Spaghetti Western Showdown in Reboot “The Episode with No Name”

This small clip from Reboot, S3 E08 “The Episode with No Name” is a wonderful homage to the classic Spaghetti Western shootout scene. While Matrix chills in the saloon with Turbo, AndrAIa and Friskit showdown with a virus-infested female Guardian and her drone. The scene in questions runs from 18:24 through to 20:59

Watch for:

• slow camera pan to establish the setting, focuses to character
• establish the evil nature of the antagonist
• gunfighter stances at opposite ends of the street
• changing POV back and forth
• close ups of the eyes
• low shots over the gun belt from behind, opponent in the far distance
• notice Frisket’s impatience at 19:01, a nod to the reality of the unnaturally long, drawn-out nature of these sequences
• tumbleweed (a sheet of paper)
• the over-the-top, blowing smoke off the gun barrel riff

Listen for:

• tiny echo of The Good, The Bad, and They Ugly signature lick at 18:20
• classic guitar
• trumpet
• orchestral swells
• choir
• long note to punctuate moment of “the draw”
• silence but for the wind (right at the end)

If you have time, check out the full episode. This episode continues the narrative of Matrix, AndrAIa and Frisket searching for their system’s Guardian, Bob, in which they arrive in a “port” seeking a transport out into “the web.”