An eccentric loner named Olie Ridgers lives on the prairie near Turkey Bend with his pigs and mule. Ridgers feels confined when he is inside a building and prefers to live outdoors. A cowboy named Jim Branch is a close friend who lives near Ridgers, and he convinces his friend to go with him to Dodge City for a night on the town. Ridgers is reluctant, but he told Branch he would go, so he goes.
(There is a bit of a coordination issue with this story and the time and distances involved. Chester states the camp where Ridgers lives is forty miles from Dodge. Yet, Ridgers and Branch intend to ride to Dodge, spend the night, and return the next day so Ridgers can care for his hogs. A horse will typically average around four miles per hour, which would mean ten hours to Dodge and ten hours back. An overnight round trip would certainly be possible, but it would be extremely difficult on both the horse and the rider.)
In Dodge, Ridgers is nervous and tentative as he shares a meal with Branch, Chester, and Matt. He later begins to relax and enjoy himself at the Long Branch Saloon. A cowboy passing through recognizes Ridgers and tells him he noticed when he passed by his place that someone had killed his pigs and mule. Ridgers is distraught and convinced a couple of men that have repeatedly harassed him and want his land are responsible.
Matt Dillon already suspects two antagonistic men, Giles and Dever, he and Chester encountered on the trail away from Dodge City. Marshal Dillon thinks they may be responsible for the murder of a man named Bob Riley he and Chester found shot to death inside his cabin.
Ridgers goes after the men and kills one in cold blood. He understands there will be consequences for his actions, but he doesn't care. The subsequent events do not transpire quite as Ridgers expected however, and Matt Dillon finds himself amid another contentious situation.
Vaughn Taylor is outstanding as the Olie Ridgers character in this story. Taylor does not overplay the odd character -- another unique John Meston creation. The viewer can empathize with his quiet rage at the injustice done to him. The darkness of his resolve to accomplish his mission with full knowledge he will face punishment is palpable. This appearance is the first of three guest roles Taylor would play in the series.
Joe Maross was another familiar character actor in the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He portrays Jim Branch in this episode, which -- like Taylor -- is the first of three appearances in the series.
Viewers are treated to another brutal, sad Meston tale of harsh life on the prairie with this entry in the Gunsmoke catalog. The unpredictability of the characters helps keep the audience guessing. Marshal Dillon fulfils his duty despite the realization that people he likes and respects will suffer as a result. The late scene in the Long Branch Saloon with Doc Adams is key to showing the inner turmoil Matt frequently faces.
(There is a bit of a coordination issue with this story and the time and distances involved. Chester states the camp where Ridgers lives is forty miles from Dodge. Yet, Ridgers and Branch intend to ride to Dodge, spend the night, and return the next day so Ridgers can care for his hogs. A horse will typically average around four miles per hour, which would mean ten hours to Dodge and ten hours back. An overnight round trip would certainly be possible, but it would be extremely difficult on both the horse and the rider.)
In Dodge, Ridgers is nervous and tentative as he shares a meal with Branch, Chester, and Matt. He later begins to relax and enjoy himself at the Long Branch Saloon. A cowboy passing through recognizes Ridgers and tells him he noticed when he passed by his place that someone had killed his pigs and mule. Ridgers is distraught and convinced a couple of men that have repeatedly harassed him and want his land are responsible.
Matt Dillon already suspects two antagonistic men, Giles and Dever, he and Chester encountered on the trail away from Dodge City. Marshal Dillon thinks they may be responsible for the murder of a man named Bob Riley he and Chester found shot to death inside his cabin.
Ridgers goes after the men and kills one in cold blood. He understands there will be consequences for his actions, but he doesn't care. The subsequent events do not transpire quite as Ridgers expected however, and Matt Dillon finds himself amid another contentious situation.
Vaughn Taylor is outstanding as the Olie Ridgers character in this story. Taylor does not overplay the odd character -- another unique John Meston creation. The viewer can empathize with his quiet rage at the injustice done to him. The darkness of his resolve to accomplish his mission with full knowledge he will face punishment is palpable. This appearance is the first of three guest roles Taylor would play in the series.
Joe Maross was another familiar character actor in the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He portrays Jim Branch in this episode, which -- like Taylor -- is the first of three appearances in the series.
Viewers are treated to another brutal, sad Meston tale of harsh life on the prairie with this entry in the Gunsmoke catalog. The unpredictability of the characters helps keep the audience guessing. Marshal Dillon fulfils his duty despite the realization that people he likes and respects will suffer as a result. The late scene in the Long Branch Saloon with Doc Adams is key to showing the inner turmoil Matt frequently faces.