TYR Party

[becky]

Hi everyone,

Quick intro--TYR was my FAVORITE show in jr. high when it was on TV. But I never taped any episodes, and pretty much forgot about it after that, and never realized it was on hallmark or any of those channels, so it was a serious blast from the past when I found out that it had come out on DVD. So anyway, I bought the set about a month ago, and I have been totally, totally obsessed ever since. I thought that it would seem like total cheese now that I'm not 12 anymore, but darn does this show hold up well, and the riders are still as hot as ever.

So the thing is, everyone at work has been ragging on me for being completely off the wall about some show that none of them has ever heard of before. They want to know what the big deal is, so I promised them that I would throw a Young Riders party where we'd watch a bunch of episodes. I found a drinking game based on the the show so I think it should be a pretty fun party. Now I have to decide which episodes to show. I am going to show the pilot and the finale, and two or three other episodes. I am thinking of showing Speak No Evil (I like Ike, plus it's a good episode for showing all the riders) and the one where Jimmy takes Emma to Fort Reunion (I like Jimmy and Emma).

Here's where I need your help: What do you all think of these episodes? Are they good ones? Can you think of others that would be better to show to a fledgling crowd and if so, why? Oh, and just FYI, please no one recommend Bulldog--I know everyone thinks it's a good episode, but I didn't so much, plus Bulldog looks waaaay too much like Lou which is freaky. Also, I'm not such a big Kid fan, although I'm happy to show a Kid episode if it's a really good one.

Thanks so much in advance for you help!!!!!

[The Movie Mark]

becky said:

Here's where I need your help: What do you all think of these episodes? Are they good ones? Can you think of others that would be better to show to a fledgling crowd and if so, why?

Hey Becky, welcome to the board! This question is a no-brainer, and I'll jump in before any Kid fans (COUGH mscali HACK) try to corrupt your mind with their misguided suggestions...

Since you're already showing The Kid and you don't like Bulldog (which I do, and think would be a better choice than Speak No Evil), I'll leave those out.

4. Fall From Grace

I'm starting a petition to get Josh Brolin an Emmy for the scene where he lays the smack down all over Teaspoon and the riders. And how can you not love an episode where Jimmy says, "Oh golly, that’s what I’d expect coming from you, Kid" Golly ... bwahahahahaha!

3. Matched Pair

No, the episode title does NOT refer to guest star Chris Penn's man boobs! Penn, however, was one of the best guest stars in the series, and the showdown between Jimmy and Taggart (Penn) at the end is classic.

2. Ten-Cent Hero

This is where things get tough. Ten-Cent Hero could have been my choice for the best Season 1 episode, and on a different day it might be, but today I'm gonna put it at #2. This episode is probably the most quotable of the series, and it's our first chance to really see Jimmy's character develop. Plus, Calder is one of the best YR bad guys. A non-generic bad guy with an actual personality in YR land? It's as rare as an Anna Nicole Smith book-signing at the library. Well, maybe not THAT rare. "Ten-Cent Hero" is a very well-written episode and, quite simply, this is TYR at its best.

So that brings us to the top spot. It could possibly be the best episode of the entire series. It and "Ten-Cent Hero" are definitely in my all-time top 5. The award for Best Episode of Season 1 goes to...

GUNFIGHTER

It's got a GREAT bad guy (Longley), it has one of the best scenes in all of YR history (the first confrontation between Longley and Hickok), and the episode shows a drastic change in Jimmy's character within a 44 minute time period. Jimmy begins the episode as cocky as ever, but by the end of the episode he chokes down all his pride in an attempt to fulfill Emma's wishes.

Josh Brolin does a great job showing us how reluctant Jimmy is to apologize to Longley. And when Longley refuses Jimmy's apology, Jimmy goes ahead and takes care of business, but not without being a little humbled by the whole experience.

Simply put, it's one of the best written and best acted episodes of the series.

There you go. I just copied and pasted my comments from my Young Riders Season 1 wrap-up (thedoorlessstall.tripod.com/theriderreview/season1/season1_wrapup.html), but can you blame me for not trying to one-up my own greatness?

These are definitely the episodes to show if you're gonna have guys at the party, especially guys who like traditional Westerns.

