The Magnificent Eight
When last we left our heroes, Rory was advising them to “Run!”. And for very good reason. He knows that the Time-Masters have now sent a trio of mercenaries called the Hunters after them, himself included. These Hunters will stop at nothing to erase them from the face of history.
The WaveRider lands at the town of Salvation in 1871, an attempt to hide from the Hunters in what Rip calls a “fragmentation”. Even the geek twins (Martin Stein and Ray Palmer) are stumped by the terminology. Much to my delight, only Rory understands the reference. A fragmentation, as explained by Rory, is a temporal blind spot, a place and time where the Time-Masters cannot see. Pretty smart for a guy with “the IQ of meat”!
The team want to go see the Old West, but Rip won’t go with them, saying that he wants to plot their next move against Savage. Rory promises that he will behave, and the rest promise to stay out of trouble. Sure. Since when has that ever happened??
In the Last Salvation Saloon, Rory, Sara and Kendra belly up to the bar for shots. Kendra notes that the alcohol tastes like gasoline and walks away, bumping into an older woman, which prompts a glimpse of memory. Rory tells Sara that time is different in the Vanishing Point, and that it has been years since he saw the bottom of a glass. She wants to know what happened to him there, because he is different, but she is not sure if that is good or bad. Rory notes that she can hold her liquor. She reminisces about other bars, where guys had tried to get her drunk, but laughs that they all ended up under the table. Rory challenges her. Meanwhile, Professor Stein is winning at a card table, surprising Len. Martin tells him that he had watched his father, a degenerate gambler, and had picked up a few things, but then chose a different path. He tells Len that “like father, like son” is not inevitable. Meanwhile, a sore loser takes his anger at losing out on one of the saloon girls. Martin objects, the loser draws, and Snart shoots him. A man at a different table stands up, causing the patrons to scatter. Stein tries to defuse the situation, but is interrupted by Snart. “Your friend drew first, got put down, it was a clean shot.” To which some smart ass asks “Do we look like we care about clean?” Too funny! And it’s on like Donkey Kong! Rory doesn’t get to participate as he is asleep face down at the bar. Sara wins!! Lol.
A shadowy figure in the corner decides playtime is over and fires into the air. He introduces himself as Jonah Hex (Johnathon Schaech). Hex tells them they stick out like a sore thumb, so why don’t they tell him where they are really from, or rather WHEN they are from. The shock on the teams’ faces is priceless, as they realize that they are not the first time travelers he has run across. And there is more shock when Jonah wants to know where Rip is.
The team brings Hex to the ship, making Rip wonder what it is about them that they need to pick up strays everywhen they go. Then he realizes who it is. Hex compliments Rip on the look of the coat he had given Rip last time they met.
He tells Rip that he got the team out of trouble when one of them shot a member of the Stillwater Gang, which has been terrorizing Salvation for the last 3 months. He thinks this will bring a whole lot of hell on the town. Ray doesn’t aim to let that happen. Rip says they’ve already done too much, and they have probably already alerted the Hunters. Ray argues that they signed on to be heroes.
Kendra wants to find the woman who prompted the memory flash, and so Sara goes with her. They have some much needed girl time on the way. Kendra is being drawn to the woman’s home, but is not sure why.
At the Sheriff’s office, the sheriff is hastily packing to get out of Salvation. As he leaves, he makes Ray the new sheriff.
Stein has gone back to the saloon to buy information on the Stillwater Gang’s location. While he is waiting for a map, he sees a woman crying and asks why she is drinking alone. She tells him it is tonic water that she has bought for her dying son, Bertie (Glen Gordon). He has consumption, and they came west in the hope that the change would help him, but the local doctor says that he has a day at most. Martin goes with her to see the boy.
The Stillwater Gang rides into town and starts shooting it up. They rein up in front of Ray, who is standing in the middle of the street. He introduces himself as the new Sheriff, John Wayne. Jeb Stillwater (Brent Stait), leader of the gang, explains the arrangement they have with the town. Ray says the arrangement is over, so Stillwater draws. Snart is on a balcony with a rifle, and shoots the revolver out of Stillwaters’ hand. Ray tells him he has sharpshooters posted all around, and they had best get out of town, or the next one will go in his eye. The gang leaves, and the townsfolk cheer.
Back at the ship, Jax celebrates Ray’s badass actions. Hex notes that they keep poking at the hornet nest. He asks if they have thought about what happens when they leave and warns that Salvation will end up like Calvert, with a glance at Rip that speaks volumes. Rory wants to know about Calvert, Rip says it’s a closed matter, and takes Hex aside for a word. The team has Gideon show them Calvert, a town that was decimated in 1868.
