Scandal Episode 15

(I'm not going to bother with Joo Ran and Joo Pil as they're just a pair of drunken idiots. Although at this point I do ship them.)

 

Fake Eun Joong, his cell phone secretly recording, asks Myeong Geun if he really is Real Eun Joong's father and for Dad #1 not to use Cheonha Law Firm for the case against Taeha Construction. Myeong Geun doesn't say much so I'm not sure if Fake Eun Joong got enough sample for a voice test. As Fake is leaving he runs into Ah Mi and invites her out for a walk. (At last I get my answer about what ever happened to the lawsuit Ah Mi was bringing against Real Eun Joong over the food cart.) They run into Real Eun Joong and as Ah Mi rambles on and on and on the two men engage in a staring contest. Fake tells Real not to be dating Joo Ha. Real tells Fake neener neener I'll do what I want.

 

Those two drunk buffoons end up in a hotel room and sleep together, and I mean that literally. They both pass out on the bed.

 

The next morning Real Eun Joong gives his family their own little mace canisters and gives them basic self defense lessons, which makes sense after his own attack. Something tells me this will come in handy later on.

 

Entirely too much time is spent with the drunk fools.

 

Real Eun Joong offers to go pick up Ah Mi's husband's bike from the apartment (it was down in the garage and safe from the fire). She's thinking of selling it. Eun Joong reports how he's going to start up the investigation again and that the only reason he's dating Joo Ha is so he can get closer to Tae Ha.

 

Tae Ha has sent Kang Ho to be Hwa Young's personal minion/spy. Ah Mi mails off several copies of her findings on the unsafe building conditions. The subs aren't too clear but I think she's mailing them to higher ups, including (maybe) the Blue House. As Tae Ha has a photo op with some underprivileged kids, Minister Jo gossips with Joo Pil that he's already figured out Tae Ha is hoping Fake Eun Joong will be president one day. Fake Eun Joong is at a sound lab having the audio tape and the cell phone recording tested.

 

Myeong Geun has a notebook with the bribery list written on it. (So why hasn't he used it before?) He calls Joo Pil and asks for a meeting. Joo Pil was just on the verge of unveiling the paternity test to Tae Ha but after the phone call from Dad #1 he decides to hold off on that bombshell. What Joo Pil does do is offer to arrange for Tae Ha to meet with Myeong Geun.

 

And now it's that time in the show for a musical interlude.

 

Well, I wasn't expecting this. Real Eun Joong tells Joo Ha he knows she's the one who ordered the attack against him to get the cuff link back. He doesn't think she meant for him to be so seriously injured, though. He even offers to continue the boyfriend ruse so Joo Ha can get rid of Jo Jin Woong.

 

Ah Mi has been looking for work so Hwa Young offers to hire the girl as a secretary at the law firm. Fake Eun Joong gets confirmation from the lab that Myeong Geun is the guy on the tape from 1988.

 

Tae Ha follows Hwa Young to the hospital. She's so hoping to run into Myeong Geun but instead gets this guy. At least Tae Ha breaks down and apologizes for his freak out from the other night. Hmm, we get a quick look at Myeong Geun having a MRI or CAT scan (it's a big machine but I can't tell the difference). Anyway, Tae Ha takes his wife out for a romantic dinner where he asks for a fresh start. Hwa Young says she won't give up the lawsuit against the company. Tae Ha responds with he'll simply have Fake Eun Joong handle their defense, thus pitting not-mother and not-son against each other in court.

 

Eye Candy Time. Better late than never. Real Eun Joong and Joo Ha are at the gym working out. He suggests Joo Ha introduce him to her mother so he can help speed up this breakup. Since she has two mothers, Joo Ha chooses Hwa Young as the one to meet.

 

Ah Mi comes home to find Fake Eun Joong sitting on the steps. He's wanting to meet with his counterpart but fears he doesn't have the courage yet. He asks Ah Mi to grab a beer with him. Ah Mi talks about her dead baby making Fake Eun Joong think about his own situation. He starts blubbering right there in front of her.

