Lonesome Dove: Leaving (1989)
Season 1, Episode 1
They don't rent pigs
20 December 2012
Two grizzled former Texas Rangers rustle up a herd—horses, cows, a bunch of addle-brained cowboys who need as much herding as they're paid to do—and make north where is money and adventure. Western fans have long known about this, I was late myself. This first episode is all of it setup, getting to know who's who, who's going to be trouble, who's going to have demons to chase after..

And gosh darnit, what clean storytelling we have, pure American western, no-nonsense filmmaking. If smooth transition is the essence of classicism, then surely this is in the classic vein of Hawks—they've all been rascals at one point or other, and tease each other about it, but they're close as a group, as guys who work with their hands tend to. Women haunt every one of the guys, including a sheriff who we assume is going to be on their trail in coming episodes.

The purpose of the journey as stated by Woodrow, is to see one last piece of the West before the lawyers and bankers roll in.
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