It's a good episode. It was not a good idea for Miss Beadle to discuss a politically relevant issue when it was still too fresh to be considered historical. There is no point in analyzing which of the sides "was right" either. The truth is that the James brothers showed a cordial face in Walnut Gorve that was very different from the real one, even despite the benevolent kidnapping of Mary. The bounty seekers are not official authorities and have no right to question, threaten, or besiege the residents of Walnut Grove. The ending is a bit childish with Mr. Garvey outsmarting the bullies. But is good.-
5 Reviews
It was not a good idea for Miss Beadle to discuss a politically relevant
drfernandogil4 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Frank and Jesse James were here!
mitchrmp30 June 2013
A very good episode - more Western than a lot of them. It begins with the announcement from an uncredited stage coach driver - big speaking part but no recognition...Apparently the James' brothers had escaped, but none of the rest of their gang had been killed.
Jesse James explains his brother gunshot wound as swamp fever, but doesn't do a very good job convincing Dr. Baker. Charles is pretty vulnerable in this episode, believing the men are who they say and allowing Mary to work even though he did not actually do as Caroline asked.
There is another element to this story. A bitter teenager is a student at the Walnut Grove School. His last name if Ford, and his first name is...well, you know who I'm talking about. He and Jesse would have an encounter later on down the road - he's the man credited as killing Jesse James.
Realities of the Civil War are spoken about. I'm sure back then, each side didn't want to admit to evil's their side had done to the other. But in truth, a lesson is learned. Everyone is a victim and neither side is innocent of the evilness caused by war.
Jesse James explains his brother gunshot wound as swamp fever, but doesn't do a very good job convincing Dr. Baker. Charles is pretty vulnerable in this episode, believing the men are who they say and allowing Mary to work even though he did not actually do as Caroline asked.
There is another element to this story. A bitter teenager is a student at the Walnut Grove School. His last name if Ford, and his first name is...well, you know who I'm talking about. He and Jesse would have an encounter later on down the road - he's the man credited as killing Jesse James.
Realities of the Civil War are spoken about. I'm sure back then, each side didn't want to admit to evil's their side had done to the other. But in truth, a lesson is learned. Everyone is a victim and neither side is innocent of the evilness caused by war.
Michael Landon again produced another GREAT epie of this incredible LHOTP series with Jesse James!
Matt_013127 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I just turned it on today, during a weekend long of 1 of the top best series ever made, literally the top 5 easy. This epie was great. I'm giving it easily a ten.
So dramatic, throughout, it didn't miss a beat. I rewind the "ending each time i see it for years and years. IDK(I don't know.)Something about the ending, so dramatic, that i watch it, and re watch it a few times, in awe,and getting a little chill at times." I love it.Never tired of this episode. Well done, Michael "Great" Talent Landon. Well done sir, continue RIP. Never forgotten.
Who Here is the Real Outlaw?
ExplorerDS678927 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
News spread like wildfire that the James brothers had just been involved in a holdup at the Northfield bank, killing two people. According to a man on the stage, Frank James was shot as they escaped so they shouldn't be too hard to spot. While in town, Charles and Mary meet two nice men who had just come into town, B.K. Dankworth and Andrew Hobbs. Mr. Hobbs was feeling a might sickly, but he says it was only swamp fever and he should be better in a few days. In the meantime, they rent a house in town from Mr. Hanson. Charles and Mary help the men get settled into their humble new abode. The next item on the agenda was to acquire supplies. Dankworth laments he cannot leave Hobbs unattended, due to the convulsions, so he would need to hire on someone to run errands for them. They found the perfect candidate in Mary, who was allowed to do the job after school at ten cents a day. After loading up supplies for their new neighbors, Charles runs into Doc Baker who had heard about Hobbs having swamp fever. The fact that Hobbs refused to see a doctor was puzzling, as was the fact that one does not get convulsions with swamp fever. However Charles takes Hobbs' word over a certified doctor's. But you see, Doc Baker had every right to be suspicious, because those two new fells are not Dankworth and Hobbs, but Jesse and Frank James respectively. The most notorious outlaws ever to sling a gun!
