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“Las Aparicio” recap: Episodes 25-30

Rafaela

Rafaela is busy these days trying to put out fires in all of her daughters’ lives. It’s rough being a meddling mother. She’s got Alma’s relationship with Leonardo to fix. She’s got Mercedes’ latest Crusade for Justice to join in on. She’s got Julia’s lesbisexuality to unearth. When she’s got a spare moment, she helps Isadora with her homework and somehow finds enough time to drink her gourmet coffee, light candles for her ex-husbands, and make fun of Iliana for doing yoga. I wish I had her time management skills.

Alma

Oh hey, remember when I said Alma was emo because she couldn’t tell Leonardo the truth about her escort business ventures? Well, scratch that, because she finally tells him the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and at first Leonardo is like, “YOU BIOTCH WHY DID YOU TELL ME YOUR SECRETS AFTER I HAVE BEEN SUBTLY PUSHING YOU TO TELL ME YOUR SECRETS? I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU WHILE REMAINING TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS AT THE SAME TIME. NOW EVERYTHING IS RUINED! RUINED! WOE!”

But then he gets over it, or pretends to get over it, while still having issues with it, and he and Alma get back together and he resigns himself to making passive aggressive comments about her “job.” Mostly, he takes issue with the fact that she has to “initiate” the new escorts (read: sex them up three ways from Sunday). Particularly, he hates that she slept with Alejandro because he’s jealous of Alejandro. This works out really well because as it turns out, Alejandro is super jealous of Leonardo.

Speaking of Alejandro, he was super happy for a while because he was growing closer to Alma and then Alma and Leonardo broke up, so he was even happier, but then Alma and Leonardo got back together and now he’s emo. He and Mariana need to join some sort of club and discuss the unfortunate luck of being loveable, well-adjusted characters in a soap opera.

Mercedes

After going after one of the strongest/wealthiest families in Mexico in order to win rights for a transgender client (and succeeding), Super Mercedes now finds herself with a client who wants to go after the Mexican government. NO PROBLEM. And afterwards, Mercedes will single-handedly plug up the oil leak in the Gulf, close up the sinkhole in Guatemala, and still be home in time to tuck her daughter into bed. Because she’s just that awesome.

Julia/Mariana (and that guy)

Okay, so when we left off, Armando was like, “Julia, come with me to Spain because all those issues we had before — my sex addiction, the fact that we have no true relationship to speak of, the fact that I’m a lying ass — are not issues anymore!” and Julia was like, “DON’T YOU SEE I NEED TIME TO DECIDE BETWEEN DOING SOMETHING ROYALLY IDIOTIC LIKE MOVING TO SPAIN WITH YOU OR FOLLOWING MY HEART AND CONSEQUENTLY KILLING ALL MY FUTURE PLOT LINES IN THIS SOAP OPERA?? IT’S A LOT OF PRESSURE!”

And Mariana was like, “Why couldn’t I have been cast in a romantic comedy instead? This blows!”

When episode 25 picks up, Mariana finds Julia in her bedroom, where Julia is busy alphabetizing her books. Mariana’s instantly like, “What’s wrong? Talk to me.” She asks her what’s bothering her most: Leaving with Armando or simply leaving. Julia says it’s a little bit of everything: being far away from everyone, being afraid, not having the things she loves around her. Mariana responds by teasing her with a bunch of things that she knows Julia loves. Then she segues into all the stuff she wouldn’t miss like the traffic and the government.

Julia: Okay, that, I assure you I won’t miss. I swear it.

Mariana: See? You’re not going to miss everything.

Julia: I am going to miss a lot of things. And above all … I’m going to miss you.

Mariana says that for sure she’s going to be walking around one day and will meet someone just like her and become friends. And then she and Julia start faking Spanish accents and using Spanish slang and overall goofing around.

Julia: Don’t make me laugh. It makes me want to leave less.

Mariana: Oh, well, in that case, I have to make you laugh.

And Mariana grabs Julia and starts tickling her. Lesbian Foreplay 101.

