Now it can be told: The Secret Origin of Paladin!
Or is it? I recommend we NOT take "Genesis" as the gospel truth about the beginnings of our hero.
Remember that Paladin spins this story--actually an allegory--to young Mr. Jefferson as a cautionary tale. It has a storybook quality to it, with characters named Smoke, Norge, and Paladin. Think of dragons (smoke), Vikings (Norge is simply the Norwegian word for Norway), and a Paladin (a knight in shining armor). This is all alluded to in the story, with Smoke christening our hero "Paladin" and referring to himself as a dragon. It was he who was keeping the townspeople safe from the marauding Viking plunderer, Norge, who claimed to own everything in the town (a claim which in itself is fantastical).
The story stirred up memories of the 14th century Arthurian romance "Gawain and the Green Knight," in which young, impetuous Gawain agrees to fight the monstrous Green Knight. Before that climactic battle, however, Gawain has to undergo a series of tests, similar to the ordeals which Smoke subjects young, impetuous Paladin. As the climax approaches, each hero suffers a lack of confidence and hedges his bets, with Gawain wearing a charmed silk girdle and Paladin creating a smoke screen. At the end, Gawain is prepared to be decapitated, but suffers only a token, humbling nick to the neck, just like Paladin suffered only a slight wound to his left arm.
The parallels are by no means perfect, but there are enough of them to where I suspected the writer of drawing upon the Pearl Poet's masterpiece. King Arthur, chivalry, and knights errant are all things the series alludes to and evokes, so why not?
The story is also too surreal to be taken seriously as the historical origin of Paladin. Paladin kills Smoke, then attends his funeral, and nary a soul in the town rises against him, or even seeks to arrest him? The high blown and lofty rhetoric of the minister (who will protect us now that Smoke is gone? We will never forget Smoke and the man who killed him) is akin to the legends the minstrels would create in a hero's wake. Couple that with the scene of Paladin and his horse atop the rocky crag warning Norge to go no farther. It's ridiculous if you try to take it as anything but a storybook ending. The worm's eye view and Boone's mugging heroically for the camera as the flashback ends indicates this is a fantasy.
Another strange element that sure was cool but which stretched credulity was Paladin's adopting Smoke's distinctive black outfit and even the holster with the paladin chess piece on it. Now why did Smoke have a paladin on his holster? Did Smoke belong to an order of knights like the Green Lantern Corp. that are duty bound to take up the mantle and the fight when a fellow member falls?
Once again, Paladin was using this story to teach a lesson and to point Jefferson towards a better path in life. I don't think he was waxing autobiographical. But that doesn't detract from what is an outstanding episode and strong start to the series' final season. I especially enjoyed seeing Boone playing a dual role (with Smoke being a faint foreshadowing of HEC RAMSEY, still a decade away). William Conrad was also excellent on both sides of the camera. James Mitchum sure lucked out to make his debut in this episode.
Fact or fiction? Before answering, consider again the key roles played in the story by smoke and mirrors.
Or is it? I recommend we NOT take "Genesis" as the gospel truth about the beginnings of our hero.
Remember that Paladin spins this story--actually an allegory--to young Mr. Jefferson as a cautionary tale. It has a storybook quality to it, with characters named Smoke, Norge, and Paladin. Think of dragons (smoke), Vikings (Norge is simply the Norwegian word for Norway), and a Paladin (a knight in shining armor). This is all alluded to in the story, with Smoke christening our hero "Paladin" and referring to himself as a dragon. It was he who was keeping the townspeople safe from the marauding Viking plunderer, Norge, who claimed to own everything in the town (a claim which in itself is fantastical).
The story stirred up memories of the 14th century Arthurian romance "Gawain and the Green Knight," in which young, impetuous Gawain agrees to fight the monstrous Green Knight. Before that climactic battle, however, Gawain has to undergo a series of tests, similar to the ordeals which Smoke subjects young, impetuous Paladin. As the climax approaches, each hero suffers a lack of confidence and hedges his bets, with Gawain wearing a charmed silk girdle and Paladin creating a smoke screen. At the end, Gawain is prepared to be decapitated, but suffers only a token, humbling nick to the neck, just like Paladin suffered only a slight wound to his left arm.
The parallels are by no means perfect, but there are enough of them to where I suspected the writer of drawing upon the Pearl Poet's masterpiece. King Arthur, chivalry, and knights errant are all things the series alludes to and evokes, so why not?
The story is also too surreal to be taken seriously as the historical origin of Paladin. Paladin kills Smoke, then attends his funeral, and nary a soul in the town rises against him, or even seeks to arrest him? The high blown and lofty rhetoric of the minister (who will protect us now that Smoke is gone? We will never forget Smoke and the man who killed him) is akin to the legends the minstrels would create in a hero's wake. Couple that with the scene of Paladin and his horse atop the rocky crag warning Norge to go no farther. It's ridiculous if you try to take it as anything but a storybook ending. The worm's eye view and Boone's mugging heroically for the camera as the flashback ends indicates this is a fantasy.
Another strange element that sure was cool but which stretched credulity was Paladin's adopting Smoke's distinctive black outfit and even the holster with the paladin chess piece on it. Now why did Smoke have a paladin on his holster? Did Smoke belong to an order of knights like the Green Lantern Corp. that are duty bound to take up the mantle and the fight when a fellow member falls?
Once again, Paladin was using this story to teach a lesson and to point Jefferson towards a better path in life. I don't think he was waxing autobiographical. But that doesn't detract from what is an outstanding episode and strong start to the series' final season. I especially enjoyed seeing Boone playing a dual role (with Smoke being a faint foreshadowing of HEC RAMSEY, still a decade away). William Conrad was also excellent on both sides of the camera. James Mitchum sure lucked out to make his debut in this episode.
Fact or fiction? Before answering, consider again the key roles played in the story by smoke and mirrors.
