For those of you who don't know me, via the various Lancer sites, the following reviews were, for the most part, written during a heightened period of seismic ( earthquake) activity that struck my home time of Christchurch between September 2010 and January 2012. So hopefully, that will put into context the various somewhat hysterical  references to earthquakes that are made in several of the reviews. Writing them was, in essence, my coping mechanism for dealing with my world ( and house) shaking apart.  So hopefully, that will go some way to explaining my slightly, irreverent, self indulgent look at the episodes reviewed; for which I make absolutely no apology! I'm sure a shrink would have a field day.......

 So its been a while since I did one of these.....not the easiest episode to review as its certainly not one of my favourites....but here goes....

So, anyway, I dug this one out. I had to blow about three inches of dust off it (yeah, I am a terrible housekeeper) because this is the same disc that has `Little Darling of the Sierras on it' and so out of all the discs, as I am sure you can all understand, this is the disc that gets played the least. I am so petrified of pressing play on the wrong episode. Took me weeks to get that kids voice out of my head after my one and only viewing of that particular ep… amazed I even got through it…shudder. So I keep this particular disc in a dark, dark place where I can try to forget that it even exists.... 

Anyway, back to 'Welcome to Genesis'

Well, the first thing I will say is that this would never make the top 10 of the Johnnyette viewing list. No sign of the dark haired Lancer at all. Not even a mention…My theory? Well perhaps JS had something in his contract about there not being any good looking dark haired guest stars who had a hairier chest than him in any episodes he featured in? Pernell Roberts I understand was considered to be fairly prime beefcake at that time and had a fair amount of chest fur going on…so, well, when old Pernell got offered a chance to get his own back on the Bonanza producers and go head to head in the ratings war and appear in the show that directly competed with his old Cartwright Pa and brothers, well, he jumped at the chance. So JS got a weeks holiday…

Ok, onto the episode itself…

Well, as soon as the episode begins, we see a giant ginger pussy cat prowling around (yeah, I know, its supposed to be a cougar but in some of those shots I swear it's the directors ginger tom magnified a few times…) Anyway, seeing the big `puddy tat' and hearing the ominous music, you don't gotta be a rocket scientist to realise that something bad is gonna happen to someone. 

Cut to next scene and we see Scott, Murdoch and Jelly around the campfire and so we have it narrowed down to a choice of three victims…hmmmm…is it wrong of me to admit here that I kinda hoped it would be Scott? And that we could have a bit of Scott hurt/comfort…. maybe see a bit of skin…imagine ourselves mopping his fevered brow. Ok, I have an over active imagination… ahem...c'mon...I'm not the only one....  

Scott and Murdoch are having an inane conversation about holding out for more money on some kinda deal they were working on but its just a gap filler really, while the Cat wrangler tempts the giant puddy tat out of its crate off set with a couple of cans of tuna…

Bored with the conversation (I know I was – something inane about mules I think) Murdoch announces that he is gonna turn in for the night.

K, so we’ve established that its not Murdoch who's gonna get mauled by the feisty feline. Coop's getting' excited (imagine I have never seen this episode before). Could be Scott…

The horses give a bit of a half-hearted whinny (they look to have been the most placid horses ever – I reckon they could have been grazing on those strange looking plants that Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda et al had been cultivating back at the studios in a quiet area of the lot that no one ever went to). Scott asks Jelly if he has fed the horses (more like doped them) and Jelly confirms that of course he has – he fed them before he fed anyone else.  With that Scott announces that he, too, is gonna hit the hay.

Oh heck, it means Jelly is gonna be the one to have a rough and tumble with the predatory puss…there goes the episode...

He ambles over to the horses who seem to be so chilled out that there MUST have been something extra slipped in their oats  - because most horses, with a sniff of a cougar or any other predator within a few hundred metres would be going absolutely schizo to my mind…Anyway, Jelly looks up and has enough time to wear his best " Oh s&*^" expression before he is barrelled to the ground by the playful puss…. Coz yeah, I reckon he just wanted to play. All Jelly had to do was throw a big ball of wool his way and the kitty would have been putty in his hand. Or another option, he could have gone with what I say to my furry fiend when he gets too rambunctious in play; I just say " Paws without Claws" to him. Straight away, he retracts his claws and no blood is shed.  Mine or his. Nope, Jelly clearly doesn't speak cat…and soon he is rolling around with the playful puss and is screaming his lungs out.

