Aliens Guest Podcast

 

It's been a difficult summer - one of the toughest I can recall - yet I was determined to keep my recording date with the Greatest Movies of All Time Podcast to chat about one of my favorites, Aliens! 

You can listen or watch this anniversary revisit episode and don't forget to also check out GMOAT's Cinema Legacy Poll, in which I also had a small contribution among the cinephile and podcast community.

Browse more Podcast episodes and revisit past appearances including:

The Searchers

Ben-Hur

Women InSession 2025

Jonathan Rhys Meyers Action & Sci-Fi

 

Jonathan Rhys Meyers Action and Sci-Fi

by Kristin Battestella

Perhaps understandably given his personal ups and downs or just by nest egg necessity, Jonathan Rhys Meyers has recently made numerous action B pictures and low budget science fiction thrillers. Here's a trio of the good, bad, and ugly.

Decent

The Good Neighbor – This 2022 hit and run remake of the German film from the original writer and director Stephan Rick maximizes its Latvian dialogue and Riga locations. American Luke Kleintank (The Man in the High Castle) accepts a new position at an international news agency complete with a house, car, and eponymous neighbor Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors). Our nurse is so positive compared to bad breakup being left behind, but the neon rave and short trip to hell drinks lead to jealousy and drunken joy rides that kill the girl who's just given them her phone number. The body on the windshield happens fast, they can't undo this murder and should just move on rather than let it ruin “us.” Our reporter struggles at the press conference, throwing up in the bathroom when the sister of the deceased asks questions. It's too late to come clean, and Nurse Johnny is chill with patients and investigators about their alibi. He ditches the car, plans a fishing trip, and the boys almost have a good time thanks to apologies and presents. They must protect each other; they can't rely on anyone else. The obsessive undertones and late deadlines mean bringing dinner to the office like a scorned woman, following the object of affection, spying through the window, and damaging his rental car. They are in this together, and romancing the sister of the woman you killed is dangerous. Johnny invites himself along on their dates – leading to chilling trapped underneath the kayak perils and hesitation in coming to the rescue. Nonchalant violence means some people go away and are never heard from again, but everything he's done has been for them, so how dare he be ungrateful and insist they aren't really friends just neighbors? Although characters ignore or give away information because the plot says so, the twisted slow burn escalates with well paced betrayals, threats, and revelations. We've seen this plot before and there's nothing new, however I miss this kind of simmering mid-tier film and this was better than expected.

Split

Wifelike – Commercials sell the titular high priced robots cooking dinner in lingerie, for widowers never have to be alone again in this muddled 2022 science fiction thriller. Unflinching agent Jonathan Rhys Meyers is trying to catch the ringleader of an AI rights organization protesting their company, and he recovers abducted androids from the so-called terrorists. His payment is a new edition of his late wife Meredith, but her stilted processing and childlike behavior, however, is very weird. She's uncomfortably younger than he is, like a doll, and walks with her butt out like the Rosie maid on The Jetsons. Their relationship is perhaps intentionally unsettling with obvious red flags, and intimacy commands saved for physical and emotional satisfaction are initiated immediately. Though lengthy, the romps are actually well done, but the cop cliché agent scenes are hammy with unnecessary humor when this should be a ninety minute cerebral piece about the companion mystery. The script is a first draft with trite dialogue and redundant wording, sometimes even in the same scene. Pointless self-exploration masturbation mode scenes and repeated moments with laughable techno crescendos heralding quirky characters telling Meredith to remember are superfluous. They inexplicable drop hints to the bigger AI conspiracy when they have a file with the details all along, and we should have seen all the recovery assignments before William received the new Meredith. Otherwise it's frustrating to break the suspicious build and household claustrophobic simmer for outside action. Reprogrammed fears that these controlled women will rise up against their male owners and sentient freedom debates take a backseat to other viewpoints. Overlong deprogramming and file/copy/paste nonsensical leads to a haunted house dream complete with a slutty skeleton costume and spooky mannequins. Silly exposition sort of explains how others can jack into the dangerous dreamscape where you can die for real – or kill someone – but William insists no one will find out how he's going to make everything perfect. A man can rewrite whatever he wants while the robot girls chat on the floor in their robes like its a sleepover. More resets in the final twenty minutes lose steam – confirming the predictable with try hard resistance speeches and twists upon twists thrown at the screen. The uneven focus on too many concepts wastes time with obvious cloak and dagger cryptic when we should have gotten to the warped, abusive love and never letting go SF obsession much sooner.

Skip

The Shadow Effect – Doctor Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Sheriff Michael Biehn (The Magnificent Seven) don't have enough to do in this messy 2017 thriller opening with rooftop stealth drawn out for the panoramic cool. Everything restarts with a rustic cabin, morning routine filler, and headaches. Music triggers and spasms using the kitchen knife begat flashes of the previous attack, but where the music is coming from and how our assassin can travel across the country to kill again all in one night make the audience question if there will be any in world logic. Our doctor provides smooth psychological rhetoric amid fake search engine news headlines, black vans, and subway perils, but the nothing burger action is tedious and small scale. Punching walls and screaming at his wife in bland arguments lead to some obligatory sex, and after four trigger episodes, it take half the movie before we get an inkling of the larger conspiracy. Driving to and fro padding transition scenes only lead to more inexplicable action as conveniences drive the repeat killer scenarios. One on one confrontations with the name stars debating the sciences versus the violence should have come much sooner – the puppeteers behind the Bloodshot resetting are where the actual story lies. Science fiction trite and Sons of Liberty code names are tossed in with twenty minutes left, and the right whither to and why for questions are never asked amid nonsensical shootouts, convoluted double talk, silly cliches, and derivative obvious. This is an overlong waste of the better cast and this type of story has been done better already.

Right and Wrong Women's Horrors

 

Right and Wrong Women's Horrors

by Kristin Battestella

Be she a grandmother, mom-to-be, or everything in between, these contemporary films represent the good, bad, and ugly when it comes to women in horror.

Decent!

