Zorro the Chronicles episode 7 The ransom

We present Zorro the Chronicles episode 7 The ransom — 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 7 plot summary

Zorro the Chronicles episode 7 The ransom is, in some way, a continuation of the previous episode. Then, Diego got away from the dangerous adventure, so now teaching his son fencing has become a point of honour for don Alejandro. During the lessons, the young man is clumsy, to put it mildly, and his father becomes more and more annoyed. Maria is also not happy with the destruction of the flower bed with flowers cut off with an accidental attack. The training is interrupted by disarming Diego, and his blade almost hits Ines. Trying to appease his sister, he recites a poem he has invented on the spot. Alejandro complains about his son’s lifestyle and regrets having sent him to Spain.

Who is don Rodrigo Malapensa?

The hacienda is visited by a new neighbour, don Rodrigo Malapensa. He is warmly welcomed. He hints that he owns the ship that brought him his fortune, but the time has come to settle on the land. The conversation takes a less and less pleasant turn when he declares his intention to buy the de la Vegas’ ranch and refuses to accept the denial. He has long-range plans to become the greatest landowner in all California. What’s more, Diego adds insult to injury. In order to keep his dandy cover, he proposes to sell the hacienda and return to the entertaining Spain.

Malapensa has nothing left to negotiate, so he goes to Monasterio, who also dismisses him at the beginning. The caballero skillfully sets the captain against the dons, emphasizing their prosperity and offering to remove the most troublesome ones. The conversation is interrupted by Garcia and Gonzalez returning from putting up wanted posters, with a “Z” artistically cut on their seats. They report the robbery of all posters except one. Upon their departure, Malapensa deduces what the captain’s weakness is. He proposes to set up a trap and capture Zorro in exchange for help with taking over several local haciendas.

A new neighbour and new troubles

When the conspirators make a deal, Bernardo and Diego decide to snoop around in the square. They meet Maria de la Cruz with a daughter who loves the magic tricks performed by the mute. The girl’s joy ends when don Rodrigo passes them. The child has a bad feeling, although her mother admonishes her that it is rude to judge a stranger by his appearance. However, Diego shares the chiquita’s intuitive conclusion.

Outside the pueblo, Malapensa meets in secret with his subordinates, the Dentist and La Rana. He orders them to perform a certain task. They put on masks and raid the de la Cruz farm during dinner and disperse the herd of cows. They overpower and bind Manuel. The frightened Maria is ordered to bring a ransom, 1000 pesos. This amount is unattainable for a modestly living family. The de la Cruz daughter offers the bandits everything she has, but they only laugh at her because it is just one coin.

When Maria and the kid go for help, the Dentist and La Rana reveal the details of the ambush. The soldiers, instead of rushing to the rescue, will set a trap for Zorro, who certainly will not leave any family in need. And the desperate woman should be a source of information for him about the attack and the ransom. In the barracks, Garcia tries to sneak out to the tavern but is caught by the corporal. He immediately finds him a pointless job of guarding the drying laundry. However, he is not allowed to taste Carlos’ specialities, because he runs into Maria, who is begging for help. At this point, something incredible happens. The captain sympathetically invites the senora in and asks about the details of the incident.

Zorro learns about the attack

Garcia squeezes through the gate and goes straight to dinner. Diego and Bernardo sit next to him, and a triple batch of baked potatoes as another addition (judging by the amount of dirty dishes next to him) effectively loosens the sergeant’s tongue. He doesn’t know much about Malapensa, but he knows how to ask for tortillas. The caballero shows discreetly that he will pay the bill, so Carlos goes to prepare the dish. Garcia doesn’t enjoy the meal for long because Gonzalez comes to get him. Even hiding under the table doesn’t help the plump soldier. The squad immediately heads to the de la Cruz with loud boasting, and Zorro has no problem hearing the latest news. Bernardo makes Diego realize that it looks quite suspicious.

The soldiers are hiding around the buildings, setting the ambush. Monasterio uses a telescope to carefully observe the area. Hours pass and the twilight is coming. The lancers are bored until they hear some rustling on the road. Everyone is convinced it’s Zorro. They are severely disappointed when it turns out that they have surrounded a herd of cows returning to the farm. They return to their positions and do not notice the renegade hidden among the cattle.

A trap, but who will fall into it?

Zorro sneaks into the house and  jumps nimbly through the window. He finds Manuel tied up in the room and tries to free him. La Rana emerges from a hideout in the corner. A gagged de la Cruz warns the renegade of his presence. Zorro lets the villain pass and throws him onto the opposite wall. After hitting a wall, the attacker loses consciousness. Then the Dentist attacks, who disarms the Los Angeles defender with a blow from the club. Luckily, Zorro doesn’t need a sword to fight. With the help of a whip, he tears a club from the bandit’s hands and hits the opponent’s head with it several times.

