The WORST episodes of Zorro (1957)
Every episode of Zorro (1957) ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Zorro (1957)!
Zorro, which is Spanish for "fox", is the story of a masked rider who battles the unjust rulers of the pueblo of Los Angeles during the days of Spanish rule. His real identity is that of Don Diego de la Vega, the son of a wealthy landowner. Diego returns from his studies in Spain and discovers that Los Angeles is under the command of Capitan Monastario, a cruel man who relishes in the misuse of his power for personal gain. Knowing that he cannot hope to single-handedly defeat Monastario and his troops, Diego resorts to subterfuge. He adopts the secret identity of Zorro, a sinister figure dressed in black, and rides to fight Monastario's injustice.
#1 - The Brooch
Season 2 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/12/1959
Don Alejandro remains firm in his wish to send Anita back to Spain and tells the girl to pack her bags. Gonzales arrives to take her to the ship and Anita gives Alejandro a goodbye kiss. She turns to climb aboard the carriage but Alejandro stops her, for Anita is wearing a brooch that he once gave to the mission to be sold at a charity auction. When she tells him her father sent it her in Spain, Alejandro finally believes her story about the missing man. He changes his mind and allows her to stay, then plans to research the sales records to learn who bought the brooch. Meanwhile, Ruiz and his partner, Guerrero, try once again to steal Anita's gold. They tell her to bring it to Castle Rock if she ever wants to see her father again. Anita takes the gold as instructed and is surprised to find Gonzales there, bound and gagged. Gonzales admits to Anita that he is her father and that he sent her to Spain for a good education. He was ashamed to admit his identity to her, for he had lied for years about being prosperous in order to encourage her to succeed. Now it appears they will die together, as Ruiz and Guerrero pull out knives and approach the reunited twosome. Zorro, who has been hiding nearby, steps out of the shadows and stops the killers. The next day, Gonzales and Anita head back to Spain together, happy to be together again at last.
#2 - Long Live the Governor
Season 2 - Episode 36 - Aired 6/11/1959
The recovering governor is beginning to become irritated by his confinement to the de la Vega home. At times it seems as if the only thing that can pacify him is a music box. Almost as soon as it begins to play, the governor falls asleep. Knowing that the Rebatos are still trying to kill the governor, Diego uses the box to lull him to sleep then Bernardo moves him to safety. The capitan and five rebellious dons arrive at the hacienda and openly announce their plan to kill the governor. They tie up his daughter, Leonar, then spring into his bedroom ready for the kill. Finding it empty, they split up to search the house. Zorro attacks them one-by-one, until only the capitan remains free. Unable to surprise the traitor, Zorro engages him in a swordfight and kills him, thus ending the threat to the governor. The music box finally winds down and the governor awakens. He looks out the window and sees his would-be killers tied to a wall, where a huge "Z" has been carved to publicly announce who saved him.
#3 - Invitation to Death
Season 2 - Episode 33 - Aired 5/21/1959
The governor of California is attacked during a visit to Los Angeles with his daughter and aide, and barely escapes with his life. Taken to the de la Vega house to recover, he is much too weak to travel for several days. The aide, Capitan Arrellanos, tells Diego he suspects the attack to be the work of the Rebatos, a group that wants to sever ties with the government in Spain. Arrellanos declares himself acting governor until the wounded man recovers and orders an armed guard placed around the house. Several days later a mysterious stranger tells the capitan that if the governor were to die, he would become the true ruler of all California. Arrellanos succumbs to the temptation and orders the guards removed. This makes Diego and Bernardo suspicious, so while Diego dresses as Zorro, Bernardo uses a secret passageway to keep watch over the ailing governor. This precaution proves wise when a stranger sneaks into the room and tries to kill the governor. Bernardo steps out and knocks the attacker unconscious. Zorro takes the governor to another room and puts the would-be killer in the sick man's bed in his place. Two more men try to kill the governor and Zorro fights them both, but one succeeds in plunging a knife into the covered figure on the bed. Not until the next day do the killers learn they have failed to assassinate the governor, and instead killed one of their own.
#4 - Treasure for the King
Season 2 - Episode 28 - Aired 4/16/1959
Basilio has begun to enjoy his stay in Los Angeles despite Zorro's interference. He is surprised at how well his war bonds are selling, for the landowners have decided to help support the Spanish government as much as possible. In fact, he and Capitan Mendoza have been able to collect three large chests full of gold. Mendoza suggests that they steal some for themselves before shipping it to Spain, but Basilio has a better idea. He wants it all. The two men construct a delayed action detonator designed to explode when the gold shipment is at sea so that the evidence of their crime will be destroyed. The next day the thieves pack the cases with rocks and load them on a cart that will take them to the ship bound for Spain. Zorro follows the shipment and narrowly saves the driver when the deadly cargo explodes ahead of schedule. Back in the pueblo, Basilio and Mendoza gleefully open the chests expecting to see their stolen gold. Instead, the boxes are full of sand and rocks, with a large "Z" inscribed in each of the lids.
