User Reviews

I agree with the other comments here re: the improbability of Hacker merely knocking Matt out with a chair, stealing his horse, and riding off. It certainly strains credulity, especially since Hacker is supposed to be such a ruthless killer that Dillon immediately decides to pursue; no if's and's or but's--Matt is gonna track this guy down and bring him to justice.

However, several of the other critical comments here are off-base.

1.) Dillon realizes full well that Hacker's whereabouts are outside of his legal jurisdiction; Chester makes a big point of this in both Parts 1 & 2. Matt simply doesn't care, so determined is he to track the guy down.

2.) Matt's lengthy journey to Cedar Tank, Texas is accomplished by STAGECOACH, as is made abundantly clear by the travel footage. One assumes that several changes-of-horse were needed along the way. When Matt arrives in Cedar Tank, he purchases a horse to ride out to Hacker's place.

3.) The location of Hacker's property is made abundantly clear by Walter Burke (Willie), who tells Matt that it's a 2-day ride due south from Cedar Tank.

ETC, ETC-- so all of the super-critics here should save their comments for the plot points that really matter--- such as Hacker's chair-attack on Matt instead of killing him which, of course, is necessary for the episode (and indeed the entire series) to continue.

In addition, the initial encounter between Matt and Hacker, illogical though it may seem, is still well written; there's considerable rough-hewn, "Who-the-Hell-cares?" sort of charm about the outlaw, well-portrayed (as usual) by the burly, surly Gene Evans.

The SCENERY and photography are GORGEOUS-- one of Gunsmoke's LEAST studio-bound stories, with absolutely stunning, textured B&W TV photography at its best.

Fascinating interactions between the stalwart Mr. Dillon and the various characters he encounters south-of-the-border---the intensity and isolation of his situation heightened by the fact that all of the Mexican characters except for Gilbert Roland and his sweetie SPEAK ONLY SPANISH, and not the typical Mexi-Gringo accented stuff that we usually hear. It's very authentic and well executed, and definitely tilts the balance of power AWAY from Matt, especially considering he has no LEGAL AUTHORITY to be arresting anyone in Mexico.

The always dependable Fred Steiner contributes a big orchestral score to this 2-parter, which I found a bit disappointing. It often sounds overly grandiose, and the fight music resembles the Universal/Germanic Hans Salter stuff more than the usually distinctive Steiner. Also, Fred couldn't resist writing zippy, slightly hoaky Mariachi music every time the action moves into sunny Mae-hee-ho.

Accept for the glaring plot flaw mentioned above, it's a very good show. I kept hoping that Hacker's refusal to kill Matt in the cabin would somehow be explained in part 2---- that Hacker might actually have a sort of admiration for Dillon and may have resigned himself to his fate by letting Matt survive. But no, not really. Still, "Extradition" has plenty of good character interaction, drama and action. (PS-- Hopefully, "the widow" we keep hearing about got some of the reward $). LR

Good idea, good acting, poor writing. Matt found this killer and the killer escaped NOT by killing Matt or even taking his horse or gun or his own money or water when crossing the desert,just by hitting him with a chair??? Some vicious killer! NOT believeable.

When Marshal Dillon gets word that an outlaw named Charlie Hacker has been seen in Texas, Matt sets out to arrest the man. This isn't just a professional matter for Dillon; Hacker killed one of Matt's good friends during a robbery five years earlier. Chester warns Matt about Texas being outside the territory assigned to the Marshal, but Matt is determined to go.

This is all strange enough for a law man that was such a stickler for law and order, but at this point, the story gets even stranger. Matt has no trouble locating Hacker's farm. He informs Hacker he is under arrest, and Hacker appears to have no interest in fighting. He helps take care of Matt's horse and invites Matt into his house for some food.

The strangest part of all of this is how nonchalant Matt acts toward Hacker. Matt considers Hacker a dangerous killer. Matt hates him enough to pursue him at great cost, and yet the Marshal treats Hacker as if he can be trusted. It is no surprise when Hacker hits the Marshal with a chair and escapes on a horse. Among the many things in this episode that makes no sense, one cannot help but wonder why a ruthless murderer like Hacker didn't just kill Dillon when he had the chance. Hacker and Dillon are alone in the middle of nowhere. Hacker could kill Dillon, bury him, and if anyone came around asking about the Marshal, Hacker could say he never saw him. There would be no evidence to incriminate Hacker.

Fortunately for all of us diehard Gunsmoke fans, Hacker chooses to leave Matt alive and heads for Mexico. Matt goes in pursuit, but when he crosses the border, he now has absolutely no authority. He meets a Lieutenant in the Mexican army named Julio Chavez. Chavez demands payment from Matt for passage into Mexico, and he insists he must accompany the Marshal.

All of these events establish the foundation for the story: Dillon's pursuit of Hacker while being forced to deal with all the distractions Lt. Chavez introduces, including bringing a woman along for his own comfort.

(So, what about the territory Marshal Dillon is *supposed* to be overseeing? The whole reason U. S. Marshals were assigned territories was to provide some kind of oversight over diverse areas. Yet Matt abandons his territory for an extended period to essentially act like a bounty hunter.)

The entire premise of this episode is too implausible to fully redeem Part 2 but it does include some entertaining moments.

This is one of earliest, extended "Matt only" episodes, and it is the first two-part episode in the series. (This is notable, because there was a time not too many years earlier when the television studios did not think people would watch a show that filled more than a thirty-minute time slot.) While the story begins in Dodge City, it quickly shifts to Texas and Mexico (and includes some great location shots). Television seasons were long during the days this episode was made, and the Gunsmoke producers would occasionally give the regular cast a break with episodes that take place away from Dodge.

Gene Evans was always good playing tough, rugged characters. His portrayal of the poetry-quoting Charlie Hacker is very good. It is difficult to not like the character and see him as a villain. Gilbert Roland is fine as the Mexican lieutenant, although the character falls into the "corrupt Mexican official" stereotype. Roland's Lt. Chavez at times appears to be as much of a villain as Hacker. Anna Navarro's character is pretty much an annoying waste.

There are some really good scenes in this episode. The scene where Matt arrives at the U. S.-Mexico border is outstanding with several nice little details. The conversation between Chavez and the Mexican soldier takes place entirely in Spanish. (There are other scenes where various characters engage in their true language, too.) Too often in older television shows, the discussion between the two characters would have been conducted in accented English for the audience's benefit. The soldier playing with the tarantula on a makeshift leash is amusing. The way Chavez takes advantage of Dillon being a stranger in a strange land is unexpected.

For the love of God, why in the world do they want to make a story that travels into Mexico which would be a twenty day ride from Dodge City by horse. Yet for viewer sake the ride is a couple of days. Come on- I hope the rest of the viewers do not believe that it is so simple to get to Mexico by horse.

Anyway the story is good but the written script is beyond the pale. Marshal Dillon learns that a five year fugitive named Charley Hacker has been seen in south Texas. So Matt feels the need to make a trip to Texas to capture Hacker. But it ends up with Hacker escaping and heading south into Mexico.

Matt has to pay off the Mexican military as they hinder more than they help. But it is not long before they catch up with Hacker but then the Mexican military changes their mind. Matt is stuck in Mexico waiting for part 2.