The Fangs of Freedom
Thomas offers to help out, but Shea is hesitant. He knows that Thomas is a man of his word, but he also knows that Thomas can’t do it all on his own. He needs the help of others, and he needs it soon.
Josef knows that the thief is a man who has been stealing food from the food wagon for weeks. He’s been stealing food from the wagon because he’s hungry and he doesn’t want to waste any of it.
James and Margaret are at odds over Elsa. Margaret decides to ride out and see her.
Margaret tries to warn her daughter away from Ennis, but Elsa seems to be lost in love with him. Margaret realizes that they need to have a talk about the rules of their hearts – giving consent for the pair to be together.
In Margaret’s absence, Shea and Thomas call on James to help with the thief problem. They act as mediators, watching from afar as Josef tries to police the situation. As things start to get out of hand, James jumps in and clears everything up. Shea throws money back to the two thieves, demanding they find their own way. He promises to kill them both if they try and follow the caravan.
With so many travelers departing, it’s clear that something is wrong. Even more worrisome is Wade’s warning. Bandits are following them, and that means Elsa needs to stay with James for her own protection. inevitably, she ends up with Ennis outside that night. He admits he tried to sleep with a hooker back in town but she didn’t make him feel like Elsa does, and thus it “didn’t work.”
Margaret wakes up in the middle of the night to see her husband and wife together. This inevitably leads to a talk with Elsa in the morning. Margaret warns Elsa that if she brings a child into the world, she won’t be raising it for her. Margaret obviously has trouble accepting her daughter isn’t a little girl anymore, but at the same time Elsa’s naivety is something that could cause big problems in the future. For Elsa though, she sees it as the freedom of choice and right now, things are looking up given she’s very much in love.
Elsewhere, Shea and James come to blows once more. This time it comes from Shea wanting James to give up his rations. The thing is, James doesn’t budge and Shea knows he can’t risk fighting with him in front of the caravan, leaving them at something of a stalemate.
James realizes he needs guns – and lots of them. They’re going to take the fight to these crooks, but that involves formulating a plan at camp. On the way, James sucker-punches Ennis and knocks him off his horse. He knows about him and Elsa.
James looks set to beat down his rival, Elsa. However, Elsa appears and stops him. Ennis too remains devoted to the woman, pointing out how he’d even steal her if need be to keep their love alive. Eventually James realizes their devotion is true and tells Ennis to cradle Elsa’s heart like an egg and make sure it doesn’t crack.
Josef’s plan is to lure the bandits out to attack a lone wagon left behind while the caravan rides on. This wagon is owned by Josef, and he knows what’s happening. With a shotgun in hand, he takes a deep breath and prepares to hit back with the others.
Ennis is killed in the ensuing fight with the bandits. As he drops off the horse, right at the end of this battle, he turns to James and tells him that he “loved her.” ..
Elsa rushes to see her lover for the last time, only to have death’s rotten finger touch her. This changes her view of the world, from naivety and hope to hot, blood-fueled rage. ..
After dispatching the last bandit, she grabs the pistol from earlier. ..
The Episode Review
Last week’s devastating river crossing has left Elsa feeling broken and lost. She returns to 1883 with an episode focused on her journey as a woman. In this episode, Elsa reflects on the changes she’s undergone since last year, and how they’ve affected her as a person.
The love story between Ennis and Elsa was doomed from the start. James and Margaret can’t keep their daughter safe from the world, so they have to do what they can to protect her. The close-ups at the end of this episode show how Elsa has changed, and how her transformation is going to help James and Margaret. Isabel May is great in this role, and she definitely holds her own against the competition.
Episode 5 also shows how there is strength in numbers and with the bandit attack at the end, it was perhaps unsurprising that someone ended up as a victim. The fact that it was Ennis hits that much harder, especially after making his intentions known and showing that he truly loved Elsa and intended to be with her. ..
James clearly knows that good men are hard to find, and this is why he displays sadness at the end of the film. ..
In 1883, one of the most refreshing aspects of life is how each character is realistically crafted and with enough nuance to allow even the most rugged, strongest members of the group moments of weakness, even if just for a few seconds. This helps to empathize with these characters and this chapter in particular boasts an awful lot of growth for many people.
In the next episode, 1883 looks poised to lean into its drama. Whether Elsa will ever be the same again though, remains to be seen.
