Caray, Caray!

We begin tonight’s episode with the sickening Mariangel trying to make her sister Esmeralda feel uncomfortable. Diego, forced into agreeing to wed MA even though he is in love with Esme, has come over to the Sanchez home to discuss when his wedding will take place. He had no idea that Esme was visiting and in no mood to make nice with MA, he just comes out with the fact that there will be a double wedding next week, his and MA’s and his father and Almudena’s. MA plays up the wedding info, saying things like how wonderful, what a beautiful family we will all make---your father and my aunt, you and I…..blah, blah. Esme looks sad and MA lays it on even thicker. She goes so far as to kiss Diego. MA-I’m going to be so happy. (YUCK!!) Then MA lets Diego know that Esme is there and heard everything. Diego looks properly uncomfortable and also sad. He tries to tell Esme that he had no idea she was there, but Esme tries to make like she’s not bothered by all of this. She tells MA and Diego that they will make a nice couple and that she hopes that all goes well with their wedding. Esme chooses to make her exit and Diego obviously wants to say some more to her. He makes a move to follow her and MA tells him to let her go. He tries to tell her that he’s got things to do. MA says she knows that he wants to go find Esme and talk to her, but he needs to remember that Esme has already made her choice, she’s decided to remain with Montero. After rubbing that salt in his deeply gashed wounds, MA decides she’s going to try to take her relationship with him to a new level. She says she knows that this is going to be an arranged marriage, but she IS going to be his WIFE, and therefore deserves some respect (what does she mean, is this a euphamism for him scratching her itch, isn't that why she's got Monty on a string?). She tells him to not leave her hanging and ignore her. Diego tells her to stop playing around like she just did with Esme and perhaps he’ll think about it. He leaves.

At the de la Vega home, Yumali has been busy playing dress up. First in some moldy old shoes and now in some native garb. Alejandro walks in on her and has a flash to his deceased wife. He tells Yumi that she looks just like Regina (the dead wife). It’s almost as if she was reborn in Yumi. He swears if he didn’t know that all of Regina’s people were dead, he’d be certain that her blood also runs in Yumi. Yumi takes advantage of this situation and moves in on Al. He starts to compare the two women…they have the same eyes, skin, yadda, yadda, yadda. Yumi reminds him that she is not Regina (but she’s sure playing up the likeness so she can mess with Al's mind). Yumi tells him it’s not how she looks, but how he feels. She moves in for a kiss and Al almost gives in, but at the last second regains his senses. He looks ticked off and he walks away. Outside the room he runs into Dolores. He tells her that there is much to do before his wedding to Dena next week. Dolores is surprised that a date has been selected. Al tells her that she should, in a nice way, tell Yumi that she’s going to need to switch rooms…he’s decided she needs to move to the back of the house (OUCH! Yumi won’t like that). He tells Dolores to tell Yumi because he thinks it would be better coming from her (he’s a wimp). Again he reminds her to do it nicely (man, he worries about everything, after what Yumi just tried to pull and he worries that her feelings are going to get hurt. I swear he's headed for a heartattack with all the stress of worrying).

Diego runs into Olmos outside the Sanchez house. He asks if Olmos has seen Esme. Olmos tells Diego he hasn’t seen her and Diego takes off to other parts to look for her. Once Diego is gone, Esme pops out of hiding. She thanks Olmos for covering for her. He tells Esme, that since she’s here, he’s got some documents for her to sign regarding the transfer of her dowry to Monty. Olmos tells Esme that he arranged for Esme to keep her jewelry. He says he told Monty that it was mostly fake and had little worth, even though Olmos knew the opposite to be true. He warns Esme that she should hide her jewels from Monty. Esme asks Olmos why he is doing all of this to help her.

The Cardinal (TC) has arrived, per Fernando’s request, at the governor’s office. He’s not too happy because FS is going over documents and not paying the proper attention to his eminence. TC accuses FS of abusing his power and he demands to know why FS ordered him there. FS puts down his paperwork and tells TC that he (TC) will be catching the next ship and returning to Spain. FS says there is no way he will allow TC to give official papal approval to the order of nuns in town, there is no way he will allow those women to be consecrated. TC asks if FS is kicking him out of the town? After all, the pope has sent TC there on a mission and he will do as the pope trusted. FS repeats, there is no way he’ll allow the order to be consecrated. TC says he knows that FS is doing all of this to keep Maria Pia under his control. FS tells TC that MP will be his. TC –If you have any nobility in you, you will respect MP and her feelings and leave her in peace. FS tells TC that he has no way of understanding love. TC says au contraire, he has forsaken passion as part of his vows and as a result he understands real and true love (I think implying that what FS feels for MP isn’t quite real or true). TC goes on to say that the sisters are doing good work for the town, helping the poor, etc. He tells FS that he should be ashamed of trying to stop MP from doing God’s work. FS doesn’t like to hear this and he makes a grab for TC’s collar. TC decides that he needs to play hardball with FS, he tells FS that if he does anything more to inhibit MP from taking her vows he (TC) will excommunicate Fernando. FS says go ahead, because excommunication means nothing to him. For him, FS, Maria Pia is his god and there is no way he is going to lose her. Sorry TC, those threats only work with people who give a darn.

