Episode 12

Episode 12

Merci: Our beloved and adored Dr. Mendoza behaved very, very badly today… But Doña Betty will put him in his place!!

Beth: WARNING: in addition to Merci’s comments, this translation contains even more asides from me than usual, some of them rather long. i don’t think it will come as any surprise to you all that i think quality-wise there is no comparison between the original (BLF) and this ever-more disappointing attempt at a sequel - and it isn ’t because i wanted EM to be BLF Part II and/or i don’t think there’s enough Armando and Betty action. if the writing were up to what we all know Gaitán is capable of doing, and if they didn’t continually expect us to blithely accept a series of utterly ridiculous premises (some of which are at odds with what we saw in BLF), that would be one thing. but such, IMO, is not the case here, and although i enjoy doing these translations i am finding the show itself virtually unwatchable, particularly in real time. in any event, please accept my apologies now if you don’t like and/or don’t agree with my comments, but -as you will see- as the translation progressed i found it increasingly difficult to contain myself…

The Cartel enters Betty’s office but she’s not there so they return to the hallway. There they find Natasha and Rosario, which latter has just finished her interview. Rosario says it went well, but she was very annoyed by Gutiérrez’s behaviour - he asked her some very intimate questions. The Cartel tries to “calm” her since they don’t want her to get how Natasha told them Rosario could get (i.e., crazy/mad). Rosario tells Natasha they have to get a move on if she expects to be on time for her next interview, but Natasha tells her the sad tale of her missing purse. Rosario, the simpleton, was going to stay to support her friend, but Natasha tells her to go on ahead to the interview. The Cartel cautiously says goodbye to Rosario. We see Natasha’s smug expression as she thinks that no-one is going to get her out of there now…

Armando is in his office working on his computer when the phone rings. It’s Mario Calderón, happy as a clam eating lunch in an open-air café, but needing Armando’s help with an extremely serious problem: he’s lost his personal agenda. Poor guy! Armando mocks him and asks Mario how long he has left to live. Mario replies that this is serious, that without his agenda he can’t get in touch with the “chicks” with whom he is to go out that evening. Armando tells him that he (Armando) is not going to get involved in any more problems because of Mario. Mario tells Armando to help him - to find his (Armando’s) famous “Oracle of Goddesses” on his computer [Beth: a/k/a Armando’s “little black book” - he kept it on his computer??? with Betty and especially Marcela working at the same company??? what an idiot!!!], open it, and give him the information he needs. Armando tells Mario that he deleted that file a long time ago. Don’t lie to me, retorts Mario, who tells Armando he’s already seen that the file is still on his computer. Armando tells Mario he doesn’t want to look at it. Mario can’t believe that Armando hasn’t opened it since he got married. He needs Armando to do him this favor, so sorry [not!], but please open the file. Armando tells Mario that he’s a happy man, much more so than when he was a bachelor. He gets up from the desk, sits down on the sofa, and doesn’t say anything more. Mario says something like “Earth to Armando,” and Armando says he can’t - he’s too busy. However, at last, and as always, the foolish side of the handsome fool wins and he accedes to Mario’s request. Mario says he’ll call back in a few minutes. Dr. Mendoza opens The Oracle and when he sees the photo of a woman in lingerie that pops up, he suddenly gets a look of happiness that doesn’t have a name on his face [Merci: disgraceful scoundrel!]. But… just then Betty walks in and Armando’s eyes nearly pop out of his head with shock. He doesn’t know what to do now that he’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar… He gets so nervous that Betty asks what’s wrong with him. He tries to say that the Excel program has a virus, that they need to call the tech department… He tries to disconnect the monitor and can’t; Betty approaches and sees the screen as Armando pounds on the desk trying to make the monitor turn itself off, which it finally does. Betty comments that they have to meet with the Fashion Group people to firm up a few things. She asks after his “friend, Calderón” and tells him she’s going to convene the meeting. Betty leaves the office and gives him a wink [Merci: a normal one!] and he responds with a wink in the old-Betty style, like from when she didn’t know how… Alone again he remarks, that damned little Oracle!!

