Zorro 1.11 - Double Trouble for Zorro

Plot: The story starts in the tavern, where a large number of people have gathered to drink and enjoy the dancing of Senorita Fuentes. Heck, even Monastario is there, and he's enjoying himself. But there's one young fellow who seems to be growing increasingly agitated as he watches the attention other men are paying to the young woman. After the dance, one of those men approaches and asks if she'll join him for a drink. The stranger bolts up and tells him to shove off, even though Fuentes doesn't know him and wants nothing to do with him. Then the stranger throws a cup of wine in the fellow's face, which sets off a swordfight, and the stranger wins handily, killing his opponent. Which is pretty stupid in a room full of soldiers who saw him start the fight, but it's pretty clear this guy's brain never gets out of the starting blocks, and off to jail he goes.

The next day, we check in on Diego and Bernardo, who are training Tornado. Diego hides, then whistles for his horse, and Tornado is able to find him. I guess that could come in handy, but in this case, Sergeant Garcia hears the whistle, and recognizing no one lives near there, correctly surmises he may have found Zorro's hideout. Though I'm not sure Zorro would just be hanging around in broad daylight whistling, but still, good work, Sergeant! Bernardo is able to see them coming and alert Diego so he and Tornado get out of sight, and apparently Bernardo can't whistle on his own, but can if he uses a piece of grass? Or maybe Garcia is just assuming Bernardo can't whistle on his own (being mute), and Bernardo sees no reason to disabuse him of that notion.

Hope of finding Zorro thwarted, Garcia gives Bernardo a message for Alejandro from the Capitan. Monastario is having a big dinner at the tavern for all the major rancheros, and a few other members of the community. It's a trick of course, as he plans to have the hotheaded swordsman impersonate Zorro and rob the dinner, so as to discredit Zorro with the people. Diego doesn't know all that, only that there's a trap, because that's all Bernardo overheard when delivering Alejandro's letter, declining the invitation. Monastario's not having any of that, and sent back a note essentially ordering someone from the family to attend. It was while writing that note he casually makes mention of a trap to Garcia in Bernardo's presence. Curiosity piqued, Diego agrees to go in his father's place, and that night, Monastario tries to lay on some snake oil about how there have been misunderstandings, but really, he's just trying to do what's best.

Absolutely no one buys it, and then Zorro appears to rob everyone, and generally mistreat the staff and musicians. Diego slips out after handing over his money, since everyone is looking at Zorro. Bernardo is waiting in the stable with Diego's Zorro outfit, and there's a ladder leading to the upstairs rooms the phoney used. Diego moves in and climbs in a different window. By this point the fake is leaving, and Monastario makes a half-hearted attempt to pursue, only to see a Zorro emerge from one room, just after the fake ran in the other. He thinks he's lackey's gone off plan, and so tells him to fight, and make it look good. Meanwhile, the fake is finding escape difficult, because someone (Bernardo) keeps moving the ladder on him. Finally, about the time Monastario goes over the railing, the fake has to fight the real deal, and is handily beaten. The patrons unmask him as Zorro vanishes and Diego once again gets into the room by some method I can't figure and hides behind a table. It's back to jail for the hothead, after Monastario blames his being loose on Garcia, of course.

Quote of the Episode: Monastario - 'During the year I have been Comandante, several regrettable misunderstandings have taken place.'

Times Zorro makes a "Z": 1 (8 overall). I'm not counting the fake cutting one into a rancheros coat, but real thing put one in the tavern door. Thanks Diego, that's going to take a lot of sanding to remove, you know.

Other: I can whistle, but I have never managed what Bernardo does, where you blow through the blade of grass to produce the sound. But I've never figured out how to do the whistle where you put two fingers in your mouth, either.

I hadn't thought about it until this week, but Monastario has been hellbent on this idea the common people are protecting Zorro. That was the point of last week's fake discharge of Garcia, and this week's plan, that everyone who isn't a soldier under Monastario's command is against him and aiding Zorro. The funny thing is, we know that isn't the case. We haven't seen really anyone directly aid Zorro, even if we have seen people oppose Monastario in their own ways. But he can't accept it's just one guy (well one guy and his friend) that are constantly outmaneuvering him. No, it has to be a vast conspiracy against him that protects Zorro, not the fact that Zorro is simply a better swordsman and rider than Monastario or any of his lancers. Also, that Zorro is fighting in a manner that works to his advantages and against Monastario. I guess because Monastario himself is trying this big plan where he bends the power of the military and the law to his favor, he figures anyone who can defy him has similar manpower on his side.

I don't know if Bernardo knows how to read or write, but if not, Diego might want to invest some time in teaching him. Bernardo had a hell of a time pantomiming, "the dinner Monastario is holding is a plot to discredit Zorro". Though I have to give credit to Monastario on that score. He invited not only the wealthy landowners, but a few working class folk, and ordered his fake to be especially harsh to them, as well as the Senorita Fuentes and the musicians. He wanted all economic classes turned against Zorro, and that's some solid attention to detail there.

I can't figure out that hotheaded stranger, though. He didn't know Fuentes, she wanted nothing to do with him, and he still insisted on starting a sword fight and killing a man. I suppose it's meant to demonstrate his quick temper and general lack of any moral fiber. He can't be merely a hotblooded young man, who falls for a woman and then gets in a duel with another similarly smitten guy. He has to butt in where he isn't wanted, and deliberately insult the other guy, start a fight, and then kill someone who clearly not on the same planet as him as a swordsman. Even Sergeant Garcia can see immediately Romero is outmatched, and asks Monastario if they shouldn't be butting in (but the Capitan already has a plan forming, so he says no). It's a little much, but I guess they didn't want any moral ambiguity about whether he was an unscrupulous bad guy or not. He feels more like a plot device than a character, though.