 

Myeong Geun is arriving at the hotel where he's supposed to meet Joo Pil. When he gets on the elevator it is to find Hwa Young, in a sort of daze, already on it. She starts to cry and falls to her knees. You can see Myeong Geun is just itching to reach out and touch her but he restrains himself. Hwa Young tries to stand back up and ends up falling into Myeong Geun's arms. You know how that happens. She asks for him to allow her just a moment to cry on his shoulder.

 

Joo Ha and Real Eun Joong are also at the hotel waiting for an elevator. Conveniently he remembers he left his wallet in the car and goes back to get it. In the back seat is Gi Chan's bicycle that Eun Joong has been carrying around. He notices something has fallen off the handlebar and when he goes to replace it Eun Joong pulls out the USB that had been hidden.

 

Finally.

Wild Cat 6 - 10

Rosaura/Gabriela's Aunt Claudia, who doesn't know she is her aunt, takes it upon herself to teach the new maid how to be a lady. Sort of a Pygmalion thing. Eva knows Camelia is faking her amnesia but decides to keep the secret for now until the time is right. Luis Mario confesses to Camelia how he has suddenly discovered he's in love with Rosaura. Camelia and Eva join forces to destroy the "Wild Cat." Not that anyone knows where the Wild Cat is. Patricio is back in town and has sworn to avenge himself on Camelia. He resumes a secret love affair with Eduarda. While working out in the fields, Luis Mario is stung by a scorpion. He's rushed to the hospital where he's at death's door.

At the same time Rosaura's annoying little sister collapses with an appendicitis and is rushed to the same hospital. Rosaura has a tense run-in with Eduarda and Eva in the hallway which is how she learns her (ex?) husband is ill. (If Eva is so rich, why does she continually dress in cheap fashions from the Eighties?) Patricio returns to his job at the spa owned by Grandma Cruz and plots to bilk the old woman out of her fortune. Rosaura makes a visit to her perhaps/perhaps not husband. Luis Mario blubbers like a baby and confesses his love for Rosaura and looks like there's going to be a reconciliation. This calls for the three villainesses to come barging in and force the lovers apart.

The three witches hire a thug to grope Rosaura while another man takes pictures so it will look like our heroine was a willing participant. The always gullible Luis Mario now thinks the worst of Rosaura after seeing the photos and not hearing her side of the story. Rosaura learns that it was Eva and Eduarda who were behind her horse-riding accident that led to her miscarriage. Claudia finds evidence that Gabriela is her real niece while the other Rosaura is a fake. She decides to keep her discovery to herself for the moment.

Luis Mario takes Camelia out for the evening to an art gallery. Claudia also attends with her secret niece, Rosaura, who has been given a make-over (albeit she's wearing a hideous dress). The other women fume with jealousy as Luis Mario drools over his (former? never was? spare?) wife. Rosaura rejects him.

Luis Mario asks Camelia for a divorce. Patricio calls Camelia to let her know he's back in town and out for vengeance. Rosaura learns Grandma Cruz really is her Grandma Cruz and that her evil step sister has been assuming her identity. Eva makes an anonymous call to Luis Mario to tell him Camelia has been faking her amnesia. Oh no, Grandma Cruz is down! While the family matriarch stays home to recover, Claudia sends Rosaura to work at the spa and sniff out what Patricio is up to.

You're not going to believe this. Well no, this is a telenovela so you probably will believe this. Rosaura is strolling along the poolside at the spa when her attention is caught by a low-hovering helicopter. It's a thwarted kidnapping attempt. A young man beats off his kidnappers, leaps out of the helicopter into the pool below, and surfaces to immediately start flirting with Rosaura. This is Max, cousin of the evil Eva and now competition for Luis Mario.

Evil step mother and her daughter, Fake Rosaura, have finally returned from Disneyworld. Real Rosaura delights in confronting the two imposters. She throws evil step mother out but decides to allow step sister Carina to stay (which you know she's gonna regret).

Now that the Arismendi estate is making a comeback, Patricio pops the question to Eduarda. Camelia can say nothing without exposing her own bigamy. Luis Mario decides to fight fire with fire and starts hanging out at the spa pool with Eva and her gravity-defying breasts. Rosaura, trying to deny she's jealous, slaps Luis Mario. He grabs her in that manly man way and they succumb to their fiery Latin passions right there in front of Eva and everybody.

Luis Mario hears about Rosaura's time in the pen and tries to find out the truth behind story. Eduarda and her new husband Patricio plan to work together to destroy Rosaura. Somehow slutty step sister Carina is working at the spa now and also knows Max (must have been edited out) as they're stepping out together. Patricio puts a hit out on Rosaura but the hitman is an amateur.

Rejected by Rosaura, Luis Mario goes out and gets drunk. He makes his way to Eva's house where she's all set to take advantage of him only to have Luis Mario pass out stone cold. Eva runs right out to seduce Gabriel in hopes of getting pregnant and passing the child off as Luis Mario's.

Wild Cat 2 - 5

I have a guilty pleasure confession to make: I'm still watching this train wreck. I don't know why. It's like junk food. I know it's bad for me and it doesn't really taste very good, yet I keep on snacking. At least I've finally learned that the show is supposedly set in Florida, USA. Everyone just happens to have Venezuelan accents.

 

Against his evil sister Eduarda's wishes, Luis Mario (who is kind of an ass, let's be honest) marries poor girl Rosaura. He doesn't love his new wife as he's still longing for his dead wife, Camelia. Only she's not dead and has been running around with her new husband, Patricio. Therefore Luis Mario and Camelia are both bigamists. Camelia and her new hubby have lost almost all their money and things are going sour between them.

 

When Eva lays a big wet one on Luis Mario (which he does nothing to fight back against), Rosaura loses control and launches into a hair-pulling cat fight. Eduarda tries to convince Luis Mario that Rosaura is lovers with her friend Bruno. Bruno is in love with Rosaura but she sees him as only a friend. Rosarua's evil step mother has her evil daughter pose as Mrs. Cruz's long lost granddaughter. The gullible (and rich) old woman's other daughter, Claudia, remains suspicious of the evil interlopers. This doesn't stop evil step mother and her evil daughter from living it up at Disneyworld.

 

Eduarda and Eva plot to drive the newlyweds apart. At a swanky birthday party for Eduarda (where all the swanky women dress like cheap hookers) another female friend of Luis Mario's lays a big wet one on him. He again does nothing to fight back against it. Rosaura loses control again and launches into a hair-pulling, cake-throwing, pool-dunking cat fight with the woman. Luis Mario threatens to divorce Rosaura but she cries and cries and cries for another chance.

 

Luis Mario is unable to get a loan to save the family estate so he returns to New York to work at... say, what does he do? He's got an office and he wears a suit but I have no idea what he's doing. Anyway, he and Gabriel go back up to New York to earn money. Rosaura believes she is pregnant. Eduarda arranges it for Rosaura to be accused of theft. While our heroine is in jail, Eva and Eduarda run over Rosaura's drunk dad and kill him. Bruno pays to get Rosaura out of jail. After her stint in the cooler and the death of her dad, Rosaura swears revenge against the Arismendi family.

 

Eduarda and Eva successfully cause Rosaura to fall from a horse and have a miscarriage. To put icing on the cake, Eduarda also has her sister-in-law's home trashed. Changing her name to Gabriela, her dead mother's name, Rosaura takes what is left of her family and flees. With the help of a priest, she's able to get a job as a maid at the home of the woman she doesn't know is her grandmother. 

 

Not wanting to be a pauper, Camelia plots to leave Patricio and reunite with Luis Mario. She reappears in her first husband's life acting like she's had amnesia for the last couple of years. Luis Mario totally falls for this. One person who doesn't fall for this act is Eva.

Scandal Episode 14

Myeong Geun and Hwa Young are waiting in their private dining room when they are joined by Ah Mi and Fake Eun Joong. The two men stare at each other in shock while the women remain oblivious.

 

Real Eun Joong lies unconscious and bleeding all over the driveway as a masked Kang Ho searches through the cop's stuff to retrieve the missing cuff link. To cover his tracks, Kang Ho empties Eun Joong's wallet so it will look like a harsh mugging.

 

Myeong Geun and Fake Eun Joong continue their staring contest as Hwa Young rattles off legalese concerning the crumbling building.

