gustavo is wearing thin with Chepe; Vero calls up Chepe to say she’s going to go see Inés and then fess up who she is; Vero, as “Cynthia” (wig, gum-smacking attitude and all) has a coffee chat with “heart of gold” Inés in her kitchen, where Inés pledges friendship offering to share her savings and help her out, as perhaps the two of them finding new jobs and an apartment together; and then who but Gustavo suddenly pops up behind Veronica…

Hmm…poor Inés – this girl has a lot of love to give, so I hope she soon finds a willing recipient. As for Antonio, all his current and past love interests seem to be a bit of a drag these days – I wonder if he’ll start looking around?... Until next time….

www.telenovela-world.com: Tuesday's show (summary for 05.27.03) Author: B. Date: 05-28-03 03:45 PDT

i didn't check my tape to make sure i had enough room left before tonight's show started, so i am missing a little bit in the middle when the one tape surprised me by running out and it took me a minute or two to get another one in...

previouslies:

*Gus and Vero make love at the country house.

*Marcela the Pushy and her squad practically force their way into Gustavo's mom's house to look for Gus.

*Daddy Dearest bawls out Chepe for putting Vero in danger.

*Esteban the Unstable and the A-Team Rescue Squad burst in on Gus and Vero, guns drawn, and start to arrest Gus.

*Vero confesses to Daddy Dearest that she's in love with another man (other than Esteban the Unstable): Gustavo Velasco.

credits

Daddy Dearest can't believe what he's hearing. He tells Vero she's crazy, she can't be serious. We hear an edge of desperation in her voice as Vero tells him she *is* serious, she's in love with Gustavo Velasco. That's why she's asking for his advice. DD wants to know how this all even happened, and when -- she just met "ese tipo"! Almost defensively, Vero tells him she doesn't know, she doesn't know when or how. But it happened. She, too, denied it to herself -- many times! She told herself that this can't be happening, that she can't be having these feelings, that she's fooling herself. But she can't do that anymore, because she *does* love Gus. Because she feels things for him that she's never felt for any man. DD is listening to her with a completely incredulous look on his face. He demands to know if something happened between Vero and Gus. He crosses his arms and waits for an answer. Vero sighs impatiently and says, ¿Qué más da? ¿En qué cambiarían las cosas? DD grudgingly admits he doesn't know, then changes tactics and asks if Esteban the Unstable knows. Vero tells him she hasn't told EtU, but she knows he suspects something.

Esteban the Unstable, wearing his usual sulky boor look, is still accosting Gustavo. Since EtU obviously didn't get it the first time, Gus repeats himself: A mí no me vienes a amanezar, ¡y muchísimo *menos* en mi barrio! So EtU repeats himself as well: ¡Te advertí que no te metieras con Veronica! Gus tells him, almost dismissivly, Es que tú no me adviertes nada! ¿Y sabes qué? ¡Yaaaaaaa! He turns on his heel and starts to walk away again. Desperate to gain the upper hand, EtU pulls out his gun and trains it on Gus' retrating back. He calls out to him. Exasperated, Gus turns around again: Now what?? He sees the gun and EtU's angry face, but appears completely unfazed. With a hint of incredulity in his voice he says, What? you're going to kill me?? Oh, of course...! That's why you came! I forgot you guys use violence to solve everything! Go on! Shoot! Shoot!! Gus stands there in an almost arrogantly relaxed pose as he says this. EtU, starting to look just a little bit worried at this guy who sneers in the face of mortal threats, closes the distance between them as he tells Gus it would be easy to kill him, like putting down a kitten. It would take no effort at all and Gustavo would be dead. Then what are you waiting for? asks Gus, all amiable sarcasm. Are you the kind of coward who would kill someone who's at a disadvantage [because he's unarmed]? Or, or, would it be more comfortable for you if I had my back turned? That would be better, right? For you? Gus turns his back on EtU as he says this, and for a brief moment we can see he's at least a little afraid EtU just might pull the trigger. But he quickly resumes a facial expression to match his body's posture of casually disdainful unconcern with a hint of impatience. Over Gus' shoulder we can see EtU realize Gus has called his bluff, but he won't admit it. He again demands that Gus leave Vero alone. Gus' whole attitude radiates complete indifference to the possibility that this self-aggrandizing gnat might shoot him. EtU goes on, trying to make any kind of dent in Gus' obvious unconcern: You don't fool me. I'm going to find out what you're up to. I'll follow you day and night until I discover what the hell you have going on. And I swear to you, Velasco (altho EtU can't see his face, Gus is all "blah, blah, blah" and impatiently rolling eyes as EtU rants on): The day you make your first false step is the day I'll see that you rot in jail. EtU concludes by telling Gus this isn't over. At this, Gus finally turns around and says disdainfully, No? Bring it on! He turns and saunters away, leaving EtU looking frustrated.

Daddy Dearest has lost it and is in full rant, yelling at Vero, asking if she realizes how ridiculous she sounds, and that she's ruining her life and her relationship with Esteban the Unstable? That Gus is dangerous and a delinquent? Hearing this last bit, Vero interrupts to ask how he knows this. DD snaps that he just knows, period. Vero tells him to calm down and lower his voice, so they can talk like adults. She is not going to continue discuss this with him if he's going to shout at her. Making an effort, DD brings it down about a quarter notch as he goes on insisting Vero can't risk her future for a man like Gus, it's absurd! Again she interrupts him mid-rant: Absurdo... disparate... ¡Es lo único que me puedes decir! ¡¿Y tú te imaginas cuánto me cuesta contarte lo que estoy sintiendo?! ¡¡Es más fuerte que yo!! ¡A mí el cerebro me dice que no, pero en el corazón no puedo mandar! At this, DD is back to full-on yelling, asking her what kind of feelings she could possibly have for a guy she just met. What's she going to do next? Live with this desgraciado? Marry him?? Vero, visibly upset, tells DD, No! What she wants to tell him is she's never going to see Gus again. This is so unexpected, DD all but squeaks, ¿¿Cómo?? Vero: If you'd let me talk instead of making such a fuss, I'd've told you earlier. You think I'm not asking myself the same things you are? You think I'm not reproaching myself for what I'm feeling? She's on the verge of crying as she continues, I know very well who Gustavo Velasco is, and for that very reason I know there's no point to what I'm feeling! Then, deliberately, to make herself completely clear: Que voy a dejar de verlo porque me da panico --¡miedo!-- dar un paso cómo esto sin estar completamente segura de lo que estoy haciendo. All through this speech, DD has been pacing back and forth in a thoughtful way, as if full of fatherly concern, but the cynical among us know what he's really doing is listening for anything she says that he can use to drive his own point home without driving her away in the process. When she stops talking, he gives it a try, telling her Gus is only trying to use Vero to get information out of her like the good delinquent he is, and when he has no more use for her he'll just toss her away like a used rag. He urges her to get Gus out of her head and heart, to forget about him. It's the best thing she could do. Vero: ¡Y lo más doloroso también...! DD goes in for the kill: Veronica, el dolor siempre es pasajero. En cambio, un error de ese tamaño puede hacerte un daño irreversible, mi amor. Para toda la vida! Get Gustavo Velasco out of your head before you ruin your future! Vero tells him that's why she's trying to do, although she has to confess that the only thing she's really sure of right now is that she's not sure she'll be able to.

AA Guy's name is really Mateo, as we discover when we hear Inés address him. She's near tears, too, as she tells AA Mateo that Gustavo *really* hurt her. Gus didn't even worry about whether she got out of the club safely after the gunfight! Almost wearily, AA Mateo tells her not to talk like that about Gus, but Inés doesn't want to give up on her indignation and hurt so quickly. She bitterly adds that Gus only thinks about her when he wants to go to bed with someone. AA Mateo tells her not to exaggerate. Inés: ¿¿Exagerada?? YOU can say that because you didn't wait for him for ten years, feeling the love growing inside you! You didn't start studying so he'd be proud of you! You didn't dream every night about getting married to him, having a family, children...! I don't know whether I was stupid or deluding myself, but I was expecting something... The camera pans to follow Inés as she wanders over to lean up against another part of the bar, and now we see Tarta, who had been sitting unnoticed at the far end of the bar, quietly moving closer to AA Mateo and Inés. He is listening intently as Inés continues lamenting to AA Mateo, and has a terrible, sad look on his face, as if he's hurting even more than Inés is. Inés is oblivious to Tarta, though: ... Something better... I don't know. Just the tiniest consideration... Some sign he was at least happy to see me, you know? As she wipes away her tears and tries not to cry, AA Mateo patiently assures her, Gustavo te quiere -- a su manera. Pero te quiere. Inés finally admits what she's known for a while: Tú lo has dicho, Mateo. Me quiere, pero no me ama. Now that she's got it out in the open, Inés makes a decision: You know what, Mateo? I'm leaving here. Still unnoticed by either AA Mateo or Inés, Tarta starts to shake his head, No! He looks like *he's* going to cry too. AA Mateo asks her, What do you mean, you're leaving? Inés replies that she just doesn't want to see Gustavo, or hear him, or know about him -- it just hurts too much. Over her shoulder, we see Tarta just keeps shaking his head in dismay.

Accompanied by a little bit of theme music, we now have several shots of various freeways and cars driving on them, presumably to indicate that the next scene takes place some ways away from Mexico City.

<Teresa's sanitarium>

Teresa's slimy doctor tells Vero it's good to see her -- so many family members just stop coming once a patient is admitted. Vero apologizes that her job keeps her from visiting more regularly. In reply to her questions, Dr Slime says Teresa's case is very complicated, and in fact, few patients ever have a complete recovery. He can assure her that Teresa has an iron constitution and isn't suffering, she could live for years. But unfortunately, there is really no chance Teresa will recognize her daughter. Vero asks if there has been any improvement since the last time she was there, but Dr Slime tells her no. While Vero goes to visit with Teresa, Dr Slime calls Refugio to warn her about Vero's visit (The first thing Refugio asks after Dr Slime identifies himself is if Teresa is dead -- LOL!! We know where her head is!!). He warns Refugio there's always a possibility that seeing Vero will make Teresa start to remember. Refugio tells him it's his responsibility to see she doesn't, even if he has to increase the dosage to do it. Dr Slime, still trying to hang onto a shred of professional ethics, slender though it may be, protests that an increase in dosage could cause serious, irreversible damage. But after all this time, he should have known better: Refugio doesn't care at all since she wants Teresa permanently out of her way. She reminds him again the plan is that Teresa "vuele muy alto, y no aterrize nunca."

Daddy Dearest pulls up in his town car and Frosted Blond Bad Guy (real name: Ramiro, but who cares?) hurries over to meet him. He tells DD that nearly all the other Big Shot Bad Guys are there, but while they're waiting for the last to arrive, he wants to talk about the A-Team again. He's been discussing it with some of the other capos that are already there and they agree with him that the A-Team has to be eliminated. DD is not pleased. He stomps away, angrily asking FBBG why he keeps harping on this. He's already made a decision about the A-Team and no-one, including FBBG, is to question it. FBBG tells DD they got him the dossiers on the whole squad and he thinks for all DD told him, DD still didn't give him the whole story: The A-Team is really dangerous to them and they're coming after them (the Narcos). (i just want to know: if FBBG got the dossiers of the whole squad, how come he hasn't found out that Vero is the boss' daughter...?? either the dossiers can't be THAT complete or i completely missed something!) DD tells FBBG it’s not his (FBBG's) call to involve the other Big Shot Bad Guys in this, but FBBG just asks why not -- aren't they all associates? Laying on the sarcasm, DD accuses FBBG of thinking that everything can be solved by a shot to the head, and asks if the word "strategy" has no meaning to him. FBBG says he doesn't understand why DD doesn't want to "dismantle" the A-Team -- it's the A-Team or us Narcos! DD says it's not that easy. FBBG scoffs at this truly lame reply, and reminds DD that he (DD) used to be head of National Security. This is the only "strategy" to which he, FBBG, subscribes: Try to bribe the A-Team, and if they won't join the Narcos team, kill them all, one by one. He stalks off, disgusted with DD.

Vero talks to her mother, but at first Teresa is pretty unresponsive. Finally she looks over at Vero and tells her she was really worried because it's been a long time since she'd been to visit. Vero is happy, and asks Teresa if she recognizes her. Teresa says yes, you're a friend. Vero tries to hide her disappointment and tells Teresa she's her daughter. The news doesn’t seem to register with Teresa. In the same disaffected way, Teresa tells Vero she's very pretty, and to give her a kiss. Vero tries not to cry as she hugs Teresa, who turns her head away, a little confused. Teresa remarks that she's very lonely there, and says that Vero should come to visit her more often. Vero tells her, If you only knew all the things I want to tell you....! You know what? I'm in love...

[and this is where my first tape cuts out. when the new one picks back up again, we have already missed the next little scene and are into the one after that. but as i recall, there wasn't too much more of this one. i don't really remember too many details of the completely missing scene because i was busy scrambling to find a new tape, but here's the gist of it:]

<Gustavo's mom's house>

Gustavo is bugging Grandma about where Dad and his godfather used to get their gelatinas de anís. Grandma keeps missing the point, and tells him he can get really good gelatinas down at the market if he has a craving for them, while Gus insists it's not that he wants to eat gelatinas, it's that he wants to walk in his father's footsteps by revisiting Dad's old hangouts. based on what happens in a later scene, it would seem she finally suggests a place.

the new tape picks up somewhere during this scene:

All the Bad Guy Big Shots are now sitting around a table. There is one vacant seat as Daddy Dearest is the only one not seated. It's obvious he's in charge of this little show by the way he keeps stalking around the table while he puffs off his Big Plan: To control the whole 3,000 miles of the frontier with the USA. DD tells the BGBSs he knows how the police think, and how criminals think. In order to pull off his Big Plan, they're going to create an organization with an "indecipherable," "nebulous" structure, rather than something linear with easily-identified heads like other criminal organizations have. The BGBSs don’t seem to be completely sold on the idea –perhaps rightly guessing that this will mean greater risk and less individual power for each of them?-- and one dares to raise an objection of some sort (something about Pablo Escobar. i didn't really follow it, and i think it refers back to the part of this scene i don't have on tape), but DD points out that everyone will have their part to play, and everyone will end up profiting by this. He tells them to think it over.

Tarta is pacing nervously around in a hallway, trying to get himself together. Finally, he pulls off his black wool cap (i'm not entirely sure that was a wise choice, but...) and goes to knock at the door. Inés answers. He asks if he can come in, but she tells him she's kindof busy and asks if he needs something. Tarta asks her if it's true she's leaving. Somberly, she asks him to please do her a favor and not tell anyone about that. He agrees, and we can hear a little sob in his voice as he tells her he just wants to say he'll miss her a lot. She smiles, but it's a kind of sad smile. She tells him he's so sweet, thanks him, says good-bye, and gives him a friendly little kiss on his cheek. He starts to leave, then turns back and in a rush says, You know what? There are people in the barrio que te quieren mucho. We can all tell he's alluding to himself, and Inés seems to know it too.

Daddy Dearest and Frosted Blond Bad Guy are on their way back to their cars after the big meeting. FBBG asks DD where they ended up on the A-Team issue -- are they going to get rid of the A-Team or what?? DD talks to him like he's just a little bit stupid: We're going to go on as we are now: You deal with the delinquents and I'll handle the police. FBBG asks him what he's trying to say. DD orders him to take care of Gustavo Velasco, as he had asked him to do, and leave the A-Team to him. Oh, yeah, and DD has changed his mind: He doesn't want FBBG to kill Gustavo after all. Now he wants Gustavo brought to him, alive, so he can make him talk before he kills him. As DD gets into his car, FBBG summons his own underling (Yellow Tie) and tells him, We're going after Gustavo Velasco, but this time we're going to make him come to us. ¡Quítale lo que más le duele!

<Vero's apartment>

Chepe has stopped by. Vero suggests he's come to bawl her out for what happened the previous night, but Chepe says no, he hasn't. He's come to apologize for having put her in unnecessary danger by assigning her to the operation with Velasco. Vero laughs a little and opines this must be the first time he's ever apologized to her. After they're seated (Vero sits half-on, half-off a chair and almost defensively hugs a gaudy cushion to her chest), Chepe tells her he's going to let her leave the A-Team, if that's what she really wants to do. But he hopes she'll reconsider, and he’s going to appeal to her common sense: The A-Team is her life, her family, her world. She's his best agent. They've had their best successes with her, she's been able to infiltrate places they could never have gotten into otherwise. Every one of those successes has been worth it. They're a family, and you can't abandon a family. Vero says she knows that, but that things have happened that she simply could not have foreseen. Chepe gets right to the point: Like Gustavo Velasco? Tell me, does he have anything to do with your decision?

<Gustavo's mom's house>

Having finally gotten the name of a likely site for the famous gelatinas de anís (El Metro Tacuba), Gus gets the key and is on his way out to find out if he's right. But his rush out is intercepted by Father Anselmo (who Gus addresses as "Tío"). FA has been waiting to talk to Gus, and he doesn't seem to be too happy. He asks Gus what's going on. Gus says nothing, he’s kindof in a hurry and will talk to FA later. Gus tries to make his escape, only to be stopped again by FA. He tells Gus he knows what happened with Espinoza, Gus’ Mom called first thing in the morning, desperate, and told him that the police were there practically the whole night waiting for Gus. Gus swears he didn't want to get anyone involved --especially not his family!-- but FA just snaps back that the family is involved now. He asks Gus again to tell him what's going on. After some more fruitless back and forth, Gus finally tells FA about the key and the "life insurance policy” his godfather left him.

<Vero's apartment>

In spite of Vero's saying it's not so, Chepe is still convinced that Gustavo had something to do with Vero's decision to leave the squad, and that that something is something personal. Vero isn't going to tell him anything about that and suggests he instead just accept that she doesn't want to return to the squad. She's burned out, and done with the squad. Chepe implies that he knows her better than she thinks he does, and knows she doesn't really want to leave the A-Team -- she only *thinks* she does. He knows just how she feels: He felt the same way when the Narcos killed his wife to get back at him. He gets very emotional telling the story, saying his first reaction was to just get the hell away from police work altogether. But then he realized that was the worst decision. He threw himself back into his work with determination and it was the best thing he could have done. He concludes by asking Vero to please reconsider. Seemingly unmoved by his touching story, Vero coolly agrees to give it some more thought. She tells him she just needs some time. Chepe tells her to take as much time as she needs and goes to leave. Before he gets to the door, Vero stops him by almost off-handedly telling him that Narcos could not have killed his wife because he never married. It's all fine that he's trying to convince her to stay, but he shouldn’t try to deceive her. Chepe smiles as he leaves, but doesn't see the 'The Nerve!' look on Vero's face.

<Gustavo's mom's house>

Father Anselmo sternly tells Gus to FORGET about getting mixed up with all these people. Gus says he can't do that. Starting to get really angry, FA points out that the Narcos have already killed Gus' godfather and his godfather’s whole family, and now they've killed Espinoza. Who's next? Will it be Mom? Or some other member of Gus' family? If Gus is going to stay in town, he should concentrate on making his poor mother --who has spent her entire life keeping vigil for Gus-- happy. All Gus will achieve by getting involved with these people is to end up 3 meters underground, and break everyone's hearts in the process. Gus listens, but from the stubborn, closed look on his face we know he's going to go ahead with his plan.

Vero is doing target practice and makes three or four four bulls-eyes when Cop Girlfriend from a few episodes back (the one Vero told about liking Gustavo, who may or may not be Marcela the Pushy, but i don’t think so) approaches. Vero apologizes for not calling her but, after asking if CGF remembers what they discussed a little while ago, tells her that things are as bad --no, worse than ever on that front. CGF makes sure Vero *is* referring to Gustavo, and asks if Vero wants to talk. When Vero says Yessss!, she suggests they go outside.

Esteban the Unstable Stalker is parked across the street from Gus' mom's house, watching the door. Gus and Father Anselmo come out and EtU not very surreptitiously takes pictures of them with a snazzy digital camera as the two give each other a brief, friendly hug before going their separate ways. Gus does not notice EtU watching him.

Vero is saying, ¡Después de haber estado juntos, de haber hecho el amor, no me *pude* dormir! You know? I've never felt what I felt that day... And I realized that this means a lot to me, you know? Cop Girlfriend asks, a bit incredulously, if Vero really intends to never see Gus again. Vero replies that her common sense tells her that is best; she can't risk herself for someone she's just met, who will bring her whole world down on her -- her father, her friends, her job... CGF reminds Vero she's going to see Gus every day at work, and Vero agrees that that's the problem: She's already decided to leave the A-Team, she just hasn't told Chepe. CGF tells Vero she's not going to leave the squad *or* let go of Gustavo, because she's in love with him. She tells Vero to really think about it. She knows how Vero feels --and it's normal!-- but CGF really doesn't think that Vero has anything to decide because her heart has already made the decision for her.

We see that gelatina is jello, as postulated (and can't you just see two grown men going out to get jello all the time??). The girl behind the counter asks Gus if he wants a gelatina. He bends over to look at the display and is suddenly flooded with memories of being there as a kid there with his dad and his godfather. After a random woman tells Kid Gus how cute he is, Dad gives him a piece of advice: Lo mejor, Gustavo, es encontrar una mujer que te quiera. As he comes back to the present, Gus replies wisfully to his father's comment: La tengo, pero ya la perdí. He ascertains from the clerk that there are some lockers in the building, and follows her directions to a nearby staircase that seems to lead to some sort of public bathhouse. While Gus starts up the stairs, we see Esteban the Unstable Stalker stealthily approach the entrance to El Metro Tacuba and carefully glance inside just in time to note where Gustavo is headed.

After looking around to make sure no-one followed him, Gus approaches the lockers, which are at the far end of the hall, thus ensuring that he will have his back to EVERYone. Gus is busy trying out all the locks to see if the key fits one of them, and with the steam and all he doesn't notice that Esteban the Unstable Stalker has arrived in the doorway and is taking more pictures of Gus as he opens the locker and takes out a briefcase.

Gus hides under a kind of roof and after looking around to make sure no-one is watching him, he opens the briefcase. It is full of money, and there are also two old-style computer data cassettes that are the size of Walkmans or a decent paperback novel. Still unnoticed by Gus, Esteban the Unstable Stalker has followed Gus out and continues to take pictures, but because he's on the roof above Gus, it would appear he can’t see what's in the briefcase. Gustavo shuts the briefcase and quickly heads off. He still hasn't noticed EtUS following him.

Vero gets out her cel phone, and after consulting a scrap of paper from her purse, calls Inés. She identifies herself as "Cíntia" and Inés immediately asks her what happened to her, saying she was really worried about her. "Cíntia" asks Inés if she wants to get together for coffee or something, to talk. Inés suggests that "Cíntia" come over to her house instead. Although that wasn't really what Vero wanted (too close to Gus?), she agrees and tries to sound happy about it. As she hangs up, she tells herself she has to tell Inés the whole truth.

Esteban the Unstable Stalker bursts into Chepe's office with a whole mess of what looks like photos in his hand. Chepe tries to get rid of him, saying, Not now, I'm really busy. EtUS ignores him and slaps the photos down onto Chepe's desk, telling Chepe they're proof they can't trust Gustavo. He's been following Gus. Gus went into some public baths and took a briefcase out of a locker. EtUS says he's not sure, but he's willing to bet it contains the money that Espinoza was killed for.

<Vero's apartment>

After considering a moment, Vero picks up her phone and dials a number.

Esteban the Unstable Stalker insists that Chepe has to face it: Gustavo has obviously been making a fool of Chepe, and now he must be very happy to have all that money. Chepe angrily snaps at EtUS, reminding him that he, Chepe, is his, EtUS', superior officer and as far as he's concerned, EtUS has totally overstepped himself. Before Chepe can expand further on this (well-deserved and long-overdue) theme, however, his phone rings. It's Vero. She tells Chepe she's going to meet with Inés and tell her the whole truth. Once she's done that, that will be the end of Chepe's "Secret Weapon." She hangs up as Chepe is trying to tell her she can't do that. Chepe looks at EtU in annoyance and snaps, You see that? NO-ONE in this office obeys me any more!!

Gus is in some office somewhere --maybe the office of AA Mateo's bar? Tarta and AA Mateo are there with him. Gus has a tiny, old old old computer and is busy hooking it up to a glossy new laptop. He holds up one of the old computer tapes and tells Tarta it's a multi-media backup file that uses a very common operating system. The problem is that not only are the tapes really old with support that no-one uses anymore, but they are encoded. And the codes are really tricky to break. Tarta says he doesn't understand, and AA Mateo says he really doesn't either, as Gustavo efficiently gets both computers up and running. Gus explains that, theoretically, the old tapes contain all the information necessary to bring down the Narcos. But the information is all encoded so not just anyone can read it. Gus suspects that there will be ties to the government and the police. He gets into what looks like some sort of main directory, and sees that in fact the whole structure of the Narcos is all laid out, but realizes that the people listed there are referred to by code names. He says it's going to take him a while to break the code, but this is GOLD, and has to be protected. He calls his San Diego girlfriend (Suzy), catching her at the gym. Suzy wants to chat a bit, but Gus doesn't have time for that. He tells her he has a problem and needs her to do a really important favor for him. He's going to e.mail her a bunch of information. He needs her to download it and print out multiple copies of each file, then stash sets in the safest places she can think of, including a bank's safety deposit box. Suzy doesn't really understand what's going on, and keeps asking questions that Gus says he can't answer over the phone, but she does catch the urgency in his voice and eventually promises to do it. Gus tells her everything's fine, but if by any chance something SHOULD happen to him, she is to immediately send copies to all the major world newspapers. Suzy promises, even though we can tell she's worried about Gustavo. Gus sets up his laptop to start sending the files.

Inés tells "Cíntia" she's really glad to see her, she was really worried about her after what happened at the club. She offers "Cíntia" a drink and asks how her son is doing (remember, the reason "Cíntia" gave for working at the club was to get money to pay her "son's" medical expenses). Uncomfortable, "Cíntia" manages to mumble that he is doing better. Then Inés apologizes to "Cíntia" for making the fuss about Gustavo. Inés freely admits that it was all from her side -- Gustavo's not interested in her. She's in love with him but it's not reciprocated. Inés says Gus hasn't even called her to find out how she is after everything that happened at the club last night. She tells "Cíntia" she just wants to leave this whole Gustavo thing behind her. As she gets herself another drink, she tells "Cíntia" she's been thinking: The two of them should just find themselves a little job somewhere else, and get an apartment together. She could probably help "Cíntia" out with her son. We could take turns, Inés says, enthused with her idea, and use the money I'd saved up to go to San Diego to pay for your son's treatment. What do you think? It’s clear from the look on her face that Vero feels even worse now than she'd thought she would.

Refugio comes in and tells Daddy Dearest that Vero went to visit Teresa today. She goes on about what she told Dr Slime about keeping Teresa safely too drugged to be able to talk, and what Dr Slime said about how increasing the dosage might even kill Teresa. DD remarks, almost snidely, that Teresa’s dying wouldn't bother Refugio at all. Refugio asks why DD even bothers keeping Teresa alive and urges him to just kill her off. DD reminds Refugio that Teresa is his "façade." Everyone 'knows' all his wealth comes from his wife's inheritance. If Teresa dies, DD loses not only the appearance of legality, but he and Refugio won't be able to enjoy the inheritance because of the way it's bequeathed. Refugio doesn't like that, but DD tells her he knows she won't betray him because she's in love with him, and still has hopes of becoming his wife. Teresa *has* to stay alive, but completely crazy. He tells Refugio, If I go down, you go down too – do you understand? Now leave me to work.

Yellow Tie (now ex-Yellow Tie, since he's changed into a t-shirt) is waiting in the dark, idly playing with some sort of flick-knife, flicking it into knife mode, back into carry mode, and back into knife mode again. Mom comes home to find him. She wants to know who he is and what he's doing there. He calls her “Mamacita” and lewdly tells her he hadn't expected to find Gustavo's mother would be so... young...

Vero is still determined to confess all, but in the face of Inés' generosity and open friendship, she’s having a hard time finding the words to do so. After several tries, Vero finally manages to say that she is not the person Inés thinks she is, but before she can say more, Gustavo arrives.

the advances for tomorrow say “A life is now in play...” in the snippets: Gustavo tells Tarta and AA Mateo that his mother has been kidnapped; Gus has managed to decode at least part of the old computer information and send it to DD and FBBG with a threat (delivered in a disguised voice) that this is just a small part of the information he has; Ex-Yellow Tie yells down the phone at Gustavo that Gus has just signed his mother's death warrant; Gus is seen lighting a wad of bills --presumably from the cash in the briefcase-- and tossing the burning bundle into some sort of bus that immediately explodes into flames; FBBG (who looks like he's found time to have his hair re-frosted in the meantime) tells DD that it's half a million dollars; DD orders someone be killed.

about 2/3 of Wednesday's ep. (partial summary 05.28.03) Author: B. (---) Date: 05-29-03 03:13 PDT

it's too late for me to finish this tonight so i will try to get to the rest of it tomorrow. in the meantime, here's how it starts out...

previouslies:

*Esteban the Unstable tries unsuccessfully to warn Gustavo to keep away from Vero

*Vero tells Chepe she's going to tell Inés the truth and then it will be goodbye to Chepe’s “secret weapon.”

*Father Anselmo warns Gustavo not to try to play the Avenger with the Narcos because he'll only end up dead.

*Daddy Dearest tells Frosted Blond Bad Guy to take care of Gustavo, as ordered, while he takes care of the police.

*Gus opens the briefcase with the money and computer cassettes in it as Esteban the Unstable covertly takes pix

*Frosted Blond Bad Guy tells his henchman Yellow Tie that they're going to make Gustavo come to them by hitting him where it'll hurt him the most.

*Daddy Dearest explains to Refugio why Teresa has to be kept alive.

*Ex-Yellow Tie kidnaps Mom

*"Cíntia" tells Inés she's not the person Inés thinks she is, and is about to say more when Gus arrives.

Gustavo still hasn't said anything, so Inés, somewhat acidly, asks if he isn't going to greet "Cíntia." It's clear from the _expression on his face that Gus is not pleased to find "Cíntia" there and, matching Inés' tone, he asks "Cíntia" how she is. Vero, faced with an already bad situation that has suddenly gotten much worse, manages a hello in return. Still in the same challenging tone, Inés remarks to Gus that he's finally decided to show himself. Gustavo tries to make a recovery and almost manages a casual tone when he replies that he stopped by to see how she was. But he can see she's busy so he'll come back later. He starts to turn to leave but Inés stops him, saying she wants to talk to him anyway. As she takes the offensive talking to Gus, "Cíntia" wordlessly manages to efface herself and moves away from the pair toward the back of the kitchen. But of course she can't help overhearing everything, and as the conversation between Inés and Gustavo continues, she is visibly more and more uncomfortable, although neither Inés nor Gus notices. Inés tells Gustavo that evidently she could have died in the gunfight at the club for all he knew. Gus admits to it and apologizes, but says he had "important things" he had to do (This comment draws a sharp look from Vero). Inés' voice has an edge as she says, Oh right, of course, your mysterious "important things" that you'd never tell me about. But then, why would you tell me your secrets anyway? She tells him she's going to leave the neighborhood, for two reasons. First, because she no longer has a job. And second, because she's finally realized that she doesn't have anything with him, that she waited ten years for him like an idiot. With a quick glance at "Cíntia," Gustavo tries to interrupt Inés by telling her he doesn't think this is the time to be talking about all this, but Inés impatiently says it doesn't matter, she's already told "Cíntia" everything -- she knows it all. As she says this, Inés turns to "Cíntia" and touches her arm as if saying, 'See? This is what a real friend looks like!' (Vero looks like she wants to just fall through the floor, right now.) Turning back to Gustavo, Inés continues that her mistake was thinking Gustavo would change. And that's why she's leaving -- so she won't ever see him again. Gus asks Inés where she thinks she'll go, and Inés, with the air of someone who's made up her mind, announces she's going to live with "Cíntia." This draws a somewhat shocked look from Vero.

<Ex-Yellow Tie's kidnap storeroom>

Ex-Yellow Tie is on his cel phone, telling whoever is on the other end of the line that he has the "package." The subject was "muy buena" and very cooperative.

<Inés' apartment>

Gustavo and Inés have decided to take their conversation away from the kitchen into some sort of hallway (that’s still inside the apartment). There is a window of some sort through which we can see "Cíntia" pacing around uncomfortably in the background, but presumably she can no longer overhear everything they are saying. Gustavo tells Inés he doesn't like this idea [of Inés going to live with "Cíntia"] at all, but Inés can’t see why. She tells him that the two of them can help each other out. What's more, she says, "Cíntia" has a son who's sick (Gus, incredulously: She does?) and apparently the medical bills are terrible (Gus, caustically: Of course. I mean (hastily adjusting to a more reasonable tone as he sees the look Inés gives him), they must be...). Inés apparently attributes Gus’ cynical disbelief to his dislike of the whole plan. Sardonically, Gus asks when they're thinking of moving in together. Inés doesn't answer. Instead she tells him this is goodbye. She wants to apologize -- for all the letters she wrote, which must have been "horrible" for him. And it hurts her, but she's really ashamed she made a fool of herself for ten years believing he cared for her. She apologizes again as Gustavo keeps saying, No, no, Inés... in a much softer tone. He looks quite ashamed of himself, but he knows there really isn't anything he can say to her. Fighting to keep some self-control, Inés barrels on, tears spilling out of her eyes. She tells Gus not to worry about her, she'll be fine. Then she begs him to please just leave, and, brushing past him, returns to the kitchen before she breaks down in front of him. He turns after her, but knows better than to try to follow.

