The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles

I wanted to return and give my thoughts as a whole to the Indiana Jones story as a whole; this year, I watched through the entire show as well as the movies in chronological order with a friend, and I wrote down my thoughts on this for the StarWarsEU discord server. I felt perhaps it would be worthwhile to repost here and share my thoughts with you guys as well. Ingram  Subtext Mining Here they are:

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Here's my little write up on the Indiana Jones saga since I've made my way through it all now (shows/movies). My friend and I collectively decided to give Young Indiana Jones a go. So, starting in the new year, we plunged in, meeting Indy (born 1899) when he's just a kid on an expedition to Egypt with his father & his tutor, Ms. Seymour. Years ago I had picked up the box-sets of the series, due to my interest in the 94 historical documentaries Lucasfilm produced (they are amazing & on YouTube!), but I hadn't watched much of the show, thinking maybe later on I would w/ someone else. Well, the time arrived!

In the early 90s, this show was made for television, usually in 45 minute episodes but sometimes as hour-and-a-half specials. George decided later on to put several compatible episodes together and reorganize the series as 22 hour-and-a-half episodes, which is the way I saw it, & the way it released on DVD and Disney+. The show shot on location in over 100 locations around the world and it's truly amazing they did this.

The first episode was interesting and good adventure; throughout the show, there are moments of real depth and sincerity, just great dramatic scenes, and Indy meets historical people throughout the procession of the show, at first through his father but eventually due to his various adventures. The show is a mix between a kind of travelogue, a drama, adventure, and romance -- truly a mix of all, it's very unique and I've never seen another show like it.

Indiana has a real call to adventure and even as a child we can see the qualities that make him who he is; a physical intuition and intelligence, an openness to new experience and people, and unbridled curiosity. We can see also that one of Indy's greatest traits is his ability to make friends -- he makes them wherever he goes.

One of the early episodes has Indy make friends with a slave, and another has him make friends with a kid of another tribe. Indy doesn't see race and it's really cool -- he's interested in different cultures but not racist in the slightest. It's very refreshing and he's ahead of his time, but it also makes sense. He grows up outside the United States.

Another of Indy's greatest strengths is his ability to learn languages, a tremendous number in fact, and he starts that process early by trading words with other young people he meets as a kid. He's a fast learner.

The shots throughout the series are truly incredible and beautiful. We see the sights of Africa, of India, of China and everywhere conceivable. It's so, so beautiful. These are films, essentially, 22 films. (Now it's on Disney+! Watch it!) The music is also absolutely gorgeous, featuring material by Joel McNeely (Shadows of the Empire) and Lawrence Rosenthal (Star Trek 4). The cast and crew for this is insane -- the talent here has won Oscars and much of the team went on to work on the prequels. Ben Burtt, Gavin Bocquet, Trisha Biggar, Rick McCallum, Ian McDiarmid, Christopher Lee, Pernilla August, just to name a few. Even Carrie Fisher herself wrote an episode! It's great. Sean Patrick Flannery was well-cast as young Indy and does a great job.

The show goes on and we see Indiana mature from a boy to an adult. The episodes when he is a kid are good, but it's really when he becomes a young adult at 16 or so the show really takes off. Indy eventually enlists in World War I and we see a great deal of the horrors of war. An encounter with Albert Schweitzer, the doctor and philosopher, changes Indy forever and he starts looking for ways he can contribute to ending the war. Finally we follow Indy a bit into the post-war era, and how his perspective changes.

I'm gonna say now, much to my surprise, this series has become my favorite part of the saga and has turned me into a real fan of Indy. I really see him as a person now, with a personality, with traits, with a history and everything. You see the importance of people in his life and his mother in particular, and her loss which he refers to several times throughout the series. You also see Indy's evolving idealism and his eventually disappointed romantic excursions, which result in the Indy we know.

