"Under Western Skies"
Episode Summary
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Written by: Jana Veverka
Directed by: Jimmy Kaufman
Aired on Nickelodeon: September 3, 2000 at 8:00 p.m.
My Overall Opinion of the Episode:
One of the strongest elements of "Caitlin's Way" is its emphasis on Caitlin's relationship with Bandit (her horse). Bandit has always had a strong stabilizing effect on Caitlin's temperamental personality. "Under Western Skies" is one of the best examples of this.
The Cast:
Cynthia Belliveau -- Dori Lowe
Lindsay Felton -- Caitlin Seeger
Brendan Fletcher -- Eric Anderson
Jeremy Foley -- Griffen Lowe
Tania Saulnier -- Taylor Langford
Ken Tremblett -- Jim Lowe
Stephen Warner -- Brett Stevens
The Music:
"Driving by Your House" -- A is A
"What Kind of World" -- A is A
"Wishing for a Sail" -- Dig Circus
Episode Summary:
Caitlin's horse Bandit has changed a lot since he was removed from a wild herd and brought to the Lowe's ranch (see the episode Stray). At first, it almost seemed like Bandit was untamable. However, Caitlin has spent a lot of time training him, and Bandit has learned to trust her and to let her ride him. Caitlin's bond with Bandit has grown very strong. Now, however, that close companionship is jeopardized when Bandit has a serious accident. He gets entangled in an old bear leg trap, and the situation becomes life threatening! Bandit's leg is cut all the way to the bone! Caitlin feels helpless, and she has no choice but to trust in Dori's veterinarian skills to save him. Dori decides to take the trap off before moving Bandit. However, things go very wrong shortly after Dori gets him back to the ranch. Bandit suddenly goes into shock and his heart stops beating! Dori uses a shot of adrenaline to restart his heart. It works! However, it doesn't look good. Dori doesn't know whether Bandit is going to live or die. Caitlin stays with Bandit overnight. She says to him, "You can't die. I won't let you." Bandit eventually recovers, and Caitlin realizes more than ever how important he really is to her.
Episode Highlights:
1. Caitlin's opening prologue: "Winter. When I lived in the city, I didn't think about it very much. That's 'cause it wasn't much fun. This is my first winter with Bandit. Being with him makes everything special. I guess if you love something, it doesn't matter where you are." Other episodes have also highlighted the strong role that Bandit plays in Caitlin's character. In Testing, Caitlin tries to teach Bandit to overcome his fear of crossing a bridge. In Along for the Ride, Caitlin rides Bandit while competing in a horse rally. In The Present, Caitlin almost looses Bandit when the Findlays claim that the horse belongs to them. Finally, in Free Fall, Caitlin faces her fear about getting back on Bandit after he throws her off.
2. While Caitlin waits to see whether Bandit will live or die, she says to Jim, "Dori didn't know what she was doing!" Jim responds, "She had to make a snap decision." Caitlin says, "What if taking the trap off means ... what if it means that she made things worse? It's all her fault!" Jim says, "Caitlin, Dori is a great vet. But she's a human being. You might think she made a mistake, but it could be that Bandit would have gone into shock even if she hadn't taken it off when she did. Neither of us will know that."
3. Griffen has to deal with a few issues of his own in this episode. He wants to play on a hockey team. He thinks that he is guaranteed a spot because the coach happens to be his dad (Jim). Griffen gets an extremely large surprise, however, when he finds himself cut from the team and placed as an alternate instead! He has a hard time dealing with the fact that his dad won't show him any special favors. Jim says to Griffen, "How would it look if I gave you a place over a better player?" Griffen says, "You totally humiliated me!" Jim responds, "You didn't try hard enough! You didn't earn a place on the team!" Griffen says, "You're my dad! I can't believe you didn't support me!"
Episode Images:
