Legends & Lies

I didn't see the first season, but only the two following ones. What's striking to me is what has already been expressed a few times here. It pretends to go beyond the common narrative. But in fact, it totally gives in to the common narrative! And doesn't go any deeper. It's well made and it's good, but only skin deep. The title is only a pretense, a bait. I don't dislike O'Reilley. He's the type of guy whom you can call "wholesome". He comes in all square. The series here are the same: no subtleties, but interesting nonetheless and fun to watch.

I was very disappointed in the Jesse James episode of Legends & Lies, as were other Missouri residents I've spoken to who know his history better than most. WHO were your "experts?" People from places I've never even heard of. Not one from Missouri. Was there any contact with personnel from the James Farm, where there is an extensive museum with extensive information on - Jesse James. No. And what about the law enacted in Missouri that "barred from voting, civil offices, and even the pulpit anyone who could not swear that they had not engaged in any one of a list of 86 forbidden acts of rebellion." (cited from the American Experience website at www.PBS.com) In other words, men who had fought for the Confederacy. It wasn't even mentioned. And Zerelda as a driving force in what made them bad guys? Really? And it wasn't mentioned, as is cited in another review, that Jesse and Frank rode with Quantrill and his raiders, which is a HUGE oversight. Poorly done and sadly researched in my opinion.

When someone claims to be dispelling histories lies it would be best if they had information to offer that would bring the truth to light. Unfortunately, this show, which I was eager to see, only perpetuated many of the problems with historical research of the old west. Bill makes claims that are supposed to be laying down the truth for all of us in the dark. Problem is, he merely takes a point of view on an issue that is still undecided by both historians and historical information and proclaims it to be established fact now that he has said so (Thanks Bill, glad you could do that for us!).

How does Bill O'Reilly know more about Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp than the hard working researchers who have dug and dug in order to bring forth the most information possible to this point? Obviously he doesn't, but the problem is that this doesn't stop him from delivering his claims with bloviating conviction.

If a person watches this show for entertainment, great; there are a lot of westerns I enjoy that are factually mistaken. But if you watch this to learn something, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, for your sake and the good of our collective community intelligence, do no repeat what you see on this show and assume you are passing along wisdom.

The way that they portrayed Grant was so historically inaccurate. Kilmeade and o'Reilly Are NOT historians and should just stay quiet, keeping their revisionist history to themselves.

Actually I took issue with the episode featuring Jesse James too, mostly for some of the reasons as the previous comment. I take exception to what the previous comment said about Jesse James being connected with the KKK though. James was instead connected to the KGC, which stands for the Knights of the Golden Circle, whose aim it was to reignite the Civil War and the money they raised was solely for that purpose. In one of the group pictures of the James brothers, Frank James and others are seen displaying the sign of the Knights of the Golden Circle, which was two fingers over their chest.

In the episode featuring the Lone Ranger, there may be another explanation for Bass's accidental shooting of his cook. I just saw a documentary on the History Channel about the Winchester 700 rifle which has been misfiring for decades, until finally the courts are seeing a backlog of accidental shootings when the safety is released or the rifle is bumped.