Women in Blue – Valentina

By: Gladys Luna

Valentina (Natalia Téllez) wakes up half naked and tied up inside a tank screaming out for help. In the meantime, Herrera (Mario Zaragoza) gives a press conference in which he admits to be responsible for the dead of Chava/Benito (Alejandro Guerrero), best known as The Undresser and promises that they will bring Valentina back and safe. When the reporters start to bother him with uncomfortable questions, Escobedo (Christian Tappán) jumps in and takes him away. Inside the station, Gerardo (Horacio García Rojas) organizes a new squad of police men to continue the search for Valentina and then goes to meet with Octavio (Miguel Rodarte), María (Bárbara Mori), Gabina (Amorita Rasgado), Ángeles (Ximena Sariñana) and Díaz (Ricardo Esquerra) to discuss further about the information the Women in Blue found on the killer and see if that can help them to figure out where Valentina might be. The more Díaz looks over the investigation board the police women have created about the case, the more he is surprised of the great and neat work they have done making him to congratulate them for it.

On the other hand, María Esther (Marcela Rigoletti), the First Lady, meets with Escobedo where she blames him for all the mess that has been caused letting him know that the failure of the police women program won’t be part of her legacy. She also assures him that if Valentina is found dead, she will make sure to let the whole country know it was his fault. Outside the station, Gabina and Gerardo talk about The Undresser and his MO to approach the victims; the woman still blames herself for not seeing the signs but her brother tries to comfort her saying that he was experienced and skilled so, she is not the one to blame. As she recalls everything he had done, she comes to the realization of something making her run back inside. Once there, she informs them that Chava/Benito would take the bus every day to find the next victim which is how he did it with her but he didn’t necessarily have to since he had his own car and his house was in a different direction so, they come to the realization that he was using the bus stations route to choose his victims and then will throw their dead body near the bus stop of the next victim and as far as they know, there are only two bus stops left so they think that Valentina might be somewhere near those. Right that moment, Vaca (Brian Espitia) shows up and tells María that her parents are at the station looking for her. Her mother (Rosa María Bianchi) is evidently distraught demanding answers about Valentina’s whereabouts while her father (Luis Rábago) tries to calm his wife down, María promises that she will find her sister and bring her home alive.

A search team has been sent to the streets where we can see the police men and the women in blue working together in order to find Valentina. They go through every place and corner of the city screaming her name without any luck until, Ángeles sheds some light on the search and tells them that near one of the two bus stops left is located the water treatment plant where The Undresser’s mother Jacinta (Marcela Peregrino) was killed so she assumes that maybe Chava/Benito is trying to follow his father’s steps and Valentina could be there. Meanwhile, Valentina is fighting for her life while watching how the water tank is now being filled. The squad, along with Octavio arrive to the water plant and see that security guard is dead something that tells them that they might be closer to find Valentina than they think. They get to where the water tanks are and see that there are plenty of them so, with the help of Ángeles who recalls every word of the police report on Jacinta’s case, tells them the number where the woman was found and that is the same one where Valentina is. Octavio breaks the tank tap and drains it, then takes the woman out and Gabina successfully administers CPR on her. Later on, Valentina is taken to the station for her to be examined by the doctor and everything appears to go in slow motion for her. By Valentina’s request, María drives her to her apartment since she wants to be alone. As soon as she enters the place, she begins to recall everything that happened there and how The Undresser attacked her so, she ends up curled up in bed and crying.  That same night, María talks to Alejandro (Leonardo Sbaraglia) about her concerns for her sister but he suggests to give her some time to process everything that she went through. He also takes the chance to tell her he was fired and confesses that the reason he was not promoted was not because of her, as he thought so, he apologizes to her but María gets upset by remembering how he accused her and asks him to leave the house. Sometime after he leaves, Valentina shows up at her sister’s door carrying a suitcase. The next morning, Escobedo meets with the squad and enlists them all of the rules they broke while trying to get to The Undresser and informs them that although the D.A. has suggested to punish them with four years of prison, he has managed an arrangement for them and they should sign a document where they agree not to discuss about their participation on the case. Outside, Díaz, Gerardo, Gabriel (Juan Carlos Medellín) and Lozano (Julio César Luna) show their discontent with Escobedo’s decision. The squad comes out of Escobedo’s office while everyone at the station looks at them proudly of what they have accomplished but at the same time disappointed because they didn’t get the credit they deserved. Gabriel sees her father enter the elevator and follows him then, confesses that his sister courage has inspired him to live his authentic life so he will resign to the police and do what he loves which is to cook. As it is expected, his father considers him to be a shame and rips the badge out of his uniform but Gabriel has never felt happier than now. Later, the squad goes back to Escobedo’s office to record their testament on the case; María tells Escobedo that she will talk to The First Lady about what they are doing to them but the man tells her that she was actually the one who ordered to dissolve the police women program and that the next day, the official announcement will be delivered.

