Into the West (miniseries)

Into the West is a 2005 miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks which began as a six-week event on June 10, 2005 on Turner Network Television (TNT). Each of the six episodes is two hours in length (including commercials).

Episode 3 - Dreams and Schemes

Jethro and Thunder Heart Woman remain together and a daughter, Corn Flower (Chantelle Webster), is born to them. While working at the Wheeler ranch, now dubbed Rancho Paradiso, Jethro encounters a 49er named Martin Jarrett (Sean Astin) who brings him the first news about the California gold rush. Jethro leaves the ranch to go work in the gold fields.

Related Topics:
49er - Sean Astin - California gold rush

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He dreams of quick riches but all he finds are a few small grains. Undeterred, he begins to spend more and more time looking for gold only coming home every once in a while. Without Jethro's labor, the ranch begins to experience financial difficulties. Jethro has also taken to drinking heavily and becomes abusive with Thunder Heart Woman and the children. After one too many arguments turn violent, Abe High Wolf Wheeler (Tyler Posey), decides to leave.

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Jethro's cousin David Wheeler (Bathazar Getty) arrives as a 49er and joins Jethro prospecting for gold. Angered that a group of Chinese immigrant miners are having success, Jethro drives them off and steals their claim. After finding a huge lump of gold, Jethro and David begin to argue over how they will split their new fortune. After Jethro falls asleep, David steals the gold and heads toward San Francisco. Jethro follows him and the two exchange gun fire. As David tries to escape in a canoe, the two struggle and both are drowned.

Related Topics:
San Francisco - Canoe

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Margaret Light Shines Wheeler takes a job in San Francisco and continues to look for her father. After spotting an army unit sporting a Bear Flag, Margaret inquires if any of them know Jacob Wheeler. A sergeant tells her that Jacob is among them and says he will lead her to him. When the two enter a barn, he tries to rape her. Margaret is saved by Ethan Biggs (Daniel Gillies), a British immigrant photographer. Margaret goes to work for Biggs and the two eventually fall in love and marry.

Related Topics:
Bear Flag - Sergeant - Rape - Daniel Gillies - British

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While working in the photo studio, a local blacksmith comes to Margaret and tells her about a trapper who has fixed a broken wagon wheel for some settlers. Certain that it?s her father, Margaret convinces Biggs to join her looking for the trapper's camp. When they find the camp, they encounter Jacob who mistakes them for thieves and nearly shoots them. Margaret shows him the wooden medicine wheel necklace and he realizes that she is his daughter. Jacob then goes to Rancho Paradiso and is reunited with his family.

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On the plains, white encroachment has become an undeniable problem for the tribes. Running Fox and Dog Star join several other chiefs including Conquering Bear (Graham Greene) at the signing of the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851). All three agree that the peace is precarious but decide to give the agreement a chance.

Related Topics:
Graham Greene - Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851)

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A cow escapes from a passing Mormon wagon train and rampages through Conquering Bear's village doing considerable damage. Conquering Bear tries to give the cow back to the settlers, but they become frightened at the sight of the Indians and run away. The tribe decides to keep the cow as compensation for the damage and soon butcher it. Soldiers soon come, demanding that the cow be returned and the "thief" be handed over. Conquering Bear tries to appease the soldiers but his efforts are thwarted by a drunken scout who mistranslates the negotiations. The soldiers then open fire on the village and the warriors fight back. Many are killed on both sides including Conquering Bear. (Note: This scene is based on the August 1854 Grattan Massacre.)

Related Topics:
Mormon - Wagon train - Grattan Massacre

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A few years later, another Wheeler cousin, Samson Wheeler (Matthew Modine) has moved his family to Lawrence, Kansas. He allies himself with the abolitionist Jayhawks during the days of "Bleeding Kansas" as tensions rise in the months leading up to the Civil War. He tries to get his wife Susannah (Rebecca Jenkins), and children including daughter Clara (Rachel Leigh Cook) to leave after border ruffian Bloody Bill Anderson (Christian Bocher) threatens the Jayhawks, but they refuse.

Related Topics:
Matthew Modine - Lawrence, Kansas - Abolitionist - Jayhawks - Bleeding Kansas - Civil War - Rebecca Jenkins - Rachel Leigh Cook - Border ruffian - Bloody Bill Anderson

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Lawrence is later attacked by Anderson and Quantrill's Raiders. In the raid, Samson, Susannah, and two of the three children are killed leaving Clara as the only survivor. She then leaves Kansas for Omaha to seek out her cousins.

Related Topics:
Attacked by Anderson - Quantrill's Raiders

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Jacob Wheeler's sons take different paths. Jacob Wheeler, Jr (Tyler Christopher)., decides to strike out on his own and leaves California for the great plains. His knowledge of the Lakota language becomes valuable to the army and he is hired as a scout. He soon becomes disillusioned with the army however when he realizes how badly the native tribes are being treated. Abe Wheeler (Christian Kane) has become a rider for the Pony Express. Despite being an excellent rider, he soon loses his job when the Pony Express is superseded by the telegraph.

Related Topics:
Tyler Christopher - Christian Kane - Pony Express

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Dog Star's son, Brings Horse (Nathaniel Arcand) is shot by an army sniper as he tries to tear down the telegraph. Sleeping Bear (Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse), Dog Star's surviving son, pledges revenge against the whites for what they have done.

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