The Manor – Ballerinas and birthday parties lead to distorted echoes and stroke scares in this 2021 Blumhouse/Amazon production written and directed by Axelle Carolyn (Tales of Halloween). Silver haired vixen Barbara Hershey (Beaches) doesn't want her family to see her diminish so she enters a grand historic home living facility where staff repeatedly ask if she is okay – ready to take care of everything even though she can handle the basics herself. Judith doesn't want to make crafts and be the fourth for bridge, but she has to accept that age slowly prevents you from doing what you love. Her grandson wants to take care of her at home, but no cell phone policies and hysterical roommates acerbate the arguing between the generations. Doctors discuss her treatment with her daughter only and tell Judith she is being dramatic about early dementia delusions. Thunderstorms, eerie dreams, foggy grounds, and dead birds accent the failing mind worry on top of fears of being watched in the night and manhandling orderlies. Compared to the usual monster in your face roars and unreliable fake outs, intriguing use of light and dark reveals the fragile struggle on what is real or perceived as well as the gnarly incubus a la The Nightmare giving or draining vitality. Family turns on its elders as the mother becomes the child, bound and drugged supposedly for her own good in a sadly realistic but pleasing to see ageism commentary. Even Judith jokes about diets, face lifts, and bathing in the blood of virgins, and she has a rebellious streak – wearing edgy graphic t-shirts, sneaking out, and not swallowing pills when she's forcibly returned. When not spotting wormwood in the garden and inquiring about absinthe or stashing a flask, Judith reminisces about smoking weed and dancing around the bonfire with her late husband. Unfortunately, crows and effigies under the bed escalate to creepy last words and lists of the dead as the freaky encounters move quickly. The realization that something is afoot doesn't underestimate the audience amid missing evidence and calendar clues. There's no time wasting rituals or elaborate explanations – just hair clippings, chilling chants, temptations, and sacrifices in the full blown horror finale. Why not end the suffering of the barely existing oldsters so you can dance under the moonlight? Granted, there are numerous genre cliches and obvious twists, but this taut eighty-two minutes expedites the realistic horror parallels, unique setting, and mature performances.

Had the Potential.

The Unborn – Wedding day tragedies and interracial lesbians fearing they're pregnant with a demon baby open this 2022 Tubi original. Onscreen gestation countdowns, ultrasounds, and heartbeats accent celebratory reveals before nosebleeds, nausea, jokes about not drinking or eating sushi, and nosy friends wanting to know how it all worked. Although her mother-in-law says it is a blessing, an ominous image on the sonogram slowly divides the couple. Our wife is inconsiderate and dismissive, belittling with what I should have said deflections and that's not what I meant strain rather than support. Check ups citing mere hormones or stress semantics and fetishizing men acerbate ghostly voices, scary eyes, automatic writing, Lilith mentions, and freaky accidents. Mom-to-be resents her obligation to carry because her wife is the breadwinner but pretends she freaked out over nothing during therapy. Jugular jabs and quality blood provide fine horror vignettes, but police inquiries force one to explain what we just saw in condensing, patronizing padding. Viewers can clearly tell this was written by a man – maybe even originally as a heterosexual couple – as the haggard horror of how tough pregnancy can be is never fully felt and a ridiculously monotone, overlong YouTube documentary spells out the Lilith connections for the audience rather than the person in peril. Halfway thru this ninety-four minutes, stereotypical psychics reiterate what the video just said, jumping the shark as the audience easily predicts the erroneous cops, exorcist jokes, and useless psychiatric holds. Trips to the cult ranch lead to laughably unrealistic twists and men tutting at the angry Black lesbian's foul language before she hits the culprit with their SUV and makes her pregnant wife run to the getaway car. The spirit passing from the womb incites unnecessary shootouts and interrogations tell us about what we just saw again with the satanic cult meaty also told rather than seen. Having a monster-esque transformation on top of the pregnancy changes may have been fine body horror, but all the Lilith hear tell remains just that. The masculine bad cop and his submissive Asian partner have an unexplored latent subtext amid their utterly pointless plot, and the Black family who had the faith to combat this demon influence completely disappears. Obviously suspicious creepers, kidnappings, and ghostly convenience begat contractions sending the possessions in and out and a mother strapped to a table who's supposed to deliver a baby on her own. Back and forth screams upon screams keep going and going before a five months later revived cult coda and direct looks at the camera. Derivative genre cliches and redundant detours hold the unique characterizations and real world women's horrors at arms length, and any diversity or provocative reproduction fears descend into the totally routine.

I Turned it Off!

The Victim – Michael Biehn (Aliens) stars, writes, and directs this 2011 eighty minute grindhouse tale co-starring his wife Jennifer Blanc (Havenhurst) and Danielle Harris (Halloween). Despite the rape and revenge summary, I was excited for the genre names attached. Unfortunately, this opens with herky jerky strobe credits and barely discernible newspaper headlines with no sense of context. You have to pause to even see anything clearly, and then the picture proper opens with sexy sounds and from behind roughness. It's initially unclear whether this is consensual or not, and the scene goes on for several disturbing minutes. After that, there's a ridiculously long driving montage, and with such a frustratingly bad start, I turned this off ten minutes into the movie. I expected horror favorites, not to be disappointed and immediately put off by every horror wrong. 

It wasn't planned, but it's fascinating how this trio all has “The” titles as if that is the only way we checkbox identify women – one at home, a breeder, and a victim. Hmph.

The Magnificent Seven Season 2

The Magnificent Seven Season Two Rides into the Sunset 

by Kristin Battestella

The thirteen episode 1999-2000 Second Season of The Magnificent Seven opens with action vignettes and heroic punches as gunslinger Chris Larabee (Michael Biehn), sharpshooter Vin Tanner (Eric Close), ladies man Buck Wilmington (Dale Midkiff), gambler Ezra Standish (Anthony Starke), preacher Josiah Sanchez (Ron Perlman), healer Nathan Jackson (Rick Worthy), and kid J.D. (Andrew Kavovit) take names no questions asked when crooks think they can ride into their town.

New federal marshal Peter Firth (MI-5), however, has a strict approach in the “The New Law” premiere, enacting a no guns policy and relieving The Seven of their services. Railroad entrepreneurs want official assurances that a progressive town doesn't need gunslingers, but up to no good ranchers Brion James (Blade Runner), Stacy Keach (Mike Hammer), and Tim Thomerson (Trancers) see an opportunity as our boys move on, each with a moment of humor, trouble, or doubt on what they will do next. Of course, this is the season premiere, so we know The Seven will ultimately stick around amid foolish policies and town raids. While this feels more like a standard plot than a standout opener, the townsfolk get in on the action and our boys know where to find each other when they are needed. Rousing riding montages build as two becomes four, and finally all seven combine for cavalry ruses, jailhouse rescues, and pondering the outcome at the saloon. As this season progresses, The Magnificent Seven becomes more serious, relying less on action or generic plots of the week and more on fine ensembles, characterizations, and town-centric tales with great guest stars. Straight dramas take the forefront before the more adventurous two part “Wagon Train,” and one can tell this was probably meant to be the big premiere but was held back for a February sweeps run as none of the recurring ladies that strengthen the beginning of the season are featured and more potentially interesting characters introduced here don't re-appear. Would be homesteaders, rival land claims, and threats to the judge mean our boys will escort the train, but stubborn men are reluctant to have cowboys around their family folk. Multiple flirtations, villainous vows, a jolly powder man, widows, and ornery kids lead to attacks on the camp, questions about this must have land, explosions, and deed double crosses. From fiddling and dancing to shootouts, kidnapping rescues, and dynamite, The Seven do it all as tensions build to shootouts and wagon sieges. These quirky bad guys must get rid of these “seven hooligans,” and by Part Two, ladies are running away with our heroes amid marriage proposals, gold prospecting, and safety versus taking a stand. The sappy may be too much for some viewers who prefer the solid action and the stakes are both made easy yet insurmountable, but the dangers and dalliances accent the questions on outlaw living compared to settling down with family. Fortunately, the jerky men made weak and charming character moments remain entertaining. When those seven silhouettes ride up the mountain crest as the crescendos peak, there really isn't any doubt about who's going to win.

