This episode surprised me. From the title and the short preview before the opening theme, it appeared that this episode was going to be about a wild horse. It is, but that actually seems to me to be the B story. The primary plot thread concerns Ep Bridges has a challenger in his bid for re-election as sheriff.
What I find so good about this episode is that portrays so well the complexities of politics. I know that nowadays a television viewer can find plenty of large scale (and very good) political dramas to watch via streaming. One might think that a one hour episode about a small town local political race would be unimpressive.
But the smallness is precisely the strength here. This episode brings the complexity of politics down to the personal level of the ordinary citizen. Both John-Boy and John Sr. Think that they can accept a business favor from a smooth-talking political candidate and come out unscathed. The situation gets deep and tangled pretty quickly. This is not an episode that presents a contrived scenario whose outcome you can easily predict.
But the politics is a vehicle for a more profound theme, and that is the theme of life giving us tough choices. It's fleshed out well as regarding the dilemmas of John-Boy and John Sr. As well, there is a scene in which Ep would like to arrest someone for doing something he sees as cruel and wrong. But he doesn't do it because he sees that in fact it is not against the law.
The secondary story (at least as I perceive it) of the wild horse, it's not bad either. Quite good, in fact. Zeb's feeling of reverence for untamed nature really comes through. And the symbolism is powerful.
There is a scene that deals with branding an animal. Some viewers understandably may take exception to that. Branding is possibly cruel in the short term, but in this case perhaps serving what in the long run is a humane purpose. And the episode discusses that. Again, it's the complexity of life's dilemmas.
I'm honored to be the first to review this episode, and the first to submit a trivia item. This episode deserves more attention than it appears to have gotten. It is not a two-parter. No one dies or gets married or moves away. But it is one of the best written and most densely packed episodes of the series.
