THE ABDUCTION - season 2

[Kruemi]

Fortnightly discussion of a randomly chosen episode, Sep. 14th



The Abduction – season 2

(Can you imagine: after I drew the sheet out of my little yellow box, I stared at it, trying to decipher what I’ve written months ago. I actually needed the box of the second season and read all the episode titles – until I startled my cat when literally made a little jump, realizing I’ve drawn The Abduction. Huzzah!!!)
Well, then I’ve met the next dilemma though: I’ve watched many parts of the episode so often only recently, that I can barely make myself doing it again. Well, if you are interested in my interpretation of what happened with Michaela and Sully, it is the easiest when you read from here on:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4231918/12/Off_Course
These three chapters end with Michaela and Sully jumping down the cliff – afterwards not really much happened for them anymore (apart from the fact that I don’t understand why Michaela has to walk to the clinic although her feet were pretty injured. Plus I just adore their very last interaction with Sully having a rare moment of making something akin a joke. Love his line, “Couldn’t miss the birthday, now could we?” )
For those who don’t wanna read three chapters, here a short summary: I didn’t like Sully’s being angry at Michaela when she came to the reservation one day earlier. And he was angry, not concerned for Michaela's safety. At this moment he only cared for his Indian family (that actually did break the rules by hosting dog soldiers). Even Cloud Dancing realized that Michaela wasn’t to blame. Speaking of Cloud Dancing: I think that in this episode we saw the many facets he had: He refused to stop the dog soldiers when they shot the soldiers but stopped One Eye from killing Michaela. He said the village needs the support of the dog soldiers but forbade his son to join them. I think what moved me the most in this episode was that his son had to die so Cloud Dancing could live. Sigh.

Back to Michaela: I think she didn't have a choice but tell what happened when Custer showed up with the dog soldier who had her stethoscope. She could have easily called Sully for being her witness but she didn't reveal that he was there. I'm not sure if Custer would have let him get away if he had known...
Not to forget the Brian storyline. He wasn’t a kid that just insisted on getting his way but even did disgusting work like cleaning these spittoons ( ) so as to earn the horse. A huge thumbup for Brian .
Well, I know that a lot of people love this episode so I guess this small introduction will do for now. Looking forward to read from you!!!

[Jen]

Abduction! I have gathered new appreciation for the episode after I read your story, Kruemi. I haven't watched this episode for many, many months, though. I should, because I do like it.

What comes first in my mind is when the dog soldiers are ambushing Sully and Michaela. I remember the first time I saw it, I thought it was a really scary scene, because I couldn't predict what would happen next. :scary: I think Sully shouting after Michaela is so touching in a way. For once he couldn't do anything to save her, and obviously that made him terrified as well.

The famous jump. It's really such a great moment. I love it how they confess their love for each other, almost in a rush, but yet they still have time to look each other in the eye before they jump. I wish there had been more moments like this in the later seasons as well.

Maybe I should watching today to refresh my memory. As if I really need an excuse.

[Geertrui]

What a coincidence. I watched this episode last night! Cool!

I really love this episode and not only because of the honey and berries scene. I think it’s a perfect mix of suspense, action and romance. There are many scenes I like very much, lets’ see. For example when Sully takes care of Michaela’s foot. You can see his worried face and finally asks her of the Dog Soldiers has hurt her, but actually he doesn’t want to know that. Michaela seemed to know that Sully was near. I like that “spirit connection”.
And then one of my favourite quotes. While begging for attention and new indications in direction of Michaela, Sully said “ She's my heartsong”. It touched me deeply and it’s says so much more than a “I love you.”
This adventure is an important point in Michaela and Sully’s relationship which can be compared with where the heart is when they expressed their feelings, I think. They jumped together from a cliff but not before a "I love you", great scene!

The B-story is great as well. I love Brian and his hard work so he can earn that horse. He will do everything to get that horse. I like when he says: Run girl. Run.” while Hank runs in order to catch up the horse but finally failed. And when he keeps saying: “Let me try” towards Matthew.
I like Loren in this episode! He noticed that Brian is hurt because of Hank. That scene in the saloon at night is just brilliant. He claims that Brian would get over it. Loren replied that the prices of the stuff he would like to purchase are increased and says “You’ll get over it”. Loren teached him a lesson in keeping deals. I couldn’t do but laughing!

Btw I like all the beautiful views of the nature too.

[Gemma]

Can you imagine this is the episode they aired yesterday in People + Arts and they took out the honey and berries part???!!! I was mad! Was it censorship??? So I must watch again the whole episode to comment on it. I can't now because I've missed this crucial scene in the eppy.

[Amber]

Great story, Kruemi! I will have to come back and comment more on the eppy after I see it again...it has been awhile...

