The Bobsy Twins

Solid episode. Each character gets their day. Like so many good episodes unflinching violence of the West. 1 error.

Not a spoiler. And one of them or character Focus scenes, and some of the best of the series, you have a scene where Marshall Dillon and the doctor are having dialogue, bantering back and forth. The doctor quotes the verse below and is impressed when Matt response if that's from "Chronicles" They were both incorrect as it's from The Book of Psalms: Psalm 55:21 "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart:"

I am sure that some will find this episode confusing even downright distasteful but if you had ever read the Bobbsey Twin books then this is a spoof of that collection. However it does not mean that the episode was entertaining since most of the episode was more macabre than interesting but with that knowledge it will be more of a semi-comedy than horror story.

The episode centers around two older twin brothers named Harvey and Merle Finney. They are on their way out west to kill Indians after hearing what they have done to white settlers. Along the way they were only