The Rider Review - Gathering Clouds Part 2
By Johnny Betts
June 20, 2003
PROLOGUE
"I don't get off-track; I just take the scenic route." - Johnny Betts
The name's Johnny Betts, and the game is high-stakes reviewin'. You are now reading the review of
"Gathering Clouds (Part 2)." You know what this means, don't you? I HAVE FINISHED REVIEWING ALL
OF SEASON 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And it only took 32 months. Before I begin the Season 2 reviews, I
am going to write a Season 1 Wrap-up. I'm putting together a questionnaire for all the readers
to answer to help me with the wrap-up. More details on that later.
Donna R. and Danielle H. answered the
JOHNNY BETTS GUESTBOOK CHALLENGE, who will answer it for the month of June???
RIDER REVIEW READER PARTICIPATION PROGRAM
If you want to participate in a future review, then go ahead and let me know. There are plenty of
Season 2 episodes still open. The only episodes that have been claimed as number 1 choices are:
"Dead Ringer," "The Littlest Cowboy," "Daisy," and "A Noble Chase." I know more of you have expressed
interest in this in the past, so now's your chance to participate.
THE YOUNG RIDERS ON DVD
Would you like to see The Young Riders on VHS or DVD? Then head over to Raye's site and fill out the
online form:
http://www.theyoungriders.net/trailtales/DVDpoll.html
I'd like to see TYR officially released on DVD by the time I finish writing all the Rider Reviews, so
please do your part to help in the efforts. MGM/SONY is indeed listening.
Rider Review Newcomers: Ladies and gentlemen (gentleMAN is probably more like it), please
give Donna R. and Danielle H. a warm welcome. I can tell they both have the potential to be Rider Review Mark
winners in the near future.
*readers clap*
Rider Review Mark of the Last Review: Wow, I don't know, this is tough. I could easily
give it to Lindsay again who spent a whopping 4 hours and 22 minutes reading the review and responding to it, but
I want to spread the award out a bit. You know what, I'm going to do something very RARE here at the Rider Review.
I am awarding the Rider Review Mark award to *drum roll* BRIAN LACEFIELD! That's right, a GUY! This is the
very first time a guy has won the award. Some of you may call this some sort of publicity stunt, but he did get
all of the trivia questions right, so it is not without merit!
Brian, you may click RIGHT HERE to get your certificate.
RIDER BEAT
"The Rider Beat = Near-miss bladder crisis. I love the Rider Beat! Let's face it, 99.8% of the
audience is chicks. Acknowledging the draw of the eye candy factor and skewering it -- IT'S WHY YOU ARE
BRILLIANT." - Amy C
What better way to end Season 1 than with Jimmy adorning the cover? A lot of you ladies have requested a Jimmy cover,
and Johnny has delivered. Oh, and for the record, all the ladies I heard from said they did NOT like the red boxers
and five chest hairs. Where are all the Buck fans??? Why didn't you defend your man?
IKE SNEEZING
If you'll recall, in "Gathering Clouds (Part 1)," there is a scene where Ike
sniffs a flower and starts sneezing. He actually MAKES NOISES while sneezing, prompting me to ask, "Hey, if
he's a true mute then why is he making noises while sneezing?" Welp, it seems Rhiannon had the same question
many years ago and has done a little research on the subject. Here is what she's found:
The conclusion that my studies have found involve no "true mutes" at all ... just scientific
theorizing. Anyways, to simplify my long investigation into the answer to your question in one sentence,
if he truly is mute (like, no voice, and not some psychological disorder causing it) there should be no "Ah"
but the "choo" in his AH-CHOO.
There you have it; Ike's a fraud. Apparently he's not a true mute at all! He's been masquerading as one
simply to prey on the sympathy of Sweetwater. WHY IKE?!?!?! WHY?!?!?!?!?!
YOUNG RIDERS TRIVIA
The question: The man who played [Hutch's] partner "Starsky" in the TV show ("Starsky
and Hutch") has also worked with two former YR cast members. Which YR cast members have worked with "Starsky,"
and what were the projects?
The answer: Paul Michael Glaser has worked with Josh Brolin (he directed an episode
of "Mister Sterling") and
Brett Cullen (they appeared in the movie "Single Bars, Single Women" together). My good reader, Benji, mentioned
that Glaser directed Miami Vice and Melissa Leo guest-starred on an episode. I don't for sure if he directed
the episode she was on, but I'm gonna give Benji credit anyway. Winners may click on their name to get their
award:
Benji, Karen,
Oregon Ann, and Brian.
I don't have a new trivia question for this review. That's because I'm putting all my efforts in preparing the
Season 1 Questionnaire. When it's ready, I hope all you fine readers will participate. Let's get to the review.
GATHERING CLOUDS PART 2
If you'll recall, here's how the Gathering Clouds Part 1 review ended...
Jeff explains that he caught Kid talking to an army agent. Hawk says, "Then why waste a bullet?
Hang 'em." Jeff smiles, Kid scowls, and tense music plays. Freeze frame on Kid, and it's to be
continued ... as is this review.
What will happen next? Will Kid be hanged?? Will the Hawk and his Raiders take over the town??
Will Ike and Annie get married and live happily ever after?? Will Fonzie cut off his mullet?? All
of these questions and many more will be answered in ... Gathering Clouds ... PART TWO!
Let's answer those questions, shall we? Well, we can at least try.
Jeff is putting the noose around Kid's neck. It's a good look for Kid. I better be careful, I don't want
to be accused of taking the lives of television characters less seriously than I should. Apparently some
people don't like that. FAKE LIVES ARE NOTHING TO JOKE ABOUT! Jeff heckles Kid a little bit by asking if
it's too tight.
The Hawk asks Kid to explain himself. Kid laughs a little bit and says that Ben Fetterman was trying to
help them until Jeff shot him. Kid then claims they're hanging the wrong man. I like how Jeff coolly
says it wouldn't be their first mistake. He's not stupid enough to fall for Kid's story.
You know, there's a big flaw in Kid's story here. When Jeff first caught him, Kid claimed that Jeff
"didn't see nothing" and was making it all up. If Ben was trying to help the Raiders, then that's
the story Kid should've gone with all along. Claiming Jeff made the whole thing up and THEN saying,
"Oh, well, OK, Jeff didn't make it up, um, actually, Ben was trying to help us! Yeah! That's what
the real deal is!" just won't fly. I would've been an undefeatable bad guy on TYR.
Kid: Ben Fetterman was trying to help us!