After that, though, everything goes downhill because Armando goes on the radio to announce to the world that he’s in love with Julia Aparicio and that he’s going to be a one-woman man from here on out and that he loves Julia and only Julia and blah blah blah. And the whole family — Mariana included — sits around the Aparicio kitchen listening in. Julia is pretty horrified so she runs off to go yell at Armando.

But you know what ends up happening? This:

And then, of course, Julia makes up her mind to go to Spain.

Sadly, I have no idea what happens exactly in episode 26 because I can’t seem to find the Julia and Mariana scenes. But from what I understand, there’s a scene in which Rafaela vaguely and cryptically suggests to Mariana that she tell Julia not to go to Spain. Julia asks Mariana to come to Spain with her, but Mariana just begs Julia not to go.

In episode 27, there is an awesome scene in which Julia is packing and Rafaela comes into the bedroom.

Julia tells her mother how Mariana got mad at her and kept insisting that she not leave to Spain instead of considering her offer to come to Spain with her and Armando.

Rafaela: And do you know why it is you’re leaving?

Julia: Well yes, Mom, to be with Armando.

Rafaela: Mmm. Well, it’s good that’s the reason. Here I thought you were just running away from what’s happening between you and Mariana.

Julia: What’s happening… What’s happening, mom?

Rafaela: You know.

Julia: Nothing is happening! Mariana is my best friend and Armando is my boyfriend and yes, obviously, I’m going to miss her because I’m always with her. She’s my best friend. And I would like to have them both together near me all the time and I’ve realized that’s not going to happen. I’ve accepted it.

Rafaela is totally like, “Mmmhmm, whatever.” And looks around the stuff Julia has on her bed. And she finds a wand.

Rafaela: Do you remember when you bought this wand?

Julia: Yes. It was my first birthday after the death of my dad, no?

Rafaela: Yes. You spent hours and hours at the store trying to decide if you wanted to buy the fairy costume or the ballerina costume.

Julia: Well don’t make fun of me. That was a truly difficult decision.

Rafaela: Yeah, when you arrived home you started to cry uncontrollably.

Julia: Well what can I tell you? I got home and I realized that I didn’t like the fairy costume as much as the ballerina one. People make mistakes, no?

Rafaela: Yes, but I just don’t want the same thing to happen again. That when you get to Spain you’ll realize that the costume you really wanted … is the ballerina one.

Motherly advice for the win!

Sadly, this advice does nothing to deter Julia from her decision to move to Spain. But there is another totally awesome scene toward the end of the episode. Mariana shows up at Julia’s again, carrying a box of stuff that Julia left at her apartment. She sits on the bed and takes out a CD from the box. She asks Julia if she remembers it and Julia says that she does. That it was their only source of music on a road trip they took and that it turned out to be scratched.

The memory sparks Julia’s curiosity about what else is in the box, so she sits on the bed and takes a peek inside while Mariana looks at her like this:

And then Julia looks at Mariana like this:

And then this conversation happens:

Julia: Why does it hurt me so much?

Mariana: I don’t know. You’re leaving your mom, your family. It’s hard.

Julia: No. No, I don’t think that’s why. (long pause) Why is it you that hurts me so much? I mean, it shouldn’t be too hard because you can go visit me and I can come back. We’re not going to die. So then why do I feel like we’re ending? You and I, what are we, Mariana? Are we friends? Are we sisters? Or what?

Mariana: We’re friends, Julia. Friends and nothing more.

Julia: Then why did you tell me what you told me yesterday? That you didn’t want me to leave.

Mariana: Don’t ask me something you already know.

Julia: No, I don’t know.

Mariana: Please don’t make me say it. For what?

Julia: Tell me. Please.

Mariana: I love you, Julia.

And then Mariana hugs her.

And Julia looks like this:

*sniff*

But then what happens? THEN, Julia goes to Armando’s apartment and practically tears his clothes off.

Misplaced sexual frustration, Julia. You has it.

In episode 28, Julia has managed to bury her feelings for Mariana under a big pile of denial and is now projecting those emotions onto Armando. So the two of them are now nauseatingly lovey-dovey.