<Suzy's apartment>

Suzy comes home and logs onto her computer to find she's got e.mail. She opens the files Gustavo sent her and, looking at the data scroll down the screen, asks herself what kind of mess Gustavo is getting her into -- what is this information?

<Inés' apartment>

Inés returns to the kitchen, heartbroken. She apologizes to "Cíntia." She sobs that she doesn't know what she's going to do -- Gus is the love of her life, and she feels like something's been ripped out of her. Vero clearly doesn't know how to help Inés without making things worse, so she doesn’t say anything. After a moment, Inés tries to collect herself. She apologizes again to "Cíntia" and says, You wanted to tell me something -- what was it? Vero, for all she hates deceiving Inés, obviously doesn't have it in her to tell her something that will only add to her pain. So she says, No, it was nothing important.

<Suzy's apartment>

Suzy downloads everything onto a CD.

Gustavo has been waiting outside the street door to Inés’ building, and catches up to "Cíntia" as she leaves. He tells her they have to talk, and she agrees, but says Not here -- I don't want anyone to see us together. She tells him to follow her to her car.

Esteban the Unstable and one of the other squad members are sparring, but the ugly look on EtU's face and the way he keeps chomping on his mouthguard really should have put the other guy on his guard. After EtU manages to land a few body blows, he can't seem to stop himself. He knocks the guy down and begins to pummel him; the other guy just tries to block the blows, and get this lunatic off him. He keeps asking EtU what his problem is, but EtU doesn't answer, he just keeps on punching. Marcela the Pushy comes running in and manages to get EtU to stop. EtU pulls off the padded sparring helmet thing he's wearing and wordlessly storms out of the gym, MtP scurrying after him, while the rest of the team stands around looking at each other with 'What the f**k-- ??' looks on their faces.

<"Cíntia's" car>

"Cíntia" pulls her car to a stop on a dark street somewhere and turns to Gustavo, asking, Well, what do you want? Gus is angry and wants to know why she persists in deceiving Inés. What's all this about her and Inés living together?! He reminds Vero that Inés doesn't know ANYthing, she's not mixed up in anything, so what's the deal? Vero turns to Gus and curtly tells him she doesn't have to tell him anything, but since he's sooo interested in it all she will. Me lo creas o no, yo siento-- siento mucho afecto por Inés, y me siento muy comprometida por su amistad. Gus is all, Comprometida, uh-huh... ¿y así le pagas, verdad? Vero tells him she was going to tell Inés she's a cop, but does he really think she was going to confess something like that to Inés in the state Inés was in?? For heaven's sake!! she continues, I feel really guilty --Gustavo sardonically looks the question, Oh, yeah?-- And because Inés kept telling me all about you, I couldn't stop thinking about what happened between us. Gustavo has been watching her intently and angrily, but at this last comment, she looks away and so doesn't see his face soften ever so slightly, and the small, pleased, almost smug smile he gets as he looks down for a moment, remembering. Vero turns back to him and asks why he doesn't try to make it work with Inés -- She's a really great gal. Gus agrees that Inés es muy buena chava. Es muy buena onda. Es... ¡lo máximo! ¿Pero no te das cuenta que yo a quién quiero es a tí? ¿No te das cuenta, verdad? Vero doesn't answer, so he asks why she set a trap for him [at the country house]. Why she lied to him? Was she buying time until her colleagues could get there -- was that it? In a tone that tries for offhand and almost makes it, Vero asks him, What if I were to tell you it was? Gus is starting to get angry again. ¡Pues, dímelo! ¡Díme que fuiste capáz! ¡Dímelo! Vero sees her chance to try to make Gus give up on her. She tells Gus that the squad was following her orders to capture him and take him in. As needed to be done. Gus: I see. And when you told me that I matter to you, that you were trying to protect me...? Vero just sortof shrugs. Well, that was also just part of the whole "show" we had prepared in advance, she tells him offhandedly. Gus is starting to buy into Vero's story, but isn't quite ready to give up: You slept with me because it was part of the "show"...? You sleep with anyone because it's part of the show, is that it? Is it? You sleep with any man in order to get information? Is that your life?? Qué decepción. ¡De verdad! Yo pensé que tú tenías dignidad. He unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the car, disgusted. He leans back in the open passenger-side window and orders her to keep away from Inés. As he turns to leave, his cel phone rings. He answers, somewhat curtly.

<Ex-Yellow Tie's kidnap storeroom / outside Vero's parked car>

Ex-Yellow Tie is on his cel phone again. He asks if he's speaking with Gustavo Velasco. When Gus apparently tells him yes, E-YT says, in a clear and threatening tone, to pay close attention to what he says if Gus ever wants to see his "Mamacita" again. E-YT crosses the room and holds the phone up to Mom, who is tied to a chair but not gagged. She says, Gustavo? Gus is momentarily stunned, then asks his mother where she is. She tells Gus not to come, her life isn't important. E-YT snatches the phone away and gets back on the line again. He tells Gus he has 20 minutes to get home. He'll find a letter with instructions in a drawer in his bedroom. If Gus speaks to the police, Mom will be killed. E-YT hangs up. Vero has already started to realize that something is very wrong and she quietly gets out of her car, but Gus hasn’t noticed. As soon as he realizes the connection has been terminated, he runs off, not hearing her call after him.

Esteban the Unstable (who in spite of being in boxing gloves and workout clothes has nevertheless managed to comb his hair somewhere on the short trip between the gym and the door!) bursts into the locker room, starting to strip off his boxing gloves and warning Marcela the Pushy, who has followed right on his heels, to stay out of it and not say ANYthing. He flops down onto one of the benches, looking aggrieved. She tells him to calm down and reminds him they're a team. What's the problem -- Gustavo Velasco again?? Standing behind him, she starts rubbing his shoulders in a decidedly more than friendly way, telling him he needs to relax -- he's so wound up right now he can't even think. She sinks down onto the bench behind him, and sortof half-hugs him as he just sighs heavily and grits his teeth in exasperation.

<Inés' bedroom>

Inés takes a whole bunch of clothes out of her closet and tosses them, hangers and all, onto an open suitcase on her bed. Sobbing a little bit, she takes some stuff out of a drawer and tosses it on top of the clothes before gracelessly plopping down onto the bed beside the pile. She picks up a pretty, decorated wooden box from the drawer, caresses it for a moment, then tosses it, too, onto the growing pile. Finally, she picks up a framed picture of Gustavo that was on her bedside table and sits looking at it, trying not to start crying again.

Establishing shot of nighttime traffic driving along some busy road somewhere. If we didn’t already know it was nighttime, we do now.

Chepe enters what looks like a small conference room, with Guy Cop Friend (the guy who was with Vero and Cop Girlfriend when Vero told them about her feelings for Gus) trailing behind him. Chepe asks a squad member, Chino, who has dark brown curly hair and a sortof goatee-beard thing, what's going on. Behind a glass window in another, smaller and darker room, we can see what appears to be Cop Girlfriend but may be Marcela the Pushy, wearing earphones and sitting in front of a big bank of security camera-type monitors, tape machines, etc. Chino tells Chepe that tapping Gustavo's cel phone turned out to be a good thing after all. GCF asks CGF to play back the bit they just recorded. Vero enters, unnoticed, in time to hear the whole of the conversation she had only heard part of on the street with Gustavo. She tells Chepe that she already knew about this as she was with Gustavo when he got the phone call. It’s clear Chepe wants to ask what she was doing with Gustavo, but he lets it go for the moment. GCF asks Chepe what he thinks, and he matter-of-factly replies, Van a matar los dos. Vero wordlessly shakes her head in dismay.

Gustavo rushes in, followed by AA Mateo and Tarta. He asks them if they were followed, or if they saw anything suspicious. They assure him they weren't / didn't, and ask him what's going on. Without answering, Gus asks where Grandma and Auntie Ditz are. A bit exasperated, Tarta tells him they don't know -- WHAT'S WRONG?? Gustavo sighs heavily and tells them Mom's been kidnapped.

Marcela the Pushy is sitting at the table while Esteban the Unstable, now freshly groomed and dressed in his street clothes, paces around restlessly. He tells MtP it really bothers him that Vero won't be straight with him. One day she wants one thing, the next she wants something else. He wants to beat the information out of her... Then he sighs and tells MtP he doesn't mean that --He's incapable of laying a hand on Vero. The truth is, he sees this whole 'Let’s give it some time' thing for what it is: A definite goodbye. He's lost Vero. And here he was thinking he was the only person who really knew her.... As EtU is saying this, he sits down at the table across from MtP, who has a longsuffering look on her face. As he starts to say, Vero’s very detailed, she's mysterious... MtP’s reached her limit. She interrupts him, telling him she doesn't want to hear any more about Vero. Putting one hand on top of his two clasped ones on the table she adds, You know I care about her but I just can't stand to see you like this. She invites EtU to talk about himself. EtP laughs a little and says, What can I tell you about myself? My life went to the dogs after Gustavo Velasco appeared. Annoyed, MtP can already see this is heading right back onto Vero. She tells EtP what he needs is some breathing room so he can get a fresh perspective. Smiling ingratiatingly she asks, ¿Por qué no me dejas intentarlo contigo...? EtU looks like he’s not quite sure what she’s talking about and asks, ¿Qué cosa? MtP: No sé. Lo que tú quieras. She adds that he knows perfectly well how she feels about him. But this promising conversation is interrupted by Chino, who tells them he's been looking for them everywhere. Chepe wants to see all of them. EtU and MtP follow him out.

Vero, nervously rubbing one hand against the other, tells a blatantly skeptical Chepe that she wants to take part in the operation with the team. Chepe: Is this why you resigned from the squad, Veronica? So you could come ask my permission to accompany us on our operations? I don't get what’s up with you... By the way, did you tell that girl the truth yet? Vero tells him she hasn't. He winces and rubs his forehead, then suggests that Vero take some vacation time, but she tells him she doesn't want some vacation time, she wants to be with them on the operation. Chepe sternly tells her they are not playing around -- she can't say yes one day and no the next. Vero finally gets to what really matters to her. She asks Chepe how he plans to handle this operation -- is he going to intervene, or is he thinking of going after the kidnappers without bothering about the lives of Gustavo and his mother? She asks Chepe to give her one reason why she can't go on the operation. Looking sternly at her, he says, Here you go: Your colleagues and I are no longer sure about you. You disobeyed a superior's order, as well as one of mine. You took off your microphone in the middle of an operation --supposedly to protect Gustavo-- and hid away with him in your father's country house... Vero tells Chepe not to go telling her stories. He knows perfectly well that that was to protect Gustavo. She adds that she would do so again, given the same situation. She pleads with Chepe to let her take part in the operation.

<Mom's house>

Gustavo points to a cel phone on the table and tells Tarta and AA Mateo that the kidnappers left it so they could communicate with him. Tarta asks what they're going to do and AA Mateo says, What do you mean, what are we going to do? Accept all their demands! We can't risk the life of Gustavo's mother! But Gustavo tells him they are not going to go along with the kidnappers' demands -- that would be like putting a pistol to his mother's head! Instead, they're going to take a gamble, and reject all demands. AA Mateo cannot agree with this, but Gus tells him he has a secret weapon the kidnappers don't know about. Giving in to them would only be asking for the kidnappers to kill all of them. He is just explaining how the old computer cassettes are his secret weapon when the kidnapperphone rings. Gus snatches it up and answers. In the same threatening voice as before, Ex-Yellow Tie starts to tell Gustavo to listen to him. But Gus interrupts, high-handedly telling E-YT No, you listen to me! He says he's got something E-YT's bosses would be very interested in having. E-YT asks Gustavo what he thinks he's playing at, does Gus want him to beat Mom up?? He gives Gus the lovely sound effect of him hitting some boxes with a nasty-looking iron bar, but Gustavo, although we can see it’s an effort, promptly hangs up on E-YT. E-YT stares at his phone in disbelief. Meanwhile, back at Mom's house, Tarta and AA Mateo frantically ask Gustavo what the hell he's doing. The kidnapperphone rings again and, frantically motioning for AA Mateo and Tarta to be quiet, Gustavo answers. E-YT snaps that Gustavo has just signed his mother's death warrant. Gustavo just hangs up again without rising to the bait or responding at all. Fortunately, E-YT can’t see how hard it was for him to do that.

<Ex-Yellow Tie's kidnapper storeroom>

Holding his flick-knife to her throat, Ex-Yellow Tie tells Mom that it'll be all Gustavo's fault if she dies, but we can see he’s thrown off his stride by Gustavo’s unexpected behavior. His cel phone rings. He answers, and though we don’t see who he’s talking to, it’s clear from his responses it’s his boss, Frosted Blond Bad Guy. He tells FBBG that Gustavo is not cooperating, and that he said he had something very important that FBBG would be interested in seeing. After getting some additional instructions, E-YT hangs up. Mom looks a bit worried.

<Mom's house>

Gustavo's nerves are at their limit with this gamble of his. The kidnapperphone rings yet again. Before Gus can answer, AA Mateo begs him to at least listen to what the kidnapper has to say. Gus takes the call and Ex-Yellow Tie, now speaking in a much more reasonable tone of voice, plunges right in. He tells Gus that his boss can't speak with Gus by phone. Gus caustically says Well, that's too bad for the boss then. E-YT hurries to tell Gus (before he can hang up again!) that his boss can meet with him in person. Gus knows this is a trap in the making. He tells E-YT he has a better idea: Tell your boss to meet me at this internet address I'm going to give you. E-YT scrambles to write down the address as Mom looks puzzled. Gus tells E-YT to tell his boss he'll expect to 'see' him within an hour on the 'net, and immediately hangs up. AA Mateo and Tarta tell Gus they sure hope he knows what he's doing, but Gus just says the countdown has started. (at this point, Gus starts to speak so quickly i'm not sure i understood everything, but here's what i think he said:). First, Gus tells AA Mateo to hit the streets, he wants to know EVERYthing that's going on, especially if it has to do with his family (or possibly he's asking AA Mateo to mobilize the barrio – i’m not sure). Then Gus sends Tarta off to get something(s) he's written down on a piece of paper. Tarta doesn't understand what it is (and i couldn't make out but half of what Gus said here, so neither did i...), but Gus tells him there's no time for explanations.

Chepe is mobilizing the A-Team for Operation Get Gustavo. He's telling them it's a payoff disguised as an exchange. If possible, the A-Team will intervene before the payoff can take place, but they will need to work quickly and precisely. A cutaway shot to his audience --Chino, Esteban the Unstable, Marcela the Pushy and Cop Guy Friend-- would seem to indicate that Chepe has denied Vero permission to participate. Chepe hands out assignments, telling Chino to get to the barrio and check in every three minutes; Gabriel (formerly Guy Cop Friend) is to organize an intervention team with five of his best men; and he wants Marcela the Pushy to get the phone records for all calls to and from the Velasco house, as well as (i think he said), and as soon as possible, the signals of any cel phones there. He tells the four squad members he doesn't want them to be distracted from their missions for ANYthing -- not even to go to the bathroom. Vero walks in just at this moment, which reminds Chepe to inform the team that Veronica will be part of the operation. MtP rolls her eyes.

<Suzy's apartment/Mom's house>

Suzy is at her computer, which we can see has all the toys including a video camera attachment and everything. Her computer "rings," and she picks up a little microphone sort of thing and answers happily, Gustavo? Gustavo, talking via his own spiffy laptop and video attachment, tells her he knew she'd be online at this time. He needs to ask her a favor. She tells him she's been really worried since the last time she heard from him, what's going on with him? Gustavo asks if she downloaded the files and she confirms that she did. She adds that she doesn't think they're going to be much help though, because they're all really old and the encodings are really strange. Where did he steal them from anyway, NASA or something? What's in them? Gus tells Suzy it's better she doesn't know -- the information is very dangerous and the less she knows about it, the better. He's just looking out for her (i would comment on the inherent contradiction here, but it's probably better to just let it go...). Suzy asks if this is some kind of a joke, but Gustavo assures her he's completely serious. He adds that if she hasn't heard from him by 10 tomorrow morning, he wants her to get that information to the FBI, the DEA, the CIA... all the authorities. Suzy's starting to get really worried now and again asks if he's serious. How important is this information? Gus tells her his mother's life depends on it, as well as his own life, and that of everyone else's. It's very serious. He tells her he has to go but will be in touch tomorrow. She wants him to stay on the line a bit longer, it's been ages since she talked with him, but he almost desperately tells her not to try to call him, not to look for him, not to ask around about him, nothing. And if he doesn't get in touch by tomorrow at 10a, to do what he's asked. It's very serious. Suzy says in a resigned tone that she hopes some day he'll tell her what this was all about. Gus replies that one day he'd love to tell her all about this. Just as they've signed off, Auntie Ditz comes in, startling Gustavo. He hastily closes his computer, telling her he’s just been doing some accounting for the business. Auntie Ditz is looking for Mom, since apparently they were supposed to get together. Gus tells her Mom's not home; Auntie Ditz wants to know where Mom is.

Daddy Dearest and his Protagonistas de Novelas winner henchman are walking along next to a stone wall that looks sortof like the wall of the fortress where all the Bad Guy Big Shots had their meeting yesterday. PdNWH asks DD why, if this guy Gustavo Velasco is giving them so much trouble, they don't just shoot him. DD essentially tells him, Don't worry, all in good time. When he sees Frosted Blond Bad Guy approach, DD sends PdNWH off to get some sleep. FBBG tells DD that Gus is getting up to something strange. He says Gus says he has something we'd be interested in and he wants to 'meet' with us online at an internet site. DD dismisses this, saying Gus is just trying to buy time, it's nothing. Just shoot the mother in the head. But FBBG thinks they shouldn't be so hasty, or underestimate Gus. The two men go inside what appears to be a residence attached to the wall.

<Mom's house>

Auntie Ditz doesn't know about the kidnap and Gustavo is trying to keep her from finding out. But she's asking all sorts of questions and getting suspicious when Gus keeps dodging giving her a straight answer. Gus finally manages to get rid of her by telling her AA Mateo wants her to come over. Although Auntie Ditz still kinda suspects something is up, Gus manages to convince her all is well – she and Mom must’ve just gotten their signals crossed is all. Just as he's finally gotten her to leave, his computer starts to “ring.” He rushes back over and opens it up again.

<Mom's house / FBBG's study (?)>

Gus sees a message flashing on his computer, asking if he wants to accept the incoming call. He does, and speaks into what looks like a voice distorter (no videophone connection this time!). He addresses his caller as "Sagitario" and FBBG and DD both are unpleasantly surprised to realize the caller somehow knows FBBG’s code name. FBBG adds in an aside that he'd told DD that "este tipo es muy brillante" (he did? when??). Gus continues, saying he wants them to come to an agreement. FBBG asks if DD wants him to respond, and DD, already clutching the microphone, tells him yes, but to first activate their own distorter. DD demands to know who he's talking to and what Gus wants. Gus replies that DD already knows who he is, he's Gustavo Velasco, the son of Domingo Velasco. You remember -- the guy you guys killed? But perhaps you didn't know that the Godfather --who you guys also killed-- was my godfather, and before you killed him he left me an inheritance. $500,000 dollars cash and some very valuable information in which I think you will be very interested: The whole operating system of the Gulf Cartel, to which I believe you belong. I think this information would be of great interest to the DEA or the CIA or the FBI, don't you? DD tells Gustavo he wants proof -- what Gus is saying is simply impossible and he thinks Gus is only trying to buy himself some time. Well, too bad -- your mother... Gustavo interrupts, telling DD to just look at his monitor, as he taps some keys to send a little sample of the old computer files. FBBG and DD are surprised and dismayed to see what pops up on their own monitor. Gus smoothly informs them he’s got the rest of the information –and there is a lot of it-- very well hidden. DD asks Gus what he wants, and Gus offers him a fair trade: His (Gus’) silence, the computer cassettes, and the $500,000 cash in exchange for the lives of his mother, himself, and all his people. DD tells Gus to wait to hear from him, and breaks the connection.

Marcela the Pushy tells Chepe and the team that the connection was terminated, it was a conversation via the internet on a secure line. Gustavo Velasco is a hacker. Chepe says they'll just have to wait. Vero suggests that if Gus is getting phone calls from a cel that isn't his, why don't they use triangulation to find it and intercept the calls? Chepe orders MtP to get right on that. Gabriel enters to tell them that Chino has reported in from the barrio saying there's a lot of (?something? maybe activity?) going on there -- something is definitely going to happen. Chepe tells them they'll just have to be patient, and strategize.

Daddy Dearest wants to know how the Godfather came to have all this information, but FBBG reminds him that the Godfather was their accountant and so of course he was intimately familiar with all the details of the Narcos organization. He’d been betraying them from the beginning, but they didn't realize it until it was too late. In a bit of a snit, DD tells FBBG if he'd only done what he'd been told, "este tipo" (he points with a shaking finger at the computer) would be dead already. Now we have to figure out a way to get rid of him. FBBG merely remarks that it's too late now. They're in Gus' hands for the moment, and look at all the information he has.

Random shots of traffic moving along in bright daylight tell us it's now morning.

<Mom's house>

Gus paces around drinking coffee and staring at the kidnapperphone as if willing it to ring.

There's a pan of Vero, still clad in "Cíntia's" clothes from yesterday, fast asleep on one of the benches. Esteban the Unstable comes in (also still wearing yesterday's clothes, tho they look way too crisp, as if they were just pressed). He sees Vero, takes his jacket out of his locker, and spreads it over her shoulders. As she sortof snuggles into it, he crouches down next to her, regarding her almost wistfully as she sleeps.

the rest of Wednesday's ep. (rest of summary 05.28.03) Author: B. Date: 05-30-03 02:02 PDT

**SINCE I HAVE JUST DISCOVERED THE A-TEAM IS OFFICIALLY CALLED “LA BRIGADA OMEGA,” I'M CHANGING THEIR NAME TO THE O-TEAM.**

<Mom's house>

Father Anselmo strides in. He tells Gus "they've" already told him what's going on and he wants to help. But he's not there as a priest; he's there as a resident of the barrio. He will do everything in his power to help get Mom back safely. Gus thanks him sincerely.

Chino is reporting in to Chepe, as ordered, from his post across the street from Mom's front door. He tells Chepe that there's a lot of activity at the house -- there's even a priest there. Chepe remarks to no-one in particular that the priest is Gus' uncle, and orders Chino to stay put -- the exchange has got to be happening soon.

<Mom's house>

Gus is coming out of the kitchen with a mug of coffee for Father Anselmo, who is seated at the table. FA listens intently as Gus tells him he can't tell him anything because he doesn't want to put him in danger as well. FA asks if Auntie Ditz knows anything, but Gus says no, he didn't want to tell her; she's at AA Mateo's. Briskly, Gus explains that once Mom has been let go, AA Mateo is going to contact FA at the church. He asks FA to do him a favor: He writes down Suzy's phone number in San Diego and gives it to FA, explaining that she's a friend who has some information he sent her. Gus wants FA to call Suzy and explain to her that he wants her to send that information to an e.mail address he also writes down. Gus stresses to FA that it's very important that she do this as soon as she gets FA's call, but nothing more. FA says Gustavo can count on him. Gus tells FA not to worry; he got his mother into this problem, and he's going to get her out of it. As he's saying this, the kidnapperphone rings.

<Mom's House / Frosted Blond Bad Guy's study>

Ex-Yellow Tie tells Gustavo that "Sagitario" has agreed to negotiate with him. Gus says, Right. Follow these instructions which I am going to give you, write them down. Once again, Gus has managed to disconcert E-YT, who faintly says, ¡¿Qué?! and, covering the mouthpiece of his phone, turns to consult with Frosted Blond Bad Guy and Daddy Dearest, who are sitting at the other end of the room. Seeing E-YT approach, DD impatiently asks, Well? E-YT’s attitude is all servile, shuffling feet, bowed head, with his cel phone standing in for the hat-in-hand. E-YT tells DD and FBBG that he's sorry, but "ese imbécil" is dictating terms and says he's going to tell them where to hand over “la ‘ñora.” FBBG looks intrigued with this development and seems to be giving it some consideration, but DD doesn't want to be bothered. He pushes a piece of paper toward E-YT, telling him in a dismissive tone that that's fine and to write down the address. DD slumps back in his seat in annoyance; clearly, he just wants this over with already so he can get to the killing and setting up his Narco dream organization. E-YT busily writes in a notebook as Gustavo instructs him, My mother has to be there before 10a. If not, the information [from the computer cassettes] will go to all the major news media outlets around the world. Once I've verified that my mother is safe and sound, I will get in touch with you. Gus hangs up without letting E-YT say anything. As soon as he does so, Gus seems to brace himself for a moment --he knows he has to play this just right-- but then he quickly assures FA again not to worry, all will be well. Just then, Tarta runs in, very out of breath. Gus asks about AA Mateo, and is told, between gasps, that AA Mateo's done everything -- the market, everything. Then Gus asks Tarta if he was able to get everything [he'd asked for] and Tarta pants Yes, everything's all ready. Gus slings a large canvas carryall and his jacket over his shoulder, telling FA he needs him to do another favor: I'm sure my cel phone has been tapped, Gus says briskly. Loan me yours. Besides, AA Mateo is supposed to call me on this phone. Wish me luck, ok? FA stands and gives Gus a big hug, and then Gus quickly strides out. FA and Tarta exchange a long glance, and Tarta sortof shrugs.

As Gustavo climbs onto his motorcycle and zooms away, Chino reports in and says he's going to tail him.

Esteban the Unstable gently shakes Veronica's shoulder, calling her name to wake her. She sits up and apologizes, sleepily rubbing her face and telling him she was fast asleep... EtU tells Vero that they have to hurry -- Velasco is on the move.

Daddy Dearest is pacing around restlessly while Frosted Blond Bad Guy is perched quite casually on the edge of his desk. He's so calm, and DD so on edge, it's almost as if their positions have reversed themselves overnight and FBBG is now the Big Cheese. DD tells FBBG that when someone agrees to negotiate they are showing weakness. FBBG asks DD, Well, what else can we do, then? DD is still trying to convince himself that he doesn't need to negotiate with Gus, and he snaps that he's sure Gustavo doesn't have any more information than just the little bit he'd already shown them -- there's just no way he could have more. Gus is just trying to force them to reveal themselves. FBBG sees through DD's unexpressed request for reassurance but doesn't want to play along, so he replies, So we risk ourselves, then? Is that what you want to do?? DD doesn't bother replying and FBBG continues, pointing out that even with just that little bit of information, Gustavo already has more than enough -- he has the general outline of the organization. And who knows what other information Godfather left to Gus? DD snarls that he can't believe Gus has gotten the upper hand on them this way. Interested, FBBG asks DD why he hates Gustavo so much. Gus is much more useful to them alive than dead. Anyone would say it was personal between the two of them! But even though FBBG is his right-hand man, DD cannot tell FBBG the real reason he hates Gus, so he snaps out a diversionary excuse: Of course it's personal! Don't you get it that he wants us to reveal ourselves? FBBG tells DD to calm down and leave it to him. Everyone has a price, he assures DD. Gustavo's may be high, but we won't regret it. Ex-Yellow Tie comes back and walks straight over to address himself to FBBG. While DD continues to fidget moodily on the other side of the room, E-YT leans over next to FBBG's ear and does what has to be the worst job of pretending to say something in a low voice into that ear that I think I have *ever* seen --complete with random arm motions for emphasis and everything!-- then immediately turns and leaves again. After his henchman is out of the room, FBBG again reminds DD: It's as I told you. This Gustavo is a computer genius -- he is worth much more to us alive than dead. DD just glares at him, though you can tell he's been given some food for thought.

Gustavo strides into view and stops to check his watch. Just then he notices a black town car followed by a black SUV come swooping up to a nearby curb and stop. Both vehicles appear to have people sitting in all the seats. Gustavo quickly darts over and hides behind a shop wall, cautiously poking his head out to keep an eye on them.

We see Mom sitting in the back seat of the NarcoSUV, Narco Lieutenant sitting next to her. She looks very nervous and scared. NL threatens her with a gun and tells her not to make one false move. She wordlessly shakes her head. Carefully, NL and assorted Narco Underlings get out of the NarcoSUV, nervously followed by Mom. As the NUs take up flanking positions clustered around Mom, NL stations himself just behind and to one side of Mom so he can ensure her cooperation by means of the gun he has firmly pressed into her side above one kidney. The NUs all have their right hands stuck awkwardly inside their suit coats like a posse of goonish Napoleons, and it’s wicked obvious they’re prepared to draw their own guns at the slightest provocation. The little group appears to be approaching some sort of shop entrance. Gus watches from behind his wall, unseen by the NUs, and as soon as he sees his mother he calls AA Mateo, who appears to be in some sort of indoor Farmer's Market-type place filled with small shops and stalls selling food and knick-knacks. As Gus tells AA Mateo that Mom has just arrived, we see the O-Team's white Stealthvan race up and pull into a position across the street (by the way, i can't help commenting: the NarcoSUV is black... the Stealthvan is white! puh-leeze!!). Inside the Stealthvan, the O-Team --now all kitted out in their black special ops gear—listen in as Gustavo asks if AA Mateo can see the NUs and Mom. Unable to keep the relief out of his voice, AA Mateo tells Gus yes, he can see them. Gus says, OK, in half an hour, call my uncle -- he knows what to do. We stick to the plan. Gustavo hangs up and quickly heads off down the street as, inside the Stealthvan, Vero looks a little confused and asks, And where is Gustavo? No-one answers; Esteban the Unstable just stares at her moodily.

As the Narcos and Mom warily advance further into the market, AA Mateo leaves his post some ways ahead of them and, picking up Tarta from a secondary post, quickly heads off down the hall past more stalls. He tells Tarta they should get closer to the exit -- there's more people there. Finally, as the Narcos and Mom approach one stall, AA Mateo steps out from a recess and confronts the little group. Mom says his name in a scared, disbelieving voice. Narco Lieutenant warns Mom not to move. AA Mateo tells the Narcos to let him have Mom. NL demands to know where Gustavo is, just is as his cel phone starts to ring. He answers it with his free hand: It's Gustavo calling. He tells NL to release Mom, but NL says he won't until he has the money, and Gus. Gus says, Aquí estoy, and the NL looks around until he sees Gus standing just outside of the exit, his arms well away from his sides to show he's unarmed. Seeing him, NL shoves Mom toward AA Mateo and charges past them to nab Gustavo before he can escape. Some of the NUs follow him, but the rest apparently stay behind to recapture Mom (and get AA Mateo as a bonus!). However, Tarta suddenly pops up in front of them and gets in their way, asking them for spare change, and AA Mateo and Mom hurry to make their getaway. The NUs angrily push past Tarta and head off after their quarry. Outside on the sidewalk, NL and the other two NUs converge on Gustavo, who now has his hands high in the air, waiting for them. The Narcos take Gus prisoner and march him off at gunpoint toward the NarcoSUV. Back inside, Tarta runs to catch up to, then pushes his way past, the NUs there, who cannot draw their guns lest they cause a panic. As soon as he gets around them, Tarta deliberately pulls a tray loaded with produce off a nearby stall display counter in such a way that it falls on top of him. He immediately jumps back up, acting as if the NUs had purposely shoved him into the display. Tarta starts yelling that these guys tried to kill him and I can't tell what-all else. A girl screams, and people in other stalls start craning their necks to see what all the fuss is. A bunch of people converge on the scene to join the fray, and Tarta keeps yelling and jumping and attracting more attention, making people think there’s a fight going on. He pulls down some more merchandise from other stalls, just for good measure. Soon the NUs are hopelessly trapped in the mini-riot Tarta has started.

The O-Team watches as Narco Lieutenant and the two Narco Underlings march Gustavo up to the NarcoSUV and force him inside. Gabriel comments, somewhat admiringly, that Gustavo sure has guts, exchanging himself for his mother. Vero says, a hint of desperation in her voice, Let's go! Let's go after him! Esteban the Unstable says ponderously that they (the O-Team) have to arrive before the Narcos do, and tells the driver to follow the NarcoSUV.