Betty nears as Natasha is going on with her boring story about how her purse was stolen and saying how one of the applicants for the secretarial job, the one with the black pants, had been eyeing it a lot. Wilson arrives and Betty tells him to look everywhere to see if he can’t find the purse, and states that it has to be somewhere. Betty asks the Cartel how the interviews went [Beth: like they would know!! even if Bertha is Radar Personified, they weren’t there & Gutiérrez certainly isn’t going to tell them!!]; they say that they have something really important to ask her about. Betty tells them to order in lunch and they’ll talk then. Bertha immediately proposes calling the Corrientazo to order a deli tray (and a whole bunch of other things!)…

Armando continues in his office, cursing the Oracle program, saying he’s going to kill Calderón and erase the file. Of course he doesn’t delete it, but instead opens it again and murmurs endearments like “Hot momma” and “you sexy thing” when he sees other photos in the collection. He adds, “it’s been a while since I’ve seen this” and that it’s “wonderful.” [Merci: Didn’t I tell you that Don Armando behaved badly today?]

Meanwhile, Betty is seated in front of her computer. She turns to look at a photo of Armando. Then she stands to look at the wedding photo she has on the desk. She opens the door to the “cave” - which now has a window and a door that connects it to Armando’s office - and, entering, opens the door and listens to Armando talking to the computer. Through the window shade, she spies on Armando. As she does, Calderón calls back; Armando tells him he’s got the program open. Mario comments that Armando must feel as if he’s returned to Paradise. Betty listens as Armando starts to read the “menu” of types of women from which to chose - single women, engaged women, women separated from their husbands, divorcées, desperate women, religious women [Merci: Mario’s not interested in these latter since he’s not in the mood to sing “Kumbaya…"]… Then Armando comes across the “urgent women” - fast and easy. Mario tells him that these are the ones he needs and to look for the “GG"s. There he finds Gina Guzmán and her cousin Rosita. Mario tells him that Gina never goes out alone on a date so Armando’s going to have to double date with him that night. Armando responds, “I, double-date with you tonight??” and tells him no, and suggests how about Mario get himself over to EcoModa for the meeting and let him (Armando) get back to work, and how maybe Mario might do a little work himself for a change. Mario makes out that he doesn’t have a pen with which to write down Gina’s phone number… [Beth: ok. not that i care, but if the program hasn’t been opened or updated since Armando got married if not before - in other words, in over two years now - how do they even know the numbers or classifications are still valid? morons. and i’m not just talking about Armando & Mario here…]. Betty’s been listening to all this [Merci: or at least, to Armando’s badly-behaved side of it…] and has a worried look on her face…

Wilson is with the applicants for the secretarial position and says that the purse hasn’t turned up. Bertha hangs up the phone and says that she’s already ordered lunch. Then she realizes she didn’t order anything for Natasha. Natasha tells the Cartel not to fret, she’s not hungry. Nicolás comes out of his office to give Sofía grief about his lunch - she tells him she’s already placed an order for his chicken, yucca, guacamole, a whole mess of other things, and his two hard boiled eggs. Nicolás tells her they’re not hard, they’re chewy [!!!]. He calls Sofía “mini-girl…” [implying she’s short]. Gutiérrez emerges from another interview and greets Nicolás, who asks him how things are going. Gutiérrez tells him about Rosario, but states there are a lot of candidates with great figures only they don’t speak English. He adds that there are two more still to come -and shows Nicolás their photos; the two guys are practically drooling. Natasha, who’s had her ‘radar’ on the whole time, asks the Cartel who Nicolás is, and they tell her. The Cartel then goes to talk to Betty while Natasha stays behind to “wait for news” about her purse. Gutiérrez had given the folder with the two candidates to Bertha, who left it behind when she left. Natasha starts going through it.

