Magnificent Seven Guide
For my crossover fic Montezuma for the boxathon fic challenge, I decided to do a quick guide to Magnificent Seven. There is also one for NCIS.
Magnificent Seven
Mag7 was a TV show based off the movies of the same name. While some of the elements are similar to the films, basically it was set up from the beginning as a retelling. The pilot episode is very similar to the original movie. The Mexican Village was replaced by a Seminole one. The bad guys were changed from stereotypical Mexican bandits to Confederate rebels. The characters have different names except for Vin and Chris, but most everything else is close to the spirit of the movie. The series takes place in an unspecified time after the Civil War. Taking into consideration the weapons and such, most Mag7 fans place the show in the late 1880s. While cities would have been preparing for the turn of the century changes, the West was still relatively wild. The show takes on some of the problems from time period such as the fallout from the abolition of slavery, the plight of the dwindling Native Americans, and the growing pains of the country as the West we know from movies starts to change into civilized society.
The original film was itself a retelling of Akira Kurosawa's excellent film Seven Samurai. Because the premise of these seven very different warriors drawn into a battle against overwhelming odds is so classic, it lends itself greatly to reimagining. This is probably why AUs are so popular in the fandom. The main AU that has grown from the Mag7 fandom, and has possibly grown larger than the original old west fic, is the ATF AU originated by Mog. It takes the seven main characters from the TV show makes them members of an elite ATF taskforce known as Team Seven. These fics take place in modern times with the usual procedural/cop show drama elements that we are familiar with from Law and Order and the like.
I will go over the main characters and their relationships covering mainly the original show and try to mention elements of the ATF AU that I have gleaned from reading the fic. There is quite a lot of fic in the AU and it's not specifically chronological or planned. So there are elements that contradict themselves in multiple fics. I'll try to give a basic overview of the characters and relationships as they are commonly accepted in the fandom. I am by no means an expert in the ATF Universe. I am just calling it as I see it. If there are any differences in opinion, by all means discuss it in the comments. I always love to learn more or catch fics I might have missed.
This guide basically follows the pilot since that is the first introduction of the characters. It opens in your typical wild west town with guys shooting up the place and causing a general ruckus. The first character we're introduced to is the leader of the group, Chris Larabee.
Chris is a gunslinger with a past. But then again, aren't they all. He has a penchant for black and isn't bothered by bullets whizzing around him like flies. The men shooting up the town have decided to lynch the local black healer for not curing their friend. Despite his bad attitude, Chris sees this as wrong and after the bad guys start smacking around the women folk he makes up his mind to do something about it.
Chris is quiet and focused with a thousand yard stare that can make the toughest man tremble. He's apparently well known as a gunfighter, enough so that people recognize his name and he's occasionally called out by someone trying to prove themselves. So, yes, he's a fast draw. Chris has a definite code of honor which includes never shooting someone in the back. He's loyal despite being a loaner, and though he prefers action he's quite intelligent. Chris is usually the one that comes up with the plans for the group. He has good presence that inspires people to follow him, even if he doesn't particularly want the responsibility. Basically, Chris is an out and out leader whether he wants to be or not. He can be a bit of a drunk at times, mostly as a way of dealing with the death of his wife and child. Chris is extremely private and doesn't like talking about himself.
In the ATF AU, Chris is the boss. He is the leader of Team Seven and hand picked the team to take care of the jobs that no one else can. Since he can't be a gunslinger in the AU, he keeps that mentality by becoming a maverick. He doesn't care about procedure. Chris just wants to get the job done, and he doesn't mind stepping on toes to do it either. It is inferred in a lot of the fics that most of the other ATF Teams and law enforcement agencies have a real problem with how Chris goes about things. It's only his track record that is keeping him from getting thrown out because of his team's penchant for destruction. He owns a ranch where the teams' horses are kept, and uses it as a retreat to get out of the city.
Back to the pilot. Chris has just decided to do something when what should he see across the street but someone else who is fed up with these lowlifes shooting up the town. Here we meet Vin Tanner.
