We open on a pretty sunset scene of the seven riding along a ridge.
Cut to town, following the stage along the street, past the fronts of boarded up stores, into the general store, where a mean looking guy is terrorizing the store keeper, attempting to scare him into selling the store to his uncle. Mean guy breaks some crockery and a display case, says that people are leaving, the town will be gone soon. Store keeper says to tell Mr. James the store isn't for sale. He's pissed and throws some broken bits after mean guy, who shoots him, then goes back and shoots him again. Townspeople are looking around, but no one does anything about it.
At the sound of shots, an older man who had come in on the stage asks the driver for the coach gun. We also see the Seven riding into town. Older man goes to face down mean guy, who is brash and thinks old man should know who he is, and thinks facing him down is a mistake. Old man thinks sawed off coach gun with double aught shot should cut all three (mean guy and his two associates) in half.
Mary Travis runs up to old guy but is urged aside out of the way.
Mean guy goes on about how there's three of them and one of old guy. Vin and Nathan stand nearby, commenting that it's hardly fair. Buck walks up in front of the mean guys and greets them, walking close to them, showing attitude and several guns. He's wearing his revolver, has a belt over his shoulder with an extremely short shotgun and cartridges. This is the short gun we see him break open and check the load in the credits. Do we ever see him use this gun? Buck sits down behind the mean guys. Chris walks up and stands next to old guy.
Mean guy says to Chris that it's not his fight. Also calls him "cowboy". Chris takes exception to being called cowboy and makes an issue of that rather than it not being his fight. Mean guy backs down and ends up dropping his gun-belt.
Roll opening credits.
We watch as Mr. Potter is carried out of his store, his widow and children walking behind him.
In the jail, mean guy (Lucas James) is locked in the jail. Judge Travis (old guy) asks where the rest of the prisoners are. Mary tells him the sheriff let them go before he ran off. James says Travis should let him go, would if he was smart. Travis says no, James calls him stupid. Travis says that this stupid old man has hung 23 smart young men like James. James isn't impressed. Travis asks who it was backed him up, Mary tells him Chris is a hired gun. Travis says he's going to get a drink and try to find a jury.
First man asked to join the jury, wimpy weasel man, refuses, as does farmer and many other folks. No one will be on the jury. Travis says he'll hold a bench trial.
Inside the bar, we see Chris sitting with a bottle. Vin comes in and joins him and Chris slides over his untouched drink for Vin. They talk about heading out to Tascosa in the morning, Vin wants to clear his name, Chris thinks he's pretty eager to be hung. They agree to head out together in the morning.
We follow Chris out of the bar, past Nathan and Josiah sitting at a table, Josiah was sure he was going to meet his maker in the Indian village. Nathan wants to fix up Josiah's wound, asks Buck to help him get Josiah up to his place. As they leave, we see Ezra and JD leaning on the bar. JD comments that everyone is going their own way and Ezra says they should. At the sight of Travis coming into the bar, Ezra turns away to avoid being seen by the judge.
Travis is looking for a sheriff. Offers $20 for a week. No takers. Offers $30. JD says he wants the job. Travis says he's too young, could kill him, no glory in it. Gives job to JD anyway. JD tells Ezra. Travis remarks at the name. Ezra Simpson, Ezra Smith...jumped bail in Ft. Laramie. Ezra tries the mistaken identity ploy, to no avail, and ends up locked in jail.
One of Lucas James's buddies rides back to the ranch to tell Uncle Stuart that the kid is locked up for shooting Mr. Potter. Stuart tells buddy to saddle his horse.
After locking Ezra in jail, Travis leaves, Ezra asks to be let out, JD won't, he's just doing his job. Outside the jail, we hear the approach of Buck, who also won't let Ezra out, and lights into JD for the absolute stupidity of taking on the job. As Buck rants on, JD is going through the desk, finds a Navy Colt 44, and he spins the cylinder. Buck tells him not to do that, that it'll come loose and fall out. Then JD finds a badge, Buck tells him to pin it behind his lapel. JD is leaning back in his chair, leans back too far, falls. Buck has had enough, after assuring that JD is okay, he leaves.