Doc Baker is brought out to examine Mr. Hobbs the next day. Dankworth managed to turn him away, saying how difficult Hobbs was towards doctors. While that was going on, Miss Beadle had boldly decided to go where no schoolteacher has gone before and teach about the Civil War, which sparked many heated debates amongst the students, and surprisingly, Mary defended the south. Perhaps it's still a little too soon? This is set in, what, 11 years after the war? Anyway, it turns out Dankworth and Hobbs fought in that war, for the south. Mary was delighted--racist, insensitive bitch-- and the two began to tell her about it all from the south's point of view, since every book at the time was from the north's. They tell her about Rule 11, which she relays to the class, resulting in even more heated debates, especially from young Bobby Ford, whose family suffered at the hands of the south. Naturally Bobby's father, Lewis, got wind of this and was understandably angry, but Miss Beadle had the nerve to turn it around on him and say he was teaching his boy to hate. Don't you just love teachers who don't take responsibility for their own misdeeds? Anyway, after that fracas, a gang of rifle-toting men came riding into town. They're bounty hunters looking for the James brothers. Upon looking at the wanted poster they handed out, Charles recognized them right away. However he didn't reveal anything to the bounty hunters on account of him being a sanctimonious fool who takes it upon himself to decide what's right and wrong. It wasn't long before the bounty hunters realize they've been lead astray and return with a vengeance. They seal off the town and threaten retribution. But Charles, Jonathan, Hanson, Doc Baker and all the rest keep their mouths shut. Wasn't nice of them to endanger the town, the women and children over two notorious outlaws? So after school, despite being told to stay away from them, Mary walked over to the Dankworth and Hobbs' house to thank them for all the kindness they've shown her, only to go from their errand girl to their hostage. When Charles got wind of this, he dashed out of town, carefully avoiding the posse to rescue her, only to become a hostage himself. So Broder, head of the posse, tried to sway Walnut Grove with the $5,000 reward offer for the James' capture, but it didn't work. Determined to stall them, Jonathan lead the posse to where the James brothers were supposedly hiding out. Turns out it was an abandoned house. Great, now the posse will lean on the town even more. Why are the people of Walnut Grove depicted as idiots here? Makes no sense. They're sanctimonious idiots! Oh and get this, they allow the James brothers to escape on the horses stolen from the posse! So now Frank and Jesse James are free to run around, robbing and possibly killing more people. Thanks, Walnut Grove! Oh, but according to Mary, Bobby Ford eventually kills Jesse in 1882. So it was inevitable? This story makes no sense!
So, here's the rundown: this was Don Balluck's first episode, so he has an excuse for not completely getting the characters right, but director Michael Landon sure as hell doesn't. Sure Landon, Merlin Olsen, Melissa Sue Anderson, Dabbs Greer, Charlotte Stewart, Kevin Hagen and Karl Swenson were all good in their roles, but for some reason their characters were absolute MORONS here. What was the deal with getting mad at Lewis Ford just because he disagreed with them? Walnut Grove acts plenty bigoted here, like the south. Only, Minnesota is NORTH. Didn't know that either, eh, Don? The rest of the performers were all very good, this story had plenty of exciting twists and turns, but for the most part, it just falls flat in terms of character and continuity! Don Balluck would go on to write some of this show's best episodes, but his first effort really failed to fire as a whole. If you have a moral conscience, you may not like this one. The citizens of Walnut Grove, as well as that posse were all idiots. In a comedy setting, that might work, but this was NOT a comedy episode. Sheesh, The Aftermath is a mess. You may like it, you may hate it. Me, I neither liked it nor hated it.