The Cartel is in Betty’s office and she asks them what the problem is - is it that Gutiérrez is manipulating the selection of the new secretary? They tell her no [Beth: and again i say, !!!], and go on to relate the problem of Inesita’s daughter’s friend. They say she has serious mental problems, she’s even more fierce than Sofía and that since she knows the martial arts she could replace Wilson as doorman. Out in the lobby, the elevator doors open and the two candidates that Gutiérrez is waiting for emerge. Natasha passes herself off as an employee of EcoModa and tells them they are too late, the new secretary has already been hired. She practically pushes the two into the elevator as they leave. The rest of the applicants ask Natasha if what she said is true and she tells them it is [Beth: ok, they expect us to believe that all the rest of the candidates except Rosario are just sitting around waiting to find out if they’ve been hired??? or that potential candidates were just all sitting around waiting to be interviewed - with so many they didn’t set up appointments??? yeah, riiiiiight…. puh-leeze!!], so they all get up and leave as well [Beth: sheep… plus, since they were sitting around there anyway, didn’t any of them notice when Natasha announced to the world at large that she wasn’t there for the job…?]. In Betty’s office, Inesita suggests they go to Hugo’s workshop to eat because he won’t be back for a good while. Betty stays talking to Sandra and tells her about Armando’s little Oracle program. Sandra says she doesn’t know anything about it and that it has to be due to that scum Mario. Betty says its Armando and Mario’s database and tells her what she heard. Sandra asks her if she’s going to let Armando go out with Mario and Betty replies that Armando has to make that decision himself. Sandra tells Betty that at the end of the day the only serious, faithful man at EcoModa is Don Hermes…

We see Jenny “arranging” her clothing en route to Nicolás’ office. Nicolás is there moaning that his lunch hasn’t arrived, that he’s delirious from hunger. Jenny opens the door and asks for Don Hermes. Nicolás replies that he hasn’t arrived, if she wants she can leave him a message. She pouts that it’s nothing important, but she’s “boredy-bored.” Before leaving she lets the door catch her rear end. Nicolás decides he not only has to eat lunch, he has to get a girlfriend now - he needs love…

Wilson appears carrying a tray with Nicolás’ lunch. Natasha dulcetly tells him she’ll take it to Nicolás. When Wilson leaves she makes a face as if she doesn’t like Wilson at all…

Gutiérrez emerges from his office with another candidate and says (in English) “Next, please,” but Natasha tells him the rest got tired of waiting. Moreover, the two he was expecting also left and said they would call him next week. Kenneth and Gabriela arrive and ask if he’s done with the interviews already. Gabriela wants Gutiérrez to give them his decision when they come back from lunch; Kenneth says they’re going to discuss it in the meeting. Natasha explains that her friend accepted the other job she was going to interview for. She again trots out her story of the stolen purse and talks to Kenneth in English… Gabriela tells her she understands what’s going on [Merci: i’d imagine because of the Suji affair…]. Kenneth and Gabriela leave. We see Natasha take off her coat, adjust her skirt, open the buttons on her shirt and head for Nicolás’ office. She knocks at the door and Nicolás says at last the mini-dwarf appears (i.e., Sofía). But no, it’s Natasha who is so lovingly bringing him his lunch [Merci: this type is as sickly sweet as diabetes…]. She tells Nicolás not to blame Sofía for not bringing him his lunch since she’s in a meeting with Betty, and Wilson had to return to his post and keep looking for her purse [Beth: ok, again - words all but fail me…]. And she once again trots out the whole purse story, this time for Nicolás [Merci: what a bore she is]. Nicolás is practically eating her with his eyes and offers to share his lunch. She says she’s not hungry but she’ll keep him company while he eats. She sits down and crosses her legs to give Nicolás a good view. She comments that he has a really cute dimple when he smiles - he looks like a little doll.

Betty and the Cartel are eating in the workshop while Jenny is there like a fly at a picnic, butting in where she’s not invited. They all comment on how charming Natasha is [Merci: i don’t know why, since the chick is as transparent as water!]. Betty asks the Cartel what she does and they reply that Natasha has a business of her own. Bertha apologizes for not having had the time to interview Natasha to find out what kind of business it is. Aura María is heartbroken over Natasha’s missing purse. Just then the phone rings. Inesita answers and says that it’s Efraín, he’s downstairs. In unison Sofía and Jenny say, “Efraín - send him up.” Inesita says he’s there to see Jenny. Sofía wants to go see him to ask him for money, but they won’t let her. We see Efraín in front of the elevator, with Jenny’s suitcases and a huge stuffed animal. When Jenny joins him they start to argue; Jenny says she can’t live in a smaller apartment than the one she used to have before [Beth: and why not???], and Efraín says they can’t go on as they used to because he doesn’t have a job. He tells her they can move to a room. Offended, she replies that she’s in a higher class now and isn’t going to live in a room like when they first met. Blah, blah, blah… The Cartel watches it all. Efraín tells her he wishes her luck, and she tells him she’s not going to be alone. Just then the elevator opens; Don Hermes emerges and asks Jenny why she’s crying. She says she’s been left out on the street. The Cartel laughs at her and tells Sofía that her ex-husband is now available. She says she doesn’t care. Betty kisses her father and asks him if he’s started to use the same after-shave as Armando… Don Hermes reminds her that that night is the annual get-together with her Pinzón aunts and they have to tell Armando. Betty says she doesn’t know, Armando may have other plans. Don Hermes insists that this annual event is very important. Betty asks Don Hermes to tell Nicolás about the meeting in the conference room with Kenneth and Gabriela.

