Walt (Robert Taylor) and Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) are at a sweat lodge and once again we're shown the scars on Walt's back, though we don't know how he got them as yet. Or maybe just another chance for Walt to go shirtless! Ha. The phone rings and they're not meant to have any phones there, but it's for Walt.
This ep was about horses, or if you're from the West Country in the UK, 'arses', well it's the pronunciation. Though it looks that way at first, actually it's about mobs and money. Walt is called out to investigate a fire at a horse farm, which is suspicious in nature, not only cos a DB is found in the ashes. The fireman tries to stop him going in but Walt refuses to listen, of course and even refuses his hat cos "I've got my own." Knew that was coming.
Apparently the DB is Ray Stewart, husband of Alice (Megan Follows) who Walt spoke to a few years back about domestic violence and she didn't report her husband beating her. Naturally she's the prime suspect, until her son, TJ (Seth Adkins) finds a wouldbe suicide note. At least it looks like he committed suicide. Until the insurance man (Ron Perkins) tells Walt Ray didn't have a policy on him but Alice did and so did the horses. There's one surviving horse and TJ comes out cos he wants to shoot her and end her misery. Branch (Bailey Chase) stands around and is willing to let him do this until Walt stops him just in the nick. He's not giving up hope on her and tells the vet to do anything and everything for the mare, no matter the cost. Seems like Branch is just willing to let this happen. He's the complete opposite of Walt and really is all about the job for him, rather than the people and what's really at stake here. Which in a small town really isn't always about solving the case, well it is, but it's also about knowing the right thing to do and when to do it. Everything's all black and white with no shades of grey or emotion for Branch when he's on the job.
The coroner's dragging his feet with the autopsy of Ray cos of the backlog, wouldn't seem like there were that many cases awaiting an autopsy. So Walt and Vic (Katee Sackoff) have their own examination. It appears he was shot with a .45 but there's no exit wound, meaning he didn't shoot himself. Easy way to check the calibre of the bullet, Walt places a .45 bullet into the skull and it matches. He then takes her to the cemetery and has the grave dug up, showing the occupant's body is missing. Meaning Ray isn't dead and he dug up the body and placed it in the fire. He's on the run or hiding out. Walt knew to come here cos this was the last person to be recently buried. See that's what good detective work will lead you to.
He asks Alice about her husband and she tells him his name wasn't Ray. Infact he was on the run from the mob after he stole some money from them and hid out here. Wouldn't it have been less conspicuous to hide out in a bigger town or the big city, to blend in with people, would stick out like a sore thumb out here.
A US Marshall comes a calling to the office and the Ferg (Adam Bartley) tells him where Alice is after he was supposed to meet Walt at the coroner's. Anyone could tell he wasn't a real Marshall and he shouldn't have given away the location and turns up too late to warn Walt and Vic, as they head for a shoot out at Bill's (Jamie McShane) farm. Bill knew Ray wasn't dead and he was hiding. So to get to the house, Walt gets Branch to cause a distraction, which he does by running with all barrels blazing on his gun. A bit stupid don't you think, considering he's got no cover and surprisingly he doesn't get shot. That mob hitman must've been sleeping or too slow. The Ferg feels he must resign at the end cos he messed up and he knows he was only given the job cos of a favour for his father.
Walt finds Ray (C Thomas Howell) hiding out in the cellar and he can hear Alice's screams but he did nothing, no not until Walt handcuffs him to the pipe, not like he was going anywhere. Yeah now Ray shouts where he is and gets shot at through the floor. But they manage to raid the house and save the day! Maybe Walt even gets to save the horse cos he reads out the Red Indian prayer/poem on the paper and tells her she can let go now, but she's not going anywhere. Though we don't get to know if the horse survived, most likely did. Had pangs of deja vu whilst watching this ep for some reason.
So after writing my review, I came across another one written at the time this ep was aired in the US, back in 2012 and I have to comment on how some people expect so much from a show, especially when it's only just starting out. Of course you're not going to get character development from the outset, it does take time. Not to mention how certain reviewer forgot the show is based on a series of books. But even so, the writers etc, will take the show in the direction they want it to go. Some even had qualms about Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah being used to play in the background whilst Walt's with the horse. Do they have an aversion to horses or just this show? I could go on, but...I will reserve judgement until I've seen more eps! Anyway Megan Follows is always good to see, you may recall her from Anne of Green Gables.
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