Scared Chinese railroad works also seek out our heroes in “Chinatown” after fellow workers are beaten and killed. The Magnificent Seven shows surprisingly brutal attacks thanks to rapacious, racist, good ole boys; slick rail baron Brad Dourif (Lord of the Rings); and vengeful hot head John Cho (Harold and Kumar) speaking out about the wrongdoings. In town, our boys have official jurisdiction and here they'd be meddling in a private entity, but that's never stopped them before and they won't take a family's precious jade as payment, either. Multiple storylines converge as our boys free abused women, uncover murder plots, and find evidence proving money and motive. This well balanced piece addresses hate crimes, immigrant labor, corrupt white men, illegal business practices, and cooked books with ahead of its time wisdom. Our young immigrant wants to “learn to shoot so I can be an American” but our gunslinger answers that “learning to shoot don't make you an American, but it could make you a killer and it won't fix the way you feel. Guns and hate is a bad mix.” The Magnificent Seven tackles issues we're still dealing with today in some serious storytelling, but it's therapeutic to see the good guys win – even if it's only on the small screen for an hour. Territory freedom versus statehood regulations expand The Magnificent Seven beyond generic West simplicity in “Serpents” as protests begat bar fights and a dead hotel patron carrying a sophisticated rifle and $10,000. Who hired this assassin and how did he himself end up dead? The Seven argue about what to do with the money as whispers and accusations mount. Pairings we don't normally see bring out each other's ire while multiple temptations such as ladies, wealth, and weapons test our heroes. The soapbox speeches go on despite the fatal risks, underhand tactics, and backdoor deals as our group divided faces their demons. Who's really the target and will our flawed heroes overcome and save the day? Bullets are taken and our multifaceted cowboys come through in a deep episode that fully shows The Magnificent Seven's potential. This should have been the finale, as “Obsession” revisits the Larabee family murder on the crime's three year anniversary and feels more like a somewhat rushed and unresolved Season Three premiere than a conclusion. A former flame turned wealthy widow under fire offers The Seven fifty dollars each for protection in what should be an easy side job – a day or two out of town reminiscing on wild times with carriage rides, feasts, and feather beds. Is there more to life than drinking or fighting? The saucy romance moves fast, but decisions to stay on the seemingly idyllic farm have consequences. Conversations waxing on honest hearts and kind love culminate in multiple wounds and innocents caught in the crossfire as silhouettes and eerie music accent the titular creepy. Suspicious paperwork reveals the boys were right to distrust such quick happiness, and The Magnificent Seven comes together for one last shootout.

There aren't any truly bad episodes this season – The Magnificent Seven gets better as it goes on – but serious versus humor pacing issues hamper several entries amid lingering clues that episodes aired out of production order, were held over from the First Season, or where rushed to included more stories as cancellation loomed. The second hour “Sins of the Past” combines motherly competition, dilemmas, and history as each of the boys face arrests, romance, business, rescues, and clearing one's name. It's a somewhat slow, getting to know them deeper, gray bottle episode, but the acts should be structured with separated drama and humorous plots. Treating drastically different stories with standard A, B, C back and forth doesn't give each tale the focus they deserve even if the humor fades once the boys bond together. “Achilles” also has too much with card games, ladies, poetry, robberies, shoot outs in the street, and innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. The psychological toll of being a gun toting town protector and unlikely pairings, John Brown pasts, and vigils over the wounded lady jar with lighter plots or too briefly featured situations. It's great to see The Seven struggle amid angry townsfolk, funerals, illiteracy, and more, but the scale is crowded and uneven. Night time raids versus hanging up the guns, wisdom from the villain, and more superb elements again deserved more time, but this late in the season, the series writers may have been trying to include all their ideas when had The Magnificent Seven continued, this would have been a fine episode to have some players depart over grief, killer instinct, and their perceived heroic shortcomings. This episode in many ways highlights the best the show has to offer as well as its problematic, short lived network constructs. Likewise, “Ladykillers” has scaffolds, saloon swagger, and sassy female bounty hunters who wound a man to keep him alive for the higher reward. Buck thinks it's a dangerous job for women, but they object that giving birth is more deadly. The serious grit, however, is again played for romance and male sensitivity rather than strong women and their struggles in the West. The rowdy, aggressive sister drags men into the barn yet it's all jokes about getting into their britches and sowing wild oats with come ons about who is the most handsome of The Seven. Personal vendettas and debates about if a woman with a gun can be trusted happen alongside surprising gun shots, injuries, chases, and stand offs as the humor is then completely dropped for dark redemptive questions, domestic violence, voiceover prayers, arguments on executing women, and pulling the trigger in cold blood. The topical elements may be too much for a friendly Saturday night, but once again, it's what The Magnificent Seven could have been. Imagine if one of our boys was shot and a woman replaced him?

