4stringAg said:
Meh. Thought the fight scene was a little forced to be the female equivalent of Lloyd and Walker slugging it out in the rodeo ring, getting it out of their systems, then understanding each other and burying the hatchet. Not really sure the point of it other than the continued caricature they've made of Beth (the bar fight last week, now this?). She needs a rubber room and straight jacket.
To me it wasn't nearly as forced as the bar fight. Some shades of Lloyd vs. Walker for sure, and also some of Kacey vs. Rip when they slugged it out.
At least with this fight, there was purpose. Beth sees Summer as a threat to her dad, and wants to establish the pecking order as a Beth-like effort to protect the ranch. But in "beating it out of each other", Beth and Summer actually find a bit of mutual respect that could grow over time...and Summer starts to possibly see things in a different way. Beth wins, but she also treats Summer with more respect moving forward.
But my favorite part of that scene was the change in dynamic between Rip and Beth, if only for that moment. He usually holds back when trying to reel Beth's crazy in, but in that moment he lit into to her and Summer just like he would to the cowboys when they screw up. Great moment.
My hope with Monica is they soften her character more toward John and the ranch...much like they have done between John and Rainwater. Instead of being enemies, there's mutual respect...even if there are different priorities at times.
I also liked the exchange between Rip and Mo in the previous episode when Rip said he would have been glad to dig the hole if he'd known. Definitely a mutual respect there. Mo is the most underrated character on the show.