At the newspaper office, Mary is working as Orin tries to tie his tie. They're going to go out to eat. As she ties the tie for him, he pushes her about why she isn't living with Orin and Evie and her son. She says the town is her home, that she hoped that him coming there would start making changes. He says it's hard to make changes if you can't get a jury.
Stuart James rides into town. It's dark and smoky out, and what with Brion James playing the part and the smoke in the scene, it made me wonder if it wasn't filmed in Vancouver and directed by Dennis Berry (HL fan inside joke, if you don't get it, don't worry). Stuart goes into the restaurant, sits with Travis. They discuss the relative merits of helping the ranchers get their own way and the dangers of not playing along. Travis shows no intention of backing down.
In the morning, Mary is walking down the middle of the street handing out papers. Buck catches up with her and takes the papers, continuing to hand them out, flirting with her, says he did that as a kid (the paper thing, although he probably did the flirting, too). Chris is walking down the boardwalk, heads into the general store. He sees Buck and Mary, Mary is looking at Chris. Mary is asking Buck about Chris as they walk along.
At the jail, Ezra is less than impressed by the food he's been served. Comments to Lucas, who says he'll eat when he gets out. Lucas says his boys will have him out by noon. Ezra suggests a game of chance, the stakes that if Ezra wins, Lucas's boys will leave the door open for Ezra, too, and if Lucas wins, he can kill Ezra.
Inside the general store, Chris is finishing buying a few supplies, Mary comes in, greets Mrs. Potter, then talks to Chris, says that Buck told him about how he lost his wife and son and how she lost her husband and knows something of what he's been through. He's very cold and says no, she doesn't, and walks out.
Conklin, the wimpy weaselly guy, is at the head of a bunch of people, walks up to the jail and demands that JD let Lucas go. Maybe it was self defense. They don't want a trial. They don't want the town shot up. JD mentions that it was the prisoner was shooting up the town killing innocent people. Mrs. Potter is there, and upset with Conklin for talking that way. Conklin tells JD to stand aside. JD cocks the rifle he's holding, and as Conklin steps forward, we hear a shot. JD looks at the rifle, he didn't fire, it was Vin, standing at the back of the crowd. Vin comes to the front to back the sheriff, and Conklin and his rabble leave.
In the barber shop, Buck is getting a shave, and he's spinning a yarn about a couple of twins, blond, how good they looked walking away from a man, and on and on, until suddenly, the hands on Buck's head and holding the razor are no longer the barber's, they're Chris's. Chris pulls back Buck's head, holds the razor to his jaw, tells Buck that his past is his own, not something for Buck to use in conversation. Buck asks what he should say when they ask, Chris says nothing.
Travis tells JD that he wants him to get some witnesses. Bring them at gunpoint if he has to, but get them.
And it's starting to rain. Three very wet cowboys are riding in, JD can't find any witnesses, Travis starts the trial on his own. The three men come into the saloon (which is standing in as the courtroom) and they're trouble. They order whiskey. Travis says saloon is closed. They ignore him, bartender, scared of being shot, pours for them. JD pulls the Navy Colt 44 and demands that the men put their guns on the bar. Buck told him so, and the cylinder falls out of the gun, rolling across the floor to land under the foot of one of Lucas's boys. The boys pull their guns, Travis gets off a shot, but is shot himself. JD hides behind a post. Vin and Chris, still trying to leave to go to Tascosa, hear the noise and try to stop Lucas and his boys, manage to shoot a couple of them, but Lucas and the Main Boy get away. Mary comes running in and sees that Travis is shot.
Nathan is caring for Travis, Mary is helping, James's boys are lurking in town to see what happens. Chris comes in to see how Travis is, he's stubborn and will probably live. Mary asks if he's leaving, Chris says yes. Tells her to go back where she came from, town not fit for a woman. She gets all tough and says she swore on her husband's grave she wouldn't give up the dream they had. He says fine, as long as she knows what she's into. Her boy already lost a father, be a shame to lose his mother. Vin comes in, says James's boys are asking about the judge, asking if he's alive. Chris says maybe he should die.