Chris Larabee has loosened up a little bit, but Michael Biehn is still dressed in all black to match his rough exterior. Chris tries to ignore gunslinging challenges, but today is just as good as any day to die and he'll shoot up J.D.'s bowler to prove his fast shot. Memories of his late family, however, are fading from his mind, and Chris works on his nearby homestead to get away and hold on a little longer. Of course, he's also jealous when Mary has other prospects – a safe family life is not exactly something he could give her – but Chris admits their friendship is special to him and he's not blind to her headstrong beauty. He doesn't give a damn about a person's past if they ask for help and won't take their precious tokens as payment. However, he does threaten to shoot Ezra and won't tolerate when a sleazy guy puts his hand on his shoulder. Chris yells at J.D. to deal with his guilt; he won't get sentimental, but tells the kid to change his mind about leaving, for if J.D. were perfect he wouldn't be one of them. Chris drinks his pain away and initially objects to his friends questioning his former flame when he has a new chance at happiness, but he realizes they wouldn't be suspicious for no reason. In the absence of the judge when asked who's in charge, he supposes that's him, taking to this lawman thing more than he admits, yet Chris lingers in the back of the church by the doors and tries to remain objective if one of their own is accused. Chris' father-in-law Ed Lauter (Family Plot) comes to town in “Vendetta,” claiming to have killed the man who killed their family, but Tyne Daly (Cagney & Lacey) is pursuing him for her own revenge. Chris resented his disapproval of his marriage and he's angry at his father-in-law bringing this trouble back to him now. Buck says Chris should consider his suffering, but the men blame each other and have it out amid their confrontations with Daly's harsh Irish matriarch scoffing at the dirty church but confessing she is going to kill and enjoy it. She's a God fearing woman kneeling at the altar for forgiveness yet shouting from the balcony how she'll fill 'em with lead, willing to destroy the rest of her family for vengeance that isn't as clear cut as it seems in another Magnificent Seven standout with prayers and gunfire intermixing for superb drama. Eric Close's Vin Tanner still has a wrongful warrant hanging over his head – he isn't afraid to die but will take a stand on being strung up for the wrong reason. Vin thinks he can defend himself alone, but Chris brings along his mare's leg and Vin's grateful when all the boys join his cause. He lies, however, that his handwriting is terrible to hide his illiteracy. Mary thinks he has traveled and has many interesting stories to tell, but he rebuffs her newspaper opportunities before sharing his words on heroics and heart, reciting poetry on how much he values her mind. She offers to teach him to read and write down what he wants, keeping his secret the way Vin keeps Josiah's family confidences to himself. He takes a liking to a married woman in “Wagon Train,” rescuing her from the bad guys before insists no woman belongs to a man – a true husband will know her worth, thank God for her, and never put her at risk. Buck says his nobility will earn him smooches but also trouble, and Chris briefly wonders if he can still depend on Vin. He knows the affair isn't right, but Vin's too wily to settle down and tame land no matter how he feels. He rejoins the fight despite the nasty husband shooting at him, and Chris assures him that there's nothing to explain. Vin resents The Seven for teasing him, but he agrees this is where he belongs.

Dale Midkiff as ladies man Buck Wilmington has some then risque bathtub scenes but loses his touch with several gals this season – much to the bemusement of the boys. Buck lets a man live when he has the death blow even if he doesn't deserve it, for he'll always stand up for what's right, although Chris says he's too proud. The two are close, but they argue, too, and Buck only tells Josiah when he has fearful nightmares. He gets stir crazy when it's calm and peaceful, cutting loose and accidentally taking a Chinese medicine to cure a “limp noodle” – a condition he insists is not a problem. Despite being both intimidated and intrigued by a lady bounty giving him the cold shoulder, he pens a romantic letter to help J.D. Buck lays it on think, lowering his voice and putting on the charm before getting a dose of his own love 'em and leave 'em medicine. He's caught up in a duel for “Love and Honor,” defending a wronged woman against A. Martinez (She-Devil) as romances crisscross amid afternoon standoffs and talk of integrity. The duel is actually a sword fight, yet there's not a lot of action in the first half of the episode, and we don't notice because we're enjoying the characters, multi-ethnic plots, and female but not damsel in distress angst. There's a touch of Zorro, too, with spars, swords cutting the candles, and begrudging respect from Martinez. He says he's going to find six men of his own to watch his back, and he, too, would have been a fascinating replacement if need be. Besides, it's also nice to hear the boys actually called magnificos, and had The Magnificent Seven continued, Fabiana Udenio (Summer School) as sassy bartender Inez could have been fine flair. Her three episodes are full of Buck foil, for he's unarmed in their battle of wits, and Vin has her back when confronting the Don from whom she fled. Sadly, we don't get to see Inez relate to the women in “Ladykillers,” because after holding down the saloon so well, she disappears in the cut back second half of the season. J.D. is tough, too. He's angry at a baddie using dynamite against families rather than fighting like a man, but the others think Andrew Kavovit's kid is still hot air. He dreams of riding with the Texas Rangers, insisting he's no longer the rookie in need of his six big brothers, yet J.D.'s foolish enough to gamble with Maude and buys a Chinese potion to make him grow taller. The bowler jokes continue, but J.D. confides in Buck how often his missing a bullet is just dumb luck. J.D. knows the townsfolk blame him when his stray shot leads to a citizen's death in “Achilles” and becomes reluctant to use his guns. Josiah reminds him to take pride in what he's done for this town, and these touching, growing up fast, or leaving contemplations could have been a longer story arc. J.D. regains his enthusiasm when he doesn't need his holster to save the day, but he gets tongue tied when trying to court Casey. Their fishing competition and pulling pigtails banter are charming, but Nathan insists every girl wants a bracelet, not the frog digger J.D. intends to get for Casey. Dana Barron appears in five episodes this season as Casey, but the out of order episodes have her liking him one hour, then hating him the next before running to his side when he's injured. She gets mistaken for a boy when her hair is up in her hat, but Casey matures and softens up with J.D. even as she comes in handy and helps the boys.

Anthony Starke's Ezra P. – the “P” stands for persuasive – Standish “Attorney at Law” intends to buy the saloon and improve his new “Standish Tavern” but he wasn't made honest labor or Puritanism. When donning the unthinkable Union Blue for a disguise, Ezra at least makes sure he's a colonel. The only thing that can drag him away from his down pillow at dawn is the word “bet,” and he takes odds against Buck in a challenge, encouraging betters to spend expeditiously. Of course, he, too has on occasion found it necessary to defend his good name in a sword fight, however Ezra reluctantly buys an abused girl in “Chinatown” when Nathan doesn't have enough money to outbid a wealthy creeper and free her. She follows Ezra to be his servant, but while he may be a scoundrel, Ezra insists he's always a gentleman to a lady. After a losing a card game with six suspicious kings in one deck, Ezra ends up with nothing but his hat, gun, and boots before finding out it was a fake leg under the table that defeated him. He wonders how he ever let himself come to a career in law enforcement, and writes to his mother that he is baby sitting again and gets slapped when he tries to move in on a woman for her gold claim. Michelle Phillips' Maud Standish wins the deed to the town hotel in a poker game, and mother and son are so genteel as they throw down the gauntlet over rival prices, two for one drinks, and tainted booze. He calls her out for being self-serving, but she insists she taught him better than using his own money in business before selling at top value and buying his saloon. Maude's accused of theft in “The Trial” when missing diamond cuff links are found in the false bottom of her satchel. Ezra's happy to put his mother behind bars, but she spruces up her cell with lamps, furniture, and curtains before sweet talking the Judge, and it would have been great to see more of their law and con woman opposites attract. He says she's the first prisoner to ever tell him he's the most handsome man in the world, but when her accuser proposes marriage, Ezra draws up a prenuptial agreement including a chef, maid, and shop accounts. She's supposed to pick out the ring, but Maude steals his carriage to flee instead. Ezra is likewise tempted with The Seven's found $10,000. He's tired of being knocked out, shot at, and disrespected with such indignities for $7 a week but Chris says he's the only one who complains about the risks they take and doesn't trust him to guard the cash. Although sharing the wealth is never his first instinct, Ezra's angry they all think he'd cut and run. He confides in Josiah that he thought he had proven his loyalty to his friends, and he tells Ezra to face his demons – giving him the money so it can serve its purpose and fix his mercenary ways.

