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Laramie Episode Review

Season 2, Episode 30: Badge of the Outsider

Aired: 23 May 1961

John Smith - Slim Sherman (The star)

Robert Fuller - Jess Harper (only in the beginning and the end - sorry Jess fans)

For the extra cast go here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0624708/

**SPOILER alert…

It starts out with a very exciting intro. Slim and another fella (unknamed at the moment…) are behind a turned over stagecoach, fighting a band of outlaws who wanna steal a payroll from the stage. (And a very small one that that...Slim, some people are desperate and ‘stupid’ enough to die for money…especially that bad guys…) The bad guys lose some men and evacuate the scene, allowing Slim and the driver to inspect the man laying on the ground...one of Doc Longly’s men….(who’s this guy? That we will find out later…)

(Just have to say, I love John Smith’s hair. The color and the way it is combed back...then when it’s messed up and so on it’s just nice. Robert Fuller’s is great too...whether messed up or nice…:))

Soooo, we drift into the intro and ...into a fightplace with a man heating a knife. Sherman Ranch? Nope Doc Longly’s! The man with the knife is about to pull/dig a bullet out of a man..ugh...with a medium sized deer hunting knife...or fish...well, that’s a big knife to pull a tiny bullet out...of someones neck. Okay maybe he was just making an incision….but still...in the neck...ugh just can’t think about it.

Okay now the Doc is frustrated at his men for trying to get the payroll...obviously he didn’t want them to at the moment and had other plans. Smart.

He walks over and wipes some perspiration off the injured man...then is tossed the bullet, its out! Phew!

Then he goes over to his daughter, Cindy...after that goes on with a lecture then learns that one of the men on the stage was Slim Sherman...then he askes “Jim” to ride out and get Slim…

Dun Da!

Jess is saddling his horse...then goes inside. But notice after he finishes with Traveler’s saddle (i believe that is his horse, Traveler? lol) he drops his arm/hand to the side and looks to his left, maybe...it seems like he is not wanting to go, and thinking “I’m gonna miss this place…”

Not too happy about going to Cheyenne. As indicated when he takes his gun belt and coat and states with an annoyed tone “What makes you think I don’t wanna go?” Aw, Jess…:) Haha

Rewind to the ‘Jess entering the house” scene. Lets focus on Slim…

When he hands the coat to Jess he states “Don’t think you want to leave without this.” And he smiles, trying to make his partner cheery...but no Jess just takes it and keeps walknig and says what he says above. Then Slim’s smile instantly changes from a grin to a frown/concerned look as he follows Jess into the house and states “Somebodies gotta go to Cheyenne…”

Slim is one who tries to make light of things or give good reasons. (Maybe its just here, but thats one thing I like ‘bout Slim. :))

Okay, now Slim is caught up to Jess, who is putting on his gunbelt, and now we get an idea of the real reason of why Jess doesn’t want to go. It is because, he doesn’t feel right that he is leaving Slim alone to deal with The Doc...He wants to be there and help his friend. Jess like all the way. Loyal.

[We also get a fact about Slim. He was 6 when Doc pulled him out of a prairie fire. So, he must of lived in Wyoming at age 6..just a lil’ FanFic trivia…;)]

Now Doc seems like a fine guy. Saving Slim. Phew...wish there was more to that story. (A good idea for a fanfic...I’ll try, but anyone else on add their ideas as to what happened that day Doc saved Slim.)

Slim knows what he was...a life saver, bfore he started killing as indicated by a stern looking Jess. Nope Jess is all frowns today, not smiles. Not even when Slim smiles and shakes his hand and jokes...Jess is really disturbed about leaving. He doesn’t want to loose his friend. (Jess, you must remember, the hero...NEVER dies!! At least not in Laramie…;))

Jess gallops out...now Slim and the housekeeper/cook are talking. Slim gives him money for supplies in town. He hesitates and, like Jess, feels uneasy about leaving Slim alone.

(Okay really? This is Slim Sherman you’re talkin’ to. He can do anything...he can go up against Doc Longely himself...right? I mean what could the housekeeper do but use a rifle/shotgun/pistol to protect Slim? Slim’s the strong one and really they need a lot more help than just them two…)

Slim is laughing at this idea of the Doc coming after him and is very casual about it. He knows things must get done and he can’t just hide away or stop what needs to be done to keep his ranch going. Smart.

So he cooly walks over to the desk. Sits down and slowly opens the records book, letting out a sigh.

Fade out…

The moon shone brightly over the land of Wyoming. And the lights remain on in a little ranch house. Lights to help the rancher see what he’s writing.

Yeah we’re back to Slim at his desk. Scribbling down stuff. When all a sudden a horse whinnies and Slim looks up quickly. Why don’t he go out n’ check, because he thought it was Jud the house keeper.

When know one replies and the night is quiet, Slim gets curious and gets up to see��(His desk is a mess…)

Open the door and immediately a gun is placed in the middle of his back and he’s had. Slim wants to make sure everyone gets a coat...remember him giving it to Jess? Yeah now Slim asks if it’s alright if he get his coat. (Just a lil fact…)

Shaaazam! Slim has the upper hand and now has the gun pointed at the Doc’s man. Out the door they go…

(The sun rise is a very nice one. Look at all the rays comings straight out perfectly!)

