THE MCCREEDY BUST

• I'm not sure why, but I just adore the moment when Kid asks Heyes just how thirsty he is...it is a demonstration of the two very distinct roles these characters play in their relationship. Kid will step up, as the muscle of the pair, when need be--and he includes Heyes' opinion to make sure stepping up is necessary. It never fails to fascinate me how well their relationship succeeds for these two straight men. They are really a couple—and it works perfectly for them.

• Kid is tough as nails. His looks don’t lend themselves so much to that idea, which I think is disarming to his opponents. But he, unlike Heyes, is never afraid of the situations they are in. He is confident, and never hesitates to walk straight into a conflict. I think his boyish smile and ice blue eyes are like fish in the sea…the most colorful and pretty ones are almost always the most deadly.

• Another bully at the bar scene, and it is really good. It is a chance for Kid to demonstrate his fast draw and our boy is so skilled he doesn’t even put down his drink. Hot. ®

• Heyes always shows some sign of awe and pride at Kid’s prowess with a gun. It’s sweet.
• I like how Heyes makes up to Blake in the street after Kid has shot his holster plumb in half… "put your arms down, now and come on…if there’s anything I can’t stand, it’s a man who holds a grudge.” Then he offers to have Blake’s holster fixed. Of course, we know Heyes has an ulterior motive, but Blake just feels like he is acting in friendliness.
• Apparently Blake stopped at the barbershop on his way to complain to the sheriff about who our boys might be. While in the bar only a couple of minutes ago, his face sported at least a three-day growth of stubble, but in the sheriff’s office and on the street where Heyes and the Kid catch up with him he is nearly clean shaven except for a mustache. But then, hey, wait a minute! This guy Blake has the fastest growing beard known to man…now in the wine shop his face is showing a good two-day’s growth. Testosterone or technicality---you be the judge.
• Wine on top of whiskey. Hmmmm. I feel one hell of a hangover coming on.
• Almost ready to give up on the idea of earning $10,000 because it just sounds too dangerous, Heyes is beyond adorable when Blake speaks of the safe where Armendariz keeps the bust of Caesar when it is not on display. “A safe?” And a huge grin as Blake tells him where the safe is from. “Philadelphia? Imagine that…” and the cylinders are really firing in Heyes’ head now…he is already counting the money…

• A first awareness of a trait I absolutely adore about Heyes throughout the series...he loves to play with people’s minds. Here, Heyes treats Blake in a friendly, amiable manner, touching his shoulder and showing concern that he may be in trouble with Mr. McCreedy---and completely disarming the poor sap. And after Kid apologizes for ruining his holster, Blake, feeling befriended and comfortable, says it is a “pleasure to know a man who can shoot that good” to which our ornery Heyes replies, with no sign of insincerity, “Oh, he ain’t that good. He was aiming for your belly.” Kid grins and tips his hat and poor ol’ Blake can only gulp down his wine as our favorite outlaws take their leave.
• That winter coat of Heyes’ just engulfs him. He looks like a little boy in his big brother’s hand me down. And yet, I don’t mind it. Somehow, on him, it works. I am hard pressed to find any moments when he is not adorable in my eyes.

• A cute and sweet moment as Peter stumbles on his lines in the street talking about whether it would be within the boundaries of their amnesty to retrieve the stolen bust from Armendariz. He seems to completely lose track of his monologue and kind of meanders through it. Ben laughs, at Peter’s struggle is my guess, and Peter sheepishly laughs a bit with him and tries to compose himself. I really appreciate that the powers-that-be in those days didn’t remove this very human interaction from the show and left us a wonderful truly Peter moment to savor forever. ®

