Zorro 1.22 - The Unmasking of Zorro

Plot: We open with Ortega rushing across the square to the Magistrado’s office. It’s bad news for Ortega, as the Eagle is most displeased with his failures. He doesn’t have long until the next boat from Monterrey arrives, at which point someone who knew the true Ortega may emerge, and he’ll have to be gone. But if he does start getting some money and sowing unrest among the populace, that’ll be the least of his concerns. Meanwhile, Diego and Bernardo have accompanied Rosarita and one of her servants into town. While they peruse the wares, Garcia arrives with Don Fortuna cuffed behind him. Fortuna has also been accused of trespassing on the King’s land, as Barbaroza was. Rosarita is outraged, while Diego tries to console her by mentioning the strongly worded letter he sent the governor. She is not impressed. While this goes on, Garcia arrives back at the cuartel, minus his prisoner. Ortega demands to knows what’s going on, and Garcia explains that after he helped Fortuna finish his chores, they came to town, and Fortuna mentioned he hadn’t eaten yet. Garcia, knowing the food in the jail is awful, quickly untied Fortuna and let him go in the tavern for a meal. The sergeant’s explanation that Don Fortuna is his friend, and gave his word he would come over once he was done does not impress Ortega, but his plan to storm over and haul Fortuna in is interrupted when he sees Rosarita, which prompts him to rush to the Magistrado, something that is observed by Bernardo.

Bernardo overhears that Rosarita was also on the boat from Monterrey, and so she’d know this man is not the true Ortega. So he has to eliminate her. The Magistrado helps him come up with a plan, which should be no problem since Bernardo hears all of it. But while he’s spying, Diego and Rosarita return to the coach, and not seeing him, conclude perhaps he met Alejandro. They leave without him, leaving Bernardo to run all the way home. Once there, he is able to warn Diego, and Zorro arrives just in time to kept “Ortega” from killing Rosarita with her own shawl. The false Comandante does a bit better against Zorro than he did last time, mostly by throwing anything that isn’t nailed down, and rushes back to the Magistrado’s again. This time, he plans to rob him and flee. Sadly, he just clubs the guy with his pistol, rather than killing him. Then he wastes the shot trying to get Zorro in the back. The struggle is carried to the rooftops, and during it, Ortega is able to remove Zorro’s mask. He tries to plead with him, offer him half Galindo’s gold, but ultimately falls off the roof to his death. Garcia had heard the shot and rounded up the lancers, but they’re easily distracted when Zorro throws them all that gold. The next day, we see Rosarita preparing to leave for a trip to Capistrano. Before she does, she implores Diego to try and meet this Zorro, so he can learn from him. Which leads Diego to conclude Zorro has stolen his teenage sweetheart.

Quote of the Episode: Garcia – ‘Don’t shoot you fools! You might hit the Comandante! *pause* Not such a bad idea, but hardly sound military practice. Or is it? No.’

Times Zorro marks a “Z”: 0 (10 overall).

Other: No Corporal Reyes at all, so early results are he and Garcia are going to pad out the weaker episodes.

I wonder if Don Fortuna actually intended to keep his word. We never found out, since Ortega never made it across the square to the tavern. Fortuna didn’t enter the tavern like a man planning to dash out the back. I guess a ranchero would feel his word meant something. Also, he was pretty old. He might not have liked his odds of avoiding a concentrated search effort by the military. Or he could have feared reprisals against his family. I suppose it’s moot, with Ortega dead, assuming the new Comandante, whoever it is, doesn’t continue the practice. Though Diego’s letter should provoke a response, even if it’s just the Magistrado claiming he had no idea that Ortega was not the true Comandante, and he is just shocked to learn such a thing.

I’m impressed Garcia could catch an escaped pig and get it back in its pen, even if Ortega wasn’t. I have been told that catching pigs who don’t wish to be caught is not an easy feat. Especially for one of Garcia’s size. All that “heavy muscle”, as he put it, getting in his way.

I’ve used the same strategy as Ortega did in more than a few video game boss fights over the years. “Throw anything you can” was always my opening move on God Hand, because it kept me out of punching range. Hard to believe Zorro had so much difficulty with a garden trellis thing. It’s just a bit of wood and twine, not much taller than he is. Diego must have really been off his game that night.