7 reviews
They saved money on actors in this episode
Another look at the soul of a pioneer doctor
Doc Adams is riding out to tend to a very sick man, but along the way he encounters a stranger who insists Doc must turn around and go back to Dodge or else he'll kill his horse so he can go no further. Doc says if he does that he'll shoot the man. The man does shoot the horse and Doc does shoot the man dead. He then goes on to the sick man's house, but he dies anyways.
There was no witness to what happened, just the aftermath and the dead man's body. Doc tells Matt how everything happened and said it was not self defense and wondered if he would be tried for murder. Matt says he would never arrest Doc, that what he did actually was in defense of another - the sick man he was trying to save. The problem is, word gets around Dodge City as to what Doc did and now people treat him differently because they feel that Dillon is bending the law for doc. I found this odd since the people of Dodge City know Doc's dedication to medicine and healing, and yet you'd think Doc shot a long standing member of the community for snoring the way they give him the cold shoulder.
But among the stares there is one particularly troubling one. A stranger is following Doc around and won't state his business in town.
It's one of the few Gunsmokes where you really get inside Doc's head. He really is a man of peace and healing, and even a killing he had to do in defense of that healing is something that eats at him.
There was no witness to what happened, just the aftermath and the dead man's body. Doc tells Matt how everything happened and said it was not self defense and wondered if he would be tried for murder. Matt says he would never arrest Doc, that what he did actually was in defense of another - the sick man he was trying to save. The problem is, word gets around Dodge City as to what Doc did and now people treat him differently because they feel that Dillon is bending the law for doc. I found this odd since the people of Dodge City know Doc's dedication to medicine and healing, and yet you'd think Doc shot a long standing member of the community for snoring the way they give him the cold shoulder.
But among the stares there is one particularly troubling one. A stranger is following Doc around and won't state his business in town.
It's one of the few Gunsmokes where you really get inside Doc's head. He really is a man of peace and healing, and even a killing he had to do in defense of that healing is something that eats at him.
Don't Mess with Doc's Horse!
Doc Adams is on his way to tend to Cam Seaton, a man who was injured when he was kicked in the chest by his horse. During the trip, Doc is stopped by a man on horseback. The rider tells Doc to turn back, but Doc refuses. The stranger shoots Doc's horse to prevent him from making it to the injured man, and Doc fatally shoots the man with his shotgun.
Matt Dillon and Chester Goode find Doc's buggy turned over and the dead stranger lying nearby. They ride on to Cam Seaton's house where they find Doc. By the time Doc made it to Seaton, the injured man was beyond help and soon died from his injury.
Doc tells Matt he killed the stranger when the man shot his horse, an act that could be considered murder. Matt does not think Doc's actions warrant arrest. Some of the Dodge City residents disagree.
A stranger soon arrives in Dodge and begins stalking Doc. At Matt's request, Kitty Russell performs some investigative work at the Long Branch Saloon and learns the stranger is named Nate Brandell, and his brother Myles is the man Doc killed. She also learned Myles had a bounty on his head for a crime in Colorado. Nate thinks Doc killed his brother for the bounty money, and Nate wants revenge.
Jack Lord plays both Brandell brothers in this story. This is Lord's only appearance in the series, and it is excellent. Lord can be seen in various roles in several different television shows -- many of those westerns -- in the 1950s and 1960s. He starred as the lead character in the series Stoney Burke during its single season. That series also starred Warren Oates, an occasional Gunsmoke guest and featured Buck Taylor, who would later join the Gunsmoke cast as the character Newly O'Brien, in a few episodes. Lord would later play the iconic character Steve McGarrett in the series Hawaii Five-O.
Longtime Gunsmoke viewers know that Doc killed a few people during the twenty-year history of the series. While Doc's reaction to Myles Brandell shooting his horse is surprising, it is justified under the circumstances. It does not make sense that anyone would think Doc should be prosecuted. (Plus, how did the Dodge City people learn the details of the shooting? Myles Brandell was a stranger to the people of Dodge, and the incident occurred far from the town with no witnesses.)
Matt Dillon and Chester Goode find Doc's buggy turned over and the dead stranger lying nearby. They ride on to Cam Seaton's house where they find Doc. By the time Doc made it to Seaton, the injured man was beyond help and soon died from his injury.
Doc tells Matt he killed the stranger when the man shot his horse, an act that could be considered murder. Matt does not think Doc's actions warrant arrest. Some of the Dodge City residents disagree.
A stranger soon arrives in Dodge and begins stalking Doc. At Matt's request, Kitty Russell performs some investigative work at the Long Branch Saloon and learns the stranger is named Nate Brandell, and his brother Myles is the man Doc killed. She also learned Myles had a bounty on his head for a crime in Colorado. Nate thinks Doc killed his brother for the bounty money, and Nate wants revenge.
Jack Lord plays both Brandell brothers in this story. This is Lord's only appearance in the series, and it is excellent. Lord can be seen in various roles in several different television shows -- many of those westerns -- in the 1950s and 1960s. He starred as the lead character in the series Stoney Burke during its single season. That series also starred Warren Oates, an occasional Gunsmoke guest and featured Buck Taylor, who would later join the Gunsmoke cast as the character Newly O'Brien, in a few episodes. Lord would later play the iconic character Steve McGarrett in the series Hawaii Five-O.
Longtime Gunsmoke viewers know that Doc killed a few people during the twenty-year history of the series. While Doc's reaction to Myles Brandell shooting his horse is surprising, it is justified under the circumstances. It does not make sense that anyone would think Doc should be prosecuted. (Plus, how did the Dodge City people learn the details of the shooting? Myles Brandell was a stranger to the people of Dodge, and the incident occurred far from the town with no witnesses.)
- wdavidreynolds
- Jan 20, 2022
- Permalink
Before Stoney
No Charge for the Sage Advice
Rather surprising incident begins this well-acted and well-executed entry. Doc sets out to help sick man but encounters trouble along the way. As an impartial upholder of the law, Matt gets accused of favoritism towards his friend Doc as a result, for which he is in fact guilty. But is his partiality based on friendship or on the strength of character that Doc definitely possesses. This 30 minutes is a reminder of just what fine actors Stone, Arness and Weaver are. Their chemistry here is simply superb. The wind-up packs considerable punch, though the mood music is a bit much-- the emotions don't need underscoring. Jack Lord is featured in an early dual role and acquits himself well, though I kept expecting him to say,"Book 'em, Dano."
- dougdoepke
- Jul 21, 2007
- Permalink
Stoney Burke and Steve McGarrett ride again
- LukeCoolHand
- Oct 26, 2021
- Permalink
Predictable Except Beginning