This brings Murdoch and Scott running (well, eventually anyway; they must have been comatose real quickly – maybe their food was doped too?)        

Murdoch aims his rifle and struggles to get a clear shot but eventually he pulls the trigger - thankfully missing Jelly and the pussy cat who runs off back to his wrangler who is desperately waving a smelly mackerel to tempt him back over....      

Murdoch bends down and turns Jelly over but its clear from all the tomato ketchup covering his chest and the fact that he is completely spark out that he's hurt bad.... but just in case we hadn't already gotten that impression, Murdoch tells us (and Scott) as much anyway, and orders Scott to hitch up the doped horses to the wagon coz they gotta go find a doc....fast! 

Cue to scene of domestic bliss. Mother and son (we assume), sitting in their parlor when Mom hears noises outside.  Its clearly the sort of town where no one goes out in the evening for a walk or a ride so its sufficiently unusual for the woman to head outside followed by son on crutches to see what's going on. But, oh heck, now we have woman living alone, with crippled `Tiny Tim' on the scene, ya just know its gonna get schmaltzy….  Ok, Coop heads off to get bucket, just in case she has a sudden desire to vomit at any stage…you can never be too prepared…   Fortunately she looks too old to go after Scott (we have already had one cougar in this episode, don't want another) and the thought of her going after Murdoch…heck, let's move the bucket closer…still haven't recovered from seeing him try to eat Angeline's face…eww…. Oh wait a minute; surely not…Jelly couldn't be the love interest could he? No, I refuse to go there…I’ve just had my dinner…

The noise she has heard is Murdoch and Scott turning up; the `gorgeous one' informs her they have a `hurt man' (Scott, hunny, he has a name, I know you are in shock sweetie but, c'mon now…) The woman informs them that  "oh dear, they don't have a doc  - nearest one is in `Cold River" (now is that an ominous name or what?!) 15 miles away.  Well, that's par for the course - would have been WAY too easy for there to be a doc waiting there all ready to roll his sleeves up and dig in....I mean, there's still about 35 minutes of episode left...

It's clear Jelly won't make it that far, says Murdoch, so like the big brave fella he is, he heads off to go retrieve the doc, accepting the woman’s invitation to bring Jelly in to the house…

We see Murdoch riding off with the Lancer theme very much in `Man on a Mission' tempo………Way to go Murdoch…!!

Cut to arrival in Cold River – Murdoch heads straight into the Sheriffs office. Because of course, that is where you would usually find a town's doctor. All right, ok, he has been told that the doctor is here… all very convenient though….

Seems the doc has been imprisoned for practicing without a licence in a town that is `owned' by the dastardly `Judah Abbott’...I mean like that was such a crime back then? Heck, In Morro Coyo it's a veterinarian that does the doctoring!! Doc Hildebrand… What have the folk of Cold River got to be so pernickety about?! Heck in some places it was the barber that did the doctoring! They should think themselves lucky!        But it would seem that 'Banning' (the doc in question) has committed the cardinal sin of operating on Judah's son for a condition that was pretty much incurable and despite Banning's warning that it could leave the boy crippled. So, as predicted, the boy has been left crippled and now Banning is in jail for malpractice.  Hardly fair…   but, hey this is the Old West where things seldom are...especially not in 1960's episodic western television...

Murdoch explains that he needs help – his friend has been mauled by a giant Ginger Tom…sorry Cougar…. and has lost a lot of blood. Sheriff says too bad but he can't let Banning (the doc) go – nearest other Doc is 40 miles away…Oh dear…things ain't looking good for Jelly…they sure are laying it on thick here. But seeing the doc in question is Pernell Roberts and they wouldn't get a guest star of his calibre in for a quick five minute scene, we pretty much figure that old Murdoch is gonna use his persuasive charms on the Sheriff to get Banning outta there. Or a .45 pointed at him…Yep, he went with the .45.

So Banning is now out of jail and I have to say he looks as if he would be more at home playing cards in the back room of a saloon than doing any doctoring, the way he is dressed. And it would also seem that the costume department struggled to find anything to match the breadth of his chest. The outfit looks a tad snug to say the least…       Still, suitably cuffed, Murdoch has found his doc, whether he is qualified to practice or not, and is soon en route back to Genesis with him (why do I suddenly have Phil Collin's voice in my head?) I know, I know it's the Biblical reference but I am a self confessed heathen after all…I am sure the name has some metaphorical symbolism for the episode but I will leave it to others more knowledgeable about such things than I to comment on this…I haven't got a Scooby on that one....

