S06.E01: The Eagle and the Osprey

[2727]

A bank robbery ends in a shooting, giving Sawyer more leverage against Walt. When Henry goes missing, Cady tells Walt about a disturbing vision.

[Clanstarling]

Thank you for creating an episode topic!

[Paloma]

My husband and I have been waiting eagerly for Longmire's return, but this episode felt like it was jumping the shark a bit, or at least being unnecessarily melodramatic. Not only did Henry survive for days with the sun beating down on him and no water, but when Walt finally finds him and figures out a way to drag him back to get help, Walt gets bitten by a rattlesnake and still manages to drag him an apparently long distance without collapsing from the effects of the bite. 

Then there is that awful Marilyn, who is willing to shoot the bad guys torturing Henry but gives him some nonsense about letting the spirits help him to justify her refusal to free him or even give him water. And then takes Walt to Henry but disappears taking the water Henry so desperately needs. And I understand that Walt won't carry a cell phone and in any case it wouldn't help in the desert, but why wouldn't he carry his own water when searching for Henry in the desert? My husband and I take water bottles when we go for a 1-hour walk in the woods!

Oh, and who the heck shot the rattlesnake that was next to Henry? Obviously it wasn't dead Hector. I guess we are supposed to go with the "spirits" helping him, but while having visions/hallucinations is believable, having a supernatural explanation for killing the rattlesnake is not.

Despite my complaints, this show is still a lot better than most series and we will probably binge the rest of the season in the next few days, but I hope the rest of the episodes are more realistic.

[2727]

I didn't think the pacing on this ep was bad, exactly, but I was so anxious about Henry that it felt like forever for him to be rescued. Was the makeup department trying to save on supplies or something? Henry's skin should have been much more blistered and oozing after 2-3 days staked out under the sun.

There definitely need to be some legal consequences for Marilyn, even if it's just a couple sentences from Walt that he had handed the case over to the Tribal Police.

I'll try not to make a habit of this, but: Not Enough Mathias!

Edited November 18, 2017 by 2727

[Kohola3]

Quote

Oh, and who the heck shot the rattlesnake that was next to Henry? 

And if the rattlesnake was still there, where was the medicine bag that Mingan gave him?  I'd have to go back and see about the snake. After Hector shot it, there was a definite bullet hole in it.  Later, I'm not sure if it did.  Maybe it just died conveniently next to Henry?  Confusing.

[Clanstarling]

4 hours ago, 2727 said:

I didn't think the pacing on this ep was bad, exactly, but I was so anxious about Henry that it felt like forever for him to be rescued. Was the makeup department trying to save on supplies or something? Henry's skin should have been much more blistered and oozing after 2-3 days staked out under the sun.

There definitely need to be some legal consequences for Marilyn, even if it's just a couple sentences from Walt that he had handed the case over to the Tribal Police.

I'll try not to make a habit of this, but: Not Enough Mathias!

It did feel like forever (I think he went through two or three nights during the episode - I'm not sure). I thought the makeup was pretty good - and if he should have looked worse, I'm glad they didn't go for quite that much reality.

Yeah, the Marilyn thing was weird. She killed the guys (though I'm not sure she admitted that in words to Longmire - who didn't have authority on the rez anyway). But her eagle/osprey, let the spirits help you deal was a bit much.

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

And if the rattlesnake was still there, where was the medicine bag that Mingan gave him?  I'd have to go back and see about the snake. After Hector shot it, there was a definite bullet hole in it.  Later, I'm not sure if it did.  Maybe it just died conveniently next to Henry?  Confusing.

Now that you mention it, I don't remember if the snake had a bullet hole when Longmire came, or not. The show is playing around a lot with mysticism - what with Cady's visions and Henry's. For a while I even thought Marilyn was dead too and part of his visions. When Hector showed up, he spilled lots of pieces of papers - the pleas from people who needed help. They weren't there (though they could have been blown away), but the rattlesnake was. 

As you pointed out, Henry's medicine bag wasn't there either. It is confusing. I think we did actually see Hector's body - unlike Malachi's reputed death. So I don't know what to make of it either.

Was it just me, or did anyone else think the clerk, the video guy, and possibly the guard, were in on the robbery? They seemed sketchy to me, and not just in an eager to make money off of being in the right place at the right time sort of way. When Walt was mapping out the cowboy's crimes, I think I missed whether he was saying that they were a day's drive from Provo, so it might have been the authentic "cowboy", or that they were not, so it might be an imitator. 

Edited November 18, 2017 by Clanstarling

[Kohola3]

Quote

I thought the makeup was pretty good - and if he should have looked worse, I'm glad they didn't go for quite that much reality.

Made me go find some chapstick and a glass of water.

 

30 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

Now that you mention it, I don't remember if the snake had a bullet hole when Longmire came, or not.

