"Without You"

Dr. Booker recently informed me that today, 15 July, marks the one year anniversary of Silvia's death. That's right. It's been exactly one year since the worst wedding ever, and the good Doc asked me to write something in memoriam of la pelirroja. Admittedly, I was hesitant to oblige her request. After all, I'm not a Silvialogist expert like Dr. Piper. But, I can never say no to a request by Dr. B, so here I am, making an attempt to put something together that is hopefully fitting and worthy of another great doctor: Silvia Castro Leon. And yes, I know she's not real, but this is PepSi U, so over here she's completely legit.

Given how much Silvia has been analyzed and discussed here at the uni - 65 Silvialogy lectures, roughly 8 Silvia-centric lectures by Dr. B, and an entire lecture series devoted solely to our favorite forensics inspector - I initially thought I made a huge mistake when I agreed to Dr. B's request (I still might have). I mean, what could I possibly say that hasn't already been said about Silvia? But inspiration struck as I was watching the World Cup semifinal match between Germany and Spain (Congrats to La Furia Roja by the way on winning their first World Cup!). One of the things the commentators focused on was the absence of German player Thomas Müller, who was forced to miss the game after acquiring a controversial 2nd yellow card in the quarterfinals match against Argentina. Much was said about how the German team would be affected by Müller's absence - what they would be losing without him on the pitch and what they would need to do to compensate for that loss. All of this got me thinking about Silvia and what LHdP lost without her on the show.

For PepSi fans, the loss was blatantly obvious - there was no more PepSi without the "Si" - and as I stated before, the uni faculty has already done an excellent job writing about Silvia's absence in that context. But if one were to examine the show at large, the ramifications of Silvia's death were much, much larger than Pepa's loss of her wife.

Silvia wasn't perfect. Her personal life was as crazy and neurotic as the rest of the Castro-Miranda family. But at work Silvia was very rational and professional, and she often brought some much-needed logic to balance out the wild and craziness that was Los hombres de Paco. Whatever problems she may have had with Lucas or Pepa, she (almost) never let it affect her professionally - her job was something she took very seriously. Perhaps it was because work was her escape, her safe haven from whatever personal issues she may have been dealing with at the time. Perhaps it was one of the few places where things always made sense or could be explained in black and white scientific terms, something she couldn't always find amongst her colorful family. Whatever the reason, Silvia's dedication to her job made her an excellent forensics inspector - the person the Pacos could turn to time and time again when they needed something concrete (and legitimate) to back up whatever far-fetched theory they concocted. And Silvia delivered every time.

Despite what you all may think about him, Deker was also a good forensics inspector. Whether you loved or hated his attitude (and his infatuation with Pepa), like Silvia, Deker was also good at his job. Now, before you all get your pitchforks out to attack me, I do have a "but". Deker was a good forensics inspector but he still couldn't fill the void left by Silvia's death, because he didn't have (and could never have) the one thing Silvia had from the start: her personal connection and history to Paco and the hombres.

Silvia grew up with Don Lorenzo as her father, so she knew all about his mannerisms and his mood swings. She knew how to talk to him to calm him down or to rationalize a point to him in order to gain his compliance. Silvia also spent a great deal of her life around Paco, and if he were to approach Silvia with the idea that Satan was killing people and only he could stop him, Silvia...well Silvia would've thought Paco was nutters. But, Silvia would have also tried to find a rational, scientific way to prove or disprove Paco's theory, and she would have talked to him in a way that would've been helpful and supportive (see Ep. 109). This is something that Deker could never accomplish no matter how good of a forensics inspector he was, because Deker didn't share a father-daughter bond with Don Lorenzo or a brother-sister bond with Paco. He was also never Sabina's godmother, nor did he spend years working alongside Pove, Curtis and Rita. This lack of a connection - the history that Silvia shared with the Pacos, both personal and professional - is what the show truly lost without her. And in some ways I think that when Silvia died, the personal connections between all the characters - the heart of the show - died as well.

Did life go on? Of course, and unfortunately we have 13 episodes to prove that. Every day until his retirement, Don Lorenzo woke up and tried his best to govern a bunch of crazy cops. Pove woke up every morning trying to overcome the daily fears that plagued his life. Curtis and Rita continued to scrounge around for some decent screentime. Aitor got up every day trying to find a new relationship he could ruin. Pepa continued to have the best job ever by getting paid without having to actually do any real police work. Paco continued to stumble his way through solving crimes. Okay, he stumbled his way through the stupidest scheme ever to get people to go to church, but there was (very minimal) police work involved. And for four months many of us continued to watch S9 against our better judgment. So sure, life went on, and the show went on. But the connections that made it great, the connections that helped make it a success? Many of those died exactly one year ago with Silvia. And eventually the show found that it couldn't go on, that it was dying without those relationships...without her.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on the song "Without You" from the Broadway musical Rent.

Piper's Commentary:

When Silvia died one year ago, many of us felt a visceral reaction, like someone real actually died.  I cried.  I don't know of many who didn't.  One year later, I am still flabbergasted at our collective grief over the death of a TV character.

There are some who started their Pepsilogy lessons at the end: their introduction was the death of Silvia on her wedding day, which in turn piqued their interest in this awesome love story. 

But there are also many of us who followed PepSi from the beginning.  Through the flirtations and smoldering looks, through the first kiss and the first love scene.  And I don't really know what it was, but we waited each week with bated breath for the next installment of this story.  It became more than a TV show.  Nope, we were more than mere spectators of this unfolding love story.  We claimed the pair for ourselves, like a prized secret affair that no one else in your real life knew about.  We shared their angsts, seductions, denials.  And when they fell in love, so did we.