Back In Genesis (Go away Phil!!!) Mrs Lockwood (yeah, we know her name now) is busy `tending' Jelly (you know, mopping fevered brow that sorta thing – can't smooth any bangs – Jelly don't got any) And Scott is doing the kinda pacing thing. But he is wearing the tight brown pants…and the gorgeous blue shirt, so hunny, you can pace to your hearts content. Coop's enjoying the view…

Mrs Lockwood is clearly annoyed with the pacing (but does her best to mask this) and tells Scott that he really should get some rest. In his inimitable way, Scott turns that on its head and tells her that she has been up all night too and that she is the one that should get some sleep. We are treated to some REAL nice close-ups of Scott here and that blue shirt is open very nicely at the neck, showing us a little hint of chest hair, and having Coop go weak at the knees………..During this part there is a rather serious conversation going on with Mrs L (Sarah) telling Scott that all the men in the town were killed in a mining accident and its just a town of widows and children… Only got all that after I had rewound that scene about three times…the first two times I was just too focussed on that open necked shirt and everything else faded out…. but, for the purposes of this review I made a concerted effort to go back and listen to what Sarah had to say. Now I think that's dedication to the cause.... So, do you care? Nope…that's what I thought…  

Anyway, she goes off to make some coffee and Scott just looks all contemplative…awwww…

So back to the jail…and Old Judah Abbott turns up. To be honest, at first, I thought he had arrived on the wrong set. He looks as if he should have gone to the sound stage next door where they were filming 'Dillinger' or 'The Untouchables' or  'Bonnie and Clyde' well, you get my drift. He looks more like a 1920's Chicago Gangster than a well-heeled man of the West. All he needed was one of those Bugsy Malone splurge guns…jeez…way to go Wardrobe Department. I think someone there was taking way too much acid…  

Well, predictably, he is spitting tacks. Very unhappy that Banning has been taken and wants him and Murdoch brought back straight away. After all, he owns the town and the Mining company (probably the one that killed all the men of Genesis?) so he is well used to throwing his weight around and getting what he wants… 

Meanwhile, Murdoch and Banning have stopped for a while and Banning requests that Murdoch remove his restraints – he's not a real doc after all; just wanted to get away from Cold River. Perceptive old Murdoch though ain't having a bar of it and refuses. He picks up on the scraggy old doctoring bag that Banning is carrying. It doesn't go with his coiffured appearance so he quickly deduces it must have some sentimental value.

Anyway, Murdoch refuses to let Banning go and does a stupid thing, he turns his back on him…. oh dear…Murdoch, for a smart man that was a dumb move. Banning takes advantage and tries to strangle Murdoch but Murdoch recovers quickly (or his stuntman does) and in a very poorly choreographed fight in what is obviously a sound stage made to look like an outdoor setting (badly) Murdoch manages to win out (like we couldn't have predicted that) and Banning admits resignedly "Oh well, guess I go to Genesis"  (there goes Phil again…)

Cue next scene – arrival back at Sarah Lockwood's store in the Biblical sounding town…Banning tells Sarah that she has done a good job of stopping Jelly's bleeding…. heck, she's already fawning over him…looks like we have our love interest...where's the bucket?

Banning tells us that Jelly is spark out because of a concussion but that he is more worried about the broken ribs and the fact that one could be poking into his lungs (err…wouldn’t his breathing be ragged…aspirating blood…?) ok, let's not get too technical here…. I guess we needed the dramatic effect of having to `open up Jelly' and have Banning fretting over whether he could do it or not but heck, I have a first aid certificate as my only medical training and even I thought this was pretty far fetched and a surgery that Jelly would be unlikely to survive in such conditions…but like I say…we need the angst of Murdoch pressing Banning over why he doesn't think he can do it for the dramatic effect...silly me…what does realism have to do with a 1960's western serial? We also NEED Murdoch pressing Banning over why he thinks he can't operate.  Because he's not a real Doc. Because this little titbit of information needs to be fed back to Scott and Sarah. Poor Scott is absolutely incredulous that Murdoch could be contemplating letting an unqualified doctor operate…. but as Murdoch says Jelly's gonna die anyway if he doesn't do it…and c'mon Scott, it wasn’t so long ago that a veterinarian was patching you up hunny.... and it's MORE drama!!!! Can we take much more excitement???! Yawn…sorry…it's late…

So finally Banning agrees…but amazingly, can you believe the audacity of the man, he starts to dictate terms…he doesn't want to go back to Cold River and he wants to be paid for his services….