(18 year old “Save a horse, ride a cowboy” me would have *loved* to have screen captures of this back then!)

Ron Perlman's Josiah Sanchez prays for a sign and finds a dog instead, but doesn't mind that the Lord loves a good riddle. Money is like manure and should be spread, but Josiah objects when his church is called unclean because it's open to all paths regardless of belief – including dusty folk and troubled souls. When insulted as a mere handyman, he says Jesus was good with a hammer, too. Josiah provides forgiveness for those who would be consumed with revenge in great one on one wisdoms. He's still enchanted by Maude, reads The Iliad, and waxes on romance but won't offer J.D. courting tips and claims he's on a vow of silence and abstinence when a widow takes a liking to him. He lifts heavy water buckets to avoid temptations when guarding a large sum of money but ultimately sleeps with it and dreams of angels before taking up golf as a lesson in humility against your own worst enemy – yourself. Josiah's proud to defend Nathan's father in “The Trial;” they share Scripture together and even Maude compliments Josiah's well spoken parables. He puts the case in perspective by removing talk of color, slave, and master and instead asks the jury which one of them wouldn't kill the man who terrorized his family if he had the chance. Josiah hates funerals no matter how nice heaven is supposed to be, brings peace to prisoners facing the noose, and says he's not drinking alone but with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Unfortunately, a drunken Josiah returns to town in “Penance” spouting righteous atonement amid dust storms and accusations of murder. The investigating Pinkerton hones in on Josiah's reluctance to talk because his sins are between him and God before revealing more of his family history and regrets. The evidence pointing to Josiah is contrived and it's obvious who the murderer is; however the purgatory mood, murder mystery askew, and horror film making create a unique atmosphere. We had so little time for The Magnificent Seven to dig deep with a scary or dark storyline, but Josiah comes to his senses to minister the criminal just in time. Rick Worthy's Nathan objects to being accused as a snake oil man but is often frustrated that his meager medical skills aren't much use. He wants to pursue his doctoring more but anguishes when his lack of schooling acerbates fatal wounds. Nathan won't take the given gold claim from a dying man he tried to save, either – even when Ezra waxes how they could build a hospital with it. At times, they have a more lighthearted banter, but Nathan educates Ezra on rapier techniques in an intriguing spar between the southern con man and the former slave. Nathan was his master's sparring partner, so his swordsmanship is not so fond a skill. The boys have his back, however, in “The Trial” when Nathan's father faces a lynching. Pleas about the war being over and nasties making the firm distinction between the black accused and white man victim add dimension to touching father and son moments. After slavery, war, and separation, a free man deserves a day in court, but Nathan does not expect justice and confides his history and fears to Chris. Superb tears, pain, and performances bring the terrors of the past full circle thanks to confessions and circumstances that are enough to break a man's spirit – almost.

Judge Travis has our boys' backs against the territory bureaucrats, but Robert Vaughn's crusty lawman won't given them a raise even if he admits he's glad to see them defeat sleazy prosecutors. The Judge is sympathetic to men who kill because they had to, commuting sentences and protecting a charge once justice has been ruled, yet he's reluctant to hang a woman and being fair doesn't always help his case. Once a colder snob when The Magnificent Seven began, Laurie Holden's widow Mary Travis has let her hair down and earned a brief appearance in the opening credits. Buck doesn't want her to look at a dead body, but Mary says it is part of her job, and she gets tough when interviewing a nasty marshal – drinking when he insists women should be wives, mothers, tea total, and not vote. She may not be able to find a pencil when it's already behind her ear, but Mary dons a holster and gets dirty riding to the wild Purgatory town when seeking out the boys. The Magnificent Seven has multiple women relating to each other without taking away from the men, and Mary vows how they are rare, good men who have helped one and all many times. When a former flame proposes to her in “Wagon Train,” however, she doesn't immediately accept but considers her son, the newspaper, and the opportunity for progress in town compared to starting over on the farm with a ready made family. Of course, Chris is not amused – he says she'd be foolish to turn down a good man, but Mary confides in him that she isn't ready for such a big decision. This would have been another great plot to revisit a la Shane, but outspoken editor Mary moves on, campaigning for statehood and writing articles on Freedom of Speech and amendment rights. Old school western street facades, wooden storefronts, balconies, and rooftops provide The Magnificent Seven with ample places for shoot outs, standoffs, crashes, chases, broken windows, and close quarter fist fights. Horses, hats, dusters, ropes, cigars, and poker accent saloons, wagons, telegraphs, barrels, wanted posters, and Spanish touches. The slow motion may be a bit too much at times and the outdoor filming makes for a fuzzy picture today – by the end of the season, you can tell they're using the same hilly spot from different angles, too. However, the rustic realism and dirty, dusty action is nicer then often overly noticeable CGI in HD. The attention to period detail continues with wallpapers, Victorian interiors, bonnets, bustles, and fine ladies' silhouettes, and The Magnificent Seven was probably quite expensive in its day thanks to well done stunts, leaps, cannons, and explosions. Blunt, multi layered gunfire sets off impressive stagecoach heists, villains caught in the wheels, trick riding shots, and swinging saloon doors that always end up off their hinges. Surprising sword action is also intense as wide shots survey the overall battle while above and below filming keeps the blood and slashes realistically tight. Great windstorms, dusty roads, flapping shutters, and slamming doors build suspense, and dark silhouettes show scary attacks when more graphic violence couldn't be shown in the well choreographed and edited action. Today maybe costs would be saved in rotating the cast or not having all of The Seven in each episode, but be it bloody noses or broken ribs, our boys also get their bumps and bruises with comical cues or heroic notes to match. The opening titles once again remind us we're in for a rousing good time with picturesque heroes on horseback riding onward to save the day.

The first half of The Magnificent Seven aired as a Winter 1999 mid-season replacement before the final episodes were dumped in a Friday night summer burn off, unceremoniously ditched after a sweeps attempt to boost the declining Walker, Texas Ranger and continue the CBS Saturday western night post-Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. My crummy, taped off TV VHS tapes certainly got some wear, and I remember being involved in one of the first internet campaigns to save the show – embarrassing but now fascinating Geocities websites chronicling the transition of television from desperately dependent on Nielsen ratings and advertising dollars to online fandom and streaming freedom. If this Magnificent Seven was on a premium channel or internet service today for three, ten episode seasons of arc storytelling with one show runner, who knows what the possibilities would be. In its second season, The Magnificent Seven remains both an action man's adventure and a wholesome television western. This was as heavy and violent as a network Saturday night show pre-Y2K was going to get, yet the series is great television when it overcomes such opposing constrains with next level performances, plots, and swagger. This show simply ends much too soon, and it's easy to end The Magnificent Seven here and go right back to the beginning for comforting cowboy entertainment.

