Warning: there are plenty of spoilers about the Spanish drama Velvet ahead.
Fashion Insight: Wedding dresses are the ultimate design and dressmaking challenge
Ross and Rachel of the Week: Clara and Pedro
Spanish Culture Clue: The wedding preparations seem very similar to wedding preparations in the US.
Language Point: Devastatingly Handsome Maximiliano has tortilla española for dinner. When I was in Spain, all the waiters gave me a hard time for ordering tortilla española, because they told me that in Spain, it was just tortilla. Hmmmm.
Ana returns to the dorms after her night of passion with Alberto, only to find the room filled with paper airplanes. Alberto returns to the office and tells Mateo that marrying out of obligation doesn’t mean he has to give up on love. Mateo does not approve. He may be a womanizer, but he believes in marriage.
Alberto and Mateo then turn their discussion to work. The Velvet look has moved from classic to dowdy, and it is time to attract new customers with new designs. They want to concentrate on those styles that Don Rafael thought were too daring.
In the workroom, Don Emilio tells Ana that hopes she knows what she is doing. “All that I care about is here,” she says.
Next stop, sales floor. A mysterious stranger tells Don Emilio that they need to talk about arrangements now that Don Rafael is dead, including what happened in Cuba. What did happen in Cuba? We aren’t to know right now, because it is back to the workroom, where Doña Blanca tells the seamstresses that they each need to work on a different dress in order to choose the person who will work closely with the store’s new designer – when that person is brought in, of course.
Cristina brings her cousin to Velvet to start the search for a wedding dress, which makes Alberto unhappy. Cristina asks to work with Ana, who did such a great job on her ripped dress. Was that two days ago? Anyway. this not only means plenty of awkward conversation, but also that Ana cannot work on the designer project.
Gloria arrives and Emilio tells her about the stranger. Gloria decides to meet with the stranger about the Cuban situation The situation is clear: the stranger will tell Alberto about his father’s affairs unless he is paid appropriately. Don Emilio tells Gloria not to pay the blackmail.
Back in the office, Alberto tells Gloria and Patricia that his plans for fixing the business include cutting their allowances and bringing in an outrageous designer, Raul de la Riva. Patricia asks for a job, and Alberto tells her to report to Don Emilio. Gloria is beside herself; she and Patricia fight over the very idea of Patricia working, which of course sens Patricia straight to the workroom to be fitted for a uniform.
Meanwhile, Sleazy Don Francisco oozes into the store to ask Luisa for help. He doesn’t know if his wife’s new dress is right. Can Luisa try it on for him? Yuck.
Gloria decides to borrow money from Pilar to pay the blackmail, but Pilar refuses to make the loan. What can Gloria do? The next thing we know, it is night and someone breaks into the office and takes money from the safe. Hmmmmm. But I am getting ahead of myself. Before the robbery can happen, Mateo has to finally clear out of the office. This happens when he asks Clara to join him for dinner at the super-fancy Alcalá, probably not this Alcalá but maybe, as Velvet is no stranger to anachronism. In any event, Clara cancels plans with Pedro and has Rita help her find a dress to wear.
The Devastatingly Handsome Maximiliano brings some sandwiches to Carmen’s room. Carmen’s mother, Doña Blanca, knocks on the door to find out what is going on, then tells Carmen that she is hard on her for her own good and leaves. Maximiliano is surprised to find out that Doña Blanca has a child.
Raul de la Riva, wearing wonderfully anarchonistic Armani Exchange eyeglasses, meets Alberto at the bar. Raul warns Alberto that bringing in a new designer is a big risk for the business, but he is willing to be the designer for next season.
Alberto, Cristina, Gloria, and Gerardo meet at the bank restaurant to discuss wedding plans. Gerardo supports the cut in allowances, which makes Gloria most unhappy. Alberto says that the wedding will be in a year, but Gerardo thinks it should be much sooner – as well as the greatest wedding Madrid has ever seen.
At midnight, Ana sneaks up to the roof to meet Alberto. Clara comes him and wakes up Rita to tell her about the evening. Pedro runs into them in the hallway and Rita covers for Clara. Then Rita finds that Ana is missing.
Ana sees Mysterious Stranger coming out of the elevator. She goes to the office and finds Alberto knocked out. She calls for help, then leaves so that no one knows of their planned assignation.
Morning finally arrives. The police come. Pedro goes to the office to see what is going on and gives Clara a kiss as Mateo walks in.
Cut to Doña Blanca in her room, holding a medal. Don Emilio shows up, as she is late to work for the first time ever.
At the workroom, Ana utters the line offered by all Other Women everywhere: the marriage is a sacrifice that she and Alberto are making for their love. And at this point, I am so annoyed and so happy that this episode is over.
