Zorro the Chronicles episode 14 The spirit of the sea

We present Zorro the Chronicles episode 14 The spirit of the sea  — plot summary, our subjective review, the episode itself and the list of creators. Don’t forget about the next episode! You’ll find a link to it at the bottom of the page.

Zorro the Chronicles episode 14 The spirit of the sea — plot summary

Zorro the Chronicles episode 14 “The spirit of the sea” begins with don Rodrigo overseeing the ship’s unloading in Monterey. Karma likes to come back, so his rude comments leads to him being accidentally thrown off his horse by a large chest. Meanwhile, Captain Monasterio tries to convince Don Parasol to increase his garrison to catch Zorro. He is dismissed empty-handed, because the governor prefers to spend the funds on balls rather than on pay. Arresting the renegade is also to be a condition of promotion. As a result, the commandant does not have the best opinion of his superior. In front of the palace, bored lancers hunt for an intrusive fly. The prize is a free meal. All fun ends on the face of very angry Monasterio.

On the way back, Malapensa and the captain come up with a new plot. Since Zorro attacks convoys and frees prisoners, a sea transport seems like a good solution. Such an investment would also be good for business. A port is needed for this, and the only place in the area suitable for its construction is in the Chumash lands.

Port is being constructed, Indians are protesting

In the bay, soldiers build a quay using trees from the nearby forest. Garcia complains loudly, and the corporal suggests to Monasterio putting the Indians to work. However, the captain does not want his harbor to look like “savage” huts, so he declines the offer. The angry Chumash loudly protest against such willfulness. The construction is illegal, and the holy land belongs to them and the spirits of the sea. Tainah tries to make the commandant and Malapensa aware how important the beliefs and the bay itself are for the natives. She is only met with racist comments. Monasterio offers the Indians to move somewhere else. Don Rodrigo supports him, and the karma returns once again. This time along with the gull’s guano and the shaman’s knowing smirk. The furious caballero is seen off with the Indian’s laughter.

Also the de la Vegas learn about the project by eavesdropping on Carlos’s conversation with one of the citizens. They decide to check the rumor. Inez strongly protests against what’s happening.

Kidnapping the captain

The sergeant, rushed by Monasterio, swings the ax, which falls from his hands and glides straight into the rope supporting the pile of logs. The rope breaks and the trunks roll towards the sea. As a result, two soldiers make a wet landing at the end of the quay. The rest of them lie bruised amidst the mess. Sisquaq, who is hiding behind trees, takes advantage of the confusion. He silently approaches the captain from behind, jumps on his horse and kidnaps the commander. Stopping the port construction is to be a condition for the release.

Tainah stops other Indians, and Malapensa orders the soldiers to chase the kidnapper. Everything could have ended badly for Sisquaq if it weren’t for… Sergeant Garcia. His ambition is so great that it does not allow him to be ordered by a civilian, don Rodrigo, or a corporal. At the same time, he manages the unit ineptly. The lancers finally mount their horses and follow the warrior, with the laughter of witnesses as their goodbye.

The captain is found. So are the spirits!

In the evening, Malapensa orders Dentist and La Rana to find the captain and arrest the kidnapper. It’s not a very interesting task, so the duo decide to take a nap until morning. A careless step on the cliff makes them both land on the beach, right in the Indian’s hideout. Two swords against one knife hardly seems fair, but Sisquaq is skillful and strong.

Meanwhile, Diego suspects that Sisquaq has the captain in caves along the beach where they played together as children. Disguised as Zorro, he slowly swims in the canoe along the shore. At one point, the boat wobbles because a herd of whales is passing underneath it. Zorro, as a half-Indian, greets the spirits of the sea with respect. Soon he notices a camp and the fighting. With a whip and a few stones, he effectively stuns don Rodrigo’s helpers.

Zorro takes the captain with him and advises Sisquaq to take refuge in the mountains. He promises that the port will not be built. The warrior escapes. On the way back, Monasterio mocks the beliefs of the natives and doesn’t care about the renegade’s warnings. He changes his mind when he sees huge dark shapes around the canoe. Terrified, he breaks the ties and takes the oar to get to the shore as quickly as possible. Zorro can relax in the stern. After mooring, the renegade leaves the officer bound and gagged in another cave.

Kidnapping number two

Malapensa has entrusted his subordinates with the mission, but he does not fully trust them. Therefore, he sneaks into a Chumash village with a few people to kidnap Tainah and exchange her for Monasterio. They peek into the cabin and have a close encounter with Inez’s club. They are quickly surrounded by Indians, Bernardo, and the de la Vega heiress. The attackers flee, leaving don Rodrigo to the natives.

A squad of soldiers, exhausted after the fruitless search, is also heading to the village. Malapensa orders the sergeant to arrest Tainah. He must have forgotten how vulnerable Garcia’s ego is. Sergeant reminds the caballero that he is the one giving orders while Monasterio is away. Gonzalez interrupts the discussion. Before they manage to establish the hierarchy in the squad, Zorro appears. Don Rodrigo tries to sneak out, but is caught by amused Fox. Zorro gracefully repels the soldiers’ attacks and compares the fight to a dance. Indian warriors also help him, effectively blocking the lancers’ way. Bernardo trip the soldiers up and Inez spread the magical powder. Even Tainah uses her shaman stick to knock Malanpensa out of evil spirits. Never mess with a grandma! 🙂 The bound caballero is taken by Zorro to the same cave where the garrison commander currently resides.

