In a reprise of Season 3's "River Passage," Boone must get a flatboat of supplies to a British-besieged fort. Complicating things will be a green Continental Army lieutenant (Hampton Fancher), a surly boatman (Jack Lambert), and an escaped French-Canadian (?) convict (Jacques Bergerac).
Another well-paced Revolutionary War action epic, playing to the series' best strengths and supported by a unique ensemble. The excruciatingly handsome Fancher is currently enjoying a long run as a screenwriter, Bergerac was a French film actor enjoying a Hollywood sojourn, and Lambert was a New Yorker who was a go-to Westerns tough guy. Plus Lambert was the Scottish mercenary in Season 3's "The Williamsburg Cannon." Also along is native Kentuckian Charles Macauley (Landru in "Star Trek: TOS") as a British Army colonel.
Not exactly a "Heart of Darkness" redo here; action shifts off the boat into "Guns of Navarone" territory. Again a relief not to have to deal with Boonesborough baggage, and production values are abundant. The mission holds our attention, with just enough character color and subplot added to shake up the script formula sufficiently.
Historical background unfortunately goes over the side fairly early. The action takes place on "Wood River" - there is one in Illinois, but it played no role in the Revolutionary War, and the route runs from "Riverton" (Wyoming?) to "Fort Courtney" (Florida?). The only plausible place this episode could be set is the Ohio River, and the British never attempted to cut communications along it largely due to the fact that the American troop presence west of the Appalachians was too small and mobile to interdict. We do see a fairly authentic six-pounder cannon in action, although the flatboat seems too small to be river-worthy; getting it past the Falls of the Ohio would be problematic.
Continental soldier count: about five, in buff-and-blue, similar to Paterson's Massachusetts Regiment or Lamb's Continental Artillery. Unfortunately they don't directly meet up with the redcoats.
Redcoat report - a fairly big expedition of 15, most shown as the 60th Royal American Regiment, a couple as Royal Welsh Fusiliers or the 18th Royal Irish.
Like the episode before last, "The Traitor," - provided one can overlook the historical inaccuracies - "DB" here provides a better-than-average action outing. One wishes that the series budget and the screenwriters' imagination had been sufficient to get Dan to the larger eastern battles of 1775-83.
Another well-paced Revolutionary War action epic, playing to the series' best strengths and supported by a unique ensemble. The excruciatingly handsome Fancher is currently enjoying a long run as a screenwriter, Bergerac was a French film actor enjoying a Hollywood sojourn, and Lambert was a New Yorker who was a go-to Westerns tough guy. Plus Lambert was the Scottish mercenary in Season 3's "The Williamsburg Cannon." Also along is native Kentuckian Charles Macauley (Landru in "Star Trek: TOS") as a British Army colonel.
Not exactly a "Heart of Darkness" redo here; action shifts off the boat into "Guns of Navarone" territory. Again a relief not to have to deal with Boonesborough baggage, and production values are abundant. The mission holds our attention, with just enough character color and subplot added to shake up the script formula sufficiently.
Historical background unfortunately goes over the side fairly early. The action takes place on "Wood River" - there is one in Illinois, but it played no role in the Revolutionary War, and the route runs from "Riverton" (Wyoming?) to "Fort Courtney" (Florida?). The only plausible place this episode could be set is the Ohio River, and the British never attempted to cut communications along it largely due to the fact that the American troop presence west of the Appalachians was too small and mobile to interdict. We do see a fairly authentic six-pounder cannon in action, although the flatboat seems too small to be river-worthy; getting it past the Falls of the Ohio would be problematic.
Continental soldier count: about five, in buff-and-blue, similar to Paterson's Massachusetts Regiment or Lamb's Continental Artillery. Unfortunately they don't directly meet up with the redcoats.
Redcoat report - a fairly big expedition of 15, most shown as the 60th Royal American Regiment, a couple as Royal Welsh Fusiliers or the 18th Royal Irish.
Like the episode before last, "The Traitor," - provided one can overlook the historical inaccuracies - "DB" here provides a better-than-average action outing. One wishes that the series budget and the screenwriters' imagination had been sufficient to get Dan to the larger eastern battles of 1775-83.