Johnny: Really? Just a minute ago you said Jeff was making the whole thing
up. You said, and I quote, "He didn't see nothin'." Care to explain?
Kid: Um, you're making this stuff up! The wrong man's being hanged!
Johnny: That's what I thought. Put a bullet in him.
And Kid would've no longer been a problem for the Raiders. And yes, I would've had him shot instead
of hanged because I'd have been too concerned that somebody like Jimmy would show up and shoot the rope
and save Kid. Like I said, I would've been an unstoppable YR bad guy.
Kid claims Jeff has been giving him a hard time ever since he joined up. As Jeff is about to slap
the horse that Kid's rope is tied to (and as Jimmy prepares to shoot either Jeff or the rope), Hawk
tells Jeff to wait. He wants to hear Kid's story. Jeff just wants to hurry up with the hanging.
Jeff's smart. He knows Kid can't be trusted. I think news of Kid only lasting 1 minute and 45
seconds with Johnny McClarnen (instead of 3 minutes) spread around the Raiders' camp.
Kid says Fetterman was a family friend from Virginia. He worked for the army, but he was on their
side. Kid says he wanted to let them know about the rifle shipment that Captain Fonzie had coming.
Man, Kid's just full of lies, isn't he? Hawk says "Blue Creek, Friday" and then Kid says, "Cotter's
Pass on Thursday." Did Hawk think the shipment was going to Blue Creek, or was he trying to trick
Kid to see if he knew where the shipment was actually going? I'll guess the latter.
Jeff doesn't think Hawk should believe him, but for some reason Kid fooled ol' Hutch. Hawk says to
cut him loose. Jeff just sighs and throws his hands in the air. Can you blame him? Looks like Jeff
is smarter than the Hawk. Seriously, you'd think Hawk would be just a tad more suspicious.
But then again, he is a YR bad guy. So that answers our first question - Kid does NOT get hanged.
Is everybody else as shocked as I am? Let me take a moment to compose myself and collect my
thoughts...
Ah, all right, I can continue now...
Jimmy and Teaspoon are talking. Jimmy says they can't leave Kid alone in the camp. He got lucky
once, but next time might be different. After all, Kid can't really be expected to take care of
himself. Teaspoon says they just need to be careful. Ben wanted Kid to find out who the Hawk was
and where he was camped, and Jimmy says that he's done that, so now they need to tell Captain Fonzie.
Teaspoon doubts that the Fonz would believe them. Teaspoon thinks he'd just flip up the collar on his
leather jacket and say, "Ayyyyyyyyyy!" Jimmy says they've gotta do something and we cut to...
........Jimmy having a little tutor session with Vera. Weeeeeell, looks like Jimmy's planning on doing
something! "She has ... two ... po ..." She has two po? What in the world??? Hmmm, maybe he means
"Tupac." Somebody has a Tupac CD. That's a little out of place. Ohhh, Vera helps him sound it out,
he's trying to read that she has two POCKETS!
I love how Jimmy then reads, "I have ... three ... pockets." He then has this content look on his
face, and he smiles really big when Vera tells him he's doing a good job. Hahaha, it's just funny.
It's a look you'd expect Cody to make. While this is cute and all, I've gotta point out that it's
historically inaccurate. The real Jimmy Hickok was actually well read at a young age.
Out of nowhere, Dawson Creek and Joshua Pacey show up and somehow take the mention of pockets and
turn it into a huge sexual discussion. They start throwing around words like "vertiginous" and
"ingénue." Thankfully, when James Van Der Geek starts to cry more than Kid at Katy's funeral, Jimmy
draws his Colt and drops these two punks like a J Lo husband.
Reader: Hey Johnny, haven't you used the "dropped like a J Lo husband" simile before?
Maybe. I'm not 100% sure. Doesn't matter, it's still funny.
Vera tells Jimmy that he's really coming along, but she thinks they've done enough for today. She
claims she doesn't want to dampen his enthusiasm (which Jimmy says is not likely), but the truth is
she knows she better stop now before she can't resist tearing his shirt off. Who does she think she
is? One of my high school teachers?
Hutch has been watching the whole thing, and he wants to have a word with Jimmy. Have a word? There's
another phrase that doesn't make much sense. They ended up having more than one word. Who has ever had
a conversation during which only ONE word was exchanged? If anybody ever tells you that they want to "have
a word" with you, then please stop them after one word and say, "There, you had it. See ya."
Hutch has been thinking about what Jimmy said about the Hawk. Hutch has been thinking about a lot of
things actually. Jimmy's broad shoulders. His intense glare. His long, luxurious hair. His confident
walk. Seriously folks, Hutch was acting just a little too "intimate" with Jimmy. Was anybody else
creeped out by this?
Hutch points out that there are not many people in the community who share Jimmy's feelings, but Jimmy
says "What's popular ain't always what's right." You gotta judge what's going on for yourself. And if
the majority doesn't agree with him? Well, the way Jimmy sees it is that there are some rights that no
one can take away. The Hawk is just saying that the states should govern themselves. The army wants to
hang him for speaking his mind, and that's not right. Preach it Jimmy!
Hutch is pleased with Jimmy's eloquence. He wants to continue this conversation tonight at
7:00. Jimmy agrees. See what I mean? CREEPY! Be careful Jimmy, and like you later learn in
"Bad Company," you might want to WATCH YOUR BACK!
Let's see what's happening at the bunkhouse. Ah, the riders are having dinner, and Annie has been
invited. Well, isn't that precious. And she's sitting next to Ike too! Awwwww! Ike and Annie
are apparently in the 8th grade. Lou asks where Jimmy is. Teaspoon says he's working on his reading
with the new schoolteacher. Cody then says, in typical Cody fashion, "And that ain't all he's
workin' on." Hahaha.
Teaspoon changes the subject and asks Annie if she's a good cook. She says some people think so.
Teaspoon smiles and raises his eyebrows at Ike as if to say, "This one's a keeper!" Ike starts to
throw a little sign Annie's way. Cody starts to explain what Ike is saying, but Annie wants to
decipher it. Here's what Ike signs:
He points at Annie, he makes a drinking motion with his hand, he puts two fingers at his nose,
points to himself, hugs himself, puts two fingers behind his hand, and then acts like he's
holding a baby. Oh no, this can't be good.
Annie deciphers it as, "Would I like to see your favorite colt?" Yeah right. I'm supposed to
believe that a drinking motion means "like"??? You can sell that someplace else, Sam Cain,
'cause I ain't buying it! Let's look up the translation in the JBSLD ... man. Why, Ike, why???
