The unfortunate incident in which Duncan's union-sympathizing, college-man friend was killed by his father's Pinkerton employees was the first thing that leapt to my mind, too. (I'm interested by the differences between times when Duncan intervenes for justice, and when he hangs back and doesn't interfere. Many writers like to portray him as forever jumping in, putting things right and imposing justice, but it seems to me that that's far overstating; first and second-season flashbacks, particularly, are full of times he lets things go their own way past a point, or up to a point. He rarely sets out deliberately to become involved in larger events after Waterloo and Darius.)

I've never yet read Evening at Joe's; it's been on my Amazon wish list forever and ever. :-) Thank you for the supposition about Joe's father! I like that.

>"And you could say that the Watchers are one big damn union *g*."

Well, we could perhaps say that they are a worker-owned business? :-) Oh, the mysteries and improbabilities of financing that organization in compliance with canon! ;-)