Don't let those good looks fool you. Vin is the business. Orphaned at a young age, he's had a hard life. He spent some of his childhood growing up with a couple different Native American tribes. Because of this, he has a soft spot when it comes to Natives even though it isn't a popular opinion. Vin is very soft spoken, but he carries a big gun. As a crack shot, he's excellent with most weapons, but rifles especially. He used to be a buffalo hunter, until all the buffalo were gone. It was hinted that he might also have been a scout as well. Basically, the show was trying to make a connection between Vin and another famous western figure, Buffalo Bill. Vin isn't a showman though. He is fiercely loyal and prefers his own company. He's not one for modern convenience. He lives out of a wagon and in a lot of the fic prefers to live off the land than in town. He is a poet despite being illiterate. Though this doesn't mean he is stupid. In fact, he seems to like learning. He thinks before he speaks and is always soaking up the conversation. He owns a horse named Peso who is, to put it mildly, ornery. This comes from fandom and is one of only two character horses who has a consistent name.
Vin is close to Chris. They have a unique bond where they can have whole conversations just by looking at each other. I don't mean this in a sci-fi way. It's just that they click really well and seem to know what the other is thinking. This becomes clear the first time they see each other, which is often known in the fandom as "The Look".
Chris's look: "So you wanna take care of this?"
Vin's response: "Yep."
In the ATF Universe, Vin is pretty much the same. Though his illiteracy is replaced with a learning disability, dyslexia. He is a former Army Ranger and sharpshooter. One of the younger members of the team, he's been saddled, no pun intended, with the nickname Junior thanks to Buck. Vin has the tendency to get hurt a lot and has bad reactions to anesthesia. He prefers not to take medications at all really, always insisting that he is 'fine' whether his leg is falling off or not. Vin can be intensely stubborn and cherishes his independence above everything else. He usually works with Ezra and the pair have the tendency for causing trouble for their dear leader.
So these two strangers meet on a street and decide to do the right thing. That makes two.
Next up we meet Nathan Jackson the local healer that's found himself in a bit of trouble.
Nathan is a former slave who worked as stretcher bearer during the Civil War. He learned what he could about the medicine of the time period and decided to dedicate himself to helping others. Nathan is well spoken and educated despite his former slave status. He was separated from his mother and then his father as he grew up. He knows how to use knives and is adept at throwing them. His grace with blades is explained in a later episode where we discover that Nathan had to learn how to sword fight when he was the practice partner for his former master. Nathan is caring and warm, but can be a bit headstrong at times. He does have some residual anger from his former life, but wants to put that behind him and better himself. He's probably the most honorable character on the show and is definitely its heart. Nathan gets a raw deal often in fic as a one dimensional supporting character or as the bad guy in fics that feature a lot of Ezra. He is an interesting guy with a lot of baggage that should be explored. Later on in the pilot we are introduced to Nathan's love interest Rain. Also a former slave, she was raised in the Seminole village that the seven eventually go to protect. The pair hit it off and become a serious item later on in the series.
In the ATF AU, Nathan is a former medic, and boy does Team Seven need one. They get into more scrapes and jams than any law enforcement agency needs to. Nathan is the dependable one that's always piecing the grumpy guys back together. His relationship with Rain is more serious in this universe as they are not separated by the distance that they are in the main show. Nathan and Josiah have a close relationship and often work together.
So now they are three.
Two members of a small Seminole village that harbors former slaves ask the three to come protect them from a gang that is lead by a former Confederate general. The guys agree to work for a measly sum of money, but since they can't fight off an army with just the three of them, they decide to look for help. Nathan knows someone, but so does Chris. So now we meet Chris' friend Buck Wilmington.
Buck Wilmington is a ladies man. I doubt he sleeps in the same bed every night. He's an old friend of Chris' and the pair share some history before the death of Chris' family. Buck is as loyal as an old dog. He's the guy you'd call if you ran out of gas in the middle of the night. He may razz you endlessly, but he'll come as soon as he can. Buck is loud and friendly. He's very physical and even dares to hug Chris when they meet up. He always has a story to share, usually about one of his conquests. Buck has a distinctly western way of talking, not so much in his accent as his use of language. Don't be surprised if you hear him comparing people to pole cats and prickly pears. Despite his expansive personality, Buck has a sensitive side. His mother was a prostitute and he grew up in a whore house, so Buck knows a thing or two about women. Despite the fact that he sleeps around he thinks all women should be treated like ladies. He likes to take people under his wing as can be seen by his relationship with JD. Buck is the obnoxious big brother type and he loves a good joke or prank. He also has an ego the size of Texas. He's the only one that knows how to deal with Chris when he's on one of his darker turns. Buck stood by him in his decent to hell, and probably helped pull him back out. If Nathan is the heart of the team, Buck is the glue.
