I write this review based on the prequel (part 1) and this follow-up episode, and in light of the entire series, including upcoming events in season 6.
I'm getting tired of Sully. He's not a man of good judgment, and in this case, he put his family and his town in serious danger. He's done it before, but never to this extent. Michaela should put a leash on him. Or leave him. I agree with his principles, but not his poorly planned operations.
In these two episodes, Sully -- angered at the unjustified and severe beating Cloud Dancing got from the army -- secretly orchestrated the escape of Cloud Dancing and all natives on the reservation. He did this without telling anyone, including Michaela, and despite the fact that a newly appointed commander ( McKay) dealt severely with the cruel soldier who beat Cloud Dancing. McKay seemed a more reasonable man than any of his predecessors. Acting in impulsive anger, fueled by years of injustice, Sully set off an explosion to distract the soldiers and provided horses and other supplies (even guns?) to free the natives, planning for them to ride north to free Indian territory. However, he did not first ensure that the Indians agreed to his plan, and that they would not use their freedom to enact revenge on the whites. So as soon as they were free, the dog soldiers attacked the soldiers in the reservation, burned several homesteads (Matthew's place and the Morales farm), fired bullets into the town windows, and blew up the jail. Meanwhile, Sully helped Cloud Dancing escape, unable to dissuade the dog soldiers from their course of action. Sergeant O'Connor was given command, and he barged into the Sully homestead, frightening the children, vandalizing the place, while supposedly looking for clues to Sully's whereabouts.
Sully returns briefly and secretly to the homestead so Michaela can sew up Cloud Dancing's open wound. Michaela tells him off for his impulsive and secretive act, and explains that the town is now in danger. Cloud Dancing says it is his fault, for agreeing to Sully's plan. Sully says nothing to this, implicitly letting Cloud Dancing take the blame, even though he was feverish and half-dead when the plan was hatched.
However, Sully does appear to feel badly about this destruction, since he freed the natives, so I expected him to eventually make restitution, helping to rebuild the Morales homestead, rebuilding the saloon, etc. However, in future episodes, he does nothing. To my knowledge, he didn't help Hank fix up the saloon and didn't help Señora Morales rebuild her burnt home. Some hero, huh? I wish Michaela had given him the same cold shoulder he got from young Matthew, the sheriff.
For some fairly incomprehensible reason, McKay wants to help Sully (whose actions got his men killed, as directly witnessed by McKay), so when he finds out that O'Connor tortured two dog soldiers to learn where Sully is taking Cloud Dancing, he offers Michaela a deal: Tell me where Sully is going and I will do my best to reach him first, to ensure his hanging is reduced to life in prison. Michaela agrees, and tells him. They go chasing after Sully, hoping to find him before the bloody-minded O'Connor does.
At the end of this episode, Sully engages in hand-to-hand combat with the nasty Sergeant O'Connor and they both fall off the cliff, into the river far below. O'Connor dies. Sully's fate is unknown.
I'm getting tired of Sully. He's not a man of good judgment, and in this case, he put his family and his town in serious danger. He's done it before, but never to this extent. Michaela should put a leash on him. Or leave him. I agree with his principles, but not his poorly planned operations.
In these two episodes, Sully -- angered at the unjustified and severe beating Cloud Dancing got from the army -- secretly orchestrated the escape of Cloud Dancing and all natives on the reservation. He did this without telling anyone, including Michaela, and despite the fact that a newly appointed commander ( McKay) dealt severely with the cruel soldier who beat Cloud Dancing. McKay seemed a more reasonable man than any of his predecessors. Acting in impulsive anger, fueled by years of injustice, Sully set off an explosion to distract the soldiers and provided horses and other supplies (even guns?) to free the natives, planning for them to ride north to free Indian territory. However, he did not first ensure that the Indians agreed to his plan, and that they would not use their freedom to enact revenge on the whites. So as soon as they were free, the dog soldiers attacked the soldiers in the reservation, burned several homesteads (Matthew's place and the Morales farm), fired bullets into the town windows, and blew up the jail. Meanwhile, Sully helped Cloud Dancing escape, unable to dissuade the dog soldiers from their course of action. Sergeant O'Connor was given command, and he barged into the Sully homestead, frightening the children, vandalizing the place, while supposedly looking for clues to Sully's whereabouts.
Sully returns briefly and secretly to the homestead so Michaela can sew up Cloud Dancing's open wound. Michaela tells him off for his impulsive and secretive act, and explains that the town is now in danger. Cloud Dancing says it is his fault, for agreeing to Sully's plan. Sully says nothing to this, implicitly letting Cloud Dancing take the blame, even though he was feverish and half-dead when the plan was hatched.
However, Sully does appear to feel badly about this destruction, since he freed the natives, so I expected him to eventually make restitution, helping to rebuild the Morales homestead, rebuilding the saloon, etc. However, in future episodes, he does nothing. To my knowledge, he didn't help Hank fix up the saloon and didn't help Señora Morales rebuild her burnt home. Some hero, huh? I wish Michaela had given him the same cold shoulder he got from young Matthew, the sheriff.
For some fairly incomprehensible reason, McKay wants to help Sully (whose actions got his men killed, as directly witnessed by McKay), so when he finds out that O'Connor tortured two dog soldiers to learn where Sully is taking Cloud Dancing, he offers Michaela a deal: Tell me where Sully is going and I will do my best to reach him first, to ensure his hanging is reduced to life in prison. Michaela agrees, and tells him. They go chasing after Sully, hoping to find him before the bloody-minded O'Connor does.
At the end of this episode, Sully engages in hand-to-hand combat with the nasty Sergeant O'Connor and they both fall off the cliff, into the river far below. O'Connor dies. Sully's fate is unknown.
