#fort james

[romangoldendream]

Declan kidnaping Grace Emberly in 19th century Native American style.

[sodakpb]

South Dakota has an extensive military history with at least a dozen forts being established in the territory throughout the 1800’s. The fortifications were built mainly along the Missouri River where riverboat traffic was used extensively to move cavalry troops into the region known as Dakota Territory. The first fort, Fort Pierre, evolved from a fur trading post and last just two years. Most other fortifications we also short-lived, their necessity disappearing as settlement spread westward across the Plains. 

Fort Meade, named for Civil War General George Meade, was the last military outpost with an active horse cavalry. Today Fort Meade is the location of one of South Dakota’s Veterans Administration Hospitals, and boasts one of the finest military museums in the country. Read more about forts in South Dakota here.

In 1865, a unit of cavalry soldiers was sent west to keep the peace between incoming pioneer settlers and the Sioux Indians in what is now South Dakota. The soldiers built Fort James, one of the few stone forts on the American frontier. Time Team America traveled to South Dakota to find out how much of the fort survives so that it can be protected for future research. Watch the episode here.

[fathersonholygore]

Frontier – Season 2, Episode 1 Discovery's Frontier Season 2, Episode 1 Directed by Brad Peyton Written by Sherry White…

[fathersonholygore]

Frontier - Season 3, Episode 2: "La Fin Du Monde"

Frontier – Season 3, Episode 2: “La Fin Du Monde”

Discovery Canada’s Frontier Season 3, Episode 2: “La Fin Du Monde” Directed by TJ Scott Written by Russ Cochrane

* For a recap & review of the Season 3 premiere, “The Low Road” – click here * For a recap & review of the next episode, “Satanazes” – click here This episode starts out with a great quote from Joe Strummer of the Clash,…

View On WordPress

[fathersonholygore]

Frontier - Season 3, Episode 1: "The Low Road"

Frontier – Season 3, Episode 1: “The Low Road”

Discovery Canada’s Frontier Season 3, Episode 1: “The Low Road” Directed by TJ Scott Written by Sherry White

* For a recap & review of the Season 2 finale, “Keetom Takooteeoo Maheekun” – click here * For a recap & review of the next episode, “La Fin Du Monde” – click here Season 3 opens, perhaps ironically, with a quote from Margaret…

View On WordPress

[fathersonholygore]

Frontier – Season 2, Episode 2: “Wanted” Discover's Frontier Season 2, Episode 2: "Wanted" Directed by Brett Sullivan Written by Aubrey Nealon…

[fathersonholygore]

Discovery Canada’s Frontier Season 1, Episode 6: “The Croaking Raven” Directed by Ken Girotti Written by Greg Spottiswood

* For a review of the penultimate Season 1 episode, “The Disciple” – click here The finale is here. What a first season this has been! Very impressed with my fellow Newfoundlanders. A few of my friends actually work on the show and they’ve had a great time shooting. Currently they’re working on Season 2. With Declan Harp (Jason Momoa) being brought into the forest by Sokanon (Jessica Matten) and Michael Smyth (Landon Liboiron), Fort James still firmly under the thumb of Lord Benton (Alun Armstrong), what will happen next? Declan will be okay. Yet this is only a part of his journey; he’s a ways to go before it’s even close to over. Physically, he’s on the way to healing. He cauterises his own wound by the fire, taking it like a champ. Already he looks fit to take on Benton and his redcoats all over again. Side note: love the theme song, it’s a damn fine introduction to the show and gets you kind of pumped. The entire score is wonderful, really. Gives the period of the series an interesting feeling. Captain Chesterfield (Evan Jonigkeit) is apprehensive about moving forward with his plans to become Governor. Although having a woman like Grace Emberly (Zoe Boyle), strong and confident, cheering him on is a help. Not sure exactly how I feel about Chesterfield, given that he’s shown himself to be nasty. My only thought is whether he’ll prove to be useful down the line. Right now, Grace shows him out then discovers Harp in her back room. For a guy that everyone knows, and many are looking for, Declan doesn’t care about waltzing through the fort. Bad ass, or too easy from a writing perspective? I’m not sure. Either way Grace helps him out so he doesn’t perish. She consoles him when he weeps for his wife and his child, having been tortured and killed mercilessly by Benton. At the same time, Sokanon, Michael, and Clenna (Lyla Porter-Follows) head back through the woods to find Declan. A fight breaks out between the two women, before Sokanon throws them both to the ground and leaves. Clenna isn’t so keen on following, but Michael’s sure in his path. Along the way she winds up falling and breaking her leg, badly. Grace: “I‘ve waited so long for you. You cannot leave me. Not like this.” Declan: “I‘m sorry. I have to do this.” Meanwhile, Benton is gearing up to do in Harp and anybody in his way. No matter what: “Declan Harp‘s head is to be stuck on the end of a bayonet and displayed in the yard.”