It's a funeral. Chris, Vin and JD are lowering a coffin into a grave, Mary is standing by in black mourning garb. Vin asks what's in the coffin, JD says rocks, Vin says he didn't have to put so many in. When the coffin is in the hole, JD wonders if they should say some words. Vin says it was just a coffin full of rocks. Chris is smiling as they argue. They are also being watched from above by two of The Boys, who ride off when it looks like the burial is over.
We're in a room, Chris's room. Travis is in the bed. Asks Chris if anyone else got hurt, Chris says not anyone Travis would care about. They talk about death and beliefs. Chris says he doesn't believe in as much as he used to, Travis says it looks like more than most.
On the church roof, Nathan and Josiah are putting in some nails, probably in shingles. We can see tarpaper on the roof. Behind them, standing on the ground, is Chris, wearing Josiah's wool serape. Chris thanks Josiah for the going away present, except he's not going. There's a situation. Nathan asks if it's one of those six to one situations, Chris says no, it's more like one of those ten to one situations. Josiah and Nathan agree to go along.
In the bar, Buck is finishing his drink and says he thought Chris and Vin were going to Tascosa. Vin says it can wait, and Lucas owes him a new hat (because he shot a hole in it). Buck allows that if he was going to decide to commit suicide he'd do it himself. He hoists the girl over his shoulder and heads up the stairs with a laugh.
At the jail, JD throws his badge in the desk. Chris comes in and they start loading up rifles and pistols. Ezra asks if Chris has come to take him along. Chris says no, Ezra's been a bad boy, broke the law. Ezra says he knows where Lucas went. Chris says, so do they. Ezra says that Lucas likes him, he can get them in. Chris reminds him he ran out once, and if he plans to do that again, he's dead.
Our six ride out to James's ranch. On arrival, there's a big party going on, a few more than they planned on running into. Vin suggests "regiment" to describe the numbers. They ride to the picket line and spread out to get into the party. JD stays behind to sabotage all the cinches. Ezra goes in alone to talk to Lucas, Vin goes up to take out the lookout on the balcony. Nathan and Josiah help carry in foodstuffs to look like they belong. Ezra lures Lucas away.
Vin goes up on the roof, stops the lookout with one good punch to the nose.
Ezra springs his 45 derringer on Lucas and Chris comes up on the other side, and they walk Lucas out. Stuart asks where they're going, Chris says they're just going for a ride. Stuart asks if it's a personal matter, Chris says not yet. Stuart offers to double what they're getting. Neither Ezra or Chris is interested. Some things money can't buy. They continue walking out. When Stuart shouts to stop them, Vin, et al, open fire, putting rounds at Stuart's feet, he says to let them go. When one of the Bright Boys goes for a gun, we see a bit of Insane!Josiah when he walks over and says "nice gun, can I have it?" and takes it from the guy.
Our guys mount up and ride out, some of James's boys try to mount, but their saddles fall off. Unfortunately, not all the saddles are loose, some of the guys follow, shooting, catching up. When it's looking bad, we hear two loud rifle shots, the two lead men from James's crew are shot off their horses and the rest stop. Buck rides into view in front of the bad guys, then turns to catch up with Chris and the others. Buck says it's a good thing he came along, and Chris agrees.
Back in town, wimpy, weaselly Conklin comes running up as they ride in, all upset that they brought Lucas back, they can't have a trial, the judge is dead. The judge comes out, saying news of his death is a bit premature. Travis says these men risked their lives to bring Lucas to justice, and he wants a jury. Court convenes in ten minutes.
Travis asks if the Seven would be interested in staying around for 30 days to keep order until he comes back. He'll pay. A dollar a day plus room and board. After some hesitation and an offer of a pardon for Ezra, they all agree to stay.
Court is called into session, our Seven outside the saloon standing watch. Ezra, JD, Chris and Buck are on the ground, Vin is on the roof over the saloon boardwalk, Nathan is on the roof across the street, Josiah is sitting in a window. As a nice crane shot pulls away, we
fade to black and roll closing credits...