In the ATF world, Buck is pretty much exactly the same. The brotherly relationship between he and JD is expanded as the two share an apartment together. Buck used to be on the Denver PD with Chris before the death of his family, so he's Chris' first pick when creating the team. He's an explosives expert for the team and takes on a lot of the investigative work.
So with Buck along for the ride, now there are four.
Nathan goes to his friend Josiah to join them, but the former priest declines the offer. After striking out there, the four return to town where they meet the next member of the team, Ezra P. Standish.
Ezra is a gambler and conman. Raised by his mother to be the best hustler he could be, Ezra is a character. He has the graces of a Southern Gentleman, but none of the honor. He's an excellent card player and though he knows how to cheat, often doesn't have to. Ezra is not only quick witted, but quick on his feet as well. He's good in a fight and carries three guns on his person. One on his hip, one on a shoulder holster, and one up his sleeve just in case. He's a good shot with all three.
While he can fight, he prefers not to. It's better to get out of town before they know they've been had after all. Ezra has a troubled relationship with his mother. Though she is by far the biggest influence in his life, she often shoved him off on other family members to raise because she couldn't be bothered. Though he is indeed crooked, there is a conscience inside the hustler. Deep down he does want to do the right thing despite how he was raised, and it's this conflict that makes him interesting. Being around the others is definitely a good influence on him. Having six brothers constantly keeping him on his good behavior couldn't hurt. During the pilot he does have the chance to cut and run, and takes it, but that annoying conscience takes hold and he goes back to save the others. It's this turn that actually makes him one of the team and not just along for the ride. Fandom has given Ezra a horse smart enough to match him named Chaucer.
Ezra and Nathan have an adversarial relationship. Their former roles cloud their friendship a bit. While the pair will never see eye-to-eye, they also never cease to surprise one another. As I said before in Nathan's section, he often becomes the bad guy in a lot of Ezra fic, but I don't think there is any cause for it. The two do respect each other's abilities despite their differences. And they make good foils for one another.
In the ATF Universe, Ezra is their undercover man. He's the last member of the team to join. He had a troubled past with the FBI. While an excellent agent, there were some charges that he was on the take thanks to his flashy clothes and expensive car. Ezra was always seen as an outsider to the agency, and by the time Chris comes to ask him to join Team Seven, he's on the brink of being fired. Ezra is a private guy and he doesn't really mesh well with the team initially. Thanks to the efforts of Vin, and in some cases Buck, Ezra gets pulled in to the group. He's usually teamed with Vin, and the pair always seem to find trouble no matter what they do. They're the ones slowly giving Chris an ulcer, no doubt.
So with Ezra along for the ride, now there are five.
While getting ready to leave a young man asks to join the group, but makes a bit of a joke of himself and the others ignore him. Chris takes the time to confront the editor of the newspaper, Mary Travis, who will eventually become his love interest in the series. On their way out of town, they stop to check on Nathan's friend to see if he's changed his mind, and he has. So we meet the next member of the team Josiah Sanchez.
Josiah is a former priest that has lost his faith. Well, not necessarily lost his faith so much as lost faith in himself. He's done some things in his past that he's obviously not proud of, and he's trying to work out his penance. Josiah is a large man and a bit of a brawler. He's a mean drunk much in the way that Chris is. Josiah has a lot of demons. During the series we find out that his father was a missionary preacher that was hard on his kids. Josiah's younger sister raged against their father's treatment after Josiah left home to get away from it. In the process, their father became abusive and Hannah fell into madness. Instead of leaving her to a sanitarium, which were notoriously awful during the time period, Josiah pays some nuns at a small church to take care of her, visiting her when he can. Because of his father's missionary work, Josiah has traveled all over the world. He has great respect for all religions and doesn't seem to follow one denomination. After the events of the pilot, he decides to save the souls of the people in town and starts rebuilding the old church which has been neglected. If Buck is the big brother to JD, Josiah is the elder brother to the whole team. He's always the one they turn to when they have problems or need some sort of guidance. A lot of fics play off the relationship between Josiah and Ezra. This is because Josiah is the spiritual center of the group. Lord knows Ezra could use some divine intervention now and again. Josiah is often paired with Nathan since they were friends before the pilot, but they often together act as the support for the rest of the seven.
