"Masquerade! Every Face a Different Shade...Masquerade!"

Masks. We all wear them at various times and situations throughout our life. Sometimes masks gives us the strength to be bolder and stronger than we normally are. Sometimes they protect and shield us from getting hurt. No matter when we put them on or for what purpose, the masks we wear help define who we are and who we want to be. Pepa is no different. She has donned several masks that have helped her adapt to and survive each situation she's been placed in throughout her life. Masks such as:

The badass agent. Just in case there are any of you out there who might say, "Really? We haven't really seen Pepa do much police work so can you really say she's badass?" I would simply reply that Pepa + gun = total badass. And then I'd direct your attention to the following pictures to prove my point:

The despontenciada. Pepa earned herself a reputation as a "despotenciada" from Don Lorenzo based on her actions as a youth. While we never saw any flashbacks or heard much about Pepa's childhood, I suspect that she adopted this mask as a coping mechanism to deal with the problems between her parents. I also suspect that Pepa has kept this mask for times when she's needed it in her adult life. For example, in Ep. 82 when Pepa makes a list of possible guys to impregnate herself, it seems like an utterly crazy idea. The same can be said in Ep. 86 when she files the bogus mobbing charge against Silvia. In both situations, her methods may have been extreme and crazy, but it was Pepa's way of coping with the possibility that she might lose Silvia.

The fun aunt. It's no secret that Silvia and Sara have a special bond - Silvia is Sara's beloved tita (although I kinda question that with the way Sara handled her crush on Lucas). When Pepa returns to San Antonio, she knew she could never replace Silvia (and she never wanted to), but she also recognized that she could still be a good aunt to Sara in a different way. She's the aunt who will take Sara to a street festival; the aunt who will suggest that you cry, because "the more you cry the less you pee." She's the aunt who will take you to the shooting range to cheer you up; the aunt who will laugh at the fact that you "married" your lover in her fiance's wedding dress.

The protector. Pepa wears this mask a lot, especially when it comes to her family. She's turned in her badge several times in support of Paco and Don Lorenzo, and when Paco was concerned about leaving Lola in order to pursue El Kaiser, she volunteered to stay behind with Silvia to watch over Lola. In Ep. 100, Pepa put both her despontenciada and protector masks on when she pointed her gun at "Jota's" head. I believe she did this partly to find out where Paco was, but I also suspect she did it as a defense mechanism to protect herself from her own fears, hence the reason why she would even consider pulling a loaded weapon on a fellow agent.

The supportive friend. When Pepa finds out that Aitor and Sara having an affair, she doesn't lecture either one of them. She may not necessarily approve, but she doesn't judge them either. In fact, when Aitor confesses to Pepa that Paco caught him and Sara together, she makes a joke in an attempt to give him some relief: "Look Aitor. In 1997, at Sara's first communion, Don Lorenzo, my dad and Paco caught me with my tongue down Silvia's throat. And nothing happened. They just didn't speak to me for seven years." She then pats him on the shoulder and tells him that things will work out in the end. It's certainly not the route I would've taken if I were in Pepa's shoes. Especially if Aitor had taken advantage of me in my drunken state or rudely interrupted my girlfriend's proposal by getting poisoned. But Pepa is a better person than I and she recognized that what Aitor needed at that moment wasn't someone to lecture or judge him. He needed a friend and their support, so that's the mask she put on.

The caring lover. As I mentioned in a prior lecture, when Pepa falls in love, she falls hard. And when she does fall in love, she puts on the mask of a caring lover and wears it proudly. She's attentive to her lover's needs, like when she knew Silvia needed some comfort and reassurance as they rode in the van to capture El Kaiser or when she showed Silvia pictures of happily married couples to assuage Silvia's fears about their upcoming nuptials. She's patient, as she showed throughout the initial months when she and Silvia began dating. And she's supportive, like when she held Silvia in her arms after Silvia was suspended in Ep. 98 before turning in her badge in support of Silvia and Don Lorenzo. Oh yeah, she's also very passionate - see any of the numerous PepSi make out scenes.

Tomorrow marks the start of a new year and with it the beginning of a new season of LHDP. The new season will resolve some storylines and bring new ones, and it will also provide Pepa with some new masks to wear. For at least one episode we'll get to see Pepa don the mask of a vengeful widow, but I hope we'll get to see some other masks as well. Masks that reflect the changes Pepa has had to deal with since the S8 finale, like the mask of a grieving widow. Or the mask of Don Lorenzo's daughter-in-law. Or the mask of a leader in the precinct (or at least an elite agent who's talents are utilized more often). Or the mask of Aitor's ass-kicker, a.k.a "the person who gets to dunk Aitor's head into the loo." Okay, I doubt the last one will happen but what can I say? I guess I'm still working through my Aitor management issues. It might be a new year, but old habits die hard.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on lyrics from the song "Masquerade" from the Broadway musical The Phantom of the Opera.

PS. I wanted to thank Dr. Piper for creating PepSi U and allowing me to be a part of it. I also wanted to wish everyone a safe, prosperous and very Happy New Year!

PepSilogy 4x11

LHDP 4x11
La Ratonera (The Mousetrap)

By Drs. Pied Piper and Bekelauer

(If you want to watch the episode without downloading it, the link is at the end of the post)

The episode begins with Lucas and Dr. Shrink Felix arriving at the cabin. Dr. Shrink Felix tries to convince Lucas that he needs professional help because kidnapping Sara shows some mental instability.  Lucas says he’s just in love, and since he is in love, he has very shitty days but also fucking amazing days (“días de puta madre”). He enters the cabin and notices fresh mud footprints and realizes that they’ve been sent to a mousetrap. So he gets all the cleaning products and gas cylinders [Tranlator's snark: Seriously, who cleans that cabin that much? Cinderella’s rats?] and sets them up as boobytraps around the cabin.

At Los Cachis, Lola speaks to the ad director and explains the ad would be shown in cinemas and local TV, nothing too important, but that she wants to show the bar as it is. The precinct staff begins to show up in their best Sunday dresses, so the director’s face gets all purple when he sees the freak parade. DL is so on - he talks to director guy and tells him he used to do theatre in college blah blah. He tries to pick up a fight with Paco saying “You’re also gonna kick me out of my daughter’s bar?” but Lola stops him and asks him to shut the up. Mariano arrives and sees the Dance-Dance Revolution machine and does a little happy dance. He’s about to jump on it but Paco stops him and tells him they have to shoot the ad.

In the cabin, Felix tries to persuade Lucas that he should go and talk to the baddies when they arrive. Lucas tells him anyone can come cause he’s an undercover agent and the bad guys only understand the language of bullets. At Los Cachis, the director is still unhappy with his models (too fat, big teeth, gay) when PepSi, Montoya, Aitor, and Sara arrive.  Director guy perks up.  Pove overhears his unflattering comments about the original models.

The bad guys arrive at the cabin. They surrround it, and Lucas shoots one of the gas canisters blowing it up. Dr. Shrink Felix gets all worked up and tells him he’s getting the fuck outta there but he gets shot in the bullet vest so stays. Bullets start to fly.