AA Mateo pulls Mom into a hiding place that appears to be behind one of the stalls. They crouch there together. Mom is desperately worried about Gustavo, and she realizes that he exchanged himself for her. AA Mateo tells Mom everything will be ok, have faith in him. She clings to AA Mateo, and he kisses her reassuringly on various parts of her face. Then as soon as he hears that the fracas is moving away from the stall they're hiding behind, he tells Mom they have to go. Sure enough, the mob seems to all be heading off down the main hall in one direction, and Tarta is at the back of the pack, sporadically egging them on for good measure. AA Mateo and Mom quickly make their escape in the other direction, while Tarta stays on as backup, to make sure no-one sees the couple leave.

AA Mateo quickly helps Mom into the back seat of his car, an unremarkable dark-colored sedan of some sort, and tells her to lie down so she can't be seen. He needs to make a call to Father Anselmo. He gets into the driver's seat and quickly drives off.

Gus is leading Narco Lieutenant and a gang of some half-dozen or so heavily-armed Narco Underlings through a junkyard, looking for a particular spot. The O-Team is also there, skulking around following them, trying to see what's going on and anticipate Gus and the Narcos’ next move. Gus finally stops and enters the husk of what looks like a city bus. The NL and a couple of NUs enter with him. Gus casually picks up the canvas carryall from one of the seats near the back and shows it to the NL, saying, Aquí está el dinero. The NL demands Gustavo show the cash to him, so Gustavo unzips the bag and dumps the bundles of bills into some sort of round metal canister that’s conveniently sitting on the floor near what used to be the back exit of the bus. Meanwhile, Vero and Esteban the Unstable stealthily join another O-Team member (Chino?) in the shell of another large former passenger vehicle. Chino? has sort of sniper's rifle thing trained --presumably-- on the NL; EtU has his trusty Magnum-type automatic and is looking a bit unhappy (i originally thought this was because he didn't know what was going on, but now i'm nearly certain this is because of the way Vero is acting...), and Vero is packing a smaller automatic. She stares --again, presumably-- toward the ex-bus where Gus and the Narcos are, puzzled and worried; all her focus is clearly on Gus and what might be happening to him -- she seems to be only barely aware that EtU, never mind the other team member, are there with her. Back inside the ex-bus, NL tells Gus that something's missing -- he's supposed to hand over some computer disks, too. Gus says, very casually, Oh, yeah, you're quite right, as he tosses away the now-empty canvas bag and turns around as if to pick up the cassettes from somewhere behind him. But, he continues in a casual tone, that will have to wait. With his back still to NL, Gus quickly pulls a lighter from his pocket and sets one last bundle of money alight. He turns back and tosses it into the can with the rest of the money, which immediately bursts into flame. Gus hastily dives for the open back door of the ex-bus as flames shoot up everywhere and the canister seems to explode. NL and the NUs that were on the bus are too stunned to react so quickly, but are soon driven back toward the driver’s seat by the blasts and flames; one NU's coat catches on fire. The rapidly-spreading fire forces the three to retreat out a hole near where the driver's seat used to be and now the flaming hulk of the ex-bus is between Gus and the Narcos. The first explosion seems to set off a chain reaction, and soon the whole ex-bus, as well as several other large pieces of adjacent junk, are all well ablaze. Something that appears to be several stories high collapses into the fire as well, and it’s clear there will be no getting around the burning mass. The force of the earlier blasts catches up with Gustavo as he is making his escape from the ex-bus, and it throws him over the roof of a nearby ex-car with no wheels; he sortof rolls down the far side and takes cover by lying flat, face-down on the ground next to the car, his hands protecting the back of his head. The blasts also knock over the rest of the NUs. The O-Team guys, who are all further away, don't seem to know what to make of this turn of events. Vero reacts first, murmuring Gustavo's name and dashing away to go look for him. Esteban the Unstable tries to stop her and when she doesn't listen, he heads off after her, telling Chino to stay on guard where he is. NL and the NUs start to pick themselves up off the ground and brush themselves off. NL is royally pissed off. He speed-dials Frosted Blond Bad Guy and yells that Gus didn't live up to his part of the bargain: He didn't hand over the computer cassettes AND he burned all the money. As soon as DD hears from FBBG that Gus burned a half million dollars, he completely loses it and orders Gus killed. DD and FBBG are both in a fury. FBBG repeats the order to NL, who calls to the NUs. They are frustrated to discover they can't get around the fire to go look for Gus.

Meanwhile, Vero is cop-cautiously sneaking closer and closer toward Gus’ side of the conflagration. She stops beside yet another large ex-vehicle of some sort to look ahead before proceeding, and sees Gustavo lying motionless next to the ex-car (props to the costume/makeup department, by the way -- Gustavo was convincingly dirty. He really did look like he'd been blown over a car and rolled in the dirt, and in the earlier scene, Tarta really did look as if he'd been running. a nice change, since usually novela makeup people can't seem to bear more than one hair out of place...!).. Vero runs over to Gus, calling his name in an urgent undertone. He rolls over and half-sits up, and doesn't look happy to see her. Gustavo, por Dios, ¡¿estás loco?! ¡¿Qué es lo que quieres -- que te maten, o qué?! Gus: ¡¿Qué estás haciendo aquí?! ¡Vete! She says no, he desperately tells her Yes!!. If they realize you're here with me they'll kill my mother and they'll kill me! Leave, please!!! Vero tells him she's sorry, but she not leaving without him. What's more, the O-Team is there with her. Gus is desperate. He insists she order the O-Team to leave with her immediately or the Narcos will kill him. Leave!! Vero stubbornly insists she is not going anywhere. Gus, frantically: ¿No [era] que no te importaba mi vida no [era] que no te importaba nada? -- entonces ¡vete! ¡¡Vete!! She stares at him without saying anything. He smacks the car in frustration and again half-orders, half-begs her to leave, please!! but their argument is interrupted by one of the NUs, who has somehow found a way around the fire. He has a big ol' nasty-looking machine gun sort of thing, and he points it at both of them, telling them the game is over and they're going to die. Vero gapes at the guy (somehow i don't think she ever even considered the NUs might find them, or maybe she’d forgotten they were even there!). Gus immediately puts up his hands, and annoyed look on his face.

Thursday's -- complete (summary 05.29.03) Author: B. Date: 05-31-03 01:54 PDT

i've been a bit busy the past several evenings and so have gotten behind on the summaries. i'll try to get to Friday's tomorrow...

previouslies:

*Gus asks Vero if her life consists of sleeping with people to get information.

*Suzy asks herself what kind of mess Gus is getting her into.

*Gustavo tells Tarta and AA Mateo that Mom’s been kidnapped.

*Ex-Yellow Tie tells Mom it'll be all Gustavo's fault if she dies.

*Gustavo tells Daddy Dearest and "Sagitario" a/k/a Frosted Blond Bad Guy that the sample he's sent them is just a small part of the information he has. Gus tells them he wants to negotiate.

*Gus shows himself to the Narco kidnappers who have his Mom.

*Gabriel comments to the O-Team that Gustavo has a lot of guts to exchange himself for his mother; Vero urges the team to go after him.

*Gus shows the money to Narco Lieutenant by pouring it into a metal container as the O-Team takes up positions around a junkyard.

this episode starts with a repeat of the last few scenes from the previous episode, beginning with the part where Narco Lieutenant demands the rest of the stuff they were promised, i.e., the computer cassettes, and instead Gustavo lights the money on fire and sets off a series of explosions. so, to save time i'm going to skip ahead to the part where the new material begins...

The Narco Underling has his big ol' gun trained on Gus and Vero, and they start to stand up as if to surrender. But even before they finish standing, Esteban the Unstable Calvary has ridden to the rescue: He sneaks up on the NU from behind and disposes of him, supposedly by breaking his neck (altho if that *is* what that was meant to be, he should take some lessons from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel people -- they do it a LOT better...). Gustavo, his hands still in the air, sinks back down onto the ground, his back against the car, shaken. He finally puts his hands down once he realizes EtU doesn't appear as if he's going to arrest him; Vero quickly crouches down next to Gustavo. After appropriating the (dead?) NU’s big ol' fun for himself, EtUC comes and crouches on the other side of Gus, who watches him warily.

Meanwhile, over on the other side of the conflagration, Narco Lieutenant continues to order the rest of the Narco Underlings to go after Gus. Unfortunately for them, they still can't get around the fire.

Back at the car, Esteban the Unstable Calvary asks Gus what the hell he thinks he was doing. Gus just wants to know why the O-Team guys are there. Gus heatedly tells them he knows exactly what's he's doing, and begs EtUC and Vero to pack up the team and leave -- otherwise the Narcos are going to think it's an ambush and they'll kill his mother. Since he didn't get anywhere with Vero on this point before the Narco Underling discovered them, Gus mostly addresses his comments to EtUC. But he has no better luck on that front either: EtUC firmly tells Gus they aren't going to leave. As Gus slumps against the car, clutching his head in frustration, EtUC continues, asking sarcastically, You think those guys are going to let you live? For once, Vero agrees with EtUC. Getting more and more frantic, Gustavo continues to insist he knows what he's doing and plead with them to leave, until EtUC flatly states that he's in charge and things will be done his way. Gus is frustrated. Vero tells Gus not to do anything foolish. EtUC stands up and aims his confiscated big ol' gun toward the conflagration, but Gus hastily pulls him back down, telling EtuC he can't let the Narcos see him.

Father Anselmo is in his church, waiting anxiously by the phone for AA Mateo’s call. He snatches it up as soon as it rings. AA Mateo tells FA that Mom is at home, safe and sound, but Gus had to give himself up in her place. Although they don’t know how he’s doing, they have to stick to Gus’ plan. FA tells him he understands and they hang up. FA searches for the paper Gus gave him, and calls Suzy, who is also pacing around her apartment, looking restlessly at her watch. FA identifies himself and explains he’s Gustavo’s uncle. He tells Suzy Gus needs her to do him a favor. She replies that she was about to send the information to all the newspapers – is that what Gus wants her to do? FA tells her no, he wants her to send it to this e.mail address he's going to give her instead, but she has to do it immediately.

<Mom’s house>

Auntie Ditz listens nervously as Mom bawls out AA Mateo for letting Gus exchange himself for her. AA Mateo tries to tell Mom that Gus knows what he’s doing, but she snaps that all she knows is, if anything happens to Gus it’ll be AA Mateo’s fault. Auntie Ditz tells Mom not to be so unfair – it’s not AA Mateo’s fault, while AA Mateo tells Tarta to check out the barrio to be sure all is OK, and to tell “los niños” (? Gus’ gang?) to be on the lookout. As Tarta leaves, Inés comes rushing in. She wants to know if it’s true that Mom was kidnapped and if she’s alright. Then she asks after Gustavo, and is shocked to find out he exchanged himself for Mom. They’re waiting to hear from Gus now. Inés is further shocked to find out they haven’t told the police, but AA Mateo explains that those were Gustavo’s orders. Gus has a plan and they’re going to follow it faithfully.

On the Narco side of the fire, Narco Lieutenant gets a call from Daddy Dearest, wanting to know if Gustavo is dead yet. NL explains not yet, but there’s no way Gustavo can escape. He says he’ll call as soon as the deed is done. But frustration has made DD particularly bloodthirsty and he insists that NL keep the line open so he can savor every moment as they find Gustavo and he realizes he will die. DD’s fury knows no bounds, and he indulges himself in a serious rant, listing all the many ways he wants Gus to be killed, and to suffer before he dies. Knowing he can’t get at Gustavo until the fire dies down, NL finds himself in a quandry. He shouts to the Narco Underlings not to let Gus escape, then shouts to Gustavo that he’s a dead man. He and the NUs start randomly firing their guns – i guess they’re hoping they get lucky. and if not, at least they can make it sound good for DD.

In their positions scattered around the junkyard, the various members of the O-Team hear the shots. They radio Esteban the Unstable that they're in position, and EtU says they’re to start firing as soon as he gives them the word. He heads off to find his own position as Gustavo unsuccessfully tries to detain him, repeating for the upteenth time the Narcos will kill his mother. Some of the Narco Underlings must’ve caught a glimpse of movement around the car Gus, Vero, and EtU have been hiding behind, because they suddenly seem to target the car. Although they are more or less protected by the body of the car itself, Gus still tries to protect Vero using his own body as a shield for her head and neck as the Narcos shoot out the windows. Vero is still holding her gun, and *i think* fires off several shots behind and above her, but if so they are completely at random, since she is keeping her head down and face turned away. (in fact, she keeps her gun like that pretty much through the rest of this scene – arm fully extended up and out to one side, while rarely if ever looking in the direction her gun is actually pointed. it’s pretty ridiculous, really.) Still, since EtU hasn’t ordered the team to shoot, they appear to have held their fire for the moment. After a few more shots from the Narco side, things seem to die down for a moment and EtU returns to the car. He tells Gus he doesn’t care what Gus thinks, he’s going to order the team to take out the Narcos. Gus, his desperation lending him ferocity, demands that EtU give him two minutes – just two minutes.

Daddy Dearest is leaning on a chair back, waiting, but straightens up and hurries over to the desk when Frosted Blond Bad Guy tells him they have a an e.mail message that appears to be from Gustavo. They open it up, and an .mpg starts to play. They and we see VideoGustavo’s sardonic half-smile looking out. Holding up one of the computer cassettes, he reminds his audience that they already know the computer cassettes contain basic information about the layout of their organization and its ties to other mafias and suborned government officials. He’s sending them another little sample of the information he has in his possession, and he hits a key on his keyboard. Immediately, several new windows pop up, displaying more information of the sort we saw in the first snippet, only this time the astrological sign used is Scorpio. FBBG and DD watch in grim silence.

Esteban the Unstable has apparently granted Gustavo his two minutes, and is crouched down, intently observing Gus and Vero. Vero has decided to assume a rather more useful stance (she is now crouching facing the car, holding her gun in both hands in front of her, although she keeps an eye out so other Narcos can’t sneak up on them again). Gus checks his watch, then looks yearningly at Vero. She meets his gaze for the briefest of moments, then looks away, a slightly stricken look on her face. EtU notices this and it looks like he's not happy to see it.

<FBBG’s study>

The other pop-up windows with information have closed, and VideoGus continues, But this isn’t everything... Obviously the most compromising information –information with which I could completely dismantle your entire Cartel— well, I’ve got that very well hidden. So, let’s negotiate: I want this information to be like a life insurance policy, with broad coverage not only for me, but my whole family... <Frosted Blond Bad Guy looks mildly amused, but Daddy Dearest grins broadly and snorts in derision. FBBG gives him a quick sideways glance that tries, but fails, to quell DD's amusement.> ...In other words, VideoGus continues, if anything should happen to me, my family, the neighbor’s cat, a cousin, a friend, whoever –this information will go to the world’s principal media outlets. VideoGus smiles briefly and concludes: You decide. The window closes. FBBG sits back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. DD looks mockingly at the computer screen.

Vero is still crouched with her gun in front of her in both hands, although she has turned her back to Gus so she can better watch her side of the perimeter. His head in one hand, Gus again checks his watch with an air of desperation, then looks ahead, waiting. EtU is still intently observing Gus and clutching his appropriated big ol' gun.

<FBBG’s study>

Daddy Dearest continues to insist that Gustavo is playing with them. Frosted Blond Bad Guy points out that Godfather could very well have bequeathed to Gus all the information Gus claims to have. DD dismissively says that the bits of information Gus has sent are not enough to be compromising. He’s certain Gus doesn’t have any more. All Gus wants is to see who they (FBBG and DD) are. Somewhat heatedly, FBBG asks if DD is willing to take that risk. Apparently not, for, with a disgusted snort, DD picks up the phone and dials a number.

Narco Lieutenant and the Narco Underlings seems to have finally found a way around the fire, so he is surprised when Daddy Dearest tells him to get his men out of there. They are not to so much as touch Gustavo Velasco. NL tells all the Narco Underlings to put away their weapons, then shouts out to Gustavo that he’s free, without apparently realizing that Gus is crouched down not 5 yards away on the other side of the car. Gustavo starts to stand up, and in an urgent undertone Vero asks him what the hell he thinks he’s doing. Gus crouches back down again and, holding up an admonishing finger for emphasis, tells Vero and Esteban the Unstable that he knows what he’s doing. He doesn’t want the Narcos to see Vero, EtU and the rest of the O-Team, so they are to wait and leave only after he leaves and the Narcos have also left. Holding his hands in the air, Gus stands up and shows himself to the Narcos. He walks around the car toward the gangsters, telling them he’s unarmed. Vero cautiously moves so that she can watch what’s going on through the shattered glass of one of the car’s windows. None of the Narcos seem to notice her. Narco Lieutenant has clearly been instructed to hand his phone to Gus once he’s approached, and he does so. Gus takes it and says, Sagitario, you and I are businessmen. Let’s have peace, ok? Daddy Dearest stays on the line for a moment, then without saying a word, he cuts the connection. NL’s phone conveniently makes a little ringing sound when the connection is cut so he knows his boss doesn’t have further instructions for him right now. He holds out his hand to take back the phone and Gus makes as if to give it to him, then drops it. He apologizes and says, I’m going already, relax -- I’m going!, as, hands still in the air, he backs around the various Narco Underlings. They let him. Once he’s on the other side of them, he sprints away. NL snatches his phone up off the ground and they all stare after Gus. Still hidden behind the car, Esteban the Unstable and Vero exchange puzzled glances, then go back to observing the Narcos.

<FBBG’s study>

Daddy Dearest is sternly lecturing Frosted Blond Bad Guy about how nobody burns half a million dollars, mocks them, and threatens them, and then just walks away. FBBG laughs sardonically laughs and points out that that’s exactly what Gus just did do. I’m telling you, he adds, we need to get this guy on our side! But DD isn’t having any part of that. He states that he doesn’t want Gustavo anywhere near him. He’s going to bury Gustavo. He’s already killed Gus’ father, and he can kill Gus any time he feels like it, he announces. FBBG remorselessly stomps on DD’s posturing: No! For the moment you can’t even touch him. Give me a few a few hours to at least find out if he’s telling us the truth. And remember – don’t even touch him!! DD nearly chokes, but he knows FBBG is right.

Crestfallen, the Narcos make their way out of the junkyard. Esteban the Unstable orders Chino and the rest of the team to follow them. Veronica, too, is starting to walk away. EtU says, ¡Veronica! She pauses and, holstering her gun, waits for whatever he’s going to say but without turning around. Her face has something of a “Now what?” expression, tho of course EtU can’t see that since she still has her back to him. Vero turns her head slightly, as if telling him she’s ready to listen, and he asks, ¿Lo admiras? She stays in that pose for a moment after hearing his quiet question, then faces forward again, takes a resolute breath, and continues on her way without answering him. EtU looks after her, and we can tell from the look on his face as he watches her walk away that he knows he’s lost her.

Inés is leaning up against the wall next to Mom's front door her arms crossed, waiting. Gus zooms up on his bike, parks it, removes his helmet, and dismounts. In a brisk tone, Inés asks if he’s alright. He tells her yes and approaches her, asking how she is. She whisks herself away from him, saying she can’t believe that they kidnapped Mom and the whole barrio was helping Gus and she didn’t even know. Her tone and attitude indicate that she’s blaming him for this. He asks what she could have done anyway and while she acknowledges there’s nothing she could have done, at least it would have made her feel like she’s a part of his life. Gus insists that she does form a part of his life but she dismisses that, saying she’s already realized she doesn’t. She bitterly adds that he doesn’t need to keep humiliating her (? i’m not sure that was the word – she was speaking very fast here and i don’t have closed captions), since what he wanted to do anyway was to [use her to] get to Espinoza, right? She tells him she’s going to relieve him of that load -- she’s figured it all out, and she won’t bother him any more. She turns and walks away, a bitter, hurt look on her face. When he calls after her she just turns, puts a finger to her lips until he stops calling to her –walking backwards away from him all the while—then turns and continues on her way again.

AA Mateo & Auntie Ditz are sitting, waiting for news of Gustavo. Auntie Ditz tells AA Mateo that she’s really worried about Mom and wishes Mom could find a nice guy like him to love and support her (“support” in the sense of helping out as a partner, not as in maintaining). Fortunately for AA Mateo, Gustavo bursts in at this moment. The first thing he wants to know is how his mother is. Hearing his voice, Mom comes into the living room from wherever she was (her bedroom?). She can hardly believe he’s safe and sound. Happy hugs and even some tears all round. Gus tells her they’re all going to be safe from now on. Mom wants Gus to return to the US and his brilliant future there, but he insists his future lies in Mexico. Mom makes him swear she will never have to worry about him again.

Establishing shot of the outside of a po-mo brick castle-type building we must assume is the O-Team HQ, judging by the following scene.

Vero and Esteban the Unstable are at their lockers, back in their civvies. Chepe comes in and without preamble tells them he needs their reports about the operation ASAP. Vero is of the opinion that Gustavo has some powerful information or something that protects him from the Narcos. Otherwise, why would they have let him go, especially after he burned up all that money? EtU, of course, is still singing the same song as always, that Gustavo is totally working with the Narcos and making a fool out of Chepe and, by association, the O-Team. The money was fake, and the whole thing was just a show to trick the O-Team, and so his report (which by his very tone he manages to imply will be the definitive, if not the only, report) will say. Vero and EtU argue about it for a bit until EtU finally manages to more or less get the last word by telling both Vero and Chepe he’s fed up with listening to them always defending “that delinquent,” then immediately stalking out. Chepe looks consideringly at Vero, who acts all innocent, before himself leaving.

<Mom’s>

Auntie Ditz is helping AA Mateo make some snacks. Gustavo comes in and there is some banter about how AA Mateo always makes things too spicy. Auntie Ditz goes to be with Mom for a while, leaving AA Mateo and Gus alone to talk. AA Mateo asks Gus what happened, and, after checking to make sure no-one else is around to overhear, Gus tells him that he burned the money right in front of the Narcos. AA Mateo is shocked! Gus tells him that the information on the computer cassettes is his life insurance policy and he and the Narcos have a deal whereby they leave him alone as long as he keeps quiet about the information. AA Mateo is very unhappy about this. He reminds Gus that the Narcos are not going to honor that for very long, and Gus says he knows that – he’s got another plan, but he’ll need AA Mateo’s help. AA Mateo asks Gus just how important is this information that the Narcos have agreed to just leave him alone (he doesn't say, "for now," but it's heavily implied). Gus tells him, Sinceramente, no tengo nada. The most important files are very securely encoded and he hasn’t been able to get into them yet. Fortunately, he was able to access the two he sent the Narco bosses, gambling they would believe it meant he has access to everything. Gus says right now he’s got the Narcos off-balance, and he has to take advantage of that to get to his father’s killers. AA Mateo brings up the subject of the O-Team, pointing out that now they know who he is, they are likely to make things difficult for Gus. And what about that policewoman – has Gus seen her again?

<O-Team Tac/Ops room>

As spiffy graphics that alternate between the O-Team's logo and assorted maps of Mexico with scrolling statistics and the locations of different cities highlighted gently flash in the background on some sort of window, Chepe gives Marcela the Pushy, Vero, and Esteban the Unstable the lowdown on the O-Team’s next move. MtP and Vero are seated around some sort of desk thing, EtU glowers from the back of the room, where he leans against the wall with crossed arms and an aggressively defensive posture. Chepe tells them that Gustavo is the key to infiltrating the Narcos. If, as Vero has postulated, Gus does have some sort of information on the Narcos that is protecting him, the O-Team would be fools not to take advantage of it. In a snit, EtU continues to press his own agenda—er, point, i mean— insisting that this supposed information ploy is a trap and Gustavo is going to betray them all. Without mincing words, Chepe tells EtU that Gustavo is not going to betray them, but EtU finds it necessary to dispute that point as well. Chepe finally tells him they are not going to rehash the same old argument again; Gustavo is going to continue to work with the O-Team. Period. Reluctantly, EtU shuts up. For the moment. But we can this is not the last we’ll hear from him about it.

Drawing a breath, Chepe sits down behind a sort of lectern thing. First, he says, it is essential to make the the Narcos believe Gustavo is working on his own and not with the police. To do that, they are going to need someone who won’t be suspected to act as Gustavo’s contact in the barrio. Accordingly, Vero will resurrect “Cíntia,” since she was so successful using that cover to infiltrate Espinoza’s club without rousing suspicions. Vero will live in the barrio in “Cíntia’s” apartment full-time from here on out until they capture the head of the Narcos. Vero, looking more resigned than anything else, agrees – she can see the complications, but knows she insisted on being included so she can’t back out now; EtU just wordlessly shakes his head in disbelieving disgust. Chepe continues, saying “Cíntia” will be their only link to Gustavo, and Gus will deal exclusively with Vero during the operation. As EtU continues to shake his head in disagreement, Chepe states that the “Cíntia” cover is the only way to safely maintain contact with Gustavo without arousing the Narcos’ suspicions. In a voice that practically drips sarcasm, EtU comments, How convenient! That this is the only way...! And I suppose you, Veronica, agree with Chepe that this is the only way...? Vero just says, in a not-again tone, Ay, Esteban, please...! Just at this moment, Vero’s cel phone rings. Since she’s talking, MtP answers it, then holds it out to Vero and with a big grin and a teasing note in her voice says, It’s for you, “Cíntia...!”

<O-Team Tac/Ops room / Inés’ apartment / hall in the O-Team squad room>

It’s Inés calling her friend “Cíntia.” Vero excuses herself and heads out into the hall to take the call. Inés is lying on her bed and looks miserable. She tells “Cíntia” she’s really depressed, about everything – Gustavo, the people in the barrio, everything. She says she doesn’t want to be there any longer and “Cíntia” is the only one who can help her.

<Mom’s>

For the upteenth time, AA Mateo repeats that he thinks Gus made a mistake collaborating with the police. Gus says he knows, but he has to continue to collaborate as it’s the easiest way to get to his father’s killers. In a tone that warns Gus not to lie to him, AA Mateo asks again if there is something between Gustavo and the policewoman. Gus is saved by Tarta’s timely arrival with a bag of chilaquiles. Gus tells AA Mateo to sit down, relax, eat – the danger is past. AA Mateo looks like he badly wants to dispute that point but feels he can’t in present company. As Tarta is dishing up the food, Gus tells Tarta he should have warned him – when he asked Tarta to get him some fireworks, he didn’t mean a nuclear bomb! Tarta protests that that was what they had. Well, warn me next time, is all, says Gus – you practically killed me! Tarta shrugs one shoulder dismissively, saying “¡Pues, ni modo – que aprenden!” Gus agrees: The Narcos do need to be taught a lesson. And they’re just starting to teach them [that lesson]. AA Mateo asks how the Narcos looked when all that money went flying and Tarta is shocked – You blew up all the loot?? Gus: ¡Pues claro! ¡Y yo, con la lana, también volé...! More seriously, Gus proposes a toast, saying their operation is just starting. The garage and the shop will be their legit façade. They will also need to get together a gang to protect the barrio.

<O-Team Tac/Ops room>

Chepe tells Marcela the Pushy he needs all “Cíntia’s” background paperwork completely together by tomorrow; her cover has to stand up to a check all the way back to childhood. MtP is also to get “Cíntia’s” complete history and back story prepared so that Vero can start memorizing it right away. (ok, am i the only one here who thinks that at least some of this should have been done when Vero first took on the rôle in order to infiltrate Espinoza’s? how come this is only occurring to them now?? and if at least an outline of her story wasn’t already written, shouldn’t Chepe be ordering MtP to check with Vero first to find out what she’s already told people about “Cíntia”?? should i even be caring at this point???) MtP says she’ll get right on it, and leaves the room, leaving Esteban the Unstable –again wearing his sulky boor look— alone with Chepe. Before EtU can say anything, Chepe tells him not to think he, Chepe, is not cognizant of EtU’s hurt feelings. EtU disputes this point, but Chepe tells him he’s long been aware of EtU’s relationship with Vero, and he’s even supported it, as evidenced by the fact that up to this point he had not ordered the couple to make a choice between their jobs and their relationship. Chepe says he realizes that EtU is jealous of Gustavo and that he, Chepe, has put EtU in this position. But duty is duty. And as such he is going to ask EtU to do him the favor of not letting his (EtU’s) personal feelings interfere with his work, or let his love for Vero get in the way of his duty. Many lives, Chepe reminds him seriously, depend upon this. Exit Chepe, leaving EtU standing there looking like he wants to hit something.

<O-Team squad room>

Chepe encounters Vero, who appears to have been waiting for him to come out of the Tac/Ops room. She tells him she didn’t want to interrupt his conversation with Esteban the Unstable, who we can see in the background, glaring through the nifty graphics-glass window at Vero and Chepe (He moves away out of sight after Chepe turns to look at him). Vero tells Chepe that Inés called. She is very depressed and upset and wants to stay at “Cíntia’s” place for a while. Chepe says, Of course you told her ‘no.’ Vero says No, she told her she could. She adds that she knows it’s a complication, but in light of all the help and friendship Inés gave “Cíntia,” she had to do it. Sternly, Chepe replies, If this girl matters to you and you really care about her, get her out of your apartment immediately. If you keep involving her, you will put her in danger.

Inés comes into AA Mateo’s bar from the back, carrying a suitcase. She tells AA Mateo she’s leaving, and gives him money for the rent and the utilities. Oh, and she left a few things in the apartment – if he wants to use them or sell them, she doesn’t care. AA Mateo asks where she’s going, and is told, As far away as I can get. AA Mateo tries to talk her out of leaving. He tells her this is her home, her barrio. Inés contradicts him, stating flatly it’s not her barrio, it’s the place she spent ten years waiting for a guy who doesn’t love her. She doesn’t have any reason to stay. She dismisses all AA Mateo’s arguments, convinced no-one cares about her – they all either feel sorry for her or laugh at her behind her back, thinking her a fool for waiting for Gustavo all those years or despising her for being a stripper. Wrapped in her cloak of indignant self-pity, Inés leaves, pulling her suitcase behind her.

<Mom’s>

Gustavo has finally taken the time to get cleaned up after his big adventure. In his bathrobe and with wet hair, he sits on his bed and recalls the conversation in Vero’s car where he asks why she lied to him about protecting him, why she set a trap for him, and she tells him the squad was just following her orders, that everything was all a show they’d prepared for him. He rubs his face and paces around thoughtfully.

Some sort of cheerful folky Mexican accordion-type music plays as we are treated to a montage of various daytime workers at work around the city that then changes into shots of nighttime traffic. So I guess now it’s a few hours later.

<Mom’s>

Mom emerges from her bedroom and walks idly out onto some sort of interior patio where there is a ceramic tile ‘poster’ of a Virgin. She sits down on a little seat next to it and recalls how she had clung to AA Mateo and he’d kissed and comforted her as they hid from her kidnappers.

<Vero’s>

Veronica is busy packing a suitcase. Snarky Refugio comes in and, in response to Vero’s question, tells her that Daddy Dearest is in his study and has asked not to be disturbed. Vero asks SR to bring her another suitcase. SR tries to conceal her delight at the possibility Vero is going away on a trip and thus leaving her to have Daddy Dearest all to herself. Before leaving, she changes the subject, asking that Vero let her know the next time she plans to go visit Teresa. So she can send a little present. Smiling in a very false way, she insincerely opines that even though Teresa might not understand who it’s from, one should not neglect these little attentions... (<shudder!> that woman gives me the creeps...)

<Mom’s>

Gustavo enters the kitchen to find Grandma trying to stuff something that we learn is a large bag of frozen shrimp into the freezer. She complains that Mom never pays attention to her when she asks her to get a new, bigger fridge. Gustavo wants to know where the shrimp came from. Grandma tries to play coy, saying God sent them, but Gus knows her too well. It seems some sort of delivery truck broke down outside the garage and Grandma volunteered some of the guys to help repair it. And while they were doing that, she ‘liberated’ some of the shrimp (!!). Gus tries to remonstrate with her about this, but she is unrepentant, claiming it’s not fair that some little animal that reproduces faster than rabbits should be so expensive. Apparently she gave half of what she took to the Refractory – the kids will be delighted, she says. Gus says what she ought to worry about is what Father Anselmo is going to say when he learns where the shrimp came from. Grandma says he’ll be too busy chowing down on Shrimp “Diablo” to care. From the question Grandma asks about Mom, tho, it appears that she is the only one who still doesn’t know about the kidnapping. Gus doesn’t worry her with this news. As she is leaving, Grandma tells Gus she wants to talk with him later, about some “negocitos.” She giggles as she says this, and Gus just repeats, Negocitos... in a cynically teasing sort of tone.

