S01.E05: Ghost of Zebrina

[CountryGirl]

Quote

 After the shocking revelation of his brother's death, Spencer will travel to Montana with his wife, Alexandra. Meanwhile, the Duttons struggle to keep the ranch afloat back home, and Teonna ventures out on her own after fleeing the horrific boarding school.

Airdate: February 5, 2023

[LoveLeigh]

This episode is up so no need for spoiler tags... but I will just in case.

Spoiler

I am serious here. If they killed off Spencer and Alexandra on that capsized tugboat I am really angry. They were the only two whose story line intrigued me and they had phenomenal chemistry. So they are going to have the Dutton ancestry line advance with this child of Jack and Elizabeth? So disappointing. Maybe the ship they crashed into was not a ghost ship and they were rescued? 

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by LoveLeigh

[Snazzy Daisy]

OMG! Michael Greyeyes as Hank.

I love, love him! This is something to look forward to…😍

 

I have no doubt that Spencer and Alex will survive. I just hope that they will reach Montana earlier than episode 8. When Elsa said this will be Spencer’s last trip, I really wanna believe that he and Alex will have their happily ever after at the ranch.

Quote

“Our family is condemned to journey. Journey from Ireland to escape poverty. Journey from Tennessee to escape war. Journey from Kentucky to offer salvation. Journey from Africa to seek vengeance. Montana is the magnet now. It is the next journey. And for my young brother, it will be his last.”

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by SnazzyDaisy

[circumvent]

1 hour ago, SnazzyDaisy said:

“Our family is condemned to journey. Journey from Ireland to escape poverty. Journey from Tennessee to escape war. Journey from Kentucky to offer salvation. Journey from Africa to seek vengeance. Montana is the magnet now. It is the next journey. And for my young brother, it will be his last.”

Gee, whoever wrote this part of the script must have a book of platitudes to draw from. How cheesy! And it doesn't really say anything that it is not true for all things in life, despite all the words. 

[Thalia]

dammit, I wish this show had "next week" previews.  At least this wasn't episode 4 and we only need to wait until next week.  Like @SnazzyDaisy, I am fairly confident that Spencer and Alex will survive, mostly based on their prominence in the opening credits and storyline.  John Dutton I, RIP, was totally absent from the first and merely a blip in the second.  It does seem likely that Jack's baby will be JDII, named in honor of this father.  

But given the glacial movement of events in the show, I am also fairly confident that S.1 E.8's finally words will be:  Uncle Jacob.  Aunt Cara.  This is Alex.  My wife.  [cue to closing credits and a two year wait for the next season.]

Based on the calendar, and Evil McRichGuy's words, I think the next couple of episodes will focus on Cara and Co. trying to get the Yellowstone through the winter.  (Although I guess they break the monotony by going to the movies to see a western "Hey ain't that old Bob playing that cowboy?")  Spencer and Cara will be on the ghost ship hanging out until they are rescued by a Slow Boat to China, because hey, why not drag out the trip another year or so. 

Speaking of years, given that we are heading into Christmas and then the New Year, will they change the name of the show to 1924?   I haven't seen 1883 so I don't know if it took place in a single year.  

Cara, you are a mother, no matter what Emma said in grief.  And I was very happy for her when I knew she was going to get Spencer's telegram.  It appears that the only way she's known he is alive for the past few years is that her letters haven't been returned.  Although it has never been clear to me how she knew any address at all. 

To: Spencer Dutton, Brooding Former Soldier.  Address:  Wherever Danger Allows Him to Forget the War.  

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2023 by Thalia

[circumvent]

I am much more interested in Teonna's story than anything Dutton. Isn't there a Rain Water in Yellowstone? Now we have the connection.

What is that place where she was hiding? 

It would have given me great joy if she had gone for the priest, not to kill him, but to chop his dick off

So, the article that circulated a few weeks ago about Jack not having kids was just a red herring? Or what's her face will get pregnant and have a miscarriage every time? If so, then a miracle happened and Spencer and/or Alex will survive - Alex already pregnant.

