Zorro

- Season 3

(1991)

Sergeant Mendoza was becoming very unpopular, being found inept as interim alcalde after Luis Ramon's death in the devil's fortress. The ambitious 'new broom' Ignacio de Soto secured his nomination by the Spanish king dueling the silver spoon nominee Caroga in Madrid. At arrival in Los Angeles, he finds himself welcomed by everyone, including a younger Madrid university study mate, Diego de la Vega. Ignacio accepts don Alejandro's invitation to the de la Vega hacienda, but shows his true colors there: he promises to break the pueblo to his will within three months, ...

A stagecoach robber kills don Sebastian Valverdes and wounds his wife, but the alcalde arrests Valverdes' protégé, farmer José Rivas, who passed by and tried to help, but benefits from the generous testament. Even Zorro fails to make the alcalde postpone the trial and presumed hanging next Friday, but Diego decides to make him believe, helped by Felipe, sergeant Mendoza, who would have to hang his friend José personally, and ever justice-devoted Victoria, that Friday has passed as he had fever for a week; meanwhile they spring José from jail and build 'safe' gallows, ...

Everybody considers Diego a hopeless bachelor, but Victoria a good catch who should stop waiting for Zorro and marry. The local matchmaker fails a few times until she agrees to go to the altar with Spanish Navy Lieutenant Juan Ortiz, or will she be loyal to her true love? The alcalde meanwhile practices true hate, planning to destroy Zorro by means of a shrapnel canon he has brought in as a royal statue under suspiciously heavy guard, first as a trap for Zorro, who just climbs out of it, then pointed at the crowd at Victoria's wedding, which nobody would give a miss, ...

A family is traveling to the Oregon territory to make a new life, but they are pursued by a man who the father crossed when he fought him for his pet wolf. The man, claiming to be a prison guard, seeks the alcalde's help in tracking down the family, while Zorro must intervene.

The alcalde's jail is full, but holds less real criminals -Zorro just delivered the two robbers of the garrison's pay- then poor farmers, who simply can't pay their taxes. Don Alejandro and Don Diego decide to pay the pittance 5 peso bail per man and stand guarantor, even convince other fine citizens to do the same, but Victoria's bailee frees the other robbers, she's taken hostage. Although Diego helps them steal the absent alcalde's safe, they take Victoria with them. Now Zorro must ride after them...

The pirate Big Jim Jarrett and his crew come to Los Angeles to look for hidden treasure, but a young boy is determined to foil them. The alcalde also takes an interest in this treasure, and he tries to coax the location out of Jarrett.

After reuniting with his son, Big Jim Jarrett plans on leaving his pirate life behind and settling down in Los Angeles. However, the alcalde still has his mind on the treasure that Jarrett claims to know about, and he comes up with a plot to force Jarrett into giving up the treasure's location.

Juacinto Santana's fire-squad, according to Los Angeles's alcalde Ignacio de Soto for the murder on San Diego's alcalde Santana, his beloved father, is stopped by Zorro, who promises to find the real murderer. The same day arrived senora Alberta Sinestra; next deputy provost Jorge Ventura of the Santa Fé garrison turns up, showing a warrant to arrest her for her husband Julio's murder. Zorro believes her declaration of innocence and helps her escape, but when he refuses to run off with her, she promises he'll pay for choosing Victoria and heads for the tavern, where ...

Traveling hypnotist Dr. Lorenzo Lozano's show has little success in Los Angeles, except by accident on Don Diego - Lozano orders him to rob for him at night 'cunning like a fox'. Still mesmerized, he does so in Zorro outfit, openly, and is very rude, even to Felipe. The alcalde arrests Lozana as a fraud, who only now realizes Diego must be Zorro. Felipe sets a trap to knock out 'wicked Zorro' in the secret cave...

Don Alejandro gets a surprise visit from three mates of his fifth Spanish cavalry days 30 years ago, captain Carlos Frontera, sergeant Pablo Escobar and private Juan Reyes, who tell him their old enemy Cordoba, a traitor who shot Alejandro's brother in the back, is still alive, the trio followed him throughout California to Canyon de las Piedras, a 'natural fortress' near Los Angeles. Alas neither of the veterans quartet is physically still up to the job, yet all are blinded by pride and hate, so Diego's warnings are ignored. Zorro rides to babysit them discretely and...

The wanted independence fighter Joaquin Correna's revolutionary gang attacks a munition convoy guarded by Mendoza's lancers detail and blows it up. The next day the Rodriguez circus arrives in the pueblo. Their trampoline artist can't perform because of a suspicious pain in his side. However all eyes are on the gorgeous female magician Zephira. Diego recognizes her as his first love, who stood him up at the altar during his days at Madrid university, now they finally learn how her brother's participation in a rebellion and his father's request to return to California ...

The whole pueblo is preparing for Christmas, when señor Jones and his wife arrive in Los Angeles, looking for 'little Jaime' on account of a letter Mendoza wrote at age twelve. Alcalde De Soto has Jones arrested for stealing firewood in the wild. In jail, the sergeant believes Jones is Father Christmas, Diego convinces the friends to try to help him without Zorro, but when he realizes how badly they plan, accepts Felipe's discrete suggestion to keep the fox's equipment ready to help out when they go wrong...

Don Alejandro gets two surprises: the alcalde is riding a horse stolen from him, then his youth love Mercedes Henche, now the widow Villero, has returned to Los Angeles, telling she came to sell her family's rancho after her late husband Antonio, who was a brute, squandered all they had. The horse-thief is arrested, and Felipe overhears him and the alcalde scheming to rob Alejandro, who hears from Mercedes Antonio is alive but a criminal. It's time for Zorro to ride to the rescue...

