Fate keeps bringing Billy back to the wrong places.
Billy reconnected with a pair of old friends and made a new ally on Billy the Kid Season 1 Episode 6.
Most significant among these is that new friend, Pat Garrett, who will turn on Billy in a big way in the future.
After this episode, Billy plans to meet up with Jesse and the 7 Rivers Gang in Lincoln County in New Mexico Territory, a location that historically did not treat Billy well.
For the historically uninformed, after this friendly start to their relationship, Garrett becomes why the outlaw never becomes Billy the Middle-Aged.
Of course, “Wild West outlaw” wasn’t a profession that lent itself to reaching retirement age.
Kathleen always wanted her boy to grow up to become a good man. But Billy’s choices weren’t going to help him alter his destiny.
Heading into Texas, a territory where he wasn’t currently wanted by authorities, was a wise choice.
However, reuniting with Jesse at Garrett’s suggestion was not so well thought out on his part.
Jesse deserted him during a botched robbery on Billy the Kid Season 1 Episode 3, eventually leading to that first wanted poster under the name of Kid Antrim.
During their last reunion on Billy the Kid Season 1 Episode 5, Billy and Jesse split after both had fallen for the same woman.
Fortunately, Jesse didn’t hold a grudge, probably mainly because that woman, Barbara, left behind those two possessive men and went straight, becoming a schoolteacher.
While Jesse derided this choice, Billy applauded it. At least he realized how genuinely uneducated he was when it came to book learning.
After this brief period of catching up, Billy should have walked away. But Billy had no actual plans.
Also, Billy is a follower, even when following gets him into deeper trouble. He’s loyal to his friends even when they are loyal only to themselves.
Jesse again invited Billy to ride with his gang, even though a good chunk of the gang’s members didn’t want the attention the outlaw would attract.
Billy was plain oblivious to his infamy. He had buzz a good century before buzz was a thing.
So off Billy went to rustle cattle with the 7 Rivers Gang. And what did it say about military supply chains back then that the Army was willing to buy stolen cattle from Jesse?
After Jesse burned most of the profits on women and liquor, the gang went back to the well one too many times, riding into a trap when they returned to rustle more cattle.
Billy added to his body count again, taking him further away from the righteous path that his mother had advocated.
Then the local paper cited Billy, in particular, to rail about as part of the rough element attacking decent people in Texas.
After Garrett read that article aloud, Billy played a sad song on his fiddle. But it’s clear that something snapped inside of Billy when he killed Ortiz in Mexico. He was slowly becoming the heartless villain that the press depicted him to be.
Billy played that role when Frank Baker dropped by to recruit the gang, especially Billy, essentially for a businessman’s protection racket, an army to keep him safe from criminal elements.
He demanded to be paid for his services commensurate with his reputation. He even closed down his friend Jesse when Jesse attempted to bluster at Baker for the no-names in the gang.
Billy formed a strangely fast friendship with Garrett. Pat told him about losing his wife and daughter during childbirth and advised Billy about handling his notoriety. Garrett even gave him the nickname that stuck: Billy the Kid.
It will be intriguing to see how their dynamic evolves as the Lincoln County War develops, likely starting next episode. The rest of the gang, Jesse included, figure to fade into the background.
It was good to see that Billy got to take care of unfinished business from Billy the Kid Season 1 Episode 5: the fate of his new friend Segura.
The crooked dealer Ortiz promised to let Segura live if Billy didn’t kill him. But instead, Billy committed his first intentional murder.
The Mexican boy brought to the gang’s hideout had good news and bad news about Segura: He was alive, but he had been convicted of Ortiz’s murder and was sentenced to be hanged.
Although the gang was preparing to move out to Lincoln County, away from the law in Southwest Texas, Billy’s sense of justice wouldn’t allow him to abandon Segura in his time of need.
So back he rode to Chihuahua, a town that never wanted to see him again. Under cover of night, he rescued Segura, killing two guards.
Segura noticed the change in his gringo brother but wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
After their brief stop resulted in the killing of Segura’s friend Jesus, the two debated about whether it was possible to change. Segura resolved to, but Billy stoically seemed ready to accept his inevitable fate.
To revisit Billy’s journey to the dark side, watch Billy the Kid online.
What did you think of Pat Garrett?
Has Billy gone beyond redemption?
Were you glad to find out what had happened to Segura?
Comment below.
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Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
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