Getting along with the Indians

Garcia wants to continue the pursuit and the construction of the port, so Inez decides to distract him. What’s the best way to attract the sergeant’s attention? Delicious breakfast of course. During the meal, soldiers compliment the tasty dishes and make friends with the Chumash. When Diego visits the village in the morning, he sees a true idyll. Garcia plays tag with the boys, Gonzales with a lovestruck look and a blissful smile helps the Indian woman to wash the dishes, and the soldiers organize a spear-throwing competition with a warrior.

Whales are the spirits!

Malapensa and Monasterio are sitting back to back, bounded. The captain tells about a meeting with monsters that just appear on the coast. The don realizes they are whales. They decide to walk back to the pueblo, which is difficult because one of them has to go backwards. Both of them are  infamous for a hot temper, so a quarrel breaks out, which only attracts the seagulls’ attention. And a flock of screeching birds can definitely accelerate the pace of the journey.

A merry morning in the village is interrupted by an Indian who notices the spirits of the sea. The Chumash and the soldiers run to the beach. Whales are destroying the quay, and the soldiers only hope they won’t have to rebuild it. The crying sergeant is comforted by little Indian girls. Cheering natives, including Diego and Tainah, get into a canoe and set out to meet their friends of the sea. They spread flowers and express gratitude for looking after them. The whole thing is watched from above by Sisquaq, hidden behind the rocks.

Zorro the Chronicles episode 14 The spirit of the sea — review

The Chronicles prove once again that serious and important issues can be brought in a kid-oriented cartoon in a light form. This episode is a great gallery of very common human behaviors. There’s a governor for whom parties are more important than taking care of his soldiers’ needs. An army that would prefer to eat breakfast rather than start searching for kidnapped people right away. Two thugs hired to rescue the captain who decide they’ll take a nap and say in the morning: oops, we haven’t found him. Completely selfish and yet so real!

Indian land = nobody’s land

It’s not the first time when the Chronicles of Zorro touches upon colonial issues. Does the land where Malapensa wants to build a port belong to the Indians? Yes, it does. Is it going to be a problem? According to Monasterio, not at all, and it’s such a perfect illustration of the colonizers’ approach. The episode clearly shows how a person born on another continent doesn’t respect local rules or the population, managing the land as if it belonged to him. And it points out that this isn’t an attitude that we’re supposed to support in any way. Even I, a huge fan of the captain, was rooting for Sisquaq during the kidnapping. Because that arrogant had it coming, right? 😉

And finally, the always up-to-date dilemma: to tame nature or respect its power? Resourceful, proud and conceited, Malapensa and Monasterio represent the first approach. They also teach us a great lesson that it’s not so good, because even while trying to tame nature, you shouldn’t underestimate it. The Indians, who live in harmony with the natural world, know this very well. And actually… they win in this situation, protected by “the spirits of the sea”. By the way, there is also a well-known and real motif here as the colonizers first mock the “local legends”, and then run away in panic from the unknown.

Important and beautiful lesson

Zorro the Chronicles: The spirit of the sea is a very good, unobtrusively educational episode that deals with extremely important issues. Its message could be a marvelous scene in which soldiers and Indians get along well. Garcia plays with the kids, Gonzalez helps wash the dishes, and others take spear throwing lessons (that’s a spear, isn’t it? Can’t say I know much about weapon). This charming and bittersweet moment clearly shows that they could all live in peace and harmony if only… Exactly, if only what? If it wasn’t for their authoritarian, blind superiors, cruel orders, or maybe just lack of goodwill. It’s definitely worth to think about it!

Zorro the Chronicles episode 14 The spirit of the sea — Youtube

World premiere: 03.01.2016

Production: Cyber Group Studios
Directed by Olivier Lelardoux, Pierre Sissman
Animation: Nicolas Davoust, Yann Martinat

Voices:
Don Diego/Zorro: Johnny Yong Bosch, Valéry Schatz
Ines: Dorothy Elias-Fahn, Sandra Lou
Monasterio: Jamieson Price, Paul Borne
Demetrio Garcia: Kirk Thornton
Ignacio Gonzalez: Fabrice Fara
Other voices: R. Martin Klein, Kyle McCarley, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Joe Ochman, Alan Shearman, Keith Silverstein, Anne Yatco, Michel Bedetti, Martin Billany, Bernard Bollet, Lucien Dodge, Richard Epcar, Pascal Casanova, Melora Harte, Vincent de Bouard, Marie-Christine Darah, Jean-Christophe Dollé, Bubba Kuchow, Patrice Dozier, Joey Latsko, Dave Mallow, Karine Foviau, Stéphanie Hédin, Tony Joudrier, Juan Llorca, Patrick Messe, Michel Voletti,