Paladin shows himself to be a true 19th Century equivalent of the Renaissance man, versed in chemistry, physics, hydrodynamics, and (presumably) painting as well, while remaining a force to be reckoned with by anyone who intends to do him harm.
Although this story purports to be about recovering a shipment of sunken gold (and features an underwater fight scene that evokes Lloyd "Sea Hunt" Bridges in his prime), it's about much more, thanks to Harry Carey Junior's portrayal of the irascible Jonas Quincy.
To Quincy, an eccentric old recluse who spends most of his time on the shores of Crystal Lake (!), gold means less than the trophy he's been pursuing for over a decade, a trophy that just happens to occupy the very area in which Paladin discovers the missing gold. The gold, and Jonas' trophy, both eventually emerge from the lake. But the episode leaves us wondering whether life is more enhanced by the capture of an elusive treasure, or by the years "swallowed up" in the search for it.
Although this story purports to be about recovering a shipment of sunken gold (and features an underwater fight scene that evokes Lloyd "Sea Hunt" Bridges in his prime), it's about much more, thanks to Harry Carey Junior's portrayal of the irascible Jonas Quincy.
To Quincy, an eccentric old recluse who spends most of his time on the shores of Crystal Lake (!), gold means less than the trophy he's been pursuing for over a decade, a trophy that just happens to occupy the very area in which Paladin discovers the missing gold. The gold, and Jonas' trophy, both eventually emerge from the lake. But the episode leaves us wondering whether life is more enhanced by the capture of an elusive treasure, or by the years "swallowed up" in the search for it.