In the ATF AU, Josiah is the profiler for the team with a degree in psychology. The religious aspects of his character are turned more into a social science perspective. He is still a religious guy and often quotes the bible in fic, but it isn't his main focus. Josiah's penance by rebuilding the church, is changed into charity work in the AU. He's often working at soup kitchens or shelters in his off time. His old Suburban is constantly breaking down, and he seems to enjoy working on it.
So with Josiah along, now they are six.
Eventually the team gets to the Seminole village where the young man from before has followed them. There is a confrontation where Chris refuses to let him join, but eventually they kind of have to because he just won't go away. Finally, we meet the last member of the team, John "JD" Dunne.
JD is a young guy from Boston that has made his way west. The others, especially Buck deride him at first until they find out his true story. JD's mother was a chamber maid for a rich family. He grew up working in the stables and gained a good understanding of horses. His mother's greatest hope for him was to go to college, but when she became ill and died there wasn't enough money to fund his schooling. JD decided, like many people of the time period, to make his way west to find his fortune. He was spurred on by the stories in the dime store novels he'd read back home. The west isn't easy on JD. He starts off a bit naive, but as the show progresses, JD learns the price that comes with carrying a gun. Most of his interactions are with Buck.
The two share a sibling relationship that's really sweet. Buck may be really obnoxious and make fun of JD a lot, but there is a big heart behind it. Most of the stuff that JD learns from his time with the seven comes from Buck. Beneath all that teasing are the lessons that JD needs to learn to survive. After JD becomes the town sheriff when no one else will take the job, Buck's protective side really comes out. He's constantly putting himself in danger to save JD, and vice versa. The two are as close as two peas in a pod and we wouldn't have it any other way. Later on in the series, JD gets a love interest in a tomboy by the name of Casey. He is completely bewildered by her and she always keeps him on his toes.
In the AU, JD is a computer and technical expert for the team. In some stories his trouble getting into school is mirrored and his mother's illness becomes more extensive to the point of him paying off medical debts. Chris decides to give the kid a break and let him join the team. They're all pleasantly surprised with what he can do. JD is a smart kid in the original series, but even more so in the AU. He's a hacker by trade, and Chris often has him do things that wouldn't necessarily go over well with his bosses to get the information he needs. The relationship between he and Buck is the same, and Casey becomes a regular girlfriend.
So finally, we have seven.
And as you would expect, they save the day.
There is some caring and sharing.
We find out that Ezra is good with kids, which becomes an important part of his character in fandom.
When the seven get back into town, they meet the final piece of the puzzle, Judge Orin Travis.
The judge needs someone to clean up the town and keep the territory safe. He takes on one of the ranchers in the area by arresting his son for murder. The judge is a no nonsense guy and while he prefers to do things by the book, he doesn't mind bending the rules a bit to see that justice is done. He's impressed when Chris steps in to assist him in arresting the man. He also seems to take in consideration, his daughter-in-law, Mary's opinion.
Chris is only interested in leaving town and the seven are on the verge of breaking up. JD gets the job as sheriff, and his first duty is to arrest Ezra, who the judge recognizes as a bail jumper he previously had in court. But in all fairness, Ezra is a bit of a troublemaker.
Anyway, the trial begins, and when men come to bust the murderer out, the judge gets shot. Mary begs Chris to do something, so Chris takes it upon himself to go after the man and bring him to justice. Who ever could help him? The seven are back in action! Well, five of them are because Buck refuses to help and Ezra is in jail. Ezra pleads his case and is allowed out to come along, and Buck comes around to save them at the last minute Han Solo style. So job well done and the judge asks them to take the job protecting the town for thirty days until he can complete his circuit. They each agree except for Ezra who should be heading back to the slammer, but the judge offers him a pardon for his service and he readily agrees. So the seven have a reason to stick together, and after a month apparently they decide to make it permanent because nothing is mentioned about the time limit again.
In the AU, the judge is Chris' boss and the one that came up with the idea to have the ATF special teams in the first place. He's usually peripherally involved and the character of his wife Evie, who is only mentioned of in the original series becomes enamored with the seven and treats them all like sons.
So that's the Magnificent Seven. Wow, when I started this I thought it would just be a little thing and look at all I've put up there. Sheesh. Here's hoping the NCIS one is a bit shorter.