#5 - The Runaways
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/8/1959
Two indentured servants who wish to marry find that the law states they must have the permission of their masters. Buena, who works in the de la Vega hacienda, is told she is free to marry, but her boyfriend, Romaldo, is not so fortunate. One of his co-workers also wants to marry Buena so he convinces their boss that Romaldo plans to run away after the ceremony. In fact, Romaldo does run away, but he does so to find Buena so they can elope. Diego helps her convince Romaldo that it would be best to explain to Don Tomas, the other landowner, how he feels, and perhaps change his mind. Don Tomas refuses to listen and orders Romaldo confined to the ranch as punishment. Lazaro, the scheming co-worker, beats Romaldo and the youth runs away once more. Buena is tricked by Lazaro into coming to the Yorba ranch, where he tells her he is in love with her. Her rejection angers him and he pulls out a knife, forcing a watching Zorro to intervene. Diego had learned that Buena had snuck out and followed her, a lucky decision that saves her life. Zorro and Buena convince Don Tomas that Romaldo is an honorable man and they receive consent to wed. The two servants will continue to serve out their contracts, but now can do so as man and wife.
#6 - The New Commandante
Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/20/1958
The magistrado's plans to aid the Eagle may suffer a setback when a new commandante arrives in the pueblo. Unlike the fake Ortega, Capitan Toledano is loyal to the King and beyond corruption, yet he must be eliminated if the Eagle's plot is to succeed. Toledano's jealousy over his pretty wife Raquel is the key to the magistrado's newest scheme.
#7 - Zorro Fights His Father
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/6/1958
A peaceful protest by a group of peons upset with taxes turns violent when one of the Eagle's men throws a rock through the magistrado's window. Galindo uses this as an excuse to order severe measures against the peasants, a move that upsets Don Alejandro. The other landowners want to set up vigilante posses to punish the peons, but Alejandro argues on the side of reason.
#8 - The Missing Father
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/26/1959
A mystery develops when a teenage girl arrives in the pueblo and asks for directions to a ranch no one has ever heard of. Anita Cabrillo has been studying at a boarding school, and she has come to visit her father, whom she has not seen in many years. Anita attracts a small crowd when she asks about Don Cabrillo, who is unknown in the city, and Diego offers to let her stay at his house until the mystery can be solved. Anita has barely arrived there when she screams, then tell Diego and Don Alejandro that someone tried to enter her room. Alejandro begins to think Anita is subject to delusions, but Diego senses that someone may be trying to scare her out of town for some unknown reason. The intrigue continues when Anita sneaks away that night and rides into the woods. Zorro follows and hears a voice that warns Anita to return to Spain or be killed. Believing her to be in immediate danger, he rushes in to save her. Instead, he scares her into attempting to escape, and only Tornado's great speed enables Zorro to save Anita from riding off a treacherous cliff in the dark.
#9 - Zorro Rides Alone
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/16/1958
Diego continues his investigation into Señor Verdugo's business by riding to his house, where Verdugo greets him and Bernardo with his arm in a sling. Although Verdugo claims an old injury is bothering him, Diego suspects he may be the leader of the robbers, so he sets a trap. He tells Verdugo the money is being sent via the Guadalupe Trail and should be arriving shortly, but a servant overhears him. Unfortunately, Sergeant Garcia and Corporal Reyes, who have been sent with the money along the Camino Real, decide to take a shortcut and use the Guadalupe Trail. When Zorro and Bernardo arrive at the trail, hoping to catch the robbers, they're amazed to spot the soldiers riding into a trap they have inadvertently helped set. Zorro is unable to reach them in time, for Tornado had to be left home to avoid suspicion. The robbers take the money and order the soldiers to dig their own graves, but Zorro overpowers the guards and frees Garcia and Reyes. Just then, Verdugo arrives, apparently confirming Diego's theory that he is the mastermind. In reality, Verdugo has been lured there by his servant, who plans to kill him. Zorro saves the merchant, who explains that he sent his men there to help Garcia and didn't know that his servants were the robbers.