I don't think that Sheridan would kill Spencer. He is supposed to be the "hot one", and we all know that male hotness is one of the pillars that sustain a show. Sheridan is smart enough to know that and cash in on the old formula. 

[LoveLeigh]

43 minutes ago, Thalia said:

Spencer and Cara will be on the ghost ship hanging out until they are rescued by a Slow Boat to China, because hey, why not drag out the trip another year or so.

They already passed one ghost ship. There was no indication this ship was also a ghost ship so I am hoping they crashed into a ship with people on it who saw the crash and saved them. If they are gone, I am done. The rest of this story line is generic and not even interesting except for Rainwater and the Indian school.

[Artsda]

Oh wow, hopefully the mayday helped.

[Snazzy Daisy]

6 hours ago, Thalia said:

I am fairly confident that Spencer and Alex will survive, mostly based on their prominence in the opening credits and storyline. 

Am worried about the tuberculosis though. Lucca was spitting, coughing a lot around them and he prepared their foods too.

Thinking about the blood on the pillow, Alex will probably get it from him. 😣

 

6 hours ago, Thalia said:

It does seem likely that Jack's baby will be JDII, named in honor of this father.  

Will Elizabeth be able to carry the pregnancy to term with her stomach injury?

 

[Haleth]

If Spencer and Alex died in the tugboat their whole storyline was pointless.  Surely the writers aren't so dumb as to waste half the season on characters who never even step foot on the Yellowstone ranch.  I won't continue to watch if that's the case.

15 hours ago, circumvent said:

What is that place where [Teonna] was hiding? 

Really!  What is that place?

15 hours ago, LoveLeigh said:

They already passed one ghost ship. There was no indication this ship was also a ghost ship

I thought it was the same creepy ship.  

16 hours ago, Thalia said:

(Although I guess they break the monotony by going to the movies to see a western "Hey ain't that old Bob playing that cowboy?")

Too funny!

15 hours ago, circumvent said:

He is supposed to be the "hot one"

Supposed to be?  I'd venture to say he definitely is the hot one. YMMV

[wlk68]

24 minutes ago, Haleth said:

If Spencer and Alex died in the tugboat their whole storyline was pointless.  Surely the writers aren't so dumb as to waste half the season on characters who never even step foot on the Yellowstone ranch.  I won't continue to watch if that's the case.

Really!  What is that place?

I thought it was the same creepy ship.  

Too funny!

Supposed to be?  I'd venture to say he definitely is the hot one. YMMV

Spencer is definitely the hot one. That man is sex on a stick. 🔥🔥🔥

Edited February 6, 2023 by wlk68

[circumvent]

1 hour ago, wlk68 said:

Spencer is definitely the hot one. That man is sex on a stick

Eyes of the beholder

[Magnumfangirl]

2 hours ago, wlk68 said:

Spencer is definitely the hot one.

Not only is he the hot one, his story with Alex is the only interesting thing on the show.  The stuff in Montana is just a bunch of miserable people being miserable!  Generally, I'm a fan of westerns, but the Hemingway-esque African adventure/romance is a better story than the usual western shenangans.

[Sheggy50G]

Teonna is supposed to be in the Badlands. Badlands National Park is located in South Dakota and is 540 miles from Montana.

This a picture from the Badlands:

Edited February 6, 2023 by Sheggy50G

[katenm]

Peter Stomare, the tugboat captain, was the highlight of the episode for me. That said, Teonna's story is the most interesting to me. 

[roughing it]

6 hours ago, Haleth said:

21 hours ago, LoveLeigh said:

They already passed one ghost ship. There was no indication this ship was also a ghost ship

I thought it was the same creepy ship.  

I thought it was the same ghost ship too.  Lucca told Spencer and Alex that a previous encounter with a ghost ship was that it kept following him.

[CountryGirl]

I squealed out loud seeing Michael Greyeyes as Hank. He has long been a fave.