And for some, *cough* Dr Piper *cough*, we watched the "Si" even before the "Pep" - and completely fell in love with this flawed person who was looking for redemption.  As KC said, we have an entire collection of Silvialogy lectures, beginning from when Silvia walked into the Comisaria (and into our hearts) for the first time wearing an oversized police uniform.  We watched her broken engagements, her blind devotion to Lucas, her very loving relationship with her older sister, her tepid involvement with Montoya.  We watched her get shot, we watched her finally freed from the demons of her past.  She was a study in contrast: vulnerable and brave, independent and obsessive, gentle and fierce.  And we loved her for it.

Is it any wonder then why the collective grief over the death of a TV character was so palpable? 

They say time heals all wounds.  I say time doesn't necessarily heal, it just allows you to get used to the idea of being wounded.  One year later, are still wounded.  We've just forgotten that we are.

Thank you, Marian, for giving us Silvia. 

"Je Me Perds"

Pepa's past is somewhat of a mystery to us. No one even knew Paco had a sister until Lola uttered her name in Ep. 57. What we have learned about Pepa's past is that she was a fearless, wild child who ran away from home when she was 18, she became a cop when she fell in love with a Sub-Inspector, and prior to her relationship with Silvia, she had roughly 52 sexual partners.

What does all of this mean? Personally, I think it means that prior to her return to San Antonio, Pepa was even more of a loose cannon than the person we saw in S6-S8. As many people, including myself, have mentioned, Silvia changed Pepa's life for the better. And not just because she was the love of Pepa's life, but because of the role she played in her life. Silvia was a calming presence amidst Pepa's chaotic lifestyle, the one person who could restrain some of the craziness within Pepa. She quelled Pepa's fears, such that the idea of "(kissing) on the same couch for the rest of (her) life (and) sharing a mortgage...(and) choosing a school or a place to retire" no longer scared Pepa. Instead, it filled her with "the adrenaline rush of a roller coaster speeding down an incline"; it filled her with "real joy". And that's why Silvia's death has had such a profound effect on Pepa. When Silvia died, everything Pepa held dear, everything she valued, the person she loved most in the world was ripped away from her.

Many of you keep saying that the Pepa of S9 is not the Pepa we know, and, to a point, I agree. In Ep. 105, Pepa was acting on pure hatred. She turned her pain and hate into a weapon and unleashed the rage within her when she shot El G point blank in the head. Since then, she's been acting like everything is normal, putting on a smile whenever she's around Paco, Aitor, Don Lorenzo or anyone else. But behind all of her smiles and her laughs, she's still hurting. This is not the Pepa we knew, but perhaps it is the Pepa that existed before Silvia came back into her life, albeit a more extreme version of it. If a pre-Silvia Pepa was reckless, I suspect it was because she lived like she had nothing to lose. A post-Silvia Pepa probably feels the same way, but even more so given how much she's actually lost.


And this is why I think Pina & Co's La Femme Nikita rip-off is a perfect fit for Pepa. She's the perfect hybrid of Michael and Nikita - the two title characters of LFN. When Michael first joined Section, he wasn't the cold, emotionless man that Nikita meets years later. Michael became that way after the apparent death of his wife Simone, a fellow Section operative. He completely shut down when he thought she was dead, and it wasn't until Nikita showed up that he started to open up and feel again.

To me, Pepa is experiencing what Michael went through. Silvia got Pepa to open up, to feel, to love. With Silvia, Pepa laughed. She smiled more. She joked around by making Top 5 Fantasy lists and pointing unloaded guns at her friends. With Silvia gone, Pepa probably feels broken, powerless and tortured by what she couldn't do on that fateful day, what she can't change. She's shutting down. She doesn't want to love or be helped - she doesn't want to feel anything, because it hurts too much.

All of these emotions that Pepa feels and, more importantly, the ones she doesn't feel any longer, become more prevalent when you throw in the fact that she's being blackmailed by the CNI, and that's where her similarity to Nikita come in. Pepa's trying to hold onto the little part of her that remains - the little control over her life that she feels she has left, which is being threatened by the CNI. And deep down I think Pepa wants someone to help her, which is why she's relying on Aitor. Granted, I wish she'd rely on someone else (maybe Curtis, who would actually make a good Walter to her Nikita), but the point is that Pepa is looking for a way to hold onto who she was. But with all of the pain and darkness she's surrounded in, she just doesn't know how.

Yes, this is not the Pepa we've seen in seasons past, but perhaps that's the point. Pepa was never going to be the same when Silvia died. She's trying. She's trying to breathe, trying to feel something other than powerless, but at the moment she's simply...lost.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on the song "Je Me Perds" by Jena Lee

"Let Go"

Letting go is always hard no matter the circumstances in which you do it. Whether it's moving to a new city, leaving the comfort and security of your parents' home to live on your own, or the end of a relationship, letting go of what's familiar, what's loved, what's comfortable is always hard.

In Ep. 84, "Un diagnóstico peregrino," the hearts of PepSi fans everywhere broke during what Dr. Booker refers to as "the helicopter scene." Silvia has just discovered that Pepa slept with Aitor. While Silvia knows that Pepa would "fill (her) house with flowers and come down from a helicopter to (her) bed and fill Madrid with (her) name on every bridge" she simply asks one thing from Pepa: for Pepa to let her go. Silvia cried, Pepa cried, I think even that "Cold Hard Bitch" Sara cried, and many PepSi fans cried with them.