The Magnificent Seven Season 1

The Magnificent Seven Season One is a Charming Marathon 

by Kristin Battestella

Gunslinger Chris Larabee (Michael Biehn), bounty hunter Vin Tanner (Eric Close), lothario Buck Wilmington (Dale Midkiff), gambler Ezra Standish (Anthony Starke), preacher Josiah Sanchez (Ron Perlman), and medic Nathan Jackson (Rick Worthy) school new kid in town J.D. Dunne (Andrew Kavovit) on the code of the West while they help Judge Travis (Robert Vaughn) and his daughter-in-law newswoman Mary (Laurie Holden) protect the town from bandits, corrupt ranchers, and all manner of outlaws...

In the winter of 1998, CBS brought back the familiar charm of The Magnificent Seven with nine episodes of good old fashioned cowboy adventure beginning with the ninety minute “Ghosts of the Confederacy.” The prejudice against Seminoles and freed slaves is immediate thanks to half breed hatred made physical with cannon fire and general Kurtwood Smith's (That 70's Show) demands for gold. The opening credits introduce us to the heroes before we see them onscreen, assuring viewers can recognize when our Seven are roused into fighting alongside the oppressed. Too many people are looking the other way, and this motley crew intend to do something about it with shootouts, cemetery standoffs, swagger, and sarcasm. Such lively lawlessness, however, isn't scene chewing laugh out loud set piece spectacles. Sardonic deadpans about greeting one with hostility versus hospitality come amid more subtle bonding over drinks, licking of wounds, and even moments of doubt. The Magnificent Seven is not high drama, but we need something to root for and big moments happen with firm western grandstanding. Seven horses march down main street at sunrise and shots are fired while capture, turncoats, and near executions have consequences. This pilot has a lot to establish, but different pairs of the team have a chance to get together and respect each other's skills. Now, on shows such as Enterprise, Robin Hood, and Merlin, there's always an obligatory out of place save a town from marauders by teaching them how to fight episode. With The Magnificent Seven, however, that's the whole story, and it would get old fast to save the day every week. Fortunately, “One Day out West” takes time at home as the new judge in town lays down the law against cattleman Brion James (Blade Runner). Local residents are reluctant to join the jury – justice isn't as important if you have to live in town once the trial ends. Wounds linger, characters question if they should stay or go, and both good and bad guys end up in the jail cell. Standoffs in the rain lead to coffins filled with rocks, legal ruses, and court presiding in the saloon as chases and heroics give the town courage. The Seven sign on for a dollar a day plus room and board to establish The Magnificent Seven's ongoing possibilities, and despite the common ranchers, homesteaders, and rowdy, this bottle episode gives the audience a chance to enjoy the charming interplay. When you have the cast, characters, and story you don't need the in your face, look look notice superficial try hard problematic last seen in the 2016 Magnificent Seven remake. Explosions, ladies in the prison wagon, and kids in the saloon set off “Safecracker” alongside sheriff turned conman Jeff Kober (China Beach), cheating at poker, and staking out the bank to plan the robbery. Kidnappings, across the border hideouts, and double crosses make for an entertaining heist. It's not all guns and glory but our boys are multifaceted scoundrels just as comfortable in the sanctuary as the saloon.

Intense black and white flashbacks and distorted gunshots through the eyes of a quiet, shy, terrified boy open “Witness” – the first slightly darker standout episode of The Magnificent Seven that should have come sooner than the fifth episode. Past unsolved crimes are revisited thanks to scary threats, dangerous horses in the street, stagecoach chases, bandits, nightmares, and family trauma. Viewers know who the well to do murderer is, but the focus here is our directly involved characters and lady-centric themes deepen the town ensemble and family dynamics. Who would have wanted a newspaper man dead? Well, a lot of people, and new details printed in the paper are used to flushed out the killer amid runaways, prairie shootouts, and confessions. Pain, memories, motherhood, and parent child conflicts divide and conquer our boys as they get to the truth, and The Magnificent Seven gets better as the season goes on in balancing serious individual stories and tall western yarns. In “The Collector” a tough old lady tells her young niece to save the last bullet for herself as rival cattle baron Tim Thomerson (Who's Harry Crumb) wants their homestead so he can sell big to the railroad. He believes in Three Gs – God, Guns, and Get the hell of my property – and today's troubles add to the talk of “Indian givers,” demeaning use of “boy,” burnings, and lynchings from a character called “Top Hat Bob.” Buying one's own deed and $300 taxes would be impossible but for a loan from The Seven, and the threatening raids and ill gotten gains are evenly paced with the awkward smitten and love lost plots. A and B stories mean the team is involved in each other developments as well as their own, topping The Magnificent Seven off with drunken diversions and dynamite that won't light. Unfortunately, The Seven don't think a Native American abduction of a white woman is as cut and dry as it seems in “Manhunt.” Her minister father and loud mouth brother incite town mobs and posses at funerals, and even some of our group suspect a savage only wants one thing from a lady. The upstanding white folk not being as righteous as they seem follows the previous episode's suggested ugly with more overt issues. The Magnificent Seven is a fun show with western plots that were common twenty years ago, yet some of the series' discourse on xenophobia and religious conflicts are unfortunately relevant again. Missionaries wanting to help make the situation worse – tribal law and punishment aren't enough for locals who want a hanging and some men are unable to accept the mistakes made. Despite jail cell rituals, escapes, and mano y mano fights, wise men on both sides try to quell the anger, grief, and bitter truths.

