Strangely unsatisfying episode and conclusion. Normally I am all in favour of endings to family shows, even in the late 50s, early 60s that does not entail dead bodies littering up the scenery. But, in this episode it seemed that all the decent folk (bar Jack Kelly and Suzanne Lloyd) were bumped off quite callously, while a whole number of despicable types survived even if they were all arrested in the end.
Even the villains with a milligram of compassion or gallantry like Rayford Barnes and Donald Barry did not survive when much worse desperadoes did. To be fair, credit for character performance must go to Buddy Ebsen playing against type as nothing like his soon to be Jed Clampett. But top honours has to go to his screen wife, Virginia Christine. Her capability to change instantly from a kindly, dear matriarch to murderous conniving pitiless horror was more than a match for Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck. Christine's character was so evil, I could not believe she lived to face justice.
4 stars awarded just for her performance.
Even the villains with a milligram of compassion or gallantry like Rayford Barnes and Donald Barry did not survive when much worse desperadoes did. To be fair, credit for character performance must go to Buddy Ebsen playing against type as nothing like his soon to be Jed Clampett. But top honours has to go to his screen wife, Virginia Christine. Her capability to change instantly from a kindly, dear matriarch to murderous conniving pitiless horror was more than a match for Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck. Christine's character was so evil, I could not believe she lived to face justice.
4 stars awarded just for her performance.