The show has George written all over it and only he would make something like this. It's something very special and I am so glad it was made, and that it was made at that specific time, which was perfect for this sort of thing. Like Star Trek: The Next Generation, it exists in a space where time and beauty were given consideration in episodic television. It's a wonder, and though they vary in quality, I didn't dislike a single episode. Although I think most would like it, some might say it might appeal to a certain kind of audience: then I guess I am that audience!

Favorite episodes

• Oganga, the Giver and Taker of Life -- This episode is my absolute favorite and I love it the most. It was my introduction to Young Indy years ago and seeing it in full now only makes me love it more. It is my favorite part of the whole saga and details Indy's unforgettable encounter with Albert Schweitzer in the Congo of Africa, during WWI. Issues of colonialism are dealt with and the messaging is mature and deep. I love it a great deal. The soundtrack fuses pieces by Bach and Mozart to create something truly beautiful.
  
  
• Love's Sweet Song -- This is also a favorite. I truly love the second half of this episode. It is the episode, that if you ask me, Indy meets the great love of his life (sorry Marion). The first half is also interesting, taking place with the Irish instability and rebellion. The second half details Indy's meeting with a woman named Vicky and they fall for each other, as Vicky fights for women's rights in the suffragette movement. I love all that stuff as the women's rights movement is something I care about a lot and I love the history of it here. The romance is so beautiful and... well I can't say how it ends, but it's unforgettable. Indy's life could have been much different... The musical score, by Joel McNeely again, is based around Holst's Jupiter and is extremely touching and beautiful.
  
  
• Adventures in the Secret Service -- Indy is part of a secret mission in the first half, and in the second half goes as part of the spy unit to Russia where they are having the revolution, even witnessing a speech by Lenin. I love all that stuff and it's a very fascinating and great episode as Indy realizes where sometimes your job and your friendship/personal life might not be on the same track.
  
  
• Winds of Change -- This episode absolutely breaks my heart and curse George for making this! Okay, kidding, I am glad he made it, but it's so heartbreaking. This episode shows the fractured peace deal for WWI, and Indy returns home after the war. He meets up with his father and we see the final days of Indy and his father's relationship, presumably the last time they meaningfully speak for 20 years. This one felt very real and hit home. As an aside, Indy's father was cast very well in this show.
  
  
• Journey of Radiance -- A child Indy goes to India and meets the legendary Krishnamurti, a very interesting person in history. He learns about world religions. I found this episode very fascinating and it looked incredible. The second half details his voyage with his mother to China, where Indy contracts a potentially lethal illness. This episode really showcases Indy's mother, who gets the spotlight sometimes in these early episodes. It's my favorite episode with her and shows her strength of character. Indy's mother learns to respect the ways of the local people, a trait Indy will use for the rest of his life.
  
  
• Treasure of the Peacock's Eye -- This episode charts the end of an era for Young Indy as he embarks on a crusade with his friend Remy to find the Peacock's Eye for, of course, fame and glory. But as the path towards it winds more and more, Indy starts to find himself doubting what they are doing all this for, and his thoughts about it continue to increase as he meets the anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski. Their conversations are very compelling as Indy approaches a big decision in his life. This is the most introspective I think we see Indy. Also, this episode really feels like you are seeing some of the Indy to come.

Moving on in the Indy journey, after a few months my friend and I completed our watchthrough of this series, and moved to the movies. In between, I've been trying to finish Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb, a fun game but it's sometimes hard, taking place right before the movies. It's good, will be finishing that soon.

The Movies

• Temple of Doom -- You know, I've been enjoying this one more with each rewatch, and that continued here. My friend and I both really liked this one, dare-I-say one of the most enjoyable of the four on this rewatch (maybe more than Raiders?). It's chaotic and messy and wacky and fun and that's the joy of it. It's kind of unpredictable and I love Indy being in a bunch of different capacities here. Always liked his scenes with the local tribespeople, talking to them. Great movie -- darker but more multifaceted and fun. After his encounters with a semi-Nosferatu in the Young Indy show, one can see his experience with crazy supernatural stuff building here.
  