Esteban the Unstable is seated on a stool in a bar. The bar itself looks like it is covered in white glass that is lit from underneath. It’s not really the sort of place you’d expect to find a sulky boor in what looks a lot like an ugly ochre and white plaid flannel shirt, but since the bartender addresses him by name, we have to assume EtU is a regular. He asks for another drink and the bartender says he thinks EtU has had enough. Of course, EtU insists the guy serve him another drink, and he does. Marcela the Pushy dashes up and puts her arms around EtU, giving him a kiss on the cheek and telling him she thought she’d find him there. When she starts to comment on his drinking, EtU says he doesn’t want to hear advice. He asks her what she thinks about Chepe’s “plan brillante,” whereby all their lives will be “en las manos de ese imbécil.” MtP just laughs at him, asking just who he thinks he’s fooling. He’s not afraid of a squad member losing his or her life – what he’s afraid of is losing Veronica forever. EtU starts to shift around uncomfortably on his stool. MtP encourages him to unburden himself, saying she’s there to listen. EtU takes a deep breath, then starts in: I feel like an idiot. I can’t think clearly any more – the only thing I have stuck in [my head] is Veronica running to save Velasco in that lost cause. She didn’t think anything of going in to look for him! At that moment she would have given her life for him without even thinking twice! And you know what? I have never seen that look in her eyes, Marcela – never. And now it turns out that Veronica is going to be that guy’s contact! That they’re going to have all the time in the world to be alone, to be together, without any hindrance! And worst of all is that I have to leave the way open so that imbecile can steal the woman I love! Remorselessly, MtP that Vero doesn’t love EtU any more. She says she’s sorry for putting it so baldly, but it’s the truth. She tells him the sooner he gets used to the idea, the better for him. She knows, because she went through the same thing when he fell for Vero. EtU asks, rather pathetically, if she would have betrayed him that way, and MtP says if he had just given her the chance, she’d’ve made him the happiest man in the world. She strokes his cheek and smiles at him, saying, Todavía estamos a tiempo, ¿eh?

<Chepe’s office>

Gustavo is sitting in a comfy armchair in what looks like Chepe’s office. Chepe shuts the door so they are alone together. He settles into a matching chair across from Gus and compliments him on the fireworks, saying he wishes he’d been there since it’s not every day one gets to see a large sum of money getting blown to bits. Gus isn’t having any chit-chat: I don’t imagine you summoned me in order to congratulate me... So Chepe gets right to the point, asking him what his “life insurance policy” is that the Narcos won’t touch him. Gus doesn’t say anything, so Chepe gets down to business. He tells Gus he cannot play the Lone Avenger of the Barrio. The Narcos are very dangerous and Gus’ll need help from the police. Gus replies that he thinks the police need him more than he needs them. Chepe says, Ok, let’s suppose that if the information you have is really important, it would save us a few months’ work. However, you don’t have the slightest chance of defeating them without us. You were lucky this time – the next time neither you nor your mother will be... You need our protection. Gus is critical of the O-Team’s protective abilities, bringing up what happened to Godfather and his family. Chepe sternly retorts that Godfather and his family might still be alive had Gus not interfered. Before Gus can dispute this, Chepe tells him what Gus needs to be thinking about now is, if he doesn’t want Godfather’s story to repeat itself, he needs to work with the O-Team. Gus coldly remarks that he doesn’t like the methods employed by Chepe’s team – they like to stab people in the back. Chepe is no-nonsense now. I’m telling you this as a friend, Gustavo. But I do have ways of forcing you. If you don’t share this compromising information with me, if you hide it from me, I can accuse you of complicity. Gus tells Chepe not to threaten him – he doesn’t work that way. Evenly, Chepe replies that that’s fine, but then Gus’ only option is to work with the O-Team. Gus: Ok, I will. But mind you, I won’t take orders from that idiot Esteban the Unstable –or any of the others! — and your little soldiers only enter the action when I tell them to...! Chepe wants to know what he gets in exchange and Gus replies Chepe will get all the credit for capturing the various members of the Narcos as one by one, he, Gus, exposes them. Chepe: You’re that sure of the information you have... Well, anyway. You will have to give advance warning of all your movements. Your contact will be Veronica – no-one else will intervene. Gus has a rather pleased, smug look on his face on hearing this news. Chepe continues: She works under the identity of “Cíntia,” so that no-one will suspect. Tomorrow she’ll meet with you. Is that ok? Gus nods, Yes, and both men stand – the meeting is over. Chepe has one final thought: Oh, and one other thing: I don’t know what sort of relationship you have with Veronica, but I am not going to tolerate anything that puts this operation at risk. I advise you to keep the relationship strictly professional. Gus gives him a little mock-salute as he leaves the office, and after shutting the door behind Gus, Chepe smiles in genuine amusement.

<Mom’s>

Father Anselmo asks Mom if she’s calmer now. She says Yes, but there’s a real sob in her voice. She says she’s never been so frightened in her life – not just for herself, but also for FA and Gustavo and everyone else. She thinks she’ll never be able to feel safe again. She asks for FA’s advice: This whole experience has made her realize she’s really lonely, she misses having a man in her life. FA says he understands. Then Mom ‘fesses up: She is talking about AA Mateo. She was thinking about him the whole time she was kidnapped.

Veronica opens the door and enters Daddy Dearest’s study, softly telling him she didn’t want to bother him but... Shutting his book with a snap and slapping it down on the table by his chair as he stands to talk to her, DD brusquely cuts her off, saying she’s not interrupting – he wanted to talk to her. He doesn’t sound pleased, and in a stern tone, gets right to the point, asking if she’s seen Gustavo Velasco again. He crosses his arms and stands waiting for an answer the same way a father waits to listen to an excuse he already doesn’t believe for why his 15-year-old has been out 2 hours past curfew. Not too surprisingly, Vero is taken aback by his attitude. She asks why he’s talking to her like that. Waving his finger at her, DD tells her harshly that he doesn’t want her to ever see “ese tipo” again. He forbids it. Vero points out he can’t forbid her to do anything. He talks over her, saying he is her father and he doesn’t want her seeing Gus again. She says, with a hint of warning in her voice, that they’ve already had this discussion. For one thing, she doesn’t like it when he gets this way, and for another, not to talk to her like that – don’t shout at her (A cutaway shot behind Vero shows us Snarky Refugio listening in on this discussion). DD is starting to lose it again, and, stating she still hasn’t answered him, repeats his question about whether or not Vero has seen Gus again. Now Vero is starting to get annoyed: Look, I came to say goodbye – nothing more. But you know what? I’ll call you later. She turns to leave, but turns back when he shouts at her, Where are you going?? She snaps that she’s going on a mission and doesn’t know when she’ll be back. DD is still stuck on the Gus track and demands to know if she’s going to see him. Vero’s had enough. Y si así fuera, ¡¿qué?! Digo, ¡ya soy mayor de edad y yo tengo derecho hacer lo que se me pegue la gana! At this, DD belts her one across the face, then grabs her by the shoulders to pull her in very close, face-to-face, when she would have just left. In a furious undertone, he tells her, Listen very carefully to what I’m going to say: If I see you with that guy, I’ll kill him. I swear to you, I’ll kill him! Do you hear me?

www.telenovela-world.com: Friday (05/30/03) -- two-thirds summary Author: B. Date: 06-03-03 01:43 PDT

previouslies:

*Gustavo make big ex-bus and a whole lotta cash go ¡Boom! in a big way.

*Daddy Dearest completely and totally loses it –again-- ineffectually shouting over the speakerphone all the nasty things he wants done to Gus.

*Gus and Mom reunite.

*Vero tells Daddy Dearest she’s of age and can do whatever she wants to, which makes DD hit her and threaten to kill Gus if he ever sees her with him.

Vero can’t believe Daddy Dearest just did what he just did. DD suddenly realizes he’s let his jealousy of Gus carry him way over the limit. Actually sounding sorry, he starts begging Vero to forgive him but she’s way too upset to listen. Just about in tears, Vero tells DD she doesn’t even recognize him – he’s never spoken to her like this before, let alone treated her this way. What is his problem with Gustavo anyway? If DD would just give her a good reason why he hates Gus so much, or explain what Gus has ever done to him that DD should want to kill him... Fortunately for DD, since it’s clear he doesn’t have a good excuse ready for her, Vero barely pauses: I’ve told you all my secrets. Just like I told you about Gustavo, I’ve told you my whole life. You, because you are the only person I have in my life. Because I don’t even have my mother, who gets worse all the time. And you – the only person I love, my friend, my “confidante” (she makes sarcastic little “air quotes” as she says this word) --!! You actually hit me!! DD again tries to say something, to beg her once more to forgive him, but she just turns and rushes out, telling him in no uncertain terms not to follow her. Just outside the door, Vero unseeingly passes by Snarky Refugio, who only barely manages not to smirk. After Vero is gone down the hallway and out of earshot, SR looks around the door at DD in the study. Now he’s standing with his back to the doorway as he rubs his chin, taking in the enormity of the mistake he’s made and silently shedding a tear or two of self-pity for what he did all by his little self. In a shot over his shoulder, we see SR’s smirk turn into a big, complacent smug smile that is so creepy it almost –almost!— manages to make me feel sorry for DD.

<Mom’s>

Mom tells Father Anselmo that for the past ten years she’s believed her memories of Dad and her son’s love would be enough to fill the hole left by Dad’s death. But today she realized the only thing she wanted was for AA Mateo to hold her and protect her. She feels really guilty because she never thought even once of Auntie Ditz. FA tries to put this apparently sudden interest in AA Mateo down to a reaction of the moment, the stress and terror of the kidnap, and gratitude for the part AA Mateo played in rescuing her. But Mom quickly disabuses him of this happy notion by telling him what AA Mateo told her the night of the Mass for Dad, about how he’s been in love with her since before Dad died. FA is stunned, but before he can comment, Auntie Ditz’s cheerful laughter can be heard and she and Gustavo walk into the room. Auntie Ditz notes Mom’s and FA’s rather somber faces and wants to know what’s up with “the second most beautiful woman” in the neighborhood. Gus jokes with her, and she suggests a little drink of tequila for everyone to whet their appetites (for dinner?). Mom tries to opt out, but gets chivvied into it by Gus. But as soon as they’re alone again, Mom and FA both look serious.

<Vero’s room>

Vero is on her bed, sniffling as she hastily but efficiently finishes packing. Daddy Dearest walks in and asks her to forgive him. She looks up at him saying that for the first time ever he made her afraid of him and she didn’t like it. He admits he “lost [his] head.” Vero: ¿¿Se puede saber qué es lo que sientes en contra de Gustavo para que te pongas así?? DD tries to avoid giving a straight answer, but she calls him on it. He finally falls back on the same old lame argument, that Gustavo is a delinquent and she really doesn’t know anything about him. (which, i will grant you, is a perfectly legitimate argument. but it still doesn’t come anywhere close to explaining DD’s vituperative attitude and threats.) He adds that he knows how Dad died, and he doesn’t want to see Vero hurt by Gus. (as if Gus must necessarily hurt Vero because his father was murdered. yeah, that makes a lot of sense...) Vero indignantly –and quite rightly!— asks him if that is all the excuse he has for saying he would kill Gus if he sees her with him? She begs him to tell her if he has another (by implication, better) reason of which she is unaware, because otherwise she is at a loss to understand the intensity of his hatred for Gus. She waits for an answer, but DD is silent. Bueno, si no tienes una respuesta sensata, entonces creo que tu y yo no tenemos nada más que platicar. She turns to pick up her suitcase from the bed, telling him she doesn’t know when she’ll be back, nor will he be able to contact her while she's gone “asi que... ni busques,” she says firmly. She walks out, leaving him standing there. DD shakes his head, again admitting to himself the enormity of his mishandling of this Gustavo situation with Vero. As he crosses the room and sinks down to sit on her bed, Snarky Refugio creeps in, all bitter delight. So the baby panther showed her claws...! If you had taken a hard line with her when you should have, you would not be going through this now... DD looks up at SR warningly, but SR will not be stopped. But noooo! No-one can scold Daddy’s little princess, no-one can raise a hand to her....! DD warns SR to get lost immediately before she pays for it, but ignores him. Stepping closer, she continues: You know what? It’s just as well you’ve fought with the little girl, because that way we have more time together, just you and I. She bends over and kisses him on the lips, but he stands and angrily tosses her onto the bed before striding out of the room. Still on the bed, SR pouts.

<Mom’s>

Father Anselmo compliments Grandma on her Shrimp “Diablo,” and Gustavo teases his grandmother by saying, If you only knew where they came from...” From her body language, it looks like Grandma kicks him under the table to shut him up, then tells FA that Gus is talking nonsense. Tarta stammers his agreement that the shrimp is really delicious and Grandma asks him –but not in a nasty way— when Tarta’s going to learn to speak properly. He says he can’t. She rapidly rolls off some ginormo tongue-twister full of rr’s on which she says he should practice (and kudos to the actress – i doubt there are too many who could just rip that out like that. either that, or it took them 7 million takes to get it right...! by the way, this is the scene where i figured out why Tarta is called Tarta, and where i got the idea he may be Gus’ cousin. Grandma says something about not bringing up the matter of Tarta’s stammering before because his mother wouldn’t let her –and just then the camera cuts to a close-up of Auntie Ditz’s smiling face as Grandma continues— but now that you’re older i’m going to correct you. then Auntie Ditz comments that if Grandma manages [to fix Tarta’s stutter], she’ll deserve the Nobel Prize. and that was where the tongue-twister came in, as Tarta’s first exercise. so as i say, maybe it’s nothing more than the editor doing a reaction shot of someone that could just as easily have been Gus or Mom or Father Anselmo but just happened to be Auntie Ditz because of the comment the writers had her making afterward, but the impression that lingered with me is that she’s his mother). With Tarta’s stupefied look at the horror of the “exercise,” dinner breaks up. Auntie Ditz again tells Mom she seems very sad, and says with her happy laugh that she has heard washing dishes is a sure-fire cure.

Vero, now back in her “Cíntia” gear, approaches her apartment building and slows when she sees Inés is waiting there outside the door, her suitcase by her side. As she has her back to Vero, Inés doesn’t see her approach and Vero pauses for a moment, mentally bracing herself, before she puts on “Cíntia’s” happy smile and attitude and makes a noise with her keys to attract Inés’ attention. Inés thanks her for letting her stay, and the two women go inside to talk, Vero giving a quick, wary glance around as she enters after Inés. (here’s a question: where is Vero’s suitcase? i mean, i know she can’t just walk up with it since she knows she’ll be seeing Inés, but where did she put it if she’s not to go back to the O-Team HQ for a while...? inquiring minds want to know.)

<Mom’s>

AA Mateo, Tarta, and Gustavo are all in the interior patio, chatting. AA Mateo tells Gus he’s got several “muchachos” and they all know what they’re doing. Gus asks if they know what they’ll be getting into and AA Mateo reassures him they do, adding they all hate the Narcos and want them out of the barrio. Gus says this plan must not fail and the important thing is that they be cold-blooded (meaning that they can keep their cool and a tense situation, not that they are heartless murderers). AA Mateo replies that they all have experience with minor robberies, etc. Don’t worry, he’ll prepare them. Gus says good, then tells him he’ll be in the shop working on the computer. Tarta heads off with him just as Auntie Ditz rushes up from another direction. She says she has to go out for a while but doesn’t want Mom to be alone right now – she’s still really shaken up by the kidnap. She asks AA Mateo to please stay and keep Mom company for a bit. He smilingly agrees, but heaves a large sigh after AD rushes off. He stands alone in the patio for a moment, looking longingly at Mom through the window.

<“Cíntia’s”>

“Cíntia” enters her living room, bearing two cups of tea and apologizing for not having anything else. Inés compliments her on the apartment, and “Cíntia” says she knows it still needs a lot of work, but she only just moved in. Inés asks if she can meet “Cíntia’s” son, and is a little surprised when “Cíntia” smoothly replies that he’s staying at her mother’s house during the move. Inés says she somehow had the idea that “Cíntia” was “una chava cómo yo... que estabas sola. Pero que buena que tienes a tu mamá,” she adds wistfully. “Cíntia” asks her what’s wrong. Inés tells her her life is falling apart. Ever since she “lost” Gustavo, everything’s gone downhill. She doesn’t have a job, friends... All she has is “Cíntia”. “Cíntia” barely represses a gulp of dismay then makes a quick recover. She manages a smile that is somewhat less brilliant than usual for her. “Que chido, ¿no?” Inés doesn’t notice the hesitation and smiles back happily.

Esteban the Unstable and Marcela the Pushy are on her balcony having drinks. She is listening to him as he again bores on about Veronica: Everything I have done is for Veronica. And for what?! ¿De qué sirvió darle lo mejor de mí si nada más aparació ese tipo y a mí me hizo a un lado? A ver, Marcela... Díme tú, que eres mujer: ¿Qué tanto le veen a Gustavo Velasco? ¿Que él es mejor que yo? MtP turns her head indignantly at that: No-one compares to you, Esteban! Well, then, EtU wants to know why Vero is doing this to him. He starts to mope that no-one will ever care for Vero more than he does, and MtP has had it. She puts down her drink and goes to him, telling him not to torment himself any more, to forget about Vero. She takes his hand, telling him he’s a very good and loyal man who deserves someone who knows how to appreciate his worth. A little bit bitterly, he asks if she means someone like her. She says yes, stroking his face. Let me show you that I can be much better than she is. And you will see that Veronica will only be a bad memory in your life. Let me love you. Let me give myself to you as no-one has. She kisses him, and he responds. Growing more heated, they stagger inside to her bedroom and onto her bed, taking off their clothes as they go.

<Mom’s>

Mom walks into another room and is surprised to see AA Mateo standing in the doorway, looking pensively out onto (i think) the patio. He explains that Auntie Ditz asked him to keep her company. She is nervous and ineffectually tries to efface herself. He tells her that all afternoon he wanted to call to see how she was doing, but he didn’t dare. What can he do? How can he stop thinking about her? Mom stiffly tells him he should only be thinking about AD, but he says he can’t, and especially not after what happened that morning. He knows Mom felt it too, that she also loves him. She stammers she can’t hurt AD that way, and he says but what about hurting us? Almost desperately, Mom insists, There is. no. “us”, and AA Mateo, sighing, appears to accept it. But, he tells her in an almost admonishing tone, You don’t fool me. Not any more! He goes to leave, and she turns after him, agape. You and I, he concludes, deserve to be happy. Exit AA Mateo, stage right, leaving Mom looking shaken.

<“Cíntia’s”>

Inés is in “Cíntia’s” living room in full-on self-pity mode, ranting on about how she doesn’t have any reason to return to the barrio anymore now that she’s lost her job, Gustavo, everything. “Cíntia” points out that Inés herself made the decision to renounce everyone and everything. Inés says the barrio is very close-knit – everyone there’s known each other since they were in their cradles (She implies the only reason they would have accepted her is because of her relationship with Gustavo). After the way Gustavo rejected her (i.e., “everyone” knows he never considered himself her boyfriend), why is she going to stick around? All she’d be is an extra (i.e., unwanted) person, pitied. “Cíntia,” perhaps sensing Inés is not going to believe (or doesn’t want to believe) that the people in the barrio aren’t spending 24/7 gossiping about how Gus didn’t want her, tells Inés she’s too strong, with too much to offer, to just let everything go, give up all she's attained, all because of one little setback like this. Inés rejects this: All she knows how to do, she claims bitterly, is strip for men. “Cíntia” attempts to point out how untrue that is: Inés has values, she raised herself, she’s about to graduate from school... and she doesn’t owe any of that to anyone [but herself]. On top of that, she’s pretty and good-hearted. Lots of men would die to be with her. You know what? “Cíntia” continues, I’m sure that love is just waiting around the corner for you any time now. Inés says, They say you always get something good out bad things, and I did get something good: Your friendship. Because you’re my best friend -- my only friend. Thank you. “Cíntia” hugs her as Inés sobs.

Marcela the Pushy appears to be indulging in a post-coital snooze, Esteban the Unstable lying restlessly awake on his back beside her. The room is lit by lots and lots of candles, and the bed linens look like they’re meant to be gold satin (and with that, well... 'nuff said!). EtU looks over at MtP, stares at the ceiling for a moment, heaves a big sigh, then sits up with his feet on the floor for a moment before getting out of bed to pace across the room (we can clearly see EtU has on his too-crisp looking white boxers... heh. poor framing or deliberate inclusion? i’ll leave you to interpret however you want). He stares unseeingly ahead as he flashes back to the conversation he had with Vero outside Espinoza’s club when she was undercover as “Cíntia,” telling him she wants to marry him. MtP wakes enough to notice he’s not beside her and groggily calls him back to bed. He sighs heavily again. Ya voy, Marcela. He lies back down and she snuggles up to him and closes her eyes again. But although he idly strokes her hair, he just keeps staring at the ceiling.

<Vero’s / the Velasco’s shop>

The lights are all out in Vero’s place when Daddy Dearest lets himself in with what would seem to be his own set of keys, based on the casual way he absent-mindedly returns them to his pocket. He turns on the lights and wanders around, stopping to look at a framed picture on the mantle. Meanwhile, over in the family shop, Gustavo is busily looking up Vero’s phone number in the phone book. He finally finds it and eagerly dials. Back at Vero’s place, we and DD hear her phone ring and her machine answer (and WHY does no-one in novelas ever seem to have voicemail when nearly everyone i know both here and in other countries does anymore?? and if they must have machines, why do they always leave them on at full volume when they know they’re not going to be home?? i don’t think i ever knew anyone who did that!): Vero’s voice coolly says, En este momento no te puedo atender, pero déjame tu mensaje y me comunico contigo después. ¡Gracias! DD walks across the room to hear better, even though the volume was up high enough Vero probably could have heard the message herself at “Cíntia’s”. DD is not pleased at what he hears: Veronica, es Gustavo (We see Gus in the shop with a happy, almost mischievous grin as he is speaking). Este... nada. Solo quería saludarte y... y decirte que no te puedes escapar de mí, ¿eh? Bueno, te llamo luego. Besos. Gus hangs up as DD closes his eyes as if in pain for a moment, then, opening them again as he takes off his glasses, he glares at the phone.

<“Cíntia’s”>

Inés is busily making up a bed on the sofa, assuring “Cíntia” she’ll be perfectly comfortable – she could sleep under a rock. Pausing in her bedmaking for a moment, Inés takes the plunge: “Cíntia”, I was wondering if there’s any chance we could live here together. She reminds “Cíntia” she’s got the money she’d saved to go to San Diego – they could use it to buy everything “Cíntia” wants for the place and to pay for her son’s treatment. “Cíntia” shifts uncomfortably, groping for the right phrase, then finally says, with gentle regret, that she doesn’t think that will be possible. Inés assumes it’s because “Cíntia” has a boyfriend, and without confirming or denying this, “Cíntia” adds that Inés is welcome to stay as long as she likes until she finds a place for herself. Inés thanks her and “Cíntia,” rather seriously asks, You do know I’m your friend, right? You do know? Inés assures her she knows, and thanks her again. “Cíntia” has to be content with that, and she wishes Inés goodnight. As she leaves, Inés lets out a deep breath, as if of relief at finally not having to keep up a strong façade, and sinks down onto her ‘bed,’ putting one hand to her mouth looking worried, and thoughtful. Leaning against the doorjamb to her room, “Cíntia” is wearing much the same expression.

Now back in his study, Daddy Dearest lights a cigar as he finishes telling his Protagonistas de Novelas winner henchman (real name apparently Froilán (spelling?), but i’ll never remember that even if DD seems to use it in absolutely every single phrase he utters throughout this scene...) about the fight with Vero and how he got so furious he hit her. Because of “ese maldito,” he fumes, his daughter has turned against him! He’s losing her and is going to end up without her love. PdNWH tells DD that’ll never happen – Vero loves DD, but DD is still worried. He says he’s never seen Vero like this for anyone, not even Esteban the Unstable. She’s in love, and if Gustavo “se interpone,” he (DD) will lose her forever. And he will not allow that. He thinks for a moment, then briskly orders PdNWH to bring his car around immediately. PdNWH asks if they’re going to the office, but DD says no, he has some thing he has to do.

<“Cíntia’s”>

Vero has taken off her red “Cíntia” wig when she hears a phone buzzer sort of thing (i’m guessing to the door intercom?). She quietly dashes through the darkened hall to grab it before the noise can wake Inés. It’s Gustavo, he wants her to buzz him in so he can come up to see her. In an urgent undertone (but without mentioning his name), Vero tries to get rid of him, saying they’ll talk tomorrow and anyway Inés is here. A long shot of Vero on the phone from the far side of the living room shows us that Inés is not asleep and has overheard this comment. Gus tells Vero to come downstairs to talk to him then. He insists he wants to speak with Vero now and says he’s not moving until he does. Exasperated, Vero says to giver her ten minutes. She hangs up and heads for her room, but is stopped by Inés sitting up and asking who was calling. Vero/Cín says it was no-one, Inés should go back to sleep. Inés starts to say if it’s inconvenient having her then she can leave, but Vero/Cín interrupts, No, no, not at all. And anyway, I’ll just go downstairs for a little while. Inés is not convinced and renews her offer to leave, actually starting to get out of bed, but Vero/Cín firmly repeats it’s not a problem having Inés there and says they’ll talk tomorrow. After grabbing a sweater, she heads out, telling Inés she won’t be late.

Daddy Dearest lets himself into Mummy Maria’s house with his own set of keys and, taking off his jacket, carefully hangs it over the back of a nearby chair. Mummy Maria is already in her nightgown, and comes out to find out why he’s chosen to arrive so late. DD doesn’t answer her, instead asking where Tony the Brat is. MM says he’s in his bedroom, and wants to know why DD wants to know. When DD says he wants to talk to TtB, she tries to tell him no, it’s a bad time, it’s really late and TtB is still recuperating, but DD overrides her: This is my house, TtB is my son, and I have the right to talk to him if I want to. He stalks off and without knocking enters TtB’s room. Not too surprisingly, TtB is less than gracious in his greeting: What do you want? You don’t have anything to do here, he tells DD, a little bit groggy and a lot bit resentful. DD overrides TtB’s objections as well, stalking in and sitting himself down on the bed, uninvited. He says he’s come to propose a truce. TtB tells him to leave, he’s not interested in anything DD has to say, but DD, settling himself in more comfortably, replies that he’s come to talk to TtB about MM. This piques TtB’s attention. DD tells him he’s going to speak frankly “y sin rodeos.” He knows TtB is no longer a boy but is now of an age to “understand many things.” He looks right at TtB and tells him he’s going to tell him the whole truth, “con toda la sinceridad de la que sea capáz” (!!! words fail me...) about how he fell in love with MM. DD concludes this whole tease by asking TtB to choose – does he still want DD to leave? Or does he want to hear DD’s story?

Vero, still dressed in “Cíntia’s” clothes and jewelry but wearing her own hair and sweater –the outer one from the twin set she was wearing earlier on, during the fight with Daddy Dearest— and walking like herself rather than utilizing “Cíntia’s” jaunty gait, strolls along with Gus (and you know, the thought totally occurs: if Vero's supposed to be under cover and all, she should have at least taken a moment to put on the wig and “Cíntia’s” strut before heading out --never mind that the wig would have clashed horribly with the salmon-pink sweater!-- or to have gone the other way and changed into her VeroClothing (altho i suppose that would probably not have been a good plan given that Inés might easily see her coming and/or going and wonder...). she did tell Gus to give her ten minutes, after all, so she would have had time. but if anyone were to notice her now, with Gus, it would be wicked obvious “Cíntia” is not who she’s claiming to be. or at least, that there’s a lot more to this "Cíntia" person than she has so far let people see. either way, it was really careless of Vero and as a supposedly experienced undercover operative, she should have known better). They’re not holding hands, but just ambling along side-by-side. Vero asks how Gustavo knew where to find her. He says he called her at home and when she wasn’t there figured she had to be at “Cíntia’s.” He wants to know what Inés is doing there and Vero tells him how Inés wants to stay with her, how she feels very deceived by Gus and everyone in the barrio, and how she needs some distance from everything. She forestalls the coming protest by adding that she knows it’s not a good idea to have Inés there, but she wants to help Inés and it was the only solution she could find. And even though it killed her to do it, she’s already warned Inés she can’t stay; Inés will leave as soon as she finds her own place. With that issue dealt with, Vero asks Gustavo what it was he wanted to say to her. Gus suggests they sit, and, taking her hand, leads her over to a nearby park bench, where they sit, angled so they are more or less facing each other. He starts out by reminding her that Chepe wants him to be her contact, and that means that “en los próximos días vas a hablar exclusivamente conmigo.” He says they’ll have two options for that: They could do it “de una manera frívola, relación policia-laboral,” or tell tell each other the truth and be sincere. Vero wants to know what truth he’s talking about, and Gus says it’s really several [truths]. Primero, he pensado mucho en tí. Es más, te he pensado todo el día. (Vero smiles softly and looks down at her hands.) Quería verte... Necesitaba verte, necesitaba sentirte aquí, a mi lado. Y lo más importante es que no sé cómo voy a hacerle para tenerte todos los días a mi lado y no tocarte, decirte cosas – no sé cómo lo voy a hacer. Vero starts to respond, and he interrupts: A ver, ¿quién me va a contestar? The policewoman, who thinks it’s all a farce and everything is done for duty and justice? Or will it be the woman who has feelings, who saved my life and worried about me, and who I am sure cares for me? And don’t try to tell me that saving my life was your duty, because it’s not like that. Sabes qué? No sé cómo voy a hacerle para tenerte todos los días y decirte... decirte que te amo. Te quiero decirte todos los días que te amo, y te amo con todo mi corazón.

USA, 6/2-6/03:

Re: B... you rock. +rough summary of Monday 6/02/03 Author: B. Date: 06-04-03 02:15 PDT

<blush>

well, i do live in California, after all... every now and again, we pretty much all of us here rock -- we can't help it... <G>

but seriously, i'm glad my summaries helped. they have been a bit of work, but i've rather enjoyed doing it. well, except for the scenes with Daddy Dearest and Tony the Brat, and --even worse!-- DD, TtB and Mummy Maria (most of which are still to come, alas...), which take me forever 'coz i was so over those stories and any other with TtB in it even before they started. and tho i kinda wish i could, i don't think i could keep up the daily summaries for too much longer, so it's probably just as well you're going to be back with us tomorrow!

i do wish Janet had continued writing her impressionist summaries, tho. i thought the ones she did were a lot funnier than mine.

i should have Friday's finished tomorrow (Wed) and already have an extremely rough rough draft of Monday's that i'm posting below so you can (hopefully) get at least some idea of what happened before tomorrow's ep. (i'll polish it later, once i've finished Friday's.)

++++++++++++++++++

MONDAY 2 June

previously:

*Inés catches Gustavo and “Cíntia” making out.

<”Cíntia’s” apartment>

Inés tells Gustavo and “Cíntia” she can’t stand either of them. She never wants to know from either of them again, and she hopes they both die. Gustavo tries to tell her he cares about her and what happens to her. She just tells them both to stay out of her life: Today Inés is dead. She tosses the flowers on the floor and storms out, suitcase in tow. Vero is consumed with guilt – Inés didn’t deserve this. Gustavo has been her obsession since she was a kid. Gus says that may be so, but we can’t let her stand in the way of “lo nuestro.” Vero just asks, What’s going to happen to her now, if supposedly I was her best friend?

Some guys try to hustle Inés – she suddenly crosses the street to get away from them and is nearly hit by a car.

<O-Team squad room>

MtP comes in all happy, EtU pretty much brushes her off. She gets the 'message' just as he figures out he’s being too brusque. He apologizes and --

<“Cíntia’s”>

Gus tells Vero that the whole romance between him and Inés was all in Inés’ head – he was always straight with her, he never betrayed her. Vero says, But I did – well, “Cíntia” did. She begs Gustavo to go out and make sure nothing bad happens to Inés. He agrees and heads out.

Daddy Dearest is still playing the loving father (actually it’s kindof revolting). He gets up to leave and as a parting shot – the icing on the cake— tells them he thinks he'll give Tony his last name, and maybe it would be a good thing if maybe they could all live together as a family.

<O-Team Tac/Ops room>

MtP is running down “Cíntia’s” life story, complete with a slide show of pictures of "Mamá and Papá Robles," etc (note – Vero isn’t there!! but whatever...). EtP, Chino, Gabriel, all listen intently. MtP sums up by saying, to really finalize the part of “Cíntia Robles,” they should move her out of the apartment she’s in now and into Gustavo’s barrio. There, Gustavo can integrate her into the community, which will give her added credibility, not to mention a local support network from the locals as well as Gus. Of course, EtU is not happy about this, and we can also tell he thinks MtP did it on purpose to throw Vero and Gus together and keep Vero away from him (EtU) to leave the field more open for herself.

Gus goes looking for Inés. Seeing him enter, AA Mateo thinks Gus is there about the guys he’d been asked to get together to defend the barrio. He tells Gus they’re all ready to meet with him. Gus replies, That’s great, but actually I’m looking for Inés. AA Mateo tells him she left the barrio, because of Gustavo, and explains about Inés feeling hurt and like people thinks she was making a fool of herself, etc. Gus points out that he was always straight with her about their non-relationship. AA Mateo reminds him that that doesn’t mean it hurts any less to have your dreams shattered. He asks why Gus wants to speak with her, and Gus tells him to make sure he’s ok. It looks like Gus is about to tell AA Mateo about kissing “Cíntia,” but AA Mateo tells him he’d do better to let Inés alone for a while.

