I was aware of the existence of this ever since it aired decades ago. But I wasn’t really sure what it was or who was in it. (I thought it starred someone other than Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, like Sam Elliott or somebody. I was not super aware that it was a traditional western despite thinking Sam Elliott or someone like that was in it.) I don’t even remember how it ended up on my list, though I suspect I looked up a list of “major miniseries” or something like that and here we are.

I have watched a lot of westerns in my life, though far fewer in recent years. I was, for a while, a western connoisseur. And I have strong feelings about westerns. It’s hard for someone like me to fully understand the acclaim this miniseries generated though I think I have some idea why. By the ’80s, the western was mostly dead as a cultural phenomenon. There was the odd Clint Eastwood film (actually only one, Pale Rider) and the minor hit Silverado (also starring Danny Glover, just like this). And that’s about it. So an event miniseries that was a western likely felt unique and likely appealed to multiple generations who had grown up with westerns and missed them.

But the other reason I think this got so much acclaim is the cast:

Robert Duvall was a major film star, though perhaps not quite as big a star in the ’80s as he was in the ’70s
Tommy Lee Jones was not the star he would soon become in the ’90s but he had won an Emmy and had at least appeared in some big films
Danny Glover was arguably a bigger movie star than either
As was Diane Lane.
There are lots of other names in this cast but the only other one who was relatively big in film was Anjelica Huston, who was arguably famous as much for being part of the Huston dynasty. The point being, this was TV but with movie stars. And though that may feel like a weird distinction to anyone who has grown up with “peak TV” it was pretty rare in 1989 in the US. I think this cast plus the high production values overawed a lot of critics as much as the “Oh wow an event western” did.

I mention all of this because this is a pretty traditional western than adds very little, if anything, to the western as a genre. In its focus on two retired Texas Rangers, it’s a little less conventional than some westerns, except that gunfighters past their prime had become a fairly prominent theme in westerns back in the 1960s. There’s a slightly modern vibe to it that feels completely dated to the late ’80s even though they probably thought it was quite progressive. To wit: we learn that a black man is just as good as a white man, perhaps better. Aww. (There are some other minor morals that feel dated.) There are a few plot points and characterizations that feel unconventional for traditional westerns but the problem is that revisionist westerns had been made for decades already and this isn’t exploring any new territory. (The plot deviations from the conventional narrative involve pretty major spoilers.)

The casting is kind of mystifying too, given Forrest is playing someone who is supposed to be part indigenous and part Mexican, and the age differences between the major cast members are just bonkers. Look them up! They range from Lane at 24 to Duvall at 58. Lane is supposed to young and Duvall is supposed to be retired but others are supposed to be similar in age to Duvall and are absolutely not. Speaking of Lane and Duvall, that’s a relationship. I’m sure things were different in the 19th century but 34 years still feels like a lot.

The plot relies on numerous chance meetings that feel contrived. I’m not sure McMurtry fully appreciates how large this area is when you don’t have a car. Maybe that doesn’t feel fair, but every major character is constantly running into other major characters and without that I’m not sure how much of a plot there is. (Certainly there is no B story.) I’d care less about this if it was saying something new but it just feels like an old school western in new clothes more than it feels like a new spin on a classic genre.

But the production values are extremely high for a 1989 TV series. And, though I complained about the casting, the cast is obviously much better than your average 1989 TV series.

Behind the Scenes with Fuel Truck Guy

From a standpoint of a novice witness, to greatness, an art form of distinct impression upon our society (The Great American Western), and the epic adventure of a 24 year old traveling in company of the talented production cast & crew of LD, I remain to this day somewhat in awe of what transpired. Just lucky. In a word... blessed.

