In this follow up episode to one of the best, “Bear Man,” as well as last week’s uncomfortable “Elam Ferguson,” we find ourselves dealing with everything and everyone else besides what ought to garner screen time – the death of Elam Ferguson. Or I could be examining this episode too closely. I’ll pull the camera back to a wider view, reboot, and see what unfolds. I liked Naomi’s physicality at the river’s edge in washing Elam’s blood from Cullen’s clothing while replaying the previous mercy killing in her mind’s eye. No manner of hard water or beating the garments against stones will ever erase the images and sounds of what her husband did to a man he openly declared was a loving friend. In this town, it has to be business as usual after a monumental death, or nothing would ever be accomplished. No time for mourning. Cullen is a man of few words, so whatever reserves he had to call upon to end Elam’s life had to have been significant. Was he more concerned for himself or Elam? The answer to that question might go with him to the grave. In the aftermath of Elam’s death, Cheyenne isn’t fractured, however Eva looks to be slowly unraveling. For this week’s title to be relevant, the previous episodes ought to have included an uptick in violence, crimes, and murder. No such chaos has befallen Cheyenne, which leads me back to trying to justify the governor’s role. Cheyenne policed itself long before the idea of dispatching a Campbell and his men made sense. If the town were to fall into the hands of ruthless outlaws who destroy, pillage, and randomly burn buildings, and Durant found a way to telegraph The Union Pacific Railroad headquarters and Grant for help . . . In this scenario, yes, send fearless reinforcements with leathery skin, missing teeth with obligatory sawed-off shotguns and revolvers to rid the town of its unwanted guests. An obvious candidate for marshal is Cullen, but obvious choices don’t always work dramatically. The man we’ve come to know and accept as Bohannon would feel restricted as an agent of the law. It’s better that he continues his penance as a manual laborer and intermittent railroad boss. Recruiting criminals as lawmen is a bad choice for this chapter, but I’ll wait and see if it enhances the show in future episodes. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!