Back with Natasha and Nicolás, he asks her about her company and she tells him its a small business that sells jewelry. But, she tells him, she’s really boring (uninteresting) - let’s talk about him instead, and she starts to address him with “tú” instead of “Usted” [Beth: Note for those who don’t speak Spanish: the Spanish language, like many other languages, has both formal and informal forms of “you.” although Armando and Marcela used “tú” (informal) to each other, and Betty and Armando at least tried it out near the end of the BLF series, Betty and her parents, Betty and Nicolás, Betty and the Cartel, and even Mario and Armando all used and continue to use “Usted” (formal) when addressing each other. this use of “Usted” even between intimates is apparently quite common in Colombia, particularly with people in certain classes of society, although i in my experience it is not the norm in most of the rest of the Spanish-speaking world, where “Usted” is more routinely used between strangers or in business situations, while “tú” is used with friends, family, and on social occasions among equals even if they don’t know each other. but where were we…? ah, yes, Natasha starts calling Nicolás “tú…"). Nicolás starts to gobble his food… She remarks that he is a young man with a great job, a good salary, a face like a doll… she can’t understand how he can also be single. He tells her yes, but the thing isn’t that simple - he has a lot of work… He says he used to have a girlfriend, but they broke up because of work [Beth: well, i suppose that’s one way of looking at it…!]. He shows her a picture of Patricia and tells Natasha Patricia was very possessive, he didn’t have time for her. Natasha comments that she’d love to work at EcoModa, she could get someone else to manage her business. He tells her he’ll recommend her to Gutiérrez. She says that if he does her that favor, that very night they could go out to celebrate…

Don Hermes opens the door and tells Nicolás his boss is waiting for him. Nicolás makes a remark about these messengers with delusions of grandeur. Natasha says she’ll accompany him as far as the conference room. In the hallway the Cartel has opened one of Jenny’s suitcases and is taking out her very revealing lingerie and clothing. Inesita comes out and tells them to keep it down. Jenny emerges and tells them they’re a bunch of rude people, that’s her underwear. They reply it looks like her work clothing. Betty comes out and tells them all to be quiet.

Armando appears and tells everyone to stop all the shouting, to show some respect [Merci: of course, he is almost shouting when he tells them so…]. Behind him we see the elevator doors open and Kenneth, Gabriela, and Calderón emerge, chatting together in English. Betty asks how they all are. Mario asks Betty how she is and she replies, “prepared,” then adds, “prepared for the meeting.” We see Gutiérrez… Nicolás tells Natasha to wait. Betty asks Gutiérrez if he’s found a secretary yet and he says he hasn’t. She then [Merci: BRAVO, BETTY!!] tells him something on the order of perhaps he could find her on a dating database and starts to enumerate various of the categories from Armando’s Oracle program. Armando wants to die… [Merci: she caught you, Handsome Fool!]. Gutiérrez replies that he’s not a degenerate… Mario goes into the conference room; Armando follows him and tells Gutiérrez to shut up.

Outside, the Cartel is happier than kids at Christmas because Nicolás offered the job to Natasha [Beth: !!!]. Aura María says Natasha will be another member of the group. Natasha asks them for “a favor, girlfriends” - that they loan her a computer so she can download her résumé from her e.mail [Beth: !!!!!!]. . Wilson arrives and says the purse hasn’t turned up. As if by magic, Natasha suggests that he try checking in the ladies’ room since it was obviously a woman who stole it [Beth: what? and no-one asks why she hasn’t checked there herself, especially since she said last episode that she’d already looked all over the place??]