The Curse of El Guapo

"**The Curse of El Guapo**" is the twenty-eighth episode of the Disney Channel animated series *Elena of Avalor*. It premiered on November 11, 2017 and is the third episode in the second season.

## Plot

At Avalor Palace, Princess Elena assembles the Royal Guard together to announce that their leader, Captain Antonio Sandoval, is retiring. Captain Sandoval embodies Avalor's best values: Courage, selflessness, and honor. For this, he will pick four candidates to succeed him as Captain of the Royal Guard. Captain Sandoval steps forward and selects the following Guards as the candidates: Rico Villalobos, Miguel Leon, Andreas Sosa, and Gabriel Nunez. Elena tells them that the four of them will take part in a skills competition that will begin later. The first two to complete the first part will take part in the competition that will decide who will be the new Captain of the Royal Guard. After Captain Sandoval dismisses the Royal Guard, Elena expresses how happy she is for Gabe. While she hopes he wins, she tells Gabe that, as Crown Princess, she must remain impartial and let the best Guard win. Gabe tells her he would have it no other way. In the Guards' Locker Room, Gabe overhears Rico telling the other Guards that if he becomes the new Captain, it will only be because he is Elena's friend. Gabe steps in, telling everyone will earn it, to which Rico doubts. He points out that the Captain of the Royal Guard has always come from a distinguished military family. Rico comes from such a distinctive family line, and has a fancy sword to prove it. Gabe says he does not need a fancy sword and engages Rico in a sword fight that he only loses when he gets distracted. Suddenly, Elena comes in with Professor Mendoza, who needs a package delivered to Avalor's Museum of Archaeology. Gabe volunteers, and Mendoza gives him the package with instructions not to open it. Gabe loads it on to Fuego and rides off. During the ride, the package falls off and opens, revealing a sword. Gabe decides to "borrow" the sword for the competition since he believes he will beat Rico with it. As soon as he picks it up, Gabe gets possessed by a spirit who calls himself El Guapo.

At the competition, everyone is wondering where Gabe is when he suddenly shows up. Guapo possesses Gabe and acts through him to the confusion of everyone, especially Gabe. The competition is revealed to be a race. During the race, Guapo has Gabe cut off Rico and does not let him go back to help him so he can win the race. Guapo then has Gabe go up to Elena and ask her to just name him Captain of the Royal Guard right now. Elena, who can see something is definitely up, reminds him the competition is not over yet. Mateo and Naomi cannot understand why Gabe is acting the way he is, but agree that they do not like it. Elena concurs, stating that he is definitely not acting how a Captain of the Royal Guard acts. Elsewhere, Gabe is confused about why he talked and acted the way he did. Suddenly, Guapo takes over again and reveals himself. Gabe realizes that Guapo is the reason he said and did all those terrible things, and tries various attempts to get rid of the sword, like crushing it with rocks or throwing into the water, only for it to magically come back to him. He lastly tries taking it to the museum and forces it in the front door. As he leaves, he runs into Professor Mendoza, who reveals that the sword is cursed by the spirit of the aggressive general El Guapo. The sword magically floats out of the museum and comes towards them. Without Mendoza noticing the sword, Gabe asks if there is a cure for the curse, but she does not know any reversal spell. Gabe panics and runs for it. The magic sword chases him everywhere until it manages to get back into Gabe’s hand, possessing him with El Guapo again. Gabe goes to Mateo and tells him about the curse. Mateo begins making a potion that takes him all night to make.

The next day, Mateo gives him a potion and tells him he must never touch El Guapo's sword again after he drinks it. This makes Gabe reluctant to drink it, especially after Rico pranks him. Suddenly, Elena shows up and confronts Gabe about how he did not stop to help Rico after he fell. She tells him the Royal Guard is a brotherhood where if one falls another must help him up no matter what. Hearing this, Gabe controls himself long enough to tell Elena about the curse and El Guapo's sword. He thought he needed it to prove the son of a baker can become the Captain of the Royal Guard, only for Elena to say that a weapon does not make the soldier but the other way around. Hearing this, Gabe decides to take Mateo's potion. El Guapo tries to stop him, but Elena tricks him into getting his sword stuck. Gabe then drinks the potion and breaks the curse. At the start of the competition, Rico is still mad at Gabe for last time. As the competition begins Gabe tries to explain to Rico that it was not really him doing the dirty tricks. Once again Rico falls and he hurts his leg. Gabe almost gets to the finish line, but remembering his lesson he goes back and helps Rico. This shocks him, but Gabe says it is what a true captain would do. Gabe helps him walk, and they both cross the finish line together. Because it was a tie, they had to decide which of them deserves to be captain the most. Rico tells Elena to name Gabe "Captain of the Royal Guard" for helping him instead of taking the victory for himself when he had the chance. Elena does so and presents him with the Captain's sword. The other guards congratulate Gabe and Rico apologizes for making fun of him. Gabe forgives him and as the new captain, he gets back at Rico by ordering him to clean up the prank he set in his locker, making them all laugh before Gabe stops and says "No, seriously: Clean it up." Gabe then thanks Elena for reminding him that the soldier makes the sword, not the other way around.

## Cast

* Aimee Carrero as Princess Elena
* Jorge Diaz as Gabe
* David DeSantos as El Guapo
* Arturo Del Puerto as Rico
* Joseph Haro as Mateo
* Jillian Rose Reed as Naomi Turner
* Grey DeLisle as Professor Mendoza
* Joe Camareno as Captain Sandoval
* Emil-Bastien Bouffard as Damien

## Trivia

* Gabe sings in this episode and reveals that he wants to be Captain of the Guard.
* The part where Mateo asks Naomi "What's gotten into Gabe? and she answers "I don't know but I don't like it." is a nod to the part in the *Sofia the First* episode "Tri-Kingdom Picnic" where Jun asks Maya "What's with James?" and she answers "I don't know but I don't like it."
* Moral: The weapon does not make the man, the man makes the weapon.