Looks like the actual translation is, "Would you like to get drunk, hold me close, and maybe
have my baby?" THIS IS TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR! Come on, Ike, SHE'S FRAGILE! Plus, this is
supposed to be somewhat of a family show! For some reason, Lou doesn't seem to like Ike's
interaction with Annie. Is she just upset that Kid is gone? If so, then get over it.
Teaspoon, Emma, and the riders treat Annie like she's a small child that just read her first
sentence. Emma leans over, pinches Annie on the cheek, and says (in baby talk), "Does Annie
want a cookie? Does Annie want a cookie?" Emma then asks where she learned all that signing,
and Annie claims she found a book in town and she thought it'd help her and Ike's new friendship
(she signed this part). Lou is still sitting there pouting while everybody else is congratulating
Annie on her learning abilities.
So Sweetwater just has Indian Sign Language books lying around, huh? Forgive me for being skeptical.
If Annie had said, "I found an Indian Sign Language book in Tompkins' store" then I would've stopped
the review right here and now.
Jimmy's ready for his meeting with Hutch. Hutch walks out of the shadows and introduces himself
as ... THE HAWK! Of course there was tense music playing and all that good stuff. He says
if that bothers Jimmy then he can walk away right now. Jimmy says it doesn't bother him. What
bothers ME though, is when Hawk said, "But if you walk away, then please walk away slowly." Was
that comment necessary? Of course not! So let's see, Jimmy has a choice to make. Hawk says
there's no half way, you're either for the Raiders or against them. Hawk asks Jimmy if he's
coming, and Jimmy smiles and nods.
Hawk and Jimmy ride into camp. Hawk introduces him as James Butler Hickok. "Wild Bill for
those of you who believe everything that you read." He says Jimmy's decided to join the cause.
Kid smiles. He's no doubt happy to see Jimmy. So is everybody else, because what proceeds is
one of the weirdest moments in YR history. All of a sudden we hear the familiar strains of the
old Kool and the Gang classic "Celebration" start playing. Then Aaron gets up in Kid's face and
acts like his gun is a microphone and starts singing, "There’s a party going on right here! A
celebration to last throughout the years! So bring your good times, and your laughter too! We
gonna celebrate your party with you - Come on now!"
Then things get even stranger when the Raiders start dancing around and singing in harmony,
"Celebration! Let’s all celebrate and have a good time!" Jeff's version of the running man
dance really put a hit on his credibility as a mean bad guy. Am I the only one who found this a
little out of place? Or was this scene only on my Special Edition?
After the festivities die down, Jeff realizes he's standing in the presence of greatness and says
to Jimmy, "I thought you'd, uh, be bigger." I thought that was funny. Kind of shows how big
reputations could get back then. Jimmy doesn't respond. How can you not love Jimmy's toughness?
Jeff better learn to take Jimmy's stare seriously.
Jimmy checks out a tent. Kid asks what he's doing. Jimmy says he's looking for him, and now
they have to find a way out. I'm sure it doesn't look the least bit suspicious that Kid
goes over and starts immediately talking to the new guy. Let's see, Kid is new and is almost
hanged for being a spy. Jimmy is brand new, and Kid's immediately chummy with him. Yeah, that
shouldn't send up any red flags or anything.
Aaron gathers everybody together. Hawk wants 8 of their best men saddled and ready to ride at dawn.
The rifles are coming in, and Hawk doesn't want them falling in the wrong hands.
The next day we see soldiers on horses and soldiers in a couple of wagons. Must be the rifle
shipment. Uh-oh, we see a family having their breakfast. This can't be good. It's a husband,
wife, and two boys. Jeff and two generic Raiders barge into the house. Jeff says they'll need
the use of their house for a little bit, so if they wouldn't mind going in the back room they'll
be out before they know it.
For some IDIOTIC reason, the husband goes for his gun. Uh, good job dude. You've got three guys
holding guns on you and to get your gun you have to TURN AROUND, pull it from its holster, turn back
around, and then shoot. Yeah, I'd say go for it. How stupid could this guy be?!?!?! I just can't
believe he went for his gun so quickly. This was definitely a case of death by stupidity.
The camera shifts to outside the house and we hear two gunshots. The two generic Raiders drag the
bodies of the husband and the oldest boy outside. Aaron isn't happy about this. He says they're
innocent people, but Jeff says they went for their guns. Aaron asks if he enjoyed it, and Jeff just
gives an evil smile.
Here come army horses! Everybody lies down on the ground to make the soldiers think there has
been a massacre. Kid tells Jimmy they've gotta get out of there, but Jimmy says they'll never
make it. What was Kid thinking? "Hey Jimmy, we better start riding away and get out of here.
I doubt the Raiders will try to shoot us or anything."
A couple of the Raiders ride off just as the soldiers arrive. The soldiers are led to believe
that the massacre just took place. They fire at the fleeing Raiders and then dismount to take
a look at the bodies. One soldier asks, "What happened here? Were they forced to sit through
a 'Kid episode' marathon??" Jeff and another Raider come out of the house and draw their guns.
The rest of the Raiders follow suit.
Kid tells one of the soldiers to tell Captain Fonzie that Jeremy Styles is the Hawk, and his men
are camped on Pine Ridge. All of a sudden we hear gunshots. Some soldiers are hiding in the
wagon, and apparently they want bloodshed, so they start firing at the Raiders. A gunfight
ensues.
Jimmy gets shot in the leg as he's trying to take cover. Kid sends his little army friend running.
Kid starts firing shots in the vicinity of the army guy to make it look like he's trying to shoot
him, but Jeff notices Kid's perceived ineptitude and puts a bullet in the soldier and takes him down.
Good job Kid, that plan was just flushed down the toilet faster than Robert Downey Jr.'s incriminating
evidence. Hope you like being responsible for a guy's death.
Nothing too exciting happens in the rest of the gunfight. Soldiers run around a lot. One soldier
limply leans over the wagon to act like he was shot, thus giving me a nice chuckle. Kid and Jimmy
hunker behind a couple of barrels because you know, that's probably the thing that would draw the
least amount of attention to them. And we're off to commercial.
Back in town, Fonzie is requisitioning the town's horses. I wish somebody would requisition the
Captain's mullet. Sam isn't happy about it, but he does little more than meanly ask Fonzie questions.
The Fonz says they're ONLY requisitioning 150 horses in order to form a new Cavalry. Anybody who only
has one animal upon which they're dependent will be exempt. Sam echoes my feelings when he says, "Well
that's real nice of ya." Captain Fonz says the horses will be returned or replaced as soon as possible.