Of course, Pepa, being Pepa, couldn't just "let go" like Silvia asked. At least not right away. In Ep. 86, "Un adosao con vistas," we learn that Pepa had been inundating Silvia with flowers and phone calls in an attempt to win Silvia back. In a last ditch effort, she filed mobbing charges against Silvia, seeing it as her only option of getting Silvia to talk to her. At the hearing, Pepa is her usual smug, rebellious self. That is until she learns that Silvia filed a sexual harrasment charge against her and was seeking a restraining order. Pepa is no loner smiling - the hurt and pain is obvious in her face. And when she tells the judge (and Silvia), "I'm not going to be able to comply with that order. Not because I don't want to, but because I can't. Because I can't stand the thought of being more than 2 centimeters away from (Silvia)" you know she means it. But I think this was the moment that Pepa realized she had to do what Silvia asked her - she had to let her go. She needed Silvia to have some time, some space. She needed to let Silvia come back to her on Silvia's own terms. And in order to do that, she had to let go.

Ep. 104 marked another period of letting go for Pepa and for PepSi fans. It's been over six months since that dreaded episode, and in one day we will all get to see how Pepa has been dealing with the fallout from her wedding. The promos have showed us that there will be grief, anger and vengence. But there are also signs that we will get to see remnants of the Pepa we love - a smiling, laughing Pepa - and as hard as it will be to watch her live without her pelirroja, her princesa, her wife by her side, this is a good thing IMO. It's a sign that while Pepa will never forget her wife or the love that they shared, she can still find the beauty and goodness in a world without Silvia. Perhaps S9 will be cathartic for all PepSi fans as we try to let go of Silvia and the loss of PepSi. Maybe watching Pepa's journey from her grief to finding a point of peace will help us do the same. And maybe, just maybe we will also be able to find some beauty in the breakdown. Even if it is during those few seconds when Pepa flashes one of her trademark smiles and we find ourselves smiling with her.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on the song "Let Go" by Frou Frou.

PS. I wanted to wish Dr. Booker a very, very Happy Birthday. It has been an honor for me to have been able to get to know you and bask in the glow of your wondrous brain.

"Is it Better to Have Loved Than Not at All?"

Normally my lectures are inspired by the title of a song or a few lyrics from a song, which remind me of PepSi in some way. This time, however, the song for this lecture resonated with me on a deeper level, so I feel that it's important for you to see the lyrics in order to fully understand this lecture:

You didn't wait for me to help you out
And I would've stayed to clear those final doubts
How suddenly the whole world can change overnight
And how suddenly the whole world knows your name

And I find myself questioning all that I have done
And I'm trying to press the button to rewind
And I find myself whispering, "Is there more I could have done?"
And I wish I had the option to rewind

Is it better to have loved than not at all?
Is it better to have loved than not at all?

I'm not the same; it feels like I'm missing out
The sky has drained; now I must live without
How suddenly the whole world can change overnight
And how suddenly the whole world sings your name

And I find myself questioning all that I have done
And I'm trying to press the button to rewind
And I find myself whispering, "God, what have you done?"
And I wish I had the option to rewind

Is it better to have loved than not at all? (x4)

I find myself thinking, "I hope I can inspire
The subtleties you taught me to ignore."
I find myself thinking, "I hope I can inspire
The subtleties you taught me to ignore."

Is it better to have loved than not at all? (x4)

One thing I love about music is that one song can be interpreted many different ways by the listener, and this song made me think of LHDP from two particular perspectives: the show's executives/audience and Pepa.

On July 15, 2009, the whole world changed overnight for all LHDP fans and the PepSiverse in particular. The S8 finale left us with four deaths, and suddenly fans from all over the world were shouting the names of the four departed actors, especially Marian Aguilera and Aitor Luna. Our world no longer felt the same; it was suddenly emptier. For the lesbian community, there was suddenly a new void and the community would now have to learn how to live with one less lesbian couple on television.

I've often wondered about the writers/producers of LHDP and what they might be thinking. Are they questioning some of the decisions they made with regard to PepSi's/Silvia's storyline? Do they wish they had the option to go back and show more of their relationship? If they knew the gravity of the impact that Silvia's death would have amongst fans would they still have chosen to have her die in such a bloody, dramatic fashion?

Dr. Piper commented in a recent PepSilogy lecture about how ridiculous it was that Dr. Felix, a recurring guest character, did a monologue long before Silvia and how this might have been a contributing factor in MA's decision to leave the show - she may have felt underappreciated. I think there's some merit to Dr. P's theory. After all, MA's placement in the credit billing and in cast photos may have been symbolic of how Alex Pina viewed her role on the show - a secondary, background character despite the fact that MA is an extremely talented actress and PepSi single-handedly created an international phenomenon. I wouldn't blame MA if she had doubts as to why she should stay on a show where she may have felt like she wasn't appreciated or valued and the execs weren't doing anything to clear those doubts. Again, this may not have been a factor at all in her decision to leave, but if it was, it leaves me wondering how differently the finale could have turned out if we could just rewind and change some of those things.

From a character perspective, I can see a grieving Pepa wondering, "Is there more I could have done while Silvia was alive?" Should she have waited so long before returning to San Antonio, to Silvia? Should she have just agreed to have a child with Silvia when the subject came up instead of letting her fears and doubts get the best of her? Could she have done more to try and save Silvia on that fateful day?

After July 15, 2009, PepSi fans were trying to find the button to rewind - a way to undo the finale as if it never happened. As S9 approaches, the sky seems darker, grayer, and we're suddenly faced with trying to find a way to live without. Pepa must find a way to live without her wife and we, as viewers, must find a way to live without one of the best couples to ever grace our television.

The thing is, in answering the question "Is it better to have loved than not at all?" I think most PepSi fans and Pepa herself would say "Yes." Because as much as it hurt (and still hurts) to lose Silvia and PepSi, we got to see a beautiful, authentic love story unfold before our eyes, and Pepa got to experience it firsthand. And in a way, we do have the option to rewind. We can re-watch PepSi's story unfold over and over again (minus the finale and for many PepSi fans, the Pepa-Aitor hookup), perhaps viewing it differently each time as we notice new things we may not have picked up on before. Pepa also has the option to rewind - she has her memories of Silvia and the life and love they shared. And as long as those memories exist, the love that existed between them and the feelings that it gave Pepa (and viewers) will never truly die. In that regard, Silvia and PepSi will always live on, and that's why I believe it's better to have loved than not at all.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on lyrics from the song "It's Better to Have Loved" by Temposhark.