  
• Raiders of the Lost Ark -- Of course, the classic. I think I saw this in the cinema on a re-release some years ago and it was a good adventure. It still is. Cinematically, it's great, Spielberg having his moment here. Harrison always nailing it with this character. The creation of an icon, not much else to say. Fun, good movie.
  
  
• The Last Crusade -- Personally my favorite of the films, and the funniest. I love his interactions with his dad and it's a huge highlight to see him here. It's so satisfying to see them talking and cool with each other again after the last time we saw them together in Young Indy. I've seen this one the most and it's got a lot of charm. The music is truly stupendous by John Williams. "Indiana, let it go" -- growing up, was my fav scene of the trilogy. Still up there for me.
  
  
• Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -- Previously I had only seen this once or twice and like many felt kind of iffy about it. This rewatch surprised me though. Spielberg and Williams still have their old charm in these scenes and my friend and I really liked the stuff in the first half where Mutt and Indy meet and are looking for clues. I loved all that, actually. So that's great. The second half is also good too -- it played better for me on this rewatch. Aliens aren't really that much crazier than what happens in Temple of Doom or in the Transylvania episode of Young Indy, if you think about it. Was cool to see Indy in South America this time, a new location, and I was fanboying when Indy talked about his time with Pancho Villa -- that's from Young Indy! Loved that. Overall I liked this movie a bunch, I was too harsh on it before. I'm happy to call it good and I think I will come around to watch it again. I count it definitely as part of the saga and it's amusing to know both Indiana and Mutt are dog names lol. Nice to see Indy get a reunion and a marriage, about time he had a happy romantic ending!
  
  
• Dial of Destiny -- Saw this one twice at the cinema. Liked it! Loved the opening bits, that was really really cool and well done. When I found out it was about the Antikythera mechanism I was pretty stoked! I've been interested in that for years. Neat to see Indy at this part of his life. You know, Indy's been through a lot (Sad what happened to Mutt... parallels Indy joining WWI over his father's wants), and you can see it's worn on him here. Was never the greatest at keeping those relationships in his life going... The adventure got interesting and I quite liked the turn at the end with going back to the past. It felt very fitting for Indy -- always a man drawn to the past, now to give him a chance to actually be there. And he chooses to stay! Partly out of feeling the world has nothing left for him in the present. Fitting for a past chasing man. But I'm glad that Wombat whips him into shape and brings him back. Nice to see him reunited with Marion. Great score again by Johnny.

Old Indy

Finally, the Old Indy bookends! Watched these on YouTube (message if you want a link!). They were in the original Young Indy release, but got deleted, probably for good reason as they are really tangential to the episodes. But they are still neat. We see Old Indy, now at this point in his 90s, in like 1993 or so, going around telling people stories of his life, and sometimes still making a difference in the present. It's lovely to see Indy still making a difference in the here and now. Also, his multiple children (! Maybe other women?) and grandkid (Spike! Another dog name) and great grandkids. I liked this quite a bit. It's a nice happy ending for Indy's story and good to see him with a lot of spirit left in him. Even with his grouchiness he seems happier with his life here, surrounded by family, than the last couple movies, so that makes me glad.

As a final addendum, my friend had heard that Indy had been inspired by a particular movie, so we sought it out to watch it. We watched Secret of the Incas on YouTube, from 1954 with Charlton Heston. Like I said, we had heard it influenced Indy. Boy did it! I can see it, it's all here. Its basically an Indy movie minus the whip. I really quite liked it, which is nice since I usually dont care for American films from the 50s. Shot on location, even with Machu Picchu , was great, awesome color in this movie. The main character is rogueish, even a bit more-so than Indy. It was cool though, same general premise and everything. I really liked it. Recommended.

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That was the journey as a whole. I definitely will check out a new Indy game if they make one. I'm sure I'll also be returning to some episodes I really liked as well. Watching the second season of Genius now, which features Pablo Picasso, certainly reminds me of the episodes in which he appeared in the show. The documentaries also warrant rewatches as well, they are really phenomenal and also now on YouTube. I'm glad my friend and decided to take this Indy voyage.