I re-watched that part and it does not appear to have a hole it, at least from the angle shown. And they were very careful to show it.  All of the Hector letters and the medicine bag had disappeared as well.  Just not sure how that darned snake bit the dust right next to Henry.

We saw Hector die so he was definitely a spirit or hallucination as was Mingan.  Was Marilyn?  She sure disappeared without a puff of smoke in that big open country!  On the other hand, her bullets were quite real.

Spirits, spirits everywhere!

Edited November 18, 2017 by Kohola3
Had another thought.

[madam magpie]

59 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

Was it just me, or did anyone else think the clerk, the video guy, and possibly the guard, were in on the robbery?

I did! I was convinced the blogger and the clerk were in on it. 

I thought this episode was fine, but the water thing was dumb. A Wyoming sheriff is eight miles from civilization looking for an injured guy and he tells no one where he’s going and doesn’t bring any water or even a walker-talkie? Come on! He didn’t even have any water in his truck?? I live in a city, and even I’ve got water in my car.

I think the snake next to Henry was dead, wasn’t it? I didn’t see a bullet joke, but it didn’t move at all. The one that bit Walt was a different one.

Is Donna just gone now?? I liked her.

Edited November 18, 2017 by madam magpie

[Kohola3]

19 minutes ago, madam magpie said:

I think the snake next to Henry was dead, wasn’t it? I didn’t see a bullet joke, but it didn’t move at all. The one that bit Walt was a different one.

Yeah, the one next to Henry was dead but how?  Hector shot it but if he was a spirit then how did it really die?  In the close up after Hector appeared, it clearly had a bullet hole in it.  When Walt arrived and there was a close up, there was no hole apparent.  Died of old age?

20 minutes ago, madam magpie said:

Is Donna just gone now?? I liked her.

Yep,  I loved them together.  They just had so much chemistry.  He even put his hat on her in one scene and he's never done that with Vic.

21 minutes ago, madam magpie said:

He didn’t even have any water in his truck??

Yeah, he carries all kinds of stuff in there like fishing line to sew up wounded deputies but not water.  Although I suppose he might have had some and they just didn't show him giving it to Henry once they arrived.  What was odd was having Marilyn lug two canteens and he didn't carry anything.  So when she disappeared, so did the water.

[Netfoot]

If I were Henry, I'd go around to Marilyn's house and pistol-whip her to within an inch of her life.  And months from now, when she is gets released from hospital, I'd go back and pistol-whip her again!

Walt must be getting old, though, because I saw that rattler coming 5-10 seconds before Walt went near it!

[Kohola3]

5 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

Walt must be getting old, though, because I saw that rattler coming 5-10 seconds before Walt went near it!

Yeah, that was pretty much a given.  Under a rock in the heat?  Who would have thunk it....

[MaryPatShelby]

12 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Was it just me, or did anyone else think the clerk, the video guy, and possibly the guard, were in on the robbery? They seemed sketchy to me, and not just in an eager to make money off of being in the right place at the right time sort of way. 

I thought the teller and security guard were in on it, especially when Vic and Walt started talking about a copycat.  I'm kind of annoyed that it didn't turn out that way!

[Kohola3]

The clerk seemed to be too ditzy to be involved; seemed like a total airhead.  The whole Valley Girl Speak with the "dead shark eyes" thing was all for the blogger - instant fame on YouTube.  Plus I am speculating that Cowboy Bill is a recurring theme this season. Just a guess, though, as I have only seen the first two episodes.

[Clanstarling]

I think you are right about the Cowboy Bill becoming a recurring theme. There was too much set up and not enough resolution for it to be a one off.

I still think the clerk could have been involved - not as the ringleader, certainly. She said "please don't shoot me"  without a lot of fear in her voice, lied  that he had a gun, and tried to steal the note.

I originally thought the guard was involved, but after thinking on it, I think that in addition to the blogger looking for success,  the guy who was distracting the guard at the ATM machine. may be part of it too.

Though why the guard would lie to them about how the shooting went down is puzzling. The store owner who did had some of the heft of Cowboy Bill, but I'm not sure he'd have had time to change his clothes (or did he only have to take off his hat and coat? - I didn't look at his shoes.)

I haven't watched any other episode (to completion) yet, so it's just speculation. 

[Kohola3]

9 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

Though why the guard would lie to them about how the shooting went down is puzzling.

In times of stress we sometimes don't take in as much as we think we do or think we should. It makes us look stupid if we aren't aware of all of the details. It was just easier for him, and made him seem more observant, to just agree with the story being told.  Just my thoughts on it.

Since Cowboy Bill has such a wide range for his robberies, I don't believe he comes from Durant.  

[Gothish520]

On 11/18/2017 at 5:26 AM, 2727 said:

I'll try not to make a habit of this, but: Not Enough Mathias!

Never enough Mathias! Love him, especially his scenes with Walt. 