[blackwing]

I truly don't understand what the point of including John Sr and Emma in this show was.  He got killed after saying only about 10 words.  She got depressed and killed herself.  And the family doesn't even seem to care.  I've said it before and I will say it again... Taylor Sheridan is a shit writer and a shit show producer.  Don't you think that Jack would have grieved for his father?  We didn't see any scenes at all of Jack crying about his dad getting shot.  He was just focused on Elizabeth.  His mom was going to bury his dad on her own.  Shouldn't Jack have been there to help her?  Even if he only had one good arm at the time, he should at least have been there.  Shouldn't we have seen some scenes of Jack comforting his mom and the two of them having a cry about John?  Instead, from the way she talked, it's like he has completely ignored her and didn't even talk to her.  Surely he can't be that much of a dick.  Terrible writing.

At first I thought the ship that hit the tug might have been the Mauretania, the ship that Spencer asked to send the cable.  But the ship that hit them seemed too old.  I think it should be implied that it was the same ship from earlier in the episode, but how?  That ship is abandoned and drifting.  I get that it is massive, but the tug was actually using its engines for at least 6 hours, I don't think it seems possible that the ghost ship could catch up in less than three hours if it was just drifting.  The tug's engines weren't on but it should have drifted as well in the same direction.

23 hours ago, circumvent said:

So, the article that circulated a few weeks ago about Jack not having kids was just a red herring? Or what's her face will get pregnant and have a miscarriage every time? If so, then a miracle happened and Spencer and/or Alex will survive - Alex already pregnant.

I don't think that Sheridan would kill Spencer. He is supposed to be the "hot one", and we all know that male hotness is one of the pillars that sustain a show. Sheridan is smart enough to know that and cash in on the old formula. 

I am confused as well.  Supposedly that Esquire article talked to Paramount and Paramount confirmed that Jack would not have children.  Why would they lie about that?

So much confusion and irritation caused by Elsa drawling out that only one of her father's children would live to see their children grown.  I'm equally irritated by Ghost Elsa's pronouncement that "for my little brother, the journey will be his last".  Why?  I want to throttle Ghost Elsa.  I get this is supposed to make us go "ohs noes!  Elsa said it would be his last journey and the episode ended with his boat destroyed!  He's dead!  Elsa you are so smart and prophetic!"

Still loathing the Elsa narration, it is completely extraneous but I get that Sheridan thinks of himself as this amazing craft storyteller.  Ugh.  It would be so much better if Cara was the narrator. 

2 hours ago, Sheggy50G said:

Teonna is supposed to be in the Badlands. Badlands National Park is located in South Dakota and is 540 miles from Montana.

This a picture from the Badlands:

It did look like the Badlands, but there's no way Teonna have been able to go 500 miles on foot in one night.  She killed the two nuns and ran away and their deaths were discovered the next morning.

Edited February 6, 2023 by blackwing

[bunnyblue]

I'm glad Cara finally got the news she's been waiting for - Spencer's on his way home. Although I assume with Timothy Dalton's foreshadowing about Cara begging him to buy the ranch come Spring, Spencer won't show up at the ranch until Spring 1924 just as things are bleakest for the Duttons. 

I think Cara & Jacob are making a mistake in expecting Spencer to ride in and be their savior, and thereby underestimating an angry Jack. Now that Jack has grown that comically villainous goatee, I can't help but wonder if he and Spencer will clash once they're both on the ranch. I certainly don't expect things to go swimmingly between Jack/Elizabeth & Spencer/Alex when/if they all reside on the ranch.

I knew Teonna's cousin was going to pay the price for staying, and I absolutely hated watching her get beat and (I assume) killed. I need that priest to meet a horrific & painful end, but I won't hold my breath. I can't believe that there aren't at least a few decent nuns or priests at that school who sympathize with the girls enough to stand up to the abuse. It's so frustrating to watch.

While I'm glad Teonna found someone who can help her, I suspect the school will catch up to them and Henry will suffer for helping her out. 

