‘That Dirty Black Bag’ Recap – ‘Chapter Four: Genesis’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘That Dirty Black Bag’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Getting to know fictional characters, is just as important as getting to know regular people. Simply because, it helps us to really understand what’s at stake in a particular story and why the character in question is the way that they are and well, the best stories out there… make a point to fill us in on the backstories of the individuals we are reading about or watching on the screen. So, we truly become invested in the story and the character’s plight and this particular part of quality storytelling is top of mind today, simply because the next episode of That Dirty Black Bag on AMC+ took the time to explore the history of two key characters, Sheriff McCoy and Red Bill. 
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Because while they are fascinating characters, we simply don’t know what made Red Bill the quality bounty hunter he is in this story and why McCoy is such a shady law enforcement officer. But ‘Chapter Four: Genesis’ took the time to transport us back to the past, wherein we came to learn that Red Bill… went to a new home after his mother died at the hands of this strange Order of the Eye and he was not well in the years that followed her passing. For he experienced nightmares and never felt as though his new family was safe from trouble in the slightest and that motivated him to head into town and find the best possible bounty hunter to help keep this family safe, a man named James Anderson. 

Whom… was not quite as noble as Bill hoped, since he was a drunk and without manners. But when faced with adversity, courtesy of a roving band of gents that pulled guns on Bill and his new family, the two began to bond and Bill began to understand that perhaps, Anderson could teach him how to really hunt people down and inflict harm. All in the hopes of exacting revenge on the man that killed his mother and well, eventually he and James teamed up and headed off into the world, wherein Bill became the man he is today. Making his story a bit of a tragedy since he’s been consumed by revenge from a very early age, but at least we now understand how he came to be so skilled and how deep his vendetta runs. 

As for McCoy, well his story informed us of the fact… that he acts like a criminal because… he was a criminal. For Arthur McCoy was once hired to steal to a rare cross back in the day with his brother and their gang and that uh… that went badly. For when hunger settled in and mistakes were made along the way, these men were forced to head out on foot and things only got darker from there. Since murder and cannibalism came into play and the numbers dwindled as McCoy’s big brother made his play to keep the entire fortune and eventually… the two were separated at an oasis. Which means that McCoy likely stumbled his way toward Greenvale and assumed a new life to escape his old and his brother… might still be out there and that’s quite the big deal.

For he just happened to have a giant bowie knife with an eye on it, making it appear as though he gave the infamous scars that have haunted so many and likely killed Red Bill’s mother and well… if big brother ever makes his way to Greenvale… a showdown for the ages might occur since Bill and McCoy are headed that way. But while we wait to see what comes out of that revelation… we can bask in the majesty of one quality tale. One that really informed us of the tragic paths that motivated the present-day versions of these men and what they want out of life and now that we know their motivations and foundations, it will be fascinating to see how all of that comes together in the weeks to come, as trouble and conflict arrive in Greenvale. Until next time.  

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