It feels like there were two different scripts, two different plans, behind this episode. They were just stitched together to make a full episode. One was the Falcon arrives in town, then plans evil. The other was the Falcon is a long time Los Angeles criminal and nemesis to Zorro.
In the beginning the Falcon arrives. Nobody knows him. He seems like a Batman villain: he states his devious plan, then orders his henchmen back to his lair.
But later in the episode, people react as if the Falcon is a long time criminal fixture around Los Angeles.
Later in the episode, the writers tried to address the discrepancy. Sgt. Mendoza mentions a well known "bandit hideout".
Even if the Falcon was a long standing Los Angeles super criminal, he wouldn't hide out in a location everyone knows.
The episode has other ridiculous elements: - Aside from carrying around a falcon, the Falcon doesn't have anything to do with the bird. Maybe it's that he preys on the innocent, and the falcon is a bird of prey. Who knows? - The Falcon acts like he's intimidating people, but the intimidation is nothing but cutting a head of lettuce in half. That's the most intimidating thing the Falcon does. He's an old guy who carries a bird with him. I was expecting him to launch the falcon to attack people, but that never happened.
The final fight scene between the Falcon and Zorro is comedic. The Falcon tosses a knife at Zorro, but he throws it like a 4 year old might throw a stick. Then the Falcon tosses his cape at Zorro. They sword fight for a few seconds: the Falcon is a rank amateur swordsman. Then Zorro shoves the Falcon off the roof.
Tossing a bird into the air as you try to run away from Zorro sure is dangerous. Quick, drape a toy chain around this guy's shoulders before he cuts another head of lettuce in half.
To make it worse, one of the big rocks from the cave in lands on DA's leg. But he makes no reaction to it. Zorro helps DA to his feet as the clearly foam rock rolls off the leg.
This episode is full of the typically bad stunt and fight choreography that plagued the series. It's also poorly written, at times feeling like two different episodes and character plans for the Falcon.
Awful.
In the beginning the Falcon arrives. Nobody knows him. He seems like a Batman villain: he states his devious plan, then orders his henchmen back to his lair.
But later in the episode, people react as if the Falcon is a long time criminal fixture around Los Angeles.
- When the Falcon captures Don Alejandro, DA assures the Falcon that Zorro won't fall into one of the Falcon's traps. DA didn't know the Falcon planned a trap. The Falcon was new to the area, so he didn't have a known reputation of using traps. It was as if that was the well known MO of the well known Falcon: diabolical traps.
- Zorro goes looking for the Falcon, then Zorro realizes the Falcon would have taken Don Alejandro to the Falcon's lair. So Zorro goes to the lair. The Falcon is new to the area. He has no established lair. Zorro wouldn't know the location of the lair.
Later in the episode, the writers tried to address the discrepancy. Sgt. Mendoza mentions a well known "bandit hideout".
Even if the Falcon was a long standing Los Angeles super criminal, he wouldn't hide out in a location everyone knows.
The episode has other ridiculous elements: - Aside from carrying around a falcon, the Falcon doesn't have anything to do with the bird. Maybe it's that he preys on the innocent, and the falcon is a bird of prey. Who knows? - The Falcon acts like he's intimidating people, but the intimidation is nothing but cutting a head of lettuce in half. That's the most intimidating thing the Falcon does. He's an old guy who carries a bird with him. I was expecting him to launch the falcon to attack people, but that never happened.
The final fight scene between the Falcon and Zorro is comedic. The Falcon tosses a knife at Zorro, but he throws it like a 4 year old might throw a stick. Then the Falcon tosses his cape at Zorro. They sword fight for a few seconds: the Falcon is a rank amateur swordsman. Then Zorro shoves the Falcon off the roof.
- Because the Falcon is such a dangerous criminal, they don't just trust a cell to hold him. They also chain him: with what looks like a toy chain loosely draped around his shoulders.
Tossing a bird into the air as you try to run away from Zorro sure is dangerous. Quick, drape a toy chain around this guy's shoulders before he cuts another head of lettuce in half.
- The Falcon's trap is a mystery. I guess he had some ropes rigged up, so that if Zorro cut DA loose, a cave in would crush him and DA. It's kind of established that the merest touch on the ropes will trigger the trap. But DA is squirming around, pulling the ropes far more than just touching them. So Zorro uses a candle to burn through one part of the rope, while he cuts DA free. But as soon as he cuts DA free, the cave in comes crashing down: he tells DA to be ready to leap out of the way, which they do. The candle trick doesn't seem to do much.
To make it worse, one of the big rocks from the cave in lands on DA's leg. But he makes no reaction to it. Zorro helps DA to his feet as the clearly foam rock rolls off the leg.
This episode is full of the typically bad stunt and fight choreography that plagued the series. It's also poorly written, at times feeling like two different episodes and character plans for the Falcon.
Awful.