So, where were we, my friends? Ah. Right. Julia Aparicio’s villainous plan to get Mariana and Armando to agree on a polyamorous relationship worked out exactly as she’d hoped. And she didn’t even need the sharks with laser beams attached to their heads!
Soon, she will return to her evil lair to cross “get a lesbian and a sex addict to agree that sharing me with each other is a fabulous idea” off her bucket list.
But first, it’s time to lay some ground rules. Since Julia took Alma’s workshop, she’s now an expert on the subject of trios and the like and will tell us how it’s done.
Julia Aparicio’s Rules to a Healthy & Happy Polyamorous Relationship:
1. All three parties must spend lots of time together.
2. They must all get to know each other really well.
3. They must develop trust and tolerance.
4. They must learn to deal with situations and things that would normally not be tolerated. For example: jealousy over seeing her with the other.
Doesn’t that sound fun? Mariana wants to jump out of a window right about now. But Armando’s warming up to the idea.
Armando: Why don’t you two kiss and I’ll tell you how it makes me feel.
Mariana: Oh calm down. This isn’t Lesbian Paradise 4.
But Armando didn’t mean it to be creepy, no, he meant it seriously and Julia is on board because pretty much anything that happens from here on works out really well for her.
Julia: We have to start somewhere and we have to start now.
Sigh. Thirty more episodes of this. Just thirty more episodes. We can do it.
Mariana: I can’t. I think I’m going to go.
Julia: Mariana, no. You can’t leave. We have to try. Don’t go.
Run away, Mariana! Shield your eyes from the nefarious powers of the Red Bow of Doom and dash for the door. I will distract it with holy water. Okay, I have no holy water. I will distract it with holy vodka.
Alas, Mariana doesn’t leave. Instead they just get really drunk and start working on the Share-an-Aparicio schedule. Armando wants the weekends.
Mariana doesn’t think that’s fair and they argue back and forth about who gets Saturday and who gets mornings and who gets nights and finally Julia yells at them to shut up because she can’t concentrate on whatever it is she’s writing down. Probably a letter to herself detailing the many ways she is special.
Armando suggests they flip a coin, because that’s how all matters of the heart and of girlfriend-sharing should be solved.
Mercifully, we’re whisked away from this madness and into the next day. Mariana and Julia are wrapping up some food they’ve prepared for the cafeteria at the Atelier. 
They’re running late but Julia tells Mariana not to worry because Armando’s on his way to help and he’ll carry everything to the car because that’s what men are good for.
Mariana: Hey, hey, hey. I don’t need a man.
Julia: It was a joke. Can’t you laugh? It’s funny.
Mariana: I am also very strong.
Aaaaaand party’s over.
Julia tells Armando to help carry the food to the car and leaves him momentarily alone with Mariana. That’s long enough for him to say asinine things.
Armando: Hey, Mariana, you know that every time she kisses you you’re kissing me indirectly?
Thank you … for that. Anyway, it’s apparently Armando’s day with Julia so Mariana shouldn’t have been kissing her. Or something.
Then Hernan shows up and meets the infamous Armando.
Alone in her bedroom, Hernan asks Mariana if she decided to go with the threesome idea.
Mariana: You’re going to think I’m crazy.
Hernan: I’m not one to judge. In the war, there were always more men than women so we had to…
Mariana: Relax. It’s very different.
Hernan: I know… and I don’t understand it. Unless you’re bisexual, which I doubt.
Mariana: No.
Hernan tells her that as her father he just wants to protect her from everything, even though they both agree that she can take care of herself.
The subject switches to that of the adoption papers. Hernan wants her to look them over and sign them but Mariana says she has to run. After she leaves, we see that Hernan is looking rather ill, like he’s in pain. He takes some pills. Remember when Mariana asked him if he was healthy and he said he was? Well, I think it’s safe to say he lied.
