Season 2, Episode 20: The First Circle

 Robert E. and Grace win a bidding war on a house in town and can't wait to fix it up. The bank salesman -- who did everything he could to prevent Michaela from buying the clinic -- is not too keen on selling to black people. He turns out to be a klansman and entices other men in the community to join.

Much of it can be summed up in Michela confronts the bank man: "Is it just our town, or do you cause this much trouble wherever you go?"

This is one of the toughest episodes to watch, and I'm not really going to snark because it would feel really wrong, so I'll just give a rundown of the episode:

1.  It begins with the promise of a new social club for the men of the town, which Matthew and Horace readily join.  From there, the violence quite quickly escalates -- on their first outing in uniform they set Robert E.'s horses loose, attack him and destroy his property. Matthew and Horace immediately take Robert E. in to the clinic -- and Matthew is crushed. 

2.  The next day, Robert E. is doubly determined to get his horses back and get into his house, convinced things will all blow over.    Michaela gives the men a talking-to, saying they should help Robert E. and welcome him.  Jake pretends to agree, only go to over and vandalize the property.  In a particularly harsh moment, Jake dumps a bucket of white paint of Robert E.'s head, saying "Now you can live here."

3.  There's this exchange between Robert E. and a frightened Grace, who wants to sell the house back to the bank.  This exchange, which is ... everything:

"I don't believe your'e talking like this. Aren't you the one who's always telling me how we've got to stand up to the white folks, how we're equal --"
"We are equal."
"Well somebody forgot to tell them that."
"It doesn't matter what these people think --"
"Yes it does!"
"You don't understand what I'm saying.  I don't want you hurt. I will live in that barn if need be to keep that from happening again."
"Well I won't.  I want to give you a home, woman.  I want to carry you across that threshold. I want to have fires in our own fireplace and pictures on the walls and our friends to come to dinner and our children to feel safe.  And I want to walk up those stairs every night and see your smiling face.  And I want us to live there and love each other for the rest of our lives."
"It's hard to do that if you're dead, Robert E."

4.  To pressure Robert E. back into selling back the home, Mr. Bank-man threatens to sell Michaela's mortgage. She's pissed.

5.  The next night, the Klansmen raid Grace's cafe. Loren is visibly upset by the fact that they're shooting guns off.  Sully shows up and attacks some of them.  Robert E. shoots at the intruders.

6.  When Loren turns up with a buckshot wound the next day, Michaela puts two and two together.  Dorothy is outraged that Robert E. would raise a gun "to a white man" and writes an article berating Robert E. In an epic confrontation, Michaela berates Dorothy's segregationist and apologist attitudes and goes on to confront the bankman in an epic flounce, proclaiming, "Take the clinic. Do whatever you want to do with my mortgage.  I'll practice in the street if I have to.  I'll pitch a tent, I'll work from my wagon, but I'll never, never give in to the likes of you!"It might be her best flounce of the season.

7.  And in a horrible scene, Grace is assaulted -- her hair crudely razored off -- by three klansmen at her now-deserted cafe.  Throughout the vignette, we see Robert working away as he sings "By and By" (Will the circle be unbroken? By and by, Lord, by and by ...).  Sensing danger, he runs over to the cafe only to discover Grace, brutalized and traumatized, shivering at table.

8.  When Michaela offers her home to Robert E. and Grace that night, Robert E. asks her why she's so different.  She explains that her father was an abolitionist and believed all humans to be equal and that she will insist on raising her children the same.  The Klan rides again and lights a cross outsider her home.

9.  Robert E. then has a really heavy conversation with Brian about racism and slavery, what it meant for him to be owned.  He shows Brian where his former owner branded him and tells Brian never to forget what he saw.  Grace comes to buy a bonnet at the store and Dorothy is horrified to realize the consequences of her actions.  Grace is a model of strength and determination as she walks with her new hat and then sees Robert E. back at work on their new home.  They are warriors together.

10.  Michaela enters the saloon and confronts the bank-hole.  He goes on to threaten her children.  And Sully makes it clear that he'll kill him if he tries. They then have a very lovely family talk with the Cooper Kids and the five of them go over to help Robert E. and Grace.

11.  At night, Robert E. the klan is all fired up.  Robert E. is nearly lynched, which finally scares some sense into Loren, Jake and Hank. And, of course, Sully saves the day. Or night. Michaela, again, delivers a passionate speech. 

12.  The next morning, Loren helps Grace and Robert E. move in.

It's intense.