Povedilla tells the model wannabes that they’re not gonna participate in the ad because the director thinks they’re all ugly and has called them names. He remembers all the names. They start arguing how they have been called. Mariano resists to being called “the fat guy”.  Montoya makes his move on Pepa. Pepa makes her move on Silvia.  Director guy keeps filming.

Montoya: Do you come here often?
Pepa: Sometimes. What about you, gorgeous?
Silvia: Yeah, me too.
Director: Cut! Cut! Good. Much better, that conversation was awesome.

Don Lorenzo comes out and starts yelling at director guy because he called them names. In the cabin, Lucas is still trying to phone someone but couldn't get through. In the middle of combat, his mobile ends up stuck past the blue protected line. With awesome timing, the phone starts ringing – it’s Sara. Dr. Shrink Felix covers him and Lucas gets the phone and picks up and tries to sound nonchalant so Sara doesn’t worry. She asks him that they should go on a picnic and that she needs to see him dancing [Translator's comment: Is it really the time to ask him that?!?]. Lucas plays on with the picnic blanket thing and Dr. Shrink Felix tries to get the phone from Lucas so he can call backup, but they wrestle for a bit and Lucas gets shot in the leg. AGAIN!

At Los Cachis, Lola and DL argue. She goes on about how he’s got to be the one to insult louder than anyone and DL explains that they have been called names and he’s not gonna let a moron do so. Lola tells him he doesn’t rule, neither at the bar or in her house, because it’s hers, not his.

[Translator's insight: This conversation leads to a quick Pepsi scene, and I believe it’s really important for the development of the DL-Pepa relationship]

DL: But Lola, what are you saying?
Lola: I’m saying that here you are just one more, and when you sit down at the table to have dinner in my house, you’re also just one more, just like Paco’s sister. I’m tired of being embarrassed by you.
Paco: Well, embarrassment...
Lola: Paco... Yes, embarrassment. I’ve been embarrassed my entire life. Embarrassed when you insulted the taxi driver. Embarrassed when you insulted the waiter because the meat is not gently cooked. Embarrassed when you yelled at the neighbours because they play the music too loud. Dad, the world is the way it is. It has its whites, its blacks and its dark browns, but no, you only see it as either white or black, and the white has to be yours all the time [Translator's note: Meaning “you always have you be right”].
Sara: Dad, Lucas has called. He needs for you to call him back as soon as possible.
Silvia: Lola, I’m leaving, I got to perform the autopsy on Julio Olmedo. I already told the director.
Pepa: I’m leaving as well, Lola, if the Captain allows me to. See you!
Silvia: Bye!

Mariano walks in very excited because Rita and Pove have been picked as back ups for the ad. DL tells him to fuck off. In the cabin, Dr. Felix tells Lucas-Rambo that he is crazy, and that he is a psychiatrist, so he really knows what he’s saying.  Felix is really worked up and scolding Lucas while he gives him a torniquet for his bullet wound.  [Translator's question: How many life threatening wounds has Lucas endured just in season 4]. Lucas tells him that they’re gonna get away, he just needs to trust him – Dr. Felix tells him to fuck off cause he’s mentally sick. I think we all agree. Dr. Felix cleans Lucas’s wound with what looks like gin. Lucas excuses himself saying that the phone call was important to him, Dr. Felix does not buy it.

At Los Cachis, the assistant director asks Mariano to dance on the DDR machine and Quique and Curtis follow him. Paco tries to get DL to talk. DL takes out a paper which is the official notification and permission for Agent Miranda’s relocation to San Antonio. DL asks Paco to turn around so he can use his back to sign it. DL says Pepa was given a very impressive and positive recommendation by Captain Requena from Sevilla. They hug. We cry. They get picked to do a part of the ad.

At the lab, Silvia is doing Julio Olmedo's autopsy with Pepa assisting. Actually, Pepa is just following her around holding the voice recorder and giving her googly eyes.

Silvia: The second bullet entered the body through the occipital region and left the body from the front part of his neck, and finally got stuck in his right knee. According to the trajectory, we can deduce that the victim was sitting when the crime occurred. What?
Pepa: Nothing, nothing. It’s... I like listening to you. Being able to work out that many details from the trajectory of a bullet... You get all professional. Sorry.

[Silvia cuts Olmedo’s skull, gets all soaked with blood]

Pepa: Oh, leave it to me. You’re such a mess, Silvia! Let me see, lift your head, like that. That’s it. And your thing with Lucas, why didn’t it work out?
Silvia: Because he cheated on me. But well, when they don’t cheat on me they leave me, when they don’t I leave them for stupid things, or because they are arrogant, or because I get scared. And that has been going on for ages... with a long collection of boyfriends. And you?

Pepa: Me? I fell in love looking through a window. Yes. I was a secretary, and I worked on a second floor in an office. And when I wanted to smoke, I smoked on the window, so the smoke wouldn’t get in. And one day, looking through the window, I saw a girl crying in the next building. She cried inconsolably in front of the mirror. But she tied her ponytail, she put on her jacket, impassive, and she left the house, all calm. And I saw her go away. The next day I saw her cry again, and the day after, and the day after. I started leaving early for work, and then left later in the afternoon, and I saw her having breakfast, I saw her doing her hair... and cry. She always cried. And that made me feel... tender. So... I began to follow her. And that’s how it all started.

Silvia: And why did she cry?
Pepa: Because she had killed a man.
Silvia: Well, shall we go on? [Resumes the autopsy] After separating the solar plexus we can observe that the brain has a normal colour and appearance.

Silvia looks back at Pepa and gives her a reassuring smile. We squeal in delight like little girls.

You can tell that at this juncture, Silvia's curiousity is more than piqued by Pepa's story. She was uncomfortable talking about the women in Pepa's life, and Pepa was treading on egg shells, carefully balancing candor and sensitivity: she has to be open enough to let Silvia in, and yet not too open to chase her away. And we know how easy it is to do just that with Silvia.

At the cabin, Felix is suturing Lucas up and also scolding him for putting his love story before his own security. He says “You know whose fault is it?” Lucas says “My father, no?” Felix replies “No, it’s Bruce Willis’s fault. And Richard Gere’s and George Clooney’s. Because they sell us a fake love story, and we believe in it”. Lucas says that the only thing that saves his world is having her, because otherwise it’d be a black hole. And the bad guys start shooting them again.

At Los Cachis, the dancing from hell begins. At the same time, Salazar orders Arrieta to enter the cabin and check if Lucas is alive. Mariano must be freaking awesome cause one miss and he’s out of the world. But he still doesn’t know that. Arrieta drives thru the cabin with his 4x4.

Back at the lab, PepSi are finishing up the autopsy.

Silvia: The tests run on the corpse’s vitreous humour let us establish the approximate time of death, which was about 30 days ago, and that the victim died because of the second shot, made at a distance of 2 meters... This is just a conjecture, as we are waiting for the results from ballistics.

Pepa: Done! Do you wanna eat something?
Silvia: All right.
Pepa: It’s just that autopsies have always made me hungry.
Silvia: Pfff. Hey, and that’s why you became a cop?
Pepa: Yes. The girl who cried was a sub-inspector... and I’m a romantic fool.

