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| A murderous outlaw hunts soldiers every time it rains. |
Genesis Climber Mospeada: Arpeggio of Murder.
Original Air Date - Genesis Climber Mospeada: Feb. 26, 1984. Writer: Kenji Terada. Director: Tatsuya Kasahara.
Robotech: Hired Gun.
Original Air Date - Robotech: June 24, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.
PLOT - MOSPEADA:
Stig's group arrives at a small desert town populated by ex-soldiers living under a constant threat: "Rainy Boy," an outlaw who hunts them every time it rains. Stig immediately agrees to help, and Houquet and Ray ride out to scout the area.
"Rainy Boy" isn't the only danger in the desert, as they realize when thye come under fire from Inbit. The situation looks bleak... until a mysterious figure appears and drives the aliens off before collapsing. Houqet rushes to tend the man's wounds, ignoring Ray's suspicions that their benefactor may be working for the enemy.
When they return to town, they learn that "Rainy Boy's" last victim was able to take a photograph of him. Houquet glances at the picture and gasps. The murderous outlaw they've been pursuing is the same man who rescued them in the desert!
PLOT - ROBOTECH:
Scott's group arrives at a small desert town populated by a group of ex-soldiers living under a constant threat: Dusty Ayres, an outlaw who hunts them every time it rains. Scott is hesitant to get involved, but he reluctantly agrees to help.
Soon, Rook and Rand ride out to scout the area. But Dusty isn't the only danger in the desert, and the two soon come under fire from Invid. The situation looks bleak... until a mysterious figure appears and drives the aliens off before collapsing. Rook rushes to tend the man's wounds, ignoring Rand's suspicions that their benefactor may be working for the enemy.
When they return to town, they learn that the killer's last victim was able to take a photograph of him. Rook glances at the picture and gasps. The man who rescued them in the desert was Dusty Ayres himself!
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| Houquet finds herself drawn to the mysterious "Rainy Boy." |
CHARACTERS:
Houquet is instantly drawn to Rainy, and it's an open question as to whether Ray actually thinks that he's working for the Inbit or is acting on jealousy. Ray isn't wrong to be wary, in any case. Houquet is shocked to discover that the man in the desert is the killer they're seeking, but Ray is noticeably less surprised.
This episode really isn't about the regulars at all. They are basically supporting characters, there to bear witness to the story of "Rainy Boy," with even Houqet's material centered entirely around him. I suspect one's reaction to this episode will depend greatly on an ability to connect with Rainy. I didn't - and when his backstory was unveiled in Mospeada, I found myself sympathizing with him even less. This is someone who, by any measure, is guilty of all but indiscriminate mass murder.
Robotech adjusts his motives, which makes Dusty more sympathetic. It then oversells this advantage by trying to label him a "hero" at the end, which is ludicrous. Yes, Dusty's reasons for killing are easier to empathize with than Rainy's - but he's still guilty of murder on a large scale. Dusty might be a tragic figure (while Rainy is, in my opinion, just a villain in western duds), but he doesn't come remotely close to qualifying as a hero.
NARRATION:
As if trying to match the rain in the scene, the Robotech narrator drenches the opening with voice over. One part of it is good - the narrator makes sure to let us know that the encounter we're witnessing will connect to the regulars. The rest is verbal overkill, particularly when the narrator all but tells us the ending before we've even gotten to know what's going on.
Advantage: Mospeada.
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| Aisha tries to advise Houquet, who isn't particularly receptive. Robotech's Marlene and Rook have a completely different conversation. |
CUTS AND ALTERATION:
Scott Doesn't Want to Get Involved: Mospeada's Stig doesn't hesitate to join in tracking down Rainy, particularly after he learns that the outlaw targets soldiers. Robotech's Scott is more hesitant, wanting to learn more before agreeing to act.
Annie Is Mad About Being Treated Like a Kid: When Houquet and Ray ride off to scout for Rainy, Mint throws a mini-tantrum at being left behind. Aisha points out that they're just trying to keep them safe, and Annie sniffs that they could at least let her come along to watch. In Robotech, Annie is instead upset that she's so often dismissed when she believes she could be of more help.
Ray and Houquet Banter About Their "Date": While driving through the desert, Houquet and Ray share some amusing banter about whether or not this qualifies as a date. Robotech inexplicably drops this in favor of some generic dialogue about whether or not they should split up to cover more ground.
Lakeside Conversation: Rainy and Houquet have a conversation about loneliness by a lakeside, with Houquet stating that she feels a need for friends. Robotech changes this to something more plot-focused, with Dusty revealing himself to be a victim of Invid experimentation.
Rook and Marlene Have a Completely Different Conversation Than Houquet and Aisha: Aisha notices Houquet's reaction to the photo and goes outside to sit with her, urging her to talk to Stig. Houquet refuses, stating that she might be too "cowardly" to become involved in others' problems, but she also doesn't want others to interfere with hers. Robotech replaces this with a more on-the-nose conversation, with Rook telling Marlene that the man she and Rand helped was Dusty - something that Rand has presumably already volunteered. The original scene is far better.
Dusty's Motives: Mospeada's Rainy is motivated by a deal he made with the Inbit in exchange for being made whole again... which ironically makes him far more of a "hired gun" than Robotech's Dusty, who is taking revenge on specific individuals for deeply personal reasons. This changes the impact of the episode, and decidedly in Robotech's favor.
Rook Dubs Dusty a "Hero": Which... (shakes head, laughs). Sorry, no. Dusty's revenge killings may be easier to identify with than Rainy's hunt, but he's still ultimately a murderer. Mospeada has the regulars stand over the site while Blue Rain plays, which works a whole lot better.
Advantage: None. The change in the killer's motivation is a massive improvement, but it's balanced out by virtually all of the small changes being for the worse.
INCIDENTAL MUSIC:
Mospeada does very well with its music here, applying its incidentals well and also using multiple songs to strong dramatic effect. Robotech just uses the same tracks the same way as always. It doesn't do a bad job of it, but Mospeada definitely uses music more artfully.
Advantage: Mospeada.
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| Rainy stalks his prey. |
OVERALL ADVANTAGE - ROBOTECH:
The change to Dusty's motivations may be the only actual improvement... but it's a massive improvement. Mospeada really wanted me to feel something for a character who, once all was revealed, was essentially loathesome (and remarkably, this is the third time that Mospeada has wanted me to care about a guest character who's guilty of horrible misdeeds). By adjusting the backstory just enough so that there's a personal reason for Dusty's killings, rather than just a hope of payment, it makes him into the tragic character that Mospeada's Rainy failed to be.
OTHER MUSINGS:
What's interesting about this episode is that it's visually quite strong, successfully pulling off a sci-fi western effect, but it's narratively pretty weak. It's entirely about a guest character. With the exception of Houquet, the regulars are merely "present," and Houquet's attachment to Rainy seems to exist mainly so that he'll have someone to impart his backstory to.
It's perfectly watchable, and I could see some enjoying it purely for its visual aesthetic and (in Mospeada) its use of music. But I didn't feel invested. While I think the Robotech episode works better overall, I also think that in either version, this is the weakest episode in a while.
Overall Rating - Mospeada: 4/10.
Overall Rating - Robotech: 5/10.
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