Caray, Caray!

Olmos is trying to get Esmeralda in the carriage and take her out of town (it looks like they are right outside the Sanchez home by what happens in a later scene, but if I’m wrong correct me). She is somewhat skeptical and wants to know what’s going on with their plan to break her mother out of the prison. Olmos tells her that there is no time to waste, they’ve got to break Sara Kali out because the Viceroy has left, the time to act is now. Esme still hesitates, and Olmos resorts to his offense as a defense strategy---he tells her that he knows his appearance does not inspire confidence, but he is trustworthy and he knows what he is doing. He urges Esme to get into the carriage. Esme mentions that the gypsies are waiting, they are part of the plan to get SK out of Callao prison. Olmos says he’ll go talk to them, they know that he’s involved so he can go tell them that the time has come for the prison break. Olmos exchanges some very suspicious looks with the driver of the carriage---just from appearances, I’d say he’s not trustworthy at this point.

Zorro is riding around town like a mad man. He shows up at the Sanchez home and breaks into Mariangel’s room. He snoops and finds her perfume bottles on her dresser. He starts to sniff the different scents. He opens her trinket box and finds a little clay jar and sniffs the contents. He is familiar with this scent and now he knows that Mangle did something to him w/ this potion. Diego/Zorro mutters that he can’t tell Fernando that his daughter was up to some monkey business, but he is definitely going to make sure that Mangle pays dearly for this deed.

Meanwhile, back at the de la Vega residence, Mangle esta cruda. She’s drinking water to help get hydrated (one of the best hangover cures in my personal experience, but it doesn’t work for everyone---today in yoga my yogi suggested that a headstand is also a great hangover cure, I don’t think I’ll be trying that one), anyway she mutters how she knows that Diego got her drunk on purpose so he wouldn’t have to spend the night with her. She vows that he’s going to pay for this and then she vomits ( I was going to use some more colorful euphamisms for this and then just decided to get straight to the point).

Bernardo is waiting outside the Sanchez home and seems anxious for Zorro to appear. Bernie wanders around and sees Olmos pressuring Esme into getting into the carriage. He is far away, but has a good line of sight on her lips and is able to get a clear reading of what she’s saying. At this point in the Esme/Olmos conversation they are discussing whether Diego should be notified of what is going on….Esme says yes, Olmos says no. Finally Olmos is able to get Esme into the carriage and he hops in right next to her. Bernie has a worried look on his face, I’ll count that as ulcer-1. While this is going on, Bernie misses Zorro’s exit from the Sanchez home.

The carriage takes off and once they’ve cleared the area, Olmos announces that they’ve reached his stop. He’s going off to gather the gypsies, but he wants Esme to remain with Gerardo. She doesn’t like this idea, but Olmos says not to worry (can I count this as an ulcer? We don’t know if Esme is actually worried or if Olmos just assumes she is). Olmos says to trust him, oh and by the way Esme do whatever Gerardo tells you to do (this is sounding worse by the minute, I think I’m worried…….gotta think Esme is too, so this will be ulcer-2).

Zorro goes riding out in the countryside and some music plays. I’m not quite sure what he’s doing, but at one moment I thought I saw an airplane in the sky, but realized it was just a sheaf of wheat.

In San Diego, Maria Pia and Fernando are getting ready to get married. They are excited that they’ll be starting a new life and Fernando says that he won’t allow anyone or anything from stopping he and MP being together (obviously the masked wife kept in the local prison is no obstacle to him). FS tells her that she’s his everything, his happiness. MP apologizes for thinking that FS was responsible for Regina-Purina’s death and for taking so many years away from them being together. FS says it doesn’t matter, all that matters is right now. They two exchange some more words of love and their theme song begins.

Almudena is still hot on their trail, but hits a bump in the road figuratively and literally--this causes something to go wrong with her carriage wheel. It needs to be fixed right away, she’s worried (ulcer-3) that she’s going to lose FS and MP’s trail. Her driver says it looks like they are on the road to San Diego. Dena remembers that is one of Maria Pia’s favorite towns (I’m guessing it must have been pretty slim pickins back in those days, so it’s not like she had a big list of towns to chose from). Dena urges her driver to hurry up and fix the wheel.

