An ex-con named Musgrove is seeking revenge. Five years prior to this story, a man named Ira Spratt informed officials where they could find Musgrove, who had deserted from the army. Musgrove is seething with rage, bitterness, and bloodlust.
Spratt lives near Dodge City with his wife and child. He is what many would call a shiftless character. He is filthy, lazy, a drunk, and he physically abuses his wife. When Musgrove arrives at the farm where the Spratt family lives, he forces Ira to accompany him to Dodge. Musgrove plans to engage Spratt into a "fair" gunfight in the streets with witnesses.
Once Musgrove and Spratt ride into town, Musgrove tries to entice Spratt into fighting, but -- besides being a coward -- Spratt knows he is not likely to survive a shootout. When he refuses to pick up the pistol Musgrove throws in the dirt in front of him, Musgrove fires a shot. The shot brings Festus Haggen, who is in the Long Branch Saloon, and Newly O'Brien, who is in the Marshal's office, running. Musgrove shoots both deputies, and Newly manages to shoot Musgrove in the thigh. Festus is seriously injured, but Newly's arm wound is relatively minor.
During the melee, Spratt successfully escapes to a barn on the farm of another Dodge citizen named Gideon. It does not take Musgrove long to track Spratt to the Gideon ranch. Gideon refuses to tell Musgrove where Spratt is located, but Gideon's wife Fiona -- who fears for the safety of her family -- reveals Spratt's location.
When he looks for Spratt in the barn, Musgrove is disappointed to find Spratt has eluded him yet again. Instead of continuing to chase his target, he takes Gideon hostage. Musgrove and Gideon return to Dodge where Musgrove uses the Long Branch as his base. He warns the people of Dodge that he will kill Gideon at 8:00 p.m. Unless they deliver Spratt to him.
After Doc Adams patches up Newly, the deputy rides to Lawrence to solicit Matt Dillon's help.
These circumstances establish the central conflict in the story. Fiona Gideon's brother, Ab Craddock, leads a group of men intent on finding Spratt so he can be delivered to Musgrove. Ena Spratt -- Ira's wife -- still loves her husband and does not want him killed. Gideon does not want Ira Spratt's life exchanged for his own. Fiona Gideon is torn, because she understandably wants her husband's life spared, but not necessarily at the cost being demanded. Meanwhile, Musgrove makes it clear he is a man of his word and will kill Gideon if Spratt is not delivered.
Actor William Windom is no stranger to anyone who has watched television dramas over the years. Here he makes his third and final Gunsmoke appearance as the Ira Spratt character. Windom often played the same panicked, desperate character as he does in this story.
Tim O'Connor is another familiar face from television history. Like Windom, O'Connor also appeared in three different Gunsmoke installments, and this is his last involvement in the series. He plays the Gideon character in this episode. O'Connor played a similar character in Season 16's "The Witness" episode.
Mariette Hartley appears for the fourth time in a Gunsmoke episode. She portrays Fiona Gideon in this story. She would return for one more guest role in Season 19 of the series. Katherine Helmond's acting career was still in its relative infancy at this time this episode was filmed. She plays Ena Spratt in her only Gunsmoke involvement.
Ramon Bieri returns for another of his six total Gunsmoke guest appearances. He fills the Musgrove role in this story.
Two additional notable guest roles are provided by Richard Kelton, who was frequently cast in different Gunsmoke parts around the time this episode was made, and a noticeably young Melissa Gilbert in one of her first acting roles.
The moral conflict in this story is obvious. Is one life more valuable than another? Writer Shimon Wincelberg, who also wrote the aforementioned "The Witness" episode that included Tim O'Connor in a guest starring role, is intent on making the viewer ponder this key question. Furthermore, the story is essentially a lynching tale with the mob led by Ab representing the lynch mob, while other characters including Nathan Burke, Doc Adams, and Gideon represent the law-and-order side of the conflict.
The oddest aspect of this episode is the portrayal of the Ira Spratt character -- not William Windom's acting, but Wincelberg's treatment. He begins the story as a sadistic monster, but over the course of the story, the character is softened considerably. The scene where Ena Spratt, as played by Katherine Helmond, and Fiona Gideon, as portrayed by Mariette Hartley, discuss their relative situations is surprising on the surface, but may be profoundly accurate. By today's standards, Mrs. Spratt should despise her husband and welcome an opportunity to be rid of his abuse and sloth. In 1870s Kansas, however, her reasoning is probably more realistic.
Wincelberg was a noted Hollywood writer, and his scripts often made Scriptural references and included elements of Hebrew traditions. It is noteworthy in this story the Musgrove character compares Spratt to the Biblical character Judas (which, in Musgrove's reasoning, would presumably place Musgrove in the position of Jesus). When Ab confronts his sister for a decision on whether Spratt should be turned over to Musgrove, he compares her to Pontius Pilate.
Criticism of this episode is primarily the lack of any special connection to the regular Gunsmoke characters -- a familiar complaint regarding late-series episodes. None of the stars play a key role in the story, apart from Doc. Festus is removed from the story early. (The lack of any further mention of the Festus character is odd.) Matt is away, as usual. Kitty Russell keeps Musgrove and Gideon company in the Long Branch, but she has little to do. Newly is injured early and then spends most of the episode traveling to inform Matt of the situation.
