“Billy the Kid” is episode twenty-two of season one of The Time Tunnel.
At the end of the previous episode, “Idol of Death”, Tony and Doug had arrived in town as some gunmen were shooting the place up. They took refuge in the sheriff’s, where a deputy was shaving with total unconcern. He says it’s just the Triple X boys come into town. Doug asks what town it is and a prisoner says it’s Lincoln, New Mexico Territory. The deputy bets they don’t know who the prisoner is. Then armed men come in. The prisoner is freed and shoots the deputy, though Tony tries to stop him. He introduces himself as William Bonney – Billy the Kid. Billy is having fun with Doug and Tony when someone calls out to see if the deputy is okay. Billy puts his hat and coat on Tony, and tells him to go outside. Tony gives some snark back, but ends up being forced out. At which point Doug grabs a gun, Billy gets shot and Doug and Tony escape on horseback.
Tik-Toc are watching as Billy’s men check on him and say he’s dead. They can’t believe it; they’ve never before changed history. Billy was killed by a sheriff, Pat Garrett, a famous gunfighter. Ann has the time as 1881, April. Kirk wants the time and place of Billy’s death checking.
Billy has been paid back on the bed when his gang decide to move him. He’s not dead, however; he says Doug got him in his belt buckle. Knocked him cold. Billy is going to head after Doug and Tony. One of his men is concerned that maybe Pat Garrett has brought some big guns in from out of the territory and wants to come with. Billy wants them to himself and declines.
Doug and Tony have found a shack to spend the night. Tik-Toc is starting to re-establish a fix. Ann has done research; Billy the Kid died three months from now. She has a list of the 21 people Billy killed. Names for 19; the last two were two strangers killed near Lincoln in April, 1881. She’s naturally concerned those are Doug and Tony. Doug and Tony, meanwhile, are trying not to attract attention. Tik-Toc is too low on power for a switch.
The next day, Billy arrives at the shack. Doug and Tony are prepping their horses to leave. Doug is concerned about having killed Billy. He heads back into the shack and finds Billy waiting for him. Billy says Doug looks almost happy to see him. In a way, he is. Doug should have known he couldn’t have killed Billy. Even without the belt buckle, his bullet couldn’t kill Billy. Doug can’t kill a man who died before he was born. Billy doesn’t believe this story. Tony hears a sound outside. Tik-Toc lack the power for a switch, but could do a voice transmission. Tiny enters the shack and gets his gun shot from his hand.
Billy thinks they have been sent by Pat Garrett and is going to kill them when Kirk makes a voice transmission and tells Billy he’s surrounded. This distracts Billy and Tony and Doug manage to knock him down and tie him up. Doug tells Tony he should head into town and fetch Pat Garrett. Tik-Toc will now need more time to get enough power for a switch. General Kirk tempts fate and says that, with Billy under control, Doug and Tony should be safe enough.
They’re not. For one thing, the deputy earlier said not many people know what Billy the Kid looks like. He did, but he’s dead. Pat Garrett does, being a former friend of Billy’s, but he’s out of town. And Tony is heading into town with Billy’s hat, gun and coat. Those are recognisable. Which causes a misunderstanding.