I'm starting to get annoyed with the perils of Spencer & Alex, and I hope this shipwreck is the last obstacle they face on their way to Montana. Now it's starting to feel like an unnecessary stall, and if either one contracts whatever the tugboat captain had (TB?) further delaying their journey, I'll throw something at the TV. 

Emma's blink-and-you-miss-it death was even worse than John's. These 2 really got the shaft from the writers. Only Margaret dying in a snow bank (offscreen) is worse. 

 

[katenm]

What a waste of James Badge Dale.

[RedDelicious]

On rewatch, the tug captain told Spencer that the current in the channel holds the ghost ship (in a pattern) so presumably it just follows the way the water goes. It’s conceivable that when the engines died on the tug it was drawn into the same current. Also when they were passing the ship, there was a flash of ladder rungs going right up the side so I presume that’s how Spencer and Alexandra don’t die. I enjoyed the episode and agree that Spencer is sex on a stick. I so would.

[circumvent]

13 hours ago, blackwing said:

Taylor Sheridan is a shit writer and a shit show producer.

He is becoming a Dick Wolf of modern western. Big franchises and a lot of action that don't need to make sense. Dick has New York as a background. Sheridan has Montana. But the concept is the same. Good writing is not even a factor. 

 

13 hours ago, blackwing said:

It did look like the Badlands, but there's no way Teonna have been able to go 500 miles on foot in one night.  She killed the two nuns and ran away and their deaths were discovered the next morning.

Do we know where the residential school is? I don't remember if it was established. 

13 hours ago, bunnyblue said:

I absolutely hated watching her get beat and (I assume) killed.

I am sure she was killed. They were carrying a body wrapped in a sheet to throw on a grave. I don't think the nuns would be buried like that. They also showed only one grave and one body in that scene, a supposedly unmarked grave, not a cemetery on the side of the church. The church is full of rituals and they would have followed them for the two women

13 hours ago, bunnyblue said:

While I'm glad Teonna found someone who can help her, I suspect the school will catch up to them and Henry will suffer for helping her out. 

I don't know, I guess she will find some refuge at least for a while. I think the priest will be her forever foe, but not bring her back to the school

6 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

On rewatch, the tug captain told Spencer that the current in the channel holds the ghost ship (in a pattern) so presumably it just follows the way the water goes. It’s conceivable that when the engines died on the tug it was drawn into the same current. Also when they were passing the ship, there was a flash of ladder rungs going right up the side so I presume that’s how Spencer and Alexandra don’t die

I thought it was the same boat too because it would be too silly to have two ghost boats showing up, one right after the other. But if they somehow climbed and got into the ship - is that what you meant? - then they are just adrift in a boat going nowhere. Even if they pass by another ship that could save them, I imagine it would be hard for people to see them inside a big abandoned ship and rescue them. But I don't think they were killed. Not even Sheridan would kill half of his cast in the half season mark. He needs "hot on a stick" guy to keep firing up the ladies at home 😉 (even if the stick that lacks personality)

[RedDelicious]

8 hours ago, circumvent said:

I thought it was the same boat too because it would be too silly to have two ghost boats showing up, one right after the other. But if they somehow climbed and got into the ship - is that what you meant? - then they are just adrift in a boat going nowhere. Even if they pass by another ship that could save them, I imagine it would be hard for people to see them inside a big abandoned ship and rescue them. But I don't think they were killed. Not even Sheridan would kill half of his cast in the half season mark. He needs "hot on a stick" guy to keep firing up the ladies at home 😉 (even if the stick that lacks personality)

I mean if the stick looks like that I don't care if he doesn't talk, it's probably even better 😆 But ya I'm thinking they manage to get off the tugboat and climb up the ladder of the ghost ship and potentially use the radio, and if not Spencer did manage to get a mayday out to a nearby rig before things got real. They're both fit and she's allegedly tougher than she looks so here's hoping. I need Spencer to get home and show Banner how it's done! Spencer's the modern day Kayce minus the wife in the shower.

[Affogato]

I thought Harrison Ford did an impressive job of physical acting in this one, and his awareness that he may survive his injuries but not overcome them is palpable. Cora's watching him on the stairs and realizing, too, that he may not come back to himself, was a moment worth watching. She is terrified of standing on her own.

