Paladin reluctantly accepts the assignment to accompany to the border an Austrian duke who expects troops to help him overthrow the government of Mexico.
This episode was a lot more enjoyable than I was expecting from the summary I had read or even from the first few minutes. The series' customary conciseness in storytelling was even more impressive in "Duke of Texas" as Paladin did not immediately leave from San Francisco at the beginning of the episode and something germane to the plot actually happened there.
The villain of the piece makes a mistake that alerts Paladin to his treachery, and the villain must know that Paladin is at least suspicious of him because of what he did, while the duke remains oblivious in his delusion. It's a dynamic that lends the story a wry sense of humor while maintaining an undercurrent of danger. Consequently, the action does not feel tacked on as an afterthought and the show still feels like a western. My appreciation of this episode was also bolstered by a somewhat melancholy ending that doesn't result in the survivors necessarily being wiser.
"Duke of Texas" is as pertinent today, in light of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, as it was in 1961 as the U.S. was sending military advisors to Vietnam.
This episode was a lot more enjoyable than I was expecting from the summary I had read or even from the first few minutes. The series' customary conciseness in storytelling was even more impressive in "Duke of Texas" as Paladin did not immediately leave from San Francisco at the beginning of the episode and something germane to the plot actually happened there.
The villain of the piece makes a mistake that alerts Paladin to his treachery, and the villain must know that Paladin is at least suspicious of him because of what he did, while the duke remains oblivious in his delusion. It's a dynamic that lends the story a wry sense of humor while maintaining an undercurrent of danger. Consequently, the action does not feel tacked on as an afterthought and the show still feels like a western. My appreciation of this episode was also bolstered by a somewhat melancholy ending that doesn't result in the survivors necessarily being wiser.
"Duke of Texas" is as pertinent today, in light of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, as it was in 1961 as the U.S. was sending military advisors to Vietnam.
