Pride, Pomp and Circumstance

Lore & Background

In the episode, Senator Jordan Crane arrives in town for an arranged peace talk with the Cheyenne and to discuss the Union Pacific Railroad's future with Thomas Durant. Cullen Bohannon is responsible for security while the natives are in town. He prevents Lily Bell from causing a scene after she spots a female native wearing Lily's dead husband's hat. The episode features a horse-versus-train race between Pawnee Killer and a locomotive, which the locomotive wins. Chief Many Horses rejects the reservation proposal, and Crane threatens war if the Cheyenne do not accept. The Swede informs Crane about Durant's embezzlement of $147,000 of Union Pacific cash. Later, Toole and his gang attempt to incite violence against the natives, but The Swede intervenes. Toole and his men eventually beat Elam and drag him away.

Reader's Guide

The episode received mixed reviews from critics. Adam Raymond of New York Magazine expressed happiness about seeing trains in the episode. TV Fanatic's Sean McKenna gave the episode almost 4 out of 5 stars, noting it continued to move the show forward. Phil Nugent of The A.V. Club would prefer the series to center more on Cullen, questioning the sustainability of a vengeance quest as the hero's principal motivation. The episode was watched by 2.15 million viewers and had a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 age range, the lowest viewership of the season so far. The episode's title, drawn from Othello, reflects themes of farewell and lost glory.

Did You Know?

• In the episode, Pawnee Killer races on horseback against a locomotive and loses.
• The Swede informs Senator Crane that Durant used $147,000 of Union Pacific cash to speculate on railroad stock.