The new Epix series begins by examining the youth of the notorious outlaw.
Warning: This is an overview of Episode 101 of Billy the Kid, so there will be scads of spoilers here. We strongly recommend that you not read this if you have not yet watched the episode on Epix.
After a brief glimpse at the man, we spent most of our time looking at the boy — and seeing how he started down the road that led to his becoming one of the Wild West’s most notorious outlaws. Here’s our five takeaways from “The Immigrants,” the premiere episode of Billy the Kid.
Takeaway No. 1
It was probably a smart move to bookend the premiere episode with an attention-grabbing incident that occurred in 1877, since it (a) introduced us to Tom Blyth, the actor we’ll be seeing as William H. Bonney — a.k.a. Billy McCarty — during the next seven episodes, and (b) provided some satisfaction for those people who reasonably expected at least some gunplay in a show called, well, Billy the Kid. But the drama remained compelling throughout the lengthy midsection set six years earlier with Jonah Collier (pictured above) capably portraying the boy who would be The Kid.
Takeaway No. 2
OK, a quick show of hands: How many of you knew before tuning in that Billy the Kid was the child of Irish Catholic immigrants? Really? That many of you? Then we must have skipped history class the day they taught that in school. Or we dozed during the scenes in scads of previous film and TV dramas that imparted that information. In any event, “The Immigrants” was quite convincing as it depicted an 1871 New York so uninviting and unforgiving that recent immigrants would be willing to travel even further into the strange new world of America while seeking the promised Land of Opportunity.
Takeaway No. 3
Hat’s off to actor Timothy Webber, who made every second count in his brief but key role as Moss, the aged guide hired to bring young Billy McCarty, his father Patrick (Joey Batey), his mother Kathleen (Eileen O’Higgins) and his younger brother Joe (Leif Nystrom) on the arduous wagon train journey from New York to the allegedly greener pastures of Coffeyville, Kansas. (It really wasn’t Moss’ fault that Coffeyville turned out to be a muddy backwater.) Moss wasn’t just an invaluable father figure for Billy just when his real dad was too traumatized to be of much use to the family. The old-timer also gave Billy his first shooting lessons, imparting knowledge that, for better or worse, would come in handy long after Moss departed. You couldn’t help wondering if things might have turned out better for all parties concerned had Moss stuck around, if only to help Billy adjust to the loss of Patrick.
Takeaway No. 4
Mentioning Patrick’s demise hardly qualifies as a spoiler. His spirits were so thoroughly crushed by a brush with death during a river crossing that recalled a similarly devastating incident in 1883, it seemed the like the poor guy just gave up all desire to live, and was merely marking time until he could simply will himself to die. If ever there was a character in a western who, for all his good intentions, clearly lacked the right temperament to persevere as a pioneer, Patrick filled the bill, and Joey Batey played him accordingly and effectively. Unfortunately, all it takes for some men is to be knocked down once, and they never get up again.
Takeaway No. 5
Kathleen proved to be made of much tougher stuff than her ill-fated husband. Or at least she displayed more strength and resilience when faced with setbacks and tragedies —hardships never in short supply in that particular place at that particular time. Eileen O’Higgins neatly balances maternal affection and steely determination as a character bound to be Billy’s most significant role model. But, in an ironic twist, Kathleen inadvertently triggers her son’s first criminal act: When he sees his mother condescendingly rebuffed by a banker who refuses to grant her a loan to open a restaurant, Billy defiantly grabs the lout’s pen and walks off with it. It’s worth noting that, despite some initial complaining, the banker is unable, or unwilling, to confront the boy. It’s also worth noting that mom doesn’t reprimand her son.