 

In another private dining room, Go Joo Ran goes on and on about how Hwa Young is cheating on the husband who cheated on her. Joo Ha doesn't believe or wants to hear a word of this crap. Joo Ran start interrogating her daughter about this lowly detective Joo Ha is supposedly dating.

 

Tae Ha asks Jo Jin Woong to quit his current job and come work at Taeha Construction.

 

Meanwhile, in yet another private dining room, Kang Joo Pil continues to torment Deputy Chief Whatshisname about knowing Ha Myeong Geun was the kidnapper and Ha Eun Joong is really Tae Ha's child. At least we get a flashback as to how Deputy Chief learned his co-worker and friend was a criminal. Deputy Chief begs the former reporter to just let sleeping dogs lie since Myeong Geun loves Real Eun Joong like his own son. Joo Pil hints that he plans to use what he's learned to torment Tae Ha into giving him the position of president at Taeha Construction.

 

Real Eun Joong continues to bleed.

 

Joo Ran and Joo Ha see Hwa Young leaving the restaurant with Fake Eun Joong, thus damaging Joo Ran's speculation of her rival being here for a rendezvous.

 

Ah Mi returns home and finally someone finds the unconscious Real Eun Joong.

 

Deputy Chief Whatshisname tells Myeong Geun about his long and tortuous meal with Kang Joo Pil. When a weary Myeong Geun returns home he sees the blood stain and the mess in the driveway.

 

Fake Eun Joong is trying to figure out why Myeong Geun kidnapped Real Eun Joong in the first place as well as how to prove that the former cop is the kidnapper.

 

Myeong Geun joins Ah Mi at the hospital where they wait for news on Real Eun Joong. Ah Mi gathered up his stuff from the driveway so when his cell phone starts ringing she answers it. Before she can get a word in edgewise, Joo Ha starts talking and talking and talking which is how Ah Mi learns that this was the woman Eun Joong had a date with. Ah Mi finally gets a chance to speak and explains about finding Eun Joong seriously wounded. My girl knows this wasn't an anonymous robbery and that Eun Joong was targeted by the same man that killed her husband.

 

Joo Ha comes down to the hospital, probably out of guilt because in a sense she's the one who instigated this attack by telling Kang Ho to get that cuff link back no matter what. She asks Ah Mi how Eun Joong is doing. He's still not out of the woods with the worse case scenario being brain damage or brain dead. Ah Mi lists her husband's death, her baby's death, and now the attempt on the life of the detective investigating the case. She asks what is Joo Ha and her family guarding that is worth all these human lives? They may seem like trivial and insignificant non-entities to the powerful and rich Jangs but to each other they are the universe.

 

Ah Mi, I wanna send you a valentine.

 

A sexually frustrated Tae Ha demands Hwa Young start living in the main house with him and, more importantly, start sharing the same bed with him. When he sees she's working on the paperwork to file suit against the company, Tae Ha wigs out and starts smashing stuff, accidentally cutting Hwa Young in the process. So I guess the booty call is off now. Hwa Young does the right thing, grabs her purse and gets the hell out of there.

 

Eye Candy Time: Jin Woong is back at the gym wearing that tight shirt. This is also Comic Relief Time as Joo Ran once again interrupts his workout to display what an idiot she is. She's here to tell Jin Woong the "good news" about Real Eun Joong being knocked silly. If they're lucky he'll wake up with amnesia or as a half-wit. At least Jin Woong has the decency to look concerned, although I can't say for sure if that concern is for Eun Joong or for the thought of Joo Ran being his future mother-in-law.

 

While everyone is away at the hospital, Joo Pil seizes the opportunity to pose as Eun Joong's uncle, rifle through his "nephew's" desk at work and take a razor to gather DNA from.

 

Tae Ha orders Fake Eun Joong, Joo Ha, and Joo Pil to find out who the whistle blower is. Furthermore he tasks Fake Eun Joong for being the lawyer to defend the family company.

 

Joo Ran stops by the hospital and runs into Myeong Geun, the man she recognizes from the pictures she took of him and Hwa Young. When she learns he is Eun Joong's father she tells him she's Joo Ha's mother and she's hear to stop their kids from dating each other. This is the first time Myeong Geun learns who Joo Ha really is, as in Real Eun Joong's real sister.

