Turn on AMC: Of Cabbages and Kings (Recap/Review)

On Turn on AMC tonight, the episode is called Of Cabbages and Kings. The title is likely taken from the Lewis Carroll poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter.” It’s an apropos title, as Abe Woodhull is a cabbage farmer, and the show depicts Americans revolting against the rule of King George III of England, and the activities of America’s first spy ring, the Culper Ring, in thwarting various plots of the Redcoats.

In the last episode of Turn on AMC, Who By Fire, at the end, when General Scott (Michael Gaston) appears, he orders Captain Simcoe (Samuel Roukin) to be released. Scott also orders Major General Ben Tallmadge (Seth Numrich), who is behind the creation of the Culper Ring, to report to Fort Lee where he will face disciplinary charges.

In the Turn episode, Of Cabbages and Kings, Ben will be betrayed by his own militia. Also, Abe Woodhull (Jamie Bell) has to venture along with his father, Richard (Kevin R. McNally), to New York City, ostensibly on a business trip, though Abe uses the occasion to gain more intelligence to pass along. Also, Abe’s wife, Mary Meegan Warner), confronts the pub landlady, Anna Strong (Heather Lind), in tonight’s episode.

Turn on AMC opened with a scene set in Northern New Jersey. Simcoe is being transported via a wagon and he requests a drink of water. Ben Tallmadge and Caleb Brewster (Daniel Henshall) ride at the front of the group.

Coming through the fog, Tallmadge, Caleb, and the others see walking wounded members of the Continental Army staggering along. They report that several more men have been killed or taken prisoner. Simcoe sounds gleeful, as he says: “By all means, let’s head on to New York!”

After a commercial break, Richard discusses their travel plans with his son, Abraham. They’re at Abe’s house, and Mary is holding their son. She tells abe she’s “jealous” that he’ll be going to New York.

General Scott is travelling along with Tallmadge, Caleb, etc., and they stop at a farmhouse and request permission to stay there the night. Scott tells Tallmadge that he’ll be facing disciplinary charges, but that they “might be tempered” depending on how Tallmadge behaves the rest of their trip.

Tallmadge sends Caleb off to find a boat, and continue the activities of the Culper Ring by finding out information from Abe.

Richard and Abe, meanwhile, are on their way to New York. Richard suggests stopping by Abe’s old alma mater, but Abe doesn’t like the idea.

Caleb mounts a horse and prepares to leave. Some of the militia question him, and believe that he’s deserting. They get the idea that they might be “on the wrong side of the gallows,” and that maybe they should “do something about that.” Probably, this means switching allegiances.

As Abe and his father, Judge Woodhull, walk down the street, they meet with a Redcoat officer who Judge Woodhull tells “I trust him with all my affairs.” The officer says he wouldn’t trust Abraham with his, and then laughs, as if he’s just joking around. They walk by a Punch and Judy puppet show, then Turn went to another commercial break.

Back from break, Caleb pulls his boat onto shore and is helped out by another man, presumably a friend of his, in the fog.

Anna Strong notices something she finds strange about her clothesline (maybe a knot on it) and goes to her barn, where Caleb is hiding in the straw. Anna tells him that she can find out information that might be useful from Redcoats who drink at her tavern, and spill secrets.

She tells Caleb, who is apparently interested in her, that she would make a great addition to the Culper Ring. He tells her, though, that it’s not the work for ladies. Anna protests, saying that she knows of many women brave enough to be spies.

In New York, Richard and Abraham have a business meeting with the Redcoat officer they met in the streets, and they attempt to come to a business deal involving selling hogs to the Redcoats. Abraham interjects, and gets a better deal for his father than Richard would probably have settled on.

Simcoe, Tallmadge, Scott, etc. are having dinner at the farmhouse and the militia outside, who are supposed to be loyal, point their guns at Tallmadge, Scott, and Caleb, telling them to go with them and be their prisoners. There was a brief gun battle, where Scott was one of the people who got wounded, along with the farmer.