Silvia: Mhhh, hey Pepa. I don’t know why I’m going to tell you this but, well, maybe it’s because of what happened, I don’t know. You do know that I don’t like girls, don’t you?
Pepa: Sure. We’re never gonna have any problems when we go out and pick up.
Silvia: Good.
Pepa: Good.

Piper's Translation of English Translation:

Silvia: Hey Pepa, you know I'm telling you now that I don't like girls because I will play hard to get later on.  I might not like girls, but I do like you and want to have babies with you.

Pepa: Sure.  I'll pretend that you are straight as an arrow and let you fall madly in love with me, because the PepaForce is with me and you'd later find out that you do not stand a chance.

Silvia: Good.

Pepa: Good.

At the cabin, Lucas and Arrieta fight mano-a-mano. When Arrieta is about to shoot Lucas, Dr. Felix (who is hanging from the ceiling...) says “Excuse me” and batters Arrieta in the head with a wooden stick. You go, girl! This must be Lucas’s 10th life already. And counting.

At Los Cachis, Mariano is still dancing on the rigged DDR machine. The ad shooting is over but thank God Mariano is so stubborn that he wants to keep dancing. Everybody begins to cheer for him. He gets baptised “the Michael Jackson of San Antonio”. Ouch.  At the cabin, Dr. Felix is now all hung up in the “we are in a movie” feeling and starts rambling about what a good team they make. Lucas thinks he knows Arrieta. Dr. Felix cheers when Lucas kills another of Salazar’s men.  What happened to the nice psychiatrist?  At Los Cachis, Aitor leaves the ad filming and is now making out and going onto third base with Carlota until she stupidly tries to sexy talk and slips it’s her first time. So Aitor convinces her it’s just not nice to do it on her brother’s couch and tells her he’ll be back in two hours to pick her up.

At the cabin, Dr. Felix is going really Rambo and kills a few men. Lucas searches Arrieta and sees the schematic for the bomb in the dancing machine. So he phones Paco using Arrieta's phone and tells him about the rigged DDR. Now they all realise it can explode anytime. Paco, with his oh-shit-but-smiley face tells the gang, DL organises everything to get the bomb deactivated. It’s too close to the wall and they can’t reach the system. But of course Sara can, cause she is sharp as a tack. Now both actions merge – Lucas torturing Arrieta to find out how to deactivate the bomb, Mariano getting very short of breath while furiously dancing. Salazar's gang leaves Arrieta to his fate and Dr. Felix is getting reaaaally into the Bruce Willis thing, he actually seems to enjoy holding a gun. Mariano says one of the funniest lines in the episode: “Why did I ever start dancing? I am fat because I was born fat and you cannot just go against nature!!”

Arrieta tells Lucas it’s the red cable, but when Sara is about to cut it, Lucas stops her thru the phone and Arrieta bursts out laughing. He is a sick bastard really. Despair fills the air as they don’t know what to do to diffuse the bomb. But Dr. Felix Willis is not done and he gets a pair of car pegs (Translator's note: I really don’t know what’s the real name for that, I just know they are clipped to the battery) and starts giving Arrieta electroshocks.  I guess he did a stint at the Guantanamo Bay School of Medicine. Under torture, Arrieta blurts out that it's the yellow cable. Sara cuts it and well, the DDR nightmare is over. They all hug and cheer. But while Dr. Felix and Lucas are congratulating each other back at the cabin, Arrieta escapes.  In the final scene, Alison makes it to Lucas’s place to find her sister and tell her that she is the upstairs neighbour and that she needs to check the leak in Carlota’s kitchen. So she lets her in.

Watch the clip in HD

Piper's Commentary
First of all, I cannot say how proud I am of Dr. Beke - she did all of the translation and most of the sarcasm and has proven herself a worthy successor of my snarks.  So thank you.

Now, onto the show:  what the hell was Pepa doing at the autopsy, other than to look pretty and stare at Silvia?  She holds the voice recorder, she wears her protective goggles, she wears a white lab coat, and she follows Silvia around.  I guess the lab is a good venue to have the conversation that they had.  It is amusing to see Pepa still wearing her goggles while Silvia has already taken off hers.  And the surgical mask - it is on, it is off.  But of course, Silvia has to take them off mid-autopsy or she won't be able to give Pepa that sweet smile. 

And I am admitting that I am a Silvialogist, so you will see more screen caps of Silvia than Pepa. And of course, they are not in order.  The pictures are here to remind us how beautiful PepSi are.  They are not here to help you follow the story - so suck it and enjoy.

Silvia in Numbers

When Booker told me about the Pelirroja appreciation lecture series, I was reticent in posting a lecture.  Primarily because I cannot really say why I like Silvia - I'm not good with emotions that way.  Instead, here are some random Silvia number tidbits, some of which have already been elevated to the pantheon of all things Silvia:

• 5 - guys she's been with
• 1 - year, length of her marriage to Lucas wherein she gave him a gun as an anniversary present
• 98 - total LHDP episodes with Silvia
• 3 - months before Pepa moved in with her
• 18 - years old when she had her first kiss
• 2 - hours length of time her marriage to Pepa lasted
• 2 - times she's been shot in this show
• 32 - her age when she married Pepa
• 3 - months pregnant before she was shot and lost the baby
• 4 - vacuums she could fit in her dresser after Pepa moved out
• 7 - bouquets that Pepa sent to her hotel room in Lyon
• 31 - emails Pepa sent her before the mobbing charge

There are so much more, but the most important things about Silvia aren't measured in whole numbers - not even in base 10.  She is like the Pi -transcendental, mysterious, and infinite.  She is like the Fibonacci sequence - logical and progressive.  She is like prime numbers - unique and forever.

(Late) chemical reaction

And the question is rather simple: Why do you love Silvia Castro?

But I don’t seem to be able to describe it. I don’t think there’s a reason. I’m going to blame it on chemistry and that’ll be it. I love Silvia Castro because there is a chemical reaction in my brain provoked only by the sight of her. She doesn’t even have to talk. She is herself. And that’s my reason.

The character of Silvia and I have come a long way. I must admit I never paid too much attention to her in my early PepSi days because my first reaction was “Oh, she is HOT and so GAY!” when I saw Pepa on screen. I felt the PepaForce immediately, and that blocked me from seeing any further. I never had the chance to put my eyes on Silvia, because Pepa was all over me.

A couple of weeks later, I began seeing Silvia from a different perspective as I realised something: I am a Pepalogist (not a Pepaholic) for the wrong reasons. It is not that I am attracted to Pepa, it’s that I am like Pepa [And I know Piper would argue here that I’m still 24-to-go to be like-like her, LOL]. So it became quite evident to me that I was abducted by the PepaForce because I was indirectly attracted, chemically, to Silvia. Sounds like a funny argument, huh? I know, but it does total sense to me. Silvia is everything I am not – difficult, neurotic, scientist, innocent, high-pitched, feminine and a redhead. I am chemically in love with the character because she represents everything I’m not, and everything I pretty much look for in a woman unconsciously. Someone that would hunt me down to kick me ass around the house because I left the shampoo bottle opened or because I didn’t do the dishes.

