Caray, Caray!

Esme, Garcia and Camba at the cemetery. Esme is completely sure the remains in the grave are NOT those of her baby. Garcia believes her grief prevents her from seeing the truth. No way, says Esme. She’s certain – the blanket the dead baby is wrapped in isn’t the same as the one that swaddled her baby.

[in a spooky aural segue, the next scene begins with the sound of the crying of aforementioned baby - Alejandrito]

The whole chapel is impactado at Maria Pia’s “no acepto” to Alfonso. MP begs Alfonso for forgiveness. He implores her to reconsider, to try, but she’s resolute. He’s an amazing man, and this may be the biggest mistake of her life, but she’ll never make him happy. She was wrong to play with his feelings this way. He painfully lets her leave. MP apologizes to the guests – there won’t be a wedding today.

Alejandro follows MP to the entryway to see how she’s feeling. In an imitation of the new Fernando, MP asks her brother for his forgiveness, too. Can he support her even though she’s in love with Fernando Sanchez de Moncada? Alej wants to know what it is about Fernando that MP can’t seem to forget, to shake loose of. MP has realized that it’s useless to put it into words – and always has been. Although she can’t forgive him for Regina’s murder, she can’t stop loving him, even if it means she’s resigning herself to a lifetime of suffering.

Back at the gravesite Esme insists Garcia examine the blanket. It turns out she’s right. This is not the plain blanket Garcia used; it’s high-quality, complete with a crest. Esme recognizes it as the shield of the Sanchez de Moncada family.

In the interrogation/torture room, Montero has finished beating Fernando almost to death, but Fer revealed nothing, and has passed out. Monte orders Mejias to jail Fer with Olmos and Laisha. Fer should die fairly soon, and his body will be left to rot in the cell. Monte also orders Mejias to double the guards watching over the Queen; it seems there’s a plot afoot…

Esmeralda is livid. Mangle and Montero stole her baby! Are they putting one over on Diego? Or does Diego know it IS his baby with Esme? Whatever – all Esme cares about now is VENGEANCE!

Still at the chapel, Almudena tells Alej and Diego that she spoke with MP before the wedding and MP seemed unsure [What gave it away, Dena? The teary eyes? The face like she’d eaten 3-day old meat? Or when she said she wasn’t sure?!?] Diego and Alej break the news to Dena that MP was also impactada to see Fernando arrested that same morning. Abandoning his post as governor is high treason, but Monte is more likely using Fer’s arrest to cover his a-- with the Crown and the Duke.

Esmeralda, back in her rented rooms, is still incensed. She’s going to make them all pay! She’s going to get her VENGEANCE! Oh, right, and afterward she’s going to get her son back, because it turns out he’s alive.

OPENING CREDITS

Olmos and Laisha bond in their cell over their mutual hatred of Montero. If Laisha shows Olmos some kindness (a piece of fabric from her Gypsy skirt to clean his wounds), he’ll repay her when he arranges to be freed. He knows a secret that, when let out, will unleash hell. Buuuuuuaaaaaahahahahhaah!

Olmos’ associate – Gerardo? – gets a visit from Pizarro. Pizza needs to arrange the flight of Pizza, Olmos, and Pizza’s woman by sea, the night of the masquerade ball. G will arrange everything, but Pizza had better make sure Don Olmos is there.

Mejias throws the unconscious Fernando into the cell with Olmos and Laisha. Olmos is impactado; Laisha is smug – Fer is as bad as Montero. Laisha senses that Olmos is afraid of Fer and reminds him that now they’re all three just prisoners.

Garcia implores Esme to give up her plan for vengeance, which is very dangerous [ulcer #1]. She should rejoice that her child is alive. She admits that’s the only thing that makes her happy…but first! She has to make Montero and Mangle pay for the fact that her baby MIGHT have died. Garcia asks her about seeking out Diego. Why not reunite with him and rekindle their great love for each other? Esme will think about it…only after her VENGEANCE!

Mangle and Santiago (SM) meet up. Santiago knows she was poisoning Almudena, but Mangle asserts that Diego is concocting stories to justify taking the baby from her. Santiago is no longer interested in his PI mission to find out if Diego=Zorro. He even returns Mangle’s bag ‘o money. Diego is good, he says, but he’s no Zorro. Mangle has a new job for him, then – help her see her son.

Diego and Bernardo, in the town square, case the building where the masquerade ball will be held. The roof is the ideal escape route, but Z will be with Sara Kali. He’s got to be ready to rescue her if Monte and the Duke intercept her in the party. Bernardo spies someone, and when D turns to look, he sees the “Countess” [when did he learn who she was?], who is actually Esmeralda. [Except, you can’t tell it’s Esme at all, because the sheer black lace fan that covers only half her face makes it impossible, combined with her finely tailored dress, her height and figure, and long, thick, curly hair]

Santiago has standards; he won’t kidnap a baby. Mangle begs him, as a mother who’s only using money the same way Diego is, and Santiago finally accepts. He thinks he’s crazy to take the risk, and it’s going to cost Mangle a pretty penny.