Despite mentions of the Union Army, General Lee, and Fort Laramie, The Magnificent Seven is unfortunately nondescript in its time and place beyond the generic West. Several episodes in a row also resort to a make the bad guys believe their quarry is dead ruse, and yeah, nobody knows how to contact The A-Team, sure. This is a family show, so while “son of a bitch” is rough and authentic, no one will dare say “whore” or “brothel.” In the late nineties, a series thought it could takes it time, so the earliest entries here are see one, seen 'em all with the ensemble charm carrying what today wouldn't be much to hold on to if viewers were watching weekly. These shows are also short – forty-eight minutes at most but often a quick forty-four minutes with credits when an extra scene and just more time overall would elevate the lighthearted into something more mature. Of course, today a show like this would kill one of The Seven or rotate the players, and although The Magnificent Seven has peril, there isn't enough cruelty to ruin the heroic escapism. Unfortunately “Working Girls” was as tired then as it is now. Perhaps one can excuse the Saturday night network lack of spice but the un-sexy bathtub humor and jokes about not charging a guy she really likes don't work amid the screams, bruised women, and abusive pimp plot. Already awkward for a family show, the jokes go from bad to worse with Ezra hoping to sell off the women as mail order brides after some charm school lessons in the church. Everyone goes along with this too, for they all think marriage and gentility are the hookers' only hope – when not resorting to stereotypical drag to save the day, of course. This entry feels like it was filmed much later in the season; filler lark when we are supposed to already know and laugh alongside our characters. When aired as the third episode, however, the tone is too off kilter. Ironically likewise hurt by its place as the season finale is “Inmate 78.” Despite modern feelings thanks to shivs, false arrests, backwater justice, numbers instead of names, and hard labor sentence in a private prison camp, this is a fine entry thanks to wanted posters, shackles, and escape attempts. The team has to pull together without their leader's heroics. References in the plot, however, reveal this entry was clearly filmed earlier in the season and it should have aired at least fourth. Rather than sending the series gunning right out of the gate, The Magnificent Seven saved all the more serious episodes for the traditional spring sweeps, leaving the easy going episodes to rally initial viewers on charm alone. But hey, the finale is the only episode where we see one of the guys shirtless. Nowadays, each of the boys would have to be buff and tussling topless by the horse trough every week. C'est la vie.

Man in black Chris Larabee is suave be it whiskey and a cigarette or unfettered in the shootout, and Michael Biehn (Aliens) is a fitting leader in the spirit of Yul Brynner and George Kennedy. Chris is cool in his simplicity but wise and sarcastic. He let's everyone have their shots at the clouds, knowing they didn't stop and reload, yet insists no one is ever shot in the back. When asked where he came from, he says the saloon. Where is he going next? The saloon. His reputation precedes him, and Larabee's backstory anchors The Magnificent Seven. Since his wife and son were killed, Chris silently endures his torment, threatening Buck for talking about it and saying nothing when people ask about his past. He objects to being called a cowboy, but sticks around even if he admits he feels out of place with the new businesses and opportunities in town. Chris chooses his battles, saying money can't buy everything, and makes his own justice when pretending to be the bad guy – such as robbing a bank and giving the money back to the locals. While in a prison camp he earns respect when defending those who can't help themselves and apologizes for being trigger happy many years ago. He's met the devil more than once but hasn't been beaten by him yet. Although he has a few lady friends, Chris clearly likes Mary's moxie. He whittles a toy horse for her son, but doesn't think he's the right person to nurture the boy. He thinks getting shot is just a scratch, too, but has no time for racists – insisting they should watch their backs if they don't thank Nathan for his help. When a prisoner has information on the Larabee murders in “Nemesis,” Chris holds the witness under in the trough until he gets the details. He doesn't trust all of the team to return to his homestead and confirm the story, but the trip only brings bittersweet, sunny flashbacks for Chris, colorful and idyllic scenes compared to his current dark facade. Evidence of co-conspirators and left handed clues aren't much to go on against slick killer Stephen McHattie (Deep Space Nine...”It's a faakkkeee!”). He's always one step ahead, and violent confrontations lead to shot in the back consequences. This superb episode should have been the season finale, and the rest of The Seven ride in to save the day – for now.

In double tribute to Steve McQueen, Eric Close's (Without a Trace) bounty hunter with a price on his own head sharpshooter Vin Tanner uses a Mare's Leg for The Magnificent Seven. He's quiet and sensible – dressing in sandy buckskin like an angel on the shoulder contrasting Chris' gruff darkness. Chris confides in him, but they also nod to each other in an unspoken respect. Vin always says he's going to clear his name and start fresh elsewhere, but he sticks around because he's no worse than the rest of the trouble coming to town. He helps an old lady because he likes her courage and returns her things when they are stolen before insisting he is no gentleman. Vin knows Ezra keeps his money in his boots and cons him out of it for a good cause but backs out of the room when he walks in on a love triangle. Most importantly, Vin wants to do right by his late mother, and after spending time living with Native Americans in his buffalo hunting days, he insists on being on the opposite side of a lynching party – whether that seems like the wrong side or not when others go along with racist rumors. In contrast, Dale Midkiff (Pet Sematary) as raised in a brothel womanizer Buck Wilmington loves to fight against the odds if it means there are ladies to be rescued. Life's tough and then you die, so he's making the most out of it when not drunk or taking J.D. under his wing. Although he says he only puts up with him because he can't be bothered to think of something nice to say at J.D.'s funeral. There are running jokes, too, about where he left his hat or boots and how he always gets them back, and after reading a book on animal magnetism, he claims that is his curse – the reason why he can't get rid of all the women coming on to him. Then again, Buck unsuccessfully flirts with Mary Travis and has a long time cantankerous relationship with Chris. He gets wild when Chris is in danger, but also “gets the devil in him” for a little good cop, bad cop when The Seven need it.

Of course, my favorite was always Anthony Starke (License to Kill) as gambler with the southern charm and swindler style Ezra Standish. He pretends to be drunk before hustling on double or nothing odds and has more card tricks up his sleeve – literally along with his two shot. He says he stays in town for the laughs yet entertains kids with his slight of hand. Ezra may speak in fancy colloquialisms to confuse others, but he has moments of doubt, ditching the action when Chris calls his bluffs before returning in the nick of time or sleeping on the church pew with his gun ready to defend one in need. When not running afoul with the law, he's delighted to have a kid protege who knows how to cut cards, however, Ezra won't help a lady fix her fence like the rest of the men, for “a gentleman does not debase himself by engaging in menial labor.” He thanks a woman who says he'd never be mistaken for a ranch hand and refuses to give his winnings to a “wizened crone, no offense ma'am.” Ezra doesn't trust Vin and dislikes “Mr. Tanner's” Robin Hood ways, insisting he do the talking because the rest of The Seven terrorize people, have no tact, and “rude would be an improvement.” Then again, Ezra swears on the grave of his sainted mother Michelle Phillips (Knots Landing), who we later meet in “Witness” shuffling cards to exercise her rheumatism. Her luggage – filled with rocks because appearances are everything – is gen-u-wine French leather, and Ezra wishes he'd left off his return address in his letters after she embarrasses him with poker playing and childhood tall tales. Maude Standish is proof there is a god according to Josiah, for he always thought Ezra was raised by wolves, and their opposites attract is great fun. Her appearance may be brief and Maude doesn't care for Mary very much, but they have intriguing, multifaceted conversations on how raising a son never gets easy, mistakes will be made, and regrets will happen. However, she also wants to run a cotton gin investment scam on the locals, tells free fortunes to J.D., and cleanses his luck with a discounted, five dollar ritual. Maude's shocked that Ezra's employed and wasting his talents, but he insists it's his job to protect the town from people like him and her. Despite the humor, zingers, and passive aggressive smiles, this relationship gives The Magnificent Seven a dramatic undercurrent that's explored more in Year Two.