Magnificent Seven
Mag7 was a TV show based off the movies of the same name. While some of the elements are similar to the films, basically it was set up from the beginning as a retelling. The pilot episode is very similar to the original movie. The Mexican Village was replaced by a Seminole one. The bad guys were changed from stereotypical Mexican bandits to Confederate rebels. The characters have different names except for Vin and Chris, but most everything else is close to the spirit of the movie. The series takes place in an unspecified time after the Civil War. Taking into consideration the weapons and such, most Mag7 fans place the show in the late 1880s. While cities would have been preparing for the turn of the century changes, the West was still relatively wild. The show takes on some of the problems from time period such as the fallout from the abolition of slavery, the plight of the dwindling Native Americans, and the growing pains of the country as the West we know from movies starts to change into civilized society.
The original film was itself a retelling of Akira Kurosawa's excellent film Seven Samurai. Because the premise of these seven very different warriors drawn into a battle against overwhelming odds is so classic, it lends itself greatly to reimagining. This is probably why AUs are so popular in the fandom. The main AU that has grown from the Mag7 fandom, and has possibly grown larger than the original old west fic, is the ATF AU originated by Mog. It takes the seven main characters from the TV show makes them members of an elite ATF taskforce known as Team Seven. These fics take place in modern times with the usual procedural/cop show drama elements that we are familiar with from Law and Order and the like.
I will go over the main characters and their relationships covering mainly the original show and try to mention elements of the ATF AU that I have gleaned from reading the fic. There is quite a lot of fic in the AU and it's not specifically chronological or planned. So there are elements that contradict themselves in multiple fics. I'll try to give a basic overview of the characters and relationships as they are commonly accepted in the fandom. I am by no means an expert in the ATF Universe. I am just calling it as I see it. If there are any differences in opinion, by all means discuss it in the comments. I always love to learn more or catch fics I might have missed.
This guide basically follows the pilot since that is the first introduction of the characters. It opens in your typical wild west town with guys shooting up the place and causing a general ruckus. The first character we're introduced to is the leader of the group, Chris Larabee.
Chris is a gunslinger with a past. But then again, aren't they all. He has a penchant for black and isn't bothered by bullets whizzing around him like flies. The men shooting up the town have decided to lynch the local black healer for not curing their friend. Despite his bad attitude, Chris sees this as wrong and after the bad guys start smacking around the women folk he makes up his mind to do something about it.
Chris is quiet and focused with a thousand yard stare that can make the toughest man tremble. He's apparently well known as a gunfighter, enough so that people recognize his name and he's occasionally called out by someone trying to prove themselves. So, yes, he's a fast draw. Chris has a definite code of honor which includes never shooting someone in the back. He's loyal despite being a loaner, and though he prefers action he's quite intelligent. Chris is usually the one that comes up with the plans for the group. He has good presence that inspires people to follow him, even if he doesn't particularly want the responsibility. Basically, Chris is an out and out leader whether he wants to be or not. He can be a bit of a drunk at times, mostly as a way of dealing with the death of his wife and child. Chris is extremely private and doesn't like talking about himself.
In the ATF AU, Chris is the boss. He is the leader of Team Seven and hand picked the team to take care of the jobs that no one else can. Since he can't be a gunslinger in the AU, he keeps that mentality by becoming a maverick. He doesn't care about procedure. Chris just wants to get the job done, and he doesn't mind stepping on toes to do it either. It is inferred in a lot of the fics that most of the other ATF Teams and law enforcement agencies have a real problem with how Chris goes about things. It's only his track record that is keeping him from getting thrown out because of his team's penchant for destruction. He owns a ranch where the teams' horses are kept, and uses it as a retreat to get out of the city.
Back to the pilot. Chris has just decided to do something when what should he see across the street but someone else who is fed up with these lowlifes shooting up the town. Here we meet Vin Tanner.
