Rights of Passage

Season 1, Episode 20, Aired
EDIT

Episode Summary

A group of heavily armed Chippewa Indians declares war on Rome and takes over the courthouse, as a dispute over enlarging the golf course gets violent. Ginny accuses Jill of discrimination when she agrees to give an abnormally young boy a controversial growth treatment. Matthew stands up for Zach against the school bully.moreless
7.2
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Good
14 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate It

Watch Online

Hulu
Free
Amazon
Buy
iTunes
Buy
VUDU
Buy/Rent

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Fan Episode Reviews (2)

See All

  • A group of Indians take over the courthouse in a protest. Jill gives HGH to a small child and Ginny protests. Matthew fights a bully to defend Zach.

    8.0
    "Great"
    By auntydale, May 23, 2008 Report Abuse
    Overall, this was a good episode but I have a problem with two of the storylines.

    First, the fight with the bully. Early in the first season, Matthew and Zach both fought off bullies using karate, which their father taught them. It seems that the writers forgot that fact when coming up with this fight story. So why couldn't Zach deal with the bully himself? And, if he needed his big brother, why couldn't Matthew fight better?

    Second, the HGH protests. If Ginny knows that Jill is giving the growth hormone and she knows to which patient, why doesn't she protest to the mother of the child receiving the injections?moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • The local Chippewa tribe takes the county to court over plans to expand a golf course on the ground where their ancestors had been buried. When things don't go in their favor, the Chippewa take over the courthouse in an act of war.moreless

    9.1
    "Superb"
    By Atreyu75, Jul 28, 2007 Report Abuse
    The last couple of episodes are really taking big strides in this show. After the local Chippewa tribe fails to get Judge Bone to rule in their favor about a golf course, sixteen tribesmen take over the courthouse in a formal declaration of war. The golf course would unearth the ancestral remains of Chippewa people and the chief has had enough of being bullied. Jimmy at first defies the city council by not trying to violently take back the courthouse, but after negotiations don't work out, both by him and then by Judge Bone, he has no choice. The Rome sheriff's station, much to their misfortune, must reclaim the courthouse. Just as the police after about to win, the chief comes out, trying to invoke the officers into shotting him. Kenny wounds him, but the chief suffers a stroke and dies at the end.

    Also, in a side story, a classmate of Zach's is getting bullied, most likely due to his small size. The mother of the child requests that Jill try using the hormone enhancing drug to speed up his grow process. Ginny takes an exception to this, however, and rallies a group of little people in protest. In defense of his brother, Matt decides to fight the bully and ends up winning.

    Like I mentioned, the last couple of episodes have ended on very dramatic scenes, and this one is no exception. The writers again take another subject which is a tough one and tackle it head on. They try to evoke emotion for both sides of the argument and allow the viewer to make their own decision instead of shoving something down their throat. As always, Judge Bone and Wambaugh play their characters with grace and dignity. This was more or less a Jimmy-centric main story, and Skerritt does it again, making it easy to see the problems facing Jimmy. While certainly nothing this extreme has ever happened, it shows what could possibly, and maybe should, happen.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

  • Trivia

    • Help by adding trivia to this episode. Add trivia

  • Notes

    • Help by adding notes to this episode. Add notes

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Jimmy: Fundamentally, I believe in civil disobedience. Edit
    • Jimmy: 'Round up the midgets. (Walking away) Madness. Everywhere I go, madness. Edit
    • Chief Bill Winnetka: Do you know what self-determination means, Henry? It goes to the core of being an Indian. Edit

  • Allusions

Show Forums

See All
Last Activity
Replies

Watch Picket Fences Full Episodes

See All

Related Shows

Season 1 Episodes

See All
Ep 22
The Lullaby League
Ep 21
Sugar and Spice
Ep 20
Rights of Passage
Ep 19
Sightings
Ep 18
Fetal Attraction
Ep 17
Be My Valentine
Ep 16
The Body Politic
Ep 15
Nuclear Meltdowns
Ep 14
Bad Moons Rising
Ep 13
Frog Man
Ep 12
High Tidings
Ep 11
Pageantry
Ep 10
The Snake Lady
Ep 9
Thanksgiving
Ep 8
Sacred Hearts
Ep 7
The Contenders
Ep 6
Remembering Rosemary
Ep 5
Frank the Potato Man
Ep 4
The Autumn of Rome
Ep 3
Mr. Dreeb Comes to Town
Ep 2
The Green Bay Chopper
Ep 1
Pilot

Contributors

Become a contributor
More
Less

TV Listings

Full Listings
BROWSE | Shows | Videos | News | Listings | Forums | People | Photos | TV.com Blog

CBS Entertainment | About TV.com | About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use