"Fight Like a Girl"

"You fight like a girl." It's always bothered me a little when I heard that phrase growing up, partly because I didn't know what it meant. What does it mean to "fight like a girl"? Does it mean that I can't hit my opponent as hard as a boy could? Because I remember one particular incident, when I was about 8 years-old and this boy in my class was teasing and picking on me. I kicked him right in the shin and made him cry like the little bitch that he was. When asked by the school counselor why I did it, I replied, "I'm not gonna let him pick on me just because he's bigger. He wouldn't stop so I made him." And then I got away with it because even at a young age I was that awesome. I'm just kidding. I got a little lecture and was sent off to play. Getting back to the topic at hand, I later learned that there are fundamental differences between men and women that distinguish the way each gender approaches things. It's these differences that cause people to say things like, "You fight like a girl." Personally, I now take it as a compliment, because in many ways women make better fighters than men. And that is why Pepa is the agent I would always choose as my partner for a mission.

Size. Size is the most obvious difference between men and women. Men tend to be bigger and physically stronger than women, but a woman's smaller, lankier frame makes her more flexible. This makes it easier for a woman to conceal herself during an operation or provide her with more options of movement. I think Pepa definitely fits this description. She might be tall, but her slim figure makes her more quick and agile than Paco or Mariano and probably Aitor and Lucas too.

Vision and Hearing. Women tend to have better vision and hearing than men. They can hear a broader range of sound frequencies and tones in the human voice - it's a part of the maternal instinct which allows a woman to intuitively know when her child is in need. Women also have better peripheral vision than men and tend to see better in low lighting, as well as things that are further away. As the "Best Shot in San Antonio" with a 9/10 accuracy in long-distance shooting, I think it's safe to say that Pepa has excellent vision. And in Ep. 102 when she and Silvia were trying to pinpoint the location of the hostage, they both showed their superior hearing abilities when they picked up Rita's voice in the background.

Processing. While men tend to have bigger brains, it doesn't necessarily make them smarter - it's just a reflection of their physical stature. In reality, women utilize their brains more effectively than men, because women have more nerve cells that connect the left and right hemispheres of their brain. Thus, women process things equally between both hemispheres - data transfers more easily from the creative to the computational side of the brain. This enables women to pay better attention to the details, making them more analytical than men. It also makes them more aware of others' feelings when communicating and more creative when problem solving, because women have an easier time interpreting and verbalizing what they see. The clearest example of this with regard to Pepa was in her relationship with Silvia - the way Pepa knew that holding Silvia's hand would reassure her or that wrapping her arms around Silvia would comfort her.

Communication. Women tend to be better communicators than men, because they talk through their issues and focus on how to create solutions for the entire group. Women also tend to pay more attention to non-verbal cues, such as tone, emotion and empathy. Ep. 93 is a good example of this. Pepa is putting together a protection detail for the G8 Summit. Three agents will be escorting the car with her and one will be left out - Rita, Pove, Kike or Nelson. Every time one of them complained about being excluded, Pepa did her best to try and accommodate each of them in order to solve the problem. Granted, she eventually lost her temper, but I give her credit for not losing it sooner. Regardless, she communicated with her colleagues in an effort to find a solution that worked for the entire group.

Stress. Oxytocin is one of the hormones that is released during stress. The estrogen in women enhances oxytocin, making them calmer during stressful situations. Thus, women are better at taking care of themselves and others and tend to form stronger bonds with others compared to men. The testosterone in men reduces the effects of oxytocin, which increases their stress level and is why men tend to have a "fight or flight" response when faced with a stressful situation. While both Pepa and Lucas tend to be fighters by nature, I'd argue that Pepa reacts better under stress. In Ep. 1, Lucas, Mariano and Paco respond to a bank robbery, and in the midst of all the chaos, Lucas accidentally shoots the bank owner. Compare this to Ep. 93 - the underground fighter episode. When the hombres realize that Sara and Pepa's mission has crossed with Paco and Mariano's mission, Pepa is understandably concerned but calmly tells Sara that they have to fight in order to stall for some time. She takes one for the team and later, amongst the chaos, is able to apprehend the boss before anyone gets hurt.

Multitasking. Women are known to be better multitaskers than men. This one is obvious, as PepSi basically wrote the book on how to properly mix business with pleasure. Lucas and Sara? Not so much. See the El Kaiser frak up. Aitor and Sara? Definitely not. See Ep. 101 where they nearly blew the mission by having sex in the middle of an operation. Or not if you don't feel like gagging/shouting at the screen.

Come S9, El Gordo is screwed IMO because he didn't just kill four agents, he angered several women in the process. And given all of these things that make a woman a better fighter than a man, I would not want Pepa coming after me. The only thing that would make El Gordo's pursuit better were if Rita were with Pepa, not Aitor. Because one vengeful female fighter is intimidating, but imagine if there were two vengeful female fighters. El Gordo would probably end up crying like that boy I kicked when I was eight. Hell, he'd have a better chance of survival if he went and hid behind his mommy.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on the song "Fight Like a Girl" by Bombshel.

"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!

"Fear and Love"

In answering the question of whether it is better for a leader to be loved than feared or feared than loved, Machiavelli said, "One should wish to be both, but because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with." Pepa isn't a leader in the traditional sense. She doesn't hand out the assignments or lead the undercover missions. After all, the show is called Los Hombres de Paco, not Los Hombres de Pepa (and for the record, Antena 3, it's not called Los Hombres de Aitor either). Nevertheless, I would still argue that Pepa is a leader, and a great one at that, because she has mastered the ability to be both feared and loved.

