Part three of the Lonesome Dove miniseries was broadcast on 7 February, 1989. Larry McMurtry’s epic novel played across small screens as the nation tuned in to watch the continuing journey of Call (Tommy Lee Jones) and Gus (Robert Duvall).

Jake Spoon (Robert Ulrich) has definitely fallen in with the wrong crowd. He’d hoped to continue his own journey, leaving Lorie (Diane Lane) behind, but fate had other plans. He ends up riding with a group of horse thieves and murderers. And he’s going to have to pay for those choices.

Jake isn’t the only kind of loss the story deals out, but there are also gains and moments of joy. It seems all roads lead to Clara’s (Angelica Huston) home outside Ogallala. Elmira (Glenne Headley) and her group arrive first, where she delivers the baby she’s been pregnant with, and immediately flees.

Not long after, July Johnson (Chris Cooper) shows up, hoping to find his wife, Elmira, and deliver the terrible news of her son. But he may have found himself a new home there.

And finally, the Hat Creek Outfit arrives with Gus reuniting with the woman who got away, and Lorie finds a form of acceptance she thought she’d never receive. It’s a nice moment for Lorie because for so long she’d been worried about how she would feel to see Clara and Gus reunited, but she’s the one who stays and discovers a new family.

From there, it’s a long ride across the plains, short on water, and with a hint of hopelessness on the horizon. And before they cross the expansive plain, coming through storms, more lives will be doled out to the journey. And this one is yet another heartbreaking blow to the outfit, and to the viewer.

We are also shown a clash between Call and some local army officers when they try to take some of the group’s horses, including Newt’s (Ricky Schroder). And when someone lays hands on Newt, Call loses it, and Gus reveals to Newt that Call is his father, something Call hasn’t admitted to yet.

Having arrived in Montana, was it worth the cost?

We’ll find out next time when I finish off the miniseries (I already know the answer having read the book), but I want to see how it plays out visually. It remains a great-looking series with only one real complaint on my part; I didn’t care for the special effects of the vultures in the air over the dead bodies as our characters rode towards them.

Beyond that, it’s a beautifully shot, acted and produced series, and while I would not have enjoyed it when it aired, nor when it hit home video back in the day, I’m glad I’m ready for it now.