The Pasquinnel Brorthers, Why No Wives?

You're never told about their families - whether they have one or not.

I think there's a part in the movie when Jake meets his half sister he has a boy with him, and she asks if that's his son.

pretty sure they did lisette asks jake 'is this your son?' he refuses to answer, but sure seemed so also remember a woman with him at some point mike probably does the book say?

This mini-series was a giant undertaking. The producers were presenting the town of Centennial as a microcosm for the birth of modern America, and they needed to touch on major themes, i.e. the ideology Manifest Destiny and it horrific historical repercussions on the native peoples, the land wars between competing interests (cow, sheep, agriculture), racial prejudices, the opening of the West by the Railroad to masses of Americans and the end of the frontier, the ultimate ecological havoc man has sewn and is just beginning to reap the consequences of on once was virgin soil.

Thus, characters were not intended as anymore than representations of various aspects of these significant issues. This is not a "character study" and so no need was felt to delve deeply into the background of any of these characters. Paul Garrett (David Jansenn) in the opening of each sequence gives a cursory summary of the major character and the episode begins. Jake is merely a stereotype of an angry half-breed and Mike his somewhat more understanding but still stereotypical Indian fated to Perish.

Frankly, this series was good because the story was good. While the acting was mostly bad 1970's American television with a few exceptions (Lynn Redgrave, Brian Keith, Dennis Weaver, William Atherton & Cliff DeYoung) helping it plod along.

jacques had a son, so i presume he also had a wife. just not the type to be much of a family man. like his own father, i guess.

There was never mentioned, but I really enjoyed the scene where Jack and Lisette met. She was like her father; did not fear him. I also think, in a way, he respected her. I would have liked to see further interaction between the two.


"The earth isn't something we can keep taking from without ever thinking about giving back."