Samuel Grant (Shawn Doyle) and Cobbs Pond (Greg Bryk) are now in Fort James at the Ale House, to speak with Grace. They head out back for a drink, a chat. Grant wants to see her furs, but she’s not impressed with the surprise. Then he gets passive-aggressive, forcing her hand. She makes clear her position in Fort James is vital. But Grant, he’s a mysterious one. I’m excited to see more of his character next season. He then goes over to see Benton, who calls Grace a “whore with more ambition than sense” and that almost seems to hit Grant with unease. Then the Lord gets into a bit of tough talk. And right outside lurks Harp; something only Mr. Pond senses. At the Ale House, Malcolm Brown (Michael Patric) sits with Chesterfield. The Captain is surprised. Then Malcolm goes on about his brothers, Cedric and Douglas (Allan Hawco); he says the former was a mess, but he’s still going to take bloody revenge. It’s only Grace what breaks them up. She takes Chesterfield aside to tell him about Grant, which doesn’t make the man too happy. He then turns violent. Now I’m sure: this guy is bullshit. I hope Grace sticks a knife in his gut. Not long after Sokanon and Michael arrive with Clenna. And the young Irish girl’s in rough shape. She’s also worried about Michael leaving her. Not to mention she may lose a leg if Grace can’t fix it. The bone doesn’t set properly the first time, so they’ve got to break it. Then set it again. And while things go on, Grant and Pond plot their next move. From out of the dark woods comes Harp. They’re finally face to face. “We‘re both committed to the demise of the HBC, are we not?” says Grant. So he and Harp work out their terms, which end with the latter knifing Benton and cutting off his head. THAT, my friends, is a plan. Plus he has Sokanon on his side. For her part, she doesn’t want to trust Michael. She’d rather they charge ahead together. However, Harp is on a one-man warpath. He tasks her with keeping Michael on their side, training him, and forging on.

Ms. Emberly goes about her sneaky business. She meets with Malcolm and tells him about Chesterfield, his daily walks. To avenge Cedric’s murder. Or is it all a ruse to get Malcolm right where Chesterfield wants him? Hmm. I’m going to bet that it’s the first option, and that Chesterfield will manage to get out alive, leaving a possibility of trouble for Grace afterwards. Just a guess. Sure enough, the Captain and Malcolm duke it out hard before Chesterfield beats him near to death, only stopping when Father Coffin (Christian McKay) interrupts. Together again, Sokanon and Michael try to figure out what to do. He wants to be loyal to Harp, but not to let him go it alone, even if Sokanon agreed to leave him be. Michael heads out and finds his friend in the woods, determined to help. Simultaneous, we see Grant walk with Benton, as he worked it out with Declan. They talk business, as the Lord is unsuspecting of what’s just around the corner, figuratively and literally. Benton: “You have stones, Mr. Grant. But if you think I won‘t cut them off and feed them to the ravens, you‘re wrong.” Grant goes on to let Benton and his redcoats know Declan is in the woods nearby, waiting to kill him. A fight breaks loose, and once Benton calls for Michael to be killed, Declan chooses to save him. Landing right in the hands of Pond, Grant, and Benton, as Michael gets away. Although things aren’t sitting well with Grant and Benton, they’re still not on the same side. The Lord reluctantly lets him and Pond leave, no punishment, but the relationship’s not merry. Down in the dungeon, Harp is chained to the floor, captured like déjà vu.

