- Ezra struggles with temptation-and Chris-when a hired assassin is found dead in his hotel room holding $10,000 in cash.
- When an assassin dies of natural causes in his hotel room, the Seven find him and the $10,000 he had. Ezra and Josiah both wrestle with the temptation, while Nathan and J.D. discover that the assassin's son is going after his father's intended target.—Gislef
- Mary is leading a parade in the streets advocating for statehood, and she puts up a flyer. A woman, Louisa Perkins, tears it down and pockets it.
In the saloon, Ezra is reading a letter from his mother, Maude, to Buck. She's inviting him to come to Stg. Louis and set up a riverfront casino with her. Maude wants Ezra to invest $2,000 in advance, and Ezra tells Buck that he's $1,999 short. Louisa comes in and talks about state restrictions, and how she prefers the territory to be state-free. Buck is entranced by Louisa's beauty, and Ezra notices and tries to get Buck's attention without success.
Louisa continues talking about the restrictions of statehood, and Buck leads the applaud for her speech. When a shepherd objects and Louisa insults him, he goes for her and Buck intervenes. A fight breaks out and Buck sweeps her down to the floor to avoid a thrown bottle. Louisa introduces herself and says that she works for Governor Clayton Hopewell. Buck introduces himself, while Ezra gets involved in the fighting when someone bumps into him.
Chris and Vin come in, and Chris fires his revolver into the ceiling and tells everyone that's enough. A final chair strikes knocks Ezra down and out, Later outside, Ezra nurses his bruised head and complains that he doesn't get paid enough. Vin points out that he gets the paid the same as the rest of them. Mr. Heidegger comes up and in his heavy foreign accent, says that his hotel, for three days Mr. Smith hasn't left his room or let anyone come in.
Chris, Vin, and Ezra go to Smith's hotel room with Heidegger, and find Smith dead, the stench filling the room. There's no sign of foul play, and Chris says that he'll get Nathan to examine the body more thoroughly. Ezra searches the room and finds $10,000 in a case. Vin finds an expensive rifle, and Chris recognizes "Smith" as Long Range Lucius Stutz, a hired assassin. Glancing over at the $10,00, Vin figures it was Stutz's pay for a job he never completed. They wonder who Stutz was there to kill.
As workers haul out the body, Ezra suggests that they take the $10,000 that Chris is holding. Chris says that the money isn't theirs, and Ezra figures the money reverts to them if no one claims it. Despite that, Chris insists that the money is going in the bank, and tells Ezra to be quiet about it so no one falsely lays claim to it.
That night, Laura hands out flyers and tells townspeople that statehood is a trick of financiers. She tells them to come hear the truth from their territorial governor, Hopewell. Buck is sitting with J.D. and watching Louisa, and talks about how he's going to invite her for supper and a walk in the moonlight. However, he tells J.D. that he has to wait for the perfect moment.
Louisa comes over and invites him to supper. He readily agrees and Louisa moves on.
As Nathan looks on, Vin checks Stutz's rifle. Vin says that a gun and $10,000 could make any man a "monster", and Nathan says any man except one who knows better.
After their dinner, Buck invites Louisa to the saloon. She says that she should turn it, and they say good night and then passionately kiss and go into Louisa's hotel room.
Heidigger approaches Chris in the saloon and asks where his money is. He insists that it was found in his hotel and that makes it his, and Ezra comes over. Heidigger loudly figures that Ezra wants to keep the $10,000 for himself, and as the customers take notices of the amount being mentioned, Chris takes offense at Heidigger suggesting they took the money. The owner storms out and Ezra tells Chris that they'll never make $10,000 and there it is. Chris says that he doesn't want to shoot Ezra, and Ezra asks who gets the $10,000.
The next day, Ezra, Vin, and Josiah make their way into the bank through a crowd gathered outside. The banker says that everyone is saying they have a legitimate claim, and Ezra tells the manager that no one is taking the money out of there. One robber jumps through the window and opens fire. Vin shoots one, and another one comes through and Josiah pistol-whips him unconscious.
Chris and J.D. arrive as the others drag the bandits out of the bank. The banker gives Chris the money, says that it's too risky to have in his bank, and it's Chris' problem now. Ezra offers to watch it, but Chris gives it to Josiah to keep watch on at the church. Ezra asks if Chris has doubts as to his honesty, and Chris just says that Josiah can look after it and walks away.