DD wants to put a tail on Vero, as well as on Gus. PdNWH suggests un tal Javier.

Mummy Maria comes in – don’t hurt my kid by raising his hopes (tho from what i've seen of TtB, it might be more a case of 'don't hurt me by raising my hopes you'll make us legit...). DD calls PdNWH in and tells him to call the lawyer to get started on the paperwork to give Tony the Brat his last name. MM is surprised and appeased.

Nancy --formerly known as Cop Girlfriend (and i boy am i glad i am to see her, because i was starting to worry she was a figment of my imagination and that CGF had been Marcela the Pushy all along...!)-- meets Vero for breakfast. Vero tells Nancy the whole Inés / Gus story and how Inés caught her and Gus kissing. Even more than being in love with Gus, Vero says, Inés was obsessed with him. Inés is really hurt, she stormed away but she doesn’t have anywhere to go -- I'm supposedly her best friend. Vero is very worried about her.

AA Mateo is doing all the talking. Introduces Chato, Bukles, Getas, the three guys AA Mateo found for Gus' NarcoWar. All have tragic family drug stories which make them hate the Narcos. Gus says the G-Team has 3 objectives: Destroy the Narcos’ drug labs, interrupt the Narcos’ drug supply lines, and confiscate the Narcos’ drug money so they can use it for their own means. The guys are totally up for this. Gus outlines their jobs for the first mission, to take place that night. One of the new guys says he'll take care of getting the guns but Gus tells him, Not for me -- I never use them. Just like your father used to work!! approves one of the other new guys.

Nancy tells Vero she’s taking too much guilt on herself. Vero tells her about the big fight with Daddy Dearest. Nancy asks Vero: What if Gus were to take up a life of crime again...? Vero says that would never happen.

DD gets a call from FBBG, we need to meet at the rodeo bar tonight, i have something that will really make you happy. DD agrees.

We discover that Daddy Dearest wasn’t serious about calling the lawyers to do the paperwork – he “forgot” that the lawyer he’d told PdNWH to contact is in Europe somewhere on a sabbatical year. DD calls Chepe, telling him he urgently needs to contact his daughter. Chepe tells him no way. DD insists it’s important. Chepe tells him he’ll pass along the message and ask Vero to contact him. DD says to make sure she understands she needs to call him TODAY.

Everyone’s there for some reason. Auntie Ditz invites everyone to a family dinner tonight – she has a surprise for them. “Bien banaditos y vestiditos," she warns them.

<O-Team Tac/Ops room>

Chepe comes back in and tells MtP he agrees with her suggestion that they move “Cíntia” into Gustavo’s barrio. Meanwhile, EtU has been doing some scheming of his own and says they shouldn’t just attack on the one front. He says he has another way they can get a little higher up in the Narco chain of command, but it’s not really cop-work, it's more criminal-work: Kidnap Narco Lieutenant (real name: El Negro). Leave him access to a phone, and when he calls his bosses to get him out of there, trace the call to learn who the guy is, and get to him, to infiltrate from there. Gabriel says he likes the idea, but it’s pretty marginal, legally speaking. Chepe says he’ll handle that. In the meantime, the problem is to find a good moment to get NL, since he’s always surrounded by his posse of Narco Underlings. But EtU’s ready for that: It seems NL goes to his mistress’ house every Thursday like clockwork, and that’s the only time he is not surrounded by the NUs. They agree they will try that night.

after the rest of the team has left, EtU tells MtP he doesn't appreciate her throwing Gus and Vero together like that. MtP tries to explain she didn't do it for personal reasons but because it was the only sensible thing to do (and to be fair, i do think that that was probably the main reason she suggested it. MtP, for all her faults, seems to be the only one of the four of them --Gus, Vero, EtU, and her-- that is at all able to keep her personal feelings separate from the requirements of her job. now, that it could theoretically further separate Vero from EtU was undoubtedly a bonus, but unlike EtU, i don't think she would have suggested it at all if it weren't really the best thing to do to reinforce and build the "Cíntia" cover in the most effective way). altough this isn't a bad thing either -- EtU needs to get over Vero. natch, EtU's totally not buying it and is pretty nasty to MtP. when she brings up "last night," he interrupts, saying cuttingly that it was just a one-night stand, and storms out.

<Espinoza’s club (“Gardenia”)>

Inés comes in and asks for the other partner. He comes out, sarcastically greeting her as the prodigal daughter. She asks for her old job back. He has some snide comments about Inés’ “principe azul” who was supposed to save her from all this and asks about “Cíntia.” Inés ignores his questions and asks if he wants her back or not. He does.

<Vero’s>

Gus is at Vero's. He hasn't been able to find Inés, but thinks she'll be ok. Chepe calls Vero on her cel. He asks if she knows where Gus is. When she tells him Gus is right there with her, Chepe says to tell him to stay put. He's coming over there to talk to both of them.

Daddy Dearest shows up to pick up TtB for their evening out together, father and son. TtB is all clean and dressed up nice. As DD leaves, he adds, almost as an afterthought, Oh, yeah, my assistant wasn’t able to get hold of the lawyer, but he’ll keep trying. It doesn't look like MM is suspicious, altho given the fact she works for him you would really think she ought to be...

<O-Team stake-out SUV, outside NL’s mistress’ apartment>

EtU, Chino and Gabriel are all crammed in their black StakeoutUV, parked across the street from an apartment building, and eating what looks like hot dogs as they wait for NL to arrive at his mistress’ apartment. The NarcoSUV swoops up in front of the building, followed by a sporty silver coupe driven by NL with his mistress in the passenger seat. An NU assists the couple to get out of the car and the two hurry into the building after NL dismisses the NUs for the night.

<Vero’s>

Chepe tells Gus and Vero about EtU's plan to "kidnap" Narco Lieutenant, and how once they find out who’s above NL on the Narco food chain, they use that information to infiltrate the organization at that point – Vero as “Cíntia,” and Gus as what he is: an information technologies specialist. Lastly he tells them about “Cíntia” having to move to Gus’ barrio, where Gus will help build stability, security, and credibility for the “Cíntia” personality by introducing her to his friends, integrating her into the community, etc. Both Vero and Gus manage to keep straight faces hearing this (altho you just know Gus, at least, almost certainly could kiss Chepe for all but handing him Vero on a platter like this...). Chepe gives Vero a folder with “Cíntia’s” family photos and background details for her to memorize. Gus excuses himself, saying he has a family function he has to attend. He and Vero play it very cool and offhand as she shows him out the door. When she returns, Chepe gives her the message from her father. She mentions she and DD had an argument but doesn’t tell him what it was about. I guess Chepe is left to assume it was about her quitting then unquitting the O-Team.

A Sleazoid in a suit is all drooling over Inés. She flirts with him while dancing, but brushes him off when she’s not.

DD enters some tacky rodeo bar with the slowest-moving mechanical bull i have ever seen. TtB and PdNWH are with him, but he leaves them alone with a wad of cash, and heads off to meet up wit FBBG in the appointed place. En route he practically runs over a pretty girl in a halter and shorts. As she walks away, DD eyes her appreciatively.

Sleazoid tries to make Inés go away somewhere with him but she tells him she only dances. She has to get pretty harsh with him. Upset, she returns to the dressing room. She sees a photo of Gustavo on her “table,” and, telling herself she hates him, she rips it up.

<Vero’s>

Vero, dressed in a fluffy bathrobe, is towel-trying her hair when she gets a call from Chepe, who although we can't hear him is clearly telling her “Cíntia” needs to be somewhere. She says ok, sighs, and gets out her wig.

<rodeo>

The surprise FBBG has for DD is a bunch of drugs hidden in the hay (got them from someone in the north? some story there...). DD yells at him, telling him to get rid of them immediately. This rodeo bar place is supposed to be FBBG’s legitimate business, it’s supposed to be totally clean. They’ll both be implicated if the drugs are found there. FBBG still doesn’t see why DD’s making such a fuss – no-one would suspect. It's a great deal.

Sleazoid continues to hit on Inés. This time she accepts the challenge, and fortifies herself with a shot.

<Mom’s>

Grandma, Tarta, Mom, Father Anselmo, Gus, Mom, and AA Mateo, have all reported as ordered. They are all dressed nice (well, except for Tarta, tho i guess he tried since everything at least seems to be clean). Auntie Ditz has a big surprise. She starts leading up to it by saying she wanted them all there because they’ve all been witness to how her relationship with AA Mateo has grown over the years.

<outside NL’s mistress’ place.

NL comes out, the O-Team guys swoop up in their black StakeoutUV, and take NL away with them. he protests he is “protected,” and has connections. they’ll regret this. The O-Team guys are all, Yeah, yeah, yeah... Whatever.

<Mom’s>

Auntie Ditz gets down on one knee and asks AA Mateo to marry her, since he apparently hasn't paid attention to all the hints she’s been dropping. In the face of so many expectations, AA Mateo says yes. but the faces on him, Mom, and Father Anselmo reveal they know the dilemma he’s in.

Inés tells Sleazoid she won’t sleep with him. He starts to get violent.

<Mom’s>

Father Anselmo swallows what he knows about AA Mateo's true feelings and puts on a happy face to tell Auntie Ditz he’d be delighted to officiate at their wedding. Everyone has a glass of champagne (Auntie Ditz tells AA Mateo he doesn’t have to drink, just have a glass for the toast?) and they’re toasting “love” when the doorbell rings. Tarta says he’ll answer, and in a few moments is back with “Cíntia” strutting casually along the way she does. Everyone stares at her in surprise, and Gus with shock. Smiling in a friendly way, she looks around at everyone as if at strangers and says, Perdón, ando buscando Inés. Grandma wants to know who she is. Instead of answering directly, she pretends to recognize Gus and, smiling happily at him, says: Gustavo... ¿No te acuerdes de me? Soy Cíntia.

USA, 6/3/03 – no episode

for Megui -- rough rundown of Wed 6/04/03 (summary) Author: B. Date: 06-05-03 14:59 PDT

Megui, you said your TV kicked out on you about 15 minutes in. last night out of habit i started a summary of the show. it's not really detailed, but at least you can have an idea of everything else that took place:

WEDNESDAY

previouslies:

*Inés accuses Gus of not only betraying her, but of doing it with her best friend.

*Gus tells one of his new gang members not to bother finding a gun for him -- he never uses them. “Just like your Dad!”

*EtU and the O-Nappers grab NL

*Inés and Sleazoid at the hotel

*”Cíntia” arrives at the family party as Auntie Ditz proposes a toast to “love”

<Mom’s>

Gus feigns recognition as well. “Cíntia” doesn’t want to bust in, gets invited to join the party. They ask why she’s looking for Inés, says Inés said she could help me find a place to rent. Any friend of Inés’ is a friend of ours, too!! AA Mateo offers her Inés’ old place. Gus introduces her around. AA Mateo doesn’t seem suspicious (not that he should be, but still). Auntie Ditz gives “Cíntia” a glass to toast with too (i think she gave her Tarta’s glass! because suddenly he doesn’t have one any more...). Tarta seems to be a bit smitten, he moves over to stand right in front of “Cíntia.” Gus comes over and casually drapes an arm over his buddy Tarta’s shoulder, but really just so he can clink glasses with “Cíntia” during the toast (LOL! they have to pretty much reach over Tarta to do it!!).

Sleazoid tells Inés he’s never been turned down by a woman, never mind a "cualquiera" like Inés. He tosses her on the bed and gets out his knife. If you want to live, you’ll do what I say. Inés flashes back on the rape by the cops years ago (when they killed her boyfriend. in the flashback, all the cops are laughing as some of them restrain a furiously struggling boy while another one does the deed and another one seems to be waiting his turn. it’s really ugly).

The O-Nappers manhandle NL to some empty storeroom type place, tie him to a chair, and threaten him with death if he doesn’t cooperate. (and just out of curiosity, why are they not wearing masks?? that seems really dumb. or at least they should have blindfolded NL...!) They tell NL they already know who he is and who he works for. They want lots of money. Let’s see how much you’re worth – what’s the phone number of your boss...??

<FBBG’s sleazy rodeo place>

Daddy Dearest and FBBG are still arguing about the drugs. FBBG doesn’t want to give up his prize so easily. DD warns him: Now more than ever we have to be extremely cautious with all our business. Chickie that bumped into DD earlier turns out to be Claudia, FBBG’s daughter, recently arrived from Canada. In light of later scenes, she will now be called Jailbait.

<Mom’s>

Gus gets Ver/Cín off alone on the patio and in an undertone asks why Chepe moved Operation Cíntia In The Barrio forward – he hasn’t had time to lay the groundwork yet. She tells him about EtU’s kidnapping operation. If it goes as planned, they’ll need her already in place in the barrio. He asks what they’ll do if Inés turns up; Ver/Cín says she has no idea.... Grandma comes out to tell them to come have some cake. They’ll be there in a sec. Ver/Cín: But what will we do if Inés turns up? Gus: Pues, no sé. Ahí vemos...

<O-Nappers’ storeroom/O-Team surveillance room>

EtU reports back to Chepe that NL doesn’t want to give up the phone number of his boss. Chepe says, If he continues to be difficult, introduce him to “Doctor Chino.” After they hang up, MtP comments wryly that their usual problem with kidnaps is tracking who the money was given to, not the guy giving them the money! Heh.

<Mom’s>

AA Mateo comes to talk to Mom, who is doing dishes or something in a room away from the party. She tries to put a good face on it: This took me by surprise, but I’m really happy for you both. Auntie Ditz comes in. She is going to be royally hung over tomorrow. AD unintentionally amps up the guilt for Mom and AA Mateo: Here she has the two people she loves the most in the world. Mom’s the bestest sister in the whole world, she’s her best friend and confidante. AA Mateo’s the man she wants to wake up next to every day for the rest of her life. She loves him.

Back in the room with the party, Father Anselmo says he has to leave, he has to get up early. AD chats to “Cíntia”: We’re all crazy here, but harmless. And if Inés comes back, you can share the room, right? Grandma says they’ll go get the room all ready for her. Tarta gives her a welcoming kiss on the cheek. Gus wants to, too, but plays it cool.

<FBBG’s sleazy rodeo bar>

Jailbait and Daddy Dearest are watching some bronco busting. She tells him she’s just out of high school, getting ready to enter the university. She asks him if he’s married and is surprised to hear he’s not any more (DD: Now I just dedicate myself to my work) – A guy like him...?? Tony the Brat and PdNWH come up. TtB won 500 pesos off PdNWH on a bet (something to do with the mechanical bull). TtB is so completely smitten by Jailbait he’s speechless. Jailbait seems to like TtB as well, but she doesn’t come on anywhere near as strong to him. DD sends the two off together.

Father Anselmo finds Inés huddled in a corner by the door, sobbing quietly. He asks her what happened. It’s too dark for him to see her clearly but in any event she keeps her back to him so he can’t see her makeup’s all ruined from crying and she looks all disheveled. She says, between sobs she now tries to stifle, that she was on her way home and stopped to rest. Ah, so you found a new place, then? Yes, it’s a big apartment in a much nicer neighborhood. She’ll just be on her way now, tho. FA suggests she come inside to have some coffee and chat, but she practically snaps at him, Leave me alone! She runs off.

<FBBG’s sleazy rodeo bar>

Jailbait is riding the totally not-challenging mechanical bull as TtB looks on adoringly. TtB only has eyes for her and he helps her off the bull when the ride is finished. They apparently had the same bet going as TtB had with PdNWH and she’s won. They flirt a little until he pays up and she invites him to have a drink with her. They don’t notice, but DD is shadowing them – he totally can’t keep his eyes off Jailbait, and the look in his eyes is hardly paternal. FBBG comes up to DD. DD tells him he can’t believe FBBG could have such a lovely daughter, and he didn’t know about it. FBBG replies that he had never realized that DD was also a father. Is TtB his only child? Sí, es el único.

<ex-Inés’place, now “Cíntia’s” new place>

Grandma the interior decorator is telling “Cíntia” everything she plans to do to fix the place up and make it homey for her – curtains, blah blah. “Cíntia” says she doesn’t have to do anything, but Grandma tells her she wants to do it – she likes “Cíntia”. “Cíntia” says that’s a good thing, because she really likes Grandma. Grandma: And my grandson? How do you like him? “Cíntia”: Well, we’re just friends... Grandma, cheerfully: Good! You have to start somewhere, don’t you? Gus comes in with a box full of stuff, Grandma tells him he got totally the wrong stuff but it’ll have to do for now.

<O-Nappers’ storeroom>

NL tells the O-Nappers they’re idiots, they’re wasting their time. “Doctor” Chino is pulling on a pair of latex gloves and has a big ol’ wrench. He asks NL which tooth he uses least as Gabriel helpfully grabs NL’s head to hold it steady and pry his lips open. The threat is finally enough – NL says he’ll do what they want. EtU tells him to give him the phone number for his boss so he can call him right now (he brandishes his cel phone). NL Boss will have to come in person to get NL.

<O-Team surveillance room/O-Nappers' storerom>

Marcela the Pushy and Chepe are listening to EtU talking to NL Boss while she busily tries to trace the call. EtU demands 2 million dollars for NL!! He tells NL Boss that the exchange will be outside some abandoned factory somewhere. Unfortunately, MtP wasn’t able to trace the call. She tells Chepe that’s a problem with cel phones anyway.

Chepe to EtU after the exchange is set up: These guys don’t do exchanges – they’ll come for you. Be prepared for the rest of the team to intervene. EtU tells him that won’t work – if the Narcos see the team they'll know the O-Nappers are cops. EtU says he has a better idea.

<FBBG’s sleazy rodeo bar>

Jailbait and Tony the Brat are getting along very, very well – now they’re at the bar having (soft?) drinks. Daddy Dearest is still watching them. FBBG comes over. DD asks FBBG if he would have any problem with Jailbait visiting TtB at his mother’s house. Apparently FBBG wouldn’t. One of FBBG’s underlings approaches them and hands FBBG his cel phone, saying it’s important. It’s NL Boss (Benitez?), telling him about the ransom demand for NL. FBBG tells him to await further orders and hangs up.

<“Cíntia’s” new place>

Grandma and “Cíntia” finish making the bed and Grandma says they’ve made a start on making the place habitable. “Cíntia” thanks her yet again, Grandma pooh-poohs this, saying she’s enjoying it. Gus enters with yet another box of stuff and Grandma takes the opportunity to leave, telling Gus to help “Cíntia” finish moving in. Grandma is so totally matchmaking..! Gus tells Ver/Cín that Grandma really likes her. Ver/Cín replies that she thinks what is actually going on is that Grandma is trying to find a girlfriend for her grandson, ASAP. Gus, tenderly holding Ver/Cín’s chin: You have no idea how much I would give to be able to tell the whole planet that I love you! He hints that now his whole family knows her, but he still doesn’t know anything about hers... Ver/Cín corrects him: They’ve met “Cíntia,” not Veronica. You know we can’t right now. They kiss. (...and can’t you just see Vero imagining introducing Gus to Daddy Dearest, given the current state of affairs...? yeah, that will go over really well... Heh.)

<FBBG’s sleazy rodeo bar>

DD can’t believe no-one has any idea who kidnapped NL. FBBG says it must be an enemy of theirs who knows the organization. He thinks it’s (one of the Big Shots?) a guy named El Gordo Rojas. The kids rejoin DD and FBBG, and DD tells TtB they have to leave now. Jailbait protests it’s still early. DD smoothly suggests Jailbait visit TtB at home. Jailbait says she’ll accompany them out and DD sends the kids off ahead, then motions for PtNWH to follow them. Once alone with FBBG, he tells him to order NL Boss to pay the ransom. He say’s he’ll make sure the police take care of El Gordo Rojas.

<Mom’s>

They’re cleaning up after the party when Gus comes back. He’s all in a festive mood and wants to know what happened to the party? He asks AA Mateo when the wedding will be. AA Mateo tries to equivocate, saying weddings take a lot of preparation. Auntie Ditz laughs and tells him she wants to get married before she’s 60. AA Mateo and Gus head out, saying they’re going to the shop to go over a few things, leaving the sisters alone together.

Auntie Ditz comments that Inés’ friend is really nice, isn’t she? Yes, says Mom, and very pretty too. Gus’ eyes just about popped out of his head.

<“Cíntia’s” new place>

Ver/Cín takes off her wig and opens a drawer to put it inside. She notices something is inside, and pulls it out. Iit’s a framed picture of Inés.

<Velasco’s shop>

Gus wants to know why AA Mateo doesn’t seem to be all happy about getting married. AA Mateo tries to change the subject, but Gus keeps going back to it. AA Mateo finally manages to give some half-answers that succeed in appeasing Gus enough he is able to get him onto another topic: the blueprints for the security system he has brought for Gus to study. He comments it doesn’t look like much of a security system, and Gus, looking over the plans, says it isn’t. When you consider the business that system protects supposedly doesn’t make all that much money, having a killer security system would be a dead give-away there’s something else going on behind the scenes. This will be the first of many blows we will strike against the Narcos. Gus starts to run down the plan.

<Mom’s>

Auntie Ditz tells Mom she was a little worried that AA Mateo might say no when she proposed. She comments on Mom’s shocked look as well. You’re not going to lose me just because I’m married. You need a man’s love. You know what? I think one day when you least expect it, you’ll fall in love and get married again. Mom tries to make a joke of it: And if not, we can always place an ad in the classifieds. Or get a dog.

The boys are back from their outing. We should do this more often, have family outings. We could even invite Jailbait. Daddy Dearest tells Tony the Brat: I’m not going to pressure you, but I’d like it if you hung around more with Jailbait. Blah Blah Blah.

<“Cíntia’s” new place>

Vero’s taken a shower and is walking around wrapped in a towel. She picks up and considers the bottle of sleeping pills Grandma left for her (“Sometimes it’s hard to get to sleep in a new bed...”), then puts it back down, gets her cel phone, and places a call.

Daddy Dearest gets a call. It’s Vero. As soon as they realize who’s on the phone, MM and TtB’s happy faces fall. TtB immediately gets up and stalks out of the room, tho MM stays on, glaring. I don’t think DD even notices. He tells Vero he’s sorry about the argument they had and she says she is, too. He says he wants to see her and asks if she wants him to come get her. She says No, it’s late. Let’s meet tomorrow at the country house.

<“Cíntia’s” new place>

Vero takes some of Grandma’s sleeping pills.

Inés is crying. She takes off her shoes and the crucifix she’s wearing. She kisses the crucifix and places it on the edge of the roof, then climbs up onto the ledge. Clearly, she is thinking of jumping. She stands, arms outstretched.

<Velasco’s shop>

There's some chit-chat between Gus and Tarta because Tarta has the rappelling gear out and is testing it. He asks Gus how much he weighs, he just wants to be sure the gear will still hold him. Gus realizes Tarta hasn't used it the whole time he was in San Diego (10 years!). Tarta: Well, yeah (duh!). The rest of the team arrives. Gus tells the G-Team it’s a good thing they’re all here. If the information he has is correct, they willl have 10 minutes to get in and out. One of the guys says something about stealing. Gus corrects him: We’re not going to "steal," we’re going to "expropriate".

Chepe is already there with the rest of the O-Team, all of them kitted out in their Special Ops gear. He tells them to stay in their O-Van and wait for word from him. He finds himself a vantage point on a nearby rooftop, from where he sees a bunch of Narcos arrive and find hiding places around the area. The O-Nappers arrive with their hostage. They get out of their vehicle and stand around in the alley with their now-hooded hostage clearly in view. The morons are still not wearing masks. A sedan drives up and a businessman type gets out, along with some other underlings also in suits. These morons aren't wearing masks, either. One underling has a suitcase. NL Boss demands they take the hood off NL. The O-Nappers do so, and in return demand he show them the money. They make the exchange, but NL laughs and says the O-Nappers will never be able to enjoy the money. All the hidden Narco Underlings immediately run out and train their guns on the O-Nappers.

Gus and Tarta are on the roof. A window partway down the side of the building has been opened or left open. The two rappel down and enter through the window.

<“Cíntia’s” new place>

Vero is asleep in the bed. A shadow appears outside the door, which quietly opens. Inés obviously didn’t jump after all. She silently enters and wanders over to the bed. She seems bitter when she sees Vero sleeping there. She gets a pair of sharp-looking shears and returns to the bed holding them, a slightly crazed look on her face.

The Narcos gloat: We’re going to kill you. On the rooftop, Chepe tells the rest of the O-Team to be ready for his signal, they’re going to have to go in after all. But EtU tells the Narcos to rethink their plan. He unzips his dorky windbreaker to show he’s got a bunch of stuff taped to his chest. He tells them there’s enough explosive there to blow up two factories. If they shoot him, they’ll all die. Chepe puts the rest of the O-Team on hold.

Gus and Tarta are now breaking into an office in the building. Inside they find a safe on the wall with a keypad and what looks like a keycard slot. Gus gets out his laptop and hooks it up to the safe via a wide flat cable. He starts the program that will break into the safe for them. As they nervously wait for it to do its stuff, a security guard type and some other men in suits come down the hall. The guard shines his flashlight in the office window.

<“Cíntia’s”>

Inés holds the scissors as if they were a dagger. She is just lifting them in a threatening manner when Vero rolls over and mutters Gustavo’s name. This makes Inés pause. She regards Vero through narrowed, angry eyes.

Summary - Thursday 06/05/03 Author: B. Date: 06-06-03 13:31 PDT

here ya go...

THURSDAY 05 JUNE 2003

previouslies:

*Sleazoid threatens Inés with a knife as he straddles her on a bed and unbuckles his belt.

*Frosted Blond Bad Guy introduces his daughter, Jailbait, to his "very good friend," Daddy Dearest.

*"Doctor Chino" and the O-Nappers threaten Narco Lieutenant to get him to call his boss.

*Inés contemplates suicide.

*The Narcos threaten the O-Nappers; Chepe orders the rest of the O-Team to get ready to intervene.

*Gus and Tarta are breaking into a safe just as the security guards are making their rounds.

*Inés looms threateningly over “Cíntia," clutching a pair of shears.

<“Cíntia’s” new place>

Inés cuts a lock of Vero’s long hair, then steals out, taking it with her. Vero continues sleeping, oblivious.

<O-Nappers’ exchange site>

Esteban the Unstable shows Narco Lieutenant, NL Boss, and the Narco Underlings that he is wired to explode with 25 kilos (something over 50 pounds!!) of C-4. This will take out two whole blocks, he tells them – if you shoot me, we all go up. It’s your decision, NL... NL doesn’t want to chance it EtU’s bluffing and he screams for the NUs to lower their weapons. EtU tells Gabriel (addresses him by name!) to pick up the suitcase. The three O-Nappers climb into their SUV with the suitcase and get out of there. Chepe tells the rest to stand down and orders the O-Team to let the Narcos leave without attempting to detain them.

The three guys we saw last night are apparently all security guards. They’re laughing and talking as they make their rounds. Gus has quickly disconnected the cable and removed his computer from the desk and he is now crouched down, hiding behind it. In an urgent whisper he tries to order Tarta to get away from where he is. But Tarta, who unlike Gus has his mask pulled down, won’t budge from his spot behind the door. He twitches nervously but with determination, and has a large MagLight flashlight in one upraised hand. One of the guards unlocks the door and shines his flashlight around as he half-enters the room. He only has a chance to take a cursory glance around and before we hear one of the other guards call to him to keep up. The half-body, arm, and hand with the light is withdrawn and the door closed and re-locked. We can see Tarta slump a little in relief as Gus, motioning for silence, scrambles out from behind the desk and quickly reconnects the computer to the safe. Once they get the safe open, we all see there is a LOT of money in there, as Tarta remarks in an awed whisper. Gus repressively reminds him it’s dirty money (Tarta: I’ll wash it!! LOL!) as he quickly transfers the bundles to his carrysack. Tarta wants to keep some for himself, but Gus tells him No, it’s for people who need it. Tarta: I need it!! (Gus: Ok, we’ll see.) Once the safe is completely empty, they close up again, re-lock it, put everything else in the office back as they found it, and quietly creep out.

Daddy Dearest is half-lounging on the couch at Mummy María’s with a glass of brandy or something in his hand, and can i just say i was so TOTALLY right about his designs on Jailbait not being at all paternal?? Eeewwww!!! DD daydreams that Jailbait, her hair all loose, comes around the corner into the room. She’s wearing a tacky— i mean, silky leopard print shortie negligée getup with matching robe. She pauses and smiles a big welcoming Jailbait smile before seductively slithering toward him as he appreciatively watches her approach. She sits down on the couch at right angles to his, and sensuously stretches one leg onto the coffee table, where she starts moving her foot around in an inviting way. He reaches over to put his glass down on the table hear her foot. Looking directly into her eyes, which smile an invitation, he starts to caress that foot. He looks down at the foot as he continues to-- but his daydream is interrupted when MM, herself wearing a silky black negligée and matching robe (only hers is full-length), comes back into the room to find him half-lounging on the couch with a glass of brandy in his hand. She smiles. What were you thinking of? I was thinking of you, and how beautiful you are, DD lies. Come here.... MM: The other day, Tony the Brat got mad because you were talking with your daughter. DD pulls her down next to him. You were mad, too, weren’t you? You think I didn’t notice...? He starts kissing her in an aggressive way, pushing her robe off her shoulder. She tries to continue the conversation, but he just says, We’ll talk tomorrow and keeps attack—er, kissing her. Meanwhile, in his room, Tony the Brat smiles happily and remembers being with Jailbait.

AA Mateo enters his bar and reports in on what looks like a walkie-talkie sort of thing (“Listo, sin novedad, los huevos ya están en la fregadera. Cambio y fuera."). As he leans up on the bar itself, he sees Inés is sitting a few stools down, smoking, her back to him. AA Mateo recognizes her and approaches, telling her everyone has been asking about her, they’ve all been very worried. Inés swings around on her seat and leans back on her arms against the bar. She’s still got the long sweater on and her hair is still all mussed, but somewhere along the line she must’ve wiped all the makeup off her face (and sans makeup is actually a pretty good look for her. she looks really fresh, almost innocent in a way, which makes an interesting contrast to the been-there, done-that weariness of her attitude). Inés says she’s fine, but there’s a sort of self-mocking cynical edge to her tone. She just came to get a few things. Inés is sipping tequila or some other drink from a shot glass. So you are going to move, then, says AA Mateo. Looking for a way to get past the wall she’s put up, he remarks, Your friend “Cíntia” came, did you see her? Inés lies convincingly: No. It’s very late – I’ll look her up some other time. He asks if he can have a tequila with her. Inés smiles and shows a hint of a crack: But you don’t drink. AA Mateo: But I talk....

<Velasco’s shop>

Gus is walking quickly through the shop toward what looks like a small office or storeroom that’s crammed with stuff. Tarta follows. C’mere Tarta, I’m going to show you a secret between my dad and me, only now it’s between my dad, you and me. He swears Tarta to secrecy, telling him it’s where they stash the money they’ve stolen. Gus opens the lid of a wooden chest with a very dusty old record player inside. It turns out the turntable is actually a false bottom. He reaches in and pulls out a bundle of cash and gives it to Tarta, telling him to give it to the G-Team and tell them it’s for people who have been harmed by the Narcos. But tell them to be discrete in how they spend it, he warns. No splashing the cash around and attracting attention. Then he tells Tarta he wants him to find out if Inés has a bank account and get the number. He holds out a second bundle and tries to give it to Tarta. Take this and deposit it in her account. Tarta refuses to take it, asking why Gus wants him to do that. Because Inés needs the money, Gus tells him, a little impatiently. Tarta still refuses to take the money. He says, almost angrily, but steadily meeting Gustavo’s gaze: She doesn’t need money – she needs to be loved! He rushes off before Gus can insist.

<O-Team Tac/Ops room>

The O-Team principals minus Vero (and Gus, since i guess he’s pretty much part of the team now too) are all sitting around the po-mo desk-table things in the Tac/Ops room. Chepe rushes briskly in. He hands Esteban the Unstable some photos and says, Listen up: We’re already working on who he is and what he does (referring to NL Boss). I figure he heads up one of the Narcos’ cover businesses. I want you to all get a good night’s sleep tonight. Oh, and you did a great job today. Now get out of here, before I make you write reports.... They all grin appreciatively and leave. EtU is last one out, and as soon as everyone else has gone, Chepe asks him, Whatever were you thinking using real explosives?!? EtU, cynically: It worked, didn’t it? They both smile.

