"Comanche Moon" is the second prequel to "Lonesome Dove". It covers the "Rangerin'" years of Gus McCrae (Steve Zahn) and Woodrow F. Call (Karl Urban). They are working for the state of Texas in 1858 under Governor Pease (James Rebhorn) to keep the Comanche nation at bay. The rangers are led by Captain Inish Scull (Val Kilmer) an oddity at best.
The story also encompasses the men's love lives. McCrae is in love with Clara Forsythe (Linda Cardinelli), Call is involved with prostitute Maggie (Elizabeth Banks) and Scull who's wife Inez (Rachel Griffiths is equally odd and beds who ever she fancies at a particular time.
On patrol, Scull's prize horse is stolen by the Comanche. For some reason he sets out on foot with the Indian tracker to retrieve the animal.. In his absence he appoints McCrae and Call as co-captains of the detachment. Scull seeks out the brutal Alumado (Sal Lopez) whom he vows to kill. Alumado imprisons Scull where he remains through most of the story.
While the Rangers are out on patrol, Comanche chief Buffalo Hump (Wes Studi) organizes an attack on Austin massacring several citizens and having their way with several of the women. Oddly enough, I was surprised that the Rangers didn't exact some sort of reprisal for the Comanche's butchery.
Returning home, the Rangers see the devastation caused by the Comanche. Ranger Bill Coleman (Ray McKinnon) is distraught to learn that his wife Pearl (Melanie Lynskey) had been raped by the Comanche, so much so that he hangs himself unable to deal with the situation. Call learns that Maggie is pregnant with what she believes to be Call's child a situation that Call is unable to accept given Maggie's "past". Gus, meanwhile, becomes the latest of Inez Scull's conquests which turns Clara towards horse trader Bob Allen (Josh Berry).
Buffalo Hump turns his rebellious son Blue Duck (Adam Beach) away from the tribe. Blue Duck forms a gang of murderers and roams the country killing innocent people. Alumado dies en route to a cure for a fatal spider bite. Call and McCrae arrive in Alumado's camp and rescue the near mad Scull. Along the way the boys come upon an emerging town called Lonesome Dove. Fast forward to the end of the Civil War (1865) and the Union soldiers move in to take over policing the Comanche.
Maggie is raising her son who looks remarkably like Woodrow but he fails to recognize the boy as his son. Maggie with Pearl at her side dies prematurely. Clara has gone on to marry Allen have three children and settles down in Nebraska. Scull goes back east after the war and settles in Boston with his unfaithful wife.
The story ends with Gus and Woodrow seeing the end of the Texas Rangers and plan to move to, you guessed it, Lonesome Dove to start up ranching.
See you in Lonesome Dove.
The story also encompasses the men's love lives. McCrae is in love with Clara Forsythe (Linda Cardinelli), Call is involved with prostitute Maggie (Elizabeth Banks) and Scull who's wife Inez (Rachel Griffiths is equally odd and beds who ever she fancies at a particular time.
On patrol, Scull's prize horse is stolen by the Comanche. For some reason he sets out on foot with the Indian tracker to retrieve the animal.. In his absence he appoints McCrae and Call as co-captains of the detachment. Scull seeks out the brutal Alumado (Sal Lopez) whom he vows to kill. Alumado imprisons Scull where he remains through most of the story.
While the Rangers are out on patrol, Comanche chief Buffalo Hump (Wes Studi) organizes an attack on Austin massacring several citizens and having their way with several of the women. Oddly enough, I was surprised that the Rangers didn't exact some sort of reprisal for the Comanche's butchery.
Returning home, the Rangers see the devastation caused by the Comanche. Ranger Bill Coleman (Ray McKinnon) is distraught to learn that his wife Pearl (Melanie Lynskey) had been raped by the Comanche, so much so that he hangs himself unable to deal with the situation. Call learns that Maggie is pregnant with what she believes to be Call's child a situation that Call is unable to accept given Maggie's "past". Gus, meanwhile, becomes the latest of Inez Scull's conquests which turns Clara towards horse trader Bob Allen (Josh Berry).
Buffalo Hump turns his rebellious son Blue Duck (Adam Beach) away from the tribe. Blue Duck forms a gang of murderers and roams the country killing innocent people. Alumado dies en route to a cure for a fatal spider bite. Call and McCrae arrive in Alumado's camp and rescue the near mad Scull. Along the way the boys come upon an emerging town called Lonesome Dove. Fast forward to the end of the Civil War (1865) and the Union soldiers move in to take over policing the Comanche.
Maggie is raising her son who looks remarkably like Woodrow but he fails to recognize the boy as his son. Maggie with Pearl at her side dies prematurely. Clara has gone on to marry Allen have three children and settles down in Nebraska. Scull goes back east after the war and settles in Boston with his unfaithful wife.
The story ends with Gus and Woodrow seeing the end of the Texas Rangers and plan to move to, you guessed it, Lonesome Dove to start up ranching.
See you in Lonesome Dove.