The Rifleman (and plushies)

First, the other day I finally heard back from my plushie maker about the final cost of the plushie with the discount I can get, if I still want her to make it! But gah, I'm not sure how to reply to her. How do I tactfully say "Thank you so much, but it was taking so long I gave up and make myself the plushie"? **headdesk.** I cannot think of a good way to say it.

Concerning said plushie, he's doing fine. I never have got around to making the socks (or shoes); the tie frustrated me so deeply that I wanted a break, and I debuted him without the socks or shoes. I still intend to make them, but I dread more sewing so much I'm not sure when I'll get the strength. (Also, I'm wondering if the material might rub off on the plush over time, the way my KH Sephiroth's gloves have done with his hands.)

I still don't know where the cheap digital camera's installation disc is, so I'm thinking I'd better give up and just take some pictures with my trusty film camera.

I'm unsure what anyone will think of him, particularly the face. I based it off a very serene and squeeable picture of the actor, but I'm not sure the plush resembles the character unless you are familiar with that picture. Hence, I was too embarrassed at the time to even tell my dad who it was supposed to be. (I doubt he has any idea even now.) I'm very proud of the plush now (and I was always proud of the clothes and hair); somehow someone praising up my fics for the fandom in a way that rarely happens to me buoyed me up so much that somehow it also made me happier about how the plush's face came out.

And I've been having fun with MeTV! Right away on Friday, there was a Rifleman episode with Richard Anderson. He played Tom Birch, an outlaw who was nevertheless a good friend of the main character, Lucas McCain. It was a very intense and wonderful episode.

This clip doesn't show all of the wonderful things about it by far, but it does include the intense scene and also shows that Tom definitely still has good in him:

Tom's backstory with Lucas, being so close with him years ago until Lucas's wife came along, and them then going their separate ways, is eerily similar to Lariat Jones' backstory with Lucas in a season 2 episode I'm waiting for most eagerly. The big difference is that Lariat is as honest as the day is long. Although I love both him and Tom, Lariat is the one I absolutely squee over.

Of course, me being me, I immediately started getting plunnies as I thought about it. I wanted to unite the storylines because they're both so wonderful. And I started wondering if Tom and Lariat could be twin brothers. Tom's gang is highly notorious and well-known, so maybe he and Lariat had a falling-out and/or Lariat changed his name because he did not want any possible association with the Birch gang (especially since he looks just like Tom and that could cause big trouble).

There is a Rifleman category on FF.net. It's not too big, but it is still active. Someone posted something last month. So if I try this out, I'll probably post it there.

Also, as Ladyamberjo told me months before, the father-son interaction between Lucas and his kid Mark is just wonderful. It's better than Andy and Opie on The Andy Griffith Show! During a conversation, I realized that Andy really does seem to disbelieve Opie a lot, whereas he almost always gives Barney the benefit of a doubt. And that ... just really isn't quite fair. I have never liked those Andy episodes where Opie is not lying/not trying to do anything wrong, and Andy continually thinks the worst of him. Those episodes seriously aggravate me.

That doesn't seem to happen with The Rifleman; Lucas and Mark have a very close, trusting relationship. And that makes me squee.