#10 - The Sergeant Sees Red
Season 2 - Episode 32 - Aired 5/14/1959
Sergeant Garcia returns from escorting Padre Simeon on a trip from San Diego and is surprised to find that almost everyone in Los Angeles has contracted the measles. The doctor has placed the entire pueblo under quarantine and restricted residents to their homes. Even the soldiers cannot leave the cuartel. The padre has brought a large gold chalice to Los Angeles for use in the mission and wants the town to know of its arrival. He asks Diego to take him through the pueblo so the people can see the religious symbol. Diego, who has already had the measles, agrees and helps the padre, who then takes the chalice home for safekeeping. The padre's servant, Carlos, is a former criminal, and the valuable chalice proves too much of a temptation for him. He locks the padre in a closet and takes the chalice, posting a quarantine warning on the door. If no one enters the house, the padre will die of thirst and hunger. Luckily, Diego comes to visit and realizes something is wrong when he sees the sign, for the padre was quite healthy the day before. The padre tells him of Carlos' actions and Diego rushes out to find the chalice. Dressed as Zorro, he tracks Carlos to a cabin where the thief is about to melt down the stolen relic. Zorro stops him just in time. Carlos tries to kill Zorro but is defeated. Zorro then sends him back to town to prove to the padre that he deserves another chance.
#11 - Tornado Is Missing
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/29/1959
Estevan again becomes a problem for Diego when he decides to earn some easy money. Los Angeles is preparing for its annual horse race and Estevan would like to win the prize money, but his horse seems unlikely to win. His luck changes when he comes across Zorro's horse, Tornado, grazing in a hidden field, and he captures the animal. Diego and Bernardo are unable to find the horse despite an extensive search, so when Estevan mentions his plans to enter a mystery horse, they suspect he has stolen Tornado. Estevan shows his new acquisition to Sergeant Garcia, who immediately recognizes it as Zorro's horse. The sergeant informs Estevan of this fact, but the greedy visitor simply sees it as another chance to make money, by capturing Zorro if the outlaw attempts to save Tornado. Garcia, Reyes and Estevan set up a guard on the only door into the deserted winery where Tornado is being stabled, planning to surprise Zorro when he walks in. Suspecting a trap, the bandit instead enters through a loft, swings down to mount his prized horse and escapes into the night.
#12 - Zorro Versus Cupid
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/5/1959
Still hoping to strike it rich during his visit to Los Angeles, Estevan shows a great deal of interest in a young woman when he learns she comes from a wealthy family. Don Alejandro accuses Estevan of only being attracted to Margarita because of her money, but the suitor denies the charges, forcing Diego to dress as Zorro in an attempt to frighten Estevan away. Instead of convincing his uncle to give up his plan, Diego has unwittingly made Estevan furious at Zorro. Hoping to trap the outlaw, Estevan arranges for Corporal Reyes to dress as Margarita and ride in her carriage. Estevan then spreads word around town that he and "Margarita" will be enjoying a quiet ride near the lake that evening. He tells Sergeant Garcia to follow the carriage, so when Zorro next tries to embarrass Estevan, he can capture his masked foe. Zorro does stop the carriage and offers to help Margarita out, only to find it is really Corporal Reyes. He frees himself from Reye's grasp and turns to fight Estevan, who has approached with his sword drawn. Reyes runs to find Garcia, who is trying to escape a pursuing skunk. Zorro forces Estevan into the lake and the two soldiers quickly follow him in to avoid their striped pursuer.
#13 - Please Believe Me
Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/5/1959
Anita is still hoping to find her father, but Sergeant Garcia has decided she is nothing but a liar and wants to send her back to Spain. Only Diego believes her story, and he tells her she needs to supply some proof of her father's existence. She mentions a package of letters her father sent to her, and Diego asks to see them. Anita goes to her room but quickly returns without them, claiming they have been stolen. When Don Alejandro again voices his doubts about her story, she claims the letters must have been taken by Rafael Gonzales, a driver who brought her to the city from her ship. This further angers Alejandro, who has known and trusted Gonzales for many years, and he arranges for her to leave on the next ship. Anita asks Ruiz, one of the de la Vega servants, to escort her to the mission so she can hide, and she offers to pay him in gold. He agrees and arranges for another man to accompany them, planning to rob the unsuspecting girl. Zorro saves her once more, this time using his rope to prevent her from falling to her death. This adventure makes Anita even more determined to stay in Los Angeles until she finds her missing father.