Hopewell arrives in Four Corners with his personal squad of trumpeters announcing his arrival. Hopewell calls everyone over and invites everyone to come to his rally the next day so he can tell them the truth about statehood. Buck and Louisa come out of the hotel, and Mary introduces herself. The governor has heard of her reputation and turns on the charm, and invites her to dinner. Mary accepts but says she'll be the one persuading him.
One man accuses another of being an assassin after the government. The supposed assassin, Liver-Eating Jones, says that he's reformed. Chris asks the first man if he has proof and identifies himself as the law in town, and says that unless there is proof against Jones, Jones is free to go. As Jones go, Chris tells him that they'll be watching him and anything that happens to Hopewell will be on Jones' head. Once Jones leaves, Chris tells Vin to keep an eye on the man.
Chris asks Hopewell for a word in private, and tells him that Stutz was sent to kill the governor. Hopewell figures that he's doing something right if someone would pay $10,000 to kill him, and ignores Chris' advice to cancel the rally. The governor refuses to back down.
Ezra complains to Nathan and J.D. that Chris considers him a "larcenist". He admits that he made a strong case on their behalf, but is offended that Chris thinks he took it. Nathan and J.D. remain silent, and Ezra is offended that they apparently don't trust him and walks off.
As Buck and Louisa walk down the boardwalk, Louisa pulls down Mary's flyers. When Buck jokingly calls her on it, she just smiles and says that she has strong beliefs. Mary comes up and talks about the First Amendment, and Buck puts the last flyer back up as Louisa says that she'd hate to see Four Corners fall victim to economic threat or Indians. She warns that the Indians won't let their territory be taken by the state, and they'll want Mary as a bride. Mary doesn't believe it and points out that the ranchers are against statehood, and Hopewell is in their pockets.
Louisa tears down the flyer again, and Mary says that if she does it again, she'll have Chris arrest her. After Mary leaves, Louisa tells Buck that passion stirs her blood and kisses him fervently, and drags him off.
In the church, Josiah is exercising and looks at the case. A Bible salesman, Zachary, comes in and shows Josiah his wares. Josiah covers the case with his towel and points out that he doesn't have a congregation. Zachary gives him the Bible as a "gift', hoping it will grow on him, and leaves.
Buck and Louisa lay in bed in Louisa's room, and he says that she's full of surprises. She says that she can't resist his smile and the corn coming out of his mouth, and Buck says that being with her feels like home. They kiss, and Louisa says that she has to move on to the next town and the anti-statehood rally there for her to organize. Buck asks when she's coming back, and Louisa says that she doesn't know when but hopes that it's soon as she climbs on him.
That night at the church, Josiah reads a Bible passage about serpents and Eden, while contemplating the money. He dumps the money out on his bed, says he won't be tempted, and undresses, then jumps onto his bed.
J.D. finds Buck at the town restaurant and talks to his friend. Buck looks depressed but refuses to talk about it. J.D. figures that it's about Louisa, and Buck says that he and Louisa aren't perfect, but they're perfect together. He says that the woman of his dreams turned out to be a rambling rose, and J.D. suggests that Buck marry her. Buck considers the idea despite the source.
Meanwhile, Mary and Hopewell are eating and Hopewell is talking about a previous election he lost when his opponent got the voters drunk. The governor offers to steer stories Mary's well and turn the Clarion into the most influential paper in the territory and Mary into a powerful editor. She figures Hopewell is trying to bribe her, and he laughs and says that she's charming.
Josiah dreams of working in a richly-appointed temple with white-robed women dancing around him. He jerks awake, surrounded by the money he's sleeping on, and throws it away from him in disgust.
At the saloon, Jones is licking off his plate and Ezra complains to the bartender about how the others won't trust him with the money, but assigned him to watch Jones. Jones tells Ezra that he got his nickname "Lier-Eating" by eating cow livers. When Jones gets up to leave, Ezra asks where he's going and Jones says to the outhouse. Ezra refuses to go in with him.
Hopewell tells Mary that he's rather have her on his side, but she says that they'll have to agree to disagree. A shot comes through the window and everyone takes cover. J.D. goes out to see what he can find, and Chris joins J.D. on the street. Ezra is standing nearby outside the saloon. When Chris asks where Jones is, Ezra says that he's in the outhouse and Chris can't expect Ezra to go in there. Chris and J.DC. go into the saloon and capture Jones when he comes back in. Jones insists that he didn't do anything, and Chris takes him to a jail cell.