Sam tells the Captain that he's making it real hard for people to tell him and the Hawk apart.
Oooooooh.
Here comes a wagon with the widow and her remaining son. She says the Hawk and his men killed
her husband and son. A soldier reports that the rifles have been taken. The Captain tries to
act sad and exploits this situation to show Sam that he needs those horses. Wooo, he slammed
his hand on a wagon! THE CAPTAIN MEANS BUSINESS NOW!
Back at the schoolhouse, Vera and Hutch are playing "teacher and student" or something. Vera asks
Hutch what they'll do now. He says they proceed. Vera feels this could turn the whole town against
them. Hutch doesn't doubt that it will, but they've got other objectives to worry about now. Vera
asks if he still wants to go ahead with the bank robbery. He says it doesn't matter what he wants;
if they're gonna form an army then they need horses, guns, and money. Out of nowhere, Warren Zevon
shows up and starts singing, "Send lawyers, guns, and money!" Weird.
Hutch gives Vera a letter and says to make sure Captain Fonz finds it. It says that Hawk and his gang
will be meeting at White's Bluff on Saturday. It's a trap! When Fonz and the army go to capture the
Raiders, Hawk will steal his horses. Vera asks Hutch if he's trying to destroy the Captain, but Hutch
says Fonzie is doing an excellent job on his own, and then adds, "After all, the guy's got a mullet!"
Vera laughs.
Vera starts to dismiss herself, and Hutch makes a sarcastic comment about how she mustn't keep
Fonzie waiting. She asks if he's getting jealous, and he says no, just concerned. She remarks
that he wasn't concerned back in Kansas, to which Hutch replies, "You weren't Mrs. Styles."
Then they smooch! Ooooooooooooooooh, plot twist! THEY'RE MARRIED!
Jeff and the Raiders enter the bank dressed like soldiers. It's better than dressing like women.
Looks like the bank robbery is about to go down. Widow and son are in the bank and recognize Jeff.
Widow starts yelling that that's the man who shot her husband. Hutch grabs her and tries to shut
her up while Jeff tells the bank teller to give them the army payroll.
Some absolute MORON tries to draw his gun. WHY?!?!?!?!?!?! What did he think he was going to
do?????????????????? You've got a group of outlaws standing there with their guns drawn, what exactly
did the guy think he was going to accomplish? Plus, he took forever trying to clear the gun from the
holster. Not surprisingly, he gets shot. And quite frankly, he deserved it. I'm sorry, but a character
like that doesn't deserve to appear in another episode. If somebody was about to be killed, and an act
of desperation had to be made, then that's one thing. But this was not the case. We've already had
two deaths by stupidity in this episode.
Jeff tells the bank teller to hurry or he'll have a lot of dead customers. Sam hears the gunshots
and runs out on the street to take care of business. Sam, Barnett, and Fonzie proceed to have a
shootout with the Raiders. Amazingly, the riders are nowhere in sight. Hawk's about to ride away,
but Fonzie prepares to shoot him. Vera sees this and jumps in the line of fire, taking Fonzie's
bullet for Hawk. Hawk pauses for a second, but decides to flee the scene and save his own
life.
Fonzie approaches the wounded Vera who is only concerned with whether Hawk got away or not. Sigh.
Thanks to Rhi, now all I can think about when I mention Vera is "Vera Wang." Oh well, it's not as
bad as having some stupid song (like "Celebration") stuck in your head.
After we return from commercial we see that Vera is still alive. She seems to be at death's door
though. Actually, she's knocking on the door right now. Death is sitting on his leather sofa downing
his cheese puffs with ice cold bottled Dr. Pepper. He also seems to be watching reruns of "Growing
Pains."
Fonzie asks Vera what kind of woman she is. She says the kind who believes in something.
Fonz asks what, slavery, terrorism, murder? She puts on face paint, refers to herself as William
Wallace, and exclaims, "Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom!" She tells Fonzie that Hawk is a great man,
and under other circumstances he'd probably like him.
Slavery? Where did that come from? Last I checked, Hawk said slavery was a bad thing in ALL
forms. I'm sorry, Captain, but the majority of the South weren't for slavery and weren't fighting
for slavery, so just go shave your mullet or something.
Hey Captain, would you care to explain how many Northern states wouldn't allow free blacks to
enter the state or own property? Or how about how some states would let free blacks enter only if
they posted a $1000 bond? Or maybe, oh ye great angelic fighter against the evil South, would
you like to explain why throughout the North where blacks were actually able to reside, they were not
permitted to attend theater, be admitted to hospitals, or attend school? You gonna tell me,
Cap'n, that that isn't a form of slavery?
All Captain Fonzie can do is think about himself and ask her if she realizes what he's done to
him. Out of nowhere, the show gets a little too Cop Rock-ish as the Captain starts singing, "I
wanna talk about me, I wanna talk about I, I wanna talk about number 1 oh my-me-my..." With apologies
to all the Toby Keith fans out there, that's one of the worst written songs in history.
We hear a knock on the door. Well, assuming we aren't deaf. A soldier hands a Lieutenant the note
about Hawk and the Raiders meeting at White's Bluff. He says they found it in Vera's room. The
Lieutenant shows it to Fonzie. He reads the letter, and Vera dies. One of the soldiers tells
Captain that Vera is dead, but he just responds with, "It doesn't matter now."
Back at Hawk's camp, Aaron talks with Hawk about Vera. Aaron's sorry about what happened. He
asks Hawk what he wants to do now. Does Hawk still want the army's horses? Hawk seems a little
spaced out. Aaron asks about Sweetwater. Hawk says he came to help them and they turned their
backs on him. Aaron says that's not true, they were just defending themselves. Hawk disagrees.
He thinks Sweetwater needs to be taught a lesson. Aaron doesn't seem too keen on this. What kind
of lesson? Like the one in Kansas? Or maybe Hawk just wants to use an apple to teach them a lesson
about freedom. That's probably it. No need to jump to conclusions.
Aaron thinks all this is as crazy as a Jackson family reunion. He thinks Hawk just needs to get
over his hurt and not destroy everything he's accomplished. Hawk says they've accomplished nothing
and walks off.
Fonzie is writing a letter of resignation. It will be effective upon the arrival of his
replacement. He asks Lieutenant Maxwell to have a courier deliver the letter to Colonel Benton
in Ft. Miles. He also wants his men ready to ride to White's Bluff tomorrow at noon. He wants
to bungle at least one more thing before quitting. If nothing else, he plans on destroying Hawk's
army. Fonzie says he has no right asking for forgiveness for his actions, but he's sorry for any
toes he's stepped on. Maxwell nods and leaves. It's really not a dramatic scene at all.