[Kruemi]

Originally Posted by Gemma

Can you imagine this is the episode they aired yesterday in People + Arts and they took out the honey and berries part???!!!

Why would they do somthing so stupid ???? That's the scene where the M&S relationship starts over!! And it's just a kiss, nothing offending or such (rolling my eyes)...

Thanks, Amber .

I wish everyone a lot of fun re-watching the epi!!!

[cooperkids]

Not a huge surprise that this is one of my favorite episodes too--for many of the reasons already mentioned. This is definitely where Michaela and Sully finally realize how much they mean to each other. Michaela had been hurt by Sully's actions in "Another Woman", and then after that they don't have any real time to focus on their relationship because they are too busy worrying over Matthew in "Luck of the Draw", helping Colleen deal with what happened with Tom Jennings in "Life and Death", and then the whole town is caught up in controversial issues in "Just One Lullaby" and "The First Circle".

Here, we see how Dr. Mike struggles with her desire to protect the Cheyenne versus telling the truth. Her position is not an enviable one and it is wrong of Sully to blame her for coming to the reservation early, especially considering that she has always been in support of fair treatment for the Indians.

I think the moment that Dr. Mike is abducted is when Sully finally realizes how dangerous the situation is for everyone. The stakes are now higher than they've ever been, for the Indians, the town, and Sully. I believe this is also the episode with a good exchange between the Reverend and Cloud Dancing, though I may be mistaken. I don't have this one on DVD, so I can't check. But if I'm right, this is really where the Reverend begins to see Cloud Dancing and the Indians in a different light.

I wanted to slap Hank through most of this episode, but when he comforts Brian (I hope this is the right episode ) he shows why he's hard to dislike for too long. Loren is great as always, sticking up for Brian the way he does.

This probably falls in my top 5 favorite episodes.

[Jen]

Yes, I think you're right, Cheryl. Isn't this the episode where The Reverend at first condemns all the indians who have been attacking the town and wants them to "burn in hell", if I remember correctly. But later, when he realises that the army have just taken women, children and old people as prisoners and are going to execute them without mercy, he sees that there's a difference between the dog soldiers and the peace-loving Cheyenne. I think he then asks Cloud Dancing if both of them could ask for their Gods for help so that this awful thing could be prevented. I really like that moment, and I too think that it's the beginning of the understanding between these two men. Thanks for reminding me about this, Cheryl! I had already forgotten.

[Geertrui]

Yep true!! That happened in this episode too. I like the conversations between the reverend and Cloud Dancing. It's good to see that they respected each other and their beliefs. It is also the episode in which Cloud Dancing loses his son, Walks on Cloud.

[lrsmith11]

I, too absolutely adore this eppy! I'm such a romantic at heart so the entire plot of Michaela being abducted and Sully having to find her is just so increadible. I love that they already have this tension left over in their relationship from Another Woman and then the tension starts anew with Michaela's mistake and Sully's anger over it. I sort of wish it had been brought out much more. (One of the benfits of getting to read someone's emotions as oppose to watching them I suppose). I think this is one of my favorite scripts to read on Lando's page because it has a lot of scenes that were cut or changed and they always mention what emotion the characters are suppose to be feeling. Like I said I love the romance, the H and B scene, the I love you, even the trust it took for Michaela to attempt to pull One Eye away from the group with only the hope of what sounded like Sully's call, but as with many Dr. Quinn there was an underlying meaning here. The Abduction, unlike any other points out how there is shades of grey in almost any situation.

Let's start first with the Dog Soldiers. When the DS are first mentioned it is the Portraits, Sully explains to Watkins that these men used to fight each other, but now they rely on each other for survivla. It's very poignantly used to point out how dire the Native AMerican situation has become and there is not negative conontations here. It's here, in the abduction that we are no longer presented with the good guy, bad guy scenarios. Like Black Kettle said There are good Indians and bad Indians, just like there are good white men and bad white men. Until now the CHeyenne were the wronged party that gained our sympathy, but it's these people (the dog soldiers) that kill relentlessly in the beginning and then kidnap. We can easily seperate DS from the rest of the Cheyenne, but in 19th century culture and indian was an indian, and this must have been doubly confusing for Brian and Colleen who saw the Cheyenne as their friends. There is interesting parallelism shown between the Cheyenne as the army's captives and Michaela as the DS. Neither is given comforts, food or drink. In fact it is the action of a third party- the children, Walks on Cloud- that offers the nourishment that is lacking in the form of water. It seems as though they are uniting the DS and the army as one in the same. Perhaps one is no better than the other.

With that said let's move on to Michaela's position in prt 1. We are taught since we are very young that lying is bad, but as Sully points out that lying saves the Cheyenne in this case. However as Michaela's lies save the Cheyenne it also destroys families' hopes like the widow who approaches them in a cafe. I've always been lead to be sympathetic for the soldiers who died because they honestly did nothing wrong (at that time at least) but would have killed had they not been killed. So what's the right answer? Should Michaela lie and save lives, or should she tell the truth and offer comfort to hurting family members. After all, she could relate to not knowing what became of your loved one. (oh, by the way when she covers for Sully, there is an interesting look he shoots her, if I remember correctly.)

Brian's situation in contrast offers a little more cut and dry image. Hank was wrong for not following up a bargain, but even then what's the definition of a 'profitable' businessman?

The more I think about it betrayal seems to be the underlying theme in all plots. Some betrayals are unintentional, Michaela's betrayal of the DS in the beginning. Some are bittersweet- Michaela's betrayal of the lie Sully wanted her to tell. Perhaps Sully even saw Michaela as betraying him, and yet Michaela could see no other way. I see both the DS and the army as betraying Michaela. The DS were angry, and the army refused to attempt to save her reasonably. Hank's betrayal of Brian is the only one that seems to be completely wrong. Is this perhaps alluding to how issues tend to be black and white when we're children? We see the straight problem and rarely get mixed into the uncertain fluff that surrounds the adult situation.

Ok, I'm so sorry that was so long winded! I hope I didn't ramble too much, I just couldn't stop.

[Lynn]

I love this episode, but I can't list all my observations here I would be writing a novel. Just a couple of observations. I always wonder how they filmed those scenes where Michaela was waling on bare feet on tht rough ground. I can't picture them really doing that to their star risking and infection etc. Did they have something on the bottom of her feet we couldn't see? I don't see how all scenes could have been a stunt woman. The scenes wher she fell and they pulled her I am sure was a stunt woman but others just didn't look possible. Besides there are scens when they forgot some of the fake blood on her feet even though it is there in scenes before and after.

Another thing I remember was an interview with the stunt people that did the jump. Jane and Joe ran up to the cliff and then leaped on a crash mat, but it was stunt people that did the jump into the water. They practiced on boxes. Joe's stunt man could wear some padding under his clotes, but Jane's stunt woman couldn't do to her costume.

[Lizzie]

The Abduction! Definitely one of my favourite episodes. I can remember the first time I saw it, and was literally glued to the screen with my eyes like this: ! (I like TV/movies that do that )

I agree, the desperation and intensity as Sully searches - it makes him (and us) realise just how strongly he feels about Michaela. And when they're reunited...

Originally Posted by lrsmith11

even the trust it took for Michaela to attempt to pull One Eye away from the group with only the hope of what sounded like Sully's call, but as with many Dr. Quinn there was an underlying meaning here. The Abduction, unlike any other points out how there is shades of grey in almost any situation.

I absolutely agree.

Originally Posted by lrsmith11

It seems as though they are uniting the DS and the army as one in the same. Perhaps one is no better than the other.

And in a sort of way, the two groups are actually very similar. Although the army were invading the Cheyenne land, some of the individual soldiers might not agree, or they might be ignorant; not realise the ramifications of what they're involved with. And I don't suppose it was possible to just leave the army either, even if they did. (That could be true in Could be the Dog Soldiers too.)

Originally Posted by cooperkids

Here, we see how Dr. Mike struggles with her desire to protect the Cheyenne versus telling the truth.

This is one of the most difficult questions people can be faced with I think. There are occasionally certain circumstances, like we see here, when lying or breaking the law is the morally best thing to do. But what exactly are those circumstances? And there is some wrong in doing the right? It's a balance; there is no black and white.

Is this the episode with "You're still my brother"? I find that extremely moving. Difficult, but it's powerful. And it's also great to see The Reverend and Cloud Dancing coming together, as cooperkids and Jen mentioned.

Originally Posted by Geertrui

I like Loren in this episode! He noticed that Brian is hurt because of Hank. That scene in the saloon at night is just brilliant. He claims that Brian would get over it. Loren replied that the prices of the stuff he would like to purchase are increased and says “You’ll get over it”. Loren teached him a lesson in keeping deals. I couldn’t do but laughing!

Ohh yes! Great moment of Loren's.

[lrsmith11]

Lynn I love the tidbit you have us about the stund doubles!

[Mervi]

Originally Posted by Lynn

I always wonder how they filmed those scenes where Michaela was waling on bare feet on tht rough ground. I can't picture them really doing that to their star risking and infection etc.

It's not that difficult to walk bare-feet on the ground. I do it every summer even in rough forest . I think there is no risk of infection as long as your skin is healthy (no wounds). Of course she propably wore something on her feet, I could imagine they have some tricks for doing this kind of shootings.

[lrsmith11]

Geertrui, I love your avatar and banner! Oh, it's so gorgeous. I love CD and Snow Bird.