Zorro: Capítulos 51-54 (Apr 23 - Apr 27)

Only four episodes this week, thanks to the Billboard music awards that pre-empted Telemundo's other shows on Thursday.

Often a novela will change its theme song midway through its run. Miguel Bosé's new album of duets features a song, "Amante Bandido", that would be a good one for Zorro:

Seré tu amante bandido bandido
corazón corazón malherido
Seré tu amante cautivo cautivo seré
pasión privada, adorado enemigo
huracán huracán abatido
me perderé en un momento contigo
por siempre...

[I'll be your outlaw, outlaw lover
love, my primitive love
I'll be your captive lover, captive, I'll be
a secret passion, adored enemy
hurricane, swooping hurricane
I'll lose myself in a moment with you
forever...]

Trust me: it sounds much better in Spanish than in my literalistic translation. Kinda sorta literalistic; "corazón corazón malherido" is a tough one in that context. "My love, my badly brought up love" doesn't quite cut it. The melody and instrumentation are also arranged to suggest a galloping sound, especially on the chorus.

Alejandro was struggling this week with the twin headaches of leading a revolution against el Comandante Montero and managing his Big Love polygamy arrangement with Almudena and Yumalay. Alejandro dug out his army uniform (he was a successful officer in Europe) and organized his men and other campesinos to retake his hacienda to serve as a base for operations against Montero. Meanwhile, Yumalay was sitting around moping and grouching. While she was arguing with Alejandro at some point, Almudena shows up. Geez, can't you give the guy a break? He's got enough problems as it is, can't you just let him argue with one wife at a time?

Yumalay has to put up with barbaric Spanish marriage customs

Almudena, being the proper Spanish lady, is supposed to pretend not to notice that her husband and the scantily-clad Indian beauty are getting all hot and sweaty with each other. Eventually, she may get around to making an ultimatum to Alejandro, "Okay, you get rid of the slut now!" But for the moment, she's taking the tack of love-bombing her. She confessed to Yumalay that she had been jealous of her. But after Yumalay acted so self-sacrificing in helping Alejandro organize the revolution and offered to go search for the missing Diego, Almudena realized what a wonderful person Yumalay is. Then she hugs her. Yumalay had a look of consternation on her face, probably thinking something along the lines of, "I wonder if I can shoot her in the back with a arrow like I did Alejandro and pretend that was a mistake, too?".

Pizarro is a useful ally if he doesn't strangle you with his bare hands first

Meanwhile, on the Esmeralda front, we left her the previous week on the verge of being captured by the sadistic Capitán Pizarro. Her friend and admirer Renzo the gitano intervened to help her, but Pizarro wound up taking both of them prisoner. Back at the prison, though, Pizarro tells them he's scheming against Montero and they agree to help him find Sara Kalí, who successfully evaded Montero's men with the gitano band all week. But Esmeralda and Renzo are being very cautious in their cooperation. Good thing, because we saw Pizarro's notion of loyalty when he strangled one of his soldiers that was cooperating in his plot with his bare hands just to make sure he wouldn't present any complications.

My man Hermano Aaron successfully exorcised Sor Suplicios, whose basic problem this week seems to have been she was never properly baptized. After the exorcism, Padre Tomás baptizes her and she reconciles with the still-ailing María Pia. I was afraid the wild-eyed exorcist was leaving us. But after el Gobernador Fernando stumbles around nekkid in the town square for a while, he eventually hooks with with Hermano Aaron who's on his way out of town. He asks Fernando what he's seeking. Fernando says he looking for God. Aaron says, "I'm looking for God, too", and they go off together. This looks promising.

Our main hero, Diego/Zorro, was pretty much comic relief all week. He found the Zorro costume and left the cave. He didn't remember his faithful steed Tornado's name, so he named him Gaspar, after a rich man he stole food and jewels from. In town, he encountered Tobías dressed as Zorro, so the two Zorros fought each other and then together fought off a bunch of soldiers. Padre Tomás finally caught up with him and convinced him to come back to the hacienda with him. He also explained to him that he was Zorro.

Esmeralda and Diego: only in their dreams, for the moment

Back at the now-liberated De la Vega hacienda, Diego is faced with his Jezebel wife, Mariángel, who takes the chance offered by his amnesia to try to seduce him. Diego was pleased to find he had such an attractive wife. But Padre Tomás had warned him not to trust her and that he was in love with another woman. Will he escape from Jezebel's treacherous clutches? We should find out in capítulo 55 tonight.

Toward the end of Friday's episode, back in the Old Country the current Queen discovers that her husband the King has apparently committed suicide by plunging to his death from a balcony. But the calculating way el Duque Jacobo comforted her and promised to stick by her leaves us wondering if the King did have a little help in that salto mortal (fatal dive).

And Alejandro is getting ready to raid the prison and take on Montero frente a frente. Plus, he needs something to distract him from his problems with his two competing wives.

(All photos: Telemundo)