Well, that's about as much as our blond Adonis can take. Coop, who has been falling asleep at this point, suddenly sits bolt upright as the gorgeous one sets those smoldering smoky blue eyes on the arrogant doc and says:

"Mister I don't know what kind of arrangement you could possibly have made with my father but I don't have any arrangement with you. I only know one thing, he's dying (Jelly – not Murdoch) and if you don't go to work and pull him through I'll deliver you back to Cold River (draws gun) feet first if I have to."

Wow, Coops pulse rate has just doubled… and she is suddenly paying FULL attention again. Heck he is soooooo sexy when he gets masterful.   The episode was worth watching just for that tiny little bit….phewwwwww….

Cue next scene – a Tudor looking Mansion…What? Now I'm confused (and let's face it, it ain't hard to confuse a blonde) but I suddenly wondered if someone had taped over this episode with some bizarre British period drama and not told me (which frankly would not have been a major disaster but for that gorgeous Scott scene) but nope...clearly not....

Anyway, we soon deduce that this is the home of Al Capone…sorry Judah Abbott (its getting late and I have eaten far too much chocolate)

Poor Joshua Abbott. I feel sorry for him being confined to bed; I really do – mostly because he has no means of escape to get away from his overbearing father who is whining incessantly that,   "Nobody cheats Judah Abbott. I bought and paid for that man (Banning) and I intend to collect. That's the way the world is."

Poor Young Josh. All he can say is "Yes pa" seeing as he lacks the means or the will to get out of that bed to escape the tyrannical idiot.

Judah vows to take Josh to San Francisco and Josh answers  "Sure Pa, they can fix anything" but the poor lad knows that no one will ever be able to fix the fact that he will never be the big man that Judah Abbott wants him to be…. and that's more the crux of his depression than the actually physical infirmity that ails him. . All he wants is to be left alone and finally his rhino hide Pa takes the hint…

Back at Sarah's place, Banning has his shirtsleeves all rolled up ready for surgery. Jelly is lying there bare chested awaiting the first incision…. This is where Coop laments the lost opportunity. Why oh why couldn't we have been treated to the heavenly vision of an unconscious, bare chested Scott? I bet the ratings would have been MUCH higher…. all those young gals sitting on the edge of their seats, biting their nails, imagining themselves mopping that fevered brow, brushing back those matted bangs (I mean like I say – Jelly didn't even have any…sigh…) never mind….the writers were clearly imbeciles.....

Well, anyway, the surgery is over REAL quick, and old Jelly wakes up to the view of the frowning face of Murdoch – heck that would totally freak me out if that were me…now a nice view of Scott...well...sorry...got sidetracked for  moment.......

Anyway, after the major surgery he has been through, Jelly looks way too chipper to me…but heck, what do I know?  He says something daft about have they been feeding Murdoch well, which prompts Banning to explain that he might be confused for a while. Nope says Murdoch, he's always like that…snerk…. well he got that right…. 

The doc lays it on thick saying Jelly could still get pneumonia, infection and a myriad of other icky complications but of course we know he won't…we know we pretty much won't see Jelly any more – he's served his purpose. There's some religious, biblical moral going on under the surface here and if I had taken more notice in religious instruction class instead of getting thrown out for reading the fantasy novel that had me gripped at the time, I might have known what it is but again, will plead heathen on that one. Anyway, suffice to say its all gonna be about Banning from here on in….

And yep, Sarah confirms this is the case – she has a whole line of folk queued up downstairs who are in need of his services…. oh puleease…would you want him to stay if he was old and ugly? I think NOT sister...I think there are some middle aged woman hormones at work here...      

Banning finally reveals to Murdoch that the doctors bag was the only thing his father ever left him – he died before Banning could follow into his fathers footsteps and complete his last year of Medical School…well that was inconsiderate of his pa, just dying like that…humphhh… and fancy his Pa being in medicine for the reason of wanting to help people? And not leaving his hapless son anything but a scraggy old bag?   Nope, Theodore Banning is in it for the money and the glory…nice guy…. But he agrees to go and see the townsfolk if only to delay the return to Cold River and his fate at the hands of Elliott Ness... I mean Judah Abbott…. Sorry…getting VERY sleepy….

