Zorro 1.20 - Agent of the Eagle

Plot: Sergeant Garcia rides out to meet the new Comandante, Don Juan Ortega. He explains they decided to forgo a big ceremony, considering the last Comandante didn’t survive it. He also apologizes for not meeting Ortega when he got off the ship, but he gets very seasick even looking at the ocean, a fact that greatly amuses Ortega and the two soldiers with him, Leon and Roberto.

Anyway, on to Los Angeles, where Diego has come into town, and meets an old friend, Rosarita Cortez, back from Monterrey to visit her uncle. Diego is surprised to learn she isn’t married, and perhaps more surprised to learn she hasn’t forgotten the vows they made to each other when they were children. She invites him to a reception at her uncle’s that night, and Diego accepts, to the glee of his father, who is already thinking of marriage. You’d think by now Alejandro would have learned not to press Diego on these things, but no. Alejandro is actually in town to meet the new Comandante, because he has a letter from an old friend of his claiming Ortega is kind and fair. Naturally, Ortega rides in at the moment, and when his horse is startled by a peasant with a cart(?), Ortega hits said peasant with his riding crop. Hardly an auspicious beginning, and it only gets worse once Ortega meets the Magistrado, who finally has a name, Carlos Galindo. They are both agents of the Eagle, though neither knows their boss’ true identity. The real Ortega went overboard on the way, and the captain covered it up, since he also works for the Eagle. The boss isn’t happy with the amount of money coming out of Los Angeles, and “Ortega” has been sent to figure out who has the money, and get it from them. I’m not sure how hard it can be to figure out who has the money. It’s the guys who own an immense amount of land and cattle, obviously. And that is why good will always triumph, because evil is dumb. Really dumb.

That night at the party, Rosarita and Diego are having a fine time, until Rosarita notices an old friend of her family, Franco Barbaroza and his daughter, aren’t dancing. They feel they don’t fit in, because they aren’t Dons exactly, a sentiment the Magistrado shares, and makes no secret of, to Franco’s embarrassment, and Diego and Rosarita’s anger. Then Diego lets slip that Franco started with a small hut he leased on the King’s land, and built it into a ranch the rival of Alejandro’s. The next day, Franco finds himself dragged before the Magistrado and told everything he owns belongs to the King, since it is on the King’s land, and he must pay 5,000 pesos. Franco, recognizing a shakedown when he sees one, refuses, and is sentenced to six months hard labor. Thanks, Diego. Rosarita rushes to get Diego, but his attempts to reason with Galindo fall on deaf ears (though he is apparently planning to round up all the other rancheros for the same reason), and the fact he seems unwilling to do anything more doesn’t make Rosarita happy, as she unleashes some cutting words and storms off. In the tavern, Garcia is told no more credit, and thus must find someone to mooch off. With Diego not around, he sits with leon and Roberto, and promises to pay the next time, as he expects to be quite wealthy soon. He knows Zorro will come to rescue Barbaroza (who is being put to work at the grist mill, and whipped frequently), and will capture him when he does. The two soldiers are intrigued, and try to dissuade Garcia by suggesting Zorro might kill him. Garcia’s response? ‘I do not think so. He has never done it before.’ Fair enough. So they play on his seasickness by moving their glasses and talking about the ocean until he gets nauseous. Then they escort him outside, lock him in a storeroom, go to the grist mill, send the other lancers away, and wait. Zorro arrives almost immediately, and Roberto would have got the drop on him if not for Franco’s warning. But a shot is gotten off, which alerts Ortega. In the meantime, Roberto accidentally kills Leon with a thrown knife, then flees. Zorro frees Barbaroza just as Ortega arrives. The Comandante isn’t much of a swordsman, and calls for Garcia and his lancers. By the time Garcia breaks out and rounds up his men, Zorro’s already delivered a warning and left.

Quote of the Episode: Diego – ‘Real pride comes to those who can make something of themselves.’

Times Zorro marks a “Z”: 1 (10 overall). Right on Ortega’s coat.

Other: I can’t believe the Magistrado didn’t know who had the money, and is surprised the peons don’t have much. They’re peons, peons typically do not have much money. That’s why they are peons, and not merchants or rancheros. There isn’t a lot of money in doing hired work when there are no minimum wage laws, or struggling to get by on a small plot of land.

Besides, you just had that phony tax collector here. Wouldn’t he have taken the real tax collector’s books, so you could easily have seen who had how much cash? Although, again, it should have been plainly obvious the guys who own thousands of acres and hundreds of cattle have money. I think Jack Elam’s character might have been the smartest agent of the Eagle we’ve met so far. These other guys are knuckleheads.

The actor (Vinton Hayworth) playing the Magistrado is really good at being a condescending dick. I think there were at least three times this week I made that note. The way he wouldn’t even look at Barbaroza when introduced to him, only state that in his occupation, he must interact with all sorts of people. Like Franco and his daughter aren’t even there, because to him, they may as well not be. Or the way he tends to spit out his insults through gritted teeth, when he isn’t adopting that patronizing manner with Diego or Rosarita. When Diego makes the quote I used above, Carlos responds, ‘Is that what you read in your books?’ and he makes this sort of exaggerated sigh and eye roll, like he can’t believe he has to deal with such naïve children. It’s very impressive.