When I wrote The Fox Returns: First Impressions of Amazon Prime Series Episodes 1 & 2, I was not prepared for what the rest of the season would bring. It is a rollercoaster ride! Every episode subverted my expectations! Just when I thought I had things figured out, the creator/writer Carlos Portela threw a curve ball into the plot. It’s a good thing wheelchairs come with seatbelts because this series kept me on the edge of my seat! No episode felt like ‘filler’; it was difficult not to binge-watch the entire season! Warning: this article contains spoilers!
Unlike the family-friendly Disney’s Zorro from 1957 and The New World Zorro series from the 90s, Amazon Prime’s series is grittier and darker and looks like a graphic novel/comic book. It also has moments where, as a fan of Zorro, you can see the influence of The Mask Of Zorro film from 1998. In the first episode, you see Deigo’s father die! I was not expecting that, in the previous series when a character was killed it usually happened off-camera. This is not the only shocking death in the series, and in my opinion, it is not suitable for young children.
Captain Love: “After all, it’s only one man-”
Don Rafael Montero: “It isn’t just one man, dammit! It’s Zorro!” The Mask of Zorro, 1998
Zorro was protecting the people long before Diego de la Vega. Cuervo Nocturno’s (Cuauhtli Jiménez) tribe coexists with the people of Los Angeles and believes a fox spirit known as Kiyoche chooses who will wear the mask and become Zorro. I love this part of Secuoya Studio’s Zorro story because here is another nod to Zorro’s past and creator Johnston McCulley. The original novel was titled Curse of Capistrano, and it never revealed the identity of Zorro until the end, and the town folk thought they were being cursed by a spirit.
What makes his portrayal so unique is he’s not a pacifist. He doesn’t hide behind his school books and refuses to fight. What he does hide is his belief that Zorro has not killed his father, as the rest of the town believes. The previous Zorro is one of the tribe members, as well as Lin Nah’s brother. He gets word of trouble at the de la Vega home and arrives to help. In the ensuing fight, Zorro is forced to flee for his life. The army is now alerted and led by Monasterio and the governor Pedro Victoria. The chase ends at the town church. Knowing that there is no way for Zorro to escape, the governor orders for the church to be burned! Zorro knows this and makes an Assasin Creed-like leap from the church and dies. Thus easily blaming Zorro for his father’s death.
While grieving for his father, he struggles with finding the truth of what happened, as well as whether he is meant to be Zorro. He finds the answer, which has repercussions that affect his relationship with Lolita Marquez, the love of his youth, played by Renata Notni. Since Diego came back, her world was turned completely upside down by the end of the season. Not only is she caught in a love triangle, but Deigo has told her that her close friends, as well as her father, are part of an organization that may have killed his father. They also want Diego to kill Monasterio as a sign of loyalty to the organization.
That’s a little more complicated to answer because the list keeps growing with every episode. The more Diego digs into his father’s past, the more enemies pop up, and just when he gets close, they end up dead! This retelling of Zorro’s story, 19th century Los Angeles, maybe just as dangerous as Westeros in Game Of Thrones. As of now, the top three antagonists of Zorro are:
1. Enrique Sánchez Monasterio, played by Emiliano Zurita: Monasterio serves as one of the main Zorro antagonists, opposing both the vigilante and Diego de la Vega. On the professional side of things, Monasterio’s position in the military makes him responsible for tracking down and killing Zorro at whatever cost, especially now that he is acting Governor of California. On the personal side of things, Monasterio is now married to Lolita, Diego’s love interest. The tension is palpable.
2. The Bear Clan is a secret organization whose goal is to keep California free from the government and the native population. Diego’s father was a part of it, but when he tried to help the natives, that’s when the clan turned on him and killed him. In an elaborate plan, both Diego and Moasterio tried to capture its members. One escaped in an ensuing battle. The other was shot and wounded by Lolita, saving Diego’s life. That turned out to be Lolita’s mother! She was taken into custody and was being transported for trial when she also escaped!
3. Mr. Vanderveen, played by Francisco Reyes, is an ambitious New York lawyer. He plans to bring the railroad across the United States. Diego’s father was somehow involved with this plan. When he found out he was dead he and a mysterious woman from the elder de la Vega’s past concocted a scheme to claim part of the estate, and then kill Deigo to get the rest. The last episode shows Diego arriving in New York and sending a message to Vanderveen to meet. To which he responded with the order to burn down the hotel Diego was staying in!
This series is dark and gritty. A place where everyone has secrets and no one can be trusted, not even family. It has its twists and turns as Diego finds the truth about his father’s death. As well as embracing his destiny in this unique retelling. Yet at the end of this season we the viewers are left hanging on a cliff with more questions that need answers. The main one is with so many people wanting Zorro and Diego dead, can he outfox them all and help bring justice to all the people of Los Angeles?
What is your opinion of this series? Do you like it? Does it deserve a second season?