So we see all sorts of ailments from a sliver in the foot (gotta watch those slivers…they are killers) to a little girl dying of consumption…he was too late to help her but is compassionate in the prescription he offers – less chores and lots of play time. When Banning is questioned about his strange diagnosis by Scott, the gorgeous one sees a side of Banning that he has not seen before…a glimpse of humanity behind the arrogance and apparent greed. A chink in the armour maybe? When Murdoch comes to take over guard duty Scott tries to explain it but just can't find the words… aww....

Murdoch tries to get through to Banning – to try and get through to the true doc within him, to offer the best lawyer to help him in his case but Banning says it is useless against the likes of Abbott…. well, he has a point...

So Murdoch is resigned…he has to take him back to Cold River, there is no other way. He goes to tell Scott, who is busy reading to Jelly all about the history of India, which you can tell Jelly is just loving…. NOT! (Me, Scott could read the dictionary to me and I would hang on every word…sigh…)    

Murdoch tells Scott that he will need to hitch up the team in the morning - they are heading off to Cold River. Scott asks how many are going? Three or Four? Murdoch confirms four and you can see that both Jelly and Scott are beginning to have some reservations about this (Again, we are treated to some very nice views of Scott so this scene is kinda hazy to me… I have this amazing ability to blank out anyone or anything surrounding the gorgeous one…. makes you have to be very disciplined when trying to write a review…)

But naughty Banning still has one more ace up his sleeve…and it involves Tiny Tim…sorry…Billy Lockwood…Sarah tells him she has one more patient for him who is very special to her ……Banning replies "They are all special to me” Oh heck, where's that bucket…yick!

In hobbles young Billy and is soon propped up on the barrel which is doubling for an examination couch (so is that where the expression 'you got me over a barrel' comes from? Just curious...) the doc does a wee bit of manipulation; makes him hobble without his crutch for a bit (Now that's just cruel) and then announces to Sarah that yes, he can operate and cure her son. We know by the dramatic music, her overjoyed reaction and his guilt-ridden expression that it ain't so…

But it has the desired effect that Banning had planned – when Murdoch goes to load him onto the wagon to take him to Cold River, the town come out, led by Sarah, armed with a scatter gun to prevent him from taking the good (or not so good) doc.

Murdoch can't believe that Banning could have sunk quite so low, telling him that Genesis is his fathers kind of town; the sort of place where people pay with goods instead of money – he could never make it here…   He chastises him for giving the townsfolk but especially Sarah and Billy false hopes like a grifter offering candy....

But Sarah is in denial  - she wants to believe (and I reckon this is the first good looking man she has seen in a very long time - who could blame her?) Murdoch tells her that in her heart she wanted him to lie to her and that’s all Banning had to do to get rid of him (Murdoch) and she should respect him for that." Well, nice sentiment Murdoch but I'm with Sarah, I would have given him a good slap around the chops too. It was nothing less than he deserved. And Billy is remarkably restrained. I would have battered Bannings over the head with my crutch if I were him…anyway, maybe that's my tiredness speaking…. on with the episode…yawn…

So its back to Cold River they go…

Back at the Tudor Mansion with John Dillinger…Sorry, I mean Judah Abbott…he goes back to have round 2 of his whinge fest to his son but, oh heck, the inconsiderate little oick has gone and topped himself.  Don't blame him actually. If Judah Abbott was my pa, I think I would have taken a laudanum cocktail too…

But oh dear, we can't have the son of the biggest man in town committing the cardinal sin of suicide…. heaven forbid...so prompted by the intrusion of the hired hand bringing in Josh's lunch (I don't think he feels quite up to it dear) he tells her to go tell the Sheriff to up the charges against Banning to murder and burns the suicide note. Poor Josh…all flippancy aside, this is a young life, tragically ended and it’s just skipped over....

But poor Banning too…he has just fallen even further into the brown, smelly, sticky stuff….and its gonna be hard to pull him out of this one. 

Cue Murdoch, Scott et al arriving back at the Sheriffs office just in time for the Sheriff to break the news that it’s now a murder charge Banning is facing. It never rains, it pours huh? Banning promptly and rather sarcastically thanks Murdoch  - "he has already helped him more than enough already" when Murdoch offers once more to help him hire a lawyer. Can't blame Banning. I think I would feel equally as bitter were it me in his shoes.

