Previously on Rebelde Way: I can’t remember what happened because the original version of this post got deleted and I lost like a full half of it. 🙁 Anyway, here’s a rewritten version, reposted in July 2021.
For the first time in forever, we actually skip forward like a day from the end of the last episode. Maybe they’ve realized that there are only like 45 episodes left and they gotta pick up the pace. Feli and Vico discuss Manuel’s impending death from brain cancer or whatever. They’re like, “We have to stay quiet, because it sure would be awkward if everyone in class was talking about this!” What? Is that what they want to focus on?
Sabrina rocks up looking for Manuel. Feli and Vico take great pleasure in telling her that he’s out with Papa C, and golly, they just don’t know what he could be up to. Sabrina is perturbed that Manuel is hanging out with Mia’s dad.
Javier calls Sonia, asking where he can reach Marizza in Pinamar. Marizza tells Sonia to blow him off, then she calls Pablo in a panic, wanting to know how to get Javier off her back. But instead, Javier, being the creepy creep that he is, picks up Pablo’s phone back at school. Marizza blurts out that Javier keeps calling, thinking she’s in Pinamar, and she really needs to get him off her back, on account of how she’s lying to him and all. Admittedly, in total fairness: Javier does say, “Hello?” and Marizza doesn’t pick up on the fact that that’s not Pablo’s voice at all. Marizza, one of them is a 16-year-old boy; the other is a 30-year-old man masquerading as a teenager. THEY SOUND DIFFERENT.
Anyway, Javier’s all like, “How very dare you lie to me!” because irony is a foreign concept to him. Pablo comes in and tries to explain, but Javier runs off like a lil punk baby. It’s so hurtful when people hide the truth from him!
Meanwhile, Vico is panicking over her dad. Rocco’s like, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of it just like last time! Don’t you trust me?” I mean, you paid him off and he still came back. You two are teenagers. Anyway, Rocco’s plan to make this better is just to keep paying Vico’s dad off. Because enabling a gambling addict always ends so well.
Since Lalo’s been fired for being fake-arrested, there’s a new guy in the cafeteria. Naturally he’s terrible; he can’t keep up with any of the orders and he spills a cup of tea on Dunoff. Dunoff’s like, “I demand that he be fired immediately!” Maybe you should look into your school’s high staff turnover rate and total lack of training, Dunoff. Anyway, Rocco sees an opportunity to make money and offers up his services. Dunoff blusters that it’s not appropriate for a student to be working in the cafeteria and Rocco’s like, “Didn’t you let Pilar do it that one time though?” Dunoff’s like, “Oh right.” So now Rocco is the new cafeteria guy. Vico sees him working and asks why he needs this job, and Rocco very obviously makes up a story about wanting a new camera.
At some set that’s trying to look like a hospital but looks more like a hotel room, Manuel asks Papa C not to mention this whole brain injury thing to his mom. Whatever. Manuel’s mom knows literally nothing that has happened to him since 2002 since that was the last time he talked to her. Manuel cries over having to undergo an MRI scan by himself, and Papa C tells him that he won’t be alone, because parents are always allowed to be with their children. That anvil hurt. Anyway, Papa C watches the MRI scan with the doctor, and the doctor’s like, “Wow, his brain is super fucked up, he needs surgery as soon as possible.”
Over at Sonia’s house, she tells Marizza that she has a meeting with the school board, and she just knows that they’re going to beg her forgiveness and let Marizza back into Elite Way. Marizza’s like, “What if they don’t?” but then by the next scene, she’s equally convinced that they’re going to let her back in, so I don’t know what this is all about.
Marizza and Martavio go to the meeting and wait outside for Sonia. Marizza squeals to Martavio that she can’t wait for them to make their triumphant return to Elite Way, where everyone will fawn over them the way they do every time Marizza so much as sneezes. For once, Martavio shows an iota of self-awareness and points out that he did, in fact, scam his way into EW to stalk her, so he doesn’t really deserve to be taken back in this case. Marizza’s like, “Stop saying words.” Then Sonia comes out looking all serious. The scene cuts here like it’s a cliffhanger, but I’ll spoil it and say that Marizza got back into Elite Way. Of course she did.
Vico’s dad shows up at the school and sees Rocco in the cafeteria. Rocco tries to talk to him all man-to-man and tells him to leave Vico out of her negotiations. He offers to keep paying Vico’s dad off with his cafeteria salary, but Vico’s dad scoff that the measly, probably below-minimum-wage amount that Dunoff pays Rocco isn’t enough. So Rocco opens up the cash register and gives Vico’s dad all the money inside. Oh, Rocco. This is actually painful in a horribly dramatic way. Well-played, show.
After the scan, Papa C tells Manuel that the results are already in, and they’re not good. Manuel bites his thumb because that’s Felipe Colombo’s Default Acting Choice whenever he’s distressed. Apparently they have to do some kind of experimental operation to fix Manuel, and Manuel wibbles that he’s afraid of them poking around in his brain. Papa C’s like, “Well, your brain’s already fucked up, so how much worse can it be.” JK, not in those words. He does say that they don’t have time to think it over, and Manuel has to choose now. Why? Is he going to drop dead in the next five minutes?