Spratt lives near Dodge City with his wife and child. He is what many would call a shiftless character. He is filthy, lazy, a drunk, and he physically abuses his wife. When Musgrove arrives at the farm where the Spratt family lives, he forces Ira to accompany him to Dodge. Musgrove plans to engage Spratt into a "fair" gunfight in the streets with witnesses.
Once Musgrove and Spratt ride into town, Musgrove tries to entice Spratt into fighting, but -- besides being a coward -- Spratt knows he is not likely to survive a shootout. When he refuses to pick up the pistol Musgrove throws in the dirt in front of him, Musgrove fires a shot. The shot brings Festus Haggen, who is in the Long Branch Saloon, and Newly O'Brien, who is in the Marshal's office, running. Musgrove shoots both deputies, and Newly manages to shoot Musgrove in the thigh. Festus is seriously injured, but Newly's arm wound is relatively minor.
During the melee, Spratt successfully escapes to a barn on the farm of another Dodge citizen named Gideon. It does not take Musgrove long to track Spratt to the Gideon ranch. Gideon refuses to tell Musgrove where Spratt is located, but Gideon's wife Fiona -- who fears for the safety of her family -- reveals Spratt's location.
When he looks for Spratt in the barn, Musgrove is disappointed to find Spratt has eluded him yet again. Instead of continuing to chase his target, he takes Gideon hostage. Musgrove and Gideon return to Dodge where Musgrove uses the Long Branch as his base. He warns the people of Dodge that he will kill Gideon at 8:00 p.m. Unless they deliver Spratt to him.
After Doc Adams patches up Newly, the deputy rides to Lawrence to solicit Matt Dillon's help.
These circumstances establish the central conflict in the story. Fiona Gideon's brother, Ab Craddock, leads a group of men intent on finding Spratt so he can be delivered to Musgrove. Ena Spratt -- Ira's wife -- still loves her husband and does not want him killed. Gideon does not want Ira Spratt's life exchanged for his own. Fiona Gideon is torn, because she understandably wants her husband's life spared, but not necessarily at the cost being demanded. Meanwhile, Musgrove makes it clear he is a man of his word and will kill Gideon if Spratt is not delivered.
Actor William Windom is no stranger to anyone who has watched television dramas over the years. Here he makes his third and final Gunsmoke appearance as the Ira Spratt character. Windom often played the same panicked, desperate character as he does in this story.
Tim O'Connor is another familiar face from television history. Like Windom, O'Connor also appeared in three different Gunsmoke installments, and this is his last involvement in the series. He plays the Gideon character in this episode. O'Connor played a similar character in Season 16's "The Witness" episode.
Mariette Hartley appears for the fourth time in a Gunsmoke episode. She portrays Fiona Gideon in this story. She would return for one more guest role in Season 19 of the series. Katherine Helmond's acting career was still in its relative infancy at this time this episode was filmed. She plays Ena Spratt in her only Gunsmoke involvement.
Ramon Bieri returns for another of his six total Gunsmoke guest appearances. He fills the Musgrove role in this story.
Two additional notable guest roles are provided by Richard Kelton, who was frequently cast in different Gunsmoke parts around the time this episode was made, and a noticeably young Melissa Gilbert in one of her first acting roles.
The moral conflict in this story is obvious. Is one life more valuable than another? Writer Shimon Wincelberg, who also wrote the aforementioned "The Witness" episode that included Tim O'Connor in a guest starring role, is intent on making the viewer ponder this key question. Furthermore, the story is essentially a lynching tale with the mob led by Ab representing the lynch mob, while other characters including Nathan Burke, Doc Adams, and Gideon represent the law-and-order side of the conflict.
The oddest aspect of this episode is the portrayal of the Ira Spratt character -- not William Windom's acting, but Wincelberg's treatment. He begins the story as a sadistic monster, but over the course of the story, the character is softened considerably. The scene where Ena Spratt, as played by Katherine Helmond, and Fiona Gideon, as portrayed by Mariette Hartley, discuss their relative situations is surprising on the surface, but may be profoundly accurate. By today's standards, Mrs. Spratt should despise her husband and welcome an opportunity to be rid of his abuse and sloth. In 1870s Kansas, however, her reasoning is probably more realistic.
Wincelberg was a noted Hollywood writer, and his scripts often made Scriptural references and included elements of Hebrew traditions. It is noteworthy in this story the Musgrove character compares Spratt to the Biblical character Judas (which, in Musgrove's reasoning, would presumably place Musgrove in the position of Jesus). When Ab confronts his sister for a decision on whether Spratt should be turned over to Musgrove, he compares her to Pontius Pilate.
Criticism of this episode is primarily the lack of any special connection to the regular Gunsmoke characters -- a familiar complaint regarding late-series episodes. None of the stars play a key role in the story, apart from Doc. Festus is removed from the story early. (The lack of any further mention of the Festus character is odd.) Matt is away, as usual. Kitty Russell keeps Musgrove and Gideon company in the Long Branch, but she has little to do. Newly is injured early and then spends most of the episode traveling to inform Matt of the situation.