Simcoe told one of the militia that he would take over as their leader, and the man he said it to hit him with his gun, knocking Simcoe to the ground.

Back on Turn on AMC, Mary is in her house with a man, their boarder, rubbing his shirt, trying to get a stain off of it.

Then, in Anna’s barn, she is continuing her discussion with Caleb. Caleb asks her to go to the wharf and see if there are any unattended boats there. She tells Caleb that Abe said he’s “done with this double life.” Abraham told her something like that, though he’s really far from done with being a spy.

Back at the farmhouse, Ben Tallmadge is trying to convince the militia members who have turned against him to remember their oaths, and stand against the British and King. They, though, give the people inside an ultimatum to give themselves up to them.

Richard and Abe talk in their room in New York and Richard says that he had thought his son was turning into a worthy man, who could take care of his own family. They have a blow-up, and Abe storms out of the house.

At King’s College, where Abe has wandered off to, a Redcoat confronts him and tells him to get to his home. Abe then walks up to a campfire where a couple of other Redcoats are, and tells them he’s a “cabbage farmer.” They give him some food to eat, and they discuss buying cabbage from him.

Through talking with them, and asking them where they would like him to deliver a boatload of cabbage, Abe finds out their military positions that he will later report on.

After another commercial break, Turn on AMC shows Mary confronting Anna outside of Anna’s tavern, saying “I think it’s time we had a talk, don’t you?”

Mary says that she knows Abraham is a “passionate man.” She agrees to let Anna and Abe keep seeing each other, thinking that they are having an affair; but, Anna tells Mary that is not the case, at all. She says that they had been “secretly engaged” but that Abe’s father objected to the potential marriage.

The militia outside the farmhouse say that they will come into the farmhouse soon, unless the people inside give up and come out. Ben, and the wounded Scott, exit the farmhouse, with Ben saying “Don’t shoot!” He then pulls out his pistol, and shoots one of the militia in the head. Simcoe, jerk that he is, claps his hands together and says “Well done, Captain! Well done!” Tallmadge must be a Captain, though he later becomes a Major General.

Abraham then arrives at Anna’s house, “with gifts from New York.” He then tells Caleb and Anna the information on the enemy positions.

Anna tells Abraham that Captain Simcoe is dead. Caleb was about to tell Abe the truth, that he wasn’t dead at all; but, Anna said “Let it come from me.” Possibly, she doesn’t want Abe to be disappointed that Simcoe is still very much alive.

Close to the end of Turn on AMC, Caleb’s head pops up from out of the water. He sneaks aboard a rowboat along the shoreline, hiding underneath a blanket, with the watchful eyes of Redcoats all around.

Back at the farmhouse, General Scott orders Tallmadge to shoot one of the militiamen, who Tallmadge has promised after talking to him, would be safe. Scott tells Ben that he will face a court martial for disobeying him.

“I’ll take the court martial.” Ben tells him. Scott then points his own pistol at the man, and kills him.

Caleb comes out from hiding, pointing two pistols at the two oarsmen who are now in the boat. He orders them to row, while Redcoats shoot at them — but, they are already too far out of the range of the Redcoats for their bullets to reach him.

In the last episode of Turn on AMC, the Scotsman Loyalist Richard Rogers had asked Abe to keep tabs of John Robeson, the man who had murdered Captain Joyce. However, Abe couldn’t do this, at least not this episode, as he was on a business trip with his father. Rogers will likely have to overlook Abe’s not keeping tabs on Robeson, as going to New York was something he couldn’t help but do.

The next episode of Turn on AMC is called “Eternity How Long.” It seems like if Captain Scott doesn’t meet with an untimely death, when they arrive in New York with Simcoe he will insist that Ben Tallmadge is court martialed. Perhaps something will happen while they are still on their way there that will change his mind, or perhaps, he will get killed before they arrive. Did you like this episode of Turn on AMC, Of Cabbages and Kings? Please leave your comments below!

Written by: Douglas Cobb