WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Billy the Kid.
The season 2 premiere of Billy the Kid rewrites history by prematurely killing a major historical figure of the Lincoln County War. Beginning in February 1878 in the developing United States territory of Lincoln County, New Mexico, the Lincoln County War was an ongoing violent feud that lasted until 1881. One of the most important real-life figures in the was was William H. Bonney, better known by his infamous alias Billy the Kid. The gunslinger fought on the side of John Tunstall and Alexander McSween against the formidable Lawrence G. Murphy in a heated competition for ownership of the uncharted and often lawless region.
Many Billy the Kid characters seen in season 2 of the MGM+ series take part on either side of the Lincoln County War, which resulted in the deaths of at least 23 killed and 23 wounded. The death of a prominent historical figure on the Murphy side of the conflict raises questions about the accuracy of the Billy the Kid series, particularly due to the significance of the character that was shot dead in the season 2 premiere. In reality, the casualty has a much greater impact and role in the Lincoln County War altogether, which makes the creative decision to kill him off in the series before the war even gets started all the more notable and curious.
Old West Gunman Jim Dolan Wasn’t Killed By John Riley In Real Life
Jim or James Dolan, portrayed by Chad Rook in Billy the Kid, wasn’t actually killed by ally John Riley in real life. Historical records indicate the Dolan was an integral part of Murphy’s Hous throughout the entirety of the Lincoln County War and was, in fact, one of the main antagonizers of Englishman John Tunstall. Dolan and Murphy were in truth close business partners along with Riley, who was primarily one of Murphy’s clerks. Before Tunstall opened a rival general store and bank in Lincoln in 1876, Dolan and Murphy essentially had a monopoly on most goods that were being sold in Lincoln, New Mexico.
Dolan was furious when Tunstall opened his general store and bank which effectively ruined his shared monopoly with Murphy. Dolan himself challenged Tunstall to a gunfight before hiring several hired hands to do his gunslinging on his and Murphy’s behalf, one of which was the famed Jesse Evans gang. When Tunstall was shot and killed in February 1878, there was great suspicion that Dolan was the one who ordered the attack. Dolan later also offered a reward of $1000 to anyone who would kill Alex McSween, Tunstall’s lawyer. Dolan is essentially considered the instigator of the Lincoln County War, so killing him off prematurely and inaccurately in the MGM+ series is certainly an interesting choice.
Why Billy The Kid Changes Jim Dolan’s Death & What It Means For Season 2
It’s unclear exactly why Dolan was killed off before the Lincoln County War gained momentum considering his huge role in starting it. One possibility in killing off Dolan so early is to declare a lack of devotion to historical accuracy in the MGM+ series, especially since a few other significant points seen in Billy the Kid season 1 are also historically inaccurate. For example, the death of Billy’s younger brother Joesph is depicted in season 1 although in reality, Joe McCarty lived until 1930. With the untimely death of James Dolan in the Billy the Kid season 2 premiere, it will be interesting to see what other parts of the story will also deviate from historical accounts.