Since I’ve been translating season 4 in the last few weeks, I had the chance to re-watch the early PepSi build up and I must admit I am a Silviaholic all the way. It’s a late realisation, but it’s an unavoidable chemical reaction. If it wasn’t because I have someone else’s picture in my wallet already, I could easily carry hers around – or maybe not, but she is definitely the perfect girl that we all Pepaish ladies around the globe would like to have, isn’t she?


Here’s a side-note confession: I got the problem that I am biased when watching Spanish shows because I know the actors. Marian Aguilera, like Pepón Nieto, Hugo Silvia, etc... are or were well-known actors before LHDP, whereas Laura Sánchez wasn’t. So the international community saw Silvia, and that was their first contact with the actress, but for me, Silvia was the one interpreted by the actress who had played the rich brat in Al salir de clase, the rich bitch in Esencia de poder and the rich weirdo in El inquilino [Funny how she’s always playing a rich character hehe]. Sometimes your brain cannot process the difference, and it’s hard for you to separate the actor from the show – as for example, when you see Matthew Perry in The Whole Nine Yards but you keep calling him Chandler. So Silvia, for us, the young Spaniards who grew up watching Al salir de clase every afternoon, was Miriam – the rich bitchy brat. It took me a loooong time to get rid of that perception, of that mental prejudice and start seeing Silvia the way I was supposed to see her. And I should apologize :)

Log: And this is random, but I love the fact that Silvia is interpreted by Marian Aguilera, an actress that was born in a place 20 miles north from where I was born and that is a sweet Catalan speaker. Like I’m sure many Spaniards from the south love the fact that Pepa shares their accent. It’s something stupid but that makes me like her even more.

I know who I am

The death of Silvia has changed my life. It sounds dramatic but after episode 104 I was heartbroken, desperate and very lonely. How did one character alter my existence?

Like Silvia, I have been with men all my life. And like Silvia I knew something wasn’t right. I liked the men I was with. They have all been very good to me. No one ever hurt me or did something to me against my will. On a mental and physical level something was missing.

From the age of 10 I have been attracted to girls. At high school I had a huge crush on a girl, I dreamed about her every night. I secretly wished she would hold and kiss me at the prom. Of course that didn’t happen. And because I didn't give in to my desire to be with a woman, I just kept having relationships with men.

As I grew older my feelings towards women were kept under lock and key. Not giving in to my inner desire to be with a woman I kept having relationships with men.

Than I saw Silvia in a YouTube clip. I was mesmerized by her beauty. She looked so vulnerable and to see her struggle with her feelings for Pepa made me again aware of my own feelings. Silvia did everything I couldn’t do. She fell in love, she held hands, kissed in public, came out to her family, made love to a woman, and married the one person she loved unconditionally. Silvia has come a long way. Pepa was there to guide her but it was Silvia who had to make the first move. With baby steps she discovered who she truly was: a woman in love with a woman.

I know Silvia is a TV character, but to me she was an inspiration to finally face reality and admit to people close to me that I am emotionally and physically attracted to women.

Silvia is gone and thank god I’m still alive. Silvia has made me aware of two things: I know who I am and I know what I want. I am a woman worth loving and I want a Pepa.

The title is from a brilliant song by Lisa Lois, the Dutch winner of the X Factor 2009.

Hey, Hey, You, You, I Want to be your Girlfriend!

Should I admit that I never noticed how extraordinary Silvia Leon Castro was until the subject if we were Silvialogist or a Pepalogist came into light?

I am a PepSilogist foremost. It’s the female couple I’m fond of the most but when the question was asked, I looked at Pepa and Silvia and found myself swaying towards the redhead. Pepa is magnetic and displays beauty with her striking personality and larger than life smile. But it was the mystery of Silvia that held me captivated. With the lift of an eyebrow, a sly secret wink, a subtle grin and the flare of the nostrils, I’m left wondering what she is really thinking. I can decipher Silvia’s emotions in different ways but I will never know the truth.

The reality is that Silvia displays qualities of what I would like in a girlfriend.

Her work ethic is impeccable. She was a highly respected Inspector who was the only one in the Precinct who did her work correctly the first time. Yes, she did some questionable things such as when she followed Lucas to a meet but ended up being shot. But you could count on Siliva to do the job and take it seriously all the way through.

Her loyalty to family was unfathomable. She loved her father dearly and her sister Lola was more than a sister but her best friend.

I can hold a long grudge against a family member, I am an example as I haven’t spoken to one of my sisters for over 10 years! If I was Silvia and knew my 16 year old niece was the reason why my husband and I divorced, I wouldn’t forgive either of them. Silvia was able to forget all that because they were family.

Her love is unconditional. Once the redhead found love, she gave her whole heart. Her love for Lucas seemed relentless, her love for Montoya was encouraging but hers with Pepa was unreserved. You could tell that Silvia’s soul was poured into any relationship and anyone should have been proud for this gift. Pepa was the only one who truly treasured it.

Oh dear… the list goes on but I hope one day I will find my own Silvia.

Angie, MPep

The title came from Avril Lavigne "Girlfriend".

*Note - Sorry for not including pictures. I'm bogged down at work and from the holidays that I didn't have time to look from the screenshots I wanted. I also promised Booker that I would get this up before the week was out and this was the only day of the week I could do it. Maybe once everything has settled down, I will repost with the pictures I wanted to put up.

Happy Holidays PepSi U!!!

"All the Pretty Faces"

In a lot of ways, Silvia reminds me of my best friend - she works with dead bodies, has tons of geek knowledge to spare, and is proud of her geek knowledge, which makes her adorkable IMO. But what I love most about Silvia is that, like my bestie, she wears her heart on her sleeve. Silvia does an excellent job of expressing herself without ever uttering a word - she can convey a variety of emotions with a simple smirk, or a raised eyebrow, or crossed eyes. She can tell an entire story just through her facial expressions, which, of course, is a testament to just how superb of an actress Marian Aguilera really is. And I like that, because it makes Silvia more real, more genuine. If she says something - good or bad, critical or uplifting, in anger or in happiness - you know she truly means it, because it's not just in the tone of her voice or the words coming from her mouth; it's written on her face.

One of my favorite Silvia moments is the frisking scene in Ep. 95. I know most people like that scene because of the hotness factor, which is definitely present (seriously, if anyone ever asks me what chemistry is, I'd point them to that scene). However, what I really love about that scene is the story that's being told through Silvia's facial expressions (and a few words). Pepa obviously takes her by surprise, but when Silvia makes a hint of a smile and gives a small sigh before closing her eyes briefly in resignation, it made me wonder whether PepSi played this little frisking game before. While Pepa is frisking her, her eyes are completely closed and her mouth is slightly open, giving the audience a sense of the lust Silvia's experiencing and how it's slowly building every time Pepa's hands move to a different area of her body. When she opens her eyes and lets out a small gasp just before Pepa grabs her ass, it looks like Silvia's trying to convince her mind not to give into what her body is definitely feeling. We see her attempt at self-control start to go out the window when Pepa's hand moves towards the front of her jeans, and Silvia's eyes open again and she simply utters, "Pepa," almost pleading with Pepa not to continue, because she knows she definitely won't be able to stop herself from reciprocating if Pepa proceeds. And as Pepa tells her that they're done talking because talking got them into the mess to begin with, from the look on Silvia's face, I doubt she was even paying attention at that point anymore. There's obviously no need to explain the passion plastered all over Silvia's face as they're making out, but in a span of 7 seconds (as Silvia's back hits the car), her face changes from passion, to confusion (as Pepa stops and looks at her breasts), to glee (when she finds out that Pepa was staring because she liked her bra), and finally, to slight amusement (when Pepa asks her where she bought the bra). Then, in my favorite moment of the whole scene, we see the focus on Silvia's face when Pepa pushes her head down and she grabs the buttons on Pepa's jeans change into total confusion 0.2 seconds later when Pepa swats her hands away. And of course we can't forget the inaudible "ahh!" Silvia wants to say when Curtis asks to speak to Pepa - she's definitely got a "you gotta be kidding me" expression on her face.

