What Went Down: Custer's Last Stand

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What Went Down: Custer's Last Stand

The History Channel has a new (?) Custer show airing on Monday, November 23, at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST:

Doug Scott, a field archaeologist, is acknowledged as one of the premier experts on Custer's Last Stand. Scott has always wanted to see this dark moment in American military history through the eyes of survivor Lieutenant Edward Godfrey. His knowledge would be key to finally bringing the entire story to light with a team of Hollywood producers. He may know the history, but it was up to the production team to make his vision a reality. Scott wrangles the team to Hardin, Montana to finally re-create the battle of Little Bighorn correctly. Would movie magic, teamed with Scott's knowledge, bring new insight to this important moment in history?

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[zekesgirl]

Ok, but, Godfrey didn't see it either? Will put it on my calendar to watch though.

[Dark Cloud]

Dear Lord, why? Why would anyone watch this? If people watch it, they'll keep doing this stuff. Enough.

I wish Mr. (Dr.?) Scott well, and truly admire his work if not all his conclusions, but these continued shows with no new evidence are self parodies. Beyond a certain point - and we're way beyond it - this stuff is little more than Fan Fiction. There is no evil in saying 'we have small clue' what happened beyond MTC and won't ever, and it would be well to point out that we actually know more about the Little Bighorn than far more important and bigger events and battles closer in time.

Hip title, what? For the 1970's, anyway. What Went Down. Maybe in this, Custer and Cooke bump fists after discovering the village and Cooke says "Solid! General." Wait! That already happened in SOTMS, when Benteen utters the equally ridiculous "mistakes were made", a mind numbing cliche of far more recent origin. In any case, he never said it nor particularly held to that method of finding safety in the passive voice.

Prediction: of the 45 minutes (a guess) of program, twenty will be repeated info after each commercial break as if this was a mini-series of eight minute episodes every two months. The remaining twenty minutes will have no budget to speak of, and rely on stock footage and homage to Ken Burns' love of old photos, except without Burns' talent. Argh. And of course Aged, Morbidly Obese, Barely Ambulatory Action Figures atop soon-to-be Hills dog food product. Periodically, those playing key roles will be caught staring into the distance. Those near action sequences will also be repeated increasingly as the show approaches its end, that the, eh, excitement might awe the audience. The same audience impressed with What Went Down.

In short, a Beginning, a Look Back at the Beginning, and the Summation of the Beginning and the Look Back of the Beginning.

Archaeology proves nothing, and can only be said to serve as evidence for possible scenarios. Be nice to hear that, but you won't. Archaeology will PROVE, man. Solid.

As always, mistakes will be made. It's the History Channel, after all.

[Melani]

I'm sure we'll all enjoy it all the more for your pre-review.

[Dark Cloud]

Actually, there was a budget for some cgi work, so I was wrong about that. But nothing else. Nothing new, the production team played to Scott's concepts (and perhaps vanity) and produced an improbable scenario. The tightly formed half circle of dead horses was a nice touch, nowhere so described. And Godfrey is credited with having seen the end of the Last Stand, I think I heard.

If they had used the same tech to show LSH with the bodies where testimony and early photos put them, it would have been quite different, less 'thrilling', and more accurate.