Almudena visits the devastated MP in MP’s room at the hacienda. She reassures MP that Diego explained everything to Alfonso. In a curious about-face from her pep talk earlier that morning (in which she scolded MP to forget about Fernando and marry that good man Alfonso!) Dena tells MP that it’s better she and Alfonso didn’t get married, and they probably would’ve come to regret it pretty soon. MP fears that Fer is in danger from Monte (ulcer #2). She considers asking Alej to call in a favor with the Queen, but Dena cautions that asking Alejandro to intercede on behalf of the man who murdered his wife is asking a biiiiiit too much of the man. Instead Dena suggests that the two women pair up Cagney & Lacey style [Thelma & Louise? Lucy & Ethel?] to try to help get Fer released.

Olmos is helping Fer drink water, though Laisha believes Fer is gravely ill and close to death. Fer isn’t sure where they are, who Laisha is, why Olmos is there, and why Olmos is super-attentive. Laisha takes great delight in filling Fer in that his wife SK isn’t dead as he thought. Fer is impactado. Laisha tries to rain on Fer’s parade: SK is in route to the city; she’s going to attempt to speak with the Queen, and when she does, Friar Fer will be fried. Fer is actually pleased and relieved to hear that SK survived his gunshot; he doesn’t have to live with her murder on his conscience [thus freeing up his penance for the other 7,482 on his karma list…maybe he could get his own sitcom “My Name Is Fernando”] If he’s condemned to die, that’s God’s will. Olmos is puzzled to hear Fer speak that way. SK’s return is a great danger. They learn that Monte knows about SK, too, since Laisha gave it up in her torture session.

Duke Jacobo is getting his own bad news. Misael brings him the latest batch of intercepted letters from the Queen to her family in Spain. The Queen knows about SK’s existence. It appears Montero has been lying to DJ all this time about the certainty of SK’s death.

Pizzaro wants Catalina to start packing secretly. But leave Tobias at home for the masquerade ball. Pizza is going to kill Montero, then escape with Catalina. She doesn’t want to go, and begins to cry, but he ignores her.

MP is having a tete-a-tete with Padre Tomas. She never should have agreed to marry Alfonso, and she knows this may mean she’ll never achieve happiness, tied as she is to her love for Fer. PT observes that her love for Fer made her two marriages fail – the one to Alfonso, and the one to God [add Fernando to the mix from 20 years ago, and you’ve got the Runaway Bride, Zorro-style]. MP is scared for Fernando, now at Montero’s mercy in El Callao. Fer’s changed, and PT agrees: Fer gave up his wealth, his thirst for power, his pursuit of MP [and his beard!]. MP tells PT of her plan with Dena to beg Monte to let them see Fer. PT won’t have it – they will leave the snooping to him. PT makes MP promise not to try anything, and she nods [is that a promise? I dunno…]

Zorro is suited up in the Fox Cueva, informing PT of his plan to blow up Montero’s arms stash, after being led there by Monte himself, whom Z plans to kidnap. Z tells PT not to be worried [ulcer #3], he’s got it all planned. PT blesses him as he goes.

Esme is also suited up and ready for VENGEANCE. Garcia notices that her outfit looks a lot like Zorro’s. He knows they’re friends and all, but won’t Z mind her being a copydog of his outfit? Esme must dress in black in order to not be seen or recognized, not even by Zorro. She will the use the night to make sure none of her enemies sleeps in peace. Esme compares herself to the roses in a vase in her room – essentially, she’s capable of love, but also has thorns to defend herself [as well as crossbow, arrows, broadswords, rapiers, and a fan!]

Mangle enjoys a post-coital back massage as she lays splayed out on Montero’s desk. She catches him up on the latest developments, and he wants to know if they can trust Santiago with the baby-snatching. Mangle is certain; Santiago is hard on his luck, and he’s jealous of Diego. Monte’s bottom line is that he brings him his son. Unfortunately, Monte has to leave. He’s got a date with Fer for more torture to get info about SK. Mangle is anxious for the day when all their enemies are out of the picture and they alone will rule Los Angeles.

Santiago preps for the babynapping by casually chatting up Dololes. Who takes care of the baby? Can they handle it all by themselves? She helpfully informs him that the wet nurse Amalia knows her way with a knife, and not just in the kitchen. Santiago contemplates Dololes with a menacing look.

Mangle and Catalina have a girl chat in Mangle’s room. Cata fills her in on her tug-of-war between her gentlemanly, usually good-humored, sophisticated husband who’s not interested in her sexually but whom she loves, and the hard, brutish lover who treats her like an object and demands she run away with him. Guess who Mangle thinks is the better choice? After unceremoniously kicking Cata out with the pretext of being overtired, Mangle angrily answers another knock at the door…only this time it’s Dena. “Surprised to see me? Now tell me why you wanted to kill me.”

Monte gives Mejias orders en route to his torture date with Fer: Mejias is to inform DJ about Fer’s arrest. “Buenas noches, Comandante Montero” calls out a voice from the shadows – Zorro! Zorro fights Monte’s circle of guards before making it to Monte. He bests him, and Monte ends up disarmed on the ground, but a few seconds later, reinforcements arrive. They are the Queen’s armed guards, and take up position. Montero orders them to fire, but they are interrupted by a streaking arrow. The mysterious woman in black appears with her crossbow and approaches the group…

END OF EPISODE

Ulcer Count: 3

Labels: Zorro

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