Caray, Caray!

The judge tries to serve the arrest warrant or whatever it is on Alej. Alej contests the authority of the judge to issue the order. Meanwhile, Montero is watching the proceedings through his telescope. Pizarro tries to get Alej to go inside. He keeps looking back at Montero. Alej notices that Pizarro is agitated. Montero wonders why Pizarro doesn’t shoot. It’s the perfect moment to rid the world of Don Alej and then Pizarro can die gloriously at the hands of Alej’s men.

Diego tells Mangle that he wants to separate. He cannot be with someone that he doesn’t love and she wouldn’t want to be with someone who is tied to a memory. Mangle tries to convince Diego that she does love him but he isn’t moved. He believes a separation would be the best for the three of them – Mangle, Diego and their child.

Poor Pizarro is trying to convince Alej to go inside to discuss the judge’s business but Alej won’t play. Up on the hill, Montero wonders what Pizarro is playing at and says that Pizarro had better not be betraying him.

Diego joins his father and asks what is going on. Alej tells him that the judge has brought a decree ordering he and Diego to come in for questioning. Diego is suspicious. It’s not Montero’s style to send an order in writing. He believes something else is going on. Up on the hill, Montero is saying that Pizarro will never again have an opportunity like this and he should shoot Alej and Diego in the head and kill them.

Dolores has brought some food to Almudena and is urging her to eat. She tries but immediately becomes nauseous. [Pregnancy is looking good as the cause of her illness.]

Back at the standoff, Pizarro continues to try and speak to Alej alone. Alej refuses. All of a sudden, who should appear but the Marquesa! Montero is very annoyed that she has turned up again to interfere in his business. He vows that he won’t let her push him around again and if necessary, he will kill her himself.

The Marquesa says that she got word in Mexico that Alej and Diego were in danger. Diego asks how she found out so quickly and she says that gossip travels faster than official communications. She asks what Alej is doing with the judge and the soldiers. She thinks that he should not permit armed men to approach him. But, she says, that she has come to protect Alej & Diego and cut off a few heads if necessary.

Now we get to see MP in her nun’s outfit. She seems to have a white veil and a giant bib over her blue nun wannabee dress with the weird flared sleeves. MP and PT discuss the lack of news from NN and Camba and they have the suspicion that they fell into the hands of the soulless slave hunters. Up rides Prudencio in his giant floppy hat with the news that FS is taking back the land that mission is on and the nuns and PT have to vacate the premises immediately. They are impactados.

Brother Aaron has been brought to the Governor’s house. FS says that Aaron didn’t take advantage of him but gave him friendship when Aaron found him completely devastated on the road. FS tells Aaron that he even thought of following him and saving his soul. Aaron says that FS gave that up without even trying and FS says that there is an evil in his heart that will never go away. He fears for MP, the woman he loves. He wants Aaron to convince MP that becoming a religious was a mistake. FS will do anything to get her back.

PT tells Prudencio that FS gave this land to the mission long ago and he can’t just take it back. Prudencio says that he is just following orders. MP asks him to tell FS that she will continue on the path she has chosen to help the poor even if she has to do it in a field. PT tells Prudencio to tell FS that they won’t be turned out of the mission and they will fight to the end to stay there.

Aaron tells FS that he is about to commit a sacrilege and God is going to punish him. FS tells Aaron that he knows that MP still loves him. They love each other. He has held her and can feel it. Aaron tells FS that he is at the gates of hell. He can give in to this useless passion but he will die. FS begs Aaron in the name of their friendship to convince MP that she should give up her ‘nun’s rags’ and come back to him. Aaron is looking at FS like he is possessed by the devil. He tells FS that he had dedicated his life to fighting the devil and he isn’t going to be his accomplice. He leaves.

Back at the hacienda, Pizarro wants to end the confrontation and leave. Alej rips up the judge's document and throws the pieces on the ground. Pizarro and the judge leave. Alej tells the Marquesa that he has problems and she says that is why she has returned. Montero didn’t heed her warnings and now he is going to pay dearly for his disobedience.

A drunken Olmos tells the barmaid the sad story of his life. His mother died, he was taken in by an aunt who found him disgusting and made him sleep in the stables. Then she died and he took care of the animals for a neighbor. Olmos demonstrates how he ran after the chickens on the table in the bar much to the amusement of the other patrons. Olmos tells the barmaid that his life got better until ‘she’ appeared. 'She' is the woman who reminds him that he came into the world solely to suffer. The barmaid asks who ‘she’ is but Olmos doesn’t say. She is the woman who hurts him whenever he looks at her but he can’t stop looking at her. He will end up burned in the fires of her passion but he accepts that death.

Montero curses the inopportune arrival of the Marquesa to Pizarro. Then Montero asks Pizarro why he didn’t carry out his orders. He could have killed the de la Vegas and he didn’t do it. Pizarro tells Montero that he was about to do it when the unexpected arrival of the Marquesa occurred. Montero says that he is lying. He was watching Pizarro’s every movement and he had many opportunities to kill Alej and Diego and didn’t do it. Montero calls Pizarro a coward. Pizarro denies it saying that he would only get one shot [this is true unless he had more than one pistol. They are not using revolvers, which hadn’t been invented yet.] Pizarro tells Montero that he was waiting for an opportunity to kill both de la Vegas with one shot. Pizarro tells Montero that Alej tore up the judge’s order and Montero says that of course, now the de la Vegas think that the Marquesa will protect them. Montero says that he won’t let the Marquesa humiliate him again and no one will take away the power that he has over the city.

