Winds of Change is an appropriate name for yet another episode of Young Indy in which a promising episode quickly blows away and is replaced with one that is tedious, overly long, and just flat out boring. The episode opens with a series of newsreel films that do an excellent job of setting the scene for the end of WWI and launch of the peace treaty conference at Versailles. We learn that Indy has taken a position with the American delegation as a translator at the conference and we get the opportunity to experience the conference “on the ground” through his eyes.
For anyone with an interest in foreign policy and statecraft, this is great fun (for others, it will likely seem slow). It was great to see Indy meet up with T.E. Lawrence once again to trade opinions on what is taking place at the conference and its implications. Adding Arnold Toynbee and Gertrude Bell as their dining partners results in some dynamic, and at time heated, conversation. Tensions flare when Indy’s idealism clashes with Lawrence’s increasing skepticism regarding the work of the conference. Toynbee is prescient as he warns of the dangers of too harsh a punishment for the Germans.
This part of the episode is dialogue driven, but has some memorable moments. King Faisal's appeal for an independent Arabia and Ho Chi Minh's overtures for an independent Vietnam make one think "what might had been" in Iraq and Vietnam had things gone differently at the conference. However, the main focus here, quite rightly, is on Germany. We see the German delegation humiliated in defeat and compelled to sign the Treaty Of Versailles in spite of its harsh implications for the country. Indy is distraught by what he sees as Toynbee leans in to comment: "Isn't victory beastly?"
This experience marks a turning point for Indy's character development. He effectively decides to give up a potential State Department career as a diplomat to pursue archeology. While there is no "action," this part of the episode succeeds as it shows key moments in world history and key development of the character. Unfortunately, these positives are largely negated by the second half.
Over an extended sequence involving Indy's transatlantic voyage back to America, he romances a gorgeous brunette named Amy. While this was intriguing at first, the "love montage" is drawn out and terrible. Indy's return to Princeton is even less interesting. He goes for long walks, runs into his ex-girlfriend Nancy (she married Butch!), hangs out with his friend Paul, and gets into arguments with his father. These relatively minor events are drawn out for 50 minutes. Indy's work with the "father of modern rocketry" Robert Goddard seems tacked on and does not add much to the story.
Some diehard fans might appreciate seeing the argument, alluded to in "Last Crusade," that officially drove Indy away from home and began his long-time estrangement with Henry Jones, Sr. While I like Lloyd Owen's portrayal of Indy's dad in general, these sequences just made me think of how much better the dynamic was between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery. Their relationship was more compelling with far less exposition.
This half of the episode focused on Indy's domestic home life is so slow, I was unsurprised to learn that this episode never actually aired on TV. Apparently bits from this episode were spliced together with the earlier "Travels with Father" episode. I suspect it would have played better that way, but what can one do? Perhaps Disney will release this version eventually...
Rating: 6/10
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