 

The good news is Real Eun Joong wakes up. The bad news is he has DramaAmnesia! The good news is he's just kidding.

 

(Gosh I'm having a horrible lag.)

 

Thanks to Joo Ran's big mouth, Joo Ha learns Myeong Geun has met with Hwa Young so therefore the possibility is that he is the whistleblower she's been ordered to find. Furthermore, Joo Ha suspects Fake Eun Joong knew who the whistleblower was all this time but kept it secret from Tae Ha.

 

Now that he's recovered, Real Eun Joong is on the move. He's got the Ballcap of Revenge on. Eun Joong suspects Kang Ho and lures the man out into the parking garage so he can Hassan Chop. Eun Joong tells the downed Kang Ho that he's not going to kill or arrest the man as he wants to get the big fish that's behind Kang Ho.

 

Joo Pil is out celebrating the DNA test results he got back that prove without a doubt that Jang Tae Ha is Ha Eun Joong's biological father.

 

Myeong Geun gets a surprise late night visit from Fake Eun Joong who says he has something important to say. What Dad #1 doesn't see is that Fake is secretly recording with his cell phone.

Scandal Episode 13

Jang Tae Ha is sitting in his car and wondering, "Who is this guy laughing with my woman although technically she isn't my woman and hasn't been my woman in quite some time and I really have no right to be jealous but I'm going to be because I'm a putz." Myeong Geun, his back still to Tae Ha, takes his leave. Kang Ho slowly follows the mystery man with the car until they're blocked by another vehicle. Myeong Geun gets away - this time.

 

Tae Ha (whose hair roots are really showing) returns to his wife's office to blow his stack about her laughing and smiling with another man. Hwa Young keeps her cool, at least.

 

Real Eun Joong takes Ah Mi to a... I'm not really sure what it is but there's a lot of water faucets. Ah Mi is cleaning the seawood soup off of her as Eun Joong febreezes some of his old clothes he has in the trunk of the car. This whole incident has caused Eun Joong to forget he has a "date" with Joo Ha. (Which is good because no one should be dating their half sister.) Instead Eun Joong spends quality time with Ah Mi as they kick a ball back and forth.

 

(Bad weather is giving me a poor connection. I'll try to persevere.)

 

Play time is interrupted when Joo Ha calls to remind Eun Joong of their date. Ah Mi pushes Eun Joong to forget about her and go meet his girlfriend.

 

Real Eun Joong finally picks Joo Ha up and was planning on taking her to a gym so they can box (how romantic - not) when she gets a call from her father. Tae Ha insists she join him for drinks. Joo Ha expects Eun Joong to drop her off somewhere and end their date since she has to go do something else. Instead Eun Joong proposes he go with her so he can meet his date's father.

 

Fake Eun Joong has joined Tae Ha and Jo Jin Woong at the restaurant. The other guys are asking Fake Eun Joong what his problem is, he seems so despressed. Fake Eun Joong denies being down in the dumps. Joo Ha comes into the room and is surprised to see her unwanted fiancé as she thought her dad was alone. Real Eun Joong joins the party and makes everyone uncomfortable, especially Fake Eun Joong who is now covered in flop sweat.

 

Tae Ha makes Fake Eun Joong pour a drink for Real Eun Joong. Fake is so nervous he's rattling the kettle. Tae Ha assumes his not-son is ill and calls for Fake to go home but Fake claims he wants to stay.

 

Go Joo Ran is back to haranguing Hwa Young into divorcing Tae Ha. Hwa Young agrees to leaving her (unwanted, unloved) husband but warns that Fake Eun Joong is still a son to her so Joo Ran had better leave him alone.

 

Tae Ha asks Real why he isn't drinking. Real explains he doesn't want to get inebriated and wake up in the morning with a large check stuffed into his pocket and once again having to pack up and move to another department. When Tae Ha asks why the cop is with Joo Ha, Real replies he's developed feelings for the woman and they're going to start dating. If you thought Fake Eun Joong was flop sweating before you ain't seen nothin' yet. He's like Lake Flop Sweat when he hears this news.