#14 - The Unmasking of Zorro
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/6/1958
The plans of the fake commandante and the magistrado go awry when Ortega spots Diego talking to Rosarita Cortez, a childhood friend who has recently returned from the capital. Ortega fears she will recognize him from her journey, for it was during that trip that he murdered the real Ortega and assumed his identity. Bernardo overhears the two villains planning her death, and notifies Diego.
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#15 - Zorro Fights a Duel
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/25/1958
Diego doesn't know that Ricardo has developed a hatred for Zorro. He makes matters worse when he substitutes a block of wood for a box of chocolates intended for Anna Maria. When she opens her present and Ricardo sees the wood, complete with a carved "Z", he decides to kill his unmask his foe. Ricardo plans to draw Zorro out of hiding by placing notices throughout town that accuse the outlaw of being a coward and challenging him to a duel. Diego tries to ignore Ricardo but eventually is forced to defend his honor. When he rides to where his friend is practicing, Diego is surprised to see that Ricardo is an expert with several weapons, which will make the upcoming contest a difficult one. Unbeknown to Diego or Ricardo, Sergeant Garcia and several others plan to let the duel take place, then capture Zorro and claim the reward. The men hide themselves near the site of the duel and wait for Zorro to arrive. Not long after, the masked man appears and the duel begins. Just as Diego feared, Ricardo is very good with the sword and has no qualms about injuring his opponent. Diego, on the other hand, doesn't want to hurt his friend, so he fights with reduced strength. Even with this handicap, he defeats Ricardo, only to then discover himself surrounded by the reward seekers. Ricardo surprises him by fighting at his side, for the cowardly attack has offended his sense of adventure. Together they fight their way free, and a grateful Zorro makes his escape.
#16 - The Senorita Makes a Choice
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/30/1958
After the Verdugos return to Monterey, Anna Maria enters their home and discovers that her father is missing. Pablo, their former servant, tells her the old man is being held hostage and will be killed unless she hands over 45,000 pesos believed to be in the house. Diego and Bernardo arrive and Pablo slips away, warning Anna Maria that her father will be killed if she tells anyone of the kidnapping. Although she won't admit it, Diego discovers what has happened, and he asks the local commandante to send a guard to the Verdugo hacienda. This angers Romero, who claims it will endanger Verdugo's life, and he convinces Anna Maria to send Diego away. When he leaves, she finds the money hidden in a secret panel, and she gives it to Sergeant Garcia to deliver to the kidnappers. Zorro visits her that night and she tells him of her actions, prompting him to rush to Garcia's aid. The sergeant has been ambushed by the thieves, but Zorro tricks them and learns Verdugo is being held in the blacksmith's shop. While Zorro is fighting the blacksmith, Garcia lets Pablo sneak Verdugo past him, putting the merchant in mortal danger.
#17 - Slaves of the Eagle
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/23/1958
The King's tax collector and his nephew are stopped by conspirators, while on their way to Los Angeles. The conspirators threaten the men unless they cooperate, then they seize Morales' official documents. The outlaws then tell him to return to the capital or they will kill his nephew, Domingo, whom they hold hostage and after he leaves, Domingo is seen to be a member of the criminal conspiracy. Once Azuela has established himself as an agent of the King, he begins to levy a series of high and cruel taxes. A reluctant Sergeant Garcia has no alternative but to follow Azuela's orders, and soon many of the villagers are in jail. Azuela has decided that Diego must suffer for his interference, so a special tax is imposed on the de la Vegas. Only when Diego idly toys with an eagle feather as he discusses the tax is it canceled. Diego now nows the phony tax collector is another member of a conspiracy. The prisoners are lead out of town and escape with the help of Zorro. Determined not to lose
#18 - The Tightening Noose
Season 1 - Episode 35 - Aired 6/5/1958
Don Alejandro convinces all of the landowners to sign a document pledging their loyalty to the government, for he has become worried by the growing signs of possible civil unrest. He leaves a copy in the hacienda and takes the original to the capitol, intending to present it to the governor. Alejandro has barely left when Diego receives some unwelcome news. A new administrator has arrived in the pueblo and announced his decision to use the de la Vega hacienda as his headquarters.
#19 - The Man with the Whip
Season 1 - Episode 31 - Aired 5/8/1958
Another agent sent by the Eagle arrives in the pueblo, this time smuggling jewelry to finance the conspiracy. Carlos Murietta, an Argentine who is contemptuous of the locals, particularly Sergeant Garcia, visits a tannery run by Jose Mordante. The two men discuss the disposition of the gems, including a famous piece known as "The Cross of the Andes", which were stolen from churches in Argentina.