Sergeant Mendoza has a nightmare about role reversals, when the alcalde runs the tavern while Victoria is a dragon-tempered alcalde who orders tax money wasted on pink laced curtains. The next day the alcalde introduces a horse-parking fee and coupons as 'payment' for garrison provisions, claiming territorial red tape in Monterrey drained the pueblo's coffers, and refuses to use the 6,000 pesos-reward for Zorro, but is unexpectedly taken on his word when declaring to be ready to stand in an election - Victoria stands against him; Don Alejandro enthusiastically runs ...

The alcalde is furious to find someone stole his blackberries, making villagers take off their shoes to check a juice trace and even has the shoes confiscated till the thief is delivered. When Zorro intervenes, sergeant Mendoza is ordered to follow him, but instead gets knocked down by a blow on the head from Jorge Santiago's bandido gang, which uses his sudden amnesia to make Jaime believe he is their fictitious leader 'Malo Martinez' so he will join their raid on the garrison arsenal but first Malo robs Victoria's tavern. Diego reads up on amnesia, then Zorro rides ...

The De la Vega dons finds on the beach a stranded, exhausted Japanese fisherman, Hiroshi. The only way to communicate is sign language, like they use with 'deaf' mute Felipe, the culture shock is mutual but both parties can learn a lot. Meawnhile Diego and Felipe experiment with magnesium powder. The alcalde supports the Spanish war effort by tracing the pueblo's caballeros' family trees, as land grants in the colonies are reserved for pure Spanish blood, and found a French great-great-grandmother of Don Alejandro. Hiroji is arrested on sight as a 'foreign heathen spy...

Pablo Zaragosa's small army of bandidos rides into Los Angeles, plunders and chases the alcalde's lancers into the garrison barracks with heavy losses, and lays siege, even cuts off the aqueduct, demanding every peso in the pueblo. Don Diego, Felipe and their friends are trapped as they were inside, cavalry veteran don Alejandro tries despite the alcalde's disdain to train villagers into an emergency militia...

Los Angeles' young new school teacher Annie is a hit with the children. Then three masked bank-robbers ride in town, grab schoolgirl Juanita and demand good escape horses. Annie shoots one, the alcalde demands she uses her sharpshooting skills on Zorro, who is pursuing the two surviving kidnappers. As US citizen she wouldn't do it for the Spanish crown, but the fat reward tempts her...

Alcalde de Soto hoped to show off to captain Dominguez, the territorial governor's inspector, but the sales tax he extorted from the farmers even before harvest is confiscated by Zorro, so the plan to recruit additional officers for the Los Angeles garrison, locally, goes trough. Being against, the alcalde decides to 'help' Mendoza's bid, inciting him to do it completely wrong. Don Alejandro bets Diego can make bumpkin Jaime succeed by accelerated 'breading' into an officer and a gentleman, for the abolition of the sales tax, in case of failure Diego must join himself...

Royal Emissary Don Jose Alfonso Escanto has the alcalde's enthusiastic support for his mission to solve the pueblo's 'Indian problem': Shonay who came to trade is thrown in jailed just for his native race, to the barely controlled fury of Victoria and the De la Vegas, who still take him in their hacienda when he breaks his leg falling from his startled horse. Diego has a plan to make Shonay's warning come true that one day don Jose may experience the pain he inflicts on the Indian people by administering the emissary a skin-reddening 'medicine' while the bigot enacts ...

Because don Alejandro had a bad fall from his horse, don Diego goes in his place to meet the Spanish royal emissary in Santa Paula, representing the pueblo about the excessive taxes, but Victoria decides he needs help- from her, so she rides along on a borrowed de la Vega mount. In De Soto's absence, acting alcalde Mendoza enjoys a taste of his privileges, but Felipe overhears four robbers that's the ideal night to rob the town; the brave knave dresses to ride as 'acting Zorro', but Toronado isn't fooled. On their way back, Diego and Victoria have to take nightly ...

The alcalde pretended to finance the irrigation plans without extra taxes by means of his new lottery, but Zorro proves it's tricked and enforces a true draw. The 5,000 Pesos cash prize is won by sergeant Jaime Mendoza, who takes his back-leave and wants to attract and impress a potential wife, so he decides to buy a farm and convert it into a grand mansion. Alcalde Ignacio de Soto gets the job of architect and contractor...

Tired of Zorro escaping him and his lancers, the alcalde spends 5,000 pesos - half the pueblo's annual budget- on Mariposa, a white mount in Toronado's class. To pay for it, he levies a heavy tax on all civilian horses, which draws out Zorro, who is chased and finds Mariposa does keep up, even jumps a ravine like his stallion. Zorro finds the mountain stream they both drink from at Blindman's Buff is poisoned, causing digestive pain and temporary blindness, but even warned the alcalde plans to use his short advance to catch Zorro rather then help each-other...

Don Alejandro finds himself the sole heir of Roberto Segovia's fine hacienda. Then a man turns up, claiming to be Gregorio, Roberto's son who disappeared twenty years ago in an Indian campaign, who just put in his resignation as lieutenant in the Spanish colonial army; Victoria recognizes the ring she gave Gregorio, then her lover. Don Alejandro happily signs over the estate to Gregorio, who orders the garrison to help him improve the water supply. Don Diego mistrusts the water choice, so Zorro rides to investigate and stop damage to the pueblo's water supply, while ...

Felipe's agreement to testify against a group of bandits endangers his life.