[Kohola3]

Hopefully Mathias is in every episode this season.  At least that's more than in the past.  I'm glad that he was sincerely worried about Henry since their relationship has been adversarial in the past.   I re-watched all of the past seasons and at the beginning, he was a real pill!

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

Hopefully Mathias is in every episode this season.  At least that's more than in the past.  I'm glad that he was sincerely worried about Henry since their relationship has been adversarial in the past.   I re-watched all of the past seasons and at the beginning, he was a real pill!

I think their experience with the boy (whose name I forget) who killed himself really connected them. 

In the early seasons, he had a reason to be such a pill, but I'm glad they gave him more to work with. Have you seen the actor in Fargo? He's a bit more like early Matthias, with a twist. 

Edited November 22, 2017 by Clanstarling

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I actually thought they would drag out Walt finding Henry for a couple of episodes so I was just glad that he found him in the first episode!

I love that even when Henry is dehydrated within an inch of his life, he's still sassing Walt, telling him he needs to get a cell phone and asking the kid in the backseat question, "Are we there yet?"

On 11/18/2017 at 7:41 AM, Kohola3 said:

We saw Hector die so he was definitely a spirit or hallucination as was Mingan.  Was Marilyn?  She sure disappeared without a puff of smoke in that big open country!  On the other hand, her bullets were quite real.

Marilyn was definitely real because she then led Walt straight to Henry.

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Marilyn was definitely real because she then led Walt straight to Henry.

She did lead Walt there but then she vanished in wide open country in seconds.  Maybe she was a spirit sent to save Henry as well.  It's not like she could dash away without being seen.  Henry certainly needed a spirit to help at that point!

[Clanstarling]

Yeah, I kept waiting for someone to go back to Marilyn's camp and find her body or something. They did a nifty job of making us (and Henry) question what was real (as in physical) and what wasn't.

[LakeGal]

I was really upset with Marilyn in this episode.  She should be charged with something.  Walt had to give her money to even help Henry.  I believe it was the money Walt got when he closed out his bank account?  

I found it strange that Henry was in the desert near death.  But yet no rodents or vultures came along while he was dying and there were dead men surrounding him.  But later Walt finds Henry by seeing the vultures circling him.  Where were those birds earlier?

I was suspecting the bank guard's wife of being in on the shooting.  She seemed so emotional about him being shot when she approached the mayor and everyone on the street.  Yet later she was not at the hospital sitting with her hubby.  That just seemed off to me.  Where was the wife?

[Paloma]

1 hour ago, LakeGal said:

I found it strange that Henry was in the desert near death.  But yet no rodents or vultures came along while he was dying and there were dead men surrounding him.  But later Walt finds Henry by seeing the vultures circling him.  Where were those birds earlier?

It wasn't clear how much time went by between the men being killed by Marilyn and Walt seeing the vultures, but I'm going to assume it takes a certain amount of time (a day, 2 days?) before dead bodies become appealing to vultures. Or, you know, more inconsistent writing.

[Kohola3]

Actually, it was ravens circling Henry, not vultures.  And ravens are said to be tricksters in many First Nations cultures.  Many  animals and birds can be a person't spirit animal as well.

4 hours ago, LakeGal said:

I was really upset with Marilyn in this episode.  She should be charged with something.  Walt had to give her money to even help Henry.

Marilyn also saved Henry from certain death by killing the three guys guarding him.  While I am not condoning her walking away once Henry was found or taking Walt's money, I am also sensitive to the fact that Native American ways are not the same as ours.   She left Henry's fate to the spirits and if he had the "true heart of a righteous warrior" the spirits would set him free.  Which is what happened because, as we all know, Henry does have a true heart.

[Clanstarling]

40 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Actually, it was ravens circling Henry, not vultures.  And ravens are said to be tricksters in many First Nations cultures.  Many  animals and birds can be a person't spirit animal as well.

Thank you. I thought they weren't vultures, but am not that conversant with birds so I didn't chime in. I like the tie in with the First Nation culture, which seems deliberate given the mysticism in this episode. 

[Casually Observant]

On 11/24/2017 at 11:22 AM, LakeGal said:

I was really upset with Marilyn in this episode.  She should be charged with something.  Walt had to give her money to even help Henry.  I believe it was the money Walt got when he closed out his bank account?  

I found it strange that Henry was in the desert near death.  But yet no rodents or vultures came along while he was dying and there were dead men surrounding him.  But later Walt finds Henry by seeing the vultures circling him.  Where were those birds earlier?

I was suspecting the bank guard's wife of being in on the shooting.  She seemed so emotional about him being shot when she approached the mayor and everyone on the street.  Yet later she was not at the hospital sitting with her hubby.  That just seemed off to me.  Where was the wife?

Yes to all of this. 

