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Lacyt1873 (5)
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I've read three minor L'Amour paperbacks, and that was enough, the last one being the Sixth Shotgun with a forward by John Tuska, which is Tuska's must-read interview of L'Amour.
There are many, many superior Westerns authors out there, but the three books I keep coming back to are Deep West by Ernest Haycox, The Pride of Hannah Wade by Janet Daley, and The Searchers by Alan LeMay.
:}
Well, when Donna was kidnapped, he specifically described her as "45 to 50" years old instead of the more common "middle aged", as if they wanted us to know she was closer to Walt's perceived age than Vic. And when they broke up, neither of them closed the door on their relationship. They just agreed that right then was the wrong time for it. So it just seemed to me the screenwriters were headed in the direction of them getting back together because they were better suited to each other than him and Vic. Perhaps, as you said, the original author wanted it his way instead. Anyway...
"it's a kind of wish fulfillment for the series's author, putting himself in Walt's place."
LOL! I suppose that’s at the back of most every writer’s mind. I know one other author who over all the dozens of books they wrote definitely lamented not being able to remain 19 or so years young and invincible their entire life. All that one’s protagonists always had the fastest gun, the best horse, the smartest and quickest mind, stellar fist skills, etc., and everyone who challenged him never bested him at anything, including winning the "fluff" girl that proliferated every one of that author's stories.
Ah, fiction.
If I remember correctly, somewhere in the series, someone "accused" Vic of being 35 or 40, and she reluctantly replied she was 32. And they made it a point to have Cady and Walt say "retire" rather than "quit" several times. And for him to say he was going to hunt for Hamilton's treasure because after he retired, he was going to need the money pretty much convinced me he was at least 62. And in costume and makeup, he kinda sorta looked it. Which made it seem that's what the writers were trying to convey because at some point, they intended to make their father-daughter relationship a fact. Yes, they were accused of sleeping together several times, but a large portion of that came from people trying to discredit him and get him out office. I don't know what steered the writers in the "wrong" direction, but I haven't read the books. Once I do, I might be able to figure it out.
I agree. Vic was so much more the kind of person I would expect a man like Walt to have raised whether he meant to or not. Maybe sleeping together needed to happen if only to get it out of their systems. But as lovers? No way. She was so broken up after losing her baby, she’s eventually going to want another, and Walt has to be at least 30 years her senior, retired now, and off to spend maybe months looking for treasure – alone in the Wyoming wilderness. If he survives that, I can't see him wanting to raise another kid at his age. I think that as he drove off to look for the treasure, she should’ve called someone and had a conversation that made it clear she wanted to revisit a previous romantic relationship. Most logical choice would be Eamonn.
As to Cady becoming sheriff? No way! All the crises that visited her were due to her consistently poor judgment and her equally poor handling of them, like a frightened mouse. For example, the Cheyenne boy who was dying of scarlet fever. Never once did she stress to anyone that to allow another of their dwindling number to be taken by a white man’s disease was unconscionable, even hypocritical. You cannot build trust and earn respect when you obviously have no idea, much less desire, as it appeared, to understand and find a way to connect with anyone so there’s never a question that you’re there to protect and defend not only their persons and property, but equally their way of life. To run for sheriff of a county with no jurisdiction on the res served not only to illustrate (to me, at least) her moral and emotional separation from the Cheyenne people. It enhanced her intent to keep it that way, or at the very least, the fact that she didn’t have the guts to try harder to win them back, especially with Nighthorse gone and good-hearted Henry in his place to fund her legal aid clinic.
And the phone call Walt took at the end? Throughout the series, he didn't have a cell phone and kept insisting he didn't need one. However, when they were rescuing Nighthorse and Henry, he admitted to Vic that they did come in handy. So that call at the end was just to show us that finally! He got one! It would've also worked for me if they'd shown us his screen and his caller ID said "Donna".
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