There's more parts to that scene - Silvia's expressions during and after Pepa's discussion with Curtis - but in that initial 2 minutes and 27 seconds, at least 12 emotions were conveyed almost entirely by the expressions on Silvia's face. And that's what I love most about Silvia: her ability to make you want to smile a million-watt smile just from seeing a glint of happiness in her eyes; her ability to make you vow never to disappoint her so that you never have to see her mouth droop in sadness or tears form in the corner of her eyes. Even when she's upset, her face is kind of beautiful, because the emotion on it is so raw, so real, that her anger stings you just from looking at her face. Come S9, I'm really going to miss all the pretty faces that Silvia could make, but I'm glad I got to see them many, many times before she left.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on the song "All the Pretty Faces" by The Killers.

BOOKER'S LOVE LIST

How many ways can I say that I love Silvia? I have loved her from the very beginning of watching the PepSi episodes and I first wondered "who is she?"

Here are some obvious and simple reasons why I love Silvia:

I love her hair. I love it long and wild, I love it when she pulls it back when she is about to save San Antonio. But most of all, I love Pepa's hands in all of that red goodness.

She has the most kissable mouth in Spain. I love the way she pinches her lips, the way she half way grins and then dives into a huge smile.

She has the perfect body...so small and yet so strong. And it is also magical, as her scars keep appearing and disappearing. Her skin seems so soft and smooth, that it yearns to be stroked.

I love the way she scratches her nose. The way she raises her eyebrows. And more than anything else, the way her eyes tell the full story.

Those area the things I noticed when I first started watching, but we all know that Silvia is more than just a beautiful woman.

I love Silvia because she is loyal, smart, funny, stubborn, vulnerable and successful.
But most of all, I love the way that she loves Pepa.

How she was physically drawn to Pepa, how we saw her fall in love and the way she took Pepa's hand and trusted her.

Silvia shared her fears and we fell in love with her. She looked through a microscope and we wanted to be the slide she touched. She pulled back her hair and we wanted to kiss her neck. She cried, my god did she cry, and we just wanted to hold her.

Her body was meant to be held. She and Pepa fit together perfectly. So we love Silvia for not only who she was , but for how she brought out the best in Pepa.

Even at the end of her life, Silvia was in charge. She tried to save her own life and she lovingly and politely thanked Pepa and her father for trying to save her, knowing that her life was over. Silvia urged her father to sing a song from her past, that song was not just for her, but her wife and father. She knew they would need those words in the days ahead. She gave until the very end and ultimately, she chose to look at her Pepa. To give Pepa a final bit of love and to say goodbye.
And now it is our turn to do the same.

Dr.Booker

The Many Faces of Silvia Castro

When I was first told about this assignment, I was having a hard time narrowing down my reasons for loving this character. I love her because of her endearing neuroses, because of her intelligence and professional competence, because of her extreme love for and devotion to her family, and, finally, because of the progress she made in confronting her fears and insecurities before her untimely death. Not to mention she's drop dead gorgeous. But, for the purposes of this lecture, I thought I would focus on one of the things I love most about Silvia - her incredibly expressive face. Whether it was shock, happiness, acceptance, disgust, or extreme sadness, the emotion was always written there across her face, no words necessary.

I want to concentrate on my four favorite Silvia faces. I consider these looks to be “Classic” Silvia.

1. Disapproval/Disgust


Silvia is a pro at pulling this face, so much so that even Pepa called her out on her "puta cara de seta". Because Silvia has a tendency to be serious and judgmental, this particular face makes frequent appearances. Whenever people are not doing what she thinks they should, condemnation is quick to flash across her face...usually followed by anger, our little Silvia is a spitfire.

2. Shock/Incomprehension


It's easy to understand why this expression would appear a lot considering where and with whom Silvia works. With the wacky hijinks and pure madness that often occur in the world of LHDP, it's no wonder she sports a shocked face so much. Not helping matters is the fact that she got involved with one Pepa Miranda, a cabra loca, an impulsive woman who is anything but predictable. You'd think she would've become desensitized to all the insanity considering how often she was exposed to it, but no, the cops of San Antonio always find a new way to surprise.

3. Sadness/Despair


When Silvia Castro cries, I tear up, too. She is a consummate professional when it comes to her job, but her personal life has always been a bit of a, well, disaster. Though she had been described as "cold", nothing could be further from the truth. Silvia is a very emotional (some might even say unstable) person who sometimes couldn't stop the tears from flowing, for herself or for those she loved. Anytime her chin started to quiver, all I wanted was for someone to swoop in, give her a big hug, and tell her it would all be alright. Thankfully, Pepa finally showed up to do just that.

4. Love/Joy


My favorite face. Whereas the previous face could break your heart, this one can fill it with warmth. This one is my favorite because the best examples of it are found whenever she's looking at Pepa. Her face practically glows with happiness, and after the various tragedies she faced in her life, it's truly spectacular to see. No one who can express so much love with just one look on their face should ever be called "cold". And her joy is infectious...how could you not love this woman when a smile is stretched across her face and her eyes are shining? It's impossible, I tell you.

Bonus face: Silly


This face doesn't get shown very often, but when it does, you're reminded that under that "good girl, follow the rules" exterior is a playful, fun woman.

And here are a few random Silvia Faces that I feel shouldn’t be missed:

PepSilogy 4x10

LHDP 4x10

By Drs. Pied Piper and Bekelauer

(If you want to watch the episode without downloading it, the link is at the end of the post)

Preface
This is the official start of PepSilogy lectures - Pepa and Silvia together.  Until now, all the lectures have been Silvia-centric.  We are going to intersperse PepSilogy lectures with early Silvia episodes but now with dialogue translations provided by Dr. Beke.  Others have done awesome and probably better recaps than the one we will undertake, but we do not put the polls out there for nothing, and an overwhelming majority said they would want us to post Season 4 episodes.  Thank you to all who participated in our flash polls.
 
Las últimas palabras de Julio Olmedo
(Julio Olmedo’s last words)

Aitor and Carlota are watching a scary movie and they start making out. Lucas arrives, Aitor gets the point that he’s got to leave. Lucas tells Carlota that the next time “they want to watch a movie” she should text him and let him know so he goes for a walk.  I guess his moral compass as a big brother is shot because he started banging Sara when she was 16, so who is he to tell his sister? 