They eventually drop by Rafaela’s, all excited about the house they’re going to have in Spain and the location and the school Julia’s going to go to. And they go on and on and Rafaela looks at them like this:

This face reads: “I know that what you’re saying is total bullsh*t but I’m going to humor you anyway because you’re my daughter and I love you.”

Armando then leaves and Julia’s all, “What do you think, mom? It’s incredible, no?”

Julia: I’m really excited about the school and the apartment and the city. All the new things…

Rafaela: Ahuh…

Julia: I think it’s incredible to start life anew, to be with Armando as often as possible and concentrate on our relationship. I think it’s super important and I’m really happy.

Rafaela: Are you telling me that to convince me or to convince yourself?

Julia: It’s not because of that, mom! I’m saying it because I want to share it with you. It’s not to convince me or convince you or convince anyone! Can’t you please support me in this decision I already made? It would be incredible if you could.

Rafaela: I think … that everything you’re saying is so you believe it yourself. Are you believing it?

Irritated by the Slap of Things She Doesn’t Want To Hear, Julia walks off in a flurry of sarcasm. And Rafaela returns to her book.

<3

Later on, Julia has a heart-to-heart with Alma about all of her “feelings” for Mariana.

Alma tells her that it’s normal for two friends to fight because it makes saying goodbye a lot easier.

Julia: Yeah, but it’s not just that.

Alma: Well talk to me. Tell me what happened.

Julia: The other day there was a situation… something happened while we were drunk. And when we realized what we were doing we stopped. Although I don’t suppose that should have a lot of importance, or should it?

Alma: Well that all depends on the importance you give it. You’re telling me about it for a reason, no? How did you feel?

Julia: I don’t know. I haven’t been able to think about it or process it. We’ve known each other for so long. Our whole lives. I know her and she knows me…

Alma: You’ve always been really close, maybe…

Julia: Yes. I thought that, too, at first. We’re so close that the lines that divide things start to get blurry but … that doesn’t explain that I look at her and I can see myself with her and not like a best friend. Does that make sense?

Alma: And have you talked to her about it?

Julia: No, we always avoid the subject. But yesterday I was so stressed and confused that I started to push her and push her and push her until I made her tell me and after she told me I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know if it was possible to go back.

Alma: What did she tell you?

Julia: That she’s in love with me.

Alma: And how did you feel?

Julia: Really happy. I felt nauseated. I felt like vomiting. I felt like running away. But at the same time I really wanted to say it back.

Alma: That you love her?

Julia: (nods)

Alma: And Armando?

Julia: There’s the problem.

Alma: So what are you going to do? Are you still leaving with him?

Julia: Yes. Yes, I’m going to go with him. Because I suppose I love him, but after all of this that has been going on, I don’t know … I don’t understand anything. I don’t know how any of this happened or what it means.

Alma: It means you’re a beautiful, sensible, lucky woman that’s in a very unlucky situation. You’re in love with two people. And that, obviously, is going to scare you a lot.

Julia: In love with my boyfriend and my best friend.

Alma: In love, period. Doesn’t matter with who. What matters is the emotions. And surely, society and your heart are demanding that you make a decision and that’s enough to scare anyone, little sister.

And that’s it for episode 28. Though we get a shot of Mariana sleeping alone in her bed, no doubt having emodreams.

Episode 29 marks the day of Julia’s departure to Spain. So the entire Aparicio household (and the house itself) is in mourning. But Julia’s in chipper spirits and her sisters and cousins are all excited for her. Rafaela is the only one that’s doom and gloom about the whole thing.

We move on to Mariana, who’s giving a monologue in front of the camera:

Well, the rollercoaster has ended. And the only thing that remains is this damn nausea. Today is the day we say goodbye and I have two plans. Two pretty terrible plans. Plan A: I arrive at the airport, running. There’s a heavy fog and the engines of the plane are already going and I yell, with my soul in my hands, “Julia! Don’t leave! You love me and you haven’t realized it! Plan B: I have her in my arms and I tell her, “Julia, we’ll always have—”

And then Armando calls and interrupts. Bastard.

