Nez Perce 1.9 - Snake

Nez Perce : Snake
Genre : Historical
Showrunner: Scott Cooper
Writer : Dwight Gallo

Cast: Adam Beach, Matthew Rhys, Martin Sensmeier, Gil Birmingham, Julia Jones, Forrest Goodluck, Tatanka Means, Ben Schnetzer, Grace Dove, Zahn McClarnon, William Belleau, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Luken and Leon Rippy

Plot:1877. U.S. Troops take aim at Chief Joseph (Adam Beach) and the six warriors accompanying him in the middle of the White Bird Canyon grounds. Among these soldiers is Henry Fitzgerald (Jesse Luken). Fitzgerald has his finger on the trigger of his rifle, standing ready. Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer) nudges his closer to the surrendering Joseph. Perry tells Joseph that he will need the Nez Perce to surrender their weapons and to proceed back to Lapwai immediately. There's a snake on the ground, slithering between the horses. Perry tells Joseph that they'll make sure the women and children are well fed as he knows they've had a long journey. Joseph thanks Perry. Perry nods and the war party prisoners are taken into American custody. The deal is just about closed when suddenly the snake on the ground spooks one of the Nez Perce horses. It rears up. The warrior's arms flail. Fitzgerald sees the spooked horse and fires his gun. The crack of the rifle is heard and then the bullet explodes into the shoulder of the warrior holding the white flag.

The battle begins. An American bugler blows his horn. Six bullets rip his body apart before he's completed the first bar. The American army is thrown into disarray. Yellow Wolf (William Belleau) and the other warriors watch the army scatter. They open fire on the other soldiers. The Nez Perce outflank the Americans on every side. Fire rains down from the hills above. American soldiers are shocked to see riderless horses charging their way, until they realize that Nez Perce warriors are clinging to the sides of their horses, hidden from view, and firing rifles underneath their horses' necks.

Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) pops out of hiding and leads a group of warriors in a charge towards the Americans, killing soldiers in brutal hand-to-hand combat. Seeing the battle is lost, Captain Perry retreats, as does every other soldier on a horse. After just a few grueling, bloody moments, the battle is over. The bodies of so many dead American soldiers litter the beautiful canyon. The rest retreat, running for their lives. Not a single Nez Perce warrior has been killed. Joseph and Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) take in the sobering sight. Toohoolhoolzote and Yellow Wolf, covered in blood, unleash screams of victory, raising their rifles high in the air. Oyema (Lily Gladstone), Springtime (Julia Jones) and Fairland (Grace Dove) stare down at the screaming warriors as cries of victory erupt around them.

Ollokot takes out a knife and stands before Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means). For a moment it appears as though Ollokot is going to kill him, but instead, he cuts Red Grizzly's restraints. The other prisoners are set free as well. Ollokot storms off, angry and frustrated. Red Grizzly basks in his reprieve. Wahlitits (Forrest Goodluck) rubs his wrists.

The Nez Perce keep moving. They come to a steep decline, and start making their way carefully down from a plateau towards the Snake River over a thousand feet below. Joseph and Ollokot approach a ferry crossing on horseback. The ferry owner (Leon Rippy) comes out of his house armed with a rifle. Joseph tells the man that they need to use the ferry. The man says no, orders them off of his land, raises his gun and takes aim. Behind Joseph and Ollokot, 800 Nez Perce come into view. Overwhelmed by the sight, the ferry owner lowers his gun. He warns them that the river is flooding and they'll never get across. The Nez Perce dive into the raging Snake River waters and swim more than 130 feet to the other side. Heads strain to stay above water. Horses kick and swim with all their might. They use the ferry to transport children and elderly. The ferry owner watches with absolute disbelief.

Back at White Bird Canyon, General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) walks through the tall grass while American soldiers bury the dead. In Howard's eyes, there is an anger not seen before, focused and intense. Captain Perry approaches from behind. Howard tells Perry he has a lot of explaining to do. Howard tells him that when General Sherman gave him his orders he said no more Little Big Horns. Perry says it shouldn't have happened, they had superior numbers, higher ground. He doesn't understand how they could have beat them since they are ignorant savages. Howard interrupts him. Howard points out that the warriors fired from the south ridge, drawing the soldiers further into the canyon, then swept around from the rear. Howard says that they call that a flanking maneuver at West Point, something he's sure Perry knows little about. Howard says the worst thing you can do in warfare is underestimate your enemy. Disgusted, Howard turns and walks away.

Looking Glass' village sits along the beautiful Clearwater River. Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) comes out of his tipi, when suddenly he hears screaming. Looking Glass turns and sees an approaching army. Women and children run for their lives. Warriors brace for attack. Gunshots rip through the village.

General Howard watches as the mighty current of the Snake River overturns a raft filled with his men, sweeping them down river. Frustrated, Howard turns to the ferry owner and asks how the Indians got across. The ferry owner tells him that they just dove in and swam to the other side. Howard stares at the river, dumbfounded. Then he realizes that they must have known where the current breaks. Howard asks the ferry owner where the next place to cross is. The ferry owner tells him it's half a day's ride south. Howard stares at the river and shakes his head.