Season 2, Episodes 21 & 22: The Abduction

Man, these double episodes are excellent. So full of drama and adventure.  This one in particular, though, is seriously excellent.

When Michaela and Sully get caught up as the Dog Soldiers attack some army fellows, all hell breaks loose.  Michaela lets it slip that the Dog Soldiers are the ones who killed the US soldiers, which leads to attacks on the town and increasing severity of violence and destruction.   The tension grows even more as Cloud Dancing's son, despite his father's wishes, joins up with the Dog Soldiers, who kidnap Michaela.  Sully, of course, rescues her in some daring, dramatic moments.

Meanwhile, Hank winks a horse in a poker game and abuses her. Brian wants to buy the horse, and makes a deal to work off the cost of the horse for Hank.  When he's thisclose to paying for her, Hank regeges, until everyone in town freezes him out.  Brian gets the horse and names her Taffy.

Commentary:
1.  This is when Jason Lelend Adams takes over the role of General Custer.  He is a marvelous villain.

2.  When the stagecoach the Reverend was riding on was attacked by Dog Soldiers, the Reverend's response was one of hatred, saying he hoped they'd burn in hell. Whoa. The Reverend's been in a dark place, though, so it's not too surprising.

3.  When Michaela and Sully are chased into a house by a war party, oh my goodness. Scariest thing ever.   How awful for Sully to have her taken from him that way. I love how Brian asks "Well, why didn't you stop them?" Duh.

4.  I have to say, though, if I were kidnapped by Dog Soldiers, I would definitely want Sully to be the one looking for me.  Plus wolf.  

5. And then when Michaela escapes! Terrifying.  The worst part is when she is hiding in some shrubbery and must remain absolutely still -- and a fly lands on her. I swear, you can feel that fly on your own skin. Thd dread.

6.  And then Sully's looking for her and delivering passionate pleas to the little villages.  "She's my heartsong," he pleas.  I was eleven years old the first time I saw this and, to me, this was the most romantic thing I'd ever heard.  Twenty years later, it is still pretty moving.  I still rolled my eyes, though. Particularly when he gets on his knees and meditates and sends vibes to her. It's really uncomfortably new age ....

7.  When Michaela tries to run away the second time, they take her shoes and she is forced to trek over terrible surfaces in her bare feet.  I think this is just about the worst thing that could have happened.  Well, that plus the fact that Custer rounded up all the women and children (and Cloud Dancing, who is like THE most-captured Cheyenne ever) and will begin hanging them, four at a time until Michaela is returned. Holy shit.

8.  When Sully rescues her -- it leads directly to what struck my 11-year-old self as one of sexiest scenes ever! Because they had to swim away from the Dog Soldiers, they lay their clothes out to dry. So Michaela wakes up in her underclothes, while Sully feeds her berries and honey and chokes on the words "Did they hurt you?" And then they share a pretty amazing kiss.  Oh, this show gave me such unreasonable expectations about love!  And I found myself so very, very confused. A big part of me wanted to be Michaela -- to have someone like Sully to save me and call me his heartsong; but I also wanted to make out with Michaela.   Nonetheless, I assumed that when I fell in love it would be full of many stares and lots of passionate longing. When I really started falling in love, I realized that a lot of the time it's hard to make eye contact because those feelings of longing are way too overwhelming to have and sustain eye contact all at once.

9.  Cloud Dancing is about a minute away from being hanged when Sully and Dr. Mike come galloping in on horseback.    Custer still moves to hang them -- so Sully breaks the gallows with his tomahawk.  That's the second time this season!

10.  Cloud Dancing and The Reverend have a beautiful conversation about gratitude for their respective spirits. And then Michaela has to tell him that his son died, helping her to run away the first time.  And that he was not killed by the army, but by a fellow Dog Soldier.  It's just such a happy, relieved, hopeful moment ... and then you're met with crushing sadness.