Happenstance chose me to be there, unioned as a Teamster, and tasked with the management responsibility of Make Up Trailer, Fuel Truck, and anything else a "go for" (lowest ranking man of driver crew) would undertake, usually in a rush with high priority. I knew everyone, taxiing actors to and from set to camp & back; airport, town, or wherever. And everyone knew me. You see, the guy with a couple hundred gallons of fuel is a guy everyone gets to know - especially when on location, the banks of the Rio Grande Texas 30 miles out from Del Rio, the mountains near Angel Fire NM, or several remote shooting locals from Austin to Sante Fe. Sometimes you just need 5 gallons to get back to civilization. And so it went. Meeting greats like Bobby Duval, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover, Anjelica Huston, Diane Lane, Steve Buscemi, Barry Corbin... and on and on it went with super heavy weight acting talent, well it was just another day for me, every day, 16, 17, 18 hour days, 6 days a week, for 16 weeks. What can I say? It was pinch yourself lucky. And the fact I was getting paid was something that literally made me laugh out loud to myself, and on more than one occasion. Sureal. Completely overwhelmed, unable to fathom or adjust really to the lucky strike I had somehow found myself neck deep, smack dab in the middle of. So, I did my best. Tried hard not to stare or intrude into any personal corner of a life when there was acting to be eloquently & expertly delivered. And yet, 16 weeks is a pretty decent span, & over time you just kinda get to know folks... even if they're legendary famous, they're still at the end of the day, just Guys, Gals, Dudes & Duddettes you work with. Everyone on this crew was class. Hard, hard working. I think that's why LD turned out to be so epic. It's the details. Every single little thing was pro. Attention to detail. And in the end, it showed. Some might say it still does. I know one thing for sure - if you'd have told me that 35 years later you could still find LD on Prime, or many other optional venues to sit down & watch the whole thing start to finish, again for the 30th time... I'm not sure I'd have believed you. But I'd definitely have smiled. : )

For me, here's a few highlights I simply can't forget, even now:

1) Robert Duval scene with Indian fight against a creek bank, "injured from arrows", and before hand seeing Make Up Crew use ketchup for blood simulation, I was skeptical & made it an effort to quitely sneak close enough to see Bobby act that scene. And then to see it on screen.. truly unforgettable. His depiction of pain & bravery through pain - unforgettable. No way to forget it once you see what was done in real time vs what it turned out to be on screen. Literally Magic. A master magician, actor of unparalleled skill & subtle technique, body language, & voice & aura inflection. Simply put - unforgettable. Lucky to witness.

2) I'm so thankful that Big Jim & myself did not burn the entire southern Texas border north from the Rio Grande. Rick Schroeder had given us a havelana, shot with his bow on Moody Ranch. When I pulled up to the camp fire pit where we were barbecuing it (in the Fuel Truck carrying 220 gal of gas & 220 gal of diesel), being a southern boy from Kentucky, I really didn't think it a big deal when Jim turned around after briefly speaking with me, saw the fire outside the rock perimeter of the pit... and preceeded to Freak The H Out. If someone (I'm thinking it was Jim, but don't remember) hadn't had sense to sprint over to the water truck & drive through the thick mesquite spraying the fire out, well, let's try not to think about it. 2 acres burned in what seemed like 2 minutes & beating that fire just spread it more. Again... lucky. Very lucky.

3) Tossing a football around between shoots with Danny Glover. Danny is great actor. C- passer. B+ pass catcher. But gent through & through & that's bank. Super down to earth dude.

4) Taking Laso lessons on a hay bail from Barry Corbin between shots. Another great. Very underrated actor imo. Class dude. Give you the shirt off his back.

5) Seeing snow fall so hard it dusted the ground white - ON MAY 27TH near Angel Fire, NM.

6) Topping a hill on NM state hwy at sunset to view the town of Taos for the 1st time. I had to pull over. I prayed & gave thanks. Absolutely beautiful.

I could go on. But there you go. A behind the scenes perspective from the Fuel Truck guy just happy to be a small part of Epic.

👊 🇺🇸

I'm biased. But I give LD 5 outta 5 stars. I rank it with the top American Westerns ever made alongside True Grit, High Plains Drifter, Appaloosa, Silverado, or fill in the blank with your top picks... it has stood the test... of time.