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Date Posted: 06:39:53 08/30/12 Thu
Author: Jarrod
Subject: Re: Now Showing: The Pursued: Part 2
In reply to: Rick 's message, "Now Showing: The Pursued: Part 2" on 03:25:34 08/24/12 Fri

I am not sure how I feel about this episode, and it has nothing to do with Mormonism. I think it's such a wide-ranging topic that it is hard to condense the main points on a weekly television series, even in a two-part installment. I would like to have seen recurring Mormon characters, like we have the recurring Italians growing grapes on the Ponderosa. One thing I know is that I do not like the ending...I feel that while the dialogue preaches religious tolerance, we still have the Mormon woman and the baby being taken under the wing of a more mainstream Christian family. Why couldn't there be another Mormon family traveling through the territory at that time who took them?

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Replies:

[> [> Re: Now Showing: The Pursued: Part 2 -- Rick, 22:54:32 08/30/12 Thu [1]

The script was approved by the Morman Church.






Rick


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[> [> [> Re: Now Showing: The Pursued: Part 2 -- Jarrod, 11:45:17 09/02/12 Sun [1]

I am sure it had to be approved, or else why proceed with the story. I still don't like the ending. It rings false to me. It's like saying that a Jewish family has to be taken in by a Christian family or that a Muslim family has to be taken in by a Christian family. There's no need to end the story that way.


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[> [> [> [> Re: Now Showing: The Pursued: Part 2 -- Rick, 18:24:52 09/02/12 Sun [1]

It appears what the writers did was have a Christian family come in at the end to take Heber's wife and child, as opposed to the naive Christian population of Beehive, led by the fanatical Parson (who was used by Carbo). This set an example that not all Christians regard Mormons as evil people.



Rick


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[> [> [> [> [> Re: Now Showing: The Pursued: Part 2 -- Jarrod, 21:38:05 09/02/12 Sun [1]

That's one way of looking at it. In 'The Strange One' and other episodes of the series, Bonanza's writers do seem to portray Christians as evil zealots and it is only through Ben's compassionate wisdom that the persecuted man or woman gets a chance to live freely. With 'The Pursued,' we have over 90 minutes of Mormons being persecuted, then suddenly everything is okay when this other Christian family shows up and adopts them. It's implausible and feels like a tacked-on feel-good ending. I still say there should have been another Mormon family that came along to help them. Or the surviving woman and child could've got the stage at the end telling the Cartwrights they were going to Utah to live with her family. Usually Mormons take care of their own.


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[> [> [> [> [> [> Re: Now Showing: The Pursued: Part 2 -- Rick, 23:14:25 09/02/12 Sun [1]

Good point. Lack of realism, perhaps. Lots of TV shows back then could be labeled as shallow in tone and not having enough depth. I still give them credit for going ahead to film it. One good idea is to compare the later years Bonanza scripts with the mid 60's era and look for improvements in storylines. Could be. TV scripts are often rushed; deadlines and so on.


Rick


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[> [> [> [> [> [> Re: Now Showing: The Pursued: Part 2 -- Jarrod, 17:52:22 09/04/12 Tue [1]

I agree that they (the writers and producers) earn kudos for attempting a story with Mormons. It was gutsy and makes for a memorable offering.


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