• Uh, oh. Heyes has just made us aware he is a consummate poker player. And quite confident--even arrogant--about it to boot. “I figure I can play it close so I might even not win too much” he tells Kid in response to his question whether he can play it close and not lose too much. And with a flash of his beautiful left dimple and a laugh, we sense he has the right to a bit of arrogance…
• I am sorry Ben/Kid fans. I apologize in advance for what I am about to say. It’s just a personal taste thing, but I just cannot stand Ben’s voice when he laughs and speaks at the same time….”Heyes, your silvery tongue has done it again…” ugh… (No death threats left in my comments, please.)
• Peter seems to be settling into the role now. Heyes is not a superman, but he is a skilled and smart man. He doesn’t act goofy, although he does fail at some things. Peter portrays a flawed character, somewhat egotistical, but gentle, emotional and smart as a whip, with a gaze that could bring a strong man to his knees. He has made Heyes a character people can love, and respect, because he is fallible and very human.
• Ben seems to have his lips pursed through this whole episode. I think it is charming. I have heard him say he always made a face and a shooting sound when he pulled his gun and had to train himself not to do that in the early days of the show. I wonder if he realized he held his mouth this way and consciously worked on changing that also.
• Heyes always looks so damn adorable cracking a safe. I really believe Peter purposely put a sexual slant on his expressions, letting us know--in kind of an understated way-- that this is what turns Heyes on…he would love this activity almost as much as he would love sex with a woman, maybe even more at times.

• Our boys face a dilemma as they gaze upon the jewels and thumb through the stack of money in Armendariz’s safe. Without saying much, we see both men pass the torch from their old goal in life--which was apparently the acquisition of great fortune by thievery--to their new goal, that of a life of straight and honest ways. The looks of resignation on their faces and Heyes asking, “It ain’t easy, Kid, is it?” to which Kid replies, “It’s downright heartbreaking, Heyes” speaks volumes.

  

• Well, now, that’s a mighty fine moment as we see Heyes for the first time without his coat on, in a nicely fitted blue shirt and buff jeans—as he stands and shuts the safe. Mm, mm, mm… never would have even realized the man had a physique with that winter coat on. Mighty fine, indeed.
• I am bound to wonder who put the Gumby curl in Burl Ives hair for the poker scene. And possibly more to the point, why.
• I have to look away when Heyes thinks he has won the hand with a straight, and McCreedy tells him the obscure Hoyle rule. It hurts me to see him confused and embarrassed. It is like a real look at someone being cheated or duped, and even though Peter has made the character fallible, it is just a little too realistic for me. I feel like I would if I saw something like that happen in real life…like I want to look away so I don’t further embarrass the poor fool being taken advantage of. I would say that is pretty good acting to make me feel that strongly about the scene. And, amazingly, no matter what is transpiring for the Hannibal Heyes character, Peter looks beautiful playing it. *sigh*
• With his hat pushed back on his head and in his Sunday best, I find myself wondering if we are looking at Hannibal Heyes or Bret Maverick.

  

• Payback is a bitch, McCreedy! I love the Five Pat Hands trick and have tried it with moderate success. It does show Heyes to have a mathematical mind, which comes in handy in a number of situations. And a real plus: he looks so sexy as a winner. ®

• That banker and his maniacal laugh is enough to put me through the roof. Enough already.

• McCreedy has redeemed himself to some degree in my eyes, when he gets bested by Heyes in the Five Pat Hands trick and after a moment of anger, sees the humor in it and lets out a snort and small laugh, saying “You guys are all right. If I didn’t hate your guts so much, I’d have you stay here to work for me.” Still, my natural response is to dislike anyone who doesn’t treat our boys well…so as I said, he has only redeemed himself to some degree…

  

• There is Peter’s good friend and stand-in, Hal Frizzell, at the piano as Heyes and the Kid celebrate winning the $20,000 with song and drink. I think there is a special moment there as Peter looks at Hal with a flash of true friendship in his eyes. Just a quick, fleeting flash of familiarity, but I believe it is there…

• Cesar Romero. One word. Suave.
• I love how the boys ask Armendariz for a moment to speak alone and vote to tell him where the bust is. Heyes: “I vote we tell him!” Kid: “I vote we tell him, if he lets us go!” Heyes: “If he lets us go immediately!” Like they have even a single iota of say in the matter! So cute and silly.
• A nice moment of clarity for our heroes as Armendariz tells them why he is letting them go…because they took nothing from his safe except the object they thought belonged to McCreedy. It is the first time they truly see the value of doing the right thing, I think. They are awed by the knowledge and it feels good to them, especially to Heyes, who breaks out in one of his imagine that! grins…