The soldier who delivered Hawk's letter to Fonzie, shows up at the Raiders' camp and informs
the Hawk that Fonzie received the letter, and the army plans on going to White's Bluff. There
will be a couple of soldiers left to watch the horses. Hawk asks about Vera, but the soldier slowly
shakes his head. Aaron tells the "soldier" to get back before he's missed. With a newfound
hatred in his eyes, Hawk says to gather the men.
As the "soldier" is leaving he smiles and nods at Kid. Kid nods back. Jimmy asks Kid if he
knows him, and Kid just nods. Care to elaborate for Jimmy?
It's time for Hawk to give a little speech to his Raiders. He says that while Fonzie and his
men are off chasing ghosts, they'll complete their mission. By tomorrow, with success they'll be
known as Hawk's army, rather than Hawk's Raiders. History will long remember them. He says to
be ready to ride at noon.
Kid asks what they're gonna do, and Jeff says "have some fun." Jimmy asks by killing innocent
people? Hawk says that's right, and some of them may even be their friends, but by their actions
they've shown where they stand and they must pay the price. Hawk then pulls out a calculator, punches
some numbers, and says, "And that price is about $36.95." The Raiders stare at each other with
confusion in their eyes. It's classic.
Aaron tries to be a voice of reason and says Jimmy's right. Hawk says he's sorry, but Sweetwater
must serve as an example to the enemies of freedom. Aaron asks him not to do this. Hawk simply
replies with, "We ride at noon." Kid asks Jimmy if he can ride. Of course he can ride! HE'S
JIMMY! There's a greater chance of Anna Nicole Smith getting a college education than Jimmy
saying, "Nah, I believe I'll sit this one out, Kid." Jimmy tells Kid he's gonna have to peel Jeff
off his shadow.
Lou gives Ike a ring. She doesn't know why she bought it. She thought maybe she'd give it to Kid,
but she doesn't seem to know where that's headed. Ike tries to give it back, but she says there are
plenty of rings in the world. He can have it on one condition - he can't tell Kid about it. She
doesn't want him to know she bought it. The way things are going, she doesn't think she'll be
needing it. She and Ike hug. Then things get really sappy (cue the music) and Lou says, "Ike,
you take care of Annie. She's a good girl." Come on, he's known her for what, oh, I don't know,
A FEW DAYS!!!!!!!!!! Lou jumped all over Jimmy for only knowing Sarah "Horse-Face" Downs for a few
days. One of Lou's big complaints then was Jimmy didn't know anything about her, but now she's giving
Ike a ring? HYPOCRITE!
Back in town we hear a bugle beltin' out some army classics as Captain Fonzie prepares to lead his
men to White's Bluff. He hasn't screwed something up today, so he's gotta hurry up and meet his
quota. And off they go.
Back at Hawk's camp it's time for Kid and Jimmy to ditch Jeff. Kid walks past Jeff, and ol'
Jeffrey asks him where he's going. Kid's gotta answer the call of nature, does he mind?
Not if Kid doesn't mind him watching. SICK! When they walk past a tree that Jimmy is hiding
behind, Jimmy nails Jeff in the back of the head with a big stick. Who does Jimmy think he is,
Buford Pusser?
Jimmy and Kid untie the Raiders' horses. They hop aboard THEIR horses, fire their guns, and
take off while the horses scatter. Jeff makes a speedy recovery and starts firing his gun.
As he and Hawk watch the disturbance, Jeff says he told Hawk that they couldn't be trusted.
Hawk says it doesn't matter now, but Jeff is worried they'll warn the town. Hawk isn't intimidated
though because Fonzie has left town.
On their way back to Sweetwater, Kid and Jimmy meet the Captain and his men. Kid tells them to
go back to Sweetwater. Fonzie says they're either very brave or very stupid. Kid and Jimmy try
to explain that the Hawk is pulling a trick on them and plans on stealing the horses and getting
revenge on the town, but Fonz tells his Lieutenant to put them under arrest. The Kid rats on the
traitor soldier and says he was in on it, but traitor boy says he's lying. Fonz refuses to believe
them and proceeds towards White's Bluff. Jerk. I'm going to be VERY upset if Fonzie doesn't get
punched upside the brain by somebody, preferably Jimmy.
Sam, Emma, Teaspoon, Cody, Lou, Ike, and Annie are all out having dinner. Buck must've been somewhere
trying on red boxers and trying to grow a few chest hairs for his next photo shoot because he's nowhere
in sight. Everybody's saying how nice everything is, Cody comments on how nice the food is, and Teaspoon
says they should do it more often. Emma says maybe occasionally, but this is a special occasion, which
prompts Sam to ask, "It is? What is it, somebody's birthday?" Hahaha, it's a perfect delivery. Emma
kicks Sam and nods her head toward Ike and Annie. Sam looks over at Ike who looks nervous and a
little uncomfortable. Cody thinks it's all pretty funny.
Lou unsubtlely jerks her head a couple of times towards Annie, and Teaspoon unsubtlely fakes
clearing his throat. Man, could y'all be a little more obvious please? Oh, you can't? OK then.
Ike continues to squirm in his seat while Annie just holds her cup in front of her face and looks
around at everybody.
Lou says she heard that Henry and Laura (who?) are thinking about getting married. Teaspoon says,
"You don't say?" as he nods at Ike. Cody then does his impersonation of Jimmy reading as he slowly
says, "Now don't you think ... that that's special ... Ike?" On cue, a couple of clowns doing
Rockette-like kicks dance by while holding up a sign that says, "Hey Ike, ask Annie to marry you!"
Then somebody hurried up and invented a plane (take that, Wright Brothers!) and flew by with a
banner on the end saying, "Ike, Ask Annie to Marry You!"
Whoa, Ike's pulling out the ring! He's gonna do it! IKE'S GETTING MARRIED! Wow, this really opens
up interesting possible storylines for season 2. There could be an episode where Ike and Annie are ...
uh-oh, just a second. Oh no. Welp, forget those plans. Dude comes in and introduces Annie to Harold
Jackson. Turns out he didn't die in the mine cave-in. Ike just sits there with a shocked look on his
face. Poor guy. Isn't it just truly amazing that Harold Jackson shows up at THE EXACT MOMENT Ike is
gonna pop the question? I never would've thought everything was so coincidental back in the Old West.
