Growing up in the 60s I recall watching the color Gunsmoke episodes frequently, my grandparents were huge fans of the series and I have many memories of watching the show with them. Over the years I had heard that Burt Reynolds was once a regular cast member, and although I never saw him in the role of Quint Asper I knew him from his series Dan August and of course, his film roles.
Encore westerns changed all that, and I was finally able to see Reynolds in the role that made him a star. It was well deserved, Reynolds was just great in the role. His easy going style fit the series exceptionally well and it's not hard to see why he was so popular.
This is the episode that started it all, Reynolds plays half-Comanche Quint Asper, whose father is murdered by a couple of scummy characters searching for gold to steal. Quint takes them both out, but he harbors a hated for all white men and follows his mother back to the Comanches, where he joins them to serve this hatred. Three years later he's injured in a raid and Dillon saves him.
Through his interactions with Quint, Dillon gradually begins to get through to the young man that all white men are not evil murderers, and by episode's end we have a new regular cast member when Quint realizes his life of revenge no longer appeals to him and he comes back to Dodge. The story also deals with the prejudice he encounters, which would continue to be a thread throughout his years on the series.
And so begins one of the best eras of the series, where Burt Reynolds was a welcome and capable member of the ensemble. Some of the best episodes of the run came during Reynolds' tenure with the series, and his eventual pairing with Ken Curtis' Festus Haggin resulted in more than a few unforgettable stories.
A solid episode and a great introduction to new cast member Burt Reynolds.
Encore westerns changed all that, and I was finally able to see Reynolds in the role that made him a star. It was well deserved, Reynolds was just great in the role. His easy going style fit the series exceptionally well and it's not hard to see why he was so popular.
This is the episode that started it all, Reynolds plays half-Comanche Quint Asper, whose father is murdered by a couple of scummy characters searching for gold to steal. Quint takes them both out, but he harbors a hated for all white men and follows his mother back to the Comanches, where he joins them to serve this hatred. Three years later he's injured in a raid and Dillon saves him.
Through his interactions with Quint, Dillon gradually begins to get through to the young man that all white men are not evil murderers, and by episode's end we have a new regular cast member when Quint realizes his life of revenge no longer appeals to him and he comes back to Dodge. The story also deals with the prejudice he encounters, which would continue to be a thread throughout his years on the series.
And so begins one of the best eras of the series, where Burt Reynolds was a welcome and capable member of the ensemble. Some of the best episodes of the run came during Reynolds' tenure with the series, and his eventual pairing with Ken Curtis' Festus Haggin resulted in more than a few unforgettable stories.
A solid episode and a great introduction to new cast member Burt Reynolds.