‘That Dirty Black Bag’ Recap – ‘Chapter Two: Prisoner’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘That Dirty Black Bag’. To revisit the series premiere, click here.
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When we last settled in to discuss the fascinating AMC+ series, That Dirty Black Bag, we talked at length about how the show’s raw violence and underlying savagery… served as quite the surprise. Since so many Westerns, even in this era of storytelling, work hard to romanticize Manifest Destiny and this era, and work just as hard to make it look appealing… when the old west was quite the opposite and was instead quite wild and scary. But this show's series premiere held nothing back regarding the true nature of the wild west, and it was so deeply engrained within the fabric and vibe of the story, that it absolutely left the audience wondering… if this series was going to continue to assault our senses with visceral moments and imagery week in and week out.

Well as it turns out, the next episode in this unique saga, wasted no time in informing us of the fact… that it would actually give the audience a bit of a break from the horrors of the wild west now and again. For ‘Chapter Two: Prisoner’ slowed things down quite a bit and tossed most of the darkness aside, in order to explore a couple of key storylines involving some of the characters that didn’t get their due in the premiere. For instance, Steve’s firm belief that he could somehow make this farm function and give his family a better life in doing so, allowed for us to come to learn that his wife is miserable here and wants him to fail so she can escape the west. A twist that quite frankly, really helps us to understand just how rough life was out there on the frontier and it how it could have taken its toll on so many psychologically. 

Yet on the flip side of that, Eve’s journey in this tale… spent a lot of time exploring the power of the frontier. Because Eve was quite bold in this tale, and eager to really empower her ladies and help them to understand that while their work was viewed in a negative light and made them objects of fantasy and desire, twenty-four-seven, they were in fact… free. Free from having to answer to anyone and free from being told how to live their lives. To the point where they could happily turn down silly marriage proposals from men that indulged too far in the fantasy and where they could just leave the world behind for a day and enjoy life as they pleased and well, this was just fascinating to see and refreshing since women in Eve’s position in these types of stories are usually full of malaise and sorrow and lament instead of independence, and it was just amazing to see Eve embrace her power and yield it often, regardless of the friction it may sometimes cause.

However, while it was nice to see the duality of the wild west on display in this tale, there was mention that the dark stuff was still present in this tale and it makes sense as to why. After all, not injecting some of the darkness into the mix would have been a grave mistake, since that is a staple of this story and Red Bill’s harrowing journey in this tale, handled that. Since Butler’s desire to keep him, prisoner allowed for Bill to face his dark past and ponder upon why he kills, while Butler took the time to indulge in his darker attributes and reveal to the audience in the process, that serial killing was basically his trade and he was happy to indulge in it out here in the void, since no one would notice or ever challenge him regarding it. A reality that made it appear as though; Red Bill would die in this tale. But thankfully, McCoy wanted revenge and hunted Bill to this farm and once Butler was dealt with, Bill was saved and on his way to a cell.

As to whether or not that is a happy ending for Red Bill, is of course, up for debate. Since we know McCoy is as ruthless as they come. But a cell and bread and water does beat hanging upside down in a serial killer’s kill shed, so for now… Bill will likely accept the tradeoff. But all of that aside, make no mistake about it, this was another quality episode for certain. One that really did a phenomenal job of exploring the wonder and horror of the wild west in a genuinely compelling manner, since it was just incredible to see Steve’s wife work behind his back to be free and to see someone really enjoy the freedom this place provides, and the unique nature of this story, once again leaves us wondering, exactly which path the next episode will take. Since clearly… the freedom of the wild west creates untold freedom for a story that is eager to provide us with a memorable Western unlike any that has come before it. Until next time.

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