Martin can’t stand the thought that a child is dying when he could so very easily be saved. He has Gideon manufacture streptomycin, which is 70 years in the future away from being invented. Rip points out that he is mucking with the time stream again, but Martin argues that Ray is doing the same. Rip agrees that he is, but that he is doing so with 19th century technology. Martin argues that Rip hasn’t a leg to stand on because of Calvert.
Rip explains that he had been on a mission for the time-masters and when the mission was done, had become so attached to the era that he had begun to suffer from time-drift. He had to tear himself away. Calvert had been terrorized by the Turnbull Gang, led by Quentin Turnbull, and Rip and Hex had done what Ray was doing with Salvation. The day after Rip left, Calvert was destroyed by the gang. Stein refuses to back down from helping Bertie, because he won’t live with the regret that he sees on Rip’s face. Hex has found where the gang is hiding, thanks to the information Martin bought. The team saddles up to go arrest Stillwater, but Rip still refuses to go.
Kendra and Sara find the mystery woman’s cabin. Kendra realizes that the woman is an earlier incarnation of herself. She advises Kendra against ever trying to love anyone except Carter, who was Hannibal Hawkes in this life. After Savage killed Hannibal, any other love she had never ended well. While they are looking at a sketch of the earlier Kendra and Hannibal, Kendra notices a bracelet in the sketch that she remembers, and asks about it. The bracelet was present in her first life, but is lost, having been taken by bandits. Kendra remembers that things present in her first life can be used to kill Savage.
Martin has given Bertie the medicine, and he is rapidly healing. Stein makes his mother, Sarah Neal (Anna Galvin), promise to burn all of the leftover medicine and the vials when Bertie is better.
At the gang’s campsite, bullets are flying everywhere but Ray arrests Stillwater (and Mirandizes him, lol). The gang regroups and captures Jax. However, the team is out of ammo so they beat a hasty retreat, leaving Jax behind but with the intent to use Stillwater as leverage.
Hex suggests a quick draw at high noon. If Ray wins, they get Jax back, but if he loses, they must release Stillwater, and Ray will be dead. Rory approves of the plan, since he still enjoys as much havoc as possible. Hex suggests using future tech to cheat, but Rip will not allow it. Hex wants to know if Rip would have stayed if he had known what would happen to Calvert, and then punches Rip when he finds out Rip did know. Rip explains that the reason he had to tear himself away was because the era presented too many opportunities to be a hero, he needed to get back to his soon to be wife before he forgot all about her, and if he had stayed he would no longer have been a time-master. But since he no longer is a time-master, he will be the one to face Stillwater in the quick draw.
At high noon the gang rides into town with Jax. Snart marches Stillwater out into the street, and gives him a revolver. Rip and Stillwater draw, and Rip wins. The gang releases Jax and rides off, just as the Hunters appear.
Rip did bring two new tech revolvers from the ship, the sneak! He gives Hex one. Ray puts his suit on, Martin and Jax merge, Kendra hawks out and the fight is on. Rory fistfights with one of the Hunters who calls him a traitor. Rory says not possible, as he was never on their side, he was always on his own side. Before Rory stabs him with his own knife, the Hunter tells Rory that the Omega Protocol has been initiated and the Pilgrim is on the way. When the Hunters have all been put down, Hex and Rip talk. Hex has to leave, but would be okay with meeting them again. Martin says goodbye to Bertie Neal, but Bertie corrects him. His last name is his father’s – his mother adds that his full name is Herbert George Wells. How about them apples?
Back at the ship, Kendra insists that she has told Ray everything, and that the rest is not important since it was just what the woman thought. I am not convinced she told Ray the woman was an earlier incarnation.
So what is the Omega Protocol and the Pilgrim? Rory and Rip tell the team that she is the time masters’ deadliest assassin. Snart thinks they can handle her and Rip agrees, but says this is why the Pilgrim will go after their younger selves.
The last scene in this week’s episode is of a young boy, sitting in a field watching a house burn. Although we don’t know for sure, it is probably Rory, given his penchant for fire. The boy doesn’t know there is a mysterious and menacing woman stood behind him, with her weapon trained on him. Fade to black as we hear a shot.
My Favorite Moments:
I didn’t see the Jonah Hex movie, so I can’t compare Johnathon Schaech’s performance to Josh Brolin’s, but I can say that this Jonah Hex is IMHO, perfect casting.. I am looking forward to future guest appearances. It seems to me that he could even become an addition to the team.
Rory!!! OMG!!! The man has definitely been changed by his time in the Vanishing Point, and it is a good change! Although it seems like he is still on no side but his own, he will be an asset for as long as their interests coincide. I have hopes that he will eventually become a whole-hearted member of the team.
Sara actually smiles!!!
Ray is a tall glass of water, togged up in Old West gear, and Len looks damn good too. Hey, a little eye candy never hurts!!
Discovering that Rip’s son Jonas is actually named after Jonah Hex.
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