Earlier, Lucas is outside smoking as he sees Sara, who is still mad at him, take out the trash. Lola goes and talks to him. She says she doesn’t understand it: before, it was all obstacles in their relationship and they suffered, now there are no obstacles and they still suffer. Lucas cries. She asks him to either talk to her and fix it or leave her forever. In the house, Lola talks to Sara and asks her to talk to Lucas. She says she doesn’t want to hear him because she’s tired of suffering and because “she has chosen to love Aitor” - who happens to be in Lucas' apartment trying to round the bases.

The body of Julio Olmedo is at the lab being examined by Montoya, Mariano, and Paco.  Montoya is clearly smitten with Pepa to the point of giddiness as he tries to fish for information.

Montoya: So Pepa is your sister, isn’t she, Paco? No wonder... The Miranda genes are amazing!
Mariano: How many years have passed since the last time you saw her? Did you know she had become a cop?
Paco: No fucking clue.
Mariano: Well, you’ll see when Don Lorenzo sees her, he’s gonna make a fuss... After all that happened.
Montoya: What happened?
Paco: Nothing, nothing at all. It was a family quarrel, but nothing serious. And this is not working, not working. It’s like trying to defrost an iceberg with a camping stove.

They keep examining the frozen body. They manage to get Julio Olmedo’s phone and wallet. Mariano feels something in Julio Olmedo’s crotch and they argue about the dead man’s privates. Mariano finally gets his hand there and takes out the Rubik cube, and keeps it [Translator's smart ass question: Excuse me? You take home a piece of evidence??]. He then washes his face and it is now wet and then he gets too close to the frozen  corpse so he gets stuck.  Kinda like putting your tongue on a frozen flag pole.  Funny if you are 12 years old.

Curtis, Quique and Aitor talk to Povedilla who says he wants to be a secret agent, because he’s scared of Salazar. They make fun of him. He answers that he’s got a medal awarded by the Interpol and solved a difficult case while the others form the “junk patrol” of the Police Force. Quique, et.al, didn't take kindly to this remark and they plan a revenge.

Don Lorenzo gets in the lab, calls Mariano a ganso, and pulls him off the dead man. Too funny. They find a watch. Silvia walks in, she found fingerprints of Olmedo and Monzó, Salazar’s homie [Translator's note: I thought Pove had killed him at the train tacks? How much does it take for some characters to get killed in this show, really?]. DL asks Montoya to bring the formerly dead homie dude to the precinct so he can interrogate him. Montoya shows him an audio tape and plays it. It’s the Kaiser, telling them to kill when they get the virus.

Montoya: ...the guys at the sound lab say that the tape is so altered that it’s impossible to retrieve the original recording.
DL: Another thing... Paco?
Paco: What?
DL: Can you tell me what the fuck this is? [DL takes a picture of Pepa from Olmedo’s wallet]
Paco: It’s my sister.
DL: Your sister...?
Paco: Yes...
DL: And what the fuck is your sister's picture doing in this son of a bitch’s wallet?
Paco: I don’t know, Don Lorenzo, I don’t know why, I can’t tell you...
DL: I want her in my office in an hour, is that clear?
Paco: Yes, sir.
Montoya: Fuck, she is pretty, huh?
DL: For fuck’s sake, go!!

The Interpol people come in and ask to take the corpse somewhere else so their units can examine it. Don Lorenzo gets all cocky and demands answers and says they’re keeping the body in San Antonio

Paco and Pepa are heading to the break room to catch up and fill in the blanks of the last 8 years.

Pepa: I was in a mission following Olmedo for three months and I guess that picture was taken in Sevilla, while I was tracking him down. Your sister is not as good as she thought she was. Well, what’s the older brother got to say to the disobedient daughter that split the family in two?

Paco: Well, it wasn’t really your fault either, I think. That, I mean, what the... the splitting... the trigger of the situation maybe yes, but no... no... I don’t... Look, Pepa, you know that I’m not good with words, so like a couple of months ago I started writing a letter... a letter for you. And maybe I think it’s time for me to, to, to read it to you... I got, I got it. Well. I read. “Dear Pepa, when we were kids you asked me to...” this, not this. Cause this is like, like an intro and it has nothing to... What I really want to say, the heart of the question, and I think it’s in 8B, I don’t know where 8B is... Here, well, so... “When dad left, and I was left alone with mom...” no... Neither is this... It doesn’t have what I want to...

Pepa: Okay, calm down. Let’s read it from the bottom, huh? Cause it’s in the end where the important things are written, no, Paco? Can I read it?
Paco: Sure.
Pepa: "And I hang up because I didn’t know how to ask you to come back to us, for us to forget all the bad things that happened and be your brother again. The big brother who took you to school hand in hand. The one who went with you to buy sweets. The one who taught you how to fly the kite in the beaches of Huelva, in La Higuerita. The brother who loves you, Paco”. Take that, man, you left the pen all dry.

Paco: Well, I just write every once in a while...
Pepa: Paco, do you really want me to stay here with you?
Paco: Of course, Pepa.
Pepa: Fffff... Too much information. I need to... process it, you know. *inaudible* What the fuck! [Comes back and hugs Paco]

Lucas brings Mariano his dancing machine. Mariano tells him off because he should be acting and living like an infiltrator. They chat about Lucas and Sara. Monzó, Salazar’s homie, is in the precinct and sees Lucas, so now he knows he is actually a cop.

Silvia is getting ready to do practice shooting - she puts on her protective glasses, loads her gun, and gets into the position when the window next to her starts firing and hits 6 perfect shots.  It's Pepa.  YAY!

Pepa: Hola!
Silvia: Hola... [Translator's observation: Fainting?]
Pepa: When did you quit medicine?
Silvia: I didn’t quit medicine, I am a forensics doctor. It’s been so long! How are you?
Pepa: I’m fine. You?

Silvia: Wow, it’s been a long time since we last saw each other, at least since... Well, since that time...

Pepa: What a mess we made... Maybe, maybe I have to say sorry for everything that happened, I really lost it that day, Silvia...
Silvia: No, we both lost it. But it’s all right, we were young girls.
Pepa: Rather naughty, but girls anyway.
Silvia: Well, give me two kisses at least [Note: "Dos besos" - it’s the Spanish way of saying “hi”, not that she especially wants two kisses]
Pepa: Sure [They kiss – in the lips!!!]
Silvia: Woop!
Pepa: Oops, I’m sorry! [Ha, sure!!] I’m so happy!

DL: Officer Miranda, I was looking for you. Come to my office immediately.
Pepa: Right away. Buf!
Silvia: Good luck!
Pepa: Yeah, I will need it, please. [She does the sign of the cross] Hey, see you around, okay?

Lucas goes to the parking lot, sees Rita and Montoya, who clear off as soon as they see that he’s going to try to talk to Sara. He does try, but Sara doesn’t want to. Ugh! They start hitting each other and getting rather physical. Mariano and Paco get there and Sara starts yelling for help so Lucas gets her in a car and ties her down to muffle her cries. He puts her in the trunk of the car [WTF??], she gives him the finger, he closes the door and takes her away. Kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment, anyone?