FS and MP are kissing and the bells start ringing. They are their wedding bells. MP starts to rehash a bit about their turbulent past, how she sought the Lord because it was the only thing that could fill the emptiness of Fernando not being in her life. She tells FS that she’s now the happiest woman in the world. They kiss some more and if Fernando would have his way they’d be working on the wedding night before the actual wedding. Maria Pia shows some restraint and suggests she get ready for the wedding, by getting dressed in the gown that Fernando got for her. He tells her that he’ll be waiting and he leaves the room.

Dena hears the bells and the driver says that it is just the wind. He goes on to say that this wheel problem is more than he can handle. He’s going to need some help. Dena offers her dos manos for help.

Ariel, the indian guy who came to find Yumali, urges Yumi to go with them to see her grandmother who is dying. Alejandro says he’ll go with, that he and White Buffalo (ok, were buffalo prevalent in colonial Los Angeles, somehow I just think of them being a Plains Indians kinda thing). Ariel says no to Al, but Al will have none of that. He says that he and WB smoked the misma pipa, so he’s going along too. He tells Dolores to let Dena know that he took off with Yumi and her peeps.

Esme is now out for a Sunday drive and she doesn’t like it one bit. She wants to know what is going on and Gerardo isn’t really forthcoming. They get out of the carriage and G tells Esme that they are heading to a hidden shelter, a place where they can take SK once she’s free. Esme is suspicious she wants to know why G is helping her. He tells her that Olmos will explain later, this doesn’t convince Esme so she presses for more info. G shows her a little bag and tells her that it contains the only key to unlocking SK’s paper mache mask.

Outside the backdoor of the prison, Olmos meets with Auggie. He offers Auggie some pearls for the job he’s about to do and he wants to know if Auggie got some other guard in on their plan. Auggie says that Manny (didn’t get his full name) is afraid of Pizarro and is afraid if he helps he’ll end up in the torture chamber. Olmos and Auggie start talking about what is going to go down at the prison. Olmos says the gypsies will attack and once the shots are fired there will be chaos and Auggie should act then. So the shots will be his sign to do the deed. They talk about how Montero is sure to kill the gypsies. Olmos’s final words are to make the job look like the gypsies did it and once it’s over Auggie will be rewarded handsomely.

In the Bat Cave Bernie finds Diego returning from Zorro duty. Diego asks Bernie what’s up. Bernie lets him know that Olmos is the guy from whom Esme has been getting help. Diego is surprised to find that she trusts him and he knows that something is up. He talks about how things are dangerous and he’s afraid for Esme and her mother (fear is just another word for worried, I’d say this is ulcer-4). Diego puts back on the Zorro mask and gets ready. We are treated to some of the scenes from the opening credits of the show….very impressive, but we’ve seen it like fifty times already.

Back in the countryside, Esme is ticked off that she’s been left out of the loop on the SK rescue plans. Gerardo has the carriage leave (there was another man driving it, but we weren't privee to his name) and tells her that they can’t have her messing up their plans. Esme tries to take off but Gerardo pulls out a gun. Esme starts ranting that this all has something to do with her mother having ties to the Spanish crown. Gerardo isn’t willing to talk, so Esme has a little pity party. She worries (ulcer-5) that the gypsies are being set up all because of her. Gerardo tells her that it is inevitable that some people will be sacrificed for the mission. “What is the mission” she asks. Gerardo tells her to head for the trees.

Olmos meets with the gypsies, he gets them riled up to help w/ the SK breakout. He tells them that they will need to create a distraction while he’s men will get SK out. Renzo (looking pretty darn cute tonight) says that they’ll do that for Esme. Azucena (Renzo’s mom) is worried (ulcer-6) because the cards tell her that change is coming but along with death and danger. Leisha doesn’t like the idea, she questions the jorobado/hunchback as why the gypsies are being used as bait and why isn’t Esme here to be a part of all of this. Olmos, the chismoso, tells them that Esme is with child. Renzo is visibly upset and Leisha touches his arm in comfort. Olmos goes on, with her in such a delicate situation it is best to keep her away from potential danger. She’s in a safe place waiting for SK. Jonas says that they’re in and tells the rest of the gypsies to get prepared.

Auggie meets with Manny. He shows Manny the pearls and says if they let the masked woman escape Manny will get some too. Manny says he’d rather be poor and alive than rich and dead. They banter a little about the plan and finally Auggie says that actually they won’t be letting SK escape, their orders are to kill her. This seems like a great way to score a pearl necklace to Manny, so he’s in on the job.