 

Ah Mi tells Myeong Geun that she's going to start a lawsuit. Since she and Gi Chan had put money down on a unit in the faulty condominium building, she has a right to sue Taeha Construction for selling them an unsafe apartment. Myeong Geun worries about her being in even more danger and tries to talk her out of the lawsuit, or to at least let him be the one to bring it to court.

 

We can't go long without a musical interlude in this show. They really wanna sell their soundtrack.

 

Drunk Tae Ha has to be brought home by his kids. He's in a belligerent state and orders Joo Ha to stop seeing "that bastard." When Hwa Young attempts to guide Tae Ha to bed, he pushes her to the floor and also orders her to stop seeing any bastards or else. Fake Eun Joong hugs Hwa Young and gets his flop sweat all over her.

 

Jin Woong is at the gym working out (my, that's tight shirt you're wearing) when Joo Ran barges in and continues to show what an idiot she is. "Do you make socks?"

 

Hwa Young hears that Joo Ha is supposedly dating someone. Mom wants to meet this guy. Fake Eun Joong just sits there. Are you going to say anything, Fake? Are you even going to sweat this time?

 

Hwa Young calls Myeong Geun to tell him she plans to confront Tae Ha about the faulty construction. She may be able to stop her husband, she may not. If not, then Myeong Geun needs to get a pre-resident (as in Ah Mi) to file a lawsuit as it can't be done by someone not directly involved with the building. They arrange to meet later that evening.

 

Ah Mi meets with Joo Ha to talk about the internal audit that was supposedly done on Gi Chan when he was alive. Ah Mi, showing off her new backbone and purpose in life, points out how half-assed the audit was done and how she plans to file a lawsuit against the company for shoddy workmanship.

 

Joo Ha goes running to warn her daddy (who is wearing a little skull pin on his lapel) about the lawsuit. She worries that Ah Mi will get other pre-residents to join in on the suit. Tae Ha is confident that he can make a phone call to all the big law firms and stop this suit in its tracks. The small law firms that would dare to sue him will be crushed.

 

Hwa Young stops by her husband's office to confront Tae Ha about the poor safety of his building. She gives him an honorable way out of this mess if he'll just fix the problem before it gets any worse. Otherwise she will fight him.

 

Fake Eun Joong pressures his not-sister to just go ahead and marry Jin Woong. More importantly she needs to stop seeing Real Eun Joong. Joo Ha refuses as she's hoping to win the cop over to their side. With that topic dead in the water, Fake Eun Joong switches to asking if she remembers anything from the time he was kidnapped. Joo Ha tells him to ask dad, or better yet ask Kang Ho.

 

Speaking of Kang Ho, Real Eun Joong has gotten the print results back from the cuff link. He has no idea who Kang Ho is but it's his prints all over the man jewelry.

 

Joo Ran is at a fancy restaurant where she's trying to get Joo Ha to meet her so they can talk about this detective. Around the corner Joo Ran spies Hwa Young meeting up with Myeong Geun. Suspicious about who he is and what is going on, Joo Ran takes a couple of pictures of them with her cell phone. Myeong Geun's face is pretty clear in the shots.

 

Kang Joo Pil is meeting with Myeong Geun's old boss, the deputy chief who had Real Eun Joong transferred to the pencil pushing department. Joo Pil lays it all out on the table (literally) that he suspects Myeong Geun is the kidnapper from the old days and that Ha Eun Joong is really Tae Ha's Eun Joong.

 

From the restaurant, Hwa Young calls Fake Eun Joong to come meet her there while Myeong Geun calls Ah Mi to come meet him there. As it just so happens Ah Mi is with Fake Eun Joong so that saves on gas.

 

Real Eun Joong is arriving home and just walking up the steps when he's attacked from behind by Kang Ho (wearing a mask). Kang Ho beats the tar out of Eun Joong.

