Sweet and Sour

I don't remember who played the role of Rena on radio. Karen Sharpe was very good at portraying this sort of role on TV. She did pretty much the same thing on Bonanza in The Ape. Pretty on the outside and VERY ugly on the inside.

This is a very good episode.

Matt and Chester see this pretty gal called Rena at the stage depot in Wichita. She is harassed by some galoot and, of course, Matt intervenes, stopping the guy in his tracks with a punch, and befriends Rena, and even gets Kitty to give her a job, however Kitty complains to him that Rena is trouble. She seen that kind before. The kind that likes to stir up trouble between men. Before long, two men kill each other over her manipulation and two more are going to hit the floor before the day is over.

I guess it's forgivable to think that this episode is over the top as how can a filly arouse men to gun each over her. But it's not totally impossible in regards of a lady getting two men to fight each other. Especially in the Wild West when men didn't see a woman for a while. Of course, the idea is exaggerated a mite to fit a western! It's fiction after all - it's meant to be a bit exaggerated and dramatic.

Karen Sharpe plays Rena and one look at her and you can understand why men are shooting each other for her. Not a great episode but has a neat idea and very good acting from Karen Sharpe.

Interesting premise— sweet young Rena (Sharpe) gets harassed in stage depot, causing Matt to intervene. Now Matt wants to help her by getting her a job at the Long Branch. But Kitty senses something about the girl, except Matt's skeptical since the girl is so sweet looking. Now there's going to be trouble.

It's a clever twist on the sweet-young-thing that populated so many oaters of the day. However, in my book, the impact is lessened by clumsy staging and an over-done script (Meston). Did the entry really need so much clumsy gunplay when fist fights, for example, could have made the same point. All in all, it's a 30-minutes that doesn't execute the premise very well.

This episode has one of my favorite lines from Matt in the whole series:

Ab Laster: "you're gonna wish you never met me..." Matt: "I'm wishing that already!"

I believe this is the first episode where it is stated that Kitty is "half-owner" of the Long Branch.

Rena is a real beauty, one of the best Gunsmoke has to offer. I have seen this many times in life- you are trying to figure out what women want from a man- very often, they just want attention.

Others have reviewed this episode very well so all I will talk about my experience as it relates to this episode. Having played guitar in every sort of Honky Tonk bar, I have seen it all when it comes to a beautiful woman causing a real stir. Some reviewers are saying this episode is way over the top. NOPE. Mix alcohol, testosterone, and a sexy woman and you have a real problem. I have never seen a death but have seen guns, knives, fists, and even a chain saw pulled out over a woman. All a woman had to do was look at a man, and her boyfriend or husband was ready to fight. The plot of this episode happens all over the world. Some bars I played in asked you at the door if you had a gun or knife before they let you you in. If you replied NO, they said well in that case we'll loan you one. LOL

Anyway this was an interesting episode to me and that Karen Sharpe really lived up to her name. What a looker ! If you are in the mood for a little something different, don't miss this one. This 30 minute episode goes by like it was only 5 minutes long.