Consuelo comes to school to see Pablo. She tells him that she can’t find Papa B, and she worries that he’s off plotting somewhere. Pablo interprets this differently: he sends Consuelo off to look for his dad, then starts cackling triumphantly that he and Marizza have “won.” I’d be more worried if my mafioso dad had gone underground after I just brutally exposed him, but okay, Pablo.
Laura tells Marcos that he clearly still likes Lujan, again, some more. Marcos is like, “Stop saying words” again, some more.
Francisco talks to Guido, of all people, about his current girl problems: he doesn’t know why Diego is suddenly out here spreading rumors that Francisco is dating Mia, but he wants him to stop. He asks Guido to ask Agustina to ask Diego why he’s talking shit about Francisco. Guido’s like, “That was a very unwieldy sentence; why don’t you just ask him yourself?” Francisco whines that he and Diego don’t hang, so it would be weird. Because asking Guido to ask his ex-girlfriend is less weird. Guido’s like, “Agustina will tell me anything I want to know because she still likes me!” He approaches her, and Agustina tells him to fuck off. HA! Suffer, Guido.
Papa C and Manuel come back to school, where Mia meets them. Papa C and Manuel BS to her that everything is totally fine and Manuel is definitely not dying.
Manuel promptly goes on his pre-surgery apology tour, starting with Francisco. He asks Francisco to “take care” of Mia, and Francisco’s like, “For the millionth time, we’re not dating, you weirdo.” Manuel says he doesn’t care if Francisco and Mia are dating or not anymore — Mia deserves to move on and be happy with a nice guy, since she’s such a good person. AND THEN! He adds that he knows Mia never slept with anyone in Bariloche, so Francisco will be “her first” and Manuel wants him to be gentle with her.
Wow! Where to even begin with how fucked up this is! First off, way to admit that Mia has the right to move on after you already physically assaulted her and guilt-tripped her over her perceived relationships with other guys. Second of all, way to creepily discuss your ex-girlfriend’s virginity with some other dude. Third of all, if Manuel’s so sure he’s going to die, maybe he should apologize to Mia’s face before he goes under the knife, but I bet he won’t. Anyway, he doesn’t actually tell Francisco about his possibly-fatal surgery, so Francisco’s like, “This is weird, but okay, since you seem so cut up about it.”
I can’t believe, even when he’s apologizing and admitting that he was wrong, Manuel still manages to be the worst. What the fuck was that.
Dunoff contrivedly asks Michi to start checking the cafeteria cash register every day before she leaves. I’m amazed that they didn’t have an adult doing that already, but also totally not surprised at the coincidence of it all. Naturally, Michi goes to the cafeteria and finds that the register is empty.
Then, in a bizarre shift in tone, Michi goes to the fourth-year classroom and announces that…Marizza is back. That’s not at all what we were just doing, Michi, but okay. Everyone cheers except for Javier, who sulks in the back of the room. Marizza’s like, “Javier, why are you not kissing my ass like everyone else?” He bitters that he can’t believe she LIED to him, how very dare she not be TOTALLY TRUTHFUL when he has done nothing but be honest and transparent with her! THE AUDACITY. Tragically, instead of laughing at him, Marizza begs his forgiveness and tells him that she was only going along with Pablo’s plan because he was the only one who could help her. But now that she’s back at school, she’ll ignore Pablo just like Javier wants! Jesus Christ, Marizza.
Blas starts paying Sol more attention and leaving gifts on her desk, since Sabrina hinted to him that Sol is all sad and lonely and needs the inappropriate attention of a way older man. He tries to talk to her in the hall, but she blows him off and brags to her friends that she’s playing hard to get. Sol, you really don’t have to put this much effort into getting with Blas. You’re blonde and underage, that’s pretty much all he cares about.
Michi confronts Rocco over the money missing from the cash register. He acts all sweaty and nervous and the scene cuts away, and I guess Michi just walks away because she’s still looking for him several scenes later. She manages to catch up with him while he’s hanging out with Vico, and Rocco runs and hides from her. Vico covers for him, but she wants to know what’s going on. Rocco BSes that Michi is getting all nosy about what Rocco’s dick is like, what he’s into, and he doesn’t want to tell her the details about their relationship. Vico doesn’t buy this — understandably, since that is WILDLY inappropriate, like what the fuck Rocco — but she lets it go.
Guido watches Diego and Agustina together in the cafeteria and seethes. Tomás and Pilar are sitting with him, and they’re both like, “Bro, you didn’t even like her and you treated her like shit, what’s your deal?” Guido’s like, “She wasn’t supposed to notice that I was treating her badly!” He adds, “I gave her some of the best months of my life!” Hee! Whatever, Agustina is the younger one, she was the one wasting her youth here. Before Guido can go over and try to cockblock Diego, though, Pablo rolls up looking for Marizza. Some side character (I think this is Sebastian, their other classmate, not that anyone ever says his name) tells Pablo that she’s in the courtyard. Except she’s in the main hall with Marcos? Whatever.