Three Kingdoms Episode 45

We pick up right where the last episode abruptly ended: with Cao Cao quizzing his sons on what to do with the assassins hiding in the city. Third and Fourth Brother (who aren't important enough to warrant names) recommend all the city gates be closed and a hefty bounty offered. Cao Pei lamely goes along with these two. Youngster Cao Chong pipes up and says he'd leave all the gates wide open and let the assassins go. They've already failed in their attempt. This way they'll return to their master Ma Teng and tell him how Cao Cao lives, thus making the traitor quake in his boots. Cao Cao approves of this solution and preaches the very Christ-like message of don't hate your enemies to his other sons.

 

(Argh! Windows 8 continues to piss me off!)

The next day Xun Yu brings the good news that the rebels have retreated with their armies.

Cao Pei asks his teacher, Chen Qun, about this Sima Yi. Chen Qun goes on and on about how great Sima Yi is that rainbows and unicorns come out of his ass. This gives Cao Pei cause to worry. Since such a great man has been appointed tutor to Cao Chong, that must mean Cao Cao plans to name the boy as his successor. If that's true, in order to protect Cao Chung, the older brothers would have to be done away with. Cao Pei sends Chen Qun to sound Sima Yi out on how things stand.

(I'm not sure what this has to do with anything but after Chen Qun leaves, Cao Pei notices a hole in the ground and looks like he's about to faint. Is that a snake hole? Does this have anything to do with the snake theme from last episode? Is Cao Pei about to wig out?)

Chen Qun and Sima Yi catch up on old times. When Chen Qun gets down to business and asks what Cao Cao's plans are for Cao Chong, Sima Yi doesn't say anything. This basically answers Chen Qun's question. Sima Yi assures Chen Quen that Cao Chong isn't the most clever of Cao Cao's sons. That title belongs to the man who sent Chen Qun on this fact finding mission.

But what's this? By the next scene Cao Chong is on death's door. He's been poisoned. Xun Yu suspects it was a venomous rat. At least that's what he says in front of the servants. Once he and Cao Cao are alone, Xun Yu explains he really thinks it was a poisonous snake. Furthermore, he doesn't think this snake just happened to wander by but was intentionally released in the boy's household.

Under duress ("Tell me or I'll kill you!") a shaking Xun Yu points the finger at Cao Pei as the one person who would benefit the most from Cao Chong's death. Wouldn't you know it, though: here comes a messenger to report that just this moment Cao Pei has been bitten by a poisonous snake himself. Cao Cas rushes over to that son's deathbed. Cao Pei (cleverly) acts more concerned about his brothers than himself.

Cao Cao barks to have his other two sons tied up since they're out having fun and being alive. Speaking of being alive, Cao Chong no longer is. Cao Cao has to be helped to Cao Pei's bedside when it is predicted this son won't live much longer himself. Yet when he gets there it's really to hear good news for a change. It looks like Cao Pei is getting better and will recover. Cao Cao is weak with relief.

(Chen Jian Bin, you're one hell of an actor. I hope you won all sorts of awards for this.)

Sima Yi and Chen Qun are having tea together. Chen Qun wonders who was the assassin of the young master. Sima Yi, who is really into the pattern on the table top, lays the blame at the boy's own feet. Cao Chong was too smart for his own good so this was bound to happen.

Cao Pei drags himself out of his sickbed in order to attend his brother's funeral. Despite his father's orders to go back and rest, Cao Pei insists on staying to keep vigil. Cao Cao tries to reassign Sima Yi to another son. Instead that crafty old man asks to build a hut next to the boy's grave and keep him company for three years. Cao Cao agrees but also names Sima Yi as his secretary in the future once the three years are over.

Cao Cao is still trying to figure out who was behind the assassination. He thinks to go to the mourning hall and spy on his three sons. In his mind the innocent will be sleeping while the guilty will be awake because they're feeling guilty. Cao Cao peeks around the corner and can plainly see Cao Pei is only pretending to be asleep. Father decides to cover up for his son and decree that everyone was bitten by venomous rats.

Sima Yi is holding his graveside vigil and getting all sorts of visitors. Chen Qun knows the real reason Sima Yi wants to mourn for three years is because the crafty old man wants to wait and see which Cao son would be considered heir to their father before Yi commits to being a teacher again. 

