‘That Dirty Black Bag’ Recap – ‘Chapter Eight: The Great Duel’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season finale of ‘That Dirty Black Bag’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve talked at length about how the AMC+ series, That Dirty Black Bag has managed to more or less reinvent the Spaghetti Western. A feat it has made possible, by taking the time to offer up a no holds barred look at the wild west, and how violent and terrifying a time that was during American History and how difficult life was back then. But while that has led to some supremely refreshing and original stories, the kind that also allowed for us to be privy to some stunning moments along the way… it is definitely safe to say that the looming showdown between Marco and Red Bill and Bronson that was set up last week… has left us wondering if the series would be able to maintain such originality.
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After all, there are some aspects of the spaghetti western that are almost unavoidable from a cliché standpoint, and the final showdown is one of them. Since you always have the villain and the hero square off an in an epic and costly gunfight that costs the protagonist more than they were willing to pay. But believe it or not, this series figured out a way to once again shake things up and offer a finale that was original and fascinating in nature, and ‘Chapter Eight: The Great Duel’ accomplished that… by offering up different kinds of showdowns in this tale. For instance, this is a story that finally saw Steve and Thompson square off over Steve’s land. Because Thompson went all out to get his hands on it and the gold that it harbored and that led to a harrowing back and forth inside Steve’s home. Where he was so afraid for his family’s life… he signed over his land.

Once he did, he took Thompson over to the mine and showed him the incredibly rich ore that lay within its structure. A move that showed Steve, just how little, people or anything else mattered to Thompson. It was just about gold for him and nothing more and the joy he expressed over finally having the motherlode and the disregard he had for human life in getting his hands on it… allowed for something to snap within Steve. In fact, all he saw was red over Thompson’s behavior and that in turn, motivated him to cave his rival’s skull in with a rock filled with gold. Giving rise to a brutal and swift, and unique, showdown between these two men. One that Steve’s wife believed was justified through and through, but his son… well he was stunned at this and ran into the desert out of shock… and that… would tie into the other important and unique showdown in this tale.

For while Steve was dealing with that mess, Marco and Red Bill were making their way back to the rendezvous to deal with the last of Bronson’s thugs. A move that brought about a bloody end to Bronson’s gang, and some wounds for Bill and McCoy and it also led to the great duel in question. Because in the midst of the first gunfight, Red Bill came to learn that McCoy was there the night his mother died and since he vowed revenge against all who caused her harm… he was forced to break the alliance and turn upon McCoy. That brought about an ugly wound for Bill and the end of the line for McCoy and had it not been for Steve and his son, there was a fair chance that Red Bill’s vendetta would have ended right there. But he survived and he healed and that was a brilliant way in which to bring this season to a close.

Because it truly surprised us through and through, by making the grand fight in question be between unexpected agents. For we thought Bronson and Bill would duke it out instead, but alas… that wasn’t the case and oddly enough, Red Bill’s decision to clean house here, set the stage for a better battle with Bronson down the line. For he found Marco’s body and was shattered over the reality that his brother was gone, and now both men have taken something from one another and there are juicy stakes at play for both of them and well… that should bring about an epic second season of this series and hopefully we get that. To see Bronson and Bill play a deadly and intense cat and mouse game, and to see where this Order of the Eye story goes, and most important of all… to enjoy more of the most original and refreshing Spaghetti Western to hit the airwaves in years.

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