While Michael must leave Clenna behind, he goes on with Sokanon and Grace – as well as Imogen (Diana Bentley) and Mary (Breanne Hill) – to enact a plan to spring Declan free. It involves gunpowder, if you couldn’t have guessed! Oh yes. And they’d better get moving. Harp is brought out to a stage, fitted with a noose round his neck, a crowd and Benton watching on. A fire is lit. An explosion flames from the woods. Guns go off. Declan is dropped from the platform and hung by the neck, but frees his hands to break the noose. Benton tries to shoot at him and Father Coffin takes a bullet. In a climactic moment, Michael shoots Benton before he can fire on Declan. When Chesterfield tries shooting at him, he’s already gone. Out in the hills by the ocean, Harp crawls, bloody, freezing. He passes out, alone in the wilderness. Will he survive? Will someone find him? We’ll have to wait and see.

What a finale! Wow, was it ever wild. The cliffhanger ending is exciting because really, even if there weren’t already a Season 2 in production (it’s being shot here in Newfoundland currently), this could end on an interesting note. But there’s more coming. And I, for one, cannot wait. I’ll have to, though. At least we can watch these over again, drink in the nicely captured period setting, locations, and the great cinematography. I have to say, the acting was damn good, for the most part, too. A satisfying Season 1 for Frontier.

Frontier – Season 1, Episode 6: “The Croaking Raven” Discovery Canada's Frontier Season 1, Episode 6: "The Croaking Raven" Directed by Ken Girotti…

[fathersonholygore]

Discovery Canada’s Frontier Season 1, Episode 4: “Wolves” Directed by Kelly Makin Written by Greg Nelson

* For a review of the previous episode, “Mushkegowuk Esquewu” – click here * For a review of the next episode, “The Disciple” – click here We start this episode in James Bay. Two redcoats spot a ship heading for land. Lord Benton (Antun Armstrong) and Captain Chesterfield (Evan Jonigkeit) have a chat about dealing with the tribes; or, well, how they’ll dispatch of them. When they hear of a company ship approaching, they wonder exactly what’s going on. Hmm. Trouble abound? Declan Harp (Jason Momoa), Dimanche (WiLlliam Belleau), Michael Smyth (Landon Liboiron) and Sokanon (Jessica Matten) are cast out into the woods, no longer in the good graces of the Lake Walkers, specifically the new Okimaw, Machk (Raoul Trujillo). For his part, Harp feels they need to go their own way, take on Benton with their strengths and a bit of surprise. There’s a lot tension between Dimanche and Harp, the former not wanting to follow the latter; he leaves telling Declan: “I‘m taking the men with me.” Truly on their own now. In Montreal, Douglas Brown (Allan Hawco) goes to see Samuel Grant (Shawn Doyle). Although he only gets to meet with the murderous Cobbs Pond (Greg Bryk). He makes clear this is how business will be going, they’ll take what they want. Furthermore, Pond tells Douglas about his brother Malcolm (Michael Patric), what Cedric pulled involving Kitchi and the Lake Walkers. One thing I know: don’t fuck with Mr. Pond. Captain Benedict Johnson comes off the ship into James Bay, meeting Chesterfield, who tries to get information out of the man. But Johnson only wants to meet Benton. There’s going to be some trouble here, definitely. They head on into Fort James, to the Ale House of Grace Emberly (Zoe Boyle). Chesterfield ingratiates himself to Johnson and his men, trying to keep an eye on him.

Out in the woods, Declan tries to figure out whether he can trust Michael. The young man says he can indeed. Harp obviously sees something in Michael, a spirit of fighting; something the Irish know all about. Will these two stay on the same side? Or, will they end up against one another? For the time being, Harp sends Sokanon and Michael off on their own little quest, as he pushes forward by himself. Captain Johnson is brought to the table of Benton, as the two and Chesterfield sit for a meal of caribou. Turns out that Lord Fisher back in London is wondering what “strides” Benton has made all around. We start to hear more about “a proper Christian example” that London hopes is being set in Fort James. Ah, yes, the spread of Christianity. Like a god damn plague. But worse, we hear that Johnson’s brought Clenna Dolan (Lyla Porter-Follows) to Benton; what’s he going to do with her? I worry. “Let‘s see if the sugar attracts any wasps,” the dastardly lord tells Chesterfield. Then there’s Father James Coffin (Christian McKay) – I keep trying to figure out his place in all this, what he’ll eventually come to do or mean in the grand scheme of things. Right now he’s merely a drunkard, worth a chuckle or two. At the back of the Ale House, Chesterfield goes to Grace for the company ledger, which she made changes to so they can protect themselves while slipping pelts out from under Benton’s nose. Grace claims Johnson is likely here to oust Benton, but Chesterfield’s too dangerous and greasy to let that go down. What Grace does is send Imogen (Diana Bentley) to lure Johnson back to the Ale House; they’re going to use his religious faith “against him.” Michael sees Clenna being brought through the woods, as he and Sokanon hide away. This sends him into a fit, heading off to find her. Clenna’s brought to the Governor’s house, where Benton acts brutally creepy. She worries, as one would, about what may be expected of her. You can already tell Benton will use Clenna to try bringing Michael in, and Declan too, he hopes.

