A friendly rodeo between the Barkleys and the Mortons was started as a way to get the families together. Now the rodeo has became a feud between the family as each tried to outdo the other with each trying to get the best riders in the west. The Mortons won the rodeo last year and Nick is determined for the Barkleys to win at any cost- even at the risk of people dying.
This year the Barkleys have a ace rider in a black man named Joshua Watson played by Lou Rawls. He can ride, he can shoot and he can even sing songs- he just an all-star when it comes to what Nick is searching to win the rodeo.
But now violence is starting between the two families. One of Barkley's cowhands is shot and Nick goes to confront the Morton's boys. Problem is Nick gets his hat handed back to him and at the end of the day has a steak over his right blacken-eye.
The Mortons now accuse Joshua Watson as being wanted by the law. And if he is not turned over to the sheriff in Stockton, Mr Rufus Morton vows he'll take Joshua by force. This could start a range war.
I really wish this would have kept on with the rodeo and the fact that a black man was making good in the late 1800's, but instead it fell into criminal activity and imprisonment. Was hoping for much more but the episode failed to deliver.
Lou Rawls was a great singer, actually saw him in concert, but his acting has a lot to be desired. He looked like a fish out of water saying his lines and trying to produce realism. Someone else could have made this part much more interesting. Plus after the entire episode dedicated to a rodeo, the show ended with no reference to it whatsoever. But to make us feel better we get to see Nick break in a horse- so I guess that was just as good. One good thing about this episode is that Silas got more lines and face-time in this show than any other episode to date.