Don't let those good looks fool you. Vin is the business. Orphaned at a young age, he's had a hard life. He spent some of his childhood growing up with a couple different Native American tribes. Because of this, he has a soft spot when it comes to Natives even though it isn't a popular opinion. Vin is very soft spoken, but he carries a big gun. As a crack shot, he's excellent with most weapons, but rifles especially. He used to be a buffalo hunter, until all the buffalo were gone. It was hinted that he might also have been a scout as well. Basically, the show was trying to make a connection between Vin and another famous western figure, Buffalo Bill. Vin isn't a showman though. He is fiercely loyal and prefers his own company. He's not one for modern convenience. He lives out of a wagon and in a lot of the fic prefers to live off the land than in town. He is a poet despite being illiterate. Though this doesn't mean he is stupid. In fact, he seems to like learning. He thinks before he speaks and is always soaking up the conversation. He owns a horse named Peso who is, to put it mildly, ornery. This comes from fandom and is one of only two character horses who has a consistent name.
Vin is close to Chris. They have a unique bond where they can have whole conversations just by looking at each other. I don't mean this in a sci-fi way. It's just that they click really well and seem to know what the other is thinking. This becomes clear the first time they see each other, which is often known in the fandom as "The Look".
Chris's look: "So you wanna take care of this?"
Vin's response: "Yep."
In the ATF Universe, Vin is pretty much the same. Though his illiteracy is replaced with a learning disability, dyslexia. He is a former Army Ranger and sharpshooter. One of the younger members of the team, he's been saddled, no pun intended, with the nickname Junior thanks to Buck. Vin has the tendency to get hurt a lot and has bad reactions to anesthesia. He prefers not to take medications at all really, always insisting that he is 'fine' whether his leg is falling off or not. Vin can be intensely stubborn and cherishes his independence above everything else. He usually works with Ezra and the pair have the tendency for causing trouble for their dear leader.
So these two strangers meet on a street and decide to do the right thing. That makes two.
Next up we meet Nathan Jackson the local healer that's found himself in a bit of trouble.
Nathan is a former slave who worked as stretcher bearer during the Civil War. He learned what he could about the medicine of the time period and decided to dedicate himself to helping others. Nathan is well spoken and educated despite his former slave status. He was separated from his mother and then his father as he grew up. He knows how to use knives and is adept at throwing them. His grace with blades is explained in a later episode where we discover that Nathan had to learn how to sword fight when he was the practice partner for his former master. Nathan is caring and warm, but can be a bit headstrong at times. He does have some residual anger from his former life, but wants to put that behind him and better himself. He's probably the most honorable character on the show and is definitely its heart. Nathan gets a raw deal often in fic as a one dimensional supporting character or as the bad guy in fics that feature a lot of Ezra. He is an interesting guy with a lot of baggage that should be explored. Later on in the pilot we are introduced to Nathan's love interest Rain. Also a former slave, she was raised in the Seminole village that the seven eventually go to protect. The pair hit it off and become a serious item later on in the series.
In the ATF AU, Nathan is a former medic, and boy does Team Seven need one. They get into more scrapes and jams than any law enforcement agency needs to. Nathan is the dependable one that's always piecing the grumpy guys back together. His relationship with Rain is more serious in this universe as they are not separated by the distance that they are in the main show. Nathan and Josiah have a close relationship and often work together.
So now they are three.
Two members of a small Seminole village that harbors former slaves ask the three to come protect them from a gang that is lead by a former Confederate general. The guys agree to work for a measly sum of money, but since they can't fight off an army with just the three of them, they decide to look for help. Nathan knows someone, but so does Chris. So now we meet Chris' friend Buck Wilmington.
Buck Wilmington is a ladies man. I doubt he sleeps in the same bed every night. He's an old friend of Chris' and the pair share some history before the death of Chris' family. Buck is as loyal as an old dog. He's the guy you'd call if you ran out of gas in the middle of the night. He may razz you endlessly, but he'll come as soon as he can. Buck is loud and friendly. He's very physical and even dares to hug Chris when they meet up. He always has a story to share, usually about one of his conquests. Buck has a distinctly western way of talking, not so much in his accent as his use of language. Don't be surprised if you hear him comparing people to pole cats and prickly pears. Despite his expansive personality, Buck has a sensitive side. His mother was a prostitute and he grew up in a whore house, so Buck knows a thing or two about women. Despite the fact that he sleeps around he thinks all women should be treated like ladies. He likes to take people under his wing as can be seen by his relationship with JD. Buck is the obnoxious big brother type and he loves a good joke or prank. He also has an ego the size of Texas. He's the only one that knows how to deal with Chris when he's on one of his darker turns. Buck stood by him in his decent to hell, and probably helped pull him back out. If Nathan is the heart of the team, Buck is the glue.
