In the third episode of "Snakes and Ladders," Dora's turmoil intensifies as she grapples with the belief that Tamara and Vicente are privy to her encounter with Bernie. Her mind, clouded by visions of Bernie lurking in every corner, prompts her to seek relief from the school nurse, Rita, for her incessant insomnia.
Elsewhere, Tamara orchestrates a parents' gathering, aiming to rally support for Miss Paula's candidacy as headmistress. She champions Paula as the beloved educator who embodies the school's spirit, contrasting her with Dora, a prefect perceived as overly strict and punishment-oriented. Muriel, attending the gathering too, endeavors to sway the parents' sentiments in favor of Dora. Yet, the parents voice their reluctance, citing Dora's modern outlook as too disruptive for their desired status quo.
Following the meeting, Muriel tracks down Dora at the school, relaying the parents' unfavorable views towards her due to her prefect status. However, Dora's primary concern remains Vicente's potential awareness of her night with Bernie. She insists they must uncover some dirt on Vicente and Tamara.
Muriel proposes a daring plan: infiltrating the personal lives of Tamara and Vicente. He reveals his insight into Tamara's affection for intimacy and his conviction that her union with Vicente is solely predicated on social standing, devoid of genuine happiness.
Later in the evening, driven by Muriel's suggestion, Dora ventures into a strip club, her curiosity piqued. Roque, the enigmatic PE teacher who professed to have abandoned his stripping past, is revealed to still be entangled in that world. When his eyes catch Dora amidst the captivated audience, fear of exposure and job loss gnaws at him. He bolts off the stage in a panic, yet Dora persists, purchasing a VIP package for an exclusive dance—though her intentions lie far beyond mere entertainment. She seeks to enlist Roque in her secret endeavor.
The following morning, at school, Dora hatches a devious plan. With parents poised to vote for a new teacher, she conceives the idea of becoming a substitute. In a casual exchange with Miss Paula, she subtly hints at the teacher's impending retirement and offers to brew her a comforting cup of coffee, cleverly laced with a generous portion of the sleeping pills Rita had bestowed upon her. Miss Paula, unsuspecting, succumbs to the potion's seductive slumber and collapses. Dora feigns concern, summoning an ambulance that whisks the unconscious teacher to the hospital.
Earlier, Tono had stumbled upon Nicolas and Juana in the midst of a house robbery, an encounter that casts a long shadow over their subsequent interactions. Nicolas arrives at Dora's doorstep, eager to clarify the misunderstanding with Tono. Tono's bruised face, a tale of supposed mafia wrath for debts owed, serves as a grim backdrop. Nicolas, in a bid to placate Tono, hands over some cash, explaining their house-robbing escapades as a thrill-seeking endeavor to spice up Juana's excitement—a revelation that prompts Tono to ponder over the lack of excitement in his own relationship with Nicolas, mistakenly assuming his sexuality to be the culprit. Nicolas, denying the accusation with a blush, finds himself inches away from Tono's lips in a tense, almost intimate moment before pulling away.
As dusk descends, Dora is immersed in the domestic ritual of preparing supper when Josefina's call interrupts her thoughts. She receives an update on Miss Paula's stable condition but her desire to retire. Josefina, sensing an opportunity, offers Dora the substitute teacher position, which she accepts with a reluctantly feigned hesitation. That same night, Tono initiates Juana and Nicolas into a new world—the first gay bar in Guadalajara. Juana, eyes sparkling with curiosity, embraces the novelty, while Nicolas looks as though he might bolt at any moment, caught between thrill and trepidation.
Meanwhile, to mark the triumph of removing Paula from their lives, Dora extends an invitation to Muriel for an evening at a vibrant karaoke bar, where she is a beloved regular. As soon as she ascends the stage, the crowd erupts in jubilant cheers. While Muriel and Dora indulge in their revelry, Vicente tosses and turns in his bed, haunted by the sight of a man's shirt in Tamara's car—a shirt left there deliberately by Roque, acting under Dora's directives, to sow discord between Tamara and Vicente.
Elsewhere, the festivities rage on at both the karaoke bar and the gay bar, where the atmosphere is electric. The episode concludes on a poignant note, with Nicolas and Tono engaging in a passionate kiss amidst the harmonious chorus echoing around them, as everyone in the bar sings along, unaware or unbothered by their intimate moment.