Now, Zorro finally has the chance to remove Manuel’s gag, but La Rana regains consciousness. Not for long, because the acrobatic trick with the table sends him upside down on the sideboard, and then he knocks himself out with a club raised from the floor, with the little help of a chair and a laughing renegade. De la Cruz notices that the Dentist also wants to join the duel, and throws himself at his feet. The whole fight is finally noticed by the captain, who realizes that Zorro has already been inside the building for some time. Before the soldiers run to the door, the hero covers the unconscious bandits with a blanket and puts a sombrero on top.

For too many soldiers the passage is too small

Everyone wants to catch Zorro, so the entire squad is stuck in the entrance. The person who pushes them is Garcia, who lands at the top of the soldier’s pile. He is as happy as a child at Christmas when he is sure that he has caught the renegade and won the prize. His joy ends when the blanket is lifted and the front door is closed with a suspicious clang of a key. Competing, the sergeant and the corporal rush to the window but get stuck again.

The only one capable of fighting is Monasterio, who is disarmed after a short duel. He spots an abandoned spear and continues the fight. It has a greater range than the sword, but Zorro grabs the stick and pushes the officer towards the barn. The captain, flying backwards, props himself up with his spear at the last moment, avoiding falling into the cow pie. As a result, he finds himself in a perfect position to have the beautiful “Z” cut on the pants. The renegade says goodbye, and the pissed-off commandant finally steps into the excrement.

If not Zorro, at least the Dentist and La Rana

In the morning in the pueblo, Bernardo plays with the daughter of de la Cruz. Inez buys vegetables from the girl’s mother and Manuel tells Diego about the adventure. The unit returns with two arrestees. De la Vega comes to congratulate Monasterio on a successful action. He teases him by asking which of the prisoners is the notorious bandit. Malapensa is also waiting for the commandant, whom he gives a bribe in exchange for not drawing the consequences of the kidnapping. Diego, who is a witness of handing over the purse, quickly links the facts and finally forms his opinion about the new neighbour.

Zorro the Chronicles episode 7 The ransom — review

Episode seven introduces a new and interesting villain. It is don Rodrigo Malapensa with a mysterious past who, like Monasterio, will stop at nothing to get his fortune. No wonder these two have started to work together!

The intrigue has a lot of sense this time. At the discreet order of Malapensa, two bandits attack an innocent farmer, demanding a ransom. The wife and daughter of the abductee come to the garrison asking for help, and Monasterio makes a big deal out of bringing the army to the rescue. You can see that he is only partially driven by the desire to let the news of injustice reach Zorro. When he pompously ensures that the military defends the innocent inhabitants, he’s literally basking in his own importance. And he’s really adorable while doing it. 😉

Logic, welcome back!

Zorro shows cleverness and ingenuity, sneaking through the ranks of soldiers while hidden in a herd of cows. I believe that no one wanted to look at the animals closely. Besides, the black bandit was not easy to spot at night. Later, the renegade fights against one opponent at a time, and Manuel de la Cruz helps him. Of course, there is no point in requiring even a basic common sense from the soldiers. When they storm a house, they do it in such a way to get stuck in the door. When Garcia and Gonzalez try to get out of the window, they both do it at the same time. It doesn’t occur to either of them that maybe one should let the other go first. With each episode, the viewer understands the commandant’s frustration better and better.

New characters

In addition to Malapensa, we meet his two assistants, the Dentist and La Rana. I love their … hmm, names? Nicknames? We know right away that we are dealing with the bandits! Of course, as the villains’ sidekicks in this series, they are not the sharpest tool in the box. The Dentist seems to be a little smarter when he explains to La Rana the entire plan. This has its advantages, as younger viewers can easily keep up with the action. By the way, did you know that “la rana” means “a frog” in Spanish? Indeed, the bandit has a bit of a frog-like appearance!

It was also a great idea to make one of the dons a villain. It introduces perfect variety as we no longer have a simple division between good landowners and bad military. It’s quite a progressive cartoon solution for kids, and very educational! The well-known captain Monasterio is fantastic in this episode. First, he is distrustful of Malapensa. Finally, when the trap fails, he threatens to accuse him of participating in the crime, thus securing himself a bribe from the don. I dare say the commandant has regained his personality! And I don’t think he’s so bad. After all, the animals like him, as the cow at the end proves, and they are supposed to know their way around humans. 😉

Zorro the Chronicles episode 7 The ransom — Youtube

World premiere: 22.11.2015

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,