The girl says Slim gots nerve...yes he sure does. Some of Jess has rubbed off on Slim...couldn’t be helped. That’s why these two are friends…

So anyways the Doc comes out and cuts the ropes then practically fires the man.

(I’m confused as to Slim’s father’s name...is it Matt or Will?)

The Doc can’t believe that the man standing in front of him is Will Sherman’s boy. “A two headed, tangle-foot kid” ...nice description, Doc…

So Slim is 26 right now...yeah if that was 20 years ago he saw the Doc.

So is Slim a fool? Or is he brave? Hm...we’ll see.

So these two go into the house and chat for five minutes and then head out to another room. There the Doc shows Slim what they have been hiding. A dead deputy.

Now this is why Slim is here to testify that the Doc had not shot the deputy, in the back. Should we believe this man? We wish...he seems nice, unlike some baddies.

But Slim doesn’t want to. But will he anyways?

Dinner time! Cold dinner. Davy is not sure about Slim while the others don’t want Slim to handle the sheriff. Slim declares he ain’t gonna testify and walks outside. The Doc follows after him and tells Slim his friend who is going to Cheyenne could have trouble...if Slim doesn’t help.

Suddenly a gunshot goes off and the two on the porch rush in. Slim goes out to talk to the Sheriff. Slim guarantees that he will bring in the Doc peaceably.

The Sheriff rides off and Doc asks Slim what he told Sheriff Corey. Doc doesn’t like that idea, then agrees. And Slim rides back to the ranch.

Where he is eating a meal and talking with Jud. Jud is talking about how uneasy people are of the deputy’s death. (I wonder what / how Jud came to be on the ranch?)

The next morning Slim and the Doc begin their ride into Laramie. They stop to get a drink and the Doc begins to talk about his age and aging. (Why are poeple scared of the Doc? Why is it now ya hear about him, if he lived here for who knows how long..)

The Doc really trust in Slim…

They are in the town and then the Doc spots one of his men. They make it to the sheriffs and start to enter just as a rifle fires at them and they rush in.

Then after a few shots from outside, the sheriff puts the Doc in jail. (So much for the peaceful entrance…)

The Sheriff is a bit angry right now...either about Slim and his entrance or just at the Doc for killing his deputy. Slim goes to the Saloon where several men are betting on when the lynching will start...Slim is determined on the Doc getting a fair trial...which is what I think should happen, just some people dnt think that they just get stuck in their ways and don’t listen...I mean its hard, but we gotta look for facts, of course they don’t have DNA testing yet, but oh well…

Now the court meetin’...Slim has a frown on his face and hes staring at I dont know who...or what. He ain’t too happy with the direction this trial is heading. (Okay when the Doc is called up, ain’t he supposed to swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?...he just sat down and the judge started asking questions…)

The verdict is guilty of murder. Slim bows his head and fiddles with his hat...the Doc looks at him and states “I should have known..” Slim quickly looks up, not saying anything. He gets up and lets out a small sigh, then the scene fades away………

A man is at the jail doors, looks in, then looks behind him, then walks away. Into the saloon he goes where he starts to talk to Slim. It’s one of Longley’s men. The man suspects that it was one of Doc’s men that shot at him, not one of the sheriffs. Now in comes an angry Cindy and another man. And Slim would never hit a woman...Never.

So it looks like Cindy and Chip have something to do with the shootings...Now the Doc is out.

The money...Doc and Davy are in the barn...and it ends up that Jim and Cindy were the ones behind the killings. Gip shot Davy and now wants the money. The Doc is a really smart fella...knocking the lantern off the hay bale to turn it out. And enters our heroes! Or our hero. Slim Sherman and the sheriff.

The Doc is shot and he talks to Slim and tells the Sheriff that Gip killed his deputy. It’s sad the Doc dies now. I mean he was good in the end and everyone was gonna hang him for doing nothing. They get the money and leave everything, even a frantic Cindy...she was so annoying.

Back home, at the Ranch Jess is home. Covered in trail dust. Jess mentions he stopped off in Laramie on his way back and “heard the darndest story about” Slim. The story about how Slim brought in the Doc singlehandedly and sided with him...but Jess doesn’t believe Slim would do such a thing. And Slim turns around with a smirk on his face and walks away. Then Jess gives him an unsure look and asks “or would ya?”

Fade out and into Laramie theme song and credits.

I love the tag line.

This was not the best Slim one. I can think of much better ‘Slim-only’ ones and this ain’t one of them. But you do see some sides of Slim - which I like. He wants to find the truth, which is why he sided with the Doc. Technically he wasn’t taking sides he was more so on the right side by wanting to know the truth. Anyone else have thoughts on this episode that would be nice.

Ya also get a glimpse of John Smith’s wedding band. :)

And some great continuity with the thing inside Slim’s vest’s right pocket. Y’all see a bag of something inside. Yeah and that was carried on until the next scene.

Remember he was 6 years old when he was rescued from a prairie fire and if the quote/statement is correct that would’ve been 20 years ago, making Slim now 26! And so if we go by RF and JS’s age differences Jess(the character) would be 24! :)

#laramie #episodereview #slim sherman

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