Completely worth watching and more than once!
This is a well-researched portrayal of the period & includes actual events that took place in the mid 18th century Hudson Valley in many episodes. Music is engaging and the lighting is excellent, with some fort interiors looking like oil paintings.
Lee Horsley created a character different from others he has played: no western accent, slower pace, different walk. Carried the wardrobe, including items hanging from his neck, waist, shoulders, legs with ease as though they had always been part of his life without being a distraction or a burden. Expert with the weapons and tools of the period, he handled them with grace & respect due items that made the difference between life & death. Picked them up & put them down without clunking & finished the movements. Didn't throw anything away. Of course he's known to be an expert horseman & in this series as in others, he rode, mounted & dismounted seamlessly.
Mr. Horsley also handled the physicality of the part with great commitment. Don't know how much of it he actually did, but from what can be seen of him, he didn't seem to pull any punches; the fighting, wrestling, falling and tossing about on the ground looked full-throttle and without fear of close contact. He also had a good relationship with the ground itself, as someone living in the forest would.
He showed a wonderful sensitivity to the period and even had follow through in his speaking, often communicating most profoundly when the dialogue was finished. As long as the camera stayed on him after his lines were spoken, he continued the emotional tension, so the viewer keeps feeling what he's feeling. Really well done!
Truly enjoyed Rodney Grant's performance. Seemed to have great chemistry with everyone and I believed everything he said. In fact, all the American Indian actors were wonderful, completely credible and grounded the whole project.
Lynda Carter, beautiful as ever, brought all the threads together and set the stage for what was to come in her thoughtful voice over narrations at the end of most episodes. Appreciated her acting with other females in a warm & natural way. Didn't upstage anyone or display any arrogance that often betrays & diminishes physical beauty.
Garwin Sanford had a ton of dialogue & he made it engaging to hear. Created a consistent character with a smirk and an aloof shuffle. Happily, it wasn't a caricature since the arrogance was interrupted once in a while with a bit of humanity.
Duncan Fraser as Col. Munro was terrific and legitimized the activities of the fort by being seriously British but not overbearing.
Lochlyn Munro & Jed Rees as well as other recurring characters provided dimension as to comedy, diversity and some picture of everyday life in 1755.
The themes of equity, justice, friendship, freedom, commitment and others were dealt with in this series. So sorry that it was not extended, as it would not only have become more entertaining, but also more enlightening as to life in that make-or-break time period in American history.
And one final thought: the character of Hawkeye is of course one of legend. He's honest, strong, committed, sensitive, brave, reasonable, sometimes fierce and sometimes even poetic. To portray such a character requires honesty. There's nowhere to hide. Thanks to Lee Horsley for making him real.
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