In their new cell, Sara Kali and Hermes are talking. Hermes says compared to where they were, this place seems like the Hilton, plus they are getting way more food her. SK has no appetite, she’s worried (ulcer-7). Things seem fishy and she suspects a trap. Hermes pooh-poohs that, but SK insists that she has pretty good intuition, something bad is about to happen.

Gerardo tells Esme that he’s orders were to kill her if she didn’t listen, so she just better follow orders. Esme fakes an ankle twisting and grabs some dirt to throw in Gerardo’s face. It stuns him, but he gets off one shot which grazes Esme’s left forearm. She gets knocked down by the shot, but luckily falls right near a rock. She picks it up and clocks Gerardo, knocking him out cold. She takes off on foot.

Zorro, on horseback, vows to find Esme and he also hopes he’s not too late to save Sara Kali. We are treated to a montage of scenes with Esme wandering and Zorro riding.

In San Diego, Fernando is waiting outside with a bunch of flowers. MP comes out in her wedding gown. Fernando is awestruck. He tells MP that she is the most beautiful, she is his happiness. They move in for a kiss and the bells chime again. They have a little laugh and hop into the carriage toward the church.

Dena and her driver have got the wheel back on and are on their way again. She hears the church bells and wonders if there is a mass about to begin. Her driver, with his keen sense of hearing, says nope those are wedding bells. This freaks Dena out, she needs to get there in time to stop the wedding from happening. She insists the driver get the horses to move faster. He is concerned because they didn’t fix the wheel all the way. She pushes him to go faster, and he obliges. A high rate of speed and a loose wheel make for a bad combination. The wheel falls off and Dena is thrown from the carriage. She appears to be knocked out and it looks like her driver is also injured.

Wandering Esme has a series of flashbacks to her and Olmos---when he found her sneaking around the prison and various conversations about freeing Sara Kali. She is upset that he tricked her into trusting him. She’s worried (ulcer-8) that something bad will befall the gypsies and it will be all her fault.

Renzo and two other gypsy men who’s names I didn’t catch, are ready to scale the walls of the prison. The men, along with Jonas, discuss strategy. Jonas warns them to not let the soldiers get their guns loaded, they stand a better chance against the soldiers if it comes to a knife fight (at this point I had a flash of the Jets and Sharks knifing it out in West Side Story while dancing…my mind wanders). I don’t think that they have anything to worry about, it seems like these soldiers are poor shots and never prepared to have loaded gun handy, even with Zorro running amok all through town. Renzo gives a little impassioned speech about being willing to give his life to save the queen (Esme’s not there to hear it, so give it a rest…save it for when she’s around that way you’ll get credit Renzo).

Back at the de la Vega home, Dolores orders Juan to gather some men and follow Al with Yumi and the other indians. She doesn’t care if they are Yumi’s relatives, she doesn’t like them. She tells Juan she is worried that something bad might happen to Al (ulcer-9). Juan tries to get some gossip out of Dolo, she won’t talk and tells him to do as she says.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the middle of some grass the indians turn on Al, who responds by pointing his gun at Ariel. The indians hold Yumi hostage and demand Al put the gun down. Al follows their orders and then the indians start to give Yumi the riot act. She was supposed to avenge her family and all she did was shack up with this white man. They tell her she knows what the punishment is for living with a white man, death (at this point, I can't tell what Al's reaction is....is that his worried face? I mean any other time he's worried he has to tell someone he's worried, I'm afraid that I cannot read the face so therefore won't be calling this as part of the ulcer count. IMHO, it is only Yumi, since I don't like her, no reason to worry if something happens to her).

Mangle is talking to herself, saying how Diego will pay (same old song and dance). Suddenly someone reaches with a chloroformed rag and gags her (obviously just as sick of hearing her same old ranting as we are). It is Olmos. He says that if he is going to end up dead by fulfilling his mission he’s going to make sure he gets a chance with her. I LOVE this plot development, so fitting for Mangle. HA!!

Zorro finds Esme and she tells him that “they are going to kill my mother.” Diego has a look on his face like what do I do now……END OF EPISODE/ Final Ulcer Count =9

Labels: Zorro