Re: Marilyn - Marilyn is a strange one. Walt gave her his whole stash from his closed bank account which was probably thousands of dollars, in order to have her 'help him find Henry'. Well, she did help him find  him and nothing more. How she managed to disappear makes no sense either unless she, herself is a spirit person.

Re: Half-dead Henry and the other dead men in the desert - Yes, perhaps they wanted to spare us the sight of feasting vultures and/or didn't want to spend on the CGI.

Re: Bank Guard's wife - I had the same impression, that she was behaving overly emotional as in over acting.  Add the guy filming, the guy causing a scene with the ATM and the female bank teller.  All seemed too happy and not scared or upset about the graveness of the situation. They all seemed to be acting suspiciously as though they were involved in some way.

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, Casually Observant said:

How she managed to disappear makes no sense either unless she, herself is a spirit person.

That will, I imagine, remain a mystery and left to our own beliefs.  She literally vanished in plain sight pretty much the same as Gab did.  Maybe she was one of the ravens!

[tennisgurl]

I finally got to finish this episode, and I finished the episode, and while I really enjoyed it, and am super glad I finally have time to watch this season, I have the same thoughts I usually do: MORE MATHIUS!!!  

[SimoneS]

Poor Henry. It stretched credibility that he could have survived so long. He was hallucinating about everything after Marilyn shot those guys, but who or what killed the rattlesnake that was heading towards him? I did laugh when Henry asked "are we there yet" and told Walt that he should get a cell phone.

I was glad that Walt dropped everything to save him, but it was unbelievable that he didn't have any water and got bit by a snake. I think the real reason Marilyn left is because she didn't want Walt to ask for her rifle after she saw taking out the bullets out of Malachi's men.

I love how Matthias and Henry's relationship has evolved from antagonism to allies against Malachi and their people's enemies.

Walt having all that cash hidden in his cabin and taking what he had left out of the bank so he can bury it was ridiculous. 

The mayor is so annoying. I loved Vic mouthing off to him. I am glad that she and Ferg solved the shooting and I do like Ferg's girlfriend.

Edited December 20, 2017 by SimoneS

[Magic]

It's Longmire and I'm in.   But boy has the writing gone downhill, they don't treat the viewer as having much intelligence.

Henry being staked out dragged on too long.  And being saved by Walt was enough.  What did it do to have Walt, an experienced outdoorsman, stick his hand under rocks and get bit by a rattler.  Like Walt would be that stupid.  But of course Walt, who was already exhausted, now bitten by the rattler, was still able to drag Henry the rest of the way to his car and drive him to safety.  And ends up no worse for wear with just a bandaged hand.  That rattler incident was needless.

But, good to see Ferg, Ruby, Travis, and Mathias again.  And I have a growing hope that I will *not* have to watch some Walt and Vic romance.  I hope Vic and Travis ride off into the sunset with Vic's baby and it turns out to be Travis'.  

[Kohola3]

5 hours ago, Magic said:

And I have a growing hope that I will *not* have to watch some Walt and Vic romance.

I, too, feel that way.  They just do not belong together.  But time will tell.

[CleverUserName975]

Finally watching Season 6--I'm old school, been on the waiting list for the DVDs at my local library.

 

Hector! I love the return of Hector. He's an important spirit in many of the books and I've often thought he should be more present in the series, sorta like the ghost of Fraser's father in Due South. Henry needed help. He helped. His delivery of that little speech just tickled me--a great reminder that help doesn't always appear in the form we imagine.

 

I love Tantoo Cardinal as Marilyn. I'm not bothered by the way she help/didn't help Henry or the lack of justice for her assumed crime of shooting the kidnappers. Off the reservation she's probably considered what my godmother would call a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but like Hector, she's helping victims escape/move forward/get revenge. The end results may come about in a hard way but she gets them where they need to go.

 

Let me add my voice to the chorus of more Officer Mathias! I was initially disappointed not to see Chief Lolo Long from the books in the series but Mathias is a fantastic character. Zahn McClarnon did a great interview on the Longmire Posse podcast where he talked about the backstory he created for the character.

[Kohola3]

4 hours ago, CleverUserName975 said:

Hector! I love the return of Hector. He's an important spirit in many of the books and I've often thought he should be more present in the series, sorta like the ghost of Fraser's father in Due South. Henry needed help. He helped. His delivery of that little speech just tickled me--a great reminder that help doesn't always appear in the form we imagine.

Hector (as was Fraser's father) one of my favorite characters.  And his speech was perfect!

 

4 hours ago, CleverUserName975 said:

I love Tantoo Cardinal as Marilyn. 

Tantoo did such a great job with that small role. I admit to yelling at the screen when she walked away but she didn't exactly play the game with normal rules.

Enjoy the upcoming episodes.  Looking forward to your takes on things. I doled out the episodes for months to make them last rather than binge watching. Now need to go back and watch them all again!