I'm seeing Cora as a woman who is strong and capable, but who has always acted with the support of man standing behind her. I think this is a story about her coming into her own and becoming a leader, out of necessity. She is clearly hoping to avoid this when Spencer comes, and I'm guessing Spencer is not the leader she is looking for, army experience or no. I realize Sheridan is not much of a feminist, but I can hope, if for no other reason than Helen Mirrin did take the part!

I suppose Spencer and Alex could both have survived (and climbed the ghost boat?, be floating on a lifeboat? ), Alex's death could devastate Spencer, Alex could survive without Spencer and be pregnant.  I'm guessing they won't show up for a while, though, and not be a boatload (heh) of help when they do.

[Rapunzel]

14 hours ago, circumvent said:

Do we know where the residential school is? I don't remember if it was established. 

They mentioned at one point it was in the Dakotas. 

On 2/6/2023 at 11:52 AM, blackwing said:

It did look like the Badlands, but there's no way Teonna have been able to go 500 miles on foot in one night.  She killed the two nuns and ran away and their deaths were discovered the next morning.

When the priest was told that Teonna was going home, he said there is no way she would make the 400 miles home, especially having to go through the Badlands. The Badlands are about 550 miles from Bozeman, MT (roughly the same as the distance to Yellowstone National Park), but that is using today’s roads and going around a lot rather than going through, like Keonna seemed to be doing.  
 

I don’t get the appeal of Spencer. The mustache kind of ruins it as does the stereotypical broody war hero who tried to run from his demons and then meets the clichéd rebellious rich girl who wants to be fiercely independent (though with a man by her side) to prove something to her family. The whole thing is a bit too stereotypical and predictable for me. I want to see what Spencer can do when he’s back on the ranch. I hope there’s not a period of him retreating into some kind of PTSD from the war and have to be reminded by his family why they need to fight so hard to keep all that land, as we are constantly reminded of every week. That land is everything to the Duttons, and with so few of them you wonder a bit why they are obsessed with having so much of it. They claim they keep it safe, but it belonged to the Rainwaters before the Duttons even knew it existed.

[CrystalBlue]

Agree about not getting the appeal of Spencer though I suppose he's pretty to look at for his age group.  I was immediately turned off of him with the safari hunting storyline to begin with.  Alex is just a drippy broad who runs off with some eye candy for adventure.

[Snazzy Daisy]

6 details you might have missed in the latest episode of '1923'

• Spencer has wasted no time in starting his journey back to Montana. He tries to book passage on a ship sailing on November 11, which is actually less than three months after his brother John died.

• Teonna wakes up after her night sleeping outside surrounded by sheep. They appear to be the same flock that the Duttons gave the Broken Rock tribe in episode three.

• Hank tells Teonna not to go to Canada as it is "worse" for Indigenous people, something that actor Michael Greyeyes knows personally because his parents were forced to attend residential schools there.

• The episode features a few historical inaccuracies related to the cruise liners referenced.

• It's not clear what Lucca died of but if it's anything infectious, Spencer and Alexandra could be in danger.

• The episode is dedicated to the memory of Derek Chavez, a member of the 1923  crew who died earlier this year.

 

[CrystalBlue]

Lucca could have had an advanced and untreated case of bronchitis rather than the suspected tuberculosis, but for drama purposes Spencer and Alex could become ill and take it to Montana with them.  Funny they didn't say anything to Lucca or each other about it.

[RedDelicious]

2 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

Lucca could have had an advanced and untreated case of bronchitis rather than the suspected tuberculosis, but for drama purposes Spencer and Alex could become ill and take it to Montana with them.  Funny they didn't say anything to Lucca or each other about it.

Ain’t nobody got time for that!