Pepa is talking to DL in his office.  Montoya is hovering, obviously smitten.

DL: Fine. So why were you following him?
Pepa: Because he had robbed with some dudes: Salazar and Monzó. A private security company and an architect’s office. When I was about to catch them, I was ordered not to intervene.

Montoya: I’m bringing your coffee, officer. Black, with milk...?

Pepa: Black, black. Thanks.

DL: Who gave you that order?
Pepa: Captain Requena. But the order was from up above... Olmedo disappeared a week after that, I was left out of the case and nobody worked in it any further.
DL: And why did you come...
Montoya: Sugar, saccharine?
Pepa: Sugar.
DL: Why did you follow him here?
Pepa: Two weeks ago, Captain Requena called me back and asked me very secretly to get back to Olmedo’s case. To find him.
DL: Why...
Montoya: One spoon, two, three...?
Pepa: Mhhh... two.
Montoya: Two?

Pepa: Yes.

DL: Why?
Pepa: No, no, no. I wasn’t told why. He just asked me to find him, full stop. So I went to see Olmedo’s wife and something really odd happened. The lady said that she got a call a couple of months earlier, some sub-Inspector Raquel Insausti, asking for some building plans she should have among her husband’s belongings.
DL: Why is that odd?
Pepa: It’s odd because Raquel Insausti does not exist. Then I asked for a warrant, I tracked the phone calls received in that period of time and I discovered that some of these calls were made from the warehouse where we found Olmedo. That’s why I’m here.
DL: However, it’s rather obvious that...
Montoya: Officer, your coffee.
Pepa: Oh, thanks.
Montoya: It’s rather hot, let me change the cup for you.
DL: Montoya, please, stop playing the goose, cojones, this is not the Astoria [Translator's note: A famous hotel, as in Waldorf Astoria in NYC]. Come on, give her the coffee, cojones. Excuse me. Do these faces sound familiar? Mignon. Alison Morris.
Pepa: No.
DL: The Kaiser?
Pepa: No.
DL: Are you sure, Officer Miranda?
Pepa: Why would I lie to you? We play for the same team, no? And we are family!! [Translator's note: My comment in Spanish to this was “LA PUTA GRACIA QUE LE HACE AL COMISARIO” – literally the Captain finds this extremely fucking funny]

Salazar introduces Arrieta. Monzó phones Salazar and tells him Lucas is a cop. Quique, Curtis and Aitor prepare their revenge – they want to prank Povedilla and make him sing a song in DL’s office. They tell him DL wants the song that day so they can infiltrate a music festival. In the meantime, Salazar et. al., start searching the Police database to find out if Lucas is really a cop. Povedilla tells the junk patrol that he’ll talk to DL and convince him not to make the guys write a song.

Lucas gets to the middle of the forest and tries to talk to Sara, after he unties her. But she kicks him, yells “¡¡CABRÓN!!” and runs away. In the precinct, trying to get on with the prank plan, Aitor gets to DL’s office and tells him they have found a tape with Julio Olmedo’s last words recorded. They end up convincing Pove to record a song for them. In the forest, Lucas and Sara are still running and throwing cobbles to each other until Sara grabs a big fuck-off rock and hits Lucas in the head, leaving him unconscious.

Carlota talks to Lola at Los Cachis. She tells her she likes Aitor and that they were about to do the dirty, so she asks for advice. Lola’s face when Carlota says “Oral sex” is priceless. [Translator's Trivia: Now on a side note, the actress playing Carlota was also in Hospital Central a couple of years ago and, ta-dah, her name was also Carlota!! She is not a spin-off tho, because HC’s Carlota left the series “to go to study languagues in Dublin, Ireland” and LHDP’s Carlota is Lucas’s sister and not the daughter of two doctors. Random? Yes, I know!]

In the precinct, the junk patrol are still going with the prank on Pove. They are making him record a song in the interrogation room. Pove’s song is very melodic and tender, but they insist he’s got to make it harder and add some swear words because they’re going to a “techno punk festival”. In the forest, well, yes, they are still running. Sara has a sick right hook!  Pove evolves into San Antonio’s next Mick Jagger and composes a rock song with a lot of “mis cojones" in it. Paco and Mariano get home and try to open the Rubik cube they sneaked out from Olmedo's corpse, thinking that might be the solution to the Kaiser case. With a hammer. You're trying to open it, not smash it into smithereens! Mariano has second thoughts about the method and picks up the thing just as Paco is about to smash it; Paco ends up putting a hole on the kitchen counter.

They go to Mariano and Lucas's lovenest and see funny looking Lucas sitting like an autistic kid on the sofa. In the forest, Lucas has told Sara everything: how he has never felt home until she started to love him, that she is the only place where he feels safe, that he thought that the best for her was to stop loving him... they cry. Sara doesn’t give a shit and tells him “Are you finished already?”. Lucas gets all heartbroken. Sara gets to the precinct and talks to Rita. FUNNY HAIR HERE, WTF?

Rita tells her she’s lucky to have someone so in love with her so as to kidnap her. Rita helps Sara see that she is still in love with Lucas. At Mariano's, Lucas confesses that he’s not feeling all right anymore, that he feels he’s crazy. Mariano scolds him and tells him he’s right, he’s a fucking lunatic, but that’s nothing new. He starts telling him off about all the crap Lucas has ever done in his life, so he gets very mad and kicks Mariano’s PlayStation and breaks it.  At home, Paco tells Lucas he’s sorry because he should have seen that they loved each other and not meddle. Lucas says he’s crazy. Paco assumes he’s the one who drove Lucas crazy, so tells him he’s gonna make him talk to his psychiatrist.

Salazar et. al. find out Lucas is a cop.  Luca is trying to make amends with Mariano so he orders a big archade-type dance-dance revolution (DDR) machine for him. Salazar taps his phone and overhears what he says. Arrieta gets the idea of putting 5 kgs of Chloratite in the error mechanism of the DDR, so as to make it explode when someone gets a step wrong. Sara sees Lucas and touches the back of his neck a la Pepa and Silvia perfume commercial scene.

Povedilla brings Don Lorenzo the tape. He’s expecting to hear Julio Olmedo’s last words so they babble a lot before Povedilla plays him the tape. DL’s face is confused when hearing the rock song. Povedilla goes “This part is for you: Don’t touch mis cojones”. Junk patrol is having a laugh outside DL’s office. Povedilla explains the lyrics of the song. DL sees the junk patrol outside, gets all ballistic and starts yelling “Motherfuckers! Geese!! Idiots!!” and all sorts vintage insults.

Lucas gets home and talks to Paco, who is supervising the man who is changing the kitchen counter. He says he bought Mariano the DDR unit and it will be delivered to the bar the following day. He sees Sara, they share some eye contact. Pepa arrives for the long-awaited family reunion.  And of course we all know what happens in those.

Sara: Holaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! The auntie!!!
Lola: Hey, what’s up!?
Pepa: Hey, Lola, it’s been so long! You look beautiful, I’m so happy!

Lola: I’m so glad you came!

AND THE DINNER FROM HELL BEGINS...

