'Party of Five' Episode 4: Third time's not the charm for Emilio and Vanessa while Beto and Ella hit it off

The Acosta siblings are growing stronger with time, learning to navigate life on their own. Meanwhile, Emilio Acosta (Brandon Larracuente), the oldest of Javier (Fernanda Urrejola) and Gloria's (Bruno Bichir) children, is busy playing the patriarch of the family in his parents' absence. 

In Episode 4 titled 'Authentic Mexican', Emilio seals a catering deal with an elderly woman named Patty, who is organizing a lavish Mexican-themed party for her son and his second wife.

Lured by the extra bucks the party could help them earn, the Acosta siblings work hard to pull off a party that could meet Patty's expectations. Throughout, Vanessa (Amanda Arcuri) is seen standing by Emilio’s side, not only assisting him in his never-done-before job but also acting as moral support. 

At the beginning of the episode, Emilio and Vanessa even declare themselves exclusive, taking their relationship further. However, having gotten carried away at the moment, he fails to understand the magnitude of his decision. 

It didn’t take long until a ghost from Emilio's past showed up when Beto (Niko Guardado) took the liberty to call Lauren to help them with the party when his brother asked him to arrange for more staff. 

Lauren, who used to be fancied by Emilio nearly seven years ago, is rather surprised to see him in a committed relationship with Vanessa. While Vanessa was happy to see Emilio invest so much of himself into her, the latter didn’t seem to be too pleased by Lauren's words.

On their way back home, Emilio tells Vanessa he couldn't be her boyfriend any longer and even says he wants to reconsider the promises he made to her. A broken Vanessa is further devastated when Emilio says he doesn’t want everything in his life right now to become everything he will ever have. 

Meanwhile, Patty's granddaughter Ella finds herself hopelessly attracted to Beto, who she feels holds an unsusceptible depth within. Although their making out session cost the Acosta a lot, literally, Beto ended up meeting someone who could be just right for him. 

While Beto has finally found someone to lean on, Emilio lost a shoulder by letting Vanessa go. We need to wait and watch in the upcoming episodes if Emilio only acted at the moment influenced by Lauren or if he meant what he said.