Sat, Jan 9, 1993
In 1788, Alejandro's wife Elena gave birth in Madrid to two boys, Diego and one who was taken away by nurse Inez. Years later, royal emissary Don Gilberto Resendo chooses a ruthless way to assert absolute authority beyond the call of collecting a 10,000 pesos special tax for the Spanish war effort against France: the alcalde is sentenced to death merely for 'incompetence' because the emissary's royal guards easily overpower the logically surprised lancers garrison; Diego is arrested for reporting a friend from the front contradicts in a letter the emissary's war optimism. Gilberto is surprised to learn don Alejandro is a de la Vega, a friend of the royal family, and as a courtesy releases Diego. So Zorro can prepare to intervene at de Soto's execution, for terrorizing effect by quartering between horse-carts, which sergeant Mendoza bravely refuses to carry trough -his own death sentence- under expert invisible sniper cover from Felipe's rifle, and ride off after a threat to return unless Risendo leaves quickly after collecting his tax. Gilberto corresponds with his mother in Madrid...
Sat, Jan 16, 1993
Royal emissary Gilberto Risendo first seizes the mission church properties, then lays the seed for a popular outcry he happily responds to: instead confiscate the haciendas of wealthy caballeros who enjoy legal tax exemptions, such as on account of beef supply to the garrison. The next day, Risendo's guardsmen literally occupy the de la Vega hacienda where he and lieutenant Hidalgo take up residence, abusing Felipe as their domestic, and has their bank accounts confiscated. A night, Zorro deals them a fencing lesson, but the alcalde and sergeant Mendoza, who have to capture Zorro or be executed two days later, shoot at Zorro- and accidentally kill Hidalgo. Risendo blames Zorro, vacates the hacienda and reverts to seizing church property...
Sat, Jan 23, 1993
The alcalde pretends Zorro was the one who shot lieutenant Hidalgo. Risendo sets a trap, pretending to bring Victoria -actually a soldier playing her- to the inquisitor-general. The coward gets a Z-shaped taste of the whip in his face before his guardsmen can give chase; jumping horses, Zorro has to abandon Toronado, who is captured but proves indomitable. An attempt to make don Alejandro believe don Diego is after his estate fails, despite well-forged handwriting. Duelling Zorro during the stallion's daring rescue, Gilberto falls from a roof, apparently to his death. During a celebration at the alcalde's expense, his mother arrives and amends their evil plan for the de la Vegas's ruin ...
Sat, Jan 30, 1993
In this series finale, Gilberto Risendo's mother Ynez nurses him back to health while repeating her story he was born as Alejandro's son before Diego but rejected because of a deformation. Risendo's first act after 'resurrection' is to tell alcalde and sergeant they'll be executed the next morning, by fire-squad together or far crueler if either tries to flee. Next he sets an obvious trap for Zorro, a 'truce' and meeting in devil's canyon, where he uses dynamite to bury the fox, only Toronado digs him out from the ruble by hoof. At the hacienda, Gilberto knocks down Alejandro, ties up Felipe and duels with the old man, inflicting wounds. When he's about to strike for the kill, Diego steps in unmasked; Gilberto realizes from arm wound and explosives smell he's Zorro, but is still defeated fencing. His mother Ynez tells her story, while Alejandro reposts she was just a hired, jealously infertile midwife, Gilberto draws a hidden pistol at his junior brother, but is killed before he can shoot, by a horse thief: the alcalde, who came to steal an Andalusian to flee...