****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I remember this series from my childhood, and memories of certain scenes and pieces of dialogue have stuck with me into my late middle-age. What I remember best is the feel the series had - a kind of romantic earnestness - and a majestic and epic tone. I had nearly forgotten the series myself, except for these bits of memory, when one day browsing Amazon, I saw the DVD set offered. Suddenly, almost reflexively, I gave it the Amazon "one-click." Call it a childish impulse.I began watching the first season with trepidation. I had watched this show originally when I was 11 or 12 years old. Things remembered from childhood so often disappoint in the glaring, cynical light of adulthood. Not this time. The series lived up to my memories and, in fact, was better than I had remembered it. The romance of the tone was still valid, which had captured me as a child, but now I could really appreciate the craft and care with which the series was made.The series had a brilliant concept, biblical in its proportions: a grandfather (Walter Brennan) and grandson (Dack Rambo) go roaming the West in the late nineteenth century, searching for the young man's father, a famous gunfighter missing from the family for twenty years. One needs to find his prodigal son, the other needs to find a father he has never known. Both are skilled gunfighters themselves, both having been trained by the grandfather. As the grandfather puts it when questioned about the skill of his notorious son "He showed promise."The acting is excellent throughout, most notably Walter Brennan as the patriarch, Will Sonnett, who is absolutely convincing in the part - whip-cord tough with more than a streak of mean in him, furiously devoted to his grandson and their shared quest. It is a simple thrill to watch him handle a Colt, as surprising and sudden as watching a snake strike. Dack Rambo is very good as Jeff Sonnett, the third generation of Sonnett gunmen. Rambo really captures the son's ache to find a father he has never met, and his open need is often a bit of a surprise and very moving (one of the strengths of the series is the direct and honest way emotions like love and loneliness are dealt with, always simply without a bit of hokum). Finally, Jason Evers is excellent as the aging, haunted gunfighter, Jim Sonnett, the mention of whose name causes barrooms to become tense and quiet. Evers as Jim Sonnett seems gaunt and ragged, maybe even cursed, until he is called out, at which time he suddenly stands up straight and is filled with unnatural speed. The actor, Jason Evers recently passed away (March of 2005) and he is well remembered with his performances in this series.The writing is among of the best in television's history, with some of the finest episodes penned by co-creator Richard Carr (the other creator was Arron Spelling). In fact, all aspects that fall under the umbrella of "production values" were top-notch. The sets were always authentic and have a "deep" look, and the cinematography was always creative and original. (for a really great example of this, check out the episode "Of Lasting Summers and Jim Sonnett" which has a shot of a grinning hangman staring straight down through a gallows trapdoor, looking the viewer straight in the eyes).When Will Sonnett says, "No brag, just fact" he will make a believer of you. Thanks heavens this series can be seen again. -Mykal Banta