The Marquesa apologizes to Alej for being in a bad mood but she says that he and Diego are the only ones she can trust. Dolores tells Alej that Almudena is in a bad way and can’t eat. Dolores recommends calling the doctor but Alej asks her to continue to try and help Almudena get better.

Prudencio tells FS that PT and the nuns intend to defend their right to the mission. FS reacts badly when Prudencio refers to MP as ‘madre.’ FS tells Prudencio to round up his men. They will attack the mission.

At the mission, MP tells the sisters that they have to defend the mission by making barricades of furniture. PT tells the nuns that they FS will have to kill them all to get the mission. PT and the nuns start stacking up furniture outside the mission. [This seems like a stupid idea. If the mission is like ones I have seen in the southwest, the adobe walls are about 3’ thick. PT and the nuns would be much smarter to stay inside and barricade the entrances to the mission.]

NN and Renzo running from the slave hunters find Camba in the woods. Renzo is dubious but NN wants to help him.

MP feels guilty for dragging all the nuns and PT into FS’s obsession with her. PT says that MP gave FS a chance and he didn’t take it. He says that before he dares to touch MP, FS will have to kill all of them. [Since FS is wacko enough to do just that, that’s not a very comforting thought.]

Montero comes to see FS. He wants FS to go with him to make peace with the de la Vegas. FS says why should he? Montero says that the situation with Esme and SK is partly his fault. FS believes Montero is hiding something. Montero didn’t hesitate to disobey FS’s orders and do what he pleased. Why this sudden change? FS warns Montero that if this is one of his tricks, he will regret it.

Diego asks the Marquesa if the woman who was held in the Callao prison is really the true Queen of Spain. The Marquesa confirms that this is true and that her real name is Mercedes Mayorga de Aragon. The Marquesa knew her mother many years ago. Alej asks what happened back then that no one helped her. The Marquesa says that times were difficult back then – people were crazy with ambition. Mercedes had to leave or she would have been killed. A law was passed that only males could govern. At this time, the Marquesa says, FS appeared from nowhere and somehow trapped Mercedes. 'He married her', says Alej. 'Later he betrayed her', says the Marquesa. 'He was always very ambitious.' Alej asks for clarificatrion on one point. Does the current Queen of Spain know about how she got the throne? The Marquesa says that she is unaware of the plot. 'Then', says Alej, 'Mercedes could reclaim her title at any time?' 'Not without the shedding of blood,' says the Marquesa. 'That is why we have to keep the secret very well. Those who have seen or know Mercedes are condemned.'

Pizarro comes to check on SK. Agapito tells him that SK is still alive but he doesn’t know for how much longer. He can’t get her to swallow anything and she’s very weak. Pizarro clarifies to Agapito that his continued existence depends on SK staying alive. He locks Agapito in the barn with SK.

Aguirre brings Esme some tea. She is still shivering but seems somewhat better. She asks if Olmos delivered her letter to Diego. Aguirre says that he doesn’t know. Esme asks Aguirre to bring Olmos. She has to know whether Diego got the letter. Aguirre tells her not to worry. When he is gone, Esme tells her baby not to worry – very soon his father will come for them.

The Marquesa tells Diego that he has changed. There is pain in his face. He says that it must be because of Esme’s death. The Marquesa says that she is very sorry about what happened. Had she known what would happen, she would have taken Esme with her to protect her. Diego says that she did all she could. The Marquesa asks Diego to tell her how Esme died. Diego recaps the prison escape story and mentions that a bandit called ‘Zorro’ was involved. The Marquesa says that she has heard of Zorro. Diego says, 'really?' Obviously his is pleased that his fame has spread. The Marquesa asks where Esme is buried. She would like to visit her grave. Diego tells her that Esme supposedly fell down a cliff and her body was never found. The Marquesa says that Montero will pay for what he did.

FS tells Montero that he is in trouble since the Marquesa has returned. Montero says that FS is involved too since doubtless the Marquesa knows about him locking SK up. Montero urges FS to ally with him since they could both end up on the gallows.'Fine,' says FS, 'let’s wait for the Marquesa to summon us. Meanwhile, I have something to do.' Montero offers to replace FS’s bandit army with his soldiers. FS refuses saying that they are allies only out of necessity. He finds Montero to be repulsive. Montero counters that FS is just as bad.' Maybe worse,' says FS, 'but I never stepped on your turf.' He goes on to tell Montero that he abused his power and let things get out of control and the price he will pay for that will be very high. [FS has a nerve here. He didn't 'tred on Montero's turf' but he abandoned the citizens of LA to Montero while he chased after MP and he about to go attack a convent.]

Olmos is staggering drunk through town. He meets Aguirre. Aguirre tells Olmos that Esme’s health is declining. She believes that Olmos gave Diego her letter. Olmos says he would never do that. If I tell her that, says Aguirre, she will lose all her confidence in me.'Lie to her,' says Olmos, 'deceive her.'

Renzo and NN escape from the slave catchers by getting on a raft on one of the large bodies of water around LA. Camba gets on the raft too.

FS and his men ride up to the barricade around the mission. We see Sister Carola sighting up a rifle. MP and PT refuse to abandon the mission and vow to defend it with their lives. FS says that if that is how the Mother Superior wants it, that’s how it will be.

Aguirre tells Esme that Diego doesn’t want anything to do with her. She is impactada.
The credits roll.

Labels: Zorro