Saturday, September 20, 2014

Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: BraveStarr: "Big Thirty and Little Wimble"


In “Big Thirty and Little Wimble,” BraveStarr and Thirty-Thirty intercept a gang of coyote-like bandits who have threatened the Judge McBride and her father, Angus.

Afterwards, Thirty-Thirty is tasked with caring for a young prairie person, Wimble. 

When the school bus gets trapped in the desert on a trip, Wimble is able to help the class out. Meanwhile, BraveStarr and Thirty-Thirty clash over parenting techniques.




“Big Thirty and Little Wimble” is another pedestrian, but inoffensive outing for BraveStarr, the Filmation series from the late 1980s. The narrative involves alien bandits that resemble coyotes, and 30-30’s attempt to be a foster parent for an orphan. BraveStarr and 30-30 don’t see eye-to-eye about raising the child, and the post-script involves the idea that “sometimes disagreeing with friends” is how you get to know one another. 

If friends can’t argue a little,” notes BraveStarr, “they’re not real friends.”

Like an earlier episode, “Brother’s Keeper,” “Big Thirty and Little Wimble” eyes gun use warily, noting that such dangerous weapons should only “be used as a last resort.”  It’s nice to see this smart idea expressed, rather than an unthinking glorification of guns, or a might-makes-right argument.

In terms of series continuity, we get our second peek at Fort Kerium’s school kids this week, and also a flashback revealing how BraveStarr lost a friend in childhood, because they saw the world differently.

Next episode: “BraveStarr and the Medallion.”

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