“Keep Wearing the Pants in Family”

In The Lone Ranger episode “Man of the House,” Casper Dingle inherits his uncle’s ranch.  When he travels there, he falls in love with Maude, the woman running it in his uncle’s stead.  As he was raised in the city, he marries Maude and works inside the house, doing the cooking and cleaning, while she handles the running of the ranch.

"That was my favorite plate, Casper!"

Yet neither seems entirely happy with this arrangement, and when rustlers steal their cattle, Maude despairs that she married a mouse instead of a man.  Casper cowers beneath her glare, and apologizes for breaking the plate he dropped when she yelled at him.  Then she rides off with the ranch hands.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto, who have been on the trail of the rustlers, stop by the house.  Poor Casper, seeing the ranger’s mask, straps on a gun belt, but can’t even pull the gun out of the holster.  After the Lone Ranger assures him he intends him no harm, he tells Casper that he’s not really a coward: he’s just let everyone make him think he is.  

"Uh, Mr. Dingle, you'll do better if you open your eyes."

While Tonto tracks down the rustlers, the Lone Ranger teaches Casper to shoot.  But when Tonto’s horse returns rider-less, the lesson is over.

Tonto’s horse leads them to the hideout, and thanks to the Lone Ranger’s training, as well as his belief in him, Casper proves instrumental to capturing the rustlers.  The group return to the ranch, but Maude can’t believe her husband helped capture rustlers.  So he shoots her favorite teapot off the shelf on the wall to prove his marksmanship, as well as his willingness to defy her.  As Tonto leaves, he tells Casper, “You keep wearing the pants in family,” and Casper stares down Maude until she agrees to do all the cooking and cleaning from now on, while he minds the ranch.  As the Lone Ranger and Tonto ride away, Maude asks him the identity of masked stranger.  Casper replies, “Typical woman, you don’t know nothin.’  That was the Lone Ranger.”

Much has changed since this episode first aired, including gender roles and race relations.  It’ll be interesting to see how Hollywood transforms the sixty-year-old TV show into a blockbuster movie, with a high profile actor as Johnny Depp playing the role of Tonto, the sidekick.  In the meantime, I’m enjoying The Lone Ranger on COZI TV.  “Man of the House” struck me as unique, so I thought I’d share it with you.  I like how the Lone Ranger unlocked the power inside Casper that was ready to be released.  Sometimes that’s all any of us need: someone to believe in us, give us a little instruction, and accompany us a short distance along our new path through life. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must finish the laundry before my wife gets home.  Hi-yo Silver!  Away!

Dragon Dave

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Dr. McCoy and the Lone Ranger

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Watch "Man of the House" on Youtube

Watch all the trailers for the upcoming movie

John Hannah and Sherlock Holmes Play With Drugs

The movie, “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution,” portrays a Sherlock Holmes so befuddled by drugs that Watson is able to trick him into traveling to Austria, in order to be cured by the great Sigmund Freud.  The TV series “Elementary” takes a different look at the connection between Sherlock Holmes and drug usage.  Watson, a former surgeon, lives with him in New York City as a sober companion, forcing Holmes, fresh out of drug rehabilitation, to attend meetings for former addicts.  Of course, while he is learning to live without relying on drugs, Holmes also consults with the NYPD on their most perplexing cases.

In last week’s episode, “A Giant Gun, Filled With Drugs,” a former drug dealer, Rhys (pronounced “Reese,” and played by our good friend John Hannah, from "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor") shows up at Holmes’ apartment.  His daughter has been kidnapped, and Holmes immediately bursts into action, evaluating all available evidence.  Watson asks Rhys how he’s “keeping it together,” and Rhys says that he’s observed Holmes back in London.  He watched Holmes draw conclusions from seemingly random data at superhuman speed, and responds with a smile, “I believe in Sherlock Holmes.” 

Rhys is under a deadline to pay the ransom demand, and when complications ensue, he begins to question his unswerving faith.  He tells Holmes, “I’m proud of you.  It must be like trying to relearn the piano after a stroke, doing what you do, without the drugs.”  Holmes says “Ridiculous,” and asserts that he’s engaged in a deductive science.  “Drugs are a hindrance, not a help.”  But Rhys says that part of what Holmes does, making connections, involves the creative and artistic side of his brain.  “Some artists need the drugs to fuel the creative stuff,” he tells Holmes.  Rhys argues that some artists, such as rock musicians, have often produced their best work while under the influence.  

After a particularly troubling setback, Rhys offers Holmes cocaine.  Holmes, enraged, hurls Rhys into a chair.  “You’ve needed it these last two days,” Rhys tells him.  “Listen to the rubbish you’ve been spouting.  That’s not you; that’s not Sherlock Holmes.  This is some ghost of you, some pale imitation.  You need your meds, get yourself right.”  

There may be some truth to Rhys’ assertion.  Some drugs may temporarily boost a person’s creativity.  Sadly, in the long term, we also know that they damage the brain.  As Rhys suggests, some artists, after going sober, have found it difficult to equal the quality of their earlier, drug-influenced work.  Imagine what that must feel like, to listen or look at something you created, something you made, and wonder if you’ll ever achieve that level of performance or brilliance again.  Up until now, Holmes has steadfastly denied the necessity of Watson’s role in his life.  While forced to attend meetings for former addicts, he has refused to share his own experiences with drugs.  But at the end of the episode, he asks Watson if they can delay dinner so he can attend one such meeting.  He says that he wants to share his experience, saying off-hand, “Others may find inspiration in my abstinence.”

I’ve provided a link at the bottom, so you can watch the episode if you like.  For those who prefer not to, know that Holmes validates Rhys’ faith in him.  When Rhys tells Holmes, one last time, “I believe in ya,” he’s not saying he believes in The Man-Plus-Drugs.  This time, he really believes in Sherlock Holmes.

Believe in yourself.

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links

Watch “A Giant Gun, Filled With Drugs”

"Elementary" airs on CBS on Thursday evenings.  I'll be watching tonight's episode.  How about you?