I feel kind of bad, because in my recap - which hates me, btw, and does not want to be written this week - I seem to be complaining about Bela and the shoehorn and dumbing down factors all the time. And I don't want to be complaining about her, because I do enjoy her as a character. In concept she's a great antagonist, and she adds a lot to the entertainment value of any scene she's in, but she hasn't fitted fluidly into most of the episodes she's been involved with, and has suffered as a result.

I actually think this subplot of having her make off with the Colt is great - apart from the idiocy required to achieve it - because not only does it remove the crutch the Colt has been becoming, but it also provides a cast-iron reason for the boys to actively seek Bela out, a reason that doesn't involve them forgetting all the reasons they can't trust her, thus removing the shoehorn factor. In theory. Well, we can hope, anyway.