Preacher Ron Perlman (Hellboy) is rebuilding a church as his penance for killing too many men. Josiah Sanchez has already seen hell, a dry strongman who would rather face death head on than turn the other cheek. He drinks of course, turning to the wrong kind of spirit when not ringing his church bell if he spots trouble in the distance. Josiah resents his missionary father for not practicing the rhetoric he preached, but he shelters kids in his church, regaling them with tales of sacred warriors who cleanse the earth of evil – a nod perhaps to The Magnificent Seven's Samurai past. He dresses up for “Getting Gertie's Garter Show,” smitten and ready to renew her acquaintance after choosing to pursue a spiritual journey with a Cherokee medicine man over her. Josiah is a man of god with a gun who's likely to get Old Testament if he's on a mission, for his faith only goes so far. Desperate for glory Andrew Kavovit (As the World Turns) as the kid J.D., however, is jumping off the noon stage in a bowler hat – a poor eastern boy bungling everything he tries yet wanting to help nonetheless. Chris doesn't want “young and proud” written on J.D.'s tombstone, and despite taking thirty dollars a week to be sheriff, he follows Chris' orders. J.D. also takes Buck's advice when it is good but will tell him when he is full of crap, too, saying he should take a bath to get rid of his smelly animal magnetism. Josiah is embarrassed by his cultural impasses with the Native Americans, and J.D.'s jokes are terrible – “a three legged dog walks into a bar and says 'I'm looking for the man who shot my paw.'” Unfortunately, Rick Worthy's (Enterprise) former slave Nathan Jackson is the least developed member of our team. Once a stretcher bearer, Nathan had to learn medicine on the side, and his cutting skills are handy be it weapon or scalpel. He seems to be the only one that can calm Chris, whether he's yelling at him or racing to stop him from killing the wrong man. Nathan patches up Josiah the most and helps him build his church, but confronts Ezra several times, saying his faux gentility can't hide his knack for making money off the backs of others. A pesky dime novel writer wants to write his life as From Slave to Surgeon, but Nathan insist he isn't a doctor and just wants to help people.

As an original member of The Magnificent Seven, the late Robert Vaughn provides a stamp of approval to series despite appearing in only two episodes this season and four more in Year Two. Judge Travis stands in the street armed and defiant, telling troublesome men to drop their guns with a tough old law stance to counter the outlaw. As father-in-law to Laurie Holden's (Silent Hill) Mary Travis, he's a kind support helping raise her son, and The Seven take their position seriously when Judge Travis relies on their help and protection. Certainly, it might have been interesting to have had more of the passing townsfolk on The Magnificent Seven, including a western novel writer embodying fun self-referential winks, a shrewd widowed shopkeeper, and the obligatory undertaker. Initially Mary is the only strong willed person in town, trying to stop a lynching in her contrasting red dress and rifle. She's intelligent and runs her own newspaper since her husband's death – not afraid to bend the facts and write some streets ran red with blood hyperbole if such sensational headlines keep the bad element out of town. Mary wants to know everything about these heroes, and she's obviously curious about Chris, who she initially vilifies before realizing you need someone like him to keep away the real riffraff. Mary has moment with each of The Seven, helping Nathan, providing womanly insights, or just being nosy about the latest danger. She admits she has a say in the town and will say it whether anybody wants to hear it or not. Her press is small and doesn't need more employees, but she objects that it is high and mighty prejudice when she won't higher a working girl. The Magnificent Seven opens with Mary as harsh and all business yet softens her as a woman by having her get rough to protect her son. She dresses down and is ready to ride when he is missing. Of course, this being a good old fashioned western, Mary is put in peril and in need of rescue a time or two.

With such feel good music and lively open credits, we know we're in for a good time on The Magnificent Seven. Big smiles, winks, and smooth profiles set off the snippets of adventure amid saloons, player pianos, horses, and western main streets. Perhaps some of the set looks a little cardboard stock simple, but that's almost expected in the western tradition with a general store, telegraphs, and pocket watches. Dusty breezes or sunny outdoor filming make up for any facades alongside well done action stunts and wagon chases across a variety of natural terrains. Dusters, boots, spurs, and cowboy hats make for some big entrances through the swinging saloon doors, and references to Kit Carson and western dime novels provide an extra touch. While the Native American designs are colorful, they are unfortunately not tribe specific – a surprising oversight when The Magnificent Seven otherwise has an award winning attention to detail with lace, frills, gloves, parasols, and bonnets. Thankfully, weapons, scopes, stagecoaches, saddles, and leather provide a rough and crusty to match the deadpans. Although the familiar, even whimsical cues suggest when to be amused, the audience isn't underestimated with over editing or extra visual excess. Granted, the nineties action is small scale with up close on the camera corners and slow motion emphasis on the nick of time moment amid the shootouts. Night time filming can be tough to see and the video transfer is grainy. However, this is also an era where not every smirk, trick shot, or cool moment has to be a GIF in the making, and The Magnificent Seven allows viewers to chuckle when we want to not when we are told. Big silhouettes, sunset skies, and riding across the prairie set off the pre-Y2K escapism even as our boys are wounded, shot, and bloodied. The theme has some down notes too – playing in a lower key when one of our boys gets angry. Perhaps today's audience also has to consider that this Magnificent Seven wasn't that far removed from the Original Film's sequels before the western in the eighties death knell. Young Guns and Bon Jovi briefly stirred a cowboy cool before the dark and realistic likes of Unforgiven, and with its action adventure and sardonic sophistication, on the surface The Magnificent Seven seems to be the male answer to Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. The Magnificent Seven served as mid-season filler on CBS between Dr. Quinn's final season and Walker, Texas Ranger when believe it or not – the whole family stayed in on Saturday nights and watched westerns. Ironically, the writer who penned the most overall episodes of The Magnificent Seven, is Melissa Rosenberg, of later Dexter and now Jessica Jones. Back then I taped The Magnificent Seven when it originally aired, and the DVD releases seemed late coming. After sporadic reruns on the western channels and current streaming opportunities, the thing that excites me most is subtitles. Some of those pseudo Old West shaggy looking mullet hairstyles, err no.

Despite a few standard plots, great characters, atmosphere, and personality keep The Magnificent Seven fresh and friendly. By placing charm and western spirit above post-modern grit, this quick First Season of The Magnificent Seven provides rousing crescendos and riding into the sunset adventure for the whole family.