"The New Law" makes a great second-season reintroduction of the show, the Seven, and the general concept. Writer Melissa Rosenberg (later of 'Jessica Jones' among other shows) does a good job of interweaving the subplots from season 1: Oren returning (Robert Vaughn is always a welcome face), Casey and her tomboy ways, J.D. drinking milk in the saloon, Guy's interest in buying railroad land, Vin being wanted, and Chris still looking for the person who arranged for his family's death.
There are only two flaws that bug me:
1) Marshal Bryce is introduced and killed off. Granted, there's not much purpose for him on the show except to act as a foil to the Seven. Bus In Four Corners, a gang rides into town. Vin and Buck have taken up sniper positions on the rooftop, and Chris steps out on the street and confronts the gang. J.D., Josiah, and Ezra ride up and join Chris, and Nathan steps out. Chris makes sure Vin and Buck are in position, and the Seven on horseback draw their guns. Billy comes out to watch, and Mary quickly pulls him back inside.
t it seems a waste of actor Peter Firth. And the hype surrounding Bryce is hardly worth it. It's mentioned that Bryce cleaned up three towns in Kansas, and Buck says twice (twice!) that Bryce had courage. No he didn't: he was an idiot who went up against twenty-five armed men without backup. What a dumbass!
It doesn't help that his death is so stupid. So Earl shoots Bryce down in the street... and then throws him into a jail cell? All so that Bryce can have a few last words. It's an awkward bit of writing.
2) Why are Brion James and Tim Thomerson not credited? Granted, they don't play huge roles, but neither did credited actors like the "Army Sergeant". Worse, nothing happens at the end of "The New Law" to them, but we never see them again. Why not? This episode seems to establish them as recurring menaces to the town. But they just... disappear. Like Firth, it seems like a waste of two good actors. Why bring them in to play generic heavies: even in their season 1 appearances, they were better than that.
Other than those two things, there's nothing wrong with the episode. It gives all of the Seven pretty much equal time. Kavovit probably gets a little more, but he is third in the credits. Worthy gets something to do both with Bryce pointing out that he's not a licensed doctor and Nathan returning to one of the town's nearby reservations, Perlman still hams it up, and even Buck and Ezra are somehow more tolerable. Maybe because we get to see them doing heroic stuff.
Overall, "The New Law" is a decent reintroduction to the series. If you want to know everything about the show, I'd recommend watching it after "Pilot'/"Ghost of the Confederacy". Maybe even more, since "The New Law" is only one hour while that's two hours. The brevity helps the show, particularly in the opening fight and reintroduction of the Seven.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
There are only two flaws that bug me:
1) Marshal Bryce is introduced and killed off. Granted, there's not much purpose for him on the show except to act as a foil to the Seven. Bus In Four Corners, a gang rides into town. Vin and Buck have taken up sniper positions on the rooftop, and Chris steps out on the street and confronts the gang. J.D., Josiah, and Ezra ride up and join Chris, and Nathan steps out. Chris makes sure Vin and Buck are in position, and the Seven on horseback draw their guns. Billy comes out to watch, and Mary quickly pulls him back inside.
t it seems a waste of actor Peter Firth. And the hype surrounding Bryce is hardly worth it. It's mentioned that Bryce cleaned up three towns in Kansas, and Buck says twice (twice!) that Bryce had courage. No he didn't: he was an idiot who went up against twenty-five armed men without backup. What a dumbass!
It doesn't help that his death is so stupid. So Earl shoots Bryce down in the street... and then throws him into a jail cell? All so that Bryce can have a few last words. It's an awkward bit of writing.
2) Why are Brion James and Tim Thomerson not credited? Granted, they don't play huge roles, but neither did credited actors like the "Army Sergeant". Worse, nothing happens at the end of "The New Law" to them, but we never see them again. Why not? This episode seems to establish them as recurring menaces to the town. But they just... disappear. Like Firth, it seems like a waste of two good actors. Why bring them in to play generic heavies: even in their season 1 appearances, they were better than that.
Other than those two things, there's nothing wrong with the episode. It gives all of the Seven pretty much equal time. Kavovit probably gets a little more, but he is third in the credits. Worthy gets something to do both with Bryce pointing out that he's not a licensed doctor and Nathan returning to one of the town's nearby reservations, Perlman still hams it up, and even Buck and Ezra are somehow more tolerable. Maybe because we get to see them doing heroic stuff.
Overall, "The New Law" is a decent reintroduction to the series. If you want to know everything about the show, I'd recommend watching it after "Pilot'/"Ghost of the Confederacy". Maybe even more, since "The New Law" is only one hour while that's two hours. The brevity helps the show, particularly in the opening fight and reintroduction of the Seven.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
