Prizefighters, Circus Freaks & Gangsters

Ok ok... we reached the end of Season 1 and almost nobody who's name we know dies.
I mean let's not kid ourselves, the swashing and the buckling and the fact that there MUST be bad guys means that there's going to be a body count - but let's face it.  Here we are in Telanovela-land so it's going to be less gruesome that Star Trek.  

Which - ya' know what?  It's fun sometimes to just escape into the past and only be confronted with sherry in pretty glasses, questions about what someone's social class is based on whether or not they are wearing anything on their head, and mysteries about cuff-links.

But with horses and dramatic pauses.
And that - thank you very much is what this delivers.
Deadly plots - or are they?
Intrepid newspaper reporters - 
And just how many languages were spoken in Alta California before it became a part if the USA (the answer is: probobly about the same number as now - lots)

It's the end of Season 1 of Zorro.  So much fun, lets do it again!

As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over)

The Telenovela is blooming in it's full flower - we have secret baby - but even better, it is fake! We have mysterious mothers, promised weddings that were and were not completed, consumation while engaged to be married.  It's all a grand mess.
Plus THE OUTFITS
and finally Party Food.
But wait, there's also the reveal that some of the bad GUYS are bad Girls.  This show has everything, including an evil priest.  
There's nothing more to be desired - except a second season!

As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over)

Greta called it - the whole reason you have a Telenovela wedding is so you can not have a wedding.  Or did she?  This very Telenovela show has lots of tricks up its beautifully tailored sleeves.  And the resolution - or not of this wedding situation, did not see this ending coming.
But don’t worry Jamie - the 19th century is here to fight about it.  And all the competing technologies are here to play.  Tomahawk/hatchet v. Knife v. Sword v. Whip v. Bow & Arrow v. Flint-Lock pistol v. Breech Load rifle
Oh yeah - and Secret Baby showed up.  Fake Secret Baby.  Almost to Telanovela BINGO

Fear not - all the ways to die are here to play - come along next week to see if all the mysteries are coming together.



As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over)

So - are you sure you saw what you saw?
Memory construction is a hell of a thing... and we definitely are experiencing a new version of it with video, with rewind... and now with fake video creation.

But back in the day when you didn't see anything - and you just got one vivid entertaining newspaper report, what does that do?  Many of us are quite excellent at creating images to go along with a description - and then that becomes the memory.

But possibly even more interesting - is how much this intersection of news, story creation and noteriety have been doing this dance for as long as there have been newspapers... which is for less time than we think.  

Also there's a wedding to plan...  So stay tuned for that next week!

As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over)

Say in the comments if it's too many locations #locations #toomuch

Bust seriously - your 6 eps in to a 10 episode season and you're just going to send this many hares running in the field of story.
What Gives?
Also - Greta admits she entirely absolutely was guessing and was WRONG.
But that's happened before & will most likely happen again.


You better start paying some things off in the next few episodes.  That's all I ask. 
Oh - and don't stop delivering on the fashion.

As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
and his NEW YouTube Apprearances on Carved Outta Stone Wednesday AM or Friday PM
Schedule Details: instagram.com/carvedouttastone
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over)

So have you been following along?
Now that we have our major players set up - and the relationships are established we can really get the plates spinning:
Secret Societies - check
Love Triangle - check
Twin Brothers - check
Mysterious/Nefarious Death - check
and a SLAP! - check and check

There's some fun close quarters fighting, riding off frantically into the moonlight, and jaw clenching to beat the band.  Capt. Monestario get's to employ his jaw clenching in a range of emotional situations.
We get a doctor that washes his hands (what!?)

But most of all - Jamie and Greta hint what's next after we come to the end of the 1st season of Zorro.
So saddle up - and come along for the ride.

As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
and his NEW YouTube Apprearances on Carved Outta Stone Wednesday AM or Friday PM
Schedule Details: instagram.com/carvedouttastone
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over)

Oh you were confused last week?  Well it doesn't get any better this week.  If anything it gets worse... more soupy, more sloppy, more salacious.

Greta badly speaks more Spanish - but mainly in the service of the 2! DOS! Zorros issue.
Jamie is baffled by the twins issue - not twin Zorros, just regular Telenovella twins.
Excitement as we are in New York.  Consternation as a transit across the Panama Isthmus is proposed.
And as always we have fun dashing about the (not actually) old Los Angeles countryside as the Mexican sway over Las Californias is in the process of being lost.  But not before we are teased with more bears.  
When will we solve the mystery of the dang bears!?

As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
and his NEW YouTube Apprearances on Carved Outta Stone Wednesday AM or Friday PM
Schedule Details: instagram.com/carvedouttastone
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over)

What the Hell is going on?  That's the entire sentiment of this episode.
And well, as viewers always trying to figure things out we may have brought it on ourselves.

One approach of course is to take one story line and then make it endlessly twisty - each twist more diabolical than the last and it's some of the these post Game of Thrones shows where eventually people just can't care anymore.  The characters are so contradictory - nothing matters anymore.

The other, more fun approach is to just keep throwing in new characters (who's Guadalupe Montero?), sting out plot points (what is up with the bear pins?) and moving the story around to new locations (how are we in New York - err Nueva York?)

And that is what Zorro has chosen to do, because it is a fun show!  So buckle those swashes and let's go! (That will get old, I know.  But not yet)


As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)

Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over)

This episode is where this show goes mask off and shows it’s Telenovela True Colors.

Go watch this episode first on Amazon Prime.  Twists, Turns, Escándalo! & we just sorted out that Dani Rojas from Ted Lasso is Zorro 1.  This series is SO MUCH FUN.
 
Jamie and Greta are here to absolutely enjoy every last minute of the escapist nonsense.  Ok Ok - not just for the fun of it, but how it shows so much of what was up in 19th century California that was not concerned with America.  Which, actually, for along time was most of it.
So come along for the wild ride that is Zorro - in Spanish.  
You can go the Subtitles route... or English Dub.  We are #Team Subtitles, but enjoy it your way.

As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
and his NEW YouTube Apprearances on Carved Outta Stone Wednesday AM or Friday PM
Schedule Details: instagram.com/carvedouttastone
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over)

Catch Season 1 of Zorro on Amazon Prime Video to watch along

After watching the movie Zorro - it became clear, we need more of Zorro.  We also need more of the 19th Century Americas... from something other than the USA America perspective. Because, during the 19th century, the Americnan America was a very different shape than the USA we live in now.  There were lots of other nations in those spaces we conveniently forget about. 

Also - the 21st century adventure and super hero stories have gotten a little... dark.  We need a little light.  Not to mention, some way better clothes.
So get out the cape, saddle up and let's ride for better adventures with Zorro in Alta California.  A different way to pursue fashion, fighting and hey, let's have some fun.

As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
and his NEW YouTube Apprearances on Carved Outta Stone Wednesday AM or Friday PM
Schedule Details: instagram.com/carvedouttastone
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over)