Here come the Raiders! And I don't mean the ones from Oakland.
Meanwhile, a few soldiers arrive in Sweetwater with Jimmy and Kid. Sam and the gang run out to the
street and Kid warns them that Hawk and his men are coming. The Lieutenant tells him to shut his
trap and draws his gun and orders everybody to disperse. Sam asks what he's gonna do, put the
whole town in jail? The Lieutenant says they have 10 seconds. Teaspoon draws his gun and says
he hopes he has plenty of bullets, BOOYA! Cody says yeah, he's gonna need 'em. Rider coming!
It's Tompkins, and he reports there's a bunch of unfriendly riders coming from the West. Kid states
the obvious and says it's the Hawk. The crowd starts muttering "Hawk." Johnny laughs. Sam calms the
crowd down and asks the Lieutenant where they've stockpiled their ammunition. The Lieutenant is silent
at first, but Sam says the Raiders will be armed to the teeth, and the people of Sweetwater will need
every gun they can muster. The Lieutenant finally says they're in the shed behind the Captain's
quarters.
The word "muster" makes me think of "mustard," which makes me ask, what in the world does the
phrase "cut the mustard" literally mean? Who cuts mustard? You can't cut mustard! THE PHRASE
MAKES NO SENSE!
Sam takes control and tells the women and children to take cover inside, he tells Kid to quit trying to
disguise himself as a woman, he tells all the men to get their guns, and he sends Tompkins, Barnett, and
Charlie (who?) to go get the army rifles and to pass them out to everybody who knows how to use one. He
says if anybody wants to leave, then he better go now. Kid starts to walk away, but Jimmy stops him. Nobody
is leaving. Sam says they're on their own now. As soon as you get a gun then get inside and stay there.
He says to clear the street and everybody flitters away.
Lou tells Kid she thought she'd never see him again. Please. How many times in one season can Lou
think she won't see Kid again? Ike tries to tell Annie and goofball Harold to go, but Harold says
they can use all the help they can get. Yeah, but not from Harold. Ike shakes his hand. Harold's
quite the doofus. I doubt the guy's ever used a gun before in his life. What's he gonna do, fight
off the Raiders with geek rays?
The street is soon as silent as a dead man's heart. Sam decides to be cool and knock out the glass
in his office windows. As the Raiders make their way towards Sweetwater, Jimmy and Emma decide to
follow Sam's lead and break some windows too. Kid just sits there with his mouth open. Dork.
The Raiders get to the edge of Sweetwater and notice the street is empty. Hawk asks Jeff if he
remembers Willow Creek. Jeff smiles and says, "Kansas, wasn't it?" Aaron asks Hawk not to do
this. Hawk says some philosophical crap about imitating the actions of a tiger when the blast
of war blows in their ears. Whatever. The Raiders charge.
Citizens of Sweetwater, get ready! As the Raiders come into town a young girl, predictably, runs
outside and stares with her mouth wide open. Some man with a rifle has to run out and get her. Why
didn't her parents make sure to impress upon her the idea that she needed to stay inside? Whenever
there's a huge gunfight, why, oh why, must some little kid run outside and have to be rescued? What's
gonna happen next, one of the riders will have to pull a dog out of harm's way?
Next, Cody has to save a dog that is tied up outside on a leash. SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH!!!!!!!
As the Raiders make their first run through the streets of Sweetwater, a big gunfight ensues. A lot
of Hawk's Raiders get shot, but the Raiders manage to hit only one soldier. Sam does a lot of the type
of shooting where he slams his palm down on the trigger. Why does Sam shoot that way? Because it looks
cool, that's why!
After the Raiders' first run, they decide it's time for a passing play. Bwahahaha, man, I crack myself
up sometimes. Actually, Cody is still trying to get the dog loose for some reason. What's the
big deal? Did Cody really think the Raiders would shoot the dog? Buck goes to help him, and Cody
comments on how he thinks the Raiders will come back through. Jimmy breaks some more glass, the
citizens prepare for the Raiders' next charge, Cody hands the dog to some kid, and THE Kid stands around
with his mouth wide open.
Buck tells Cody they need to find a way to stop the Raiders. Have no fear, Cody has a plan! He watched
last year's Super Bowl, and he's gonna take tips from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' game plan. Hahahaha,
I kill me.
They head over to the corral where the army's horses are being kept. A 12-year-old soldier is guarding
the horses. He points his rifle at Buck and Cody and says the horses are army property. Cody appreciates
his desire to do his duty, but he says Sweetwater needs the horses now and they don't have
time to discuss it. He pops one of the soldier's zits and shoves the rifle out of the way.
Hawk prepares the Raiders for the next charge. He says to give them no quarter and tells Jeff to
go for the horses. He should've also added, "Go for the gusto!" just to give everybody an extra bit
of motivation. Cody and Buck release the horses. The horses run right into the Raiders' horses and
we have mass confusion. More gunfire. Emma shoots Jeff off his horse. Jimmy sees Jeff wandering
around and decides to go face him.
A few seconds later Jeff meets his destiny as he looks up and sees Jimmy standing across from him.
Jeff, with his gun already drawn, has a look of fear in his eyes, and then smiles a little. Jimmy
stands there steely-eyed. He raises his eyebrows a little as if to tell Jeff, "Your move, punk."
Jeff tries to shoot Jimmy, but our boy Hickok is too fast for ol' Jeffrey. Give Jeff credit though,
he manages a smile before he drops dead to the ground.
For the next couple of minutes, Hawk is shooting at things within a 180-degree arc. Aaron is
sitting on his horse with his gun drawn. It looks like he's debating whether or not to
shoot Hawk. Hawk shoots ol' Harold Jackson in the arm, and he's about to shoot Annie, but Aaron
yells at him and then shoots him in the back of the shoulder. Aaron takes his PRECIOUS TIME preparing
to shoot Hawk again, but since he was taking about 20 minutes to do it, Hawk shoots, and presumably
kills, him.
Hawk rides away and hides in a barn. Kid heads over to smoke him out. Hawk comes charging out of the barn
shooting his gun. As he tries to ride off, Kid SHOOTS HIM IN THE BACK! Nice, Kid, ever heard of a
fair fight?!?!?! Hawk falls off his horse, gets to his knees, slowly stands up, turns around, SLOWLY
raises his guns, and gets shot by Kid. Why on earth would Hawk not be firing his guns while raising
them? Why not raise them a tad quicker? I just don't understand. Must've been counting on Kid having
a slow reaction time.
