Zorro the Chronicles episode 18 The Desirable Heiress

We present Zorro the Chronicles episode 18 The Desirable Heiress  — 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 18 The Desirable Heiress — plot summary

The Chronicles of Zorro episode 18 “The Desirable Heiress” begins with Inez and Maria picking apples in the orchard. Suddenly the girl hears a quiet “Ekhm”. It’s young Antonio Malapensa who came to fall on his knees and give her flowers. According to Inez’s comment, this is not the first time he has attempted courtship.

In the next shot, we see the heiress of the de la Vega fortune returning home with a bouquet. Her brother sees her from the balcony, who doesn’t calmly accept the news that Antonio has proposed to Inez. Diego does not trust any of the Malapensas and is concerned about the answer his sister gave. Inez scolds him that everyone is responsible only for their own actions. The young man explains that he only cares for his sister, and receives a kiss as a reward.

Are Antonio’s intentions good?

Meanwhile, Antonio returned to the hacienda and told his father the news. Don Rodrigo is already making plans to seize the estate with his helpers. However, Dentist points out to the boss that the fortune will legally pass to don Diego, not his sister. It’s no problem for the caballero, though. He intends to remove the obstacle and announces the “disappearance” of the young de la Vega.

Unfortunately, the entire conversation is overheard by Antonio, who demands an explanation. Malapensa is lying like a rug, distracting his son with preparations for the wedding. He walks him to the door and gives him advice on how to keep his bride’s attention.

 

Following his father’s advice, the young man sends her a huge gift. Inez disrupts the family dinner to unpack it. It turns out to be her life-size portrait. Diego mocks the courtship slightly, but don Alejandro defends his daughter. He suggests to his son that he should rather follow the example of his future brother-in-law and begin more intensive efforts to win Carmen’s hand.

Diego’s mishap

Diego goes to the pueblo, but meets Malapensa at the ranch’s entrance gate. The man suggests a trip together to get to know the future family better. The young de la Vega hesitates, but don Rodrigo wants to show him a piece of land near the canyon by the spring, which he intends to give to the bride and groom as a wedding gift.

Meanwhile, La Rana and Dentist are preparing a trap. They find a chasm near the abyss that is very deep and steep. They mask it with branches. When Diego arrives with Malapensa, the young man is doubtful because the spring is nowhere to be seen. The older caballero shows him the way straight into the trap while he drives around the great rock from the other side.

Diego realizes something is off when he notices a broken branch on the ground, but at that moment his horse gets scared, jumps through the chasm and throws him off the saddle. The young de la Vega screams and falls many meters down the rock chimney. He is saved from a fatal fall into the abyss by a bush growing on his way, which he manages to catch and acrobatically jump on it. Unfortunately, the bush breaks under his weight. The satisfied conspirators bend over the remnants of the trap.

Diego is dead!

Dentist sarcastically pretends to feel sorry for the young heir, but the plan is not over yet. They still have to catch de la Vega’s running horse and destroy don Rodrigo’s clothes to make his story credible. And while Dentist and La Rana brought death upon Diego without batting an eye, they have serious moral resistance against tearing the caballero’s suit. Ultimately, Malapensa has to destroy it and roll in the dust on the road by himself.

 

Dusty and sore, he returns to the hacienda, leading the young man’s horse. He is leaning heavily on the pommel of the saddle… but only after he passes the gate. 🙂 The householders rest on the patio of the house, and Antonio plays the guitar for his fiancée. Everyone is shocked at the state and story of don Rodrigo. He tells how young de la Vega was caught in the landslide and could not be found. Malapensa openly suggests that nothing remained to be looked for.

That doesn’t stop Inez and Bernardo from getting ready to investigate the site of the tragedy in person. Don Alejandro and Maria also leave the courtyard to help prepare for departure. Only the two Malapensas remain. Alone with his father, Antonio questions his story. He almost accuses him of hurting his future brother-in-law, but eventually believes in the mishap, and engages in the search.

On the way, a worried Carmen joins the search party.

Diego… is alive?

While the family mourns Diego, it turns out that he himself is not really dead. He woke up with a headache and his foot wedged between the stones, somewhere in the middle of the vertical slope. He spent the rest of the day diligently trying to free his leg.

Night falls and the search party decides to stop and try again the next day. In the morning, don Alejandro consults with the children about a map and a different place to go and search. It is a good decision because they reach exactly the right area. Antonio pushed his way forward a bit and notices the traces. He gets off his horse to get a closer look at them. There are footprints on the ground and a fragment of his father’s jacket. However, when approached by Inez, he hides the cloth and covers the tracks, claiming that he has found nothing. The whole action is noticed by Bernardo, who sniffs out a conspiracy. He signals to Inez that his horse is in trouble and that he will catch up with them later.