We move on to the next episode, where it’s still Armando’s day with Julia and they’re putting it to good use by having lots of sex. Armando’s lost his mind and he’s spewing all matter of romantic nonsense. He tells Julia that she inspires others to give more love and that she’s full of light and blah blah blah.
Bottom line: Armando’s full of love. He feels it here and there. He’s got love and inspiration pouring out of all his pores. Mmhmm. He’s full of something, that’s for sure.
Julia’s grateful that Armando’s going along with the Share-an-Aparicio thing even though it must be hard for him. Armando doesn’t care that it’s difficult. He’s going to give it all he’s got because he luuuurves Julia. So much. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much.
Armando: Hey, can I ask you something? Were you thinking of her while we were…
Julia: Why are you asking me that?
Armando: I just want to know.
Julia: Well…. maybe … in some moments when… oy, enough. Why do you want to know? Does it bother you?
Armando: Not at all.
Craaaazy eyes.
Pass.
That’s better.
Hernan drops by and they have a nice chat about relationships. Mariana tells him that even though she’s got a girlfriend, she feels like there’s something missing. Hernan says that love is a series of tests, but that from where he’s sitting, Mariana looks whole to him. She says she has many reasons to know that isn’t true.
Hernan: You’re just in love.
Later on, they have coffee and Hernan says that he just wants Mariana to be happy. He promised not to say anything or comment or give his opinion on anything, but he can tell she’s not happy.
Hernan: It worries me.
Mariana: Love doesn’t have to be instantaneous.
Hernan: It doesn’t have to be instantaneous but there’s no reason for it to be impossible.
Mariana tells him that she’s got to do this, not only because she loves Julia, but because she’s always believed that love is free and that it transcends gender. So basically, she’s just trying not to be a hypocrite. But also, she believes that her relationship with Julia was a perfect kind of love and she thinks they can get that back eventually if she just gets through this rough spot. The rough spot lasts approximately 29 more episodes (but who’s counting?)
Changing the subject, though, Mariana signed the paperwork to take on Hernan’s last name.
The next day, the trio is at Mariana’s and Julia is upset because neither Mariana nor Armando wants to go with her to dinner at Casa Aparicio. She calls them cowards. They tell her she’s got the day off and that she should get some rest because dating two people must be very exhausting.
But the truth is that neither Mariana nor Armando want to face Rafaela because they know she’s not going to be very happy with this arrangement. Julia insists that both of them should go with her because they need to face things. Her family will find out eventually and she should at least be able to count on their support.
That sound you heard was the sound of Julia’s whip. So, naturally, they agree to go.
Meanwhile, Julia gives Rafaela a quick lesson on the meaning of polyamory.
Julia: It’s a true thing from the heart and the spirit.
Rafaela: And Marianita accepted this?
Julia: Yes she did.
Rafaela has questions about how Mariana is taking it and how Armando is taking it and how they deal with things like jealousy. Maybe Rafaela should stop by one of Alma’s workshops. Julia doesn’t really want to get into all the details because they’re all still working on everything. She just wants Rafaela’s support.
Rafaela plays it cool and tells Julia that she’s got her love and support always.
But then she leaves Julia alone in the study and you can see that she’s actually rather upset by this whole thing.
Rafaela: Who are you, Julia? Who are you?
Maybe she’s a succubus. It would explain a lot.
Onwards, then, to the next episode, where we kick off with the most awkward dinner ever. Everyone’s sitting around in silence and Rafaela is just kind of glaring.
Alma tries to ease the awkwardness by asking Armando how things in the soccer world are going. Armando goes into a monologue about how he hopes to train little kids and yadda yadda.
The awkward silence continues so Aurelia gives conversation a shot by asking Mariana how things are going with Hernan. She says they’re going well and then asks for some water.
At long last, Rafaela speaks. Her opening words are very encouraging.
Rafaela: Julia, this thing between the three of you isn’t going to work.
I’d say Rafaela is probably an Oracle and knows about these things.
