What a remarkably downbeat and nialistic show

Yes, the show had some depth to it. It wasn't just cheap Hollywood feel-good fluff.

BTW, it's spelled nihilistic.

I'm not sure if you understand the concept of "nihilism." If anything it's the anti-thesis of nihilism. Caine is an extremely moral and religious man who believes that life is very sacred. A nihilist is someone who rejects everything and believes that life is meaningless.

You could say that most of the villains are nihilists which would be more accurate. There as some neutral character even quasi nihilists that change because they had met Caine.

I think it was very true to life so as in life there is difficulty, death, hunger, anger, violence, poverty, prejudice, vindictiveness, cruelty, spite, greed, envy, jealousy, vanity, gluttony etc. But usually Caine is presented as a character who shows none of the traits and actually try's to teach people how to overcome them.

The formula went something like this:

A) Someone is being threatened or bullied by a villain and Caine must protect this person.

B) Someone killed or did something to someone else and the family wants to seek revenge against the person and Caine must prevent the revenge.

C) Caine is usually falsely imprisoned in every episode and he must escape.

D) Someone is reluctant to share something of great benefit to the community and Caine must teach them about generosity.

E) Someone is in serious danger and Caine must rescue them.

F) Caine must retrieve something of great value that was stolen.

G) Someone is on the verge of death and Caine must rush to save them.

H) Caine helps some farmer with Physical labor.

And then at the end of the episode their is usually a showdown where Caine must reluctantly take on the villain under tremendous odds.

>>No solutions, no last minute saves or rescues....... very unsettling.

That doesn't resemble the stories I have been viewing. Sometimes Caine's pacifism is inexplicable to western sensibilities. Like frowning on taking action against corporate bullies or land grabbers. The philosophical position being such people will eventually defeat themselves. Not much of a comfort if they've killed you in the meantime though.

I note that Caine doesn't always hold to that. Like helping the bordello in Season Two.

That's one of the many great and unusual characteristics of the show. I don't think of the show as nihilistic - it just showed life realistically, with the bad fortune as well as the good. Also, it showed a protagonist with an approach to life very different from the typical approach of characters normally depicted on television and in the movies.

For example, there's an episode on which Caine is trying to prevent a character from avenging the murder of a family-member. When he thwarts the survivor's attempt to kill the antagonist, the survivor asks Caine: "If I don't have a right for revenge, who does?" Caine answers: "Noone."

My real name is Jeff