During this time, Diego finally manages to free the foot. However, a sprained ankle does not encourage him to climb up. He regains a bit of vigor only when pebbles fall on him, knocked by Bernardo who searches above. Diego notices his friend, but unfortunately Bernardo does not hear him. He decides to climb up, but unfortunately one of the stones falls from under his foot. The young man hangs over the chasm, grasping the edge with only one hand, and at one point his fingers slide off his grip. Fortunately, he made so much noise during his attempt to climb that young Velazquez heard him and grabbed him at the last moment.

Antonio confronts his father

When they’re alone in the hacienda, a bitter Antonio tosses a found rag in front of his father. He knows perfectly well that don Rodrigo played a part in this “accident”. He accuses him of lying and that he cares only about the de la Vega’s estate. Antonio sincerely loves Inez and threatens to break off the engagement to save her from don Rodrigo’s intrigues. The old caballero, however, is unaffected. Antonio shall remain obedient or he will be sent to the wilderness in Mexico, away from his beloved. Malapensa also makes the young man aware of the consequences should the murder be revealed – he will go to prison and the house will be confiscated, leaving Antonio with nothing. The rebellious young man promises to remain silent, but tells his father to stay away from his fiancée’s family.

Who’s guilty and who’s in danger?

Meanwhile, in Zorro’s cave, Inez and Bernardo help Diego recover. The young de la Vega spent the whole day and night of solitude in the mountains, thinking. He suspects that Malapensa wanted to get rid of him in order to seize the estate. Inez has doubts because she believes in her fiancé’s feelings and does not allow herself to think that he is involved in a plot. Her brother comforts her that he must have been unaware of his father’s intrigues.

Her hopes are ruined by Bernardo, who shows that Antonio has erased the tracks, so they have no evidence against don Rodrigo. Inez concludes that don Alejandro may also be in danger. Diego confirms her assumptions. That’s why he didn’t officially come back  from the dead. It’s time for Zorro’s action.

Pleading guilty

Zorro goes to the Malapensa’s house. He sneaks over the roof and wall to the rear of the property, where Dentist and La Rana are playing cards in front of the henhouse. The renegade tells La Rana which card to choose next. They are so busy with the game that they don’t even realize who is giving them advice at first. As they raise their heads higher, they are surprised, frightened and defenseless. Their swords dangle from the scabbard of Zorro’s weapons. They are left with nothing else than an escape, which ends with a double tipping over among the boxes and hens.

The Fox goes straight to the subject. He wants to know who else was going to fall victim to Malapensa. However, La Rana denies that don Alejandro was also targeted by their employer while admitting that they were supposed to kill don Diego. As a punishment, they are locked in a very narrow space of the henhouse.

The funeral reception and the inventory

In the hacienda, Maria sets the table with Garcia’s help. The sergeant is so sad he has lost his appetite. Captain Monasterio and don Luis Villalonga also came to offer condolences. On the patio, Inez comforts a distraught Carmen and tries to give her some hope.

However, the soldiers’ presence is clearly a part of some hidden agenda. The commandant meticulously writes down all goods in the de la Vega house in the notebook. The official reason is the inventory for the tax office, and the real one – the desire to acquire them through marriage. Malapensa is not thrilled with Monasterio’s actions, and neither is Bernardo, who watches over the officer. When Maria calls them to her host, the mute discreetly steals the notebook.

“You aren’t showing cattle in the fair, you know!”

Don Alejandro is having a hard time with his son’s death, and Inez and Carmen try to support him together with don Luis. Malapensa tries to take advantage of the situation and offers family unification to ease the cabellero’s grief. Monasterio protests against such a bold proposal, claims that he is the perfect candidate for a husband, and asks for the girl’s hand. Don Rodrigo informs him about the engagement of Inez and Antonio, and the latter enters the living room. He is dragged to the center by his father who praises his virtues, comparing him to the captain. Of course, the comparison favors Antonio. Inez is severely disgusted with the lack of tact of both men, and Antonio himself is embarrassed by his parent’s actions.

Eventually, the heiress of the de la Vega fortune blows up and makes loud comments on the guests’ outrageous and insensitive behavior. She informs the suitors that she is the one who will make a decision about her own marriage, and throws them out. Then someone asks from above if he can be a guest at the wedding. Everyone is surprised to see Zorro carelessly leaning against the railing on the second floor.

Zorro and Maria versus failed fiancés

The renegade jumps on the chandelier in one fluid movement, swings on it and gracefully falls on the floor. He bows deeply to his host and expresses his, this time sincere, condolences. Neither of the guests likes this turn of events and soon a three-on-one duel begins. Bernardo sneaks out in the commotion.

Maria is the most frightened of the fight as she worries about the tableware and the prepared dishes. She literally takes next dishes from under Zorro’s feet, cursing the combatants. Zorro gallantly apologizes to her, but judging by the cook’s expression, she hardly forgave him. Or perhaps she has a worse opinion of his opponents, because she goes to the kitchen for a saucepan on a long handle. With its help, she throws some troublemakers out of the house.