In the ATF world, Buck is pretty much exactly the same. The brotherly relationship between he and JD is expanded as the two share an apartment together. Buck used to be on the Denver PD with Chris before the death of his family, so he's Chris' first pick when creating the team. He's an explosives expert for the team and takes on a lot of the investigative work.
So with Buck along for the ride, now there are four.
Nathan goes to his friend Josiah to join them, but the former priest declines the offer. After striking out there, the four return to town where they meet the next member of the team, Ezra P. Standish.
Ezra is a gambler and conman. Raised by his mother to be the best hustler he could be, Ezra is a character. He has the graces of a Southern Gentleman, but none of the honor. He's an excellent card player and though he knows how to cheat, often doesn't have to. Ezra is not only quick witted, but quick on his feet as well. He's good in a fight and carries three guns on his person. One on his hip, one on a shoulder holster, and one up his sleeve just in case. He's a good shot with all three.
While he can fight, he prefers not to. It's better to get out of town before they know they've been had after all. Ezra has a troubled relationship with his mother. Though she is by far the biggest influence in his life, she often shoved him off on other family members to raise because she couldn't be bothered. Though he is indeed crooked, there is a conscience inside the hustler. Deep down he does want to do the right thing despite how he was raised, and it's this conflict that makes him interesting. Being around the others is definitely a good influence on him. Having six brothers constantly keeping him on his good behavior couldn't hurt. During the pilot he does have the chance to cut and run, and takes it, but that annoying conscience takes hold and he goes back to save the others. It's this turn that actually makes him one of the team and not just along for the ride. Fandom has given Ezra a horse smart enough to match him named Chaucer.
Ezra and Nathan have an adversarial relationship. Their former roles cloud their friendship a bit. While the pair will never see eye-to-eye, they also never cease to surprise one another. As I said before in Nathan's section, he often becomes the bad guy in a lot of Ezra fic, but I don't think there is any cause for it. The two do respect each other's abilities despite their differences. And they make good foils for one another.
In the ATF Universe, Ezra is their undercover man. He's the last member of the team to join. He had a troubled past with the FBI. While an excellent agent, there were some charges that he was on the take thanks to his flashy clothes and expensive car. Ezra was always seen as an outsider to the agency, and by the time Chris comes to ask him to join Team Seven, he's on the brink of being fired. Ezra is a private guy and he doesn't really mesh well with the team initially. Thanks to the efforts of Vin, and in some cases Buck, Ezra gets pulled in to the group. He's usually teamed with Vin, and the pair always seem to find trouble no matter what they do. They're the ones slowly giving Chris an ulcer, no doubt.
So with Ezra along for the ride, now there are five.
While getting ready to leave a young man asks to join the group, but makes a bit of a joke of himself and the others ignore him. Chris takes the time to confront the editor of the newspaper, Mary Travis, who will eventually become his love interest in the series. On their way out of town, they stop to check on Nathan's friend to see if he's changed his mind, and he has. So we meet the next member of the team Josiah Sanchez.
Josiah is a former priest that has lost his faith. Well, not necessarily lost his faith so much as lost faith in himself. He's done some things in his past that he's obviously not proud of, and he's trying to work out his penance. Josiah is a large man and a bit of a brawler. He's a mean drunk much in the way that Chris is. Josiah has a lot of demons. During the series we find out that his father was a missionary preacher that was hard on his kids. Josiah's younger sister raged against their father's treatment after Josiah left home to get away from it. In the process, their father became abusive and Hannah fell into madness. Instead of leaving her to a sanitarium, which were notoriously awful during the time period, Josiah pays some nuns at a small church to take care of her, visiting her when he can. Because of his father's missionary work, Josiah has traveled all over the world. He has great respect for all religions and doesn't seem to follow one denomination. After the events of the pilot, he decides to save the souls of the people in town and starts rebuilding the old church which has been neglected. If Buck is the big brother to JD, Josiah is the elder brother to the whole team. He's always the one they turn to when they have problems or need some sort of guidance. A lot of fics play off the relationship between Josiah and Ezra. This is because Josiah is the spiritual center of the group. Lord knows Ezra could use some divine intervention now and again. Josiah is often paired with Nathan since they were friends before the pilot, but they often together act as the support for the rest of the seven.