[rhygirl720]

If I can survive the red wedding, I can survive the Ghost of Zebrina ! I don't expect nice things from Sheridan; however, the whole Africa story would be a total waste of time if Spencer does not make it. Alex, I guess we will see. I'm not as sure, but I can't imagine she is not the direct ancestor of Beth. As far as the 7nth generation debate It is completely possible that Tate's children are that generation. Imagine he could wed a native woman and that would be endgame. Taylor call me.

[blackwing]

1 hour ago, rhygirl720 said:

If I can survive the red wedding, I can survive the Ghost of Zebrina ! I don't expect nice things from Sheridan; however, the whole Africa story would be a total waste of time if Spencer does not make it. Alex, I guess we will see. I'm not as sure, but I can't imagine she is not the direct ancestor of Beth. As far as the 7nth generation debate It is completely possible that Tate's children are that generation. Imagine he could wed a native woman and that would be endgame. Taylor call me.

I would assume they make it, if they don't, then I agree that all of the time spent on them would have been useless.  However, we have Stupid Ghost Elsa's solemn proclamation that "for my little brother, the journey will be his last".  Sheridan obviously wanted viewers to think "oh no, Elsa says he won't make it".  But I guess it could be interpreted to mean, he journeys home, makes it home, but after that, there will be no more journeys.

If he ends up being John's grandfather, then based on Stupid Ghost Elsa's other bombshell, he doesn't live to see his child become an adult.  So things aren't looking too good for Spence.  Either 1) he dies and doesn't make it to Montana, 2) he makes it to Montana, Alexandra has their baby, and he dies shortly after, 3) he makes it to Montana, they have a kid, and he dies within 18 years, or 4) he makes it to Montana, they don't have children, he lives out the rest of his days as a rancher and runs the ranch alongside Jack and Jack's kid.

I think he'd be perfectly content with #4, but it doesn't seem to me that Sheridan would give him that ending, there's not enough drama in it.

As far as whether Alex is the ancestor of Beth, I think that's what we are supposed to think.  Alex is strong-willed just like Beth, etc.  But this episode also seemed to purposely give us a "hey hold on, Elizabeth is just as feisty and strong" when she demanded that Jack treat her better.

Or..... after Spencer dies, and after Elizabeth dies from pregnancy complications, and the family is left with no heir... maybe Jake and Cara adopt a grown ass man and rename him "John Dutton II".  At this point, I wouldn't put anything past Sheridan.

[CrystalBlue]

Spencer very well could land on Montana soil, albeit sick coughing up blood because he contracted TB from Capt. Lucca.  Miraculously Alex doesn't get it although that's unlikely since the lovebirds would have been in close contact.  Maybe Spence recovers from TB in a sanitarium hospital or under doctor's and Cara's care on the ranch in all that fresh big sky air.  Alex succumbs to it or dies from something else, or runs away with yet another man!

Agree that Ghost Elsa's last journey proclamation is just that.  Spencer stays in MT dead or alive.

[sandwoman]

The mid-season preview did show 

Spoiler

Spencer about to shoot a shark, shirtless on top of an overturned boat. So... they'll live. 

This is such a strangely paced show. I found the whole speech that Elizabeth gave Jack so strange. So much telling and not showing. So presentational. Also, I guess her injury is all better? Everything always feels so first draft to me, especially with the younger actors. You see how Helen, Harrison, Timothy Dalton and Peter Stomare are worth every penny because they can make anything feel believable and interesting.

[CountryGirl]

Helen and Harrison are my main reason to watch.

Okay, okay, so I'm enjoying the eye-candy that is Brandon's Spencer. #shallow

[Affogato]

32 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

Helen and Harrison are my main reason to watch.

Okay, okay, so I'm enjoying the eye-candy that is Brandon's Spencer. #shallow

I really find Spencer forgettable. I do think Timothy Dalton has actually improved a lot with age, maybe not naked, but I like his face better now.

[wlk68]

45 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

Helen and Harrison are my main reason to watch.

Okay, okay, so I'm enjoying the eye-candy that is Brandon's Spencer. #shallow

I also came for Harrison and Helen. And I will join you in the shallow end of the pool. 😎

[sandwoman]

Yes, Helen and Harrison are the reasons we decided to tune it. And I kind of adore Timothy Dalton. Between Penny Dreadful and Doom Patrol and Toy Story (he's a great voice actor), he always adds a special something.

