Daniel needs to blow up a British battery at Vincennes to allow an American flotilla to pass down the Ohio River. His original plan falls victim to a British attack, compelling him to enlist the aid of Tuscarora African-American Chief Gabe Cooper (Roosevelt Grier), two Continental soldiers freed from the guardhouse, and a British deserter.
DB is back in fine form this week with a Revolutionary War episode, and never mind that its another "Dirty Dozen" redo, the adventure is worth the watch. Last week Jimmy Dean's sidekick sojourn ended, and this episode introduces Grier as the successor from now until the end of the series.
No one will ever accuse Roosevelt Grier of having an uninteresting life; his experiences have included L. A Rams football stardom, restraining Robert Kennedy's assassin at the Ambassador Hotel in 1968, popularizing needlepoint as a hobby, turning to Republican politics during the Reagan years, and a substantial stint in TV and film acting. Here he comes into the DB universe with minimal background introduction as an escaped slave (its implied Dan helped him) adopted and elevated to leadership by the Tuscarora, and infuses the role with more-than-sufficient physical presence and late-60's attitude to reinvigorate the series' final stretch.
Rounding out the mismatched platoon are Westerns journeyman Gene Evans and British actor Ray Harden, whose only other major American role was also portraying a British sergeant in the 1970 Bicentennial commemorative attempt "The Young Rebels."
Apparently SoCal Revolutionary War historians were in very short supply throughout 1969, so grab a map and follow along:
* Dan goes to Gabe for help in going west from Boonesborough through Tuscarora country (As of the Revolutionary War the Tuscarora are living with the Six Nations in upstate NY).
* The American water expedition to Vincennes, Indians (George Rogers Clark, but halfway by land, 1778-79?) is departing from Stover (in Missouri).
* Dan needs to pick up his escort at Fort Putnam, presumably on the road to Vincennes (but Fort Putnam located at West Point, NY).
* The group needs to avoid the Mohawk (2, complete with Mohawk haircuts - but again the Mohawk live in upstate NY).
* The battery at Vincennes guards the Ohio (Vincennes is on the Wabash River, which flows into the Ohio).
Redcoat report - about 10, again uniformed as the Royal American Regiment; Harden is wearing the red and buff of another British line regiment.
Continental soldier count - two, wearing Massachusetts buff and blue.
But, se la (fictiona) guerre. There are sufficient intra-platoon squabbles and Redcoat skirmishes to move the hour along nicely, and Fess Parker is present throughout; all told, this episode is an early best for Season 6.
DB is back in fine form this week with a Revolutionary War episode, and never mind that its another "Dirty Dozen" redo, the adventure is worth the watch. Last week Jimmy Dean's sidekick sojourn ended, and this episode introduces Grier as the successor from now until the end of the series.
No one will ever accuse Roosevelt Grier of having an uninteresting life; his experiences have included L. A Rams football stardom, restraining Robert Kennedy's assassin at the Ambassador Hotel in 1968, popularizing needlepoint as a hobby, turning to Republican politics during the Reagan years, and a substantial stint in TV and film acting. Here he comes into the DB universe with minimal background introduction as an escaped slave (its implied Dan helped him) adopted and elevated to leadership by the Tuscarora, and infuses the role with more-than-sufficient physical presence and late-60's attitude to reinvigorate the series' final stretch.
Rounding out the mismatched platoon are Westerns journeyman Gene Evans and British actor Ray Harden, whose only other major American role was also portraying a British sergeant in the 1970 Bicentennial commemorative attempt "The Young Rebels."
Apparently SoCal Revolutionary War historians were in very short supply throughout 1969, so grab a map and follow along:
* Dan goes to Gabe for help in going west from Boonesborough through Tuscarora country (As of the Revolutionary War the Tuscarora are living with the Six Nations in upstate NY).
* The American water expedition to Vincennes, Indians (George Rogers Clark, but halfway by land, 1778-79?) is departing from Stover (in Missouri).
* Dan needs to pick up his escort at Fort Putnam, presumably on the road to Vincennes (but Fort Putnam located at West Point, NY).
* The group needs to avoid the Mohawk (2, complete with Mohawk haircuts - but again the Mohawk live in upstate NY).
* The battery at Vincennes guards the Ohio (Vincennes is on the Wabash River, which flows into the Ohio).
Redcoat report - about 10, again uniformed as the Royal American Regiment; Harden is wearing the red and buff of another British line regiment.
Continental soldier count - two, wearing Massachusetts buff and blue.
But, se la (fictiona) guerre. There are sufficient intra-platoon squabbles and Redcoat skirmishes to move the hour along nicely, and Fess Parker is present throughout; all told, this episode is an early best for Season 6.