Later on, Armando shows up at Mariana’s to bring her some beer and clear the air between them or something. He thanks her for not telling Julia — but I’m not sure what he’s referring to. Did I miss something? My first thought was that he was thanking her for not telling Julia that she’s in love with her. But maybe it’s something else. Mariana assures him that Julia loves him and that she’s leaving with him and that’s that. Armando leaves. And Mariana hates him along with the rest of us.

Later on, Julia decides to call up Mariana after days of not bothering to pick up the phone. Mariana lets the machine pick up and Julia leaves the following message:

Mariana, answer me. I know you probably don’t even want to see me. Everything became so complicated and I’m so scared of losing you. Forgive me, Mariana, seriously. I know it was my fault. That I pushed you to tell me and that when you said it I left you hanging without saying anything because I was speechless. I didn’t want to but I didn’t know how to say it back to you and I just wanted to tell you—

And then the message cuts off because the memory on the voice-mail box is full. Mariana’s like, “No no no no no no no no no!!!!” And picks up the phone but Julia’s not there anymore.

Mariana spends the rest of the day replaying that message over and over, yelling, “WHAT DID YOU WANT TO TELL ME?!” at it, until she finally decides to get off her butt and go see Julia.

But as luck would have it, my friends, she arrives about two seconds too late. As her taxi pulls up to the Aparicio household, Julia’s taxi drives off to the airport.

Aurelia (voice-over): The romantic goodbye didn’t come to pass the way our lonely heroes had predicted. There was no plane in the middle of a fog, no shout of, “DON’T LEAVE!!” No, “I love you, too…”

… now all that remains is filling the great void left behind by the youngest of the Aparicio sisters. And to trust that the parachute Rafaela gave her is large enough to land her safely so far away from home.

Indeed, Julia left to Spain. And we begin episode 30 with Julia’s voice on the phone as she checks in with her family. She says everything’s great and life is great, but the tone of her voice says otherwise.

Later in the episode, Rafaela calls to check up on Mariana and Mariana seems to be barely holding it together. She’s trying, for the sake of appearances, to seem as if everything’s wonderful and that she’s busy and everything’s fine. Rafaela knows otherwise, but she’s not going to try and challenge Mariana’s claims. So, instead, she reminds Mariana over and over that she’s like a daughter to her and that the Aparicio home is still Mariana’s home and that she expects Mariana to come by and visit soon.

Mariana does come by to visit a few hours later. She brings by some pots and pans that she’d borrowed. Little does she know that while she’s at Rafaela’s, Julia is leaving her another message on her machine.

Julia: Mariana, I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m crazy. My mom told me that it would happen to me again and I didn’t want to believe her. And now here I am. Did I tell you what happened with the costume? I don’t know why I bought the fairy one and then later I cried because I wanted the ballerina one. Rafaela knew it. I want the ballerina one, Mariana. I want … damnit… I don’t know what I’m doing.

But Mariana is at Rafaela’s, her emotions hanging on by a thread. She claims that she’s been really busy and has all this stuff going on. Aurelia believes it no problem and Rafaela still doesn’t challenge her but you can tell she knows differently. Mariana rushes to leave and Rafaela tries to stop her but Mariana insists she has somewhere to be. So Aurelia invites her to dinner on Sunday. And Mariana agrees. As she walks away, Rafaela reminds her that this is her home. Mariana turns her back so Rafaela won’t see her cry.

Later on, we get a pleasant surprise in the form of…

Why yes! That is Julia. She just got off a Magical Teleportation Device that brought her back from Spain in record time. She steps into Mariana’s apartment, but sadly, Mariana isn’t there. In fact the apartment is kind of empty.

Julia walks around the apartment and hits play on Mariana’s messages and listens to the voice-mail message she left earlier. And she wanders into Mariana’s room and sits on the bed, and waits.

You know what this spells? It spells D-O-O-M. Because where is Mariana? Probably running off to join a lesbian retreat. When she returns, she’ll probably be in love with someone else. And we’ll have to go through this all over again. #sufrocomomariana

I would like a drink now.

Ingrid Díaz is the author of Alix & Valerie, a professional blogger and non-recovering coffee addict. In her college days, she was a purple-haired LGBT rights activist. These days, she aims to change the world one lesbian love story at a time. You can read some of her work at www.midnightisland.com.

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