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#20 - Garcia Stands Accused
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/16/1958
Sergeant Garcia receives a mysterious note from Zorro. The happy soldier reads that Zorro will give himself up. When he returns for his sword, it is gone, so he sadly returns to the cuartel without having captured his foe. A wounded messenger arrives in the pueblo. He claims he was attacked in the dark by someone who then stole the army's payroll, and he offers the rest of Sergeant Garcia's sword as evidence. The magistrado orders the sergeant arrested; and, in a swift trial, Garcia is convicted and sentenced to death. Not believing that his friend is guilty, Diego decides to find who did rob the messenger. Zorro catches the man and forces him to return to the pueblo, hoping to arrive in time to save Garcia. The condemned sergeant, is narrowly saved by Zorro's arrival. Zorro finds a feather in the possesion of the man, like the one held by the murdered Rojas, this feather is cut in a secret code and it convinces Zorro that a conspiracy really does exist.
#21 - The Gay Caballero
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/22/1959
Diego's uncle, Estevan de la Cruz, arrives in Los Angeles for an unannounced visit and surprises the de la Vegas when he tells them he plans to be their house guest. Furthermore, he expects them to give a lavish party to welcome him. All of this angers Don Alejandro, but to head off a family dispute, Diego convinces his father that Estevan will leave soon. His good intent proves to be a problem for Diego when Estevan later offers to sell several jewels to his friends. Estevan claims to have bought them in Spain, but Diego realizes the gems are fakes and that if sold, could bring shame on his family name. To prevent this, he tells Bernardo to steal the fakes, only to find they're already missing. Zorro captures the thieves and keeps the fake jewels so Estevan cannot swindle his friends. The thieves are turned over to Sergeant Garcia and Diego thinks the matter is settled, but Estevan has decided there is money to be made in Los Angeles and announces that he plans to extend his stay.
#22 - Ambush
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/4/1958
The broken truce has convinced Joaquin that Diego cannot be trusted and, that if not for Zorro, he would have been killed. When Diego and Bernardo ride to his camp to explain, the rebel leader orders his men to lock the visitors in leg irons until he can decide upon a suitable fate for them. Joaquin announces his plans to kill the governor the next day while he visits a local shrine. When he tries to ride there, however, Joaquin is accidentally captured by Sergeant Garcia. The sergeant takes Joaquin and Theresa to Rico and the corrupt official decides to use the rebel to help him gain control. He tells Briones to escort Joaquin to the shrine, where the murder will be carried out. If Joaquin refuses, Theresa will die. Zorro, having freed himself and Bernardo, stops Joaquin just as he is about to kill the governor. Hoping to make the two men settle their differences, Zorro puts them in leg irons and gives each of them the other man's key. He then rides to the jail to free Theresa, but Briones draws his sword and prepares for a fight. The governor and Joaquin arrive and order the battle stopped, for the truth has been told. Rico is shot while trying to escape and Briones is taken prisoner. The governor orders all charges against the rebels dropped and declares a fiesta to be held to celebrate the end of Rico's reign.
#23 - The Eagle Leaves the Nest
Season 1 - Episode 37 - Aired 6/19/1958
Diego overhears Varga telling his aide that the de la Vega hacienda is so comfortable he intends to make it his permanent headquarters. Knowing his father will soon return and would fight to the death to protect his home, Diego decides to try a risky plan to drive the Eagle out.
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#24 - Zorro and the Mountain Man
Season 2 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/19/1959
When a jovial mountain man, Joe Crane, arrives in the pueblo, he is threatened with arrest for traveling in Spanish territory without official permission. Sergeant Garcia warns him to leave town but changes his mind when Crane buys him a few drinks in the tavern. Not all of Crane's problems can be solved so easily, however, for when he kisses a passing barmaid, he angers Don Carlos Fernandez so greatly that the landowner attacks the visitor. Crane immediately responds by knocking his attacker to the floor, which causes Fernandez's bodyguard to try to kill the mountain man. Diego deflects the shot, but Garcia is forced to arrest Crane and take him to jail for his own safety. Knowing Fernandez's temper, Diego is sure he will still try to kill Crane, so that night Zorro hides near the jail. Zorro sneaks inside, steals the keys, and frees Crane so he can hide in the hills. The precaution is a wise one, for Fernandez does come to the jail that night. Finding it empty, he vows to track Crane down and kill him, figuring it as an easy chore for Crane is on foot.
#25 - A Fair Trial
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/5/1957
With his father Don Alejandro now charged with treason along with Don Torres, Zorro must see that the judge sent by the governor arrives to assure a fair trial.