• Don’t you ever learn, McCreedy? You may have fooled Heyes once…but never again! Heyes shows how smart he is once again as he takes McCreedy up on his challenge (and $20,000 bet) that he can cut the ace of spades on the first try. Heyes’ skill with cards and his deep understanding of basic grifting puts him a mile ahead of anyone who might try to trick him. This characteristic is a thread through the whole series and makes for some very attractive Heyes moments. You see his smarts and his confidence, and it looks good on him. No, you didn’t, Mr. McCreedy. Absolutely delicious. ®
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• Peter has noticeably attractive hands…we get a close look or two in this episode. I have always been attracted to men’s hands. After eyes, hands and arms are the first thing I notice…and his are right up there at the top of my list.
• After all this, our boys get screwed out of their money when Armendariz takes it. Life just isn’t fair.

THE PILOT

• It is the beginning of something special; a sweet, endearing, poignant, funny, sexy show. What could be better?
• I love how Kid yells “hit the dirt, folks!” and they all run for shelter. I am amazed at how close Peter came to actually landing on Ben’s outstretched leg as he jumped the log—about an ounce less energy in his jump and Ben would have had a crushed ankle.



• Ok, I am already in love with Heyes---it took me all of what, 4 minutes?--one look at that adorable face as he gingerly looks around the door at the safe and I am a goner. Irretrievably lost in the wonder of Hannibal Heyes. ® §

• There is something really tasty in the chemistry between the Kid and Wheat. Kid puts him in his place quite comfortably and Wheat seems to respect Kid’s authority. Wheat is forever chiding Heyes and Kid steps in as Heyes’ protector/enforcer, making sure Wheat remembers who the boss is. A very nice three way dynamic. And each has its own offshoot—between Kid and Heyes, between Heyes and Wheat, and between Kid and Wheat; each vastly different and each working to perfection.
• It is fun to see Jeanette Nolan in a small comedic role, knowing she has worked with Peter before in two poignant and emotional episodes of her own series, The Virginian.
• I find something so funny about Kyle’s voice and accent. I chuckle when Kyle jumps up and down, yelling, “Ya-hoo here she is boys!!” as he spots the safe they have hoisted off the cliff. And when Heyes’ asks “Is she open?” and Kyle responds, “Nope. She’s buried.” I laugh out loud. And it is because of Kyle’s voice. Dennis Fimple has already made this quirky character his own.
• The “better hurry boys” scene is one of my favorites. It really defines Wheat’s character completely. I personally think Earl Holliman is an exceptional comedic actor and did some of the best acting in the entire episode.

• It is totally creepy to me that as Lom Trevors introduces the boys as Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones, the audio to previous dialog was obviously cut and Peter’s mouth is moving in some unheard conversation as is Ben’s, who seems to only say a word or two. It irks me that the editors didn’t cut it out. I find that kind of oversight really shameful. It is more than a blooper. It shows poor workmanship.
• Heyes' reaction to Miss Porter in Lom's office is priceless. The boyish grin, the exaggerated responses work perfectly. He is a natural flirt, it is my guess, and he does it with such a silly enjoyment that we can't help but hold out hope he will get the girl. His reaction when Miss Porter says "I know I'll be in good hands" makes me giggle. I have always enjoyed a good double entendre and Heyes already appears to be quite adept at using them--this time with a look and not a word. And Peter has given us one of our first glimpses at his amazing skill at expressive acting, using only non-verbal communication. ®
• I see Miss Porter is not above using her feminine wiles to get what she wants as she plays the helpless female, saying, "Well, being only a woman, I feel I need some guidance.” And I glance at our boys and know instantly they are goners. Our paradoxical boys--two chivalrous young men who aren't above using a helpless woman to get what they want.



• I hail thanks to the wardrobe heavens that much of the gawd-awful outfits our boys wore in this episode were retired before the series began…

• There is a very attractive near “safegasm” moment. [: Alias Smith & Jones Snark-a-thon] Heyes is adorable when he has his ear pressed to the safe, looking all turned on. The moment where Miss Porter asks him if he is satisfied is priceless.