AA Mateo and Inés are still talking. She’s got another cigarette going, and he’s got two shot glasses on the bar, along with a bottle of (i’m guessing) tequila. He refills both glasses. He’s apparently been telling Inés about how he got engaged to Auntie Ditz. Inés toasts him, saying, Well, that’s something to be happy about. So why are you so sad? She tosses back her drink while he pours his on the floor (note: this happens again a time or three throughout the scene, sometimes with AA Mateo filling the glasses, and sometimes Inés. I guess this is his way of "drinking" with people. not half bad... i had a friend used to smoke that way. she’d only smoke if i smoked with her. only i don’t smoke. so i’d completely waste a cigarette, playing with it. she lost about a third of any given pack that way and since she smoked imports, she finally quit because she couldn’t afford it... but that’s really not germane to the story, is it? ok, fine. i’ll shut up now). AA Mateo asks Inés if he can tell her a secret. She says, Sure. You and I are really very alike, says AA Mateo. We’ve both been nurturing an impossible love for years -- you for the son, and I for the mother. Inés is genuinely surprised: You’re in love with Mom? AA Mateo confirms it, and says he has been since before she was married. But Dad was his best friend, so he kept quiet about his feelings. Then after Dad died, Mom pretty much shut down and wouldn’t let anyone get close to her that way. Over the years, she continued to love Dad, so AA Mateo never really had a chance with her. And Auntie Ditz...? asks Inés. The whole thing with her started as fun – no strings attached, no commitments. AA Mateo says he thought it would be a good way to get over Mom. But the opposite happened and he just fell more and more in love with Mom. He finally admitted he was fooling himself, going out with AD in order to have a reason to be around Mom. Hice muy mal, Inés... he says miserably. And don’t think I don’t care about AD – I do. She’s a wonderful woman and I do care for her. But what I feel for Mom is much stronger. Inés asks if Mom knows, and AA Mateo nods, Yes. But if she didn’t pay attention to me before, now she really won’t – she’d never hurt her sister. So you see? We’re the same, you and I. Inés: Not me any more... I’ve torn the love I had for Gustavo out of my heart and I don’t intend to suffer for him any more. AA Mateo asks her why she’s leaving, then, and she replies because she doesn’t have any reason to stay. Inés: I’ll be fine – I swear to you, I’ll be fine. She gets up and makes as if to leave. Take care of yourself and try to happy. AA Mateo tells her to hang on just a sec – he has to give her a bottle of some drink she really likes. He walks behind the bar and takes a bottle down from the wall, but while his back is turned, Inés has quietly slipped out.

<Velasco’s shop>

Gus is in the office, calling Suzy on his computer videocam. He tells her he knew she’d be up and online. VidSuzy tells him she’s really glad to hear from him and know he’s ok. She’s been worried ever since she got Father Anselmo’s call, but didn’t have anywhere she could call to ask about him. He apologizes for not having contacted her earlier: No tengo excusa, no tengo perdón, tienes toda la razón, soy un malagradecido... She seems to be laughing at him: He’s forgiven. A bit more seriously, he tells her, You saved my life. But be very careful – that information I sent you is very dangerous. The people who want it are capable of killing for it. He tells her he’s really sorry for getting her involved. VidSuzy looks worried, but tells him it’s not important – ¡Si te salvé la vida, está bien! She smilingly asks when he’s coming back. Gus sits back in his chair and looks dubious. We have to talk. VidSuzy guesses: It’s bad news, from the way you look... Gus tries to soften it: You know I’ve always been straight with you, and that I care for you a lot, don’t you? But VidSuzy, perhaps already guessing what he’s going to say, suggests he just cut to the chase. Gus takes a deep breath, then: Hay otra mujer (VidSuzy gets a lost sort of ‘I knew it’ air about her and she can’t quite look into the camera any more). Si... me... me enamoré. Y creo que lo mejor es que lo sepas. He puts his fingers up to the screen as if to stroke her face. She looks like she’s struggling with her feelings for a moment, then, with a sad smile, puts her hand up and covers her camera as she cuts the connection. The screen goes black. Gus tries briefly to get it back, but can’t.

<O-Team’s co-ed locker room>

Esteban the Unstable is apparently just out of the shower. He goes to his locker and hangs his towel over a peg on the open door. Marcela the Pushy (who is fully clothed) slinks up and starts petting his back lightly, asking if he’s tired. He says no – but she knows what the problem is -- he can’t stop thinking [about Vero]. Caressing him idly with a finger and smiling winningly, MtP playfully suggests he come over to her place, but, trying to get out of it "nicely," he says he’d rather go for a walk. She offers to accompany him, but he says he wants to be alone. She keeps stroking him, and sortof nuzzles his bare shoulder. EtU really is trying to be gentle about this, but MtP just is not taking the hint at all. He finally just tells her: Marcela, de verdad, quiero estar solo. Perdóname, no estoy en mi mejor momento, ¿sí? He looks straight at her until she stops coquetting and meets his gaze squarely. Her face falls as she realizes she’s not going to be able to win him over this time. Ok. If you want, I won’t bother you again. She turns and leaves the locker room in a bit of a snit, glaring at his back on her way out. He puts on deodorant, annoyed with himself.

<“Cíntia’s” new place>

Ok, so now who’s sneaking in to loom over Vero as she sleeps? She really ought to do something about that apparently broken front door lock or she'll end up with half the barrio in there on any given night as soon as word gets out... Oh, it’s Gus. He quietly makes his way to the far side of the bed and tenderly tucks her in, then gives her a gentle kiss on her cheek. He squats next to the bed beside her for a moment, looking at her as she sleeps. Then he sees the not-too-comfy-looking armchair at the end of the bed. He picks up a stray pillow and goes over to make himself as comfortable as he can in the chair. There is a long shot of him in slouched down in the chair, pillow behind his head and feet on the floor, in the foreground, with Vero asleep in the bed in the background. The grey-blue shadowy lighting morphs into a sunnier sort of light, the sleeping Gus morphs into an awkward-looking sideways curled-up lump flopped over one arm of the chair, and Vero is sitting up in bed, smiling in delight. It must be morning... And Vero is smiling in delight because she has wakened to find Gus crashed out in the chair with her. She wakes him and asks how he is. He stretches, saying he’s fine if a bit uncomfortable. She asks if he slept there all night, and he sleepily nods, Yes. She was asleep and he didn’t want to wake her. He gets up and goes over to sit on the bed. She tells him she was aware he’d come in but she took some of Grandma’s pills and simply couldn’t open her eyes. Kissing her bare arm, Gus asks if she dreamt about him. She laughs at him: ¡Qué vanidoso! He says, Well I dreamed about you (he sortof half-lies on the bed). I dreamed I kissed you, all over (he plants more kisses on her arm). I dreamed about your hair (he buries his face in a handful)... about your mouth (he kisses her languorously on the lips). He sits up a bit and looks right at her: I dreamed we made love. Her expression gets less teasing and more intent. They start to kiss.

It’s breakfast time at Mummy María’s, and once again Daddy Dearest is trotting out his Loving Father / Happy Family act. Tony the Brat slumps in, anti-DD attitude back on at nearly full volume. DD says, Well, I suppose we have to clear up a few things. First, I spoke to my daughter last night and I’m glad. We had some problems and I hadn’t heard from her all day. I’m glad to know she is ok. Tony and María, you guys know I am trying to make an effort to recover our family. But I need you to give me a little help. You need to have confidence in me. Things will get better, little by little. Is that ok? No more sulky faces, blah blah blah. He finally figures he’s made his point and changes the subject, asking TtB if he had a good time last night. He brings up Jailbait, MM wants more details about this girl. With prodding, TtB shyly admits he had a very good time and enjoyed being with Jailbait. MM suggests that he invite her to come to diner; DD almost too-heartily endorses the invitation and offers to give TtB her phone number right now if he wants. He enthuses on about Jailbait and presses the issue of inviting her over so much that it looks like TtB was on the point of getting suspicious about his father's extreme interest. Fortunately for the continued secrecy of DD’s designs on Jailbait, his phone rings. It’s PdNWH.

<“Cíntia’s” new place>

They’ve clearly made love, since Gus and Vero are both in bed, naked. She’s snuggled up to him and he caresses her arm. Gus: You know what? I would love to be able to tell everyone –my family, the planet— that you are the woman who changed my world. Vero smiles to herself. That you are the woman who makes me happy... Vero says wistfully, To think they only know “Cíntia”... Gus: But I’m not in love with “Cíntia,” I’m in love with Veronica Vega. Una mujer bonita –no, ¡hermosa!—valiente, inteligente. Que es capáz de arriesgar su vida por un ideal. I’d love to tell the world that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Vero: I’d love to too, and you know it. But I think for the moment Veronica Vega can’t exist. The only one who exists is "Cíntia Robles," a girl from the sticks with no future. Gus: Un amor clandestino... Vero tells him this will all be over soon, and then they won’t have to keep on hiding. Gus says it’ll all be over when he avenges his father. He tells her restoring Dad’s good name is a sacred mission for him. Vero says she understands – she’d do anything for her father. Everything she is is thanks to Daddy Dearest. She pauses for a moment, then says, There’s something I’d like to do, and I’d like it if you came along with me. Gus agrees.

<Mom’s>

Auntie Ditz is seated on a sortof chair or bench in the living room, eyes closed, nervously tapping a foot. She can barely contain herself. Mom comes out with a huge box and orders AD to sit still and keep her eyes shut. She puts the box down in front of AD and gets something white and rustly out of it. Finally she tells AD to open her eyes. AD goes nuts. It’s the dress their mother wore when she got married. Mom says their mother had always hoped that one of her daughters would wear it, but apparently Mom never did because she didn’t get married in the church. But won’t it look a bit funny on me?, AD worries. I mean, with my age and the crazy life I’ve led? Mom assures her it won’t. AD is delighted, and Mom seems really happy for her. AD parades around, holding the dress up in front of her and singing the wedding march. AD wants Mom to be with her the whole time, to be everything – all the various madrinas, etc. To pay for it all, you mean..., Mom teases. AD says, No, but seriously, I do want you to be with me throughout. Is it too much to ask? Mom says no. AD: I’ve been very lucky to have you with me. Mom: Yes, you have. They giggle together.

<“Cíntia’s” new place>

Gus is getting dressed, and Vero comes out of the bathroom in a fluffy bathrobe. She tells him she’s going to meet with her father at the country house. Gus asks if she’s told DD about him. Vero says yes, but he didn’t like the idea too much. Gus asks why not. She says, well, he sorta has a point. He says we’ve only just met, and our relationship is really risky. Gus says it’s only normal DD should be worried for her, and jealous about his beautiful daughter – her dad’s never met him. But the way she talks about him, he’s got to be someone pretty extraordinary. Vero’s cel rings and she answers it. It’s Chepe, telling her he needs both her and Gustavo to come in ASAP. We’re going to revise our strategies. I need you both here in a half hour. After hanging up, she gives Gus the news. He says ok, we’ll stop by my house so I can change and then we’ll go. They kiss and he hugs her reassuringly.

Daddy Dearest stands in front of the open, completely empty safe. He is royally pissed off. The three security guards, who apparently work for DD’s security company, are there, along with Random Shifty Owner and PdNWH. DD wants to know how many robbers there were, but the guards all swear they have no idea – they never saw a thing. They did their usual rounds. DD is outraged. I pay you to see things! The one guard continues to insist he’s telling the truth, but DD snaps back that the only truth is they failed him and in his company no-one fails him. DD fires all three guards and tells them never to set foot in his company again. They leave, and RSO demands an explanation. If DD’s company is so good, how come he has an empty safe?! DD says that’s why he’s there personally, instead of an underling. He will find out what happened. RSO says it’s just as well, since he’s holding DD and DD’s company responsible. He’s going to sue DD and his company and make them pay him back for all the money that’s been stolen.

<Chepe’s office>

Chepe is handing around photos to Vero (seated in an armchair), Gus (leaning against the wall near the door), and Esteban the Unstable (seated in another armchair and looking pretty annoyed about Gus’ being there). They’re blowups of NL Boss (ha! whose name is Benitez). He’s the owner of Orion, one of the most exclusive private clubs in Mexico. It has a clandestine casino. All the members are millionaires – mostly prestigious businessmen, but also artists and politicians, all with impeccable reputations (Vero hands her photos to Gus, he takes them from her with a smile that is nearly a dead giveaway, if anyone had noticed. and i can’t tell if Chepe does or not, he’s really devious and rarely gives much away). Chepe continues, Up to now Benitez has never fallen under suspicion because everything with him had appeared to be completely above-board. Vero asks what kind of women go there. EtU speaks up: Expensive and very refined prostitutes. Chepe says Gus is to infiltrate the club, they will get him a membership and have one of the club members sponsor him. Gus should try to get close to Benitez to see if he’ll take Gus ‘to the next level of the pyramid.’ Vero will be Gus’ lady companion. Chepe pauses for a moment to let the other three digest this, then changes the subject. Ah, now that Vero’s installed in the barrio, we can’t risk compromising her cover by her maintaining contact with HQ. So all contact between Gus and the O-Team will now be via EtU. Clearly, neither man is very happy about this, though Gus certainly hides it better. EtU, grumpily: C’mon, can’t it be Chino? Chepe, as if talking to a particularly dense child: Yes, it could be Chino, but it’s still going to be you. Deal with it. EtU fumes in his seat. Vero stands and says she’ll be going, unless there’s more to discuss. Chepe replies that he does have one more little matter. She pauses. Chepe looks at Gus and asks him to give them a moment, please. Gus to EtU: Adios, Contacto! He salutes him and walks out the door, shutting it behind him. Chepe looks at Vero: Vero, you know you were set up in the barrio not only to find out info about the Narcos, but also to discover what information Gus has that’s protecting him. It’s got to be something major. Chepe tells Vero he wants her to find this information immediately. Vero asks Chepe why he doesn’t just ask Gus to share (not knowing he already has and got shot down). Chepe says that Gus is clever and has his own ways of doing things. Vero is to search his house, grill him, whatever, but get that info. Chepe wants results within a week. Vero looks really dubious, but says ok.

Random Shifty Owner is still ranting on at Daddy Dearest, saying it’s not possible that he pays DD a fortune for security and yet here he is standing there telling him he doesn’t know anything about how the money came to be missing from a locked safe. DD agrees it’s really weird and says he knows his people were doing their jobs. He suggests it was likely one of RSO’s own people. RSO insists there’s no way – no-one else knows the combination. Nearly a million dollars could not have disappeared by magic! Suddenly DD is very interested: How much did you say...? RSO tries to backpedal: A... a lot of money – a lot! DD persists, wanting to know how much. PdNWH jumps in: Nearly a million dollars -- that’s what you said, he “reminds” RSO. Now he’s been caught, RSO cops to the amount, but continues to insist DD is responsible and he’ll sue to get every penny back. DD is not cowed: But you’re only covered for amounts up to $50,000, he points out in a sinister tone. You want to sue me for the money? Fine – I’d like to see you explain how you got that kind of sum selling little pills at the corner store. He points out that the people who pulled off the theft are people who knew very well that money was there, and pointedly wonders just what RSO is really selling here. RSO storms out without answering. After he’s gone, PdNWH reports to DD that the robbers got in through a skylight and opened the safe with an electronic codebreaker. They knew exactly what they were doing, he says.

Vero and Gus walk through the hall en route to visit Teresa. Gus has a big bouquet of flowers. On the way in he asks Vero what Chepe wanted to talk to her about. She says nothing, just some further instructions. A nurse approaches and tells Vero that her mother is out on the porch. Gus offers to wait in the hall if Vero wants, but she tells him she wants him to come along. That’s why I brought you, so you get to know about my life. I want to share things with you I’ve never shared with anyone.

Out on the porch, Gus hangs back a bit as Teresa greets Vero happily but with no sign of recognition. Teresa eagerly asks if “Felipe” has arrived yet, saying they’re going to go for a drive. She then comments to Vero, You look a lot like Felipe -- are you his daughter? No, I’m your daughter, Vero gently reminds Teresa. Teresa’s face falls. I don’t have any children – bad people don’t have children. Vero tells her she’s not a bad person, she’s a very good person. It’s as if Teresa didn’t hear her: Don’t tell anyone -- people died because of me, she says fretfully. Vero doesn’t know what to say to this, so she tries changing the subject, telling Teresa she’s not going to be able to come back to visit for a long time, but she wanted to give her something she found in a drawer. She takes a small, framed photo out of her purse and hands it to Teresa. Teresa is delighted and happily remarks, It’s Felipe’s daughter! She’s so pretty! Meanwhile, Vero has motioned to Gus to approach. She introduces him and he squats on his heels, proffering the flowers. Some ways behind Gus, Dr Slime sees Vero introducing Gus to Teresa and looks startled and not too pleased. Back with Teresa, she tells Gus he has very clear, clean eyes and asks who he is. Gus pauses a moment, then tells her, I’m the man who loves you daughter. Teresa again starts to get agitated: I fell in love once, but it’s not good. Vero soothes her as, unnoticed in the background, Dr Slime continues to observe the little group through narrowed eyes.

Mom approaches one of the chapels, lights a candle and prays: Please help me – take this anguish away from me. Don’t ever let my sister find out how I feel about AA Mateo. Help him forget me and love her and make her happy. Oh, why did You make me fall in love again, and why did it have to be AA Mateo...?

Dr Slime tells Snarky Refugio that Vero was there visiting Teresa and she hadt a guy with her. No, he doesn’t know who the guy was. What worries him more is that Vero gave Teresa a photo and now Teresa doesn’t want to relinquish it. She keeps talking about Felipe’s daughter. SR orders Dr Slime to get the photo away from Teresa any way he can and to make sure Teresa forgets about the whole visit. Erase everything in her mind, she orders. Dr Slime protests that it’s not that easy, but SR just tells him he has to do it. As soon as she hangs up with Dr Slime, SR places a call to Daddy Dearest, who is now strolling around the grounds outside the country house with PdNWH. She warns him that Vero has some unknown guy with her, and tells him about how Vero had given Teresa a photo and now it seems Teresa is starting to remember stuff. SR tells DD that Dr Slime said Teresa’d mentioned Felipe’s name a few times, and that she’s already ordered him to get the photo away from Teresa. This is getting very dangerous, she concludes, but DD tells her to just deal with Teresa and let him take care of the rest. After he hangs up with SR, DD tells PdNWH to make himself scarce for a while, saying he doesn’t want Vero to see him there.

Thoughtfully, Daddy Dearest walks into the attic room. He has a flashback: A slender man shouting accusingly, You messed with “mi mujer!!” Another man shouting back, “She’s mí mujer!!!” First Man: You’re a traitor! Outside the room, a woman frantically runs down a narrow hallway toward a door. Second Man cold-bloodedly shoots First Man in the head. The woman pounds on door to be let in as Second Man puts the gun in First Man’s lifeless hand, making it look like he shot himself.

A news reporter is standing outside a house somewhere. Behind him we see police escorting out some disreputable-looking heavy-set man in handcuffs and doing other police-type post-raid stuff, a la “Cops.” The reporter tells his audience about how El Gordo Rojas, the suspected drug dealer, is being arrested thanks to a tip. FBBG turns off the TV. Narco Lieutenant asks: And what if it wasn’t El Gordo’s people who kidnapped me? FBBG sighs: I don’t know. What I do know is that Daddy Dearest is a very powerful man. He always does what he says he will.

<Chepe’s office>

Chepe is eating a sandwich. Esteban the Unstable bursts in, clearly angry. Chepe blandly asks if EtU’s had breakfast, but EtU is not to be diverted. He’s totally fed up. You put Veronica and Gustavo working together, then you come up with me being the only contact between Gustavo and the O-Team, he accuses. He says Chepe is always (talking? making fun of? i couldn’t make out the word and it could have been either or another) Vero in front of him. And now Chepe’s sent them off together. Well, that’s the last straw for EtU, who can barely contain himself. What? Chepe asks, You think I’m doing this to annoy you? EtU: I don’t think – I KNOW! Que Veronica y Gustavo sean juntos, eso me frega la vida, Y me la frega tanto que no puedo dejar de pensar en ellos! ¡Y entre más pienso, más siento, y entre más siento, más odio, Chepe! ¡Y tú te has dedicado en engrandecer ese odio! He goes on, warning Chepe that the situation is going to explode some day. Who knows...? Maybe one of these days during an operation, my gun will just happen to go off and I’ll accidentally put a bullet in Gustavo. EtU doesn’t seem at all worried about the prospect.

Daddy Dearest continues wandering around the house. In what looks like the dining room, he takes the sheet off one of the chairs and sits down with a heavy sigh. Vero walks in and he stands again, telling her he was worried she’d changed her mind and decided not to come after all. She apologizes, saying she was delayed. DD takes the cover off another chair and invites her to sit, but she says, Before [we do], I want to talk to you about something important. This might be our last chance to talk in a while and I want to clear a few things up. Smoothly, but with a touch of wariness, DD agrees, That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it? To forget about the disagreeable incident we had? Vero: What you call an "incident" resulted in your hitting me. And you did it because of Gustavo. Keeping a hold on himself, DD calmly but firmly replies, I’m not going to permit that guy to come between us... Vero: I know. I also don’t want to be hiding things from you, or to be estranged from you. But I want to make one thing clear: Gus is the man I love. And if you have anything further to say about him that Ii don’t know about, I want you to do it in front of both of us. Vero turns slightly, and Gus comes into view in the doorway.

the advances for tomorrow’s show (among other things) DD in the attic again saying, I killed the father with a single shot to the head. But the son I am going to take apart, piece by piece. the voice-over implies that DD says this to Vero and Gus, but i’m guessing he either says it to the empty room or to PdNWH. whatever.

6/6/03 –from dd - Antonio tells Gustavo he expected a private conversation, but doesn’t like the fact that she has ended a stable relationship. He tells her that since her mother got ill, he couldn’t fall in love with anybody else, devoted himself to her. She says that Gustavo wasn’t responsible for her breaking up with Esteban. She realized that she wasn’t in love with him. Antonio says he won’t repeat to Gustavo what he told Vero the other day but apologizes, doesn’t want her to be hurt, he is perhaps over-protective. He asks her to forgive him. She tells him that she is still hurt, that she loves him more than anybody, but it isn’t easy to forget, asks him to give her time. She kisses him on the cheek, starts to leave with Gustavo. Antonio asks to talk with Gustavo, asks if he really loves Vero. Gustavo assures him that he does, tells Antonio that he loves her above anything. Antonio tells him he will do anything to protect his daughter. Gustavo says he admires him for that, that Antonio reminds him of his father. That’s why he wants things to work out between Vero and him. Gustavo thanks him, shakes his hand. Antonio says he is sorry about his father.

Esteban tells Chepe he knows what’s going on but still put Vero together with Gustavo, asks what he is trying to do. Chepe provokes Esteban to punch him, tells him to pretend that he is Gustavo. After Esteban does, Chepe tells him that feelings have no place in their work.

Vero and Gustavo walk in the woods near the bungalow. She talks of her childhood, how her mother got ill. Gustavo tells her that her father seems to be an extraordinary man. Vero tells him that her father is afraid Gustavo is mixed up in things he shouldn’t be. Gustavo swears he won’t do anything to hurt her.

Froilan goes into the bungalow where Antonio starts to throw things around, says it would have been easy to kill Gustavo, had to play the comprehensive father. Froilan offers to take care of him, but Antonio says he can’t because of the information that Gustavo has. He tells Froilan they have to use the relationship between the two to get the information Gustavo has on him. Antonio says he killed his father with a single bullet, but he is going to break Gustavo into pieces until he begs to die.

Marcela gives Chepe a report, says she can’t find anything to tie ? to the Cartel de Golfo. Chepe confronts her with her idea to infiltrate Vero into Gustavo’s world, to get her out of the way. She admits it, but says the rest is up to her.

Matero tells Celia that he has committed an enormous mistake with Nenena. Celia tells her it has nothing to do with her. Mateo tells her she has everything to do with it. Mateo tells Celia that he tried his best with Nenena, but realized that he was looking for Celia in her, wanted to stay close to Celia. Celia assures Mateo he will learn to love Nenena. Mateo tells her they will al suffer, asks her to admit she loves him, just one word. Celia tells him he will marry Nenena, not to approach her again. She won’t let him hurt her sister.

Antonio watches Refugio on the bookcase ladder, kisses her. She pulls back, says what if she doesn’t want him, tells him to force her. They have sex on the floor.

Francisca gives Cynthia a plant, says it will bring her luck.

Gustavo talks to Celia about his father, asks if he had a lot of friends. Celia tells him that people liked him, admired him, but he had only a few friends, among them Mateo. She admits she still misses him.

Ramiro looks at a video of the special squad, tells Antonio he wants the girl. Antonio and he argue about the rescue. Antonio doesn’t trust Benitez. Ramiro says that Rojas’ men have agreed to a truce. Antonio tells him to be careful. Then Antonio watches Claudia by the pool, is obviously attracted to her. Toni calls her while she is in the pool. He invites her out and she accepts.

Gustavo gives Tarta a list of things he will need, including $20,000 to pass himself off as a millionaire. Celia interrupts them, tells Gustavo he needs help with the counting, says she has no head for numbers.

Vero tells Gustavo how much she likes his grandmother, felt free with her. Gustavo tells Vero he’s going alone to the Orion Club to check out the scene, tells her he’ll meet her around 10, 10:30 in his mother’s house.

Marcela updates Chepe on the operation. He offers her a drink.

Tarta appears with a deluxe car, clothes, the works. Tarta explains that he “borrowed” the car (the owners are out of town). Tarta tells him that Anselmo saw Inés, she said she wouldn’t return.

Refugio tells Antonio that Maria called. He tells her to get him a drink, not take any more calls for him.

Gustavo goes to the Orion club. He presents his credentials, says he wants to game, heavily. He enters the casino, looks around. He is introduced to the owner, Patricio Benitez. Gustavo asks what the minimum is, is told 2 thousand; he hands over 10,000. Gustavo sits down at a table.

Froilan goes into Antonio’s study. Antonio asks how lone he’s worked for him. Froilan says 18 years. Antonio says he is like his son, says his own son is weak, won’t be able to inherit. He says it is time that Froilan takes the position he deserves, is going to learn something he’s never told anybody: he killed his brother. Vero isn’t his daughter but his niece.

Benitez tells one of the girls to stick by Gustavo, doesn’t trust him.

Esteban watches while Cynthia goes into Gustavo’s house. Nenena arrives at the same time, tells her to go in, will be back soon. Esteban calls her, orders her to search Gustavo’s room for the info. She, reluctantly, agrees, goes into his room, starts to search. Esteban calls again. She tells him she can’t, puts back what she took. As she leaves the room, she sees Celia who asks what she was doing in Gustavo’s room. (Esteban apparently didn’t see Celia arrive home.)

USA, 6/9-13/03:

Summary 6/11/03 part 1 Author: Megui (---) Date: 06-12-03 15:26 PDT

EtU tells Gus he's a deadman. Gus taunts him to go ahead and kill him, presses his forehead against the gun. EtU backs down saying he's not going to waste a bullet on someone who's dead anyway. EtU wants to know what Gus is doing in the basement of the Casino.

In the restaurant QP (formerly DD) tells Vero a sob story of how Teresa cheated on him with his brother Felipe while Vero was very young. Tells her Teresa toyed with both Felipe and him. She told Felipe she would leave Antonio but never really intended it when Felipe called her on it she told him she would never live with him thus crushing him and driving him to suicide. Antonio only found out about this years later after Teresa was already in the looney bin because he found a note from Felipe to Teresa that told all. He was devastated and the only thing that saved him was Vero and her innocence, since then he's lived only for Vero. He also said that he had to put Teresa away because in her guilt over Felipe she had lost her mind and was becoming a threat to Vero. QP has already forgiven Teresa and asks Vero not to judge her. QP was very convincing in his lying, with tears and all. He really played the role of victim quite well. He claims he adored Teresa and he never told Vero because he didn't want her hurt but now he feels she has a right to know to whole sordid story even though it pains him to hurt her so. Vero was obviously devastated by this story. She couldn't believe it. she wanted to know how it happened? why it happened? She bought the whole thing hook line and sinker. She also asked to see the note from Felipe that QP found. He asks why? She says just because. Just then the phone rings. It's Refugio saying Teresa had another crisis. She's been sedated but things are very bad, she recognized Refugio. QP hangs up with concern. Vero wants to know what's up. QP tells her Teresa had another crisis.

In Chepe's office EtU brings Gustavo in. Chepe wants to know what's going on. Gus reminds Chepe they agreed Gus would answer to no one but Chepe. Chepe thinks the problem is he's not answering to anyone at all. Gus Wants EtU to leave so he can talk to Chepe but Chepe says EtU stays. Chepe wants to know what Gus knows. Gus wants things done his way, wants Chepe to just trust him. Chepe says no way, tells Gus the narcos are killing all the middle men and soon his life insurance policy will be worthless won't be able to protect Gus then. Gus says for him it's personal, he says he doesn't know who can be trusted because the narcos include politicians, businessmen, dirty cops (looks pointedly at EtU). In the end Chepe says Gus has to play by Chepe's rules and Gus says no way I don't need you to tell me how to do things. C-ya and walks out.

Vero and QP get to the looney bin. Refugio tells vero she can't go in to see mom. Vero tells her it's none of her business. QP says it's OK. Pissed off vero goes to see Mom. Refugio tells QP he's crazy, Teresa has been remembering and could tell Vero stuff. QP says it doesn't matter after the story he's told Vero. He told her about Felipe's death with a few "variations" he just didn't tell her he killed Felipe. Tells Refugio they need to get samples of Felipe's writing because they'll need to forge a note.

The O-team is having a meeting. Chepe says he's heard that someone from above is going to be pressuring them to tell what they know and how their operation is going. This must mean they're close to something important only problem is that they have nothing. Only Gus has something, they're going to have to work with him. EtU can't believe Chepe is considering working with that imbecile again. They can't trust him. MtP points out that they shouldn't trust Vero either because she's obviously in love with Gus and has been compromised as a result.

Gus tells Mateo he fears he may be in over his head with the whole Narco thing (really? nah!). He's worried about Suzy. The Narcos could find out who she is and go after her. They need to protect her. Mateo will take care of finding someone to go protect Suzy in SD. Also Gus asks Mateo to stay very close to his Mom and Grandma. If Gus isn't home Mateo should stay over. He doesn't want them left alone ever (how convenient for Mateo).

EtU tells MtP in the locker room that she was out of line talking that way about vero in the meeting. MtP tells him that's not true because she was speaking the truth. He needs to face reality. Vero doesn't love him anymore, she loves Gus and can therefore not be trusted. They argue some more. At the end MtP says she'll see him at her place.

Re: Summary 6/11/03 part 2 Author: Megui (---) Date: 06-13-03 06:30 PDT

A devastated Vero comes back to Cintia's apt and a waiting Gus. Vero tries to pretend nothing is wrong but Gus isn't buying it. He hugs her and tells her he loves her and she can trust him and tell him anything. Things will always be better if they're together.

Mummy Maria wants Tony to go see the psychologist Fr. Anselmo recommended. Antonio is against the idea. Later MM suggests it to Tony. He thinks it's a stupid idea, asks what his dad thinks. MM says QP not for it, Tony says he's not either.

Frosted Blond guy has figured out who Suzy is. They noticed Gus talks to her via internet and that she's some sort of computer expert too, doesn't take too much to figure out she must be the person helping Gus and she must have the info they seek. QP will take care of it.

QP is reading the paper when Refugio comes in, still reprimanding about taking Vero to see Teresa. QP just ignores her. Refugio comments that she convinced the Doc to give Tere more drugs with a very powerful incentive (money). QP still pretty much ignoring her. Refugio starts undoing her clothes and saying that's the advantage to Vero not being home anymore, Refugio can go around wearing less. QP doesnt' mind does he? (I found myself really hoping QP would just continue to ignore Refugio even a naked one but alas I was disappointed) QP puts down his paper stands up and starts kissing her. There's a knock at the door. Refugio says it can wait but QP disagrees. It's Froilan. The car for Tony is ready.

Vero has obviously related what her father told her about Teresa. Gus comforts her.

QP tells Froilan that someone trustworthy needs to seduce Suzy and get information out of her. Obviously the indicated person is Froilan and isn't he lucky since she's a good looking gal.

Mateo tries to convince Nenena that she should take the opportunity to see Europe while she's already there. She's always wanted to see it after all and now's her chance. She should stay gone three weeks maybe a month. Nice try Mateo but Nenena is not going for it.

Vero is asleep in bed and Gus writes a note to her, leaves it on the table and exits the room.

MtP and EtU are in MtP's apt. it's obvious to MtP that EtU has Vero stuck in her head. She tells him he needs to get over Vero and that Vero deserves to be punished along with Gus for what she did to EtU. So we're really establishing MtP as a poisonous snake now. I had doubts initially but I guess not.

Vero wakes up and notices Gus is gone. She goes to the other room and sees Gus talking to Suzy via laptop. She stays in the background and hides so Gus doesn't see her. Gus is telling Suzy he's worried about her and someone will be coming to protect her. Tells her she should try to get transferred elsewhere if she can. Suzy says she'll try. Gus thanks her for all her help in trying to decode the information. Gus leaves. Vero comes back in her room and finds the note Gus left. It's a really nice note but I can't remember what it said. Something about facing obstacles together and depending on each other. Also says he'll be gone all morning and will see her when he gets back. He loves her.