Great idea regarding the party! I hope you make some new fans.

[Rhiannon]

I have to say that no matter what Johnny thinks (he's terribly biased) the very early episodes show the best of this show. For a recent gathering of TYR friends, we watched "Speak no Evil" and "Home of the Brave" which are two great ensemble cast episodes, that really brought me back to the show (I, too, fell in love with it at age 12)

[nikkibluejeans]

No "Bulldog", huh? Okay, this will be tough...

I agree that "Speak No Evil" is one of the best episodes, along with "Fall From Grace". And I’d go along with “Matched Pair” and “The End of Innocence” as strong frontrunners as well.

Personally, I really enjoy "Blind Love" (in spite of the leading lady). It's got some great interaction between Jimmy & the boys. And the one with Kid's brother is another one of my favorites. For a Kid episode, it's pretty good. (They play baseball AND get drunk in that one...)

Let me guess the drinking game... *ahem* Every time that d**ned windmill is shown, you chug?

Thank you, folks - I'll be here all week. ;D

[westernfan]

Hello

I am also new here. I was also a huge fan of the show when I was in junior high and high school and I was excited by the release of season 1 (Bring on seasons 2 and 3).

Anyway, I would agree with most of the choices mentioned so far, however, I am a huge Kid fan and I woudl also show "Good Day to Die." I love the humor in this epsiode. This is normally the first episode I show to people and they love it.

Hope the party is a success. We need new fans.

[AustralianAnn]

Surprise, surprise, I really agree with JB's choices. Matched Pair, 10 cent Hero, Fall from Grace and Gunfighter are the best. I watched 10 cent the other day and it was great. The pilot is a must too.

While it's probably not technically the 'best' episode, my favourite episode is 'A Noble Chase'. The guest stars are excellent but it doesn't feature the other riders much.

I would strongly advise against the Ft reunion episode. I don't think it's very cool.

[becky]

Hello, Thanks so much everyone for your input. You experts have made me see the error of my ways and I have decided to most likely show Bulldog now instead of the Fort Reunion ep (The End of Innocence). Here's my reasoning behind this: I really want to show episodes with an all-cast ensemble. Although I really like The End of Innocence, it's very much focused just on Jimmy and Emma. Also the whole thing takes place at Fort Reunion; there are very few scenes in Sweetwater or at the station. As for Bulldog, although the guy who plays Bulldog really irks me, it is a great all-cast episode, plus the storyline with the Pony Express is very good AND there is a really good shootout scene at the end. I watched a bunch of episodes this weekend with your advice in mind and have changed my mind.

As for the other episodes that you guys suggested:

Home of the Brave is the episode when they trash the general store, right? It is a good episode, and I do like Buck, although some of the Indian stuff at the end got a little cheesy. Ike also had a pretty big part in this one and he is my favorite. But there is no shootout scene. I'm looking for a good shoutout in each episode that I show. (There will be guys at this party and I'm guessing they'll appreciate it as well.)

Johnny, Fall from Grace, Matched Pair, 10-Cent Hero are all really good episodes, and I do really like Jimmy. However, I don't know how well they display the whole cast, which is what I'm looking for if I'm going to introduce the show to people. Also, these episodes don't have shootouts at the end (well, at least the first two dont; I forget if 10-Cent Hero has a shootout.)

As for False colors, yes, Nikki, Iagree, it's a pretty good episode, and they do get drunk and play baseball, which is super. And there IS a shootout at the end (sorry that I forgot to mention initially that a shootout is also a pretty important criteria here). But, what with the pilot and the finale, that would be three Kid episodes that I'd be subjecting my friend to, and I don't know if I could do that. Plus, Kid is still wearing that corny Davy Crockett fringed outfit in False Colors.

As for Blind Love, sorry, I just can't show this one to my friends. There is no way this episode will make them fans of TYR.

Don't get me wrong, I Loooove the Young Riders and enjoy watching every episode. I am just trying to find ones that will be best for people who have never seen it before.

So does this sound like an OK lineup? Pilot, Speak No Evil, Bulldog, and the season finale? Oh, one other thing: is the pilot one hour or two? I think it is one, but it seemed like it was kind of long.

Thanks guys!!!

