The war for Lincoln County in Billy the Kid Season 2, Episode 6 erupts with a frenzy of gunfights and heated exchanges, illustrating the administrative chaos that war often entails. The "Plea" episode delves into this turmoil, with so much bickering and back-and-forth that one might wish for a more straightforward resolution.
While it's easy to be cynical about the episode's meandering narrative, it's undeniably well-crafted. The tension is palpable, the dynamics are perilous, and the shootouts, when they do occur, are expertly orchestrated. This build-up of anticipatory energy is intentional; you know what's coming, and the only question left is who will survive and which side everyone will take when the bullets start flying.
Let's break it down: In the blue corner, we have Billy the Kid and the Regulators, with a significant contingent of Mexican support, and in the red corner, we have the House, the Santa Fe Ring, and Sheriff Pat Garrett (who serves as an extension of the previous two). As of "The Plea," we also have the military in the middle. Their job is to keep the peace, but since that's a lost cause, we're left wondering which side they'll ultimately take. This is one of the major questions hanging over the final few episodes of Season 2.
Even Pat seems caught in the middle. He has an existing relationship with Billy, he's being leaned on by the villains, and he clearly has some lingering sense of morality. But self-preservation usually overrides that, and if Pat spends too long trying to decide who's right, he'll end up having the decision made for him.
If history is any guide, we know what Pat will choose. But with artistic license being what it is, we can never quite be sure. The structure of Billy the Kid Season 2, Episode 6 is straightforward enough to understand: Emboldened by the events of the previous episode, Billy and the Regulators, with now-enthusiastic support from Dulcinea, decide to take over Lincoln bit by bit, capturing key locations and setting up a headquarters in McSween's house. At the same time, Pat and his overlords attempt to repel them, both with violence and by petitioning Colonel Dudley for assistance from the neutral U.S. Army. This sets off several gunfights as hired guns and corrupt local lawmen attempt (unsuccessfully) to stave off Billy's advances, as well as multiple negotiations as both sides try to sway key players to their cause. By the end of the episode, little has fundamentally changed – it's still a standoff, but both sides are a bit more depleted than when they started.
