Episode Notes: Magnificent Seven "Wagon Train, Part 1"
Okay, well, this episode I have heard something about. What I've heard makes me more than a little nervous about watching it, but farad has done her best to reassure me
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I agree with you completely that I can't really quite *see* that Chris is jealous of Mary with Gerrard, but I do, sincerely, think we're supposed to. With Chris's little "I ain't blind" line and the, umm, looks he's giving Mary and Gerrard and the kids. Though I kind of got the feeling he was more longing for the children in a way than for Mary.
In a way the script is at war with the acting. I really do think Chris is supposed to be jealous. I just think it doesn't *show* at all because in the *acting* he's not.
I kind of liked Charlotte and Vin - I know that is not the popular view but I felt sorry for her. Will was a jerk - treated her horribly. I know that the loss of a child can put a terrible strain on relationships but still he was an ogre, came close to hitting her. I don't blame Vin for wanting to help her.
I definitely agree that Charlotte needed to be helped and Will treats her horribly. I think their relationship has been strained to the breaking point by the loss of their child, but I absolutely *hate* the way Will treats her. That's *so* not right.
But I agree with you that it ought to be Buck dealing with the situation. There's never been a point in the series when Vin's been interested in women, so it seems rather out of the blue for him to start being interested in Charlotte now. And Buck's always the defender of the ladies.
It would be a *much* better episode that way. I think they should have gotten you to write it. :D
I know Ezra is smarter than that - he'd know how to play a con better.
Hmmm...well, actually, and not to be difficult here...how do you know that? I mean his deal with the girls in Working Girls is a bust, he's roundly trounced by his mother in Sins of the Past.
Now, I will say that we know from the Pilot that he is better than that with children. He was definitely *very* good with the Seminole children in the pilot. Though Eugene really is a repugnant little monster and maybe an extra tough nut to crack.
this episode was full of pretty. But aren't they all?
Well, yes, that is true. They are all full of pretty. :D
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You know I never considered that we don't see Ezra in a successful con do we? I'll have to think about that one, but I agree he was a lot better at handling children than that. Buck was never shown to be successful with kids either - thinking of Safecracker - except for the time Chris thought of Buck and Adam. I'd still have bet the farm he'd could have handled that little troll better than he did, it just served the writer's purpose to make both of them blow it without regard to being true to the characters. That is one of my chief grips with some of the episodes, they gave us these wonderful characters and then were inconsistent with the writing at times. Maybe it is just me.
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Surely that's half the fun though. Seeing what you can slip by them. :D
You know I never considered that we don't see Ezra in a successful con do we? I'll have to think about that one
I'm not 100% sure I'm right, but I can't think of one off the top of my head. Kind of changes my perspective on Maude's lesson in Sins of the Past though. From her perspective maybe he really *did* need it.
That is one of my chief grips with some of the episodes, they gave us these wonderful characters and then were inconsistent with the writing at times. Maybe it is just me.
Well that's certainly *not* a problem that's unique to this show. And really, I find that this show is better than a lot of others for *not* doing this too much. Sometimes in The Sentinel the only answer to "why did someone do this" is "crappy writing" because there's no way to come up with an even vaguely plausible answer.
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I'm not 100% sure I'm right, but I can't think of one off the top of my head. Kind of changes my perspective on Maude's lesson in Sins of the Past though. From her perspective maybe he really *did* need it.
The only one I can think of is in "Witness," when Ezra and Maude stage the scene in the saloon to fool the hotel owner into admitting he was in part responsible for the attacks on Billy. Oh, wait, when Ezra misdirected the Nichols boys to Chris' cabin. And there will be another moment in Lady Killers when he plays the part of a lawyer. These aren't big, alaborate cons, but at least they work. ;-)
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Ah, good, thanks!! I was a little disturbed to think that Ezra's not good at what he does. :D Though really maybe this shows that he's a good *liar* more than a good con artist, because part of the art of the con is to keep people fooled...so that they don't realize that they've been rooked until much later.
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Personally, I think it serves fanfiction better to make him a little sharper at this stuff, and my own fanfic Ezra will be more successful, but yeah....there's not actually a ton of canon evidence is there?
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Yeah. He's a pretty good *liar*, but not a great con-man. This really really does seem to put a whole new spin on Maude's *lesson* in Sins of the Past. Maybe he does need one.
(This reminds me so much of a comic strip I saw about Gandalf in LOTR, he's supposed to be such a powerful wizard, but he's not actually ever shown doing much magic. I think they said something about making the hobbits' beer go b ad. :D )
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I totally agree that we are supposed to think that Chris is jealous of Mary and Gerard, or at the least, that he is regretful that she initially accepts his proposal. I also totally agree that is doesn't come across in the acting. The only time I feel any "connection" between them at all is when Chris asks Mary if she loves Gerard.
But I agree with you that it ought to be Buck dealing with the situation. There's never been a point in the series when Vin's been interested in women, so it seems rather out of the blue for him to start being interested in Charlotte now. And Buck's always the defender of the ladies.
It would be a *much* better episode that way. I think they should have gotten you to write it. :D
Yes, defending Charlotte should have been Buck's role. The writers really blew it on this episode. While I enjoyed the competition between Buck and Ezra, both attempts to win over the troll were heavy-handed and almost painful to watch, though Dale and Tony gave it their best. However, the initial bet and the shoving match (along with the letter to Mother) were wonderful.
One note though, Vin did come to a lady's defense at least once before - Inez in "Love and Honor."
And yes, EJ, you would have written it much better. *pushes plot bunny EJ's way and bats eyelashes*
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Yeah, sort of. I hate to agree with you on this, because this is one of those episodes that C/Vers so often feel a need to respond to, but yeah. The writing is just clunky. Buck and Ezra weren't as smooth as we know they can be in trying to win over the Troll. The letter to Ezra's mother was awesome. As was the shoving match. :D
One note though, Vin did come to a lady's defense at least once before - Inez in "Love and Honor."
Oh, definitely!! It's not that I think VIn wouldn't have been there to help in all sorts of ways, but I think Buck's the one who would have had his head turned by her.
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