The previous episode of Billy The Kid ended with John Tunstall’s death, followed by a celebration in the town of Lincoln. Though Murphy and Riley rejoiced at the death, Edgar Walz was worried about Billy being alive. His fear was justifiable because Billy had sworn to avenge Tunstall’s death. Billy killed Morton and Baker in retaliation for their role in Tunstall’s death. The Lincoln War intensified after a major death, and the warring groups had to come up with a strong plan to maintain their grip over the town.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Was Mcsween Asked To Appear Before The Court?
Billy The Kid Episode 4 began with the aftermath of John Tunstall’s death, which caused a lull in Billy’s gang. Murphy and Riley’s gang were still sending legal notices to the last remaining faction of the Tunstall Group. This time they targeted Alex McSween, the lawyer who worked for Murphy before joining the Tunstall camp. This was to end whatever was left of Tunstall and Billy’s gang. Alex McSween was still keen on taking the legal route, despite opposition from Billy.
Alex received court orders to present himself based on countless bogus charges. Alex, though, was confident of getting them dismissed because Murphy and Riley did not have any evidence to prove their allegations. Meanwhile, Billy was concerned about McSween heading back to town. He could sense an elaborate trap being laid out to make sure McSween never leaves Lincoln alive. Alex planned to appear in court in person because he was a law-abiding citizen, while Billy requested that he remain alert and safe.
What Were Murphy And Riley’s Plans?
Murphy and Riley were instrumental in filing all the bogus charges against McSween. They wanted to get rid of the last portion of the Tunstall campaign so that they could finally restore their monopoly. Any person alive with Tunstall sympathies needed to be removed from the town to showcase Murphy’s power. They wanted to send out a message to the people who dared to stand up against them in the future. Murphy and Riley planned to get McSween arrested on murder charges before he appeared in court. They planned to fast-track the case with the help of the local sheriff and by influencing the court judges to declare a death sentence for McSween.
This seemed like a foolproof plan, along with a town festival orchestrated by Riley. The festival would be held on the day of McSween’s court appearance to make a mockery of the man. On the other hand, Murphy and Riley were also being pressured by Thomas Catron and his son-in-law, Edgar Walz, to find solutions to tackle Billy. As per their reports, Billy was trouble and would remain so till the day he died. Riley, at this juncture, was not willing to take a young blood like Billy as a threat because he felt thier camp was surrounded by seasoned fighters. With Jesse on his side, he expected the festival to be a success, which would bring the whole town back under their influence.
Was Mcsween Arrested?
Murphy and Riley perfectly planned the entire chain of events and were under the impression that the Tunstall campaign would be laid to rest with McSween out of the picture. Despite warnings from several people, including Jesse, Riley was reluctant to agree to Billy’s prowess as a gunslinger and a courageous fighter. As McSween left for Lincoln, former deputy Sheriff Brewer informed Billy and his team about Murphy and Sheriff Brady’s plans. Brewer was one of the few loyalists left in town, as most of the Tunstall men were far away and hiding. Billy was not surprised by the plans made by Murphy and the gang because they would do anything to make sure their powers were restored. Billy was willing to protect McSween, but many initially hesitated. Billy’s strong, encouraging words had a deep impact on them. The corruption angle was very evident, and Billy encouraged them to go against Murphy, the bully.
The festivities in the town began, and the sheriff was preparing for McSween to make landfall so he could execute his orders. Riley figured his plan would work like clockwork. Unfortunately for Riley and Murphy, Billy and his men entered the town discreetly and were the first people who attacked Sheriff Brady. The sheriff was the first casualty of the ambush, and the attack was gruesome, while Riley’s plans went haywire rather quickly. Murphy and Riley could not stop Billy from killing many people. Billy was unstoppable at this juncture, and the legend around him was only spreading like wildfire.
McSween escaped long before he could enter the town after witnessing Billy’s ambush. He was initially instrumental in shifting one of Billy’s injured men back to Tunstall Ranch, but nothing could stop McSween’s wife from standing up for herself when Jesse and his gang came looking for the lawyer. McSween witnessed how resourceful Billy was. This ordeal would change his mind about Billy’s war strategy. McSween might have given up on the legal route when he witnessed Murphy’s people willing to kill him based on the charges with no concrete evidence. McSween was not arrested, but this attack in town by Billy would have a ripple effect.
Did Jesse And Billy Have A Face-Off?
Jesse and his gang tried to follow McSween and Billy to retaliate for the ambush that shook the town. Even though Murphy and Riley’s methods were illegal, that did not stop them from filing murder charges against Billy for killing an officer of law. Murphy and Riley had been waiting for Billy to make this mistake and project him as the most wanted man in the region.
Billy was used to living in hiding, but he was aware there was a possibility of him not getting a fair trial. Billy, McSween, and the entire gang had officially become outlaws. Using that narrative in public, Murphy and Riley would project Billy and McSween as enemies and murder them deliberately. Jesse was not fond of what might happen in a couple of hours, but his gang was ready to face Billy.
Billy knew Murphy’s men would look out for them after Sheriff Brady’s death. They do find two groups of Murphy’s men going in two directions, searching for McSween and Billy. Billy and his gang found Jesse’s group up on the hill, but the young man was able to kill some of them. This was the skillful nature that Riley was being warned about. Billy’s family was destroyed a couple of years ago, but he chose to fight the fight because he wanted to survive, which his father dreamed of.
Billy and Jesse do have a face-off in the end, but they are somehow unable to pull the trigger against each other. Either Murphy planned the entire event to lure Billy out of the burrow and face his men or Jesse could be in love with Billy, which may have forced him to let his friend go. Billy The Kid Episode 4 ended with the arrival of a new corrupt sheriff, hired by the most influential people in Lincoln; Murphy, Riley, and possibly Thomas Catron. Pat Garrett was the name of the new sheriff, and it could just be the beginning of the alliance between him, Riley, and Murphy that would bring an end to Billy’s fight.