Lola: Come on, you can all start!
DL: Well, what are we celebrating?
Lola: We celebrate that we are alive and kicking. Not enough for you?
DL: Good heavens!
Paco: It’s for my sister, Don Lorenzo, cause it’s been a while since the last time we were all... together.
DL: There must be a reason, huh, Paco?
Lucas: Mariano, can you pass me the bread please?

Sara passes the bread to Lucas since Mariano ignores him. He touches her hand and Castaway is played in the background – as if nobody saw that?? How self-involved are they?

DL: Well, can anybody tell me why have I been invited for dinner to this house?
Lola: Papa, let’s have a peaceful party.
Mariano: I'm getting a beer.
Lucas: I do, I’ll get it for you.

Lucas and Sara sneak into the kitchen and talk. They kiss. We boo. Lola tells Sara that Carlota is with Aitor. Sara is all happy. No wonder! When Lucas returns, he puts his hand on Pepa's shoulder.  I think that's very sweet and definitely lends to the theory that Pepa and Lucas shared a friendship long before.

Paco: She needed a change and I told her “Why don’t you stay here with us in Madrid?”, because, since she is one of us... well... in the precinct...
DL: Sure, Paco, sure. And, what’s the chat? You mess up in Seville and now you’re planning to mess up in Madrid? [Translator's note: “Liar la parda” is a funny new expression to indicate “to make a mess”]
Pepa: No, it’s just that I was... I had a girlfriend, a sub-inspector, and we broke up. And I said to myself “Why wouldn’t I spend some time with the family?” cause it’s been so long.

Sara: I’m off to the bathroom.
DL: With a sub-inspector? Oh, nice, man, a sweet tender love story in the patrol car, like in the movies. What, did you get bored in the stake outs?
Pepa: Bored, bored... not really. I am not going to deny it was kinda hot.
DL: Kinda hot... Leitmotif of your life. And now it’s time for family reunion, huh? Because... I didn’t see you at your father’s funeral. What, what happened? Did you have a stake out then?
Lola: Papa, please, you’re being unfair, eh? Stop it.

Pepa starts getting angry at this point and tenses up.  The million dollar smile is gone and the Dark Force is threatening to get out. Silvia calms her down from across the table by looking at her and subtly shaking her head, as if to say "don't engage him."

DL: I’m just as unfair as this brainless idiot made a mess [Translator's note: “Zipi and Zape” are two naughty comicbook characters from the TBO, the 50s Spanish official comicbook. To make a mess like Zipi and Zape, that’s what it means] in Sara’s first communion. Because I don’t know if you remember well, but that night Paco’s parents separated.
Paco: Well, that’s enough, Don Lorenzo, that’s enough. Do you think you can blame an 18-year-old girl from her parents’ separation? Because I did it. And I was wrong.
[The beer explodes]
Mariano: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Don Lorenzo.
Lucas: I’ll go grab some towels.

Lucas finds Sara in Paco and Lola’s room [I think]. They kiss again. Beke pukes. Then they kiss and hug and are all over each other. Beke now gets very sick. They decide to start all over again (for fuck’s sake, it's about time!!). They also agree not to tell anyone this time because they don’t want anyone judging them again. “Solos tú y yo” [Literally "you and me alone"], that’s what Lucas says. And they kiss again. And Beke pukes again.

In the meantime, Don Lorenzo is going very much ballistic in the dinner from hell, much to the amusement of Pepa who has now been silently calmed and reassured by Silvia that they're cool. They're okay. That despite what's going on with DL's cojones, everything will be alright.  Yes, Silvia conveyed all those things with one look.  And with just one look, Pepa understood.

Lola: We have all been 18 once, we have, all had our rebel moments. So then, why do you...
DL: For the love of God, Lola, she showed up at Sara’s first communion dressed up like a punk, with her tights all torn... half a breast popping out... She drugged Silvita with cannabis. And if that was not enough, she made a lesbian scene in front of the orchestra and 200 guests, oh yeah, just like that, with her santos cojones, never better said! And that’s not being a rebel, daughter, that’s being a retarded... de profundis [Translator's note: Very very very Don Lorenzo vintage!!].
Silvia: Dad, she didn’t drug me! It was I, I smoked a tiny joint! What’s the matter?

DL: For the love of God, what are you saying? You smoked a joint? A joint here, a joint there and there we go, the sisters-in-law French kissing making a lesbian scene...!!!
In Spanish: Por el amor de Dios, ¿cómo que te fumaste un porrito? Un porrito, otro porrito y ¡¡a comerse la boca las concuñadas haciendo el número lésbico…!! Literally to start eating each other's mouth.
Silvia: Dad, I was having fun, I was dancing about and we kissed. So what?
Lola: Dad, the fact that you don’t understand it doesn’t give you the right to disrespect or insult anyone!!
Mariano: Hey, Lola, the peppers are delicious, really, they really are good, why don’t you all eat? Eat please...
Lola: Eh, thanks. So then... why... why does it matter that much to you?
DL: The little girl receives God in her body and her aunts are away creating a lesbian scene!!
Lola: Why are you mixing...
Paco: THAT’S ENOUGH!
DL: How do you want me not to mix...

Paco: I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH!!! Don Lorenzo, you are in my house, and I demand two things: Education and respect. And if not, you’re one too much [Translator's note: Literally "You have no room here"]
DL: Good evening. Good evening, gentlemen.
Mariano: Come on, Paco, fuck, no one is too much here. Paco, damn it! Don Lorenzo, please stay for dinner...
DL: GO FUCK YOURSELF, GENTLEMAN!
Montoya: Hi, Don Lorenzo, good evening. Hello family! Good evening... Well, I took the courtesy of buying some cakes... Hola Pepa!

(Who wouldn't be calmed down by this?)

Rest of the episiode: Paco talks to Felix, the psychiatrist. He tells him about kicking Don Lorenzo out of the house and that he needs him to talk to Lucas because he kidnapped Sara. Lucas comes in looking all radiant and has cut his hair. The dance-dance revolution machine has arrived and Arrieta is the technician – half-way thru he realises the machine is not for Lucas so Salazar et.al., call him and tell him to leave some explosives (I take it it’s an arsenal) in their cabin in the Sierra, so they can “eliminate him”. Salazar says the cabin has been empty for over 6 months. Paco insists on Lucas talking to Felix, so he tells him to bring him along to the mission given it’s not apparently too dangerous. The guys to shoot the ad come in.

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Piper's comments:
Great intro to Pepa.  In one messy swoop, the retarded LHDP writers managed to explain Pepa's history.  The LucaSara storyline is overdone, as usual.  Stick a fork into it already! And the PepSi nuances - how happy Silvia was when she saw Pepa for the 1st time, how DL knew immediately what this meant to his daughter even if she had been married and engaged and been with guys for most of her adult life, DL knew the power of the PepaForce.  He saw how his daughter's eyes lit up at the sight of Pepa, and even though deep inside, he knew he did not stand a chance in preventing the inevitable, he had every intention to at least slow it down.  And in case you're wondering, yes, a lot of the pics are out of order.  Their sole purpose is to behold the beauty of Pepa and Silvia, and sometimes to aid in the story.  Sometimes. But mostly to showcase their hotness.