Alma and Mercedes tell Rafaela not to talk about this now, but Rafaela is not one to listen to anyone. She tells Julia that she’s tired and she’s had it up to here with her uncertainties. She gets up to leave. Julia says that they’ll be the ones to leave and that she’s sorry if they offended her. Alma and Mercedes tell Julia not to leave. Mariana speaks up and tells Rafaela that they entered this decision of their own volition.
Rafaela: Yes. You, as adults, made this decision, but you were manipulated by Julia.
See? Succubus! Okay, maybe I’ve been watching too much Lost Girl. Still.
And then they all yell and scatter in different directions.
So, that went well…
Julia’s upset because she honestly believed that her mother was fine with everything. Pffft! Like it would be that easy.
Mariana and Armando try to calm her down and tell her that Rafaela will come around eventually. Julia doesn’t think so. After all, this gives her the perfect excuse to be melodramatic and have everyone’s undivided attention.
Back inside, Mercedes and Alma try to calm Rafaela down. They understand that Rafaela doesn’t get Julia’s new relationship but they think maybe Julia should figure out on her own whether or not she’s doing the right thing.
Rafaela: Julia thinks she’s the sun and that everyone orbits around her, please. All those uncertainties. She wants to be one thing and then she wants to be the other, and these are people. They’re going to crash.
Later on, Aurelia serves Rafaela some tea in the hopes that it will calm her down, but Rafaela is too upset. She can see Julia heading straight for a brick wall and she can’t do anything to stop her. She’s also worried about Mariana.
Rafaela: Aurelia, something terrible is going to happen.
Threesomes are the #1 cause of terrible things happening. If the world does end in 2012, we know who to blame.
But anyway, it’s Mariana’s night with Julia. Remember how Armando and Julia spent their evening together? Naked? In bed? Yeah…Well, Mariana and Julia do the lesbian version of that. They watch Woody Allen movies and eat ice cream.
But before that, they discuss how the day was horrible and terrible. Mariana says it felt like when her own mother turned her back on her. Julia says she finally understands what that feels like.
After the movies, they are in bed. Bored. BORED.
Julia: Seriously, such boredom, my God. What do we do?
Oh…I don’t know. Two women in love. Alone on a bed. I’m totally at a loss. Mariana, any ideas?
Mariana: I don’t know. We should play something.
Okay… that sounds promising…
Mariana: Let’s play the hand-slap game!
Dot dot dot.
Julia can’t concentrate on the game, though, because she can’t stop thinking about her mother. She’s sure that at that moment, Rafaela is busy writing her out of the will. Deep thoughts, there, Julia. Mariana tells her not to talk about Rafaela that way, and convinces her to go back to the game.
The next day, Armando comes over for breakfast. I don’t know how Mariana and Julia managed to get out of bed after that intensely wild night they spent together, but there they are.
Julia is still emo about the fallout with Rafaela and Armando suggests that she call her mother. At Casa Aparicio, Mercedes is telling Rafaela that she should call Julia. Neither wants to make the first move.
Julia tells them that if this is one of the consequences of her decision to follow her heart, then she’s just going to have to deal with it. And if either of them has changed their minds, she understands. No such luck, though. They’re both still in.
Then Mariana says she’s got to leave because she’s got to go to Mercedes’ office to see about the name change.
As the episode draws to a close, we’re treated to a shot of Rafaela struggling with whether or not to call Julia.
Aurelia’s closing monologue leaves us with the following:
Aurelia: All of us women, at a certain age, look into the mirror on a good day, and what we see leaves us frozen. The image before us is that of our mother’s. Perhaps because of that, the eternal conflict between mothers and daughters so closely resembles a struggle against our own reflection. But yes, for a mother, with all of her years of experience, with all of her maternal affection, with everything of herself that she sees in her daughter, playing the designated role often turns out to be an uphill battle.
And we leave things there for now.
Note: I’ll be continuing the recaps as soon as I get a hold of the season DVDs, which will hopefully be at some point this summer (2011). Stay tuned for more! If you enjoyed these recaps, you can check out some of my others. Thanks for reading!
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