Recap 3: Lächeln, Lächeln, Lächeln

As the situation dawns on Nina,Adele thumps in with "Rumors",Nina gathers up her stuff in a hurry and flees the apartment. 

Liv keeps sitting, while Luca,oblivious to the change of cast on his couch, brabbles on from inside the shower:

"Hey Nina! Wanna go and grab some food? Cause good sex tends to make me really hungry!"

Liv's reaction:

Ouch!

Ouch? That hurt.What?

Has this show suddenly turned emotional and interesting and so good over night,that I actually feel a knife twisting in my chest?

For realz!

Wow!

It's not only Kasia, for you can feel the tension bouncing off of the walls all of a sudden.

Well, Luca finally finishes his shower, and puts his wet foot into his mouth only a couple more times, til he sees Liv in the middle of his living room.

"Surprise." she says.

No kidding.

In the meantime, Nina runs through the city dissolved in tears.I am really surprised,that all the women I ever see running through town wear jogging attire, and are happily listening to music.

In the meantime Luca has changed into some clothes and says:"I am sorry, but I didn't expect you back so soon." Liv:"I noticed." Luca:" I'm sure that you'll understand,if I'm going to explain it to you." Liv:"Well,then,explain it to me."

Ok, not Emma.

He goes ahead and pours both of them a glass of wine, and sits down to talk some bullshit.

"You're looking good, the time in the Himalyas has clearly done you good."

Liv empties the glas in a rush and in the move of the week throws the glass to shatter against the door in a million pieces

Then she smiles sweetly at the guy,with the words, "Now, explain it to me in peace." 

Now,while Luca explains in peace, the other storyline this week revolves, and I have kept this from you last week, around a couple of characters, Enrique and Paloma, who,at last week's wedding,drank some Maori Liquor( I am not making this up) and blacked out for two days.

The last couple of weeks have been about what they did in those two lost to them days, and let me tell you, being kidnapped by aliens might not be on the list, but almost.

It involves a sheep suddenly standing in the middle of the Lanford fashion label,the two of them flying to Denmark in a helicopter, getting hitched and partying it up.And a great Dane, and by that I mean the dog.The funny thing is, that these two usually can't stand each other, and are now, in the second week of their quest for remembrance, hanging out with a bunch of Danes in a Danish bar, figuring out,that they got married, having a pregnancy scare, of a night neither one of them remembers,etc.Just thought,I'd let you know, in case you were wondering abou the sheep.I was.

Now, after this brief interlude, we hop back to casa Luca, where a veil is lifted.

"We had a deal," Luca says,"While we're apart, each one is free to do as he/she pleases.." 

"But not in our bed!" Liv says in Emma's "I'm leading tonight." voice.

Aha, see the mystery is solved.

They have a zipcode deal.

And I'm having a heavy,heavy sense of deja vu..I mean..Hmm..luring the nice and innocent girl from,where? Kansas, Montana, Jail? into a prolonged romance, only for the steady partner to show up from her business trip to somewhere and dump the heavily romanced one unceremoniously..ring a bell?

Now,let me tell you, I had a sweet time finding a clip of those particular two,that wasn't rated beyond R, but where were we?

Back in Berlin, Luca is bringing some BS about this not really being their home yet,since he hasn't even fully moved in yet, and get this:And because Liv hasn't been there yet.

But Liv, and I think I like her already, doesn't buy any of it, and gets up and says:" I'll sleep at my brother's and maybe,maybe I'm going to call you tomorrow."

She walks out,all haughty, but Liv,too, gets a Berlin at night with some good music moment,and while she hollers for a cab,we get to see,that she is,in fact,hurt. 

We get a cut between Luca picking up  the shards of previously mentioned glass,barefoot, Nina, coming home, and Liv hurting.The scene is set, for the rest of the season.

Now, while Nina is emoing out, unfortunately, her probation officer reminds her, that she needs a steady job, or off behind bars she goes again.

Since Kai took great pleasure in introducing Olivia,his sister and Luca's fiancee at Lanford, Anna, you remember her, right? The namegiver of the show?Well Anna gets a gist of Nina's misery and emotionally pressures Luca into giving Nina a job at Lanford's to keep her from going back to the can.

Trouble in that?Nic was kind enough to point out, that Anna walks around in a trenchcoat(and not much else) for three episodes solid, and that totally reminds her of South of Nowhere..you know which scene.If you don't,here's a reminder:

Yeah..while I'm mentally back in time, enjoying the good times, where a youth channel featured a show revolving around a girl couple with lots and lots of good music by new and upcoming artists, Liv, Luca and Kai hang.

The triumvirate is back, and whoops! now suddenly even Kai is bearable! 

I really, really like their chemistry together, and it's not a big step to believe that the three of them have already been hanging out at the street cafe's of London, Riad,Hong Kong, or wherev's for years.

They have instant buddy chemistry.

I also, and now, don't beat me up, like the way Liv and Luca have chemistry.

The two have clearly known each other for more than the start of a TV season, and Luca is really playing all of his charms for Liv, while being a lot more relaxed than I have seen him all of this time.

We get a little background on Liv and her job, which seems to involve photojournalism, with an emphasis on "Travels a lot,to faraway places".

Now, Kai, who as much of an overenthusiastic wingman to Luca's affairs as he has been, now that he senses true danger to his sister's turf in the form of Nina, goes full Queen biatch on the matter of the Nina/Luca issue.

When he learns,that Nina has gotten a job at Lanford, and through Luca, no less, he cleverly sneaks Liv in, as  the new photographer for their headlining fashion line.

She charms everyone, including us and Bruno, through that skill of hers, that already wasn't lost on Jenny Hartmann.

Nina, Luca, Kai,Liv, all working in the same place? 

I hope, that at least the pay is ok.

Nina,who hasn't that much of a choice in the matter is trying to avoid Luca and Liv as much as possible, but of course sees Liv and him kiss and make up through his transparent office walls.

The kiss:

Surprsingly enough, Liv is leading, and she borrowed Jenny's blazer.

And the kissing reminds me of something....

Ahem, yes, getting distracted quite easily today, where was I?

You know, you might think,that Liv would be evil.I mean Kai certainly seems to come from some demon lair, and Liv, set to be the disruptor of the main couple of the show, would, according to soap cliche, certainly befit that role, but she isn't.

She runs into Nina in the bathroom, Nina, being the sweetheart,that she is, apologizes to her,and tells Liv,that she never would have started anything with Luca, had she known, that he was enaged.

Liv,trying to make Nina feel better, simply says, "Of course, he doesn't tell his affairs about me.." and only hurts Nina (and herself) further.

Now, we get a last shot at Liv,after Nina walks out of the scene, but she doesn't give her a death glare,or a look of triumph, but Liv looks sad and stricken.And sorry.

In the last episode of the week, they're even having drinks together.

I kid you not.

Nina and Liv,both of them being the newbies at Lanford, get taken to the show's hang out, the Ego Bar, where they discuss freedom and liberty,and choices.

Liv tells a story about a guy, who saved and waited for a trip to some prticular mountain in the Himalayas all of his life, but 15 meters before the top, turned back.

"He had the strength to give up his dream," Nina says, and the two of them have mayor chemistry.

So much,in fact,that the present y chromoses flee the scene.

Nivia, Olina?

I might be having fun with this show, yet!

Tonight,I'll leave you with this summing up last week. Might befit the soap around the soap as well.Take Care:-)