The Sweetwater citizens start straggling around in the streets. The riders gather together, and Emma
and Teaspoon check to make sure they're all right. I'm digging the tourniquet on Jimmy's leg. I might
start wearing one of those to work as a fashion statement. The background music is pretty catchy - BOM!
BOM BOM! BOM! BOM BOM! Fonzie and his men ride back to Sweetwater. Fonz looks around at the carnage.
The citizens of Sweetwater stare at him without fondness in their hearts. Whoa, we see a kid putting
a blanket over a woman! One of the people of Sweetwater died!
Traitor boy tries to ride away, but the Fonz turns around and shoots him. As Teaspoon and the riders
stare at the Fonz, he fakes some sadness and says, "I was just doing my duty, I didn't know..." Teaspoon
stops him and says, "You do now, Cap'n, you bet your sweet mullet you do now." You were doing
your duty? I think you mean your DOODY! ALL OVER SWEETWATER YOU JERK! Fonz turns around and
leaves. There's a yellow streak on his back.
Please, someone, GO CUT HIS MULLET! PUNCH HIM! TAKE AWAY HIS HAIRSPRAY! ANYTHING! Nope, the
riders let him ride away. Sigh.
Back at Emma's we see Annie and Harold preparing to leave. Cody makes a comment about the Dakota
Territory being real pretty. Hmmm, looks the writers want us to know that Harold and
Annie will be moving to the Dakota Territory. I guess it was better to do that than to have
everybody in the country discussing whether or not we'd see Annie return in Season 2.
Annie tells Ike she doesn't know how to thank him and mentions how Harold's a good man. She shakes
Ike's hand. His mouth quivers a little like he's about to cry. Annie and Harold leave. Rider coming!
Heroic music plays! Teaspoon says, "Cody, you're up!" Ike stops Cody! IKE'S TAKING CODY'S RUN BECAUSE
HE'S A FIGHTER! HE MAY GET KNOCKED DOWN BUT HE GETS UP AND KEEPS ON GOING! Chumbawamba's "Tubthumping"
plays in the background.
All the riders bunch up together and stare in awe and wonder as they watch Ike ride off in the distance.
They act as if he's a baby taking his first steps. Teaspoon speaks the last words of Season 1 when he
says, "Ride safe Ike." Kid nods. Jimmy nods. Ike rides away. Then he falls off his horse and bumps
his head. The end.
EPILOGUE
It's a good episode, but it didn't really end Season 1 with enough of a bang, and I don't know how to feel
about the characters. Aaron was obviously not "bad." He sincerely wanted to help his homeland, and he didn't
want innocent people to get killed. What happened to him? He was shot dead. Captain Fonzie, on the other
hand, was a jerk. He was an army man, but I'd label him as a bad guy. What happened to him? He rode away
in shame. Woo. SOMEBODY COULD HAVE AT LEAST PUNCHED HIM IN THE FACE!
And what was the deal with Hawk? At first he seemed like a reasonable guy with reasonable ideas, but did he
really believe in those ideas? Was he really fighting for freedom? He pretty much went crazy after Vera's
death, but that doesn't explain the massacre in Kansas. Was he more interested in power than he was in the
South's freedom? Or was he just a paranoid psycho?
Jeff was a cool bad guy. He was so cold-hearted, that you couldn't wait for Jimmy to face-off with him.
But man, he was obviously no Kid fan, and for that I hate that he had to be so cold-blooded. He was
smarter than most YR bad guys.
In the end I was bummed because Aaron was killed, and Fonzie didn't get punched or have his mullet cut off,
so I can't label this as a YRRT.
Mark-Out Remark: There weren't a lot of really cool lines, so I'll award it to Jimmy
with, "It'll be a sorry time when plain talk's against the law."
It reminds me of the time in History class when I was forced to inform the teacher how wrong she was.
She was trying to feed us bunk about how the Civil War was all about slavery. She was from New York,
so I said, "Figures a Yankee like you would say something like that. Would you care to explain why
Northern states passed laws against black immigrants from slave states? Or maybe you can tell me the
name of the Northern colonel who said, 'Let it be understood that [if] this is a war for emancipation
of the [blacks], instead of a war in defense of the Constitution, three quarters of the [Northern] army
would lay down their arms.'"
She stuttered for a couple of minutes before saying, "Look, this is my classroom, not a debate forum.
One more word from you and you're heading to the principal's office."
All eyes were on me. How would I respond? Did I sit there with my mouth shut and be content with
having misinformation thrown at me? Or did I stand my ground and refuse to back down? Welp, I stood
up and replied, "It'll be a sorry time when plain talk's against the law. I'll save you the math - that's
11 words, and I'll save you the trouble - I'll show myself to the door." As I slowly headed towards the
door and prepared myself for my visit with the principal, I heard the echo of a single person clapping in
a back corner of a room. Then on the opposite side of the room I heard another person start to clap.
The next few seconds sounded like microwave popcorn as student after student began to applaud my actions.
Once I reached the door I slowly turned around, raised my fist in the air, turned to the teacher, and
said, "You know, Ms. Brownley, I've been sitting in your class all year and I have yet to see you get
a standing ovation from the class. Try the truth sometime; it worked for me."
The class erupted. It was a good day. The rest of the school year was a tough one for Ms. Brownley.
Everything she did and said was questioned. She moved back to New York over the summer, and my legend
status was cemented.
Classic Scene: I was tempted to give it to the scene where Jimmy and
Jeff have their duel, but it was too short. Since this was the last episode with Sam and Emma, then
what better way to send them off than with an award?? So I'm giving it to, "the scene where Sam and
Emma have a heart-to-heart talk with Ike about Annie." It was a funny scene, and it was good to see
the chemistry between Sam and Emma for one last time.
HOW THIS EPISODE CHANGED YOUR LIFE
Lindsay: Gathering Clouds changed my life in a not-so-good way. It's a
long story, but it goes back to a long time ago when I was the tender age of ... well, it was a while ago. This
episode got me a spanking. My dad was scolding me and said he was going to cloud up and rain all over me and I
immediately thought of GC which had just come on TV a few days ago, and I couldn't help smiling. He asked why I
thought what he was saying was funny, and I couldn't hold back the laughter (my wonderful sister was there too,
which didn't help any) but anyway my story ends with me getting a spanking. I learned not to equate what my dad
was saying with episode titles of YR, or incidents from YR, but that's another story for another place and
time...
