Local Hero Tim Decker's been living a lie for 11 years, and it's finally caught up with him. His worried wife suspects he's in over his head when the town looks to him to recover the bank's recently stolen money and repeat the achievement for which he's been lionized so long: bringing in, single-handedly. an entire outlaw gang. So she does the only thing she can think of: send for Paladin!
This is one of those rare scripts in which Paladin actually shows a mean streak, but he has every reason to. Decker's lie completely unravels just as Paladin is about to trust him with his life. And there's even worse ahead as Decker contemplates committing murder to keep that lie still alive for his family and friends.
This is an extremely powerful episode. Regardless of what Voltaire may have said about the burden that goes along with having a too-famous name, one should also keep in mind Alexander Pope's lesser known dictum: he who tells a lie will be forced to invent twenty more to sustain it.
This is one of those rare scripts in which Paladin actually shows a mean streak, but he has every reason to. Decker's lie completely unravels just as Paladin is about to trust him with his life. And there's even worse ahead as Decker contemplates committing murder to keep that lie still alive for his family and friends.
This is an extremely powerful episode. Regardless of what Voltaire may have said about the burden that goes along with having a too-famous name, one should also keep in mind Alexander Pope's lesser known dictum: he who tells a lie will be forced to invent twenty more to sustain it.