Declan goes to meet Grace, she tells him of Captain Johnson’s arrival. He needs gunpowder, a bunch, to take on Benton and whatever the Hudson’s Bay Company throws at them. They talk a good deal, about when Harp lost his family and stayed at the Ale House, how long they’ve known each other. Then Michael arrives to find Declan, telling him about Clenna. He thinks Benton is going to punish her. Harp decides not to do anything just yet, though knows the young Irishman plans on going after the girl on his own. “Michael Smyth would die for you,” Sokanon tells her fearless leader before heading out, as well. Lots of things happening. Now, Grace is helping Harp with the gunpowder, so long as he clues her in on the plans. I hope she won’t betray him to Chesterfield; I don’t take her as that type, but you never, ever know. So Michael heads up after his lady. He locates her, asleep in bed. They reunite for the first time in a long time. A bit bittersweet with a hug and a slap from her. The young lovers are glad to be together again. Clenna doesn’t want to rush off right away, thinking they’ve got time to sit and have a wash and reminisce. Jesus, that’s not a good idea. But it’s because she is already being brainwashed by Benton, that Harp is a “savage” and all sorts of things. Michael leaves her there for now, heading back to his new friends, and Benton sees him go from the window. Uh oh. Douglas Brown goes to see Mrs. Elizabeth Carruthers (Katie McGrath), wife of the recently deceased at the hands of Cobbs Pond. Brown brings the lady word that Grant would like to speak with her. She’s not so willing to meet: “You tell your Mr. Grant if he wants my company he‘ll have to murder me, too.” Tough woman. I dig it.

Imogen can’t get Captain Johnson in her clutches for Grace, so she puts Mary (Breanne Hill) on the case. She goes for “virgin” rather than prostitute, hoping this will make the man more susceptible to their ruse. Mary does a good job, talking of her prayers, his faith, lots of that. She quickly makes an impression on Johnson. The lure’s been set. The Captain ends up in a room alone with Mary, as she tells him about naughty thoughts in her mind, to which he replies he understands “the flesh is tempting.” And this puts the man right where Grace wants him; compromised fully. The letter from Grace, by way of Jean-Marc Rivard (Paul Fauteux), gets to Grant in Montreal. Well, to Bond, anyways. Rivard talks of Harp as a “crazy person” and that he’s unpredictable to everyone else, which intrigues Bond. A corporal sent to speak with the Cree comes back burned to death, laid at the doorstep of Lord Benton and his men. Not only have the Lake Walkers fallen out with Harp, they’ve got a real fire in them against Benton, the Hudson’s Bay Company, anyone encroaching on their land. Meanwhile, Clenna goes to meet Michael, but she’s been lied to wildly by Benton, promising her so many things. Sadly the girl is afraid for her life, appropriately so, and she doesn’t want to follow Michael any further. Harp and Sokanon are about to leave when Michael gets back to them. They’re ready for action, as redcoats bear down on the Ale House. Then, a fight. Harp helps Michael get free, killing several men, before he’s arrested by himself.

Next episode is “The Disciple” and we’re about see some very intense emotions, fighting, and all out bloody madness. Let’s do this!

Frontier – Season 1, Episode 4: “Wolves” Discovery Canada's Frontier Season 1, Episode 4: "Wolves" Directed by Kelly Makin Written by Greg Nelson…