We all love The Young Riders. I wouldn't be writing these reviews, and you wouldn't be reading the reviews if
we didn't. So it's only natural to assume that each episode would have a positive impact on us. I'm glad Lindsay
shared her story with us because we can ALL learn a valuable lesson thanks to her misfortune. And that lesson is
that even the good things in life can lead to tragedy. It's very easy to assume that you're safe in your "comfort
zone." In all honesty, who would ever think that watching a Young Riders episode would lead to them getting a
spanking (don't answer that, Australian Ann)? But Lindsay's example shows us that we must always be on guard
because you never know when tragedy will sneak up from behind.
How "Gathering Clouds" changed my life by Amy C
Gathering Clouds taught me the incredible importance of literacy. Say your bitter chief cook and
bottle washer belittles you in public? The best revenge is making her eat her liniment covered hot-cakes by becoming
a frigging Rhodes Scholar in the second season while she gets replaced by a set of mammary glands. Natch.
This episode also provided us girls with a handy guide to dating.
- Never date a man who spends more time feathering his hair than you do. The fact that you feather your hair is
your own problem.
I see Amy's point. I wouldn't bother being friends with a guy who feathered his hair, so it's probably a good
idea that you ladies shouldn't date that guy. Especially when he's a poor man's Arthur Fonzarelli.
Never date a radical revolutionary. The fact he was on a 1970s classic t.v. show is probably why you're
still feathering your hair.
And if you insist on dating a radical revolutionary, then make sure he was on a really cool show, like the
"Dukes of Hazzard." Couldn't the YR have at least TRIED to get Tom Wopat to appear as an army General with
the last name of "Lee"? One scene could have consisted of him telling someone, "No, no, not that General Lee"
as he winked at the camera. You gonna tell me that wouldn't have been gold? Plus, his last name is WOPAT!
Never date someone who will only tell you his "street name." You think that it's gonna be all
happily-ever-after and a wedding at the end of the third season, but what nobody tells you is that the
marriage certificate won't hold up in court without your squeeze's legal name.
Gotta give Amy a big ol' AMEN to that. Can anybody name ONE marriage that ever worked out where one of
the spouses didn't know the other one's real name? That doesn't strike anyone else as odd???
If someone disses your boy for being illiterate but won't lift a hand to help him, you are obligated to
knock her on her bustle.
AMEN! Emma has some nerve ridiculing Jimmy in public for his inability to read. She had AN ENTIRE SEASON to
teach Jimmy to read, but I don't recall seeing her get off her corset to lend the brother a helping hand. Oh,
she had plenty of time to flirt with Sam and tend to Ike's head wounds, but teaching Jimmy to read didn't appear
to be a priority. What happened to Ms. "They're not orphans while I'm around"? Looks like she intentionally did
NOT say, "They're not ILLITERATE orphans while I'm around."
Heidi: Gathering Clouds has made me realize that the Hawk has as much
resilience as a hobbit (according to Elrond). For instance, it took how many bullets before Hawk fell dead on
his face in the "gathering clouds" of dust in the street?
Well, they were Kid's bullets, so that might explain something. Who knows how many of those shots actually
missed their mark.
Beth F: "Gathering Clouds" did change my life. An unabashed Ikeotic, I
wondered how Ike could withstand losing Annie when she was obviously so good for him, best female so far, having
learned Indian Sign faster than any of the other characters (including Buck). It only took her one episode. Of
course she didn't wait for Buck to teach her, she bought a book in town. Smart girl! So we know she's good with
languages.
My theory is that he'd taken so many bumps and kicks to the head that he'd forgotten about Annie by the next
day.
These episodes also let us in on a little more to Ike's brotherly relationship to Lou. She wouldn't give her
prized ring to just anybody. She must have cared an awful lot about Ike to be willing to sacrifice it.
Whomever played Jeffrey did an awfully good job of making us wanna string him up and torture him just for the
fun of it. David Soul was wonderful as a psycho. There are some actors who can pull off crazy and some who
can't. Let's just say, we believed every second of his performance. We did not, however, believe for a second
that Martha Byrne was supposed to be his wife. *gag* Having seen her on "As The World Turns" back in the 80s, it
was like, "Hey! We know her! She's Holden's wife and it still shows." *blechh*
I don't know about all the soap opera stuff, but it further shows that TYR LOVED having soap opera stars as
guest stars. Not sure why. I agree about Jeff and Hawk though. One of my readers asked me a while back (I think
it was Jen) if Jeff was played by Nicholas Lea from the X-Files. No, he was not. Jeff was played by Jason Adams, who
does bear a resemblance to Nicholas Lea. Adams later had a recurring role on "Dr. Quinn," and he looked NOTHING
like Jeff. Seriously, I can't tell it's the same guy.
Sidewinding: I could very well be wrong about this (and if so, I apologize to Travis and his lookalike), but I
think I saw Travis Fine in the DC metro area this morning on the metrorail. Having aged about 15 years, I could be
wrong, but the resemblance was uncanny (and it's my opinion, dangit!). Too shy to speak to very cute strangers in
person unless introduced, I didn't do anything but take notes on this guy. At least it wasn't from a distance of
more than a foot and a half, being that it was the orange line train, after all which does confine people to a very
small amount of space. If Travis Fine carries a small blue carry-on and removed his wedding ring and reads books on
DC metrorails, then perhaps it was him. (I mean, there is that whole pilot thing, so maybe he's going all over the
country, dunno.) At any rate, I was 98% sure it was him, but the 2% doubt kept me from making any brilliant YR moves
like telling him he looked familiar and actually asking if he was the man himself. *sigh* End Sidewinding
You should carry one of those bald head things (I don't know the technical name) with you wherever you go. That
way, if you see someone who looks like Travis Fine, just ask him to put it on and not talk for a while. Then you
can know for sure if it's him.
So perhaps Gathering Clouds prevented me from making an idiot of myself, like Ike was prevented from proposing
marriage to Annie at exactly the right moment. Storywise, what would it have accomplished if he HAD been able to
propose to her? The first time someone got married on that show, they LEFT it and that's no help at all. And who
wants to watch a married Pony Express rider? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of cute young male eye-candy? I mean,
heLLO! Notice they didn't have another successful wedding until the series ended!
Hmm, maybe Kid should've been married at the end of the first season ... muhahahahaha! Nah, then I'd have to
find somebody else to make fun of.
Remember, the Young Rider First Season Questionnaire is coming soon! I know y'all will want to be faithful and help
me out with my Season One Wrap-Up.
In the immortal words of Frank Drebin, "It's like eating a spoonful of Drano, sure it'll clean you out, but it'll
leave you hollow inside."
This is just my opinion, you could be wrong.
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