• My god. How freakin' tall is Forrest Tucker? As Heyes and Curry are di-rected to hand over their firearms, they look like two little boys next to the giant man.

• The whole “walk off” scene is exceptional. The way it is filmed, where you see Kid look past Heyes, and you see Heyes’ back through the whole thing, makes the scene even more intense. Heyes mocking the story and mouthing along with Kid, while rolling his eyes, is perfect. “Don’t you push, you can’t back it up!” is flawless. Heyes always being the one to smooth things over works very well. “Ok, Heyes, step aside”—really good, beautifully intense on Ben’s part. Kid listening to Heyes, and respecting his logic is the beginning of a very complex connection between Heyes and Curry that runs throughout the series. Kid is the hot head, Heyes the smart, logical one who calms him. It is a sweet relationship and we are beginning to see the respect/love side of it. The chemistry between the two characters, and I think, between the two actors—regardless of whether they had a close off-set friendship---is palpable. This “walk off” scene set the outline for the series, and made this episode. ®

• This episode is definitely lacking in cohesive character definition on Peter’s part. Earlier, while talking to Miss Porter in the street, he threw himself full force into a southern accent, but we don’t hear it in other scenes. And I absolutely HATE the stupid, goofy Heyes he shows in the scene in the bank when he is talking to Kid and gets all stupid over “Miss Porter” with his tongue hanging out and a weird backwoods bumpkin accent---it is embarrassingly bad. I have to turn away when that scene is on. I think Peter really missed the mark on how to play Heyes in this first attempt. Luckily, it was only in a couple of scenes and he pulled it together in the other scenes. And thank god this is the last we will see of the goofy, stupid, weirdly accented Hannibal Heyes.

• A true laugh-out-loud moment, when Wheat tells his motley crew of outlaws--who look like a bunch of escaped mental patients—“we’ll all just walk in there, looking innocent and normal….” He looks at the row of losers, “well, we’ll all just walk in there…” That scene is absolutely faultless!
• The attempted robbery is very funny. An especially good moment, in my mind, is when Kid says, “Howdy, boys…” and the whole gang turns and looks at him and very softly replies in various forms of greeting...priceless.
• Earl Holliman and Dennis Fimple are TOTAL scene stealers. I love every scene they are in!
• I see Earl Holliman is on Clay, the horse that would become Peter’s favorite and most often ridden mount. He is a beautiful horse.
• I enjoy the scene where Heyes is roused from a sleep to follow the deputy over to the saloon. Particularly the moment when he is walking and trying to put his boot on at the same time—his walk all gangly, his knees jutting out like an old bowlegged miner. Just perfect.

• We have just witnessed our first glimpse of the care our boys take for each other. Even when given the choice of being with a beautiful and obviously smitten woman, Kid shows us where his allegiance lies when he spies Heyes across the street being rousted by the deputy, and politely takes his leave of her to join his partner. Lovely. And it is one of the most important threads to run through this series from day one through Peter’s final take.

• Heyes is an emotional and demonstrative man, and he isn't afraid to express it. He shows us this as he laments, with tears forming in his eyes and emotion in his voice, being done in and it having taken a friend to do it. As Kid dangles the cell keys Heyes runs to him and hugs him, a childlike laugh emanating from his lips. I have heard that very laugh from Peter many times, in other projects--and I must say, I absolutely adore it.

  

• An amazing visual as the bank safe blows sky high…the Devil’s Hole gang, all seated in the saloon, are blown--- still in their chairs---backward in all directions as the table propels straight up; while outside, the town’s main street is rained on by money. And Forrest tucker’s cheeks kind of flapping from the quick movement of his face as he turns toward the blast is absolutely hysterical.
• There is a wealth of truly fabulous comedic lines in this episode. I could write pages on the perfectly written, flawlessly timed utterances alone.
• It has been a joyous beginning to a very special show that will, when all is said and done, hold up over time. It has its flaws, and it has it's brilliant moments. And it has its rightful place in the hearts of all of us. ♥