Waiting

It has been too long since I updated anything here! This time (he said again) I will do my best to update things at least once per month.

Status of stories...

Accepted but not yet out:
"The Inside Man" for Moonstone's GREEN HORNET CHRONICLES
"Trail of the Brujo" for TALES FROM THE CAULDRON
"Zorro and the Bruja" for MORE TALES OF ZORRO
"Invisible Empire" for THE AVENGER CHRONICLES II

Submitted:
"Adrift on Other Seas" for HIGH SEAS CTHULHU II
"The Cwoss-Time Twaveler" for TIMES OF TROUBLE
"The Adventure of the Ethical Assassin" for Moonstone's Sherlock Holmes Anthology

In Progress:
"Kumiho" for Moonstone's Kolchak, the Night Stalker Anthology
"Like Magic" for MORE TALES OF ZORRO

Zorro's conclusion

Telemundo's "Zorro: la espada y la rosa" looks like it is moving up to a climax. I believe that the masked ball held by the Queen of Spain will bring everything to a conclusion. There are a number of long-ronning subplots that have been resolved and the ball will be the first event where everyone in the cast comes together.

Zorro will win the day of course, and be reunited with hos true love Esmeralda (who now posing as the mysterious Countess of Barcamonte.) Mercedes (formerly the woman in the iron mask) will be reuinted with her cousin the Queen to help rule Spain wisely and well. Lovers will be reunited, villains will meet their ironic fates, and justice will be restored.

As the end nears I find that I am more interested in some of the minor characters than the principals. It's not that Zorro shouldn't be the center of the action. He's the only reason I'm watching this. It's just that what happens to the minor characters is harder to predict, creating greater dramatic tension. I'm very interested, for instance, in seeing whether Tobias (a pompous buffoon who occasionally impersonates Zorro) and Catalina (his self-absorbed but likable wife) live happily ever after.

They have brought one of the major villains to point in his life that I would never expect to see on American television. Don Fernando Sanchez y Moncada, the evil governor of Los Angeles has renounced his obsessive love for Don Diego's aunt and become a friar. He is now seeking forgiveness from those he has harmed (a long list.) It is interesting to see characters dealing with their faith so openly on a television program. It is also unexpected to have such a strong theme of grace and redemption show with a character who has been to unapoligetically evil for so long. (You know that a villain is truly repentant when he shaves off his VanDyke.)

I had gotten really tired of his never ending pursuit of Maria Pia but this change makes me interested in him again. I suspect that his redemption is going to involve a heroic death saving the lives of people he has wronged, but we'll see.

La Espada y La Rosa

I've been watching a telenovella (basically a Spanish language soap opera) about Zorro for the last couple of months. From the point of view of action/adventure it's not great. (A Zorro story doesn't benefit from glacial pacing.) The fight scenes are awkward. They have some good stunt doubles but there's no sign that they have a fencing master and they film around the actors' limited moves.

The principal actors are pretty good, but it's the minor roles what shine. With the slow pace and the involved romantic complications you get to know the background characters pretty well. Don Alejandro does noble and fatherly very well. The sinister hunchback Olmos is a lot of fun, as is assistant evil guy Pizarro. My favorite though is Mariangel, the evil sister of the leading lady. They've introduced a touch of tragedy to her storyline, which should have made her more sympathetic. Ironically, making her more human makes her less fun. Before she seemed to be having such a good time being wicked that it was fun to watch. It was the sort of gleeful evil that made Vincent Price so much fun.

I'm glad it's a limited series, if the end weren't in sight I don't know if I'd have the stamina to see it through. Just the same, it's Zorro and I'm glad Telemundo decided to offer closed captioning in English.