[blackwing]

1 hour ago, sandwoman said:

This is such a strangely paced show. I found the whole speech that Elizabeth gave Jack so strange. So much telling and not showing. So presentational. Also, I guess her injury is all better? Everything always feels so first draft to me, especially with the younger actors. You see how Helen, Harrison, Timothy Dalton and Peter Stomare are worth every penny because they can make anything feel believable and interesting.

The writing is terrible.  Only the veteran actors are rising above it.  I'm reserving judgment on whether Brandon Sklenar is a good actor or not.  His character is written as so one-dimensional, it's really not difficult to act monotone and sullen.

I think the younger actors aren't great.  Especially Jack.  This actor is terrible.  I don't know what kind of accent he thinks he is doing, but it's very Southern sounding to me.  This character is supposed to have been born and raised in Montana.  Elizabeth isn't great.  And I feel like the actress playing Alexandra thinks she is giving an Emmy-caliber performance but I just find her so languid and irritating.  I think she lost me with her stupid screaming in the tree in Africa.

[LoveLeigh]

2 hours ago, sandwoman said:

Yes, Helen and Harrison are the reasons we decided to tune it. And I kind of adore Timothy Dalton. Between Penny Dreadful and Doom Patrol and Toy Story (he's a great voice actor), he always adds a special something.

It is strange because I never gravitate to any film or TV show based on who is in it. Never. I am drawn to a story. As a matter of fact, I find famous actors a total distraction and a film with unknowns is more believable.

[Dixie Sugarbaker]

I didn’t think Spencer was a big game Hunter as much as he was hired to hunt wildlife that were hunting the people building the railroad. He never seemed like he wanted to kill, he just wanted to protect people.

[Affogato]

9 minutes ago, Dixie Sugarbaker said:

I didn’t think Spencer was a big game Hunter as much as he was hired to hunt wildlife that were hunting the people building the railroad. He never seemed like he wanted to kill, he just wanted to protect people.

He was a big game hunter by profession, not a hobby. 

[RedDelicious]

I thought he was a sniper/sharpshooter in the army. 

[Rapunzel]

9 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

I thought he was a sniper/sharpshooter in the army. 

In flashbacks they show him operating a machine gun in the heat of battle. I don’t know that they defined his role so specifically, just that he seemed to be a good shot, knew his way around weapons, good under pressure, good leader, etc. Basically your all around “war hero” who is now understandably troubled by what he experienced. 

Edited February 12, 2023 by Rapunzel

[circumvent]

On 2/10/2023 at 5:45 PM, blackwing said:

I think the younger actors aren't great.  Especially Jack.  This actor is terrible.  I don't know what kind of accent he thinks he is doing, but it's very Southern sounding to me.  This character is supposed to have been born and raised in Montana.  Elizabeth isn't great.  And I feel like the actress playing Alexandra thinks she is giving an Emmy-caliber performance but I just find her so languid and irritating. 

I agree. None of them are even memorable. I had never heard of them and will probably forget them pretty soon. I am pretty sure if you show me a movie or series with any of them, and don't mention they are in it I will not be able to recognize their faces.

The accent is something I noticed when I watched Yellowstone. It does sound southern but I don't really know how Montana accent is supposed t sound. I guess they link cowboy and Texas and just go for Texan accent - not sure if it is a good Texas accent either. 

Alexandra overacts. Too cutesy, too perky, too much.

Jack and Elizabeth are meh. Nothing that makes them attractive as characters

Spencer is broody and, as observed, one-dimensional. The actor must be leaning too much into his looks, which doesn't attract me at all - I am old, and also think his face is uninteresting.

I don't know how long the team of good actors, the old timers, can keep this show in a level that makes me want to keep watching. I stopped watching Yellowstone because the only worthy acting was Kevin Costner's, and the son who was in American Beauty (to a certain extent). TV is a writer's medium. Talent alone cannot sustain a show. Not even Helen Mirren can save bad writing forever.