Celia is with Nenena as she takes a cab to the airport. Nenena is worried about leaving Celia alone so soon after the kidnapping. Celia says don't worry. Nenena is still worried esp. since she hasn't seen Celia smile since that fateful day. Nenea promises Celia to bring a European hunk back as a present.

Cintia goes to the mechanic shop and pretends to be looking for Gus and then to be looking for the bathroom in order to gain access to the office. There she starts looking around and finds Gus's laptop. Phone rings and it's EtU calling to find out what she's found out. This guy is a complete idiot. You don't call someone in the middle of an operation like that, it could cause her serious problems if someone else heard the phone. Anyway. Cintia tells EtU she found the laptop but she can't get in because it's password protected. EtU wants her to bring the laptop out to the van so that MtP can try to break in. Vero starts to say she can't do that when she hears someone coming. She puts the phone away and manages to get the laptop into her very large purse before Tarta comes into the office. She says hi to Tarta tells him she was waiting for Gus asks if he knows when Gus is coming back finds out not til the afternoon bids her goodbyes and leaves with the laptop.

Gus and Mateo arrive at some very well guarded ranch. They're coming to see a friend of Mateo's who also turns out to be a drug lord. There's distrust and Gus and Mateo get beat up a bit before the drug lord guy comes out, apologizes and explains he had to make sure it was really Mateo. Apparently Mateo saved this guy's life while in prison. (Mateo was in prison? how'd I miss that before). The guys tells Gus everyone wants to kill him, he's not going to because he's a friend of Mateo's but he needs to watch out. Gus wants to know who killed his father. The guy is incredulous that Gus is not heeding his advise to leave things be. Gus asks again. Fine, the guy tells Gus is was a very high ranking police officer.

Re: Summary 6/12/03 part 2 Author: Catrina (---) Date: 06-13-03 15:47 PDT

There was also little parts that was not included in megui's summary that I just wanted to mention. Tony got his car and went over to Claudias and found her at the pool with another guy. He says sorry, he did not mean to bother them and runs out, Claudia runs after him but Tony leaves.

Mateo gives Gus pics and files of the police jefes for the 10 years ago and find Chepe and Antonio included in the files.

Re: Summary 6/12/03 part 2 Author: Catrina (---) Date: 06-13-03 15:50 PDT

Also, Ines is at some voodoo/witchcraft place with Vero's piece of hair she cut.

Father Anselmo catches Celia and Mateo kissing.

Gus runs into Chepe's office and tells him he is at the top of the list as the killer of his Dad.

USA, 6/16-20/03:

mini-summary (first 10 mins or so of 6/18/03 for Megui) Author: B. Date: 06-18-03 23:34 PDT

Nancy says she can't believe Vero and Gus got married and asks if Vero's told anyone else. Vero says no -- they can't really tell Gus' family as it would be putting them in danger; and the O-Team really doesn't trust Gus, so forget about telling them. And what about Daddy Dearest? asks Nancy. Vero says, ruefully, We do have to tell my dad... she doesn't know how he'll react, though.

Daddy dearest is furiously speed-walking away from the restaurant towards his car. we see Gus in the background, hurrying to catch up with him. as they race along, Gus tells Daddy Dearest's back that he doesn't want to fight with him, that DD knows he loves Vero. this last is finally too much for DD. he turns around and snaps that he doesn't speak with people "como tú, infeliz." Gus is at a loss: Why is DD insulting him -- he doesn't even know him! DD is too angry to think clearly. he replies that Gus is a misbegotten, stupid delinquent who is obsessed with Dad's death. Don't you understand?? DD demands, That Vero could be killed because of you?? (Daddy Dearest seems to have completely forgotten that Vero makes her living as an undercover cop and she could easily have been or be killed for reasons having nothing to do with Gus...) Fair enough, concedes Gus coolly. If that's the way you want things to be, that's fine. But, he warns, Don't try to separate us because you won't succeed. That's all I'm going to say. in a rage, DD ignores this and says he needs to speak with his daughter. he demands Gus tell him where she is. Gus just crosses his arms and says in a sardonic, ironic sort of tone, You think I'm going to tell you? DD, for all his fury, realizes he's not going to find out from Gus, and gets into his car, sharply ordering the driver, Let's go. as the driver walks over to get into the car, Gus leans into the still-open door and says warningly, You know what? Don't ever lay a hand on Vero again. She's not alone [anymore]. No-one can touch her -- not even you. he shuts the door with a snap watches coldly as the car drives off.

<café>

Nancy is telling Vero she's not 18 any more and things aren't that simple. You belong to an elite police squad and have a mission that among other things includes orders to spy on the man who is now your husband! Just how do you think you're going to handle that? And if Gus finds out, what are you going to tell him? How are you going to explain it? What are you going to say -- that you were giving the information to the police because you want to protect him and you love him a lot?!? Do you think he's going to understand that? Vero ruefully admits she's totally aware of all this. but she's going to take responsibility for any consequences. Nancy asks, You're going to continue betraying him...? Vero says it's not about that. Nancy wants to be clear: Ok, just tell me one thing: If it turns out Gustavo is guilty of something, would you hand him over to the law? Vero doesn't answer.

Jailbait and Tony the Brat are seated on the couch, TtB with one arm on Jailbait's thigh. both are looking a bit like children that have been caught playing hookey or something and are now being bawled out for it. TtB appears to be defending himself: Mamá, don't be like this...! Mummy María, rather reasonably, asks him how she should be, since she just spent the night thinking he was all tucked up in bed only to discover he wasn't even home at all! after she found his empty room, she was thinking the worst and didn't even dare call Daddy Dearest! TtB hangs his head as Jailbait attempts to take the blame, but MM won't have it. You think I don't know he asked you to say that? I'm not stupid! she tells Jailbait. MM says she has to go to work and when she gets home, she and TtB are going to talk -- she's had enough and this time she is going to take “drastic measures.” Jailbait tells MM not to worry -- she'll watch out for TtB [in the meantime]. MM barely pauses for a moment to tell TtB, in a much gentler tone, that she's happy he's ok before swooping out. TtB grabs his head in his hands. as soon as the door is safely shut behind MM, he starts to bemoan the fact that this had to happen just now, when he'd promised her it wouldn't any more. Jailbait tries to calm him by saying they'll think of something to tell MM, or she'll talk to his dad, since it seems like he really likes her. she tells TtB to lighten up -- You must have slept really badly at my house last night, she teases. she goes to her purse and comes back with something wrapped up in a piece of paper or a small matchbox sort of thing. she shakes something into her hand and offers it to TtB. he looks at it blankly -- What is it? i didn't recognize the slang (i'm not as up on my drug slang as i used to be...), but the word she used was, i think, "tachas," and from the looks of things i'd guess maybe it's LSD. she asks him if he's never tried them, puts it on her tongue, and kisses him.

Suzy and Junior (formerly PdNWH --Protagonistas de Novela Winner Henchman-- a/k/a Froylán, now also a/k/a Fraulein) are at a waterfront restaurant, chatting over what looks like after-lunch coffee and dessert. Suzy is telling Junior about hacking -- how it's like a game, and how she and a (male) friend used to have a thing going to see who could hack into the more secure system. this friend once even hacked into the CIA's system -- they nearly got caught and it spooked them enough they never tried it again. Junior comments that the last thing he'd think is to see her as a hacker. Suzy says why? he replies because she's too beautiful and she immediately calls him on it: So you think beautiful women are all stupid? he tells her no, not at all. she's the most beautiful, and also the most intelligent, woman he knows. Suzy asks if he likes his job, and he tells her, At this moment, me parece... ¡fascinante! they smile at each other. just then, a blonde woman we're clearly meant to think is a gringa friend of Suzy's comes out onto the patio where their table is and calls to her (even tho Suzy replies in English, calling the woman “Helen,” what gives Helen away is how she pronounces Suzy's name -- "Soo-SAHN," not "SOO-zan." but anyway). Suzy excuses herself to go talk to Helen for a moment, so is conveniently out of earshot when Junior gets a call on his cel... (by the way, i noticed that Junior was careful to keep his back to Helen, and his face turned away so that she couldn't get a good look at him --assuming she was even trying to).

<"Cíntia's">

Gus comes in. Vero greets him cheerfully, calling him "amorcito," but quickly picks up on his pensive mood. she hugs him and kisses him, asking him what's wrong. they sink into chairs around the table, as Gus asks if she's spoken to her father. she is puzzled: No, why? Gus tells her he has. Él me buscó, quería que fueramos a un restaurant -- fuí. Quería ayudarme con lo de mi papá, pero después el tema se desvió y terminó diciendome, pues, que yo no era para tí, que me alejara y, en fin, mil cosas que... Vero's beginning to see where Gus is going with this, but nevertheless asks what Gus told Daddy Dearest. Gus 'fesses up -- he's sorry, but told DD what would have been better coming from Vero, that they were married. he looks really apologetic; Vero, oddly, doesn't look all that upset at the news. rather, she seems to be considering it, chin in her hands, a sort of vague half-smile on her face.

Daddy Dearest is clearly the person who called Junior in San Diego. he's snapping out orders: Junior is to look for proof that Gus still has "something" going on with Suzy. Junior is to bring the proof to DD and then kill Suzy. and Junior has to tape the killing. DD wants to watch, and to hear her screaming as she's being killed. (and can i just say it? is this man a tad bloodthirsty or what?? first Gus, now Suzy! Nero was nothing on this guy...) ¡Ese muchachito se va a repentir hasta de haber nacido...! he asides (Junior looks troubled, hearing this), before continuing with his orders: he wants the pictures of Suzy's body on Gus' computer TODAY! he hangs up with a snap, leaving Junior looking worried and thoughtful as Suzy rejoins him. she asks if he's had bad news. he tries to snap out of it, not very successfully: That was my boss. Suzy remarks sympathetically, I'm sure he asked you to do some impossible thing. Junior stares in shock -- how can she have realized what he's been ordered to do? but Suzy continues, unheeding: Bosses are like that -- they ask for the strangest things at the worst possible moment. But let's have dessert first, ok? she smiles winningly at him. he tries to smile back, and can't really do it. Junior is clearly starting to have problems with his assignment... (ok, DD clearly hasn’t thought through the logistics of all this: it’s clearly afternoon, and there’s a time difference between San Diego and Mexico City, not to mention it’s a 5-hour flight or something like that. how is Junior supposed to find proof there’s still something between Suzy and Gus, fly back to DF to give the proof to DD, then fly back to San Diego to videotape himself killing Suzy for DD and then post pix on Gus’ computer, all in the same day?? i just don’t see how this is possible... Daddy Dearest so needs to rethink this a bit.)

<"Cíntia's">

Gus is finishing up his tale of his meeting with Daddy Dearest. ...Se puso como loco, me dejó sólo en el restaurant y... pues, nada. Él te va a buscar y yo quiero estar en ese momento, para hablar los tres. Quiero estar contigo. Vero tells him to relax. she knows her father and thinks she can deal with him herself. Gus protests that now he's her husband he wants to be involved in her life, to help her. Vero starts to interrupt, but he continues, his worried words and thoughts tumbling all over each other: En serio, él me dijo que que me alejara de tí, que te estaba haciendo daño, y que corrías peligro -- cosa que tal vez tenga razón, ¡pero igual quiero estar contigo! Quiero que hablemos, pero lo único que yo quiero es que tú y él esten bien, ¡pero quiero que sepa que yo te amo! ¡Eso es lo único que quiero que entiende! Vero breaks into the flow to reiterate that she thinks she can take care of DD herself. she knows why DD got mad and thinks he's probably got some cause, because she's never hid things from him before, never mind something this important. but she is sure that everything will work out. Gus isn't so sure, but she tells him DD will probably be upset for a while but eventually he will get used to the idea that they're married. because they are. she smiles at him reassuringly.

this is about 10 minutes from the point where you said your connection cut out, and since at this point we went to commercial for something like 2-3 minutes, i'm guessing if you said you missed only about 10 minutes, you are back by now. when we rejoined the show after commercials, we are in a women's clothing store with a strange man who admiring the dress the woman he's with has tried on. we only see her from the back but none of us regulars are fooled: it's Inés.

by the way, serious props to Vero for calling Daddy Dearest on saying that Gus was gloating and mocking him when he told DD that Vero was now his wife. and also for pointing out what i did earlier -- that it was hypocritical of him to blame Gus for putting her in danger when he'd never reacted so extremely to her very dangerous job.

--------

6/20/03 - Gus accuses Vero, asks what else she has done, who else has had access to his computer, accuses her of marrying him as part of her job. He tells her he would’ve given her the information if she’d asked. She admits that she took the computer but didn’t put in the chip.

Marcela tells Chepe that the chip’s been found, but she accuses of Vero of guessing and telling Gus, says that Gus couldn’t have discovered it otherwise. And Vero appears to be truly surprised.

Nenena shows Celia all the sexy underclothes she bought for Celia and for honeymoon with Mateo. Then Nenena describes the wedding, full of transvestites, but the ceremony was very moving. Cynthia arrives and Nenena continues to describe the wedding. Mateo finally arrives and Nenena greets him with a big kiss.

Antonio visits Anselmo in church, asks for his help. Antonio tells him how he felt different from the time he was a boy, capable of enormous cruelty, tells of one incident which made him proud of his ingenuity while not being moved by the pain he caused. Antonio tells Anselmo he wanted God to help him; Anselmo tells him that perhaps he never really wanted to change. Antonio says he doesn’t understand. Antonio asks Anselmo if love can hurt, not accidentally, but purposefully. Anselmo asks why you would hurt, consciously, somebody you love. Antonio says “to save them”, because he is sure it is for the best. Anselmo won’t respond without knowing what he means, asks if it has to do with his children, Maria. Anselmo asks him to tell the truth. Antonio says he thought that Anselmo was more intelligent, but sees that he isn’t. Anselmo says he thinks there is still some small part of Antonio that wants to save himself. Anselmo tells Antonio he can change his life. Antonio asks what God’s obligation is, is sure that God has left him no other option. Then, of course, Anselmo leaves. Antonio sees/hears Anselmo tieh Gustavo. When Anselmo returns, Antonio is gone.

“Jaime” (Forilan) calls Susy. She asks if he is going to come back, but he says he has to hang up.

Gus asks Anselmo for a computer, his has been compromised.

Cynthia talks with Paquita about Gus but doesn’t say much.

Antonio gets into the car with Froilan, tells him the worst thing that can happen to men like them is a conscience, tells him to drive him to Maria’s, then make plans for Vero. He admits he was about to reconsider, but has to go forward.

Gus uses Anselmo’s computer, introduces him to Susy. Susy tells him to be careful, somebody he trusts is obviously betraying him.

Antonio talks with his son who acts repentant. Toni says Claudia is strange, very nice one day, cool the next. Antonio tells him that’s the way it is with women. Antonio tells him that after he gets to know Claudia better at dinner, he’ll be able to give him advice. Then he says there are times he wishes Vero were more like him.

Nenena, Mateo and Celia eat and talk about the wedding. Celia and Mateo try to explain why Anselmo won’t be marrying them. Just then, Gus and Anselmo appear. Cynthia and Paquita appear. Gus asks Cynthia what she is doing there, she says she came to talk. They leave. The others wonder what is going on.

Gus gives her all his tapes, his list of contacts, everything. He congratulates her on her even being able to pretend to be in love in bed. She slaps him and leaves. Outside, she runs into Esteban. He accuses her of removing the chip. She asks him why they didn’t tell her it was there. He says they couldn’t trust her. He warns her not to trust Esteban, he’ll end up killing them both.

Paquita talks with Gus about Cynthia, tells him lovers always quarreled.

Froilan talks with a man about Antonio’s job, needs his two best men, nobody else is to know. Cuando? Ahora mismo.

Gus finds Vero packing, says she is leaving the barrio. Gus starts to apologize, asks what he was to think.But she admits she took the computer to get the files he was too proud to turn them over. Gus tells her that a cop killed his father, it could have been Chepe, how can she expect him to trust the police? She reminds him that she is a cop. He says they have to fight for their love. She asks how, against whom, against what, all that interests her is that he turn over his files. He says no. Then she asks him if he expects her fail to comply with her obligations just because she loves him. She swears that all she has done is out of love, but it is not enough. Gus says all this will end, they just have to get through it. She tells him that while she is with him, she won’t stop doing everything she can to protect him, loves him, but is a cop, part of the police he hates and distrusts. She tells him he she can’t expect him to believe the way she does. He asks if she wants to separate. She tells him they need time to think about what they want.

Outside Celia’s house, Anselmo tells Mateo to tell Nenena the truth or he will. When Mateo goes inside, Nenena tries to find out what is wrong, decides to get her nightclothes, spend the night in his apartment. When she goes to her room, Celia begs Mateo to keep quiet, but he insists he must, tonight, promised Anselmo. Celia begs him not to. Mateo tells her he feels awful, pretending to be in love with Nenena. Celia asks him for time, says she will talk with Nenena, calls his feelings just a caprice. Celia leaves the kitchen. Nenena comes out, but Mateo tells her “not tonight”.

Froilan checks out the site to which Vero will be taken. Froilan calls Antonio, says they are ready.

Ines continues to have nightmares about Cynthia. Armando wakes her up. She tells him it is the same nightmare. He promises he will get rid of the nightmare.

USA, 6/23-27/03:

for Megui -- summary of Friday 27 June 2003 - Author: B. Date: 06-30-03 04:05 PDT

FRIDAY 27 JUNE 2003

*Gus tells Benitez he knows he’s “Orión.”

*DIddy Dearest’s Evil Kidnapper #1 tells Vero he’s going to give her the electric shock of her life.

*Suzy stabs Junior with a shard of broken mirror (by the way, how did she keep from cutting her own hand to pieces on it, i wonder?) and makes a run for it.

*DIddy Dearest’s Evil Kidnappers #1, 2, and 3 panic because #1 has killed Vero.

*Ex Yellow-Tie shoots Benitez as Benitez and Gus are leaving the casino.

*DDEKs #1, 2, and 3 dispose of Vero’s body by wrapping it up in a blanket and tossing it down some sort of steep hillside in the Boonies.

*Ex Yellow-Tie tries to stop Psycho Underling (formerly Narco Lieutenant) from also shooting Gus, but PU knocks E-YT down and trains his sights on Gus...

Gus cradles a dying Benitez in his lap, frantically urging him to tell him who “Sagitario” is as Ex-Yellow Tie orders Psycho Underling to put the gun down and leave with him now, before they’re discovered. PU knocks E-YT down with the butt of the rifle and trains his sights on Gus. meanwhile, Esteban the Unstable is at the wheel of his SUV, on the phone with Chepe (in the StealthVan), who is ordering EtU to get out of there immediately. to his credit, EtU actually seems to be worried about Gus (but probably only because he’s afraid of losing their only lead to Vero). EtU pleads with Chepe for permission to go get Gus and Benitez out of there, but Chepe is firm: EtU is to leave NOW. the regular police are already on the way and they don’t need to find out that the O-Team is involved in this affair. reluctantly, EtU reverses away. back in the casino driveway, Gus continues to ask a now-unresponsive Benitez for “Sagitario’s” real name. in the StealthVan, Nancy rhetorically asks what Gus can be thinking – he’s right in the line of fire and will get shot. PU is about the pull the trigger when E-YT makes a recover and grabs the rifle away from him. now it’s E-YT’s turn to knock the breath out of PU with the butt of the rifle. Gus is still pleading for the name he so desperately needs, and Benitez, who is clearly making an effort, manages to say that “Ramiro” will kill his children. Gus assures Benitez his family will be fine, and asks for Ramiro’s last name. but Benitez can only think about the safety of his family. he begs Gus to protect them, and Gus promises he will; but he needs to know “Ramiro’s” last name. with his last breath, Benitez chokes “Barrientos” before collapsing. RIP Patricio Benitez, a/k/a “Orion.” it’s too bad about that whole being a crook thing... angrily mumbling under his breath about unprofessional underlings, E-YT is hastily packing away the rifle in a carrying case as PU struggles to his feet. somewhere while he was down PU acquired a pistol and now he whacks E-YT on the back of the head with it. as E-YT slumps to the floor, unconscious, PU quickly unpacks the rifle again and returns to the window to shoot Gus. Nancy, who has been watching Gus and Benitez on the StealthVan’s monitor, finally makes a decision: she clambers out of the StealthVan, ignoring Chepe’s demand to know where she is going. Nancy races toward Gus and Benitez as PU “reaquires” Gus in his sights and slowly tightens his finger on the trigger. but before he can complete the shot, Nancy arrives on the scene and stands right in PU’s way, her back to him, completely blocking his view of Gus. she gets rid of two Random CasinoStaffers who had run up to the scene (evidently after hearing the gunshot and/or seeing Benitez fall) but were now just standing around uselessly gaping at Gus and Benitez by screaming at them to go call the police and an ambulance. PU angrily waits for Nancy to get out of his way so he can have a clear shot at Gus. meanwhile, as soon as she is alone with Gus and Benitez’s body, Nancy practically orders Gus to leave the scene, saying the police are already coming and they must not find him there. for a moment as Gus reaches to grab his computer bag, he is in PU’s sights again, but now it’s E-YT to the rescue. he knocks PU out of the way with his own pistol, grabs the rifle from him, and hurriedly stuffs it back into its travel case as Gus, all unknowing of his narrow escape, dashes away down the driveway. as PU recovers from being knocked down, E-YT brandishes his pistol at him and marches him out of the building before the police can arrive and discover them.

Suzy frantically alternates between banging on doors, pleading (in English) for anyone to open up and let her in, and pressing the elevator’s call button. but no-one seems to be home and the elevator is taking too long to arrive. back in her apartment, Junior, breathing heavily, manages to pull the big ol’ shard of mirror out of his side (and he also manages to do it without cutting his hand, either!!). as he struggles unsteadily to his feet, Suzy decides to take the stairs (11 floors, as we learn from the big number helpfully painted on the wall next to the door). she is racing down as he staggers out to the elevator and also presses the call button. the doors open to reveal a young couple, who are frightened at Junior’s bloody appearance. he scares them out of the elevator and stumbles in, pressing a button (presumably for the parking garage). Suzy is on the 4th floor now, running frantically. shots of Suzy running down the stairs are intercut with shots of Junior gasping in the elevator, leaning up against one of the walls. Suzy finally gets to the end of the stairs and bursts out into the parking garage. she dashes for her little SUV and fumbles to unlock the door, dropping her keys in her haste. as she reaches for them under the car, the elevator finally arrives at the parking level and Junior practically falls out – a big bloody handprint over his heart on his white shirt. he staggers into the parking garage and looks around for Suzy, evidently not knowing where she parks her car. Suzy gets the door open and jumps in. she fumbles the key into the ignition and gets her car started as the sound of the door slamming tells Junior where she must be. he heads toward the noise as she gets the vehicle into reverse and starts to back out just as he reaches her. he grabs at the door handle, trying to to stop her, then realizes he can’t do it alone and grabs a length of pipe that is conveniently nearby on a ladder someone has left standing around the garage. he smashes the end of the pipe into the driver’s window, which shatters.

<O-Team’s Tac/Ops room>

Marcela the Pushy, Chino, Gabriel, and Nancy are filing in as Chepe, who is really upset, is berating them, telling them they’re idiots – how could this be happening to “us” (presumably he is referring to Benitez getting shot)?? MtP makes an attempt to defend the team, pointing out they could hardly have foreseen the Narcos would have everything all set up like that, but Chepe is too upset for excuses. he points out that they’re all supposed to be members of an elite squad, not some local yokels or the Keystone Kops! their only lead to Vero’s whereabouts and “they take us by surprise...!” he seems to finally run out of steam with this and Gabriel manages to get a rational word in: If it weren’t for Gustavo – he improvised the whole operation at the last minute. We didn’t have a chance to plan anything... he says. Nancy interjects, asking if she can just say something, but Chepe seems to have made a recover and tells her he doesn’t want to hear anything from her. he’s annoyed with Nancy because they had agreed (he says) they were going to leave the scene and she disobeyed him. Nancy isn’t cowed: They might have killed Gustavo if I hadn’t gone to get him out of there, she retorts. Chepe sternly tells her that Gustavo is “immune” to the Narcos because of the information he holds, but the Narcos could easily have killed her! fine, then, Nancy ripostes, pointing out that had they just left Gus there the police might have picked him up as a suspect and questioned him. she tells Chepe not to treat her like a novice – she did what she had to do (she doesn’t say, but her tone clearly implies: And you know it.). Gabriel tells her to calm down (he calls Nancy, “mi amor”) and reminds everyone the important thing right now is Vero. Chino agrees, but points out they don’t know what else they can do – they’ve exhausted all the leads they had. Nancy asks about the possible suspects from some of Vero’s earlier cases, and MtP states that they’ve “partially investigated” all of those but haven’t come up with anything. Chepe tells them to look deeper – look into all of the suspects’ families and friends. he wants to leave no possibility uninvestigated.

<Suzy’s apartment>

we hear a phone ringing as the camera pans from the bathroom door across the bedroom, past the disordered bed, down to focus on the cel phone, still ringing as it lies on the floor on top of some clothing, next to a towel and a in a paper sleeve.

as the cel phone in Suzy’s apartment continues to ring, we see DIddy Dearest himself is the one trying to call. he is standing in the now-empty room where his Evil Kidnappers had imprisoned Vero. clearly, he is not pleased with the way things are going. he hears a voice, calling to the Evil Kidnappers from another room, and snaps his phone off, pocketing it as he turns to go find the owner of the voice, which turns out to be Evil Kidnapper Kid, now back from wherever it was Evil Kidnappers #1, 2, and 3 had not let him have the van to go to. DD strides into the “living room” to meet EKK, getting his gun out as he walks, and smacks EKK across the face. standing over him and threatening EKK with his gun, DD demands to know where they took Vero but of course, since he left before DDEK #1 had killed her and all three of the other EKs had gone away with Vero’s body, EKK doesn’t know anything at all. EKK first tries to tell DD this, but of course DD is not in the mood for the truth and he continues to threaten. finally, EKK says he’ll tell DD, but to please not kill him. DD promises, so EKK gives him an address: Iztlán Nº6. and of course, DD kills him before coolly tucking his gun back into the back of his pants.

the camera pans down a dirt-, scrub-, and rock-covered hillside to focus on an incongruous whitish bundle lying up against a rock at the bottom of a steep slope. as the camera gets nearer, we see it is the rather gaudy plaid blanket DIddy Dearest’s Evil Kidnappers used to wrap up Vero’s body. it has come partially undone, and we can see a foot, a hand, and part of Vero’s face. she is lying awkwardly, her limbs any which way. she looks dead.

DIddy Dearest’s car screeches to a halt (not even at the curb!) and DD practically doesn’t even let it stop before jumping out. he is ranting at someone, asking what it is “you” want, anyway – that he repent of his sins or what? the camera swings around behind DD and we see that he is standing outside a church (presumably Father Anselmo’s church). You made me what I am! DD rages – You decided my destiny!! And now You want to castigate me with this?!? Do it!! Do it, if you are so keen to impose Your justice [on me]!! But don’t do it this way – not to my daughter!! Don’t punish my daughter – punish me, but don’t punish my daughter!! Castigate me with Hell – that’s what it’s there for!— but don’t castigate me through her...! Don’t castigate me through her... DD breaks down, sobbing, over the hood of his car. the church bell tolls, as if in response. he looks up at the bell tower, grimly.

clearly, we’ve joined them as Ex-Yellow Tie is reporting in about the Benitez hit. Frosted Blond Bad Guy asks E-YT what Gus said then, and E-YT laughs ruefully, saying either Gus has got some real balls on him, or he’s really clueless – he just sat there “hugging” Benitez. FBBG asks what that was all about, and E-YT says he doesn’t know, he thinks he (Benitez?) might have been “breathing” something to him (Gus?). FBBG asks if E-YT saw them talking, and E-YT admits no, he didn’t, but it only makes sense they were – Benitez must have told Gus something. but what he can’t understand is how Gus came to be on the scene at all. FBBG agrees that that is a very good question. but in the meantime, he continues, all Benitez’s accounts need to be frozen. he orders E-YT to tell the new accountant to take care of it. E-YT says Yessir and gets up to go take care of it, but he pauses at the door. Something else? asks FBBG forbiddingly. E-YT reluctantly turns, but decides to share the rest of the story and his misgivings. he prefaces his remarks by commenting that FBBG knows it’s not his (E-YT’s) style to tattle, but... FBBG impatiently urges him to continue. almost in a rush, E-YT stuns and annoys FBBG by relating how Psycho Underling had tried to kill Gus. PU was so determined, he tells FBBG, that he only barely managed to stop him. E-YT concludes by saying that in his opinion PU has a real bug up his butt about Gus – maybe he’s still “traumatized” from the kidnap (the failed kidnap of Mom) and was put back into the field too soon. he worries PU might do something crazy, like get together the rest of the NUs [that were with him at the kidnap] and go to look for Gus on their own. FBBG thoughtfully agrees that this hadn’t occurred to him, and clearly having PU at large is a risk to them all right now. E-YT, looking rather relieved, remarks that if that’s the way FBBG feels, he’d be happy to take care of the situation, no charge. he takes a small knife/dart thing out of his sleeve and brandishes it so we all understand he means he will kill PU. FBBG tells him that would be best and is just expanding on that when he notices something behind E-YT. Hey, girl – don’t you knock?? What have I told you?? FBBG asks in an angry tone. the camera angle shifts and we see Jailbait standing in the doorway. E-YT quickly hides his knife-thing back in his sleeve as Jailbait protests unhappily that the door was open. Well, what do you want? FBBG snaps. she looks at him and says with an unhappy shrug, With your lovely manners, I don’t think I want anything. she turns and leaves, pulling the door partway shut behind her. FBBG swears under his breath as E-YT dashes over to make sure Jailbait’s out of earshot, then asks in a worried tone, Do you think she heard us?

<O-Team squad room>

Gus has obviously arrived to report in. in the background we see Gabriel, Marcela the Pushy, and Chino standing around a computer console, talking with an unidentified female squad member as Nancy tells Gus that Vero is her best friend. Gus isn’t really paying a whole lot of attention, but she gets it as, a bit hesitantly, she adds, She even told me that you... –Nancy looks around quickly to make sure no-one is listening— got married. Gus stares fixedly at Nancy for a moment before looking around, worried. Nancy hastily continues, still glancing around every few words or two, telling him that they day Vero was kidnapped she’d been going to meet Gus to tell him something. Nancy asks if Gus and Vero did have a chance to talk. a bit uncomfortably, Gus asks Nancy if there is somewhere more private where they could talk. Nancy says yes, and as Gus looks over at MtP, Chino, and Gabriel one last time to make sure they haven’t noticed, she leads him away.

<O-Team interrogation room>

my, this is a popular place for heart-to-hearts, altho frankly i’d be worried about uninvited eavesdroppers, since the room is obviously rigged for sound and from inside the room you’d never know if someone was on the other side of that two-way mirror... Nancy invites Gus to have a seat, assuring him that no-one will disturb them there. Gus doesn’t look completely convinced as he rather warily sits down. Nancy, seated across the table from him, calmly asks what he wants to talk about. Gus protests he doesn’t know – she was the one asking him questions. that day Vero only told him she needed to see him, she had something important to tell him. he asks Nancy if she knows what Vero was going to tell him. Nancy equivocates, telling Gus that Vero was with her when she’d called Gus, but she doesn’t know what Vero meant to tell him (though let’s face it – she has a pretty damn good idea...!). Gus relates that he and Vero were “distanciados” due to an argument they’d had after which Vero had decided they needed some time apart. when she’d called him, he thought she’d changed her mind and wanted to get back together, that she’d realized that their love for each other was far more important than any problem. Y cuando llego y la veo hermosa, he continues, porque estaba hermosa... The children surrounded her... one of them had given her a drawing. She was showing it to me, and right in that moment when I thought everything made sense, they kidnapped her – just like that, in a heartbeat! And I couldn’t do anything...! Nancy tries to reassure him, telling him it’s not his fault, but Gus says of course it is – if he hadn’t gotten carried away with his vengeance, if Vero hadn’t met him, this would never have happened to her (well, he’s right about that, of course, but not in the way he thinks!). Nancy firmly tells him that Vero knew exactly what she was risking and it didn’t matter to her because she wanted to be with Gus. and she would only have done such a thing out of love. Nancy reminds Gus that he himself had just told her that – that love is the only thing there is, the only thing that matters. she tells him not to torment himself [with guilt]. Gus leans back and looks at Nancy consideringly.

a hand in a blood-soaked sleeve wrings water and blood out of a piece of cloth, and as the camera follows the hand over, we see it must be Junior’s hand. he’s tending to Suzy’s cuts from the broken window. Suzy is bound and gagged, trying not to cry. Junior tenderly dabs at the cut, asking her gently if it’s painful. Suzy doesn’t even try to answer, and doesn’t look at him. Junior, whose shirt is even more bloodied than it had been in the garage, tells her she has to understand that he’s only doing this for her, because he doesn’t want her to be hurt. he’s trying not to cry himself as he adds, When you’ve calmed down, you’ll understand that our only hope is each other. That’s why we have to be together. Suzy is obviously trying to figure out what options are still open to her. Junior continues to gently clean her cuts, and asks where the information Gus sent her is. she jerks her head away at that, which causes Junior to squat down in front of her and turn her face so she has to look at him. he tells her in a firm tone that he’s not crazy. he pleads with her not to look at him “like that” – he’s giving her a chance to live! but she has to help him, he continues in a gentle tone – where are the files? Suzy still doesn’t even try to answer. You’re still in love with “ese infeliz,” aren’t you? Junior asks with a slight edge to his tone. Is that it? he sits on the bed next to her and unhappily asks why she can’t love him. he’s crying a little bit as he points out that he’s willing to die for her – how can she continue to want to sacrifice herself for someone who couldn’t protect her? firmly, but not cruelly (not the way DIddy Dearest would have done it), Junior stands and tells Suzy there’s no point in her continuing to protect Gus – he’s a dead man.