As I discussed in a prior lecture, Pepa has a charm - "the Pepa effect" (or "Pepaforce" as Dr. P cleverly calls it) - which draws people to her. Her smile can dismantle almost anyone - just ask Montoya, Curtis or Silvia. She's warm and friendly and it seems like you could have a blast hanging out with her. That's why it was so easy for Lola, Rita and Silvia to agree to go to Rocio's bachelorette party with Pepa. She's also the fun, crazy aunt who will suggest that Sara go to the shooting range to take her mind off of the fact that she's an adulterous Superbrat and makes jokes about how Sara takes infidelity seriously because she got "married" in Silvia's wedding dress.


But Pepa also has a temper that rivals Don Lorenzo's, which makes others fear her, because no one wants to be on the receiving end of an angry Pepa. Curtis received a shocked and upset look from Pepa when he accidentally grabbed her ass as she was walking up the stairs - he got a tumble down the stairs for that little incident. Aitor witnessed Pepa's wrath firsthand when she dunked his head into the toilet after he insulted Sara. And even Paco knows better than to mess with his little sister. Her stern look to him after she found out that Silvia was conducting autopsies on their wedding day made him rethink his decision to stop her as she went to talk to Silvia.

Unfortunately, we haven't been able to see many examples of this balance of fear and love in Pepa's professional career, because Pepa doesn't go on many assignments. Although I suppose that pursuing Silvia and getting paid while making out/having sex with her does take up a lot of Pepa's time. However, one clear example of this balance occurs in Ep. 68. Curtis is put in charge of the undercover assignment at "Flashdance" so that Paco can try and bail out Lucas' Interpol-investigated ass. Rita fails to book a job as a dancer at the club, and neither Curtis nor Silvia is supportive of Sara's idea to go undercover, so they think they're screwed. That is until Pepa emerges as the leader with her own plan, which Curtis and Silvia both agree to. Arguably, they supported this plan because they probably thought, "Pepa stripping? Hells yeah I'm in!" However, if you watch Pepa carefully in that scene, you'll see a perfect example of her ability to blend fear with love. She doesn't ask Curtis for his permission, she tells him that Sara will go undercover, but in a manner that gains his respect and acquiescence. Her reasons are simple: she loves her brother and wants to protect him. Her rationale is solid: Sara is the only person amongst them who can pass as a minor. And, she has a plan: she'll go undercover as well to ensure Sara's safety. Her facial expressions start off firm - firm enough to command obeyance, but not enough to frighten or distance Curtis - and it softens as she explains her plan, conveying determination, assurance, and confidence all at the same time.

In an instant, Pepa's face can change from one with a million-watt smile into one with an ice cold stare. Her warm personality makes you want to follow her, and her caring and loyal attitude makes you trust and respect her. At the same time, her fiery temper makes you afraid to let her down, partially because you don't want to disappoint her and partially because you don't want to see her temper escalate. Like "the Pepa effect" and her gun prowess, Pepa has perfected the ability to balance fear with love, knowing just how much of each to convey and when to do so, and because of this, she will make an excellent leader amongst the hombres in S9 in their quest to take down El Gordo.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on the song "Fear and Love" by Morcheeba.

"We've Come a Long, Long Way Together"

Don Lorenzo. Merely mentioning the name of San Antonio's comisario can send a chill down the hombres' backs. It can cause Paco to reach for his trusty handkerchief, Mariano's eyes to pop out and his jaw to drop, and Pove to stutter like a frightened little boy. Don Lorenzo is a man with a strong character, "a man that likes order." He lives by a strict code of moral and ethics and because of this it usually doesn't take much to offend him or his santos cojones.

Pepa doesn't really have a code - she lives life as it happens - so it's not surprising that Don Lorenzo wasn't very pleased when she showed up in San Antonio. At the Miranda-Castro family dinner to celebrate Pepa's return, all Don Lorenzo could see was the girl who came to her niece's first communion dressed inappropriately. The girl who "tricked" Silvia into smoking weed and later made out with his precious hija. The girl who caused her parents' divorce and didn't care enough to attend her father's funeral. The girl who just wasn't "normal."

Pepa's presence in San Antonio really unsettled Don Lorenzo, and perhaps the reason why they butted heads so often is that they are alike in many ways. Don Lorenzo's temper is legendary - he isn't afraid to "say things to people's faces." Pepa's the same way. When Don Lorenzo gave her a bogus assignment, Pepa wasn't afraid to ask him, in front of the entire precinct, if he was trying to "fuck (her) over." Don Lorenzo is also known to be very loyal to his men, and Pepa surprised in him Ep. 67 when she turned in her badge in support of Paco, Mariano and him. Her act of solidarity is the first time you can see him view Pepa in a different light - someone more than the "despotenciada" he thinks she is.

Of course, Pepa turning in her badge wasn't going to change Don Lorenzo's opinion of her overnight. His disdain for Pepa was strong, so strong that he seriously believed she was trying to seduce Sara, her own niece! And while he was probably relieved that this wasn't the case, he certainly wasn't thrilled when he found out that Silvia had feelings for Pepa. He went through an array of emotions (which Angie covered brilliantly in a previous lecture) before he accepted the fact that Silvia was truly in love with Pepa and that Pepa made Silvia happy. So when Don Lorenzo confronted them in the countryside in Ep. 76 and wished them the best, you knew it was genuine and a turning point in his relationship with Pepa.

Don't get me wrong. Don Lorenzo still thought Pepa was a "despotenciada," but knowing that she loved Silvia more than life itself changed the way he interacted with her. When Pepa filed mobbing charges against Silvia, he saw the situation for what it really was: Pepa's attempt to use "legal channels to solve a personal problem." But he wasn't mad at Pepa for trying to get back together with Silvia; he was mad that she was using the precinct's time and resources to do it. And in Ep. 98 when Pepa arrives at Los Cachis to help him find Aitor, they share a glance similar to the one in Ep. 67. But this time Don Lorenzo's expression isn't one of surprise at her display of loyalty and support - it's one of pride and respect.