Wild Cat Episode 1

I continue my surfing around the South American boob tube by trying a taste of Venezuelan drama. Have you ever heard of the Venezuelan poodle moth? I hadn't until just now. Gosh, the things you find on the internet. You can find Wild Cat over at Viki.

 

 

We begin with rich and beautiful couple Luis Mario and Camelia Arismendi cruising through New York City (a very tropical looking NYC) in their expensive sports car to the docks where they take their expensive yacht out for a cruise. Ah, to be rich and beautiful. These two are so in love. And so greased up! Have they been oil wrestling?

 

They go below decks to work on having a baby together when a screen-projected storm suddenly strikes. The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed. That's not all that's tossed as Camelia slips out of Luis Mario's grip (probably because of all the body grease) and is washed away.

 

Two years later...

 

Luis Mario is still looking for his missing wife. He's advised to accept that his busty wife has drowned and to stop looking for her. Meanwhile back in Florida Eduarda laments to Cousin Luisana that the Arismendi family is facing ruin. Eduarda figures the only way to save the family estate is for her brother, Luis Mario, to marry Eva Granados. It's a very nice estate - I would want to save it.

 

We get a brief introduction to our heroine, Rosaura Rios, who operates a food truck and serves the field workers on the Arismendi lands.

 

Eduarda goes to visit her friend, the lovely and scantily clad Eva. Eduarda encourages her friend to go after Luis Mario. Eva knows the Arimendi's are in financial trouble and that her money is the only reason Eduarda has brought up the subject of marriage. Still, she's been in love with Luis Mario for years and is more than willing to marry him.

 

Back in New York, Luis Mario has been so busy searching for his missing wife that he's just now learning about the dire straits his family estate is in. He's urged to return home and make repairs to the family fortune.

 

Hard working Rosaura returns home to find her old father has been getting his drink on. She gets into a screeching cat fight with her step mother and siblings. With no help from Drunk Dad, Rosaura is tossed out of the house and ordered never to return.

 

Luis Mario and his friend Gabriel are flying a small aircraft back to Florida. Suddenly the plane develops engine problems. They're forced to do a hard landing in a field as witnessed by Rosaura. As Gabriel goes in search of help, Rosaura stays to take care of the unconscious Luis Mario. Our hero awakens in Rosaura's arms and promptly declares she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. So I take it he's finally over Camelia.

 

Back at Rosaura's former home, her evil step mother is looking for a picture of Rosaura's dead mother. Evil step mother has an evil plan to have her evil daughter pretend to be Rosaura.

 

Luis Mario thanks Rosaura for all her help and kisses her goodbye as he goes in search of Gabriel. Rosaura is instantly smitten. Gabriel and the clan spot Luis Mario walking along the road and pick him up.

 

Back at the very nice house, sister Eduarda lays out the plan to her brother about marrying Eva. Luis Mario doesn't want to marry for anything but love, not that he's over Camelia yet. He plans to save the family by taking off his shirt and working in the fields alongside the other peons.

 

Eduarda still thinks her plan is the best and invites Eva over for dinner.

 

After a hard day of sweating in the fields, Luis Mario goes to a nearby lake to wash up. Finally some male nudity. He's swimming around in the lake when some chick named Panchita stops to enjoy the eye candy and to steal his clothes.

 

Luis Mario is standing on the shore wondering where his clothes went when Rosaura walks up to deliver his lunch. He has to hide behind some bushes while she goes in search of his togs, which she does find where Panchita left them.

 

Eva is angry that Luis Mario is late for dinner when she really should be angry about that butt-ugly outfit she's wearing. Eva leaves in a huff. Panchita, who is a maid at the estate, claims this is all supernatural interference from the dead Camelia.

 

Evil step mother makes a call to an elderly woman named Cruz Olivares. Evil step mother announces she can tell the old woman where her granddaughter Rosaura is. Grandma Cruz is so shocked she drops her cane to clutch her pearls.

 

The next day out in the field Rosaura is trying to run her food truck when she's harassed by a field hand who declares what she needs is a real man for her fiery temper. Luis Mario (still unable to figure out how to button up his shirt) comes to her rescue. Luis Mario thinks to himself he could marry Rosaura, not so much because he loves her as it would really stick it to his ornery sister Eduarda.