A marriage for money revealed

Only Antonio remains as well as Garcia who has just arrived. The duel quickly moves to the patio. Bernardo hides behind a column and discreetly hands Zorro the commander’s notebook opened on the right page. Without interrupting the fencing, the renegade reads aloud the notes about furniture and works of art from the library. Monasterio realizes it’s his notebook, but the harm has already been done. The de la Vegas heard the conversation clearly.

Zorro quickly disarms the captain and throws him into the fountain. A moment later, don Rodrigo meets the same fate, and the Fox wonders who the unfortunate notebook belongs to. However, young Antonio is offended by such treatment of his father, and defends his honor. During the exchange of blows, Zorro gives the notes to don Alejandro. Young Malapensa interrupts the duel and tries to convince his beloved that he does not care about her property, but only her feelings. However, Inez breaks off the engagement.

However, there is some hope for the resigned Antonio as the girl defends him against Zorro. Eventually, “z” lands on the backside of the sergeant who was knocked out by Maria.

Diego’s return

Zorro goes straight to the point chosen earlier, where he quickly changes into a caballero’s clothes, and sends Tornado with the black suit to the cave. He chose the place not by accident, because soon a corporal on a patrol passes by. Gonzales takes him home before the soaked captain and the Malapensas manage to leave.

Carmen is the one who gives Diego the warmest welcome. She falls into his arms and cuddles him affectionately. Don Alejandro is right behind her. Even don Rodrigo expresses his insincere joy at the young man’s return. Diego tells how the horse dropped him in the canyon, and takes all the blame on himself. As Antonio drives away, he looks back and watches Inez sadly.

The de la Vegas and the Villalongas spend the evening by the fountain. Maria bandages a sprained ankle and Diego reads love poems. Carmen is charmed by them until she realizes that the beautiful words were not about the girl, but about nature. She throws a book at the young man and chases him around the fountain amidst the laughter of the family.

Zorro the Chronicles episode 18 The Desirable Heiress — review

That Ines de la Vega is a desirable wife-material, we could suspect from the first episode. She’s not only beautiful and smart, but, what’s probably more important for an average caballero, she comes from a rich family. It’s been shown many times that because of the latter, captain Monasterio tries to court her. Episode 18 develops this motif.

Matrimonial intrigue

Antonio Malapensa decides to ask for Ines’ hand in marriage. The girl accepts and the suitor’s father is already forming a plan how to get rid of Diego so the de la Vega’s fortune may belong to Ines and, consequently, to his son. Unfortunately for him, he isn’t aware of an old rule of all plots: if you don’t see someone dying, the person probably didn’t die at all. And will come back. That’s how Diego returns, even though at first disguised as Zorro. He successfully deals with all of his sister’s suitors. Yes, suitors, as in the meanwhile young Malapensa is joined by Monasterio who wants to use Diego’s “death” to his advantage.

Through the intrigue, Antonio Malapensa becomes an interesting, well-written character. His feelings for Ines are sincere. He really couldn’t have cared less for his beloved’s money. Antonio strongly protests against don Rodrigo trying to harm Ines’ family. But he also loves his father and can’t make himself reveal his crime. It creates a surprising depth in a character who used to unnoticeably fill the background. Well done!

Amor, amor

However, Antonio and Ines love kind of appears out of the blue. There were scenes with Malapensa clearly courting the señorita. But we had no clue that she reciprocates his feelings in any way. It creates an unpleasant impression that Ines’ agreement for marriage was forced by the plot. A pity that we couldn’t observe how her supposed love for Antonio was blooming. One shot with flowers at the start of the episode is certainly not enough!

This unnatural relationship is thankfully compensated by Carmen and Diego. I observe with pleasure how they show each other that they care through the episodes of the series. The fact that Carmen likes not only Zorro, but appreciates Diego as well, makes it even better to watch! I always say that the right woman for Zorro should love both of his sides. Carmen’s anxiety and sadness when Diego disappears and everyone is afraid that he might’ve died look real. Diego’s embarrassment when his father tells him he should follow Antonio’s example in courting his beloved is fun to watch. This is the romance that is done really well.

Realism? Who needs it? 😉

I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t complain for the lack of realism in The Chronicles. But really, I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants the address of Diego’s tailor. The man falls from a huge height, probably hitting many stones on his way, and his suit not only doesn’t tear, but also doesn’t even get dirty! Where on Earth does he take such clothes from? The fall itself is another story. Diego is lying on the stone, on his back, so I assume he fell on the back he’s lying on. From this huge height. Permanent back damage? Nope, Zorro’s bones are probably built from different material. Sprained ankle? Appearing only occasionally, when Diego sits and it doesn’t interrupt the plot. Because when he has to jump over buildings and duel, his ankle is perfectly fine.

Zorro the Chronicles episode 18 The Desirable Heiress — Youtube

World premiere: 31.01.2016

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.