Themes - Witness 1x05
Well, I'll jump in here to get us started. Let me preface this by saying this is not my favorite episode, but it has some really good moments.
I think there were two main themes in this episode. One is Motherhood, the writers gave us two extremes here, Maude and Mary. To be completely honest I like Maude better as a character than I ever liked Mary, but Mary maybe the better mother. But not by much.
Just in my opinion, these two women are more alike than they may at first appear. Maude admittedly, is a con artist, or grifter. She did bring Ezra into the trade at a tender age subjecting him to the unsavory aspects of life, when we tend to think that children should still be protected and nurtured. But that is a modern concept, back in the day, Chris and company would probably have thought of children as little adults, that's why there was child labor and the need for laws to protect them.
At any rate Mary didn't treat Billy like that, in fact she sends him to live with his grandparents, rather than remain in town with her. But I always wondered why she didn't go with him, if she was as worried and missed him as much as she claims why not go there and start over with him. Instead Mary stays in town, exhibiting her independence by carrying on the newspaper and placing Billy in the care of relatives. That, to me, is a little like Maude leaving Ezra with Aunts, Uncles, and various relations when she couldn't keep him. Their motives may have been different but it is a similar situation. Both boys probably wanted to be with their mothers, and for Ezra at least that has left a scar.
I do think that both, Mary and Maude, love their sons. I think it is quite obvious that Maude cares for Ezra more than anyone else, maybe she shows it differently than most mothers would and she seems to want things for him that he doesn't necessarily want. But that, too, is motherly. We want our children to have what we think is best for them and it isn't always what they want for themselves.
The biggest problem I have with the way Mary behaves in this episode is the way she pushes Billy at Chris. I know the writers and creators wanted some kind of romance between them, but seriously, would you want a notorious gunfighter, the one who called himself the bad element, to be counseling your son? Spending quality time with him? Now I adore Chris, but as a role model for my baby boy, no way not at that point in the show. So far she knows he is very troubled by his past, the rumors over his actions towards Buck in the barbershop must have gotten back to her, and that he drinks and carries on with whores (Working Girls) and while she may be more tolerant now towards women with a past I still don't see her as wanting Billy to emulate that type of behavior. It was just awkward to me. But maybe I'm wrong.
The other theme to me is one that the series carries throughout its run, it's what I call "Ghosts of the Past". All 7 of the guys have their moments in the two seasons. In this one we see the effects of the past on Mary and Billy, Ezra and Maude, but also on Chris. In his memories of Sarah and Adam we finally see beyond his anger to his tears and pain. I think it is what makes Chris so much more interesting as a character that he is to be able to put that aside to help Billy, even though it stirs up such painful memories. He really didn't want to get involved but when it comes down to it, there he was with the boy, because he was the one that could best handle Billy and keep him safe.
As for favorite moments - I love the whole animal magnetism routine, from JD's efforts to woo the girls and his frustration that Buck seems to draw them effortlessly, to the con that Maude and JD pull on Buck at the end! It is funny without being too over the top. I can see JD and Buck pulling those kinds of pranks on each other and the others getting in on the fun, too.
The looks on Josiah's, Vin's, and Ezra's faces as they watched Maude getting off the stage. All for very different reasons I think, but great timing and the most wonderful line. "Mother? I thought Ezra was raised by wolves." Now I know that Maude is exactly Josiah's type of woman, blond and beautiful (you might add unattainable in there, too) but what is Vin's attraction? Someone suggested he was just shocked by all the luggage she had and I believe he does make a comment on that, but could it be that he recognized her from say a picture that Ezra might have? Poor Ezra looked so, well, what is the word for that look? Shocked, distraught, terrified?
Anyway those are my thoughts, I'm very interested in hearing what others think of this episode.
I think there were two main themes in this episode. One is Motherhood, the writers gave us two extremes here, Maude and Mary. To be completely honest I like Maude better as a character than I ever liked Mary, but Mary maybe the better mother. But not by much.
Just in my opinion, these two women are more alike than they may at first appear. Maude admittedly, is a con artist, or grifter. She did bring Ezra into the trade at a tender age subjecting him to the unsavory aspects of life, when we tend to think that children should still be protected and nurtured. But that is a modern concept, back in the day, Chris and company would probably have thought of children as little adults, that's why there was child labor and the need for laws to protect them.
At any rate Mary didn't treat Billy like that, in fact she sends him to live with his grandparents, rather than remain in town with her. But I always wondered why she didn't go with him, if she was as worried and missed him as much as she claims why not go there and start over with him. Instead Mary stays in town, exhibiting her independence by carrying on the newspaper and placing Billy in the care of relatives. That, to me, is a little like Maude leaving Ezra with Aunts, Uncles, and various relations when she couldn't keep him. Their motives may have been different but it is a similar situation. Both boys probably wanted to be with their mothers, and for Ezra at least that has left a scar.
I do think that both, Mary and Maude, love their sons. I think it is quite obvious that Maude cares for Ezra more than anyone else, maybe she shows it differently than most mothers would and she seems to want things for him that he doesn't necessarily want. But that, too, is motherly. We want our children to have what we think is best for them and it isn't always what they want for themselves.
The biggest problem I have with the way Mary behaves in this episode is the way she pushes Billy at Chris. I know the writers and creators wanted some kind of romance between them, but seriously, would you want a notorious gunfighter, the one who called himself the bad element, to be counseling your son? Spending quality time with him? Now I adore Chris, but as a role model for my baby boy, no way not at that point in the show. So far she knows he is very troubled by his past, the rumors over his actions towards Buck in the barbershop must have gotten back to her, and that he drinks and carries on with whores (Working Girls) and while she may be more tolerant now towards women with a past I still don't see her as wanting Billy to emulate that type of behavior. It was just awkward to me. But maybe I'm wrong.
The other theme to me is one that the series carries throughout its run, it's what I call "Ghosts of the Past". All 7 of the guys have their moments in the two seasons. In this one we see the effects of the past on Mary and Billy, Ezra and Maude, but also on Chris. In his memories of Sarah and Adam we finally see beyond his anger to his tears and pain. I think it is what makes Chris so much more interesting as a character that he is to be able to put that aside to help Billy, even though it stirs up such painful memories. He really didn't want to get involved but when it comes down to it, there he was with the boy, because he was the one that could best handle Billy and keep him safe.
As for favorite moments - I love the whole animal magnetism routine, from JD's efforts to woo the girls and his frustration that Buck seems to draw them effortlessly, to the con that Maude and JD pull on Buck at the end! It is funny without being too over the top. I can see JD and Buck pulling those kinds of pranks on each other and the others getting in on the fun, too.
The looks on Josiah's, Vin's, and Ezra's faces as they watched Maude getting off the stage. All for very different reasons I think, but great timing and the most wonderful line. "Mother? I thought Ezra was raised by wolves." Now I know that Maude is exactly Josiah's type of woman, blond and beautiful (you might add unattainable in there, too) but what is Vin's attraction? Someone suggested he was just shocked by all the luggage she had and I believe he does make a comment on that, but could it be that he recognized her from say a picture that Ezra might have? Poor Ezra looked so, well, what is the word for that look? Shocked, distraught, terrified?
Anyway those are my thoughts, I'm very interested in hearing what others think of this episode.