Maria Pia meets up with Sister Suplicios (Nutty Nun or NN if you please). They question each other about their recent happenings (just another way to rehash for those viewers who perhaps missed a few episodes and do not have access to this wonderful website). MP asks NN why she ran away from the convent. NN tells her it is because she could not remain in a place full of evil....pause…evil because of you MP!!! NN goes on to question MP about being missing from the convent all day (see, someone knows it isn’t proper for these almost nuns to be wandering about all hours of the day…..these are dangerous times). MP does not feel she needs to explain herself and besides NN will only believe the bad about MP. MP goes on to tell NN that the Cardinal has decided that Maria Pia will become the Mother Superior of their order once it gets consecrated (nana-nana boo boo!!). NN does not look happy about this. NN surmises that MP will want her to leave the convent but MP tells her that she wants her to stay (like someone said earlier, it is better to keep her in a controlled environment than have her nutty self roaming the mean streets of Los Angeles). The two women rehash further, all about NN trying to set MP up to be caught with Fernando by the Cardinal. NN tells MP that she just wanted TC to know the truth about MP. NN goes on to say that she’s going to be watching every move that MP makes, because she (NN) is the Lord’s spy ( I don't think that God really needs spies, because can't He, like, see everything? She's not a very good nun if she can't even get this concept).

In the prison, the guard that Olmos paid off is delivering food to Sara Kali and her cell mate, Hermes. The food doesn’t look all that good to me, but I’m sure it beats the swill they’ve probably been getting. The guard tells them that this is a gift from someone on the outside. SK wants to know from whom.

Esme is trying to get some info from Olmos. He tells her that he cannot give her details on what he’s doing and who he works for because there are some important officials who could be compromised if word leaked out. He says he does know about Sara Kali’s past. Esme says how strange that he knows all of this. She wants to know how Olmos knew that SK was locked up in the prison. Olmos says he’s suspected for some time that SK was being held in Callao prison, but it wasn’t until he was able to bribe the guard that he found out for sure. Esme says she’s got to get her mother out of there. Olmos tells her to not do anything that will put her or her mother at risk. He says he’s been watching Esme for some time (I think implying he knows she’s snuck into the prison, met with the gypsies, and wants to break momma out) and that he is there to help her. Esme says she remembers coming across some papers in her father’s office, something referring to SK and keeping her secret. The letter was from the crown and signed by….Olmos interrupts and says not to mention the name, he looks around like there are spies all around (don't worry, the only spy in this story is NN and she's doing the Lord's work by watching over Maria Pia). Esme says again that she needs to free her mother and Olmos tells her not yet. Esme goes on to tell Olmos that she doesn’t know why, but she believes he can really help her, so she’s going to trust him, but he needs to understand that if her mother is in danger, there is nothing she won’t do to get her out.

Meanwhile, Diego is out and about trying to do his part toward getting SK out of prison. Diego is visiting the local cantina, where Sgt. Garcia, or SAM if you will, is enjoying an evening of partaking in food and drink. Diego tries to get the skinny from the barmaid. She warns Diego to not give SAM any more to drink. “If he drinks too much, he talks too much.” Just as Diego wants. So Diego sits down and starts to do just that. SAM apologizes for what his captain, Pizarro, did to Diego in prison. Diego says not to worry, and besides SAM was such a good friend, looking out for him. For that they need to drink, to celebrate their friendship. SAM isn’t one to pass on a drink, so he’s all for this plan. SAM chuckles thinking about Pizarro’s charges against Diego, “Who could think that you could be Zorro, HA!!” Diego’s plan is working, SAM’s lips are getting looser. Diego, pretending to be just as smashed as SAM, tells SAM that he must have passed out when he was in the prison. He says that he work up in a different place, that Pizarro must have moved him somewhere in the bowels of the prison. SAM is confused, he thought that area had been all blocked off, it is very strange.

Tobias is tending to the wounded Maestro. Tobi explains to Maestro that with his help it will be easy to find out the true identity of the outlaw Zorro. Tobi explains that Zorro’s swordsmanship is distinct and it is obvious he learned from the Maestro. So, the Maestro will just have to take a look at the men in town and figure out which one is his former student. The Maestro is disturbed that a former student of his could be Zorro, but the good thing is, that he remembers all of his students. Tobi goes on to tell Maestro that once they give the authorities the info of Zorro’s true identity, the two of them will be very rich.......they both like the idea of that happening.

