WRONG TRAIN TO BRIMSTONE

Hi friends! I have been sick for several days, so please forgive any typos or general draggishness in this week's notes. ~cherie

• It is so sweet to hear Shoshone making her opinion heard in the background! And I know it is Shoshone, thanks to my very own expert at doggie articulation, my brilliant Chihuahua Justin, who always sits up, perks up his ears and watches the TV when Shoshone barks, and ONLY when Shoshone barks. I have tested him. I know. I have promised him top billing, so here is the famous Mrazmatazz Just in Jest, alias "Justin".

• As our poor boys are thwarted at every turn trying to get the hell out of Dodge, or wherever they are, Heyes gets just a tiny bit bratty in his interactions with the horse trader and the railroad clerk, and I have to admit, I like it. I like the sarcastic tone and the tilted head. I've always been a sucker for a smart-ass. Peter’s acting is never, ever flat—not even in the most trivial scenes.

• Ok, am I psycho, or are these men gorgeous even at this angle?

• Our two law-abiding boys mug two men in a restroom. What is wrong with this picture? I hope they at least left the money for the tickets. And since we are already on the subject, are those horses I see you boys stealing when you leave the train to warn the Devil’s Hole gang? I always heard they hanged horse thieves.

• Hey, I think I am having a psychic vision! I predict we will see Grant reappear in another personification as Jesse Jordan in The Posse That Wouldn’t Quit and Gaines as the disgruntled poker player up against Kid’s fast draw in Jailbreak at Junction City. This series has more recycled actors than Peter had recyclables in his kitchen. I thought only cats have nine lives.
• Oh, my. Poor Monty Laird just does not make a very attractive woman! I chuckle at the various incarnations of Mr. Laird—and he seemed to be game for just about anything.
• The scene where Heyes and Kid notice the men removing their women’s apparel is fun. Our heroes have seen a lot in their short lives, but I would venture to guess this is the first group of cross dressers they have come across. Both have looks of such confusion and astonishment on their faces; it is very amusing.
  
  
• It is cute when the boys, engulfed in amazement that they have boarded a train full of men who want to see them dead, or at the very least behind bars for 20 years, are forced to join in the revelry over the prospect of their own massacre by waving their guns with false enthusiasm.

• I am noticing that in most episodes, Heyes is the one with manners. I have heard him say thank you many times, and it is always he who stands first and tips or removes his hat when a lady is present. Sometimes he even coaches the Kid with a glance or a gesture to follow suit. I think his mother must have raised him well in the ten short years he had her before she was killed. [:The Men That Corrupted Hadleyburg]
• The actress playing Sara Blaine (Beth Bickell) reminds me very much of Faith Hill. It’s something about the eyes…they seem eerily familiar. Wouldn’t it be something if she were actually Faith Hill’s birth mother?

• I wonder when San Franciscans began to take umbrage at having their city called Frisco. I know for a fact it was a hot issue in the 1970s…but was it in the 1880s?
• Those buff colored jeans fit you so much better than your baggy brown synthetic slacks, Mr. Smith. My personal thanks to the wardrobe department.
• Ok, I am pretty sure Heyes had an orgasm when he opened the lock box and saw the gold. Caught breath, guttural moans and unadulterated joy on his face. Beautiful, simply beautiful. ®
  
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• A poignant exchange between Heyes and the Kid as they discuss whether they should somehow warn Wheat and the boys, at the possible cost of their coveted amnesty, that they are riding headlong into an ambush. It shows an impassioned and honorable side to the Kid and a momentarily selfish and less than honorable side to Heyes that we haven’t previously seen. These characters have layers that they gently expose with each episode and we learn more and more about who they really are. One thing is certain. Neither is one-dimensional or stereotypical. They are each quite complex in their character and depth.
  
• Heyes plays Briscoe like a cheap fiddle when he questions the boys about who trained them. Heyes is always so quick on the response, instinctively knowing what will work as an answer. He is a consummate liar and always seems comfortable in the act.
  
• One look at Heyes’ face as several agents bring in the Gatling gun and we know he will go along with Kid and they will do whatever they can to warn the Devil’s Hole Gang of impending doom.
• Hal Needham is ok in his four-line role of Wheat, but Sir, you are no Earl Holliman.
• My god, Peter. Those dimples. That smile. *deep sigh*

• With guns pointed at them, Heyes and Curry are told to get “inside” and in perfect synchronicity they hoist their rear ends up onto the railroad car. Ben has been quoted as saying those in-sync moments, which happen several times throughout the series, were unplanned. That just reinforces our feeling that these two had a special connection.
  
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• In a wonderfully sweet moment, both Heyes and the Kid remove their hats and their faces are awash with a flash of sorrow, as the bodies of the fallen outlaws are brought onto the train.
  
• Briscoe: “You want to tell me your names? Just for something to put on the tombstones?” GREAT line.
• J. D. Cannon does an exceptional job as Harry Briscoe. He has completely made the character his own. I can’t help but laugh out loud when he says “That is Kid Curry! Dead! And I’m not about to believe anything else…especially from a pair of owl hoot rag bats!!” His delivery is right on the money and the line is just so absurd it is hilarious.
• Does anyone else find our boys sporting a 5 o’clock shadow and a bit of road dirt even more attractive than usual, or is it just me?
• Heyes’ demeanor as he dresses down crooked agent Daley is brilliant. Up against a Heyes all full of bravado and aggression, poor Daley can do nothing to stand up for himself but stammer and let the stogie fall out of his mouth. A really wonderful scene. Peter and William Windom both played it to the hilt, and to perfection.

• The scene where our heroes jive Briscoe with new descriptions of Heyes and Curry absolutely cracks me up. Ben is particularly good as he tells of Curry carrying his left shoulder low…his demonstration of how Curry “looks” is spectacular.

• And so our favorite outlaws ride off, the promise of amnesty their driving force, and their smiles showing a slight arrogance over their gift for wrangling their way out of whatever tight spot they might find themselves in.