I was so excited when I found out the Spanish/Mexicans were going to do their own take on Zorro after two Hollywood takes on the story (I enjoyed both the Tyrone Power and Antonio Banderas versions immensely). The setting is familiar but the show introduces a whole host of new character dynamics through Zorro's interactions with the local indigenous population, Russian businessmen, and residents of Chinatown in addition to Spanish/Mexican residents of California which keeps the source material fresh and allows the TV show to explore the world of post-Spanish California in greater depth than any of the prior movies could simply due to running time. Miguel Bernadeau is no Banderas but he does a good job with Zorro and the supporting cast delivers satisfying performances. The show is not perfect (For example, I feel more interactions between Lolita and Diego as Zorro were necessary before she figures out the truth as they only meet towards the end of the season and she puts two and two together a little too quickly for me, almost implausibly). But all in all, a highly enjoyable take on Zorro and for me personally, a welcome reprieve from the mostly heavy, pessimistic and graphically violent fare dominating TV today.