A new morning comes and María watches her sister sleep then, she goes to wake her up and confesses all that has been haunting her for a while saying that she could have saved Natalia (María José Mariscal) and then we are taken back in time to the moment where Natalia and María were discussing inside a car about the first one’s decision of interrupting her pregnancy. María tried to persuade her from reconsidering her decision but when she realized she couldn’t change her sister’s mind, she asked her to leave her car and then, her sister was hit by another car in which she lost her life. Back to the present, María apologizes to Valentina for trying to change her and tells her that she is perfect just the way she is and how much she loves her. Escobedo shows up at the President Echeverría’s (Alejandro de la Madrid) office and shows him the recording he got from the police women then, gives a press conference that is broadcasted live in which he explains that the real Undresser is now dead and that Gregorio Cadenas (Bruno Bichir) that was in jail for the crimes he committed was now released since the government decided to pardon him for his support on the case turning him into a police officer. Gregorio takes the stand and thanks everyone who made that possible for him while María and Valentina watch from home.

Sometime after, María is playing with Alex (Diego Escalona) and Mar (Isabella Oceguera) in the living room when Alejandro arrives carrying a gift for his wife. Alex cannot contain his curiosity and opens the box revealing a set of María favorite’s detective book set. The woman thanks her husband for it and asks her kids to give her some time alone with him. Although she appreciates the gesture, she tells him that there’s no need for him to show up with gifts for her and that the best thing he can do is to give her some space instead so she could figure out what’s next for her to what the man agrees without hesitation. Gabina shows up at the station, doing the same thing she used to when he first met her, delivering lunch for her brothers except, this time it wasn’t her or her mother who cook it but Gabriel. On the other side, Ángeles introduces Gabriel to a man named Lule (Nicolás Lamaire) who is the owner of a restaurant they had attended a few days ago and who Ángeles has convinced to give Gabriel an opportunity to work as a cook. Gabriel is surprised of the gesture and thanks Ángeles for it and she says that this is what girlfriends and boyfriends do, they support each other and then she asks him for a kiss. Back at María’s house, Valentina is playing with her nephew and niece while they ask her why she doesn’t organize one of her marches to protest against what they did to them but she says that this is not like the other causes she has defended and that the government only cares for looking good in front of the citizens which gives her a new idea. The First Lady is giving a speech for the International Women’s Day when the full squad of the Women in Blue enters the auditorium led by Octavio; the sixteen women join the stage and then, Valentina gets closer to the First lady who wastes no time in remind her about the document they signed. Valentina goes to the microphone and delivers a speech where she thanks everyone involved in her rescue and says that although she was in danger and they have done many sacrifices to be where they are now, that doesn’t mean the police women program should come to an end and that instead they will go down in history for it and hopes that they are supported all the way to what the First Lady agrees to then, both women shake their hands.

Later that night Octavio, Gabina, María, Ángeles and Valentina go to celebrate with a dinner; Octavio excuses himself saying that he has to go but before, he asks María to stand up and gives her a badge referring to her as Lieutenant De la Torre then leaves. Once he is gone, Ángeles confesses that she now knows that something had happened between them and María says that even though he seems to be a great man, she needs some time alone for now. Ángeles also takes the chance to tell them that she is grateful for joining the women in blue since that gave her not only a boyfriend but also their friendship. Another day arrives and María is doing her usual rounds at the park then, she sits on a bench while watching people pass by until, she realizes that someone has taken a place next to her and turns out to be no other than Gregorio Cadenas. The woman gets nervous by his presence while he thanks her for giving him another chance then, things begin to turn a little awkward when he tells her that while he was in prison, he read a lot of books but one in particular drew his attention; in said book there was a story that talk about the duality humans have and how there is always a constant inner fight over which side should take over. The former prisoner, expresses that he feels like that. In one hand there’s this one side that allowed him to be of help to others and then there’s this other side filled with rage and thirst for vengeance and the worst part is, he still hasn’t decided which one to choose. “Only time will tell,” he says and then walks away, leaving María in a whirlwind behind.