Ep. 100 is one of the strongest signs of how far Don Lorenzo and Pepa have come in their relationship. He scares everyone when he seems upset at the idea that Pepa and Silvia are engaged before he takes their hands and joins them together, where they belong. Later, when Pepa has her gun pointed at "Jota's" head, he gets her to lower her gun by placing his hand gently on her arm and calling her "Pepa." To me, this is a huge step in their relationship, because up until that point Don Lorenzo usually called her "Miranda." The use of her nickname shows that he truly accepted Pepa, not only as Silvia's girlfriend, but as her fiancé, the person Silvia chose to spend the rest of her life with - his future daughter-in-law.

I don't think Don Lorenzo and Pepa would have made it through Ep. 104 if their relationship hadn't improved. When Pepa went into shock, she needed Don Lorenzo to remind her that "you're her girl and I'm her dad." They needed to trust each other and work together in order to save Silvia's life. They needed to give each other hope as Silvia got weaker by the second. And they needed each other the most in that fateful moment when they both realized that Silvia was going to die and they couldn't do anything else to save her.

Pepa and Don Lorenzo have come a long, long way together since Pepa's return to San Antonio. Their relationship evolved from one of disdain for a relative by marriage to one of a father and daughter who love and respect each other. They've been through hard times and good times together, and in S9 their relationship will be critical in helping each other deal with Silvia's death. As difficult as that will be, the point is that they've built a relationship that allows them to lean on each other, and for that I have to praise them both for how far they've come.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on lyrics from the song "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim.

"I Am a Gun and I Am Loaded"

"The best shot in San Antonio." This is a phrase that has been used to describe Pepa and with good reason. In Pepa's first scene with Silvia she landed six bullets dead center in the shooting gallery, and in S8 we learned exactly how proficient Pepa is with a gun - she has "a 9/10 accuracy in long distance shooting." But a gun is not just a weapon to Pepa; it is so much more than that to her. Pepa knows her gun so well that it has become an extension of her body and a metaphor for her personality.

In S7, Pepa gives Curtis some tips in the shooting gallery, and you can tell by her advice and they way that she talks about it that a gun is something she understands as well as any part of her body. Pepa knows that your center of gravity is important when preparing to fire a gun. She knows that you have to hold the handle with a firm grip while you have it pointed at your target. And she knows that "you have to let the barrel dance a little" before you fire the gun.
A gun is a dangerous weapon. It might look like a cool, fun "toy" but that doesn't change the fact that it contains bullets which can cause some serious bodily harm. Thus, one of the things you should keep in mind when handling a gun is to always assume that it is loaded. The same can be said for Pepa. As I stated in a previous lecture, it's Pepa's warm smile and fun personality that draws people to her. But that doesn't change the fact that behind that warm smile lies a bad-ass, gun-wielding fighter who won't hesitate to harm you should you try to harm those she loves. "Jota" saw this for himself when Pepa pointed her gun straight at his head and demanded to know where Paco's meeting with Bravante was being held, and two mafiosos saw this for a second before Pepa took them out with her rifle on her wedding day when they tried to breach the house.
When handling a gun, you should always keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot. In other words, don't pull the trigger unless you mean it. Because once you do pull the trigger, a chain of events occurs that you can't stop. The hammer drops forward, striking the firing pin, which strikes the primer (aka the explosive cap) of the bullet. This ignites the gunpowder inside the bullet, causing an explosion that propels the bullet out of the barrel at a high speed towards its target.

Pepa operates in a manner very similar to a gun when fired. In other words, once Pepa's "trigger" is pulled, you better pray you're not her intended target. During Pepa's first assignment in San Antonio - the bogus stakeout with Silvia - an arrogant guy learned this first hand. He triggered Pepa's anger by refusing to "get lost" when she told him to and, instead, continued to taunt her with inappropriate sexual comments. Her temper ignited when he decided to moon Pepa and Silvia, and Pepa exploded. She was no longer concerned about her assignment. Her target was that guy, and if Silvia hadn't intervened Pepa might've done more than teach him a lesson on how to properly talk to a lady.
Pepa is very much like the guns she's always seen carrying in her holster, so you always have to assume that she's loaded. El Gordo made a huge mistake when he attacked Pepa's family and killed her bride, because in doing so, he pulled the trigger on a loaded gun. And like a bullet that's been shot out of the barrel of a gun, come S9 Pepa will (hopefully) be traveling at a high rate of speed towards her target - El Gordo - and I, for one, wouldn't want to be an obstacle in her way. I mean, would you want to be in the way of this:
I didn't think so. Because you don't mess with "the best shot in San Antonio" and get away with it - she'll take you down.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on lyrics from the song "Loaded Gun" by Hednoize.

"Keep it Together in the Family"

 by KalikeCA, Esq

Siblings can be a pain the ass sometimes. I should know - I have three. But the great thing about siblings is that they can also be one of your strongest supporters, because the connection that you share with your sibling is a strong one. One of my favorite things upon discovering LHDP was watching the brother-sister relationship that Paco and Pepa shared. While there haven't been enough Miranda sibling moments since Pepa's arrival (in my opinion), there were four moments that exemplified the beauty of their relationship.

