Indy Timeline: 1920
It is fitting that after delivering such a strong episode in “Scandal of 1920,” the final episode of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (or whatever you want to call it) is another dud. Is it the worst episode of Young Indy? No, certainly not. Instead, it is just another bland, slow, drawn out slog. There are a few neat moments, I suppose, but overall, it is pretty forgettable.
The premise for the episode seems promising enough. Following his misadventures on Broadway, Indy treks out West to try to earn some money for school by working for a Hollywood studio. It is fun to see the old studios system shown here, as it was in its heyday. Indy is tasked with trying to rein in Erich von Stroheim, the Prussian “profligate genius,” who was known for overspending on his lavish sets and film productions. This task soon proves more difficult than he had initially thought. However, with a little help from his new love interest, the beautiful screenwriter Claire, Indy gives von Stroheim a run for his money!
If this sounds cheesy, it is. Hijinks ensue, with the most ridiculous moment taking place when Indy and Claire kidnap an Italian Price and send him to Mexico in an effort to put an end to von Stroheim’s shoot. Other “greats” of the early hollywood make cameos along the way, notably Irving Thalberg and John Ford.
The second half of the episode focuses specifically on John Ford. Again, it makes a lot of sense to put Indy on the set of an old Ford Western, working behind the scenes (and ultimately in front of the camera). This suits the character, and there are high production values throughout the episode, particularly in regards to sets and costumes. Indy even meets Wyatt Earp by the end! Neat!
However, as is often my complaint about this show, there just isn’t enough to sustain the viewer’s interest. The plot is slow and not much happens. There isn’t any real tension, it is just following Indy around the set. Hell, at one point a character DIES and no one seems to really care. While it was neat to see John Ford portrayed in this episode, it made me wish I was watching one of his actual movies rather than this show.
Petulant, whiney Indiana makes a reappearance for this episode in his interactions with Claire. What happened to the confident, swinging Indy of the previous episode? When Indy learns that Claire has another boyfriend, he has a tantrum - “YOU BELONG TO ME!” Gross. There is also a scene where Indy creepily stares at her while she sleeps. Not quite as bad as his peeping tom behavior in the Mata Hari episode, but definitely in the same vein.
The episode concludes with a stunt that is a direct homage to one of the best scenes in Raiders. Spoiler alert- it involves Indy going under a runaway carriage as its horses gallop frantically down a dirt road. However, unlike Indy’s truck stunt in Raiders, the sequence here is shot from a variety of strange angles and with bizarre “old timey” filters on the camera. Rather an being exciting or thrilling, it is just weird and unsettling.
I feel like that last sentence sums up the episode and in many ways the series as a whole. Not horrible, but slightly “off”. While there were a few fun episodes along the way, by and large the series is never nearly as enjoyable as the films. The series is all over the place, bouncing from “realistic” episodes (like Scandal), to fantastical (Masks of Evil), to adventure (Peacock’s Eye), to total farce (Espionage Escapades). While there are strengths and weaknesses to each approach, the lack of consistency keeps the series from every hitting its stride and feeling like a coherent depiction of this character’s life. Perhaps this would have been more forgivable if the scenes with “old Indy” - in which each episode was framed as a story told by the aging George Hall- had not been deleted. With storytelling, some embellishment and flair is always expected. But, alas, those scenes are no longer part of the canon, and taken at face value, this DVD series is all over the place.
Indy Rating: 5/10
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