Esme finds her Aunt Dena upstairs in the Sanchez home. The two women do a lot of rehashing…they talk about Diego and if Esme told him she was preggers (No, she didn’t)…they talk about the upcoming wedding and how Dena feels terrible it will be a double wedding---Esme tries to be supportive and says the important thing is that it will be Dena’s wedding day….they talk about Esme’s marriage to Monty and how he is a weasely rascal, but Esme needs to use him to get info on her mom….they get around to discussing Olmos’s helping Esme and Dena says she’s not sure about him. Esme takes this time away from her home with Monty to write some notes….at first I thought she was going to have Dena act as a courier between her and the gypsies (like Dena offered to do for Esme and Diego), but that’s not what I think Esme had in mind. Dena wants to know what Esme is writing, but Esme doesn’t share. The two woman now rehash some more, this time about Sara Kali. They segue into Esme’s pregnancy again and Esme says that there is nothing she won’t do for her “son”, she’ll defend him to her death.

Dolores, ever the good housekeeper, has apparently told Yumi the news of her relocation and it is perfectly clear that Yumi is not happy about the move. Dolores is trying to be nice and talk up all to positives of Yumi’s new room. Yumi isn’t buying all of this. She and Dolores talk some more about Al and Yumi says, as his goddaughter, she is going to continue to take care of him. Dolores tells her that isn’t her place, Al will be marrying Dena and it will be Dena’s job, as his wife, to take care of Al. Yumi doesn’t like this one iota.

Fernando has come to see Alejandro. He wants to explain what happened with Maria Pia. FS says that he got carried away, he was plum loco, crazy, and plainly didn’t exercise good judgment when he KIDNAPPED Al’s sister. Al isn’t quick to forgive, he’s making Fernando work a little harder. Fernando promises that he’d never hurt Maria Pia (just hurt the people and things important to her, ed. Note). He goes on to say he hopes that he and Al can still be friends (and with friends like these, who needs enemies, right?). FS extends his hand to Al and Al isn’t taking it. That’s right make Fernando work some more. Fernando pulls out the we’re going to be family card, after all, Dena is Fernando’s sister and soon she’ll be Al’s wife. OK, that didn’t get the handshake to happen, so FS brings up that the two men have a long history and perhaps their friendship won’t be the same, but they need to make it work. Al agrees and shakes FS’s hand. FS goes on to say how happy he is that his sister will be marrying Al. Fernando, obviously on another mission than just seeking forgiveness, starts to ask Al about his first wife. FS says he didn’t know Regina very well. He gets Al talking. Al fills in some of the blanks. He married Regina and because she was an Indian, he had to return to Spain ‘cuz he had some ‘splaining to do. When he left, he didn’t know that Regina was in the family way. Regina, worried that she was causing serious problems for Al, ran away and returned to her people. Six years later (Al still wasn’t back from Spain, so I guess transport back to the mother country wasn’t as efficient then as it is now in Zorro’s time) he got the news from Maria Pia that Regina and her people were killed, in front of Diego. Regina was killed by a Spaniard (Al said this with disgust, need I remind him that he too is a Spaniard?). Al goes on to tell Fernando that Diego was what kept him going, otherwise he would have never survived Regina’s death. Fernando very moved by Al’s story, and you can tell it’s sinking in---that he may be responsible for all of this.

Padre Tomas goes to Maria Pia and asks her for the dagger found on Regina’s dead body. She wants to know why he needs it. He tells her that it would be for her own good to get rid of it, to give up that part of her past. She’s not convinced, so he tells her the truth, that Fernando requested to see the dagger. PT thinks FS should see it, so he can see for himself what he has done, come face to face with his sins. Maria Pia agrees to give it to PT.

Diego has succeeded in getting SAM even drunker and SAM is quite funny as a drunkard. Diego offers to take SAM to the hacienda, that way he won’t get in trouble. SAM says no can do, that Monty has strict orders that all soldiers need to be in the prison fortress before midnight, or their carriages will turn back into pumpkins. Diego worries that SAM will be seen returning to the prison. No problema, SAM tells him. He won’t be seen because he’s going to tell Diego a secret, he’s going to sneak in through a hidden door. It is a small door (perfect for our short-armed-man, I’m sure). In fact, SAM found the door when he was rescuing a helpless bird and low and behold there was a door with the key in the keyhole (what luck). SAM dangles the key out for Diego to see. SAM says that this could come in handy for Diego, the next time he’s thrown in jail he’ll know a way out (but Diego is thinking more about a way in for Zorro). SAM passes out. Diego takes the opportunity to get the key and convienently finds some clay and makes a mold of the key. He gets SAM back to the prison, and I’m assuming finds out where the door is located (I must have missed this part). Diego then goes to meet Bernardo. He tells him about his success with getting SAM drunk, what he found out and gives Bernie the mold and asks him to make a key.