Becky

[becky]

Oh yeah, I forgot to comment on why I'm not showing them Gunfighter. It is a really good episode, and the bad guy in it is really creepy and a real jerk. And Emma has a major role in it. But the bad guy's hair is also very silly. One of the good things about TYR I think is that you can't tell that it was filmed in the late 80's. (At least season 1, that's all I have to go by.) It is a timeless show. But this does not apply to the bad guy in Gunfighter. He has a perm mullet! Which is just awful. No, this is not the reason that I don't want to show Gunfighter at the party. Mainly I'm not going to show it because it is too focused on one rider, and there also is no shooutout at the end. Very very good episode though!

[The Movie Mark]

becky said:

Johnny, Fall from Grace, Matched Pair, 10-Cent Hero are all really good episodes, and I do really like Jimmy. However, I don't know how well they display the whole cast, which is what I'm looking for if I'm going to introduce the show to people. Also, these episodes don't have shootouts at the end (well, at least the first two dont; I forget if 10-Cent Hero has a shootout.)

But sometimes a gunfight is better than a huge shootout. For example, the showdown between Jimmy and Chris Penn in Matched Pair is classic. And Ten-Cent Hero has the cool showdown with Calder and his men at the end - plenty of gunplay in that one.

Plus, I think Ten-Cent Hero DOES do a good job of showing the camaraderie of the riders, especially when they're making fun of Jimmy for having the book written about him. Kid saying he's telling everyone he's Jimmy's sidekick and all.

I love when Jimmy tells Emma that the food sure is good, and she smiles and says, "So is this," and then winks as we see her reading the book.

Plus, it has the DEAD MAN'S HAND! And some of the best lines of any episode. Come on, Becky, do it for Johnny.

becky said:

So does this sound like an OK lineup? Pilot, Speak No Evil, Bulldog, and the season finale? Oh, one other thing: is the pilot one hour or two? I think it is one, but it seemed like it was kind of long.

That's pretty good, but the season finale isn't one of my favorites. It doesn't close out the season with enough of a bang, and when I originally reviewed it I didn't suggest it as a Young Riders Recruiting Tool (YRRT).

Keep in mind that it's also 2 hours long. I would recommend an episode with stronger writing and not get hung up on the fact that it has a shootout.

I'm gonna stand my ground and say replace Gathering Clouds with Ten-Cent Hero and you're good to go.

Seriously, just think about how the rest of the riders stick up for Jimmy and try to protect him. Plus, J.D. Marcus' quote at the end is very cool and gives us a clear picture on how easy it could've been for fiction to become fact back then.

Yep, I'm gonna have to insist that you show Ten-Cent Hero rather than Gathering Clouds. It's got a faster pace, better writing, more quotable lines, a more original climactic confrontation, a cooler bad guy, and I'll even say I think it does a better job of showcasing the friendship amongst the riders.

I can't think of a single advantage that the season finale has, and I'm confident that you now see things my way.

Oh, and the pilot is only one hour. And I completely agree regarding Blind Love. "Don't shoot; I swear I'm not a tree" is WAY too big of a risk to be showing newcomers.

[becky]

Hi Johnny,

Thanks for the advice. 10 Cent Here's a really good episode, but I don't know, I just REALLY liked the season finale. My plan is to show the pilot, Speak No Evil, and Bulldog, and then show Gathering Clouds if people are up for more. But it's such a good episode. First of all, I think it has the best bad guy--that crazy trigger-happy guy Jeffrey who doesn't trust the Kid. He is awesome! She's alieka total old-school outlaw. And what about the end scene when there's the shootout in town and he and Jimmy meet face to face, and Jimmy raises his eyebrow all "What's up?" and then shoots him? That is a cool, cool scene. The plot is good too, with the Riders having to go up agaisnt the Hawks and the Army at the same time. And the end is so poignant, when the army rides back into Sweetwater after the town has taken down the Hawks. Plus there is that sweet little story line with Ike and Cynthia Nixon. Ike is adorable. I thought the season finale was one of the best. The only reason I'm not probably showing it is because it's too long.

Sorry Johnny. I did take your advice to heart, and if it's any consolation, I am going to provide my guests with copies of the Rider Review for all the episodes that we watch. They already know about it becuase I've been reading it here at work and laughing my face off!