Besides, I need more from this show since I hate 99% of the characters. Still undecided about the other 1%

[Rapunzel]

Posted in wrong week - moved to Ep. 6

Edited February 14, 2023 by Rapunzel
Posted in wrong week - moved to Ep. 6

[magdalene]

On 2/11/2023 at 6:29 PM, Dixie Sugarbaker said:

I didn’t think Spencer was a big game Hunter as much as he was hired to hunt wildlife that were hunting the people building the railroad. He never seemed like he wanted to kill, he just wanted to protect people.

I agree.  When we first meet Spencer in Africa his character reminded me of Val Kilmer in the movie The Ghost and the Darkness. I hope I am remembering the title right. It's based on a true story of Kilmer's character being hired to hunt down two ferocious man eater lions.  Basically, Spencer is hired for the same reasons. We only see him kill the animals who are a danger to the populace and for self defense.  I am actually totally against big game hunting for sport. You don't want to know what I wish they would have done to that American dentist who illegally killed a famous and protected lion for the trophy, or the assholes who kill elephants for profit. If it was up to me they would get severely punished for it.

I do like Spencer and Alex a lot, I guess I watch mostly for them and I think they have real chemistry. I am a sucker for expats in love stories.

I can't stand the Indian school story.  I don't doubt the truth of it but the way it's presented is pure torture porn to me.

[pasdetrois]

On 2/6/2023 at 2:04 PM, CountryGirl said:

I squealed out loud seeing Michael Greyeyes as Hank. He has long been a fave.

Me too. Although I think he lost his hat and Abbott Elementary's Gregory found it.

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there's no way Teonna have been able to go 500 miles on foot in one night.

Sheridan gave her magical Indian flying powers. Seriously, I'm glad she got away, because I'm sick of the school violence porn.

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I can't believe that there aren't at least a few decent nuns or priests at that school who sympathize with the girls enough to stand up to the abuse. It's so frustrating to watch.

They all were indoctrinated in racist hatred for the heathens. However there are stories about some who were kind. I've read a few books about native women who said they benefitted from the schools and chose to remain in White society afterward.

Sheridan must have been fantasizing about a madcap Carole Lombard when he wrote Alex's story. All those saucy bon mots as she faces dilemmas.

Thirty years ago a friend showed me a huge US Navy ghost fleet in Virginia waters. They were mostly WWII ships, quietly rusting away under the sun and rain. They were anchored, and we rode through them on a tiny motorboat.  I think they are all removed now.

Edited March 11, 2023 by pasdetrois

[circumvent]

On 3/11/2023 at 12:31 PM, pasdetrois said:

They all were indoctrinated in racist hatred for the heathens. However there are stories about some who were kind. I've read a few books about native women who said they benefitted from the schools and chose to remain in White society afterward.

They were only "nice" in the sense that they believed they were saving souls of "wild beasts". There is not "nice racist". As for Indigenous Peoples who chose to remain in white society, that's the definition of brainwashing, so not a real choice, just compliance. Maybe a matter of survival. It happens a lot with abused people, like victims of domestic violence who "choose" to stay with their abusers. 

[millennium]

On 2/6/2023 at 3:04 PM, bunnyblue said:

I'm starting to get annoyed with the perils of Spencer & Alex, and I hope this shipwreck is the last obstacle they face on their way to Montana. Now it's starting to feel like an unnecessary stall,

The tugboat jumped a shark at the same moment it collided with the Zebrina.    Rushing home from halfway across the world while knowing your family is being decimated is harrowing in and of itself.   The story doesn't need cheap thrills like the tugboat collision.   The writers should have time-jumped Spencer arriving in America and moved on with the main story.

I really can't stand Alex.   Hopefully she drowns.

Don't much like Jack either.

When Spencer and Alex were navigating the claustrophobic alleys of the African port, I expected someone to point to his hat and say "Hey, Indiana Jones!", to which Spencer would reply, "No, he's in Montana."