Don Matteo

Swaggering stranger Tabor comes to Dodge to get his sixgun repaired. While waiting, he manages to offend about everybody at the Long Banch. Then old friend of Matt's, Esteban, arrives looking for Tabor to settle a score with him. Matt has to tell his old friend that if he does, Matt will have to arrest him. Now Matt and Esteban are at odds, so how will it play out.

Odd episode. To me, the screenplay is unusually disjointed, certainly not up to the series usual quality. For some reason, Tabor drops completely out halfway through, as though actor Russell suddenly got sick or something; switching main characters in the middle was certainly not a series norm. Moreover, events at the farmhouse are full of holes in exposition that tend to add some confusion to the subpar script. Good thing that Dobkin brings off the role of Esteban in such sympathetic fashion, which helps redeem a generally substandard entry.

I'm not going to rehash the same comments as the other reviewers about the story itself -- it had some great acting, great guest stars, and a good story managed to be told well in a 30-minute format. My comment has to do with the moment that made me laugh: this is the second Gunsmoke episode in which we got to see Bill Pence (Kitty's co-owner at the Long Branch), bonking an unruly patron on the back of his head with that big mallet he keeps behind the bar! In a series where we see so much gunplay and numerous fist fights, I find it amusing when I see Bill's handy mallet come out from behind the bar!

Even though she had a child's voice on radio (Our Miss Brooks and other comedy shows) she was sure a grown up woman in this episode of Gunsmoke.

For a nickel, I'd be happy to buy her beers all day long!