S01.E07: Episode 7

[AnimeMania]

In the Old West, the three adventurers meet a lawman with his fugitive captive. Making their next train connection hinges upon Abigail’s journalistic cool.
Airing 2/13/2022 @ 8:00 PM    US: PBS

[HoodlumSheep]

Liked the look of this episode. The overall aesthetic of the episode (color scheme between the scenery and costuming/set/everything) was on point.

Glad that Abigail's dad knows our trio is alive. He was worrying me a bit the last few episodes :(

Uh oh- I wonder if Bellamy is realizing if Fogg is to be stopped he's probably gonna have to do it himself at this point.

The postcard!!!!! aaahhhh!!! So it was sent from America? So...I take it...it's from estella??? Seems like the only option at this point. I know things didn't really end well between them, but it seems like a pretty harsh thing to do considering it's been more than a decade or whatever since they parted ways. If it's her then she sure knows how to hold a grudge. I don't really see how it could have been anyone else at this point. I guess we'll see next episode!

Edited February 14, 2022 by HoodlumSheep

[DoctorAtomic]

They only have 2 weeks left to get to London? 
So they found out about the reported 'death at sea'. I think Pass was right - let everyone think they're dead. Bellamy still needs the money and looks like he's still at it. I made a comment a couple of weeks ago about whether he could still get the money, but Fortescue is the executor of the Fogg estate. 

I'm not sure it was smart of Fix to send the telegram. Even if Bellamy got the money, Fogg comes home and gets it back. 

I got my stagecoach though!

I don't know that they needed the Civil War klan plot thrown in there. Pass being there would be enough of a racial issue even in the 1872 Wild West. I suppose it kind of dovetailed with the class theme. 

Great set for the town. It's interesting that 'gentleman' was thrown around so much too. They really captured the lawlessness of the West though. 

BAMF!FIX riding in to the saloon! That was almost like Farscape level. And we got someone punched through the window. In 20 minutes!

The show really should have been 10 episodes. "America" was one town and then they're in New York. This could have been 3 at least. 

38 minutes ago, HoodlumSheep said:

Uh oh- I wonder if Bellamy is realizing if Fogg is to be stopped he's probably gonna have to do it himself at this point.

What can he do though? He'll never get to New York in time, and he'd have to stop them when they disembark the boat in England. 

 

[JustDucky]

As much as I enjoyed hearing my state's name come out of David Tennant's mouth... It would have been referred to as "Oklahoma Territory", maybe.  More likely "Indian Territory" at the time, just because things were slow to change when this was set.

Anybody else find the Confederate inmate's accent a bit jarring?  Or is that my Oklahoman ear filtering it out?

Other than that, this was a fun episode!  And very nice to look at.  Not sure where they really were (I will Google later), but they did get the Old West look down pat.

And I'm glad everybody else is picking up that Estella is sending the postcards with the rude sentiments on them.  Will she make an appearance so Fogg can make peace?

[Cress]

Quote

The postcard!!!!! aaahhhh!!! So it was sent from America?

But Fogg said that postcard had no postmark on it! How did she get it to England? Well, I guess we'll find out next episode.

The actor who played Abernathy was John Light (he plays Flambeau on Father Brown). He's British, not American.

Quote

I don't know that they needed the Civil War klan plot thrown in there.

No I think that even in 1872, that it would still be relevant in American history. Lots of ex-Confederate soldiers still acted like the war wasn't over. Some joined the Ku Klux Klan to terrorize freed slaves. Some became outlaws in the west as "bushwhackers" wanting revenge on Union soldiers. I think Jesse James was in one of those gangs. At least that's what an episode of The Pinkertons TV show told me.

Edited February 14, 2022 by Cress

[Dowel Jones]

I guess I missed a bit, there.  I knew Bass Reeves worked the Oklahoma Indian Territory and environs, but I was lost when he appeared as I am familiar only with Battle Mountain, Nevada.  That location is also the route of the Central Pacific RR.  No matter, the action was quite good as it went, as long as someone could explain where exactly that giant alpine peak is located...

Looked like Fogg might have a long distance girlfriend, too.  Abigail noticed that handshake right off.   Maybe they'll be teamed up in S2.

Pet peeve in all westerns - if you're holding your firearm at the ready on someone, don't cock it or chamber a round.  You're already too late.  And don't do it more than once; that's pointless.  And Fogg should never have let Abernathy get that close to him, plot requirements be damned.  He could have easily brushed the rifle away and plugged Fogg on the spot.  I get that Fogg wouldn't really know that, not being familiar with firearms and shaky too, but it gripes me.  However, props to him for saying "Can I bring a Winchester into the Reform Club?"

