... Seemed disjointed to me, like the script for the voice-over had been written on the back of a beer mat, and glossed over a lot of stuff that could have been of interest for the sake of general interest/production time...
Saying that i'll watch the next one
All in all I enjoyed the first episode. But I wonder if the program was a bit too ambitious. I wanted more "meat" from several places he highlighted. I think I would enjoy more episodes that covered fewer subjects, but in more detail. I felt a lot of the information was superficial.
Ray spoke of the hardship of spending a winter in the Sierras. But he did not mention the amazing feat of getting the wagons over them. I spent a week exploring the area around Donner Pass and there were two places from my trip I remember vividly. One was a pass that was so steep the Stephens Party (successfully pioneered the route before the Donner Party) had to disassemble their wagons and carry them to the top piece-by-piece. It must have been backbreaking effort. The second was a pass where the pioneers were able to winch their wagons up a pitch that was mind boggling steep. Both illustrated how determined, independent, and intrepid the pioneers were.
So, I would have preferred more focus and detail. The amazing terrain, flora, and fauna of the Sierras could easily fill an entire episode. But I will eagerly watch his future shows.
- Woodsorrel
