Sam McTavish M.D.

Of the 635 episodes of Gunsmoke broadcast over twenty years, this one is easily the best. Right up there with Milburn Stone and Vera Miles' best performances of their careers. Poignant story & life lessons still relevant today.

The story starts out with Doc being his usual cantankerous, skeptical self. But gradually he sees through all the tired and worn labels and stereotypes that were getting in the way of his seeing reality. This episode shows a side of Doc that was never really highlighted in the previous fifteen seasons. A very well-written and acted edition of one of the most successful TV series of all time.

Doc Adams is going out-of-town for a dedication of a respected doctor. He sends to St Louis in order to get a doctor to fill in for him while he is away from Dodge. After contracts are signed they send Doctor Sam McTavish. The problem Doc Adams has is that Dr McTavish is a female doctor something that is unseen in the west. Needless to say Doc Adams is not a happy camper.

Not only does Doc Adams have disdain for McTavish, the people around Dodge are at first taken back by a woman doctor. But slowly Doc Adams sees that McTavish can handle his most difficult patients with ease. His disdain turns into respect and then to love.

But there is trouble brewing in the area of Dodge. Dr. McTavish is first to believe that something is in the air when she sees many dead animals along the road. Later large animals start to die and it is not long till a child is burning up with fever.

An epidemic is possible if the fever is not controlled. Dr McTavish risk her on life to save people. Then it is not long until McTavish comes down with the dreaded fever.

The ending is one of the most powerful ending we have seen in a few seasons. Milburn Stone is at his best in this episode as he projects his warmth and concern that comes across well on the screen. Vera Miles also is excellent as the female doctor breaking into a man's world around Dodge. A very good watch.

Before you look at this episode make sure you have full box of Kleenex. Watchers of 60's tv will recognize Amzie Strickland in this show. She was on a ton of stuff back in the day. She played on one of the funniest episodes of Dick Van Dyke called "That's My Boy". And also on another Dick Van Dyke, the one set at the auction when Laura buys "the thing". Also look for the kid who played Bess on the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

The story begins with a nicely dressed woman driving a horse-drawn buggy. She stops at an encampment inhabited by some indigent people to ask how much farther it is to Dodge City. The woman introduces herself as Dr. Sam McTavish when the extremely pregnant Ellen Bascomb appears ill and needs medical attention. Barn Bascomb, Ellen's husband, is skeptical that a woman is claiming to be a physician, and he invites the doctor to leave. Before she departs, Dr. McTavish notices a sickly dog about to give birth and some dead squirrel carcasses lying around the area.

Doc Adams needs to leave Dodge City for a few weeks to attend the dedication of a building being named in honor of one of Doc's mentors. Doc had placed an advertisement in a medical journal for someone fill in while he is away. When a doctor named Sam McTavish responded to the ad, Doc examined the doctor's credentials and agreed to Dr. McTavish as the replacement.

When Dr. McTavish arrives at Doc's office, Doc is stunned to learn Sam McTavish is a woman. Initially, Doc absolutely refuses to accept a woman as his replacement. He decides to send Dr. McTavish away and cancel his trip. However, after he spends some time with Sam, he begins to develop respect and, eventually, even deeper feelings for the woman.

Unfortunately, there are some developing problems with the people in the encampment. First, the dog had two puppies, but then the dog died. Soon the puppies died, too. When Christina Bascomb, the daughter of Barn and Ellen, becomes sick, Dr. Sam begins to become concerned. Soon, other people begin to show similar symptoms.

The house where the Bascombs live is quarantined. Following Doc's recommendations, Matt Dillon closes the roads to Dodge and refuses to allow people to leave or come in. Although neither Doc nor Sam knows precisely what is causing the illness, they suspect the disease is transmittable in some manner.

(My one minor complaint with the way this episode transpires is that the disease is never clearly identified, and concern about the disease seems to disappear by the end of the story. Some of the dialogue hints at Bubonic plague, but it is never made clear.)

Soon, Dr. Sam begins showing signs of the mysterious illness. Doc finds himself in the position of having to care for Sam, as others begin to recover.

Vera Miles, who was named "Miss Kansas" as a young woman, plays Dr. Sam McTavish in this story. Her performance is as good as any that have graced Gunsmoke over the years. Miles was an extremely talented actress. Her performances in the John Ford films The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, as well as her work with Alfred Hitchcock are deserving of accolades. She worked with Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, and Henry Fonda and was every bit their equal. Her performance alone makes this episode a must see.

Arch Johnson plays Barn Bascomb in his fourth and final Gunsmoke role. Dee Carroll makes the first of her two Gunsmoke appearances as Barn's wife, Ellen. Christina, the Bascomb's daughter is played by Lisa Gerritsen. This is the third of four different episodes in which she guest starred.

Veteran actress Amzie Strickland is part of this story as the character Minnie Carver, a woman who lives near Dodge that comes down with the illness after taking in one of the puppies that was born to the Bascomb's dog. This appearance is her last for the series. She appeared in four different episodes, with her first being back in the first season. Fans of classic television are going to recognize Strickland from appearances in many of the shows of the era.

Long-time Gunsmoke fans may remember that Doc's first name, Galen, was first used in Season 10's "Song for Dying" story. This episode contains a scene where Doc explains why he has the name and how his parents must have hoped he would eventually become a doctor.

Milburn Stone's performance in this episode is every bit equal to Vera Miles's outstanding portrayal of Sam McTavish. Earlier in the episode, Doc is his usual cantankerous self, but as the story progresses, his softer, caring personality emerges.

This story is something of a throwback to the earlier days of Gunsmoke when episodes explored darker themes and often ended on a tragic note. There are aspects of this episode that can also be seen in Season 10's "Crooked Mile" and Season 18's "Patricia."