As soon as it was revealed that Billy the Kid had miraculously survived the fate that claimed his life in reality, it was crystal clear where the narrative of MGM+'s surprise hit was headed in its third season. However, the contentious happy ending concocted in Episode 8, "The Redeemed," is difficult to embrace, as it amounts to nothing more than a fantastical wish fulfillment. Surviving his historical demise wasn't enough for Tom Blyth's Billy; he also had to set things right with Pat Garrett and bring down the Santa Fe Ring through Thomas Catron. Despite its implausibility, this is the hand we've been dealt, so let's delve into it with open minds.
Billy's final mission is a rollercoaster of hair-raising moments, an appropriate amount of action for a finale, and a couple of major character deaths that demand our attention. Without further ado, let's break it down.
Billy's sole remaining objective is to assassinate Thomas Catron to free Lincoln County from the grip of the Santa Fe Ring. But he has only a few living allies who can assist him in this endeavor. In Lincoln, he meets with Sam, who offers to introduce him to the individual who might provide him access to the most protected man in the state: Emily.
We all know that Emily is still reeling from her father's murder of her husband, so she surprisingly agrees to help Billy. Fortunately, Catron is about to embark on a propaganda tour with several stops, each of which will leave him vulnerable. She acquires the itinerary so that Billy can plan his attack.
What's most intriguing about this sequence is that it opens a window into the post-Kid American West, where Billy has become a folkloric character due, ironically, not just to his own exploits but Pat's exaggerated tales about them. We witness Emily not just learning about Billy's survival but also meeting the legend in the flesh, and we see Catron finally allowing himself to believe that Billy poses no threat to him. How ironic that the very man he once dismissed as a mere myth now stands as a formidable foe.
The penultimate episode's significant drama surrounding Billy and Jesse Evans' parting ways was a talking point, but the finale takes a u-turn, opting not to delve deeply into the explanation beyond Jesse's vague "family-first" rationale. This aspect of the script feels weak, as if the show wanted to have its cake and eat it with regards to the previous episode's fallout and the climactic events in this one.
Jesse's assistance in ironing out the details of the plan is commendable, but his efforts to maintain a low profile falter. He stumbles into the first brothel he encounters, and when the authorities later come around asking questions and show sketches of the former Regulators, the hooker Jesse spent time with is able to identify him. This revelation rattles Billy and Jesse's safehouse, forcing them to relocate. As a result, they miss their best opportunity to take down Catron.
Luckily, Emily has a plan B. By publicly getting involved in her father's campaign—something she has until now refused to do—she creates a distraction that allows Billy and Jesse to make their move. The only other thing she needs to do is ensure that the story Ash Upson wrote about the Rings sees the light of day, and her father will surely be brought down.
The plan unfolds as Emily takes center stage, allowing Billy and Jesse to stab their way into position. And then, in a very public assassination, Billy finally takes out Catron. However, in the ensuing gunfight, Jesse is mortally wounded and compels Billy to leave him behind so that he can die a martyr's death, holding off his pursuers.
Historians would note that Billy survives and rides off into the sunset with Dulcinea and their child, albeit with a twinge of uncertainty about whether his actions have ultimately facilitated any meaningful change. But he is reassured by the fact that he got his measure of revenge for those who the Santa Fe Ring, and Catron specifically, brutally oppressed.
It's a satisfying conclusion, on balance, but perhaps a bit too neat and tidy to fully do justice to Billy the Kid's story.