To refresh your memory of the Miranda family history: "In 1997, at Sara's first communion, Don Lorenzo, (Pepa's) dad and Paco caught (Pepa) with (her) tongue down Silvia's throat." Paco blamed Pepa for their parents' separation, Pepa left, and seven years passed before Paco and Pepa spoke to each other again. Their first real scene together in the precinct upon Pepa's return to San Antonio is also the first scene that established their relationship as brother and sister. Paco is nervous, as usual, and things are awkward between the two of them. Paco attempts to read Pepa a letter he wrote to her months ago but never found the courage to send. In classic LHDP hilarity, Paco fumbles as he tries to find the right page that describes what he really wants to say until Pepa suggests that they skip to the end of his letter. Upon doing so, we learn that what Paco really wants is "to forget all the bad things that happened and to once again be (Pepa's) brother. The brother that used to take (her) by the hand to school. The one who would go with (her) to the store to buy candy. The one who showed (her) how to fly a kite on the beach of Huelga. (The) brother who loves (her)." It's a beautiful scene, because in that moment, they both remembered the connection and history they shared as siblings, and they decided to forgive each other for the past and rebuild their relationship.

Another great Miranda sibling moment occurred during Season 7, when Pepa is venting to Paco over her drunken promise to Silvia. This scene showed two of the great things about siblings: they listen to you, and they support you no matter what. Pepa's outburst occurred during the middle of an operation, but Paco recognized that what she needed at that moment was someone to listen to her, so he did. He listened, he tried to be understanding, and above all, he never judged her. Paco told Pepa that no matter what happened, "If it comes, we're going to love him so very much." With that little sentence, Paco let Pepa know that while he didn't know how her situation with Silvia would turn out, he would be there to support her and accept any child that she brought into their family.

Paco's message to Pepa and Silvia in their wedding video is the third great example of Paco and Pepa's relationship even though Pepa's not in it. In his message, Paco expresses nothing but genuine happiness over the fact that Pepa is getting married. Paco concludes his message by taking out a puzzle piece from his wallet and reading what is written on it: "My name is Pepa. I am six years old. For my brother, always." It was a simple, little gesture that spoke volumes. It showed the love that little Pepa had for her older brother, and it showed that despite everything that they've been through Paco had always carried a piece of Pepa with him - his own way of staying forever connected to his little sister.

My favorite Miranda sibling moment takes place in Episode 104. Now, I know this episode invokes strong feelings in the PepSiverse, but hear me out. Despite the overwhelming amount of tragedy in this episode, there was a scene that, to me, epitomized the beauty of Paco and Pepa's relationship. The moment I'm referring to occurs when Paco suddenly gets up off the floor, looks around the room at all the dejected faces, says, "It's the wedding of my sister and sister-in-law, so I don't want any sad faces, is that clear?" and then proceeds to lead the hombres in a chant of "We want a kiss." Granted, a part of the reason why Paco did this was to raise the morale of his men. But I also think that Paco was trying to be there for Pepa, during the worst moment of her life, the only way he knew how. Paco couldn't kiss Pepa on the cheek and make everything better, but he could give her that chant. The chant that gave Pepa a moment to smile. A moment to calm her nerves. A moment to feel like a bride. And a moment to share one more kiss with her wife.

One of my hopes for Season 9 is that the writers will "keep it together in the family" and show more of these brother-sister moments between Paco and Pepa. Moments that remind us that even though siblings can be a pain sometimes, they often tend to be one of the few people who will always love you for who you are. And that they will always be there during the darkest moments of your life to comfort you and help you through your pain. Because no matter what happens, siblings will always have a connection. A connection of blood. A connection of family.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on lyrics from the song "Keep It Together" by Madonna.

"You've Got This Strange Effect On Me"

 by KalikeCA, Esq

Marianne Williamson once described charisma as "a sparkle in people that money can't buy. It's an invisible energy with visible effects." Pepa certainly has charisma. Maybe her "invisible energy" is due to her independent, free spirit, or perhaps it's due to to the fact that she's a "shameless lunatic." Whatever it is, her energy creates what I like to call "The Pepa Effect," where people just seem to be drawn to her.

The degree to which a person is affected by Pepa's charms varies, but it always starts the same way - with a glimpse of her natural beauty and million-watt smile, and exposure to her friendly personality. Even Lucas admitted that Pepa is hot, because her gorgeous, supermodel looks are undeniable. Her smile and personality only add to the spark that she gives off; they are bright, friendly, and infectious. This energy often results in others developing deep feelings for Pepa, feelings that Pepa, for the most part, remains oblivious to (unless your name happens to be Silvia Castro Leon).

Montoya was one of the people who was visibly effected by Pepa. He was immediately smitten with the elite agent and used any excuse possible in order to spend more time with her: he made coffee for her, offered to show her around the precinct, brought desserts to Paco's family dinner, flirted with her during a commercial shoot, and pleaded with Curtis - his subordinate - to join an undercover mission simply because it involved Pepa stripping. "The Pepa Effect" blinded Montoya to the obvious fact that Pepa is a lesbian. He couldn't tell that while Pepa was friendly to everyone, she was clearly interested in Silvia, and only Silvia. In fact, it wasn't until he saw the way Pepa reassured Silvia while they were on their way to apprehend El Kaiser that he finally understood that he was not as special to Pepa as Silvia was.

"The Pepa Effect" was more serious in Curtis' case. Like Montoya, Curtis was infatuated with Pepa ever since she arrived in San Antonio, but he was "branded" by Pepa when she kissed him in an attempt to make Silvia jealous. The fact that Curtis knew that Pepa is a lesbian didn't stop him from trying to win her heart, nor did Pepa's explanation that it was "an impulse" and nothing more than "a dumb kiss." Granted, Pepa didn't help matters when she pretended to be his girlfriend, but even after she tried to break up with Curtis and he found out that she and Silvia had reconciled, he still tried to have a relationship with her (and Silvia). It wasn't until Curtis overheard Silvia mention that Pepa lied to him because he was dying and Pepa mention that she felt sorry for him that he finally realized he could never have Pepa's love the way that Silvia did.