Marizza asks Marcos when Lujan is coming back, and Marcos is like, “When she meets her real mom, I guess.” Marizza’s like, “I feel like that could take a while?” and Marcos just shrugs at her. After he leaves, Pablo runs up and tells Marizza the good news that Papa B’s disappeared. Again, Pablo and I have very different interpretations of this scenario. He notices that Marizza isn’t happy, though: “Aren’t you glad to be back?” he asks. I mean, I wouldn’t be thrilled to attend school at Elite Way, either, but Marizza is merely unhappy since she promised Javier that she would stay away from Pablo now.
Mia approaches Manuel, and he’s immediately all snippy with her. He’s like, “Papa C must have told you that I’m dying of telenovelaneosis, so I bet you’ve already told the entire school even though I want it kept quiet because you’re an AWFUL PERSON, so THANKS A LOT, MIA.” Mia’s like, “…I just wanted to check on how you were doing.” She asks if he’s going to go ahead with the operation and Manuel says that he doesn’t know. Mia wibbles that there are so many bad people in this world, why do things like this have to happen to the good ones? I mean…Manuel was planning to kill Mia’s dad, pressured her into sex, and physically assaulted her when he thought she’d moved on from him? He kind of is one of the bad ones, Mia! Anyway, she tells him to look on the bright side of life, and Manuel’s like, “Kind of failing to see what that is right now, TBH.” Mia’s like, “Well…you’re still in an inexplicably popular teen idol group!” Thanks, Mia.
Guido tries to win Agustina’s affections with an entire box of Bubbaloo, but she takes the box and says she’ll share it with Diego. HEE! Guido tries to complain about this to Tomás, but then Pablo comes in and he’s like, “Shut up Guido, it’s time for a main character’s problems.” Pablo tells them that Marizza blew him off earlier today, and Tomás and Guido say that she was obviously just using Pablo to get back in at Elite Way. Tomás says that Pablo needs to get his mind off of Marizza, and offers to set him up with Pilar’s cousin. Guido is disgusted that his two friends are willingly dating members of the Dunoff family. Heh. Tomás mocks Guido for not having any dates at all, and Guido says that he’s going to win Agustina back. Tomás is like, “Want to bet on it?” Oh, Jesus, no. I am BEGGING these kids to stop turning every mild conversation into She’s All That.
Martavio and Sonia toast to getting Marizza back into Elite Way. Sonia’s like, “Well, Papa B held up his end of the deal, so I guess I have to give my blackmail material back.” Martavio’s like, “I don’t think that’s what you should do if you have damning evidence of someone’s corruption?” and Sonia’s like, “Stop saying words.”
Feli asks Michi for Lalo’s address so that she can go apologize to him, since Maxi got him arrested and fired. Ah, yes, this is Feli’s fault, because she’s…guilty by association? The way this show frames girls as being responsible for boys’ actions is so very gross. Michi is pleased and tells Feli that apologizing to Lalo is really showing her growth as a person. Michi, I usually like you. Stop being like this. Anyway, I’m only mentioning this scene because it’s faded out by “Things I’ll Never Say” by Avril Lavigne, which is actually the best song off Let Go and is totally underrated. You can’t change my mind!
So Feli goes to Lalo’s neighborhood. He’s not at home, but naturally the first kid she trips over in the street happens to be his little brother, so she passes time hanging out with him. Surely when Lalo sees this, he’ll be charmed by Feli getting along with his siblings and will understand that she’s not actually responsible for what Maxi does. After all, Lalo is the sensitive, thoughtful, working-class foil to Maxi’s brutish privilege!
Hahaha, OF COURSE NOT. Instead, Lalo comes home and is all like, “How very dare you come to MY house and talk to MY siblings!” He yells at her to go away, so Feli runs off without apologizing. Wow, so she hauled ass all the way to Lalo’s house just to turn around and go home? Man, Feli, at least yell at him back! You didn’t pay bus fare to put up with this bullshit!
Sabrina comes by under the pretense of talking to Manuel about the band, but actually to ask if he’s going to get back with Mia now that he and Sabrina are broken up. “Well, actually, since you broke up with me.” Hee. Let it go, Sabrina. Manuel scoffs that he and Mia are never ever getting back together, and Sabrina’s like, “Well, then why are you hanging out with her dad?” Because…he’s still Manuel’s legal guardian, Sabrina? Manuel didn’t break up with Papa C.
Michi asks Vico where Rocco is again. Vico’s like, “Ew, why are you so obsessed with us?” and Michi’s like, “I’m not obsessed with your trivial teenage relationship, I just want to know where the money from the cafeteria register is.” Vico’s like, “Oh” and then she realizes how suspicious Rocco is acting and she’s like, “Yikes.”
Marizza unpacks in her room, having flashbacks to all the ways that Pablo has helped her out over the past few episodes. She remembers how he told her that he helped her get back into EW because he didn’t want to lose her — which, I mean, that’s sweet and all, but you two still live in the same damn city, Pablo. It’s not like she was getting exiled to hammerspace Southern Argentina. Anyway, just as Marizza’s remembering how Papa B interrupted their last moment together, the camera cuts to him coming into her room right now! Clever! Orson Welles could never.
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