Elena of Avalor S2 E17

## Plot

Everyone is celebrating Día de los Muertos, and Elena explains the holiday to Marzel. In Nueva Vista, they send the altars out to sea. Luisa says she hasn't seen Francisco all morning. Elena and Marzel see him carrying a chest further down the beach. Elena says he shouldn't be carrying so much. He says he may be old, but he's not incapable. The items in the chest are for a different altar. Two of his best friends passed away a long time ago, in a shipwreck. Francisco tells Marzel that it wasn't the sirenas' fault. He blames himself for what happened. He was steering the ship when it suddenly capsized. He had no idea what hit them. He was the only survivor. Suddenly, his friends show up as ghosts. Elena tells Francisco and Marzel that she can see ghosts on the Day of the Dead. They think she's either joking or has lost it at first, but she proves it to them by telling them that El Guerrero and El Místico say hi. Francisco says no one else knew their code names, and realizes that they really are here. They call him El Capitán. Elena wonders why they'd need code names. Francisco explains that he and his friends fought evil as a trio of vigilantes known as Los Tres. Basically *The Three Musketeers*. They wore masks and used code names because back then, royals weren't allowed to partake in such dangerous activities. Guerrero was the fighter, Místico was the brains, and he was the jack of all trades. He was a deep sea diver, strider, and sea captain. Elena had no idea he was such a hero. However, he and his friends never completed that last mission. They were trying to find a magic shield before the Macoco. Marzel explains that they were a two-headed ocean beast that attacked Avalor years ago. The royal wizard back then used magic to send them back into the ocean. Macoco was looking for a powerful magic shield that could block all magic: El Escudo. Místico had found the map to the island the shield was hidden on. They realize that they could complete the mission today with Elena's help. Everyone is waiting for Francisco and Elena, but they can just say that they're picking up something special for the altars. Elena agrees to help, but only if Francisco promises to be careful. Marzel goes with them. The map is in their old ship, which sank. Marzel knows every shipwreck in these waters, and knows where theirs is. He goes into the water, and Guerrero and Místico learn that he's a sirena. Elena explains that they're friends now. She wants Marzel to dive down to get the map, but Francisco says this is a job for Los Tres, and Marzel goes back home. Elena wants to get the map instead, since she can breathe underwater with her milagras top. Francisco dives down anyways, and she goes after him. Guerrero and Místico point out that she might be overreacting. Francisco gets the map. The shield is on a deserted island. The Macoco was hiding in the shipwreck, waiting for someone to come back for the map. They decide to follow the ship. Elena, Francisco, Guerrero, and Místico enter a cave. Before Francisco can make a torch, Elena uses her scepter's glow ability. They don't find anything in the cave. It could be hidden or buried. Elena tries to use reveal, but it doesn't work, and she explains that it's been glitchy lately. This is where being an intangible ghost comes in handy. There's a chest in the wall, and Francisco pulls it out. The shield is inside. He tells Elena to get her scepter out in case they run into trouble, but she helps him carry the chest instead. They go outside, and are ambushed by the Macoco. They reveal that they sank Los Tres's ship all those years ago. They followed them, due to Elena waking them up by dropping a door on them when she went to check on Francisco. While they're talking, Elena slowly reaches for her scepter. Okay, that's really funny. Something similar also happens when she faces another water villain in season 3. Seriously, for some reason she has a lot of trouble with water based villains and malicious creatures. Anyway, the Macoco hits her with their tail before she can blast them, and they take the shield. They leave to invade Avalor. Francisco loses faith in himself, and tells Elena that she was right. He says it's up to her to stop the Macoco. Guerrero and Místico still believe in him, and they say that El Capitán never gives up. They leave, and even if Francisco can't see or hear them, he can see and feel the dust and wind they make when they fly away. Elena tries to blast the Macoco, but it doesn't work the first time. The second time, they block the blast with the shield. Guerrero shows Elena how to do a flying kick. She tries to grab the shield, but the Macoco swats her with their tail again, sending her into the water. Francisco kicks them and saves Elena. He gets the shield, and Elena blasts the Macoco into the water. Francisco may not be as young or strong or quick as he once was, but he'll always be El Capitán. Now they can lock the shield up in the treasury. Elena apologizes for underestimating her abuelo. They decide to include her in the group, and give her the code name La Magica. Back on the beach, Luisa asks Francisco and Elena where they've been, and they claim that they were getting more marigolds for the altars. They send them out to sea. Elena returns Francisco's mask, and he thanks her for reuniting him with his friends, saying that from now on, they're Los Cuatro.

## Review

I like Marzel and his voice actor, Prince Royce, and I'm still glad that the sirenas weren't just one and done characters, but it feels like Marzel was largely unnecessary here. It's just so awkward when he leaves partway through. I think the episode should've either included him the whole time or just focused on Elena and Francisco going on an adventure with ghosts and bonding, with Elena learning that just because her grandfather is old doesn't mean he can't do anything, and Francisco learning that Elena is getting older and can do more things on her own, without any advice, and that she's going to become queen in two years. Or maybe that while he can still give good advice to Elena, she can do the same for him. I personally think that wisdom has less to do with age and more to do with experiences. I just feel like Marzel was only put in for exposition, which is ridiculous, because there had already been two Día de los Muertos episodes already, and they were both amazing. This episode was still good though, even if I consider it to be the weakest holiday episode so far.