The next day, Buck proposes to Louisa, saying he can't imagine his life without her. Louisa says that she loves him, and that's what makes it sad that she's not cut out to be a wife because her life is on the road.
Ezra goes into the church, and tells Josiah that he always hoped that his friends knew him better than all the other people that didn't trust him. Josiah tells him that he should blame himself, not his friends, and face his own demons. He goes to the money on the pulpit, says that he's the serpent and it's the apple, tosses it to Ezra, tells him to take a bite, and walks out.
In the jail, Jones rattles his tin cup on the bar. Nathan and J.D. come in, and Jones tells them that he had the chance to save a life to make up for all the ones he killed. Jones says that he hasn't fired a gun in almost a year, and says that Stutz's son and partner had to have taken the shot and missed. He tells the two men that the boy looks normal except for a dead eye, and wears a glass one to look normal. The son's one eye has made him a better shot, and the mayor of the nearby town was killed the same way.
Zachary approaches Hopewell and his bodyguard Horace, says that he has expenses, and Hopewell leaves Horace to deal with Zachary. Horace says that Horace's father was paid $10,000 for five jobs, and Zachary has only done two of them. Zachary tells Horace that he has to pay the $10,000 so that Zachary will kill the last three.
When J.D. and Nathan tell the others what they learned from Jones, Josiah remembers that Zachary had a glass eye. Buck and J.D. stay with Hopewell, while the others search for Zachary. Chris tells them to take the killer alive, and asks Josiah if the money is well-hid. Josiah says that he gave it to Ezra and says that it's serving a purpose. Chris sets the matter aside until later.
Chris meets with Mary and confirms that the mayor was killed. Mary remembers that the sheriff in another town was killed the same way a month ago. Both the people killed were strong advocates for statehood, and Chris figures that Hopewell isn't the target and the shot was meant for Mary.
Zachary is on a rooftop watching the crowd at the rally. Buck helps Louisa up to the stage, and she smiles at him and then goes to the podium and gives a speech.
At the Clarion, Chris tells Mary that he's not going to let her go out. She refuses to wait for the assassin to come after her, and figures they'll win if they don't go. Chris goes with her.
Louisa introduces Hopewell, who takes the stage. Ezra is in his hotel room preparing his gun, and contemplates the case of money on his bed. He uses a razor to cut open the inner lining of his jacket, and puts the money inside. Ezra sees his face in a mirror and stares at it, then turns it away out of guilt.
Hopewell gives his speech to the crowd, while the Seven scan the crowd for the assassin. Ezra makes his way through the crowd, and bumps into Zachary. After moving on, Ezra realizes who he bumped into but can't find Zachary again. Ezra warns Chris, who says that Hopewell isn't the target.
Chris tells Mary that they have to go, and she refuses. Zachary comes over, and Ezra sees him. Ezra jumps in the way as Zachary fires a revolver at Mary, and the bullet takes Ezra in the chest. Nathan goes to Ezra, and Zachary grabs Louisa as a shield as the others of the Seven aim at him. Horace gets a shot, but Buck tells him to back off and then tells Zachary to let Louisa go. Vin, in a sniper position, uses the elder Stutz's gun to get a clear shot at Zachary's head, but shoots him in the leg instead.
When Chris asks Zachary who hired him, Zachary goes for his gun. Horace shoots him dead. Hopewell tells the crowd that his opponent is responsible, and Mary thanks Ezra for saving her life. Ezra is astonished and pleased at the news, and Nathan discovers that the money in Ezra's pocket blocked the bullet. Chris tells Ezra that he did good, but then sees the money. Ezra tells Chris that in the future, it would be best not to "burden" him with other people's money. Chris nods in agreement and holsters his gun.
Chris takes the money to Hopewell and says that it's head. Vin and Buck are with Chris, and say that Zachary was paid to kill three statehood advocates. Hopewell acts offended, and tells Louisa to handle it. She's heard the entire exchange, and tells Hopewell that she quits. The governor tells Chris and the others that they should get more evidence before accusing him, and rides off in his carriage with Horace.
Buck goes over to Louisa, and she says that there's a lot of work to do. However, she figures that they can still get married... as long as Buck comes with her.
Chris calls up to Ezra outside of Nathan's office, and Ezra asks him what they're planning to do with the $10,000. Chris just smiles.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content