Sunday, September 18, 2011

Adventures of Brisco County Jr. 8 - Senior Spirit

Plot: Brisco starts the episode escorting one of the tycoon's son to a cabin, where he'll get to spend some time with his father. Except Brisco is ambushed by John Bly, who absconds with the boy. Notably, Brisco freezes right as he's about to open a door to rush to the boy's rescue. Bly's ransom demand is for an Orb rod in amongst Brisco Sr.'s effects, and unlike in Pirates!, here the tycoon will pay the ransom. Brisco keeps Bly's men from getting the rod when they try a double-cross, but that means he has to try and follow their trail back to Bly's hideout to find the boy. Fortunately, he has a little help. No, not Bowler. Well, not initially. I'm talking about the ghost of Brisco's father.

Yes, Brisco Senior is along for the ride, though he spends most of the time criticizing how Junior's doing things, when he's not being cryptic. Bly, meanwhile, has an also abducted Professor Wickwire trying to unlock the secrets of the Orb. So Brisco has to save Jason Barkley, Wickwire, and Socrates, and perhaps capture Bly, if he has the time.

Does Brisco use his gun? Yes. He actually killed someone with it. Someone he couldn't even see at the time, which is pretty impressive.

Things Comet does: Well, we know he can sense ghosts.

Kiss Count: 0 (still at 9 for the season).

John Bly Spreads His Arms Dramatically: 1 (5 overall).

Is Pete Hutter In This Episode? No.

Pete Hutter Quote: N/A

Non-Pete Hutter Quote: 'You're learning fast, but your knowledge is far outstripped by your heroic endeavors.' - John Bly.

Brisco's Coming Things: Wickwire mentions electroshock therapy. You think that counts?

Bly Gang Count: 0 (4 overall). Bly escaped. I'm not counting Remy and Loco Bob, his random thugs for the episode.

Stuff the Orb Can Do: Reanimate spirits. Self-destruct.

Other: This is Bly's first appearance since "The Orb Scholar". It's R. Lee Ermey's first appearance as Brisco Sr. since "Pilot". Professor Wickwire returns for the first time since "No Man's Land".

This episode has some fun playing up Bowler's ability as a tracker, since he doesn't actually catch up with Brisco until the end. We see that he can tell how long ago an ant hill had someone sit on it, and he'll follow a trail right over a cliff. Brisco decided that jumping off a cliff was a good way to escape a bad situation partway through the episode. Which reminds me, during their second confrontation of the episode, Bly states Brisco can't kill Bly because he'll never find Jason, while Bly can simply kill Brisco and take the Orb rod. Couldn't Brisco have killed Bly and followed his trail back to the lair?

After the opening sequence, Brisco's back in Frisco, which is where Socrates shows him the Orb rod, but he's also playing chess. Except there's no one in the chair opposite him, so who is he playing chess with? Maybe Ellie (Yvette Nipar) the bartender, who has appeared briefly in a few other episodes (Scorates' Sister, Pirates!), usually as a sounding board for one of the main characters. I guess Brisco can't work out his difficulties talking to Comet all the time.

We get a little more about The Orb in this episode. Brisco Sr. found the Orb rod amongst Bly's possessions when he arrested him. It's not clear why Bly hadn't already inserted it in the open slot on the damaged Orb, unless he found this Orb since he escaped custody. While Wickwire can't scratch the surface of the Orb with hydrochloric acid, it can be damaged, as half of this Orb is scorched. Bly states it was found in a crater, suggesting an extraterrestrial origin. Bly does know enough to know it can destroy the one who uses it, which is why it falls to Loco Bob to insert the Orb rod. Wickwire opines that 'I may be a scientist, but I don't think it has much to do with science.' I'm not sure what we make of Brisco Sr.'s statements that he isn't allowed to tell Brisco the truth about the Orb, what it is, where it came from. He can't even tell Brisco who isn't allowing him to tell stuff. It's a strange thing, because it isn't Senior saying he doesn't know, which would be understandable, since death might not confer all answers to you, but that some force won't let him tell.

The back and forth between the Briscos is interesting. Junior trying to live up to his father, but trying to do so his way. Senior clearly wasn't around much, as according to Brisco he'd come in off the trail, shave, and ask how school was going before riding off again. And Junior didn't get the impression Senior was really listening. In that regard, the Orb actually proves useful, since it gives them an opportunity to talk, say the things they didn't get around to while Senior was still alive.

I always enjoy episodes with John Bly, so that was a plus, and watching him interact with Wickwire was interesting, since Wickwire doesn't want to help Bly, but can't let him hurt Jason. Plus, there's a certain level of scientific curiosity about the chance to examine something like the Orb. Ermey as Brisco Senior has that right mixture of biting sarcasm but also genuine affection where you can see he really cared for Brisco Junior, but you can also see how it wouldn't have been easy having him as a father.

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