[ECM1231]

6 hours ago, Cress said:

The actor who played Abernathy was John Light (he plays Flambeau on Father Brown). He's British, not American.

Thanks for posting this. I swear I thought that I heard a slip up here or there.

[JustDucky]

7 hours ago, Cress said:

The actor who played Abernathy was John Light (he plays Flambeau on Father Brown). He's British, not American.

That explains it.  (To be fair, it's difficult to do a Southern American accent without coming across as a caricature.  And he did try.)

[ShelleySue]

8 hours ago, Cress said:

But Fogg said that postcard had no postmark on it! How did she get it to England? Well, I guess we'll find out next episode.

Maybe Bellamy has been helping Estella with her revenge. As Cress said, we will find out next episode.

 

[DoctorAtomic]

11 hours ago, JustDucky said:

Anybody else find the Confederate inmate's accent a bit jarring?  Or is that my Oklahoman ear filtering it out?

Other than that, this was a fun episode!  And very nice to look at.  Not sure where they really were (I will Google later), but they did get the Old West look down pat.

I thought the accent was a decent job of 'genteel southerner who is massively racist'. I thought the point of it was that you have these so-called gentlemen who are monsters, and it played well to parallel 'gentleman' Bellamy who almost killed his friend and his friend's daughter.

On one of the behind the scenes, they said they filmed the West in Romania iirc. 

9 hours ago, Cress said:

No I think that even in 1872, that it would still be relevant in American history. Lots of ex-Confederate soldiers still acted like the war wasn't over.

I'm not questioning historical accuracy. I'm saying it was just a lot of plot; they didn't need it. Plenty of people out West were still racist. They're talking about faraway events in Tennessee or wherever, and I don't know if a non US audience really grasps the context. He could have just been a wanted outlaw who didn't think the war was over.

7 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

I get that Fogg wouldn't really know that, not being familiar with firearms and shaky too, but it gripes me. 

It's fair for Fogg and his development. No way he was preparing to shoot the guy, but as soon as 'coward' came out, I think Fogg would have done it. Abernathy knew at that point, which was why he dropped his gun. Abernathy was the real coward there though. Big 'confederate' captain probably never had to fight on equal footing. He talked a good game, but Fogg wasn't backing down at that point and he caved. 

 

[DoctorAtomic]

I also liked the massively awkward conversation with the three of them over Pass/Fix, and how she was positively *indignant* about being gossiped. Credit to Fogg for not flying off the handle. 

I thought the English hated the French.
Not individually. 

[khyber]

I can always tell when a "Old West" scene is not shot in the United States but in Europe.  The knee action of European Warmbloods or Andalusian's is very different from the knee action of a Quarter horse.

[Jane Tuesday]

29 minutes ago, khyber said:

The knee action of European Warmbloods or Andalusian's is very different from the knee action of a Quarter horse.

Was that what it was?  I just know as soon as I saw the stagecoach, it looked all wrong.

Great episode, though.  The chemistry between our three leads just gets stronger and stronger.

[JustHereForFood]

My least favorite episode so far, since I dislike almost all westerns, but still enjoyable in some parts. I liked Fogg's awkward reaction to Fix and Passpartout and their reactions to him knowing about them.

I spent about half of the episode wondering how could they afford Idris Elba 😃.

15 hours ago, JustDucky said:

Anybody else find the Confederate inmate's accent a bit jarring?  

I could barely understand what the American characters were saying, since I had no subtitles. I usually understand American accents better than British, except for southern accents - thankfully there's not a lot of them in shows that I watch.

[meep.meep]

3 hours ago, khyber said:

I can always tell when a "Old West" scene is not shot in the United States but in Europe.  The knee action of European Warmbloods or Andalusian's is very different from the knee action of a Quarter horse.

I don't know about that, but I did make a snide comment to the cat about how many white horses they bought.  There were four on the stagecoach and then all the bad guys were riding them.  Probably the same horses, she realized mournfully.

[magdalene]

The main baddie is better suited to his recurring role in Father Brown.  His accent was okay but he slipped a couple of times.  I had to laugh at Fogg , Pass and Fix talking about the latter's budding relationship. How awkward and in character for all three.

[Popples]

16 hours ago, Cress said:

The actor who played Abernathy was John Light (he plays Flambeau on Father Brown). He's British, not American.

As soon as I saw him I said, of course Flambeau's guilty.

I can't believe there's only one more episode left.

[Cress]

19 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

I guess I missed a bit, there.  I knew Bass Reeves worked the Oklahoma Indian Territory and environs, but I was lost when he appeared as I am familiar only with Battle Mountain, Nevada.