Monty is yelling at his soldiers. He wants to know where his wife has gone. He says she should be only one place other than at home, her father’s house. He sends the men out to look for her and he mutters to himself that if she is anywhere else she’s going to be in big trouble.

Esme leaves her father’s house and sees one of the gypsy men (a new one--- kinda cute, but he looks like he’s a couple crayons short of a full box). I think she calls him Javier (so that’s what I’m going to call him). Just as she’s about to rehash with Javier, Monty’s soldiers show up. Javier jumps back in the shadows (maybe he’s got a little more than I gave him credit). The soldiers tell her it is time to go home and they scold her for going around town without an escort, Monty doesn’t want her alone, blah, blah, blah. Esme agrees to go with them and she drops her note for Javier to pick up.

Back at the gypsy camp, Laisha is crying on Renzo’s shoulder. She’s upset about Miguel. She feels that Miguel risked everything, including his life, to help Sara Kali and Esme hasn’t done a darn thing. Renzo starts to scold her when Javier shows up with the note. Jonas reads the note, just further rehash about Sara Kali and how they’ll get her freed from prison. Laisha mutters that it is Esme’s fault that Miguel is dead (yeah, and it was Pizarro that tortured him and cut off his head, so let’s place blame where blame is due). They are all happy (except Laisha) that their queen will soon be free and back with them.

Padre Tom has gotten the dagger and he’s examining it. He wonders what is up Fernando’s sleeve, he suspects that something is amiss. Could it be possible, he asks, that Fernando had nothing to do with Regina’s death? PT hears someone coming and quickly hides the dagger. It is Diego. The two men rehash a bit about Sara Kali and the prison. Diego lets PT know that Zorro will break SK out of Callao. PT asks what is his reason for freeing SK. Diego says it is because she is Esme’s mom (he’s honest, at least). PT says that Diego should remember and not betray the principles of Zorro. They go on to rehash about Esme and if Diego has had a chance to talk to her. They rehash further about how much Diego loves her and how he feels knowing she’s with Monty. PT tells Diego he’s going to have to accept his destiny and Diego tells PT it is not easy to do.

At the convent a group of men come looking for the escaped slave. MP questions why they want to enter the convent. They tell her that they are looking for a runaway slave and the hound dogs followed his scent, which led them to the convent. NN is in the background and she looks concerned (because she’s the one hiding the slave inside the convent). They ask if they can check the pantry (perhaps they are hungry?). MP tells them she won’t allow them into the convent to continue their search (I hope that NN is paying attention).

PT goes to see Fernando. He shows him the dagger and asks if it is Fernando’s. Does he remember? Fernando takes a look at it (it has a pretty distinct handle) and he says, without a doubt he didn’t do it, he didn’t kill Regina.

Bernardo meets Diego in the Bat Cave and gives him the key (don’t even get me started on where did he get this done, this time of night….I guess we can assume that Bernardo has some excellent metalworking skills…..I suppose we all need skills to fall back upon in hard times---or maybe the Los Angeles blacksmith gets to pull in some overtime, helping out Zorro at all hours of the night). Diego rehashes about Esme and her mother some more. He talks about how happy she’s going to be once her mother is free from prison. All that aside, Diego tells Bernardo he is worried (he is Al’s son after all). He just can’t help worrying that Monty is going to do something to harm Esme.

Monty is waiting for Esme when she gets home. He demands to know where she was. She tells him she was visiting her home. He reminds her that THIS is her home NOW!! So she amends what she said, she was visiting her other home, the place where she is just as happy as she is here. Monty is looking for a fight and he demands she show some respect (now, that is a word that is thrown around quite liberally by people in this episode who have no real concept of the meaning----Monty would be better off clearly explaining what type of behavior he expects from his wife--do what he says & know what he wants at all times). Esme stands up to him…..not the kind of respect he’s looking for so he hauls off and hits her (BASTARD!!!), she hits him back (that’s our girl!!!!), he hits her again and decides he wants to make her his “wife” tonight. So he pushes her on the bed. She tells him not to touch her. He proceeds further to show her no respect and continues to force himself on her. He roughs her up some more and she continues to fight him. He decides that beating her will be the best way, and he goes for his whip (he keeps this in the bedroom? I don’t even want to know). Esme is terrified, but not for herself but for her unborn child. She begs Monty to stop, to not hurt the baby inside her. Monty esta muy, muy impactado! END of EPISODE

Labels: Zorro