<O-Team interrogation room>

Gus is pacing around now, telling Nancy the reason he went to see Benitez was because he thought Benitez had something to do with Vero’s kidnapping, but when he got into it with Benitez he realized that Benitez didn’t know anything. that was Gus’ only hope, and now it’s gone! Nancy points out that if Benitez did know something, obviously no-one wanted him talking and that’s why they killed him. Gus leans over the table and asks if he can trust her – he is thinking of doing something but the O-Team can’t know about it. Nancy tells him of course he can trust her. but, she points out, the O-Team’s whole focus right now is finding Vero. he really should work with them on this. Gus says he can’t risk it – the Narcos are after him, right? and if they think that the O-Team is after what he’s thinking of doing, they’ll kill him. Nancy tells him she doesn’t think he should put himself in danger, but Gus steamrolls over her objections, telling her Vero is the woman he loves most in the world and [what’s happened to her] is all his fault. Benitez mentioned some guy, Ramiro Barrientos – what does Nancy know about him? seeing Nancy knot her brows but not say anything, Gus thinks she’s holding out on him – Don’t do it for me, do it for Vero, he begs. Nancy tells him the problem is, she’s never heard of a Narco by that name. Gus pleads with her to get him information about this guy – his phone number, his address, whatever. Nancy says she doesn’t see what this has to do with Vero’s kidnapping, and Gus asks her to please just get him the information. Ok, sighs Nancy, wait for me here.

DIddy Dearest checks a briefcase before getting out of his car and looking sternly up and down the street. he approaches a house.

<Suzy’s / outside a house?>

Junior is back kneeling on the floor in front of Suzy. he caresses her unwilling face with his (still bloody!) hands as he softly pleads with her to please let him love her – that’s all he asks. he gently removes the gag and goes to kiss her, but she mutely turns her head away. frustrated, he stands and tells her she’s giving him no other choice than to kill her. Suzy’s had it – she stands and yells at him to do so. she would have rather he’d killed her than to have slept with an assassin. it’s clear her words are hurting Junior. she continues, begging him to kill her so she doesn’t have to feel filthy any more. his cel phone rings. she guesses it’s Junior’s boss calling, and taunts him with it – telling him to answer and tell his boss that he hasn’t done his job yet because he’s a coward and crying like a baby. Junior slugs her and she falls onto the bed, unconscious. groaning with the effort of bending over, Junior picks his cel up off the floor and answers, trying to sound normal. of course, it is DIddy Dearest calling. he’s stomping up some stone steps as he angrily wants to know why Junior didn’t answer when he’d called before. Junior apologizes, saying the phone was turned off. DD wants to know if he’s killed Suzy yet and Junior says he was just doing that now. Well hurry up and finish, snaps DD, and get to the airport. I want you on the first flight back to Mexico. I need you here immediately. Junior wants to know why – has something happened? DD tells him yes, but he’ll fill Junior in when he gets back home. DD reminds Junior he wants conclusive proof of Suzy’s death, and that it was slow and agonizing. No mistakes, Junior! he warns. Junior is still trying to sound normal, but it’s costing him. fortunately for him, DD is too wrapped up in his own little fantasies to notice. after DD has cut the connection, Junior tries to take in what he’s been ordered to do. he walks over and gently brushes Suzy’s unconscious face with shaking fingers, sighing heavily.

<Iztlán Nº6, presumably>

hearing DIddy Dearest stalk into the room, DIddy Dearest’s Evil Kidnappers #1, 2, and 3 all turn and pull their guns, pointing them at him. DD immediately puts down his briefcase and holds out his arms, telling them to be calm, he’s not armed. as DDEK #1 (the one who killed Vero) hastily pats DD down, DDEK #2 (balding guy, who appears to be the one in charge) demands to know what DD is doing there. DD pretends to be surprised by the question, saying he thought he was dealing with professionals – didn’t they have a deal...? DDEK #2 says things didn’t turn out the way they’d expected. DD wants to know where “she” is. DDEK #3 (the youngest of the three) shoves his gun into DD’s throat and tells him to get out. DD asks what’ll happen if he doesn’t leave – are they going to kill him? he reminds the three that his assistant knows where each of the Evil Kidnappers’ families live and if anything should happen to him, his assistant will track them all down and kill them in retaliation. DD suavely suggests they all calm down and talk like reasonable people. the three remaining kidnappers are still very much on edge, and continue to keep their guns trained on him.

<Chepe’s office>

Esteban the Unstable is haranguing Chepe about Gus, as usual, telling Chepe to listen to him and lock up Gus once and for all. in a mild tone of voice, Chepe asks what that would accomplish (he doesn’t say it, but it’s clear he’s thinking, Other than making your jealous ass happy, that is... heh). EtU announces that he’s sure Gus kept all that money that disappeared from Benitez’s accounts for himself. if Chepe lets Gus “escape,” they’ll never see him again and Gus is the only person who can lead them to the people who kidnapped Vero! Chepe points out that if Gus intended to run away with the money, he would have done so already. EtU impatiently dismisses this, saying Gus just doesn’t want to raise suspicions. he adds that he knows Benitez told Gus something before he died. I asked him about it, he rants, and do you want to know what he said?? That the only thing [Benitez] asked him was to look after his children! Puh-leeze!! Who’s going to believe something stupid like that?! Chepe wearily suggests that they stop speculating and instead concentrate on what they know. What we know – what we know!! sputters EtU. What we KNOW is that this guy transferred millions who knows where – THAT we know! And what’s more, he’s been deceiving us from the star!. Otherwise, how can you explain that Benitez’s assassins knew to be there precisely today?? How could they have known Benitez was going to enter our Witness Protection Program?! We don’t even know what Gus’ plans are!! Chepe’s tired of this. he reminds EtU that the Narcos have been systematically eliminating various members of the gang – it’s possible Benitez was one of the victims. naturally, EtU thinks that’s way too much of a coincidence. there are two possibilities, he states flatly: first, that Gus wants us to believe he’s working with us but is really a Narco spy. and the other is that he’s deceiving all of us – Narcos and the we police both – so that he could get to Benitez and steal all his money... EtU concludes by saying that in his opinion this whole Vero kidnap thing is just part of Gus’ “show” (and could it BE any more obvious that what few brains EtU has go completely on the fritz where Gustavo is concerned??? no wonder DIddy Dearest never felt threatened by EtU!!).

<O-Team interrogation room>

Gus is impatiently pacing around as Nancy comes in with a file folder. she hands it to Gus, telling him she hopes she won’t regret this, but this is what little information they have on Frosted Blond Bad Guy (a/k/a Ramiro Barrientos). he’s got no criminal record – he just seems to be a businessman. as Gus studies the paperwork, she asks him to at least tell her his plan. Gus says he doesn’t want to get her involved. ok, fine, says Nancy. but suppose you find the kidnappers – do you suppose they’re just going to let Vero, just like that? Gus says no, he’s got a plan. he asks her to trust him. she tries to get it out of him but all he will say is that he’s fighting for his love. he tells Nancyr he needs to get out of the HQ without anyone seeing him and Nancy, finally resigned to not learning what Gus is thinking of doing, tells him she’ll help him. But, she adds, please keep your cel on at all times, ok? If I hear anything about Vero, I’ll let you know immediately. And take very good care of yourself...!

<Chepe’s office>

Esteban the Unstable has stopped ranting, but is still mounted on his favorite hobbyhorse, only this time he’s varied his attack to come at it from a slightly more oblique angle. he points out to Chepe that they’ve reached a dead end [in the investigation]. Gus is erasing all traces from within, he’s deceiving them – using them. before he can continue or Chepe can reply, there is a knock at the door. it’s Nancy. she tells them she doesn’t have any news, but she’s got a file with the names of some of the criminals with whose captures Vero had something to do. EtU reminds her and Chepe that they’ve already started looking into that. Nancy points out that these are the ones who were captured after she (Nancy) had retired from the O-Team and she wanted to know if they could fill her in on some of the details.

<Iztlán Nº6>

everything seems to have calmed down a bit, and although everyone is still on edge, people are no longer pointing guns at DIddy Dearest. he remarks that things [with Vero’s kidnap] must’ve gotten out of hand. but he understands that these things can happen. DIddy Dearest’s Evil Kidnappers are all still watching him warily as he stands and paces around a bit, telling them it’s not a problem [she’s dead] but he does need to have the body. DDEK #2 tells DD that the pictures should be more than enough. he takes some Polaroids out of his pocket and almost insolently tosses them onto the floor near DD’s briefcase. keeping himself in control, DD manages to casually walk over to his briefcase and squat down next to it, telling them to keep calm – he just wants to show them what they’re losing. all three kidnappers are now standing again, and have again got their guns trained on him. DD opens the briefcase but keeps them from seeing its contents. he pulls out and shows them a bundle of money, then tosses it at one of them, asking almost offhandedly why they won’t tell him what they did with the body. DDEK #1 bends over to pick up the bundle and as DD pulls out another bundle of bills, we see DDEK #3 “holstering” his pistol by stuffing it in his belt; DDEK #1 is now sitting and paying more attention to the bundle in his hand than what DD is doing over at his briefcase. DD remarks that the briefcase is “very heavy,” and makes as if to pull out another bundle but instead a new camera angle from behind DD’s back shows us there are only 3 or 4 more bundles pf cash in there, along with one of those semi-automatic pistols (the mini-machine gun kind). instead of pulling out more money, DD pulls the pistol out instead and guns the three men down. (which i really can’t think was very wise of him, considering he still hadn’t learned anything about what he came to learn, which was where they had put Vero’s body. but as i remarked in another post a few days ago or so, DD has already shown us that, unlike Junior, he can’t think rationally in a crisis any more – assuming, of course, that he ever could...). DDEK #2 isn’t quite dead yet, and DD stalks over to him, flipping him over onto his back with one foot. Do you have a wife? DD asks, as he kicks DDEK #2 viciously in the ribs. Do you have children? Tell me!! when the kidnapper doesn’t say anything, DD tells him in a furious undertone that he is going to kill them all, and he’s going to make sure they suffer before dying. that was my daughter you killed, he tells the kidnapper, then he shoots him in the head. sniffling, DD starts to pick up the money and the photos, but cannot continue. he slumps down to the floor among the dead men, the money, and the photos, and, hunched over himself, cries.

Gus is standing, but looks as if he’s praying in his head, or bracing himself for something. Father Anselmo approaches and asks if there’s any news about “Cíntia.” Gus doesn’t answer. instead he comments, You know what? My life is no longer my own. I mean, these people have taken it upon themselves to take from me everything about which I most care, starting with my father. I’ve made a decision... FA asks what Gus is talking about. I’m going to exchange my life for hers, Gus replies.

two campesinos, one towing a recalcitrant mule, are hiking along what appears to be the ridge of the hillside down which DIddy Dearest’s Evil Kidnappers disposed of Vero. the lead campesino reaches the edge and notices the bundle at the bottom. he calls to the other (named Jacinto) and points it out. they wonder what it could be, and think it looks like a sheet. they decide to go investigate. the camera shows us a closeup of Vero in the gaudy plaid blanket. she hasn’t moved.

Frosted Blond Bad Guy is walking around the patio beside the pool at his house (probably en route to his office?) with a man in a suit beside him that he addresses as “Señor Acontador;” Psycho Underling (who actually reminds me a lot of Esteban the Unstable in this scene!!) trails along behind, and a guy in dark clothing who we later see is Ex-Yellow Tie trails along behind him. FBBG asks Suit what is so urgent, and Suit replies that FBBG isn’t going to like what he has to tell him: the 30 million they had deposited in Benitez’s three accounts has been completely cleaned out. they have no idea where they money went. FBBG just keeps enunciating “thirty,” as if, if he repeated it often enough, Suit would say, Oh, thirty! Well, that’s all right then – I was talking about something else. unasked, PU pipes up in an arrogant way that he’s sure Gus did it. that’s why i wanted to take Gus out from the start, but... (with a sideways glance at E-YT that manages to be both smug and accusatory at the same time), E-YT wouldn’t let me. PU preens, waiting for the praise he knows is his due. FBBG sternly looks past PU and just says E-YT’s name. without a word, E-YT turns and walks back a few paces and turns back again. still waiting for his praise, PU finally seems to notice it might not be coming. puzzled, he looks first at FBBG’s unforgiving face, then back at E-YT, who has now drawn his gun and has it pointed straight at PU. PU starts to reach for his own gun as E-YT, at a nod from FBBG, shoots him once in the head. PU’s body falls backward into the swimming pool with a splash (and can i just say that choosing to have one of your less reliable underlings put down right in your own home hardly seems like the way to go when you are trying to keep your daughter from finding out about your gangsta lifestyle...?? for one thing, what if she’s in the house and hears the shot? and for another, even if she isn’t around, it’ll still take time to clear away the body and get the blood out of the pool, which, as we’ve all seen, Jailbait is in the habit of using. FBBG really does know better... all i can think is either he was really pissed off, or he just plain ol’ forgot – neither of which actions seem that in character for him. what were the writers thinking with this...??). watching PU’s body fall into the pool, Suit seems shocked, but FBBG just seems to be pleased in a fatalistic sort of way.

Gus is downloading something onto a disk as Father Anselmo asks him, And if I were to ask you not to do this...? Gus says he has to tell him a secret in confession, and standing to face FA, says, “Cíntia” es mi esposa. FA looks shocked. Si, nos casamos... Me casé con ella porque la amo, porque es la mujer que más amo por encima de todas las cosas en la tierra. ¿Ahora me entiendes...? Wordlessly, FA nods. Gus asks FA to take care of Mom, and to tell her he’s really sorry and he loves her with all his heart. he says he would have liked to have spent his life looking after her, but he has to do this. he asks FA to bless him, and FA does. they embrace each other.

<Suzy’s>

we see Suzy’s bloodstained legs stretched out on the bed. she no longer has her skirt on, so clearly Junior has removed it. breathing as if he’s been crying, Junior walks into the picture, some sort of knife in one hand. as he leans against the doorjamb to the bathroom, he holds up the knife and looks at it as if he’s not even sure what it is. he staggers into the bathroom and puts the knife down on the sink, then, groaning a bit with the effort, starts to gingerly take off his bloodstained shirt.

<Chepe’s>

DIddy Dearest barges in to Chepe’s office and without preamble asks what they know about Vero. Chepe replies that they still don’t know anything about where she is. DD starts to rant, demanding to know how it is they still haven’t found out anything about where “my daughter” is. Chepe retorts that they were following a lead but someone got to their informant and killed him before he could tell them anything. DD tries to make Chepe tell him who the informant was and to give him details about everything they’ve done so far, but Chepe refuses, pointing out that DD knows perfectly well he can’t give DD that information. DD ignores this and, as he gets increasingly heated in his demands to know specifically what Chepe and his “inept brigade” are doing to find Vero, Chepe tells him to calm down or they won’t be able to get anywhere. that does it for DD, who screams at Chepe, asking him how he can possibly be expected to calm down when his daughter is dead!! of course, Chepe picks right up on that: Dead? Who told you she’s dead?

the two campesinos have parked the mule at the top and have gotten down the slope and found Vero. they agree she sure looks like she’s dead.

<Mom’s>

AA Mateo turns as he hears the front door close and hurries over to greet Father Anselmo (Mom and Auntie Ditz apparently haven’t heard anything). AA Mateo asks FA in an undertone if there is any news about “Cíntia.” matching his tone, FA replies that he’s just come from seeing Gus and had had no idea Gus was so “affected” by her. if “Cíntia” doesn’t appear soon, Gus is going to turn himself over to the Narcos, along with all the information he has, in exchange for her, FA warns AA Mateo. how are we going to tell everyone –and what will happen to them all if he does that? worries AA Mateo.

<Suzy’s>

a now shirtless Junior is grimly taking Polaroids of Suzy’s dead body, splayed on the bed in her camisole and underwear, a large pool of blood staining the sheet next to her neck, which bears a long slash on it. the scene is suitably gory, even by DIddy Dearest’s exacting standards.

<Mom’s>

AA Mateo steps away from the women, nervously waiting in the living room for any news about “Cíntia,” and makes a call on his cel. in an undertone he tells one “Román” to please go check on Rosales, the guy who was supposed to be watching Suzy. AA Mateo says he’s been trying to reach Rosales but Rosales doesn’t answer his phone and now he’s worried. Román apparently tells AA Mateo he can get over to Suzy’s pretty quickly. AA Mateo tells him to call as soon as he finds out what’s up. he hangs up and returns to the living room just as Mom stands up and walks out. heading down the hall (maybe toward the bathroom?), she notices Father Anselmo seated on Gus’ bed. she asks him what’s up, and senses he knows more than he’s saying, but FA manages to assure her he’s only worried about Gus and about “Cíntia.” he says he’s worried about what Gus might do. Gus told him how important “Cíntia” is to him. In truth, I’ve never seen him like this [about someone], FA says. Mom grudgingly admits that she hasn’t either. they hug each other and try to reassure themselves God will make sure everything is alright, but they both sound worried.

<O-Team squad room>

Nancy is seated at a computer console, discussing something with a Random Female Squadmember who turns and walks away as Esteban the Unstable approaches and asks Nancy if they’ve taken care of the protection for Benitez’s wife and kids. Nancy replies that Random Male Squadmember has got them in charge until they can be taken to the border and given new papers. EtU approves, and says when the papers are ready she should give them to Marcela the Pushy. EtU starts to walk away, but Nancy stands and detains him, saying she’s also been really worried about Vero, but she has to believe they will find her, and find her alive. in an I-don’t-really-believe-it tone, EtU says, Hopefully, Nancy – hopefully. as he again turns to walk away, Nancy’s phone rings. he turns back to listen to Nancy’s side of the conversation: Yes? .... Where?! ... Is she alive?!

<Suzy’s>

a young guy in a snug white t-shirt with a sort of Hawaiian shirt open over it, walks in the open door and looks wordlessly around the apartment, noting the bloody handprints smeared along at shoulder height on the living room wall toward the front door. moving toward the bedroom, he momentarily puts his hand over his mouth at the sight.

<Mom’s / Suzy’s>

Grandma can’t take the strain of waiting any more. she stomps around ranting that Gus should have called, even if only to say he didn’t have any news to report. that poor girl...! “Cíntia” is so good, she says – God protect her... Auntie Ditz tries to reassure Grandmar as AA Mateo’s cel phone rings. it’s Román checking in from Suzy’s apartment, where we can see he’s now standing in the bedroom. in the background behind Román we can see the blood-soaked bed and what looks like blood smeared on the wall behind the head of the bed. Román tells AA Mateo has bad news: he found Rosales dead, shot in his car. back at Mom’s, everyone has heard the cel ring and has clustered around AA Mateo asking if it’s Gus calling with news. AA Mateo impatiently motions for them to keep quiet as he asks Román what the police said about it. Román replies that the police haven’t shown up yet but he figures they ought to be arriving any minute. And Suzy? asks AA Mateo. Román reluctantly tells him he’s calling from Suzy’s apartment. There’s blood everywhere, and several bullet holes in the walls, he relates. it seems obvious they killed Suzy and took the body somewhere else. he asks AA Mateo what he wants him to do, and, choosing his words carefully because of his attentive audience, AA Mateo tells Román to get out of there before the police arrive. Román says if he finds out anything else, or hears her body’s turned up, he’ll call back. as soon as AA Mateo hangs up on his end, Auntie Ditz asks who called. trying to sound casual, AA Mateo lies and says it was one of the guys he’d asked to check around the barrio calling in to say everything is ok. he doesn’t pull it off – AD can tell he’s not telling them everything and starts to press him for the real answer. AA Mateo snaps and yells at her that nothing’s going on, then stomps away to the other side of the room. Mom nervously asks if anyone wants coffee – she has some ready, and she, Father Anselmo, and Grandma all head into the kitchen, leaving AD alone in the living room with AA Mateo. he comes over and in a gentler tone apologizes for yelling at her. she unhappily accepts his apology, and he says he’s going to go have some coffee, too. she looks after him sadly as he heads toward the kitchen.

<Chepe’s>

Chepe sternly tells DIddy Dearest there’s no reason to jump to conclusions as DD tries to cover up his slip of the tongue by haranguing Chepe about the risks the O-Team takes in their jobs. he makes an effort to calm down and tells Chepe he can’t have any idea what he [DD] is feeling, knowing what “esos infelices” could be doing to his daughter. fortunately, before he can start either ranting again or getting really maudlin, Nancy comes in. she tells Chepe that a woman matching Vero’s description has been found. Is she alive? asks DD.

the voiceover says that on Monday’s show, Se borran evidencias... (we see a snippet of Junior carefully stowing a bundle in the trunk of a car that we’re clearly meant to think is Suzy’s body wrapped up in a sheet, then one of DD on the phone asking if he’s done, and Junior replying Yessir); ...y una noticia recupera la esperanza... (Gus is approaching a bunch of suspicious-looking guys in suits on a street somewhere when he gets a phone call from Nancy telling him they found Veronica. another snippet shows an ambulance team in the Boonies, loading the gaudy plaid bundle onto a gurney as DD comes racing up shouting “Veronica!” then we cut back to Gus, still on the phone, practically collapsing in relief, demanding to be told she’s alright. Nancy only closes her eyes in pain); ...pero la tardanza se vuelve cómplice de la maldad... (a different camera angle as they load Vero onto the ambulance shows us that not only is DD there, so is Chepe and, it appears, Esteban the Unstable and possibly some other O-Team members as well. in the next snippet, a doctor is saying that the electric shocks [she received] caused internal hemorrhaging; apparently, he is telling Gus, as we have a shot of Gus’ tear-streaked face. we close with a shot of DD’s face, looking typically annoyed. i mean, stern. that may or may not have anything to do with the promos).

USA 6/30/03-7/4/03:

Tuesday 7.1 summary Author: chriss Date: 07-02-03 10:29 PDT

alright, here's my best shot (by the way, i've lumped a few scenes b/c oh well):

overview of day: things, which are bad, get worse. advances for next day: yup, worse still.

[Hospital] veronica is still in ICU, attached to many machines. gustavo is at her side, weeping and apologizing and feeling culpable.

meanwhile, antonio sr is talking to his friend, the doctor. he still can't accept that vero is pregnant. then doctor friend says, "yeah, and i'm going to tell gus. i mean, he's got a right to know since he's her husband." antonio Freaks Out and comes up with a threadbare "argument" for why the doctor should not tell gus about the pregnancy ("if vero has not told gus, perhaps she had a reason for that. did you think of that? eh? eh?")

antonio runs out into the waiting room and pulls a gun on gus, wanting to kill him for doing this to his daughter. the omega-brigade pulls antonio away and ensures that he doesn't commit an egregriously obvious locura. antonio then proceeds to insult esteban's manhood by saying that he obviously wasn't man enough to keep vero or protect vero from this horrible event.

doctor goes out to talk to gus, but neglects to mention the whole child thing, because he buys antonio's reasoning. later, doctor friend (who seems to be a good guy, none the less) tells antonio "you know that i support you 100%. no, i didn't tell gus, i figured we'd let vero tell him if/when she wakes up."

mateo arrives at the hospital b/c he A) can't handle being in the house w/gus' mom and not being able to be with her; B) he's got very serious news for gus. he walks up to chepe, who tells him that cyntia continues to do badly. then he take mateo to gus.

gus and mateo talk. (i don't know how gus hasn't made a single slip-up with cyntia/vero's name, but he manages to stay in character when he needs to.) mateo tells gus that his cousin/sobrino (don't recall) found the guy who was supposed to be guarding suzy quite dead and that he found her room covered in blood, clear signs of a struggle, and plenty of bullets. the only thing they haven't found is her corpse.

gus decides to go meet w/mateo and tarta to travel to san diego in order to save suzy's life, if there's still a chance that she's alive. he tells chepe that he's gotta go. chepe lets him.

esteban is all: "chepe, you're so dumb. you just let gus escape and now he'll run away forever."

chepe is all: "you and i both know that he'll be back. and we both know why."

[maria's house]

maria gets ready to go to the hospital, in flagrant disobedience of antonio's command. tony is all, "i want to go with you. i want to see my sister, too." but maria doesn't think this is a good idea. they get into a time-filling spat where tony complains about having to be the hidden family.

she gets into her car alone, anyway.

[hospital]

antonio stares into the glass enclosure at vero. he's all, "how could you do this to me? you betrayed me with the man i hate most in the world. i, i who love you more than i love my own son and you aren't even my own."

slight movement in back of room... a blur of color that is identical to maria's blouse.... antonio doesn't hear... his soliloquey continues...

"you brought this upon yourself. i hate gus. i hate him... blah blah angry speech."

maria makes her presence known. antonio turns, surprised to see her. he's his crabby self but lets himself be persuaded to go home and get a little rest .

[hospital lobby] MOST INTERESTING SCENE OF DAY

maria and antonio walk out and run into chepe and ricky martin (that brigada dude with the floppy hair). before anything can be said, chepe's face lights up upon seeing maria walk into the room. he quickly extends his hand to her and says "hey."

antonio says, "you all know each other?"

chepe says, "we met in the lobby of your office." (that one day when chepe went to visit antonio.)

a & m walk off.

we, the viewers, wonder what's going on for chepe as he watches them with a little side-ways smile.

[antonio's house]

maria is all, "who is this gus guy that you keep hating on?"

antonio is all, "i HATE HATE HATE him. he's this infeliz who crossed paths with vero. it's his fault that she's in this situation." calming for a moment. "but, we'll talk about this tomorrow. i want to go to bed."

maria: "okay. goodnight."

refugio walks in wearing an awful leopard print nightwrap: "maria, are you here on work stuff?"

maria: "no, i was just dropping antonio off. goodnight." she leaves.

refugio (to a): "i thought you'd have her spend the night with you."

antonio: "i don't want to hear any more of your stupidities."

[KIDNAPPERS CRIME SCENE]

nancy and marcela are poking through stuff and realize: only one killer did all this killng.

nancy thinks it looks like revenge. marcela is all, "don't rush to conclusions."

NEXT DAY...

[Antonio's House]

fraulein is there, checking in with jefe. antonio asks, "did you do the deed? do you have the proofs i want?"

fraulein says, "yes. she's dead." a weird expression passes over his face-- we can't tell if he's lying and trying to cover that up or if he's telling the truth, a truth that pains him. but since antonio is looking down at his desk, he doesn't notice.

antonio then gets up and rants and raves at fraulein, saying, "those bastards tortured my daughter, nearly to her death. and then they threw her in a canyon. can you imagine that? my daughter, tossed into a ridge. this is all your fault. i tell you what. if she dies, i'm going to kill you."

we all wonder, what is antonio doing? fraulein has been unwaveringly loyal. also, is this a plot device designed to drive a wedge deeper into fraulein's loyalty towards antonio? will it turn out that susan is quite alive, is blatant disobedience? or that fraulein is starting to be bitter? or, perhaps, he's seeing that crime corrupts your heart. we hope he becomes a better person. we even like his sideburns.

later in that day: fraulein puts all the pictures of susan's death on some laptop and then sends it to gus, in an untraceable email chain.

[Mateo's cantina]

tarta, gus, and mateo discuss what should be done about suzy. gus thinks they should go and see if they can rescue her in san diego. then he gets an email saying, "your life insurance protects you and your family, not your perritas." then there are pictures of vero being tortured and suzy slain on her bed.

he gets really mad and determines to A) distance himself from vero in order to save her life B) go to san diego to find suzy's killer and c) get these bastards as quickly as possible.

tarta makes plane reservations for him and gus. mateo arranges for a friend to give them a firearm once in SD.

[Gus' house]

nenena is talking to gus' mom. GM is all, "i just can't figure out this whole cyntia thing. something doesn't make sense." nenena is all, "i have to be selfish. what's going on w/mateo? have you noticed? he's been distant since i returned from amsterdam. we haven't had sex ONE time. you know how men are. that means there's another woman. have you noticed anything? anything suspicious? come on, tell me."

GM is all guilty and vehemently denies seeing anything suspicious.

nenena decides to extract the information from mateo himself.

[mateo's cantina]

gus and tarta leave, mateo stays and dusts his liquor bottles. nenena walks in. she's pissed and snippy and demands to know whether she may have a second of his time.

then she demands to know, "what's going on? you've been so strange. do you remember the last time we made love? no, you don't, do you. well, i do. i remember how i had to practically beg you. i remember each one of your caresses. now, i need you to tell me what's going on."

mateo starts, "nenena, i have great affection for you--"

she interrupts, "oh, please. whenever someone says 'affection' they mean 'i'm not in love with you.' you don't love me, do you. you don't want to marry me. you're not going to marry me, is that it?"

mateo looks glum and shakes his head.

we're all relieved by this.

[chepe's office]

that random gov't official who's trying to shut down the brigade comes in and threatens chepe once again.

[hospital]

ines walks in with a huge bunch of flowers and asks to see cyntia robles. the nurse is all, "we don't have anyone by that name."

ricky martin is listening nearby and tells ines, "you're not allowed here." ines is all, "who are you? what are you talking about?" but he won't answer.

ines then overhears two nurses talking about a patient who was kidnapped and tortured. so, she knows cyntia must be there somewhere. she then bribes a few nurses to let her see cyntia.

ines dresses up as a nurse and walks into vero's room. she sees vero in the bed, all sleeping. no compassion. she then reads the medical charts and sees, "your name is veronica vega... so you even lied about that."

nancy then comes in and asks ines how vero is doing. "stable," comes the answer.

nancy then asks, "and what of the baby?"

ines says, "the baby?"

nancy says, "yes, the baby of my friend. didn't you know she's pregnant?"

ines' face contorts.

[antonio's house]

crazy shrink from tere's place comes in, escorted by refugio. oh yeah, antonio asked for that guy to come.

he says, "i know that you must know how to do general medicine, not just psych stuff, right? good, then you must know how to do abortions....."

END OF SHOW....

advances for wednesday:

gus renuncia a veronica.

chepe tells the brigade gus has betrayed them by keeping all the benitez money.

antonio threatens the shrink, forcing him to do an abortion on vero.

Re: Tuesday 7.1 summary -- minor addition Author: B. Date: 07-02-03 11:36 PDT

re the government official who's been threatening Chepe, and who Chepe originally brought Nancy back to scam before she got caught up doing stuff to help find Vero's kidnappers: the guy is some sort of cabinet secretary in the government (they address him as "Secretary"). if i recall correctly --i was a little distracted during this scene and the one prior in the Tac/Ops room-- what the secretary did this time was more than threaten Chepe.

the LAST time Suborned Secretary was at Chepe's, he tried to bully Chepe into telling him EVERYTHING about what the O-Team was doing and Chepe told him to get lost, because he only answers to the President.

THIS time SS showed up, he spent a lot of time gloating that Chepe now has to answer to HIM, and if Chepe doesn't believe him, he can call his pal the President and verify it. he also gloated a great deal about how he was going to bring down the O-Team. Chepe played it very cool and didn't give SS the satisfaction of watching him call the President to verify this or not but...

also, before SS could slither out, Nancy knocked and came in to Chepe's office. i can't remember whether she was in the meeting in the Tac/Ops room when Chepe got called out with a message that SS was there to see him or not, so it MIGHT have been a mistake on her part. but if she WAS in that meeting, then her coming in was deliberate on her part. regardless, she made it look like it was an accident. she looked confused and uncomfortable, and immediately effaced herself. so, an unfortunate spike in Chepe's play to expose SS for the scum he is, or a skillful thickening of the plot by Nancy?

SUMMARY - Wed 02 July 2003 Author: B. Date: 07-13-03 22:12 PDT

WEDNESDAY 02 JULY 2003

<Vero’s room>

Inés the Extremely Tiresome finds out that Gus is the father of Vero’s baby and, panicked, manages to escape from Nancy. Another thing to add to Vero’s growing “tab.”

Dr Slime warns DIddy Dearest that giving Vero something to make her abort might kill her. DD replies that Dr Slime will do it, for one reason (he smacks a wad of cash on the desk) or another (he pulls a gun on Dr Slime and points it at his head).

<AA Mateo’s