Minor spoilers

The plot thickens – not necessarily in a good way.

Ben lands in the wild west in 1879 for a no-longer-modern-day leap the likes of which the previous incarnation of the show studiously and almost totally avoided during its run. He takes the place of an elderly former gunfighter trying to help his granddaughter save her hometown. Not horrible by any stretch but also not remarkable, this High Noon redux lacks the depth and nuance of some of the previous episodes, and the humor. We know his son, the girl’s father, just died, but neither the girl nor anyone else in town shows much of a sense of loss. Kudos for the diverse population, however.

In several instances this week, the show tries to have it both ways and succeeds at neither. Magic goes up against an inquisitive congresswoman and tries to deflect her scrutiny by forcing her hand without forcing her hand. The congresswoman (apparently) wants to do her job, but ends up not doing her job. She originally acts by-the-book – until she changes her mind.

With Addison (Captain Augustine, not something referenced often, unlike Magic’s military background) and her interaction with the congresswoman, the script seems to want to convey a smart-as-a-whip and tough-as-nails former soldier. It succeeds only in making her look slightly silly and not too bright. Addison’s refusal to cooperate eliminates any doubt they are hiding something. Jenn and Ian evade the congresswoman’s questions much more skillfully.

Which brings us to Ben. Naturally Ben hates guns and wants nothing to do with them – and has zero experience with them. This greatly hinders his ability to impersonate a famous gunslinger, let alone actually shoot his way to victory. Alas, the show confuses pacifism with passiveness, and Ben’s attempts to talk with the bad guys make him look even more foolish than Addison. He finally devises an alternate plan but takes way too long to reach that point, especially for a genius. Once he reaches that point, however, the plan better showcases his intellect.

As usual for the series, the episode advocates admirable themes: cooperation beats rivalry, ingenuity beats violence. Yet the show presents these aspirations so clumsily that it comes dangerously close to negating its message. That said, the ending does hit the expected beats and includes the usual reference to the ripple effect.

At the very, very end, it also throws in a new twist. No doubt intended to shock, or at least startle, instead it evokes at worst a derisive snort, or at best a yawn and an eye roll. Whether it eventually turns out brilliantly or terribly, only time will tell. Just five episodes in, the series still shows great potential and definitely deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Verdict: The less-than-stellar execution undercuts some great concepts this week. 6/10

Rigel Ailur