Nat-21

Randy Boone makes his first appearance in this episode in which he plays a cynical, untrusting drifter. His character has the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He is accused of murdering a young girl's father, and does his best to protect the girl while running from some bad guys. Betsy, believing he is innocent, defends him. Boone has a fresh-faced charm and musical talent, but his acting skills leave something to be desired here. Also, Roberta Shore struggles to deliver her lines with a script that provides her with some awkward lines. On ther other hand, Bruce Dern is at his "villainy" best. While there is a lot of blame to go around, the writing is the weak point.

This has to be one of the worst films ever to win a Best Picture Oscar. A knockoff of Arthur without the charm, it contains virtually none of the humor and little of the poignancy found in that 1981 Dudley Moore vehicle. Anora is loaded with sexual intercourse and utterances of the F word, but little in the way of natural appeal.

A 23-year-old stripper named Anora entertains a client named Ivan who is the son of a Russian oligarch. Ivan is living in New York while he is supposedly getting an education. Since her grandmother is Russian, she is familiar with the language, which creates a bond of sorts between her and her 21-year-old customer. The spoiled rich kid pays her to be his live-in girlfriend for a week and they spend the time having sex, partying, having sex, drinking, having sex, getting high, having sex, playing video games, and having sex. On a whim, "Vanya" proposes and they get married at one of the numerous instant chapels in Las Vegas. When Ivan's family learns about this, they pull out all the stops to force an annulment.

The first act is largely soft-core porn, the second act is slapstick comedy, and the finale is a quasi-drama that tested my patience. The second part is by far the most interesting, as three of the oligarch's slightly inept goons do their best to resolve the problem before he arrives from Mother Russia. There is some good comedy here, but like the rest of the film, it drags at times.

Mikey Madison does a decent job of portraying the title character, but her performance is far from Oscar-worthy. That is partially the fault of the script and direction, as her character becomes less and less likable as the movie continues. The ending can only be described as strange and unsatisfying. That may be because by this time, we don't really care what happens to her.

Brit Gavin Heath returns to Medicine Bow three years after the failure of his ranch, which he had established with help from Judge Garth. Somehow he has struck it rich, and throws a party for the whole town. Even Trampas - who harbors ill will toward him - is invited. Meanwhile, however, Heath is bit by a frothing dog and is told he will probably die of rabies in a month. There is a backstory about cowardice during the Charge of the Light Brigade and something about abandoning Trampas during a fight. Unfortunately, the episode meanders and can't quite decide where it should go. Much of the story is predictable and the finale is contrived.