I'm sure they meant Battle Mountain, Nevada. Fogg did comment, "You're a long way from Oklahoma" and Bass responded that he was on special assignment to capture Abernathy. That's why he's so far out West. He'll probably head home after turning Abernathy over to authorities.

Regarding the horses, I kept thinking, "What did you do with Bass Reeves' horse? Did you hitch an extra horse to the stagecoach? Wouldn't that throw off their rhythm?" Maybe I should rewatch and count the horses.

[tkc]

1 hour ago, Cress said:

Regarding the horses, I kept thinking, "What did you do with Bass Reeves' horse?”

I thought that too, but then I remembered how hungry they were at the start of the episode…

I kid, I kid!!! 😉

Edited February 15, 2022 by tkc

[12catcrazy]

Good episode and thanks to all who mentioned that Abernathy was played by "Flambeau".  It was driving me nuts the entire episode trying to figure out where I'd seen that actor before.  Yes and his accent slipped a few times but that seems to be the case on so many of these British shows when they feature a British actor trying to play American in guest parts.  Seems as if they aren't able to pay for the "talent" that can do that in these small parts.  The actor who played Bass Reeves was good though. 

I'm wondering if there is some mystery with the female stagecoach shotgun rider?  She couldn't really be Estella?   Or was she just put there to flirt with Fogg so we could see his discomfort with it?   And I think that we will see Estella as part of the New York City leg of the trip.  Maybe Bellamy is in contact with her and will use her to win the bet?    

And not tying Bass Reeve's horse to the stagecoach bugged the hell out of me.  Horses were very valuable pieces of property back then (you could be hanged for stealing one) - no way, one would have been left behind.  Also, I didn't pick up on the show being filmed in Europe because of the horses' leg action but I kept thinking to myself that those were some really fancy horses for an old west stagecoach, and you also don't keep galloping horses forever or they'll drop from exhaustion.  I have to keep telling myself this is "fiction" and to just enjoy the obvious fantasy of it all.    Can't believe that it's almost over... 

[khyber]

19 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

I could barely understand what the American characters were saying, since I had no subtitles. I usually understand American accents better than British, except for southern accents - thankfully there's not a lot of them in shows that I watch.

I have a story from back in the 60s (yes I'm old). My Aunt's family was from New York, mine from Florida. One year the Aunt's family came to Florida for 3 or 4 months (I don't remember why) and my 8 year old cousin was enrolled in the local school. After the first day of school he came home and when queried by his parents about how his first day went, he replied that he couldn't understand the teacher because she didn't speak English. My Aunt went to the school the next day to discover that the teacher had a very strong Southern accent and to my Northern cousin it was not distinguishable as English. 😆  My only comparable experience was having a Scottish teacher in College. It took me about 2-3 weeks before I could understand her.

14 minutes ago, 12catcrazy said:

 And not tying Bass Reeve's horse to the stagecoach bugged the hell out of me.  Horses were very valuable pieces of property back then (you could be hanged for stealing one) - no way, one would have been left behind.  Also, I didn't pick up on the show being filmed in Europe because of the horses' leg action but I kept thinking to myself that those were some really fancy horses for an old west stagecoach, and you also don't keep galloping horses forever or they'll drop from exhaustion. 

I agree, they never would have left Bass's horse behind. He would have been taken with them. Also, you are correct about the galloping horses. That is why the Pony Express used staged horses. You could only gallop/canter for so long, then you would drop off the exhausted horse and switch to a fresh one for the next leg of the ride.  There are only 2 breeds of horses that I know that can gallop for long distances (say 25 miles), Arabs and Mustangs and those coach horses were neither.

[JPPT1974]

Really think that Fogg and Estella will meet up. It seems both are each other's true loves. BTW had to tape the show while watching the big game aka the Super Bowl in the USA for those of you in the rest of the world that did not know.

But really love the Marshal. He and Passepartout both were trying to find their place and both found each other's kindred spirits. Fix going BAMF as someone said. Really she must have had some training I guess LOL.

Love Fogg really being clumsy and showing character development there. Passepartout is the brawn, Fogg is the brain, and Abagail is the heart.

[sagittarius sue]

On 2/15/2022 at 9:14 AM, 12catcrazy said:

The actor who played Bass Reeves was good though. 

That actor is Gary Beadle who i have seen in the very different role of the persnickety Archdeacon Atubo in Grantchester.

[gingerella]

I saw Fogg looking at the postcard in the station hall, but has he been receiving postcards and I've just been asleep for those scenes?!?

[chitowngirl]

He had the “Coward” postcard in episode one. This one had no postmark so he doesn’t know where or who it was from. It spurred him to initiate the bet.