In the ATF AU, Josiah is the profiler for the team with a degree in psychology. The religious aspects of his character are turned more into a social science perspective. He is still a religious guy and often quotes the bible in fic, but it isn't his main focus. Josiah's penance by rebuilding the church, is changed into charity work in the AU. He's often working at soup kitchens or shelters in his off time. His old Suburban is constantly breaking down, and he seems to enjoy working on it.
So with Josiah along, now they are six.
Eventually the team gets to the Seminole village where the young man from before has followed them. There is a confrontation where Chris refuses to let him join, but eventually they kind of have to because he just won't go away. Finally, we meet the last member of the team, John "JD" Dunne.
JD is a young guy from Boston that has made his way west. The others, especially Buck deride him at first until they find out his true story. JD's mother was a chamber maid for a rich family. He grew up working in the stables and gained a good understanding of horses. His mother's greatest hope for him was to go to college, but when she became ill and died there wasn't enough money to fund his schooling. JD decided, like many people of the time period, to make his way west to find his fortune. He was spurred on by the stories in the dime store novels he'd read back home. The west isn't easy on JD. He starts off a bit naive, but as the show progresses, JD learns the price that comes with carrying a gun. Most of his interactions are with Buck.
The two share a sibling relationship that's really sweet. Buck may be really obnoxious and make fun of JD a lot, but there is a big heart behind it. Most of the stuff that JD learns from his time with the seven comes from Buck. Beneath all that teasing are the lessons that JD needs to learn to survive. After JD becomes the town sheriff when no one else will take the job, Buck's protective side really comes out. He's constantly putting himself in danger to save JD, and vice versa. The two are as close as two peas in a pod and we wouldn't have it any other way. Later on in the series, JD gets a love interest in a tomboy by the name of Casey. He is completely bewildered by her and she always keeps him on his toes.
In the AU, JD is a computer and technical expert for the team. In some stories his trouble getting into school is mirrored and his mother's illness becomes more extensive to the point of him paying off medical debts. Chris decides to give the kid a break and let him join the team. They're all pleasantly surprised with what he can do. JD is a smart kid in the original series, but even more so in the AU. He's a hacker by trade, and Chris often has him do things that wouldn't necessarily go over well with his bosses to get the information he needs. The relationship between he and Buck is the same, and Casey becomes a regular girlfriend.
So finally, we have seven.
And as you would expect, they save the day.
There is some caring and sharing.
We find out that Ezra is good with kids, which becomes an important part of his character in fandom.
When the seven get back into town, they meet the final piece of the puzzle, Judge Orin Travis.
The judge needs someone to clean up the town and keep the territory safe. He takes on one of the ranchers in the area by arresting his son for murder. The judge is a no nonsense guy and while he prefers to do things by the book, he doesn't mind bending the rules a bit to see that justice is done. He's impressed when Chris steps in to assist him in arresting the man. He also seems to take in consideration, his daughter-in-law, Mary's opinion.
Chris is only interested in leaving town and the seven are on the verge of breaking up. JD gets the job as sheriff, and his first duty is to arrest Ezra, who the judge recognizes as a bail jumper he previously had in court. But in all fairness, Ezra is a bit of a troublemaker.
Anyway, the trial begins, and when men come to bust the murderer out, the judge gets shot. Mary begs Chris to do something, so Chris takes it upon himself to go after the man and bring him to justice. Who ever could help him? The seven are back in action! Well, five of them are because Buck refuses to help and Ezra is in jail. Ezra pleads his case and is allowed out to come along, and Buck comes around to save them at the last minute Han Solo style. So job well done and the judge asks them to take the job protecting the town for thirty days until he can complete his circuit. They each agree except for Ezra who should be heading back to the slammer, but the judge offers him a pardon for his service and he readily agrees. So the seven have a reason to stick together, and after a month apparently they decide to make it permanent because nothing is mentioned about the time limit again.
In the AU, the judge is Chris' boss and the one that came up with the idea to have the ATF special teams in the first place. He's usually peripherally involved and the character of his wife Evie, who is only mentioned of in the original series becomes enamored with the seven and treats them all like sons.
So that's the Magnificent Seven. Wow, when I started this I thought it would just be a little thing and look at all I've put up there. Sheesh. Here's hoping the NCIS one is a bit shorter.