And that brings us to Silvia. Silvia definitely suffered from "The Pepa Effect," although she had been branded years ago at Sara's communion. Time may have separated Pepa and Silvia, but the effect that Pepa had on her never really left; it was just buried and didn't resurface until Pepa returned to San Antonio. Like the others, it caused Silvia to make numerous excuses just to be near Pepa: she followed Pepa around the precinct; she left Rocio's bachelorette party because she was jealous upon seeing the stripper give Pepa a lapdance; she pretended that she didn't know how to dance so that she could feel Pepa's hands on her hips; and she approved the undercover striptease mission probably for the same reasons Montoya wanted to join it. The difference between Montoya, Curtis and Silvia was that while they were all affected by Pepa, the only person who affected Pepa was Silvia. And at the end of the day, that's all that really mattered.

Perhaps "The Pepa Effect" is a composite of everything that makes Pepa who she is: her beauty, her smile, her warm personality, the fact that she's free-spirited, and the fact that she's slightly crazy. Regardless of the reasons behind her "invisible energy," I think it's safe to say that Pepa tends to have a strange effect on everyone, and they like it.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on lyrics from the song "This Strange Effect" by Hooverphonic.

"...And Maybe Then You'll Know What Love Is"

 by KalikeCA, Esq

As we saw in the last lecture, love can give a person courage and strength. However, it can also make a person act irrationally, as even Pepa acknowledged that there are a lot of "shitty things that a person does thanks to love."

This was certainly true in Pepa's case. After one too many shots of tequila, Pepa, in an inebriated state of love, told Silvia that she wanted to have children with her. Once sobriety set in, Pepa unintentionally humiliated Silvia while venting her frustrations to Paco and literally got her mouth "busted open for love" as a result. But Pepa was so in love and wanted so desperately to make the woman she loved happy that it led her to genuinely believe that if she found a man to impregnate herself, Silvia would see how much she loved her.

Although love clouded Pepa's judgment and only exacerbated the situation, it was also love that prevented Pepa from walking away even when Silvia asked Pepa to let her go. Pepa's love for Silvia was so strong that she literally couldn't "stand the thought of being more than 2 centimeters apart" from her and it was this love that made her fight for their relationship. And if this meant that Pepa would have to file a bogus mobbing charge against Silvia and pretend to be pregnant and dating someone else, then Pepa would do it. Because love had convinced Pepa that she couldn't be, and never wanted to be, just friends with Silvia.

Love sustained Pepa's faith in her belief that she and Silvia were always meant to be together. Faith that they would eventually reconcile. Faith that she didn't need a Top 5 list of fantasies, because "the only star (in her life) will be (her) redhead: (her) fiance, the one who's going to be (her) wife." Faith that if Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas, Raphael and Natalia Figueroa and other celebrity couples can be happily married, then so can Pepa and Silvia.

Upon her return to San Antonio, Pepa was socked in the face with love, and from that point on, she let it become the driving force behind her major life decisions. Love got her to stay in San Antonio. Love allowed her to believe that she and Silvia could be more than friends. Love motivated her to fight for their relationship even when it seemed like a lost cause. And love overpowered her fears, erasing them and leaving only joy. The pure joy that can only be experienced from staring into the eyes of your true love. A love that leaves you with a million-watt smile and a feeling you can't get rid of and, you realize, you never want to get rid of.

Because once you've been socked in the face with love, you know what love truly is, and you realize you'll do anything you have to in order to hold on to that feeling.

kalike

*The titles for these first two lectures are based on lyrics from the song "Sock You in the Face with Love" by The XYZ Affair.

"I'm Gonna Sock You in the Face with Love..."

  by KalikeCA, Esq

Who is Pepa Miranda? Before we can answer this question, we first have to ask: what drives her? What motivates Pepa to act the way that she does? It is only after we answer this question that we can truly begin to understand who Pepa is. After all, a person's motivations help shape who they are - their character traits, their decisions in life, etc. So, what is the driving force behind all that is Pepa Miranda? I believe the answer to this question is love. More specifically, Pepa's love for Silvia, because "Silvia is who (Pepa's) dreamed of (her) entire life."

Pepa is a self-professed "romantic fool." When Pepa falls in love, she falls hard, as if she's been punched in the face with love. It gives her "the feeling you get when someone rubs you with their fingers and your stomach turns queasy like you just got off a carnival ride," and it literally becomes the driving factor behind her life decisions. Pepa decided to stay in San Antonio because Silvia - her love - asked her to. And even though Silvia made it clear at this point that she's straight, Pepa is "not the kind of person who gives up." Her love for Silvia is so great that she was willing to be around Silvia in any way that she could, even if it was only as friends sharing breakfast at the shooting gallery or working on a case together.

Love gave Pepa the courage to ask Silvia out on a date when she sensed that there was something more than friendship between them, and love continued to give Pepa hope after she was stood up on their date. When they finally kissed, it was love that provided Pepa with the patience to give Silvia the time she needed to process their new relationship, and love that helped her find the right words to say to alleviate Silvia's fears and teach Silvia how to be with her.

Love saw Pepa through Silvia's journey of self-discovery. She literally felt it wrap around her on that day in the countryside, when Silvia showed Don Lorenzo that Pepa was the person she loved, the person Silvia wanted to spend her life with. And love carried their relationship to the point where they were living in domestic bliss a year later.

But love is not infallible. As strong as Pepa's love for Silvia was, and as much as it helped her realize her dream of being with Silvia, it was also Pepa's love (and a lot of tequila) that nearly tore them apart forever...

kalike

Note: I'm sorry to leave you all hanging, but this lecture is long, and at Dr. Booker's wonderful suggestion, I decided to split it up into two parts. I hope you've all enjoyed it thus far, and I will post the rest of the lecture tomorrow.