Its clear that Scott is uncomfortable with leaving Banning to his fate but reluctantly concedes when Murdoch tells him there's nothing more he can do here and to take Jelly back to the ranch and rest up…

So that's the last we see of the gorgeous one. Yeah, call me shallow but my interest level in this episode just went down several notches….

Banning is once again behind bars and feeling more than a mite sorry for himself – can't blame him for that. Rather uncharitably Murdoch tells him to snap out of it… and asks Banning to answer honestly if there is any way that Joshua could have died as a result of the operation? But Banning answers no and straight away Murdoch believes him… "Oh but wait" says Banning "I do recall the young fella saying that he would consider topping himself if he became a cripple" (ok, those weren't the exact words but I can no longer read my own handwriting – K? I'm paraphrasing here...) Suffice to say, it was getting to the 40 minute mark of the episode and the scriptwriter thought…heck…need to wrap this up...is a wee bit contrived but…. what the heck…let's go with it....

So Murdoch heads over to the saloon to find Bugsy Malone…sorry…Judah Abbott. Because of course, that's the place you always find a grieving parent immediately after their one and only son and heir has died in such tragic circumstances…drowning their sorrows in a good bottle of whiskey.....

Murdoch, being the polite person he is introduces himself. In response, Costello (sorry Abbott – is it bed time yet?) tells Murdoch to go forth and multiply…in other words – go away. Murdoch tries another tact…. tells him he is sorry about his son….and then with all the subtlety of a brick through the window  cuts to the chase ( because we only have a couple of minutes episode time left)and tells him that Banning thinks his son killed himself. Now he says this quietly, out of earshot of anyone else…sensitive to the shame that the taking of ones own life could inflict on a family at that time….Abbott’s response? To stand up and yell for all to hear

"My son wouldn't take his own life. He wasn't weak, he was as strong as I am." Ooopsie. So now the whole town knows.never one to quit while he's not ahead Murdoch responds "Well, maybe he couldn't face being a cripple or knew you couldn't face it?"

Well Murdoch sure hits a raw nerve and Abbott responds by upturning the table at Murdoch and for the second time this episode the Lancer patriarch is playing fisticuffs. Way to go Murdoch! Leaving Abbott stunned, he turns to walk away but the dastardly Judah has a derringer secreted within his person and goes to shoot Murdoch in the back. Cue the Sheriff entering just in time to prevent this and shoots Abbott in the shoulder. Oh the irony…can ya see what’s coming? Snicker.........Could it be ANY more contrived??!

Yep, hysterical laughter from Banning. You can't blame him – Bud Abbott… I mean Judah Abbott has made his life hell and now they want him, an unqualified doc to dig a slug out of the man's chest. Yep, I'd tell them to go forth and multiply too if it were me…

Murdoch is just about to give it up as a bad job when, in a nice turn of contrivance (way to go again religiously moralistic scriptwriter) the `conscience police' in the guise of Sarah and the good folk of Genesis show up armed with Apple jelly and fruit pies and all sorts of goodies to tempt old Theo Banning back to their midst (You'll note Sarah had nothing in the way of material goods to offer  - one can only imagine what she had in mind to offer the doc).

Ok, I just moved the bucket ever closer, am suddenly feeling incredibly nauseous…

And it seems that Old Theo gets the hint because he is suddenly on first name terms with Sarah and tells her to wait for bit, he's gonna dig that old bullet out and then he will be right along…. and if I am not feeling nauseous enough, this is accompanied by the same soppy music we had at the end of Child of Rock and Sunlight  in the scene between Scott and Andy Jack. Now I could deal with that because we had lots of wonderful close ups of the 'gorgeous one' in that particular sequence. But in this eppy…nah…too sickly…not a Pernell Roberts fan and can't say I really rated his acting. Sarah, if she had been any more sickly sweet, well, let's just say she was prime fodder for "The Waltons" or "Little House on the Prairie" (Could never sit through those shows either). I love Lancer, I really do, but I wasn't sorry to see the final credits come up on this one. Heck I didn't even bother to look at the list of the guest stars and I am usually quite interested to see who was who…but nope, not this time...

So there you have it. As you can probably deduce by now, not one of my fave eps and I doubt it will get many more viewings. That said, the Scott scene where he pulls the gun on Banning and forces him to treat Jelly is a keeper…now if someone could just upload that one scene on to You Tube…hint hint… I could save it on my favourites and never have a need to watch the episode again. And then I could return the disc to the dark, dark place that it has previously inhabited. Never to see the light of day again…

Nighty Night!

Coop  J