This story seems to be tailor-made for Chester. The lovable loser whose girl leaves him for another guy is something Chester has done many times before. Instead, Anthony Caruso plays that role, as Cody Durham. Caruso appeared on Gunsmoke fourteen times. He was usually a gunslinger, bandit, highwayman.
Cody has been building a home for a while. He is a nice guy, but he seems a bit slow and trusting of strangers. Cody is engaged to a saloon girl who is much younger than him, Rose Loring. Rose is played by Gloria Talbott, who had a long history as a hussy and temptress in many Western TV shows. Talbott was fifteen years younger than Cody/ Caruso. She appeared on Gunsmoke three times.
Why a beautiful woman like Rose/Talbott would want to be with a poor, fat, middle-aged dim-wit like Cody is never explained. There is really no backstory, even though this is an hour-long episode. She just happens to be engaged to Cody, but she is entertaining men at the Longbranch Saloon. Cody is a carpenter who is building their home. When it is finished, they are going to get married.
Along comes Wayne Rogers, as Brack. Rogers is seventeen years younger than Anthony Caruso. Rogers gets into a fight with Sam Dukes (Robert Knapp). Knapp was on Gunsmoke seven times.
Dukes sees Rose when he gets off the stage, and decides that he is going to force himself on her, one way or another. Knapp buys Rose a couple of drinks, and gets fresh and nasty. Brack is drinking at the bar, and sees Knapp abusing Rose, so he stops Knapp. A few seconds later, Marhal Dillon stops them from having a gunfight, and takes away Dukes' gun.
Later Dukes attacks Brack in a dark alley, and Brack shoots him, not realizing that Dukes is unarmed. The town folks and Dillon chase Brack around when he goes on the run, and a local cowpoke shoots Brack in the shoulder.
Brack finds Caruso's home by accident, and Caruso gives him a place to hide, and tends to his gunshot wound. Rogers does a really good job of playing a nice guy, and so does Caruso. They are both convincing as nice guys who become friends thanks to the Brack getting shot.
Gloria Talbott starts hanging around Brack when her boyfriend Cody is working. She wants to help out, but like any true Western hussy, she gets the hots for Wayne Rogers. Like any young, red-blooded American, Brack falls for Rose too. A sad end to what could have been a nice story.
This tragic ending goes against the character of Cody/Caruso. He was a good, peace-loving carpenter, who just wanted a place to live with the woman he loved. I felt bad for Cody. The episode did a good job of creating tension, and sadness over the betrayal.
