The second part of this story begins with the passenger train bound for Dodge City stranded in the cold in the mountains, and Matt Dillon trying to make it to a relay station while fleeing from pursuing Sioux. Sioux leader Red Willow has demanded the release of two men from among the train passengers who sold the Sioux poison whiskey which killed three braves and blinded five.
Part 2 of the story delves more into the background of the passengers and includes more of Matt Dillon's journey to and from the relay station. Those two story elements necessarily slow the pace of the second part of the story.
One of the passengers named Sam Wickes proposes the stranded passengers attempt to determine the identities of the two men wanted by the Sioux and surrender them to save everyone else. Of course, Festus Haggen tries to prevent this turn of events, but he fails. A makeshift trial is convened where the passengers are questioned as to their whereabouts prior to boarding the train in Dodge City.
Meanwhile, through some kind of supernatural effort, the Marshal finally makes it to the relay station, which is appropriately named "Oblivion." How the Marshal could run/jog for hours through the snow and subdue three Sioux along the way is quite a feat. He finds the telegraph is not functioning, but the operator there is able to provide him a horse and rifle, and -- more importantly -- a wire he received before the lines went out with the identities of the two men that sold the Sioux the bad whiskey.
As Marshal Dillon races back to the train on his newly acquired horse, he stops long enough to free one of the Sioux braves that had been chasing him earlier. He leaves the brave with a knife to use to free the other two tribe members.
Back at the train, Wickes and the other passengers participating in the sham, mob "trial" choose the two men they think are responsible for the bad whiskey and throw them off the train to their certain death at the hands of the Sioux.
The story directly addresses themes of justice and honor. It is easy for the viewer to take a sanctimonious stance, because from the story observer's viewpoint, the proper actions are clear. However, it is difficult to say how one would act immersed within the same circumstances.
The cinematography in this episode is spectacular. Shots such as the Part 1 opening shot of the Sioux along a ridge overlooking the railway are breathtaking, and such shots are plentiful throughout the entire story. Another example that takes place in Part 1 is near the end when Matt is fleeing from the men pursuing him and we see the Marshal in the foreground and his pursuers approaching in the distance. Likewise, in Part 2, Dillon and his pursuers are shown running through a herd of buffalo. These kinds of shots were rare in television of the time.
Veteran television writer Preston Wood wrote this episode. He was no stranger to multi-part episodes as he also wrote the Season 12 episodes "Nitro! Part 1" and "Nitro! Part 2." He was good friends with Jack Webb, and contributed several stories for Webb's 1967 Dragnet reboot, Adam-12, and Emergency!. He was a contributing writer to the made-for-television movie The Steel Inferno for Emergency!, which was turned into a two-part episode for that series. In fact, "Snow Train" possesses strong cinematic qualities and could easily be edited into a movie.
The ending of this episode is unique among Gunsmoke episodes in that most of the credits appear as the story concludes by showing each character individually. In many cases, these scenes provide closure to the individual stories.
The producers went all-out on this episode. The location shooting, the large cast, the John Parker score, which won a Western Heritage Wrangler Award, and the story complexity all lend to the ambition and grandiosity of the effort.
Part 2 of the story delves more into the background of the passengers and includes more of Matt Dillon's journey to and from the relay station. Those two story elements necessarily slow the pace of the second part of the story.
One of the passengers named Sam Wickes proposes the stranded passengers attempt to determine the identities of the two men wanted by the Sioux and surrender them to save everyone else. Of course, Festus Haggen tries to prevent this turn of events, but he fails. A makeshift trial is convened where the passengers are questioned as to their whereabouts prior to boarding the train in Dodge City.
Meanwhile, through some kind of supernatural effort, the Marshal finally makes it to the relay station, which is appropriately named "Oblivion." How the Marshal could run/jog for hours through the snow and subdue three Sioux along the way is quite a feat. He finds the telegraph is not functioning, but the operator there is able to provide him a horse and rifle, and -- more importantly -- a wire he received before the lines went out with the identities of the two men that sold the Sioux the bad whiskey.
As Marshal Dillon races back to the train on his newly acquired horse, he stops long enough to free one of the Sioux braves that had been chasing him earlier. He leaves the brave with a knife to use to free the other two tribe members.
Back at the train, Wickes and the other passengers participating in the sham, mob "trial" choose the two men they think are responsible for the bad whiskey and throw them off the train to their certain death at the hands of the Sioux.
The story directly addresses themes of justice and honor. It is easy for the viewer to take a sanctimonious stance, because from the story observer's viewpoint, the proper actions are clear. However, it is difficult to say how one would act immersed within the same circumstances.
The cinematography in this episode is spectacular. Shots such as the Part 1 opening shot of the Sioux along a ridge overlooking the railway are breathtaking, and such shots are plentiful throughout the entire story. Another example that takes place in Part 1 is near the end when Matt is fleeing from the men pursuing him and we see the Marshal in the foreground and his pursuers approaching in the distance. Likewise, in Part 2, Dillon and his pursuers are shown running through a herd of buffalo. These kinds of shots were rare in television of the time.
Veteran television writer Preston Wood wrote this episode. He was no stranger to multi-part episodes as he also wrote the Season 12 episodes "Nitro! Part 1" and "Nitro! Part 2." He was good friends with Jack Webb, and contributed several stories for Webb's 1967 Dragnet reboot, Adam-12, and Emergency!. He was a contributing writer to the made-for-television movie The Steel Inferno for Emergency!, which was turned into a two-part episode for that series. In fact, "Snow Train" possesses strong cinematic qualities and could easily be edited into a movie.
The ending of this episode is unique among Gunsmoke episodes in that most of the credits appear as the story concludes by showing each character individually. In many cases, these scenes provide closure to the individual stories.
The producers went all-out on this episode. The location shooting, the large cast, the John Parker score, which won a Western Heritage Wrangler Award, and the story complexity all lend to the ambition and grandiosity of the effort.
