A wolf plays a role in an important decision by the settlers of Boonesborough. A vote for Taggart, who just bought two slaves, is a vote to officially legalize slavery; a vote for Daniel is to outlaw slavery and free the young men.
2 Reviews
Hungry (for a more substantial plot) like the wolf
militarymuseu-8839920 November 2022
Boonesborough encounters the slavery question as slaveholder Taggart (TV and film mainstay Kenneth Tobey ["Airplane!," 1980]) pushes the settlement to a referendum on the issue; interspersed is the appearance of long hunter and domesticated wolf owner Jarvis (character actor R. G. Armstrong ["Predator," 1987]. Wolf of the title is portrayed by a rather amenable dust-covered German Shepard.
What begins as a (historically far premature) attempt to introduce sectionalism and abolition quickly reverts to another around-the-fort episode; stock villain Taggart attempts to use Jarvis and his wolf to scare the voters his way. Notably and strangely for an episode that touches on slavery, African-American characters make a less-than-cameo showing. Action is typical for a DB fort episode; two mid-level tavern brawls, a hunting accident (caused in part by one of the few times Daniel is leading a horse) and Israel is conveniently inserted into the story.
Historically the hour is constructed on a foundation of sand The real Boone had no connection to the nascent abolitionist movement, in the 1780's barely getting off the ground in New England, and owned several slaves in Kentucky himself. For those looking for a chalkboard demonstration of how the sectional issue would evolve prior to 1860, the referendum is largely how Stephen Douglas wanted the slavery question handled - "popular sovereignty" votes in the new states and territories. In the long run of course he lost out to Abraham Lincoln's no-expansion hard line, which eventually evolved into constitutional eradication of slavery as an institution.
A reasonably soft comedown from the action-epic past three season 3 episodes, though Wolf's acting is the real highlight.
What begins as a (historically far premature) attempt to introduce sectionalism and abolition quickly reverts to another around-the-fort episode; stock villain Taggart attempts to use Jarvis and his wolf to scare the voters his way. Notably and strangely for an episode that touches on slavery, African-American characters make a less-than-cameo showing. Action is typical for a DB fort episode; two mid-level tavern brawls, a hunting accident (caused in part by one of the few times Daniel is leading a horse) and Israel is conveniently inserted into the story.
Historically the hour is constructed on a foundation of sand The real Boone had no connection to the nascent abolitionist movement, in the 1780's barely getting off the ground in New England, and owned several slaves in Kentucky himself. For those looking for a chalkboard demonstration of how the sectional issue would evolve prior to 1860, the referendum is largely how Stephen Douglas wanted the slavery question handled - "popular sovereignty" votes in the new states and territories. In the long run of course he lost out to Abraham Lincoln's no-expansion hard line, which eventually evolved into constitutional eradication of slavery as an institution.
A reasonably soft comedown from the action-epic past three season 3 episodes, though Wolf's acting is the real highlight.
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