Doc Baker is brought out to examine Mr. Hobbs the next day. Dankworth managed to turn him away, saying how difficult Hobbs was towards doctors. While that was going on, Miss Beadle had boldly decided to go where no schoolteacher has gone before and teach about the Civil War, which sparked many heated debates amongst the students, and surprisingly, Mary defended the south. Perhaps it's still a little too soon? This is set in, what, 11 years after the war? Anyway, it turns out Dankworth and Hobbs fought in that war, for the south. Mary was delighted--racist, insensitive bitch-- and the two began to tell her about it all from the south's point of view, since every book at the time was from the north's. They tell her about Rule 11, which she relays to the class, resulting in even more heated debates, especially from young Bobby Ford, whose family suffered at the hands of the south. Naturally Bobby's father, Lewis, got wind of this and was understandably angry, but Miss Beadle had the nerve to turn it around on him and say he was teaching his boy to hate. Don't you just love teachers who don't take responsibility for their own misdeeds? Anyway, after that fracas, a gang of rifle-toting men came riding into town. They're bounty hunters looking for the James brothers. Upon looking at the wanted poster they handed out, Charles recognized them right away. However he didn't reveal anything to the bounty hunters on account of him being a sanctimonious fool who takes it upon himself to decide what's right and wrong. It wasn't long before the bounty hunters realize they've been lead astray and return with a vengeance. They seal off the town and threaten retribution. But Charles, Jonathan, Hanson, Doc Baker and all the rest keep their mouths shut. Wasn't nice of them to endanger the town, the women and children over two notorious outlaws? So after school, despite being told to stay away from them, Mary walked over to the Dankworth and Hobbs' house to thank them for all the kindness they've shown her, only to go from their errand girl to their hostage. When Charles got wind of this, he dashed out of town, carefully avoiding the posse to rescue her, only to become a hostage himself. So Broder, head of the posse, tried to sway Walnut Grove with the $5,000 reward offer for the James' capture, but it didn't work. Determined to stall them, Jonathan lead the posse to where the James brothers were supposedly hiding out. Turns out it was an abandoned house. Great, now the posse will lean on the town even more. Why are the people of Walnut Grove depicted as idiots here? Makes no sense. They're sanctimonious idiots! Oh and get this, they allow the James brothers to escape on the horses stolen from the posse! So now Frank and Jesse James are free to run around, robbing and possibly killing more people. Thanks, Walnut Grove! Oh, but according to Mary, Bobby Ford eventually kills Jesse in 1882. So it was inevitable? This story makes no sense!
So, here's the rundown: this was Don Balluck's first episode, so he has an excuse for not completely getting the characters right, but director Michael Landon sure as hell doesn't. Sure Landon, Merlin Olsen, Melissa Sue Anderson, Dabbs Greer, Charlotte Stewart, Kevin Hagen and Karl Swenson were all good in their roles, but for some reason their characters were absolute MORONS here. What was the deal with getting mad at Lewis Ford just because he disagreed with them? Walnut Grove acts plenty bigoted here, like the south. Only, Minnesota is NORTH. Didn't know that either, eh, Don? The rest of the performers were all very good, this story had plenty of exciting twists and turns, but for the most part, it just falls flat in terms of character and continuity! Don Balluck would go on to write some of this show's best episodes, but his first effort really failed to fire as a whole. If you have a moral conscience, you may not like this one. The citizens of Walnut Grove, as well as that posse were all idiots. In a comedy setting, that might work, but this was NOT a comedy episode. Sheesh, The Aftermath is a mess. You may like it, you may hate it. Me, I neither liked it nor hated it.
Missed opportunity
chadbest13 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This had the makings of a classic and exciting episode. However, there were some misfires. First, was Mary's interaction with the criminals. Why would Pa and Ma allow there precious 15 year old daughter to spend alone time with two male strangers. Charles mentions that they "seem like nice guys" He literally just met them. Once finding out they were the focus of the bounty hunt, he seeme very relaxed. He would have been fit to be tied to know that his daughter was in their presence for the past week. With his new knowledge, he simply tells Mary to stay away. Still not emphasizing the potential danger. Mary does not listen, and return to see them. Overall, good idea. However, the plot really seems to relaxed to match the danger.
Fun Facts: Laura takes a back seat in this episode. Nice to see Mary in the forefront. Also, the some interesting references to the Civil War.
Fun Facts: Laura takes a back seat in this episode. Nice to see Mary in the forefront. Also, the some interesting references to the Civil War.
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