Return to Devil's Hole

It's been a while since posting in this forum!

To review, a quick list of the plot types:
--Overcoming the Monster
--Rags to Riches
--The Quest
--Voyage and Return
--Comedy
--Tragedy
--Rebirth
Descriptions of each type can be found in the discussion about the Pilot.

This episode, like many others I think, doesn't really have one dominant plot type but rather has scenes which conform to several of the types listed above:

Perhaps the idea of Overcoming the Monster could be stretched to the point of seeing it as Heyes has to struggle to convince Big Jim to give up his plan that he spent seven years devising. Also, Clara tries to prevail over the outlaws to accomplish her goal.

Rags to Riches could, conceivably, be viewed as Heyes being known as an outlaw but no longer having the status of being the leader of the DHG and no longer enjoying the success that came with his involvement with the outlaw gang and now being a nobody, in terms of material wealth but actually being somebody with a great deal of wisdom since he knows the path Big Jim is on will only lead to disappointment, if not something even worse.

I think it's pretty obvious that Clara is on a Quest--to find a man who done her--or her daughter--wrong. Or so she says. She certainly encounters problems along the way to achieving her goal.

The return of Heyes to Devil's Hole certainly fits with the Voyage and Return plot type. He's going back to the scen of a previous life and, while at Devil's Hole, realizes even more why he (and the Kid) left that life. And the end scene shows us his departure again.

Using the definition of Comedy as given in the other post, again, I believe this applies to Big Jim: He finds himself in a state of confusion over a) his feelings for Clara and b) his feelings of loyalty to the men he summoned to the Hole to implement his grand robbery, only to find himself ultimately swayed by Heyes--though not without some angst on his (big Jim's) part--to give up his plan.

I think Rebirth is manifested in Big Jim. Clara's love and Heyes' reasoning both influence him and he becomes a new man. And Heyes, I think, is newly determined, after seeing what conditions are like at Devil's Hole, to pursue the amnesty with his partner.

I don't see any examples of Tragedy, according to the definitions provided, in this episode.

Do you agree? Disagree? Have different ideas/thoughts? I'd love to hear comments!

First off, thank you for contributing to this thread, RosieAnnie!

I agree with almost eveything you say. I do feel that the Rags to Riches theme in this episode takes a metaphoric form rather than a literal one, in that the riches the characters obtain are not actually in monetary form. I really like your thoughts on Overcoming the Monster, especially when you say the other gang members do not manage to overcome the monster--that's a nice contrast you pointed out.

As for Comedy, your comment was funny in itself! I like your interpretation of Tragedy, although I do think the script has a lot of good things in it. But not anything that has to do with Clara--I not at all fond of her and my estimation of Big Jim is lowered when he, inexplicably to me, falls so quickly and completely for her. On the other hand, maybe Clara can be seen as Big Jim's Quest: After he and Heyes talk, he clearly ponders Heyes' reasoning for giving up the outlaw life and maybe he subconsciously starts searching for something else to challenge him and the obvious solution to his problem is Clara--how can he unlock her??? So, he goes on a quest to find out.