The High Chaparral Episode 2.30

2.31 The Deceivers Manolito
Chio, an Apache half-breed and his renegades, capture Cannon's supply wagons.
Written by John Starr Niendorff Directed by William Witney

Story Line: Just as food and ammunition for High Chaparral runs out, Chio is captured and brought to the ranch. Meanwhile, Manolito discovers Tina Granger near a burned out stage coach in an apparently unrelated incident. Tina, Chio's daughter, helps him to escape, but leaves her father when he vows to plunder the ranch to gain recognition. Feeling a loyalty to the Cannons who treated her well at the High Chaparral, she leads Buck and Manolito to the stolen supplies and joins them in a dash for the ranch pursued by Chio and his men.

Character Highlights: Good episode for Mano fans since we get to see him without a shirt here, if only briefly. There is more tension here between Mano and Buck than usual with Buck taking an uncharacteristically harsh stand against Tina as a "breed". Mano is charming as usual, but also particularly sweet and compassionate. There is an unintentionally humorous scene where Rebel (Buck’s horse) very nearly wrecks the scene by head butting Mano while he is delivering his lines. Cameron Mitchell saves the scene by ignoring it and getting Henry’s line out of him anyway. Robert Loggia does an excellent job as the evil Chio and a young Bonnie Bedelia is also very convincing as the intense but confused Tina.

Complete Episode Synopsis

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This episode shows us that prejudice and discrimination could take on different forms in the 1800's. Treated even worse than the Apaches were the "half-breeds", half-Apache, half-white renegades who often turned to crime. After a band of these renegades attacks the High Chaparral's supply wagons, seriously wounding Blue in the leg, their leader, Chio, is taken prisoner and held inside the Cannon home. Spitting venom, he vows that he will take the Chaparral and kill every person on it.

Chio declares his hatred for the Cannons because they are white.

Mackadoo and Mano bring Tina back
to the High Chaparral.

The Cannons are fearful of him, for their men are short on ammunition and they are worried they will not be able to fight his men if they can't get supplies through. Chio's hatred of whites has been passed on to his daughter, Tina, a pretty young woman who touches Manolito's compassion when he finds her amidst the wreckage of a wagon Chio's band destroyed. She lies to him and tells him she was one of the victims who escaped the massacre, on her way to visit an aunt in Tucson, and Mano takes her back to Chaparral.

Tina sees that her father has been taken prisoner, but she does not disclose who she is. The unsuspecting Cannons treat her as they would a guest. Victoria gives her a new dress and, moved by the poor girl's adoration of her music box, gives it to her as a gift. Meanwhile, Manolito has suggested a plan for getting the supplies through from Tucson. He knows of an old donkey trail they can use to smuggle a pack train. That night, Tina sneaks up to the attic to free her father. She unties him and he instructs her to find out what trail the men from Chaparral will use. Leaving her there as a spy, Chio escapes while Tina distracts Mano at the front door.
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Victoria chooses one of her
dresses for Tina.

Mano and Buck disagree about
Tina's trust-worthiness.

The next day, the men leave for Tucson, taking Tina with them so that she can visit her "relative". On the way, Tina, troubled by the kindness the Cannons have shown her and torn by her loyalty to her father, asks Mano what Chio is accused of. When Mano tells her a harrowing tale of torture, he is visibly concerned by Tina's emotional reaction. That night, while they are camped out, Mano tries to reach out to her in friendship, but Tina, convinced that Mano would hate her if he knew the truth about her, backs away from him.

The next morning, she has disappeared. Mano is shaken, but Buck, having realized the truth, tells Mano that nothing better can be expected from a "breed". Mano is angered by Buck's obvious prejudice, but they soon have bigger worries: on their way back from Tucson, Chio's men ambush them and capture them for torture. Tina has betrayed them.

Mano is tortured by Chio's men.

Chio destroys everything the Cannons have given Tina in his effort to control her.

What they do not realize is that her father forced the truth from her. After begging her father not to kill them, he bullies her into submission and destroys the symbols of the Cannons' generosity ... her dress, the precious music box, and ultimately Tina's loyalty. She realizes her father is, in fact, a murderer, and while Chio has taken several men to attack Chaparral, she rescues Mano, Buck, Sam and Joe by shooting the men who are torturing them. She tearfully confesses to Mano that Chio is her father and begs for his understanding, but Mano has nothing but gratitude and affection for the woman who saved them. Even Buck is grateful for her compassion and courage.

Tina helps them further by telling them how to retrieve their stolen ammunition, and while on their way back to Chaparral, Chio's men and the men from Chaparral engage in one last crucial battle. Chio is killed, and Tina tells Manolito that she "must be a bad person" because she isn't sorry he's dead. When she asks him in amazement, "You don't hate me?" Mano replies, "On the contrary, Tina -- how could anyone hate you, Chiquita?" and when she smiles, he laughs, "Now I know you are unchained -- your smile has escaped!" Tina realizes she is at last free to be her own person.
(Synopsis by Brenda Meskunas)

Chio and Mano battle for control on the runaway supply wagon.