Zorro 2.22 - Please Believe Me

Plot: Diego and Bernardo have come to town, accompanied by both Anita and Raimundo, that new vaquero from last week. While Diego checks in with Sergeant Garcia, Bernardo keeps a very unsubtle eye on Anita as she shops. The sergeant is ready to send her back to Spain, since she's here to see her father and he apparently doesn't exist. Outside, Anita is getting into trouble by trying to take stuff from a store without paying. Oh, she's not stealing, she just didn't bring enough money and is, 'not accustomed to haggling with tradespeople.' Great attitude there, kid. Raimundo butts in, trying to bully the storekeeper, but then Diego shows up and explains he'll cover the cost. He tries again to question poor Gonzales about whether he recalls sending out any letters to Anita, which he doesn't, but perhaps if he could see one of them. But back at the hacienda, Anita can't find any of the letters, and doesn't take kindly to the sergeant's big wink to everyone else. Still, that shadowy figure is lurking nearby, even if no one is noticing.

Either way, Alejandro has had enough. He's going to book her fare on a ship leaving for Spain. Anita doesn't know that, though, as she sings on the veranda of a lonely guitar. Diego tries talking to her some more, most likely hoping for some small clue that he can use to stave off his father's plan, to no avail. Anita is as pleased by Alejandro's decision as you'd imagine, and that night sneaks out of her room to the vaquero's quarters. She asks Raimundo if he will take he to the Mission San Fernando, to find the padre who accompanied her on the journey from Spain. Raimundo is not ready to go against his new boss, until she shows him she has 100 pesos. At which point he and his buddy both agree to escort. And they do, right back to that same section of the wilderness she was in last week, a fact Anita recognizes. Up against a cliff, there's not much place for her to go but down, so she does, onto a narrow ledge along the cliff face.

That's not a great situation, but fortunately Cresencia had come in to check on her and found Anita missing, and Diego quickly changed into his Zorro gear and took off looking for her. He and Alejandro also found a set of muddy footprints behind one of those changing screens in her room, but that will have to wait. Zorro finds the vaqueros and Anita soon enough, and Raimundo's attempt to hide a dagger behind his back while pretending to surrender fails miserably. Unfortunately, he and his buddy escape while Zorro has to climb down the cliff face to help Anita back up, then escort her home. Impressively, she will not promise to, as he puts it, try anymore foolish things. She'll only promise that she's going to find her father.

Quote of the Episode: Sergeant Garcia - 'Sometimes young people, they have ideas about things that aren't really so.'

Times Zorro Marks a "Z": 0 (9 overall).

Other: I'm pretty sure that was the same storekeeper who wouldn't extend Estevan a line of credit for that bag oats five episodes back. That poor guy. He must be dreading it every time someone associated with the de la Vegas shows up. Sure he gets his money, but always after some big to-do where he gets made out to be the bad guy.

I appreciate that the story was at least going to try and address the idea the padre could corroborate some of the Anita's story. I'm not sure if the part he can vouch for would be enough to convince Alejandro not to send her home - it isn't as though the padre knows her father - but it might dispel this apparently widespread gossip that she makes stuff up. Seemingly everyone knows about it. Garcia, the shopkeeper, even Gonzales had a certain smile on his face when he asked if perhaps he could see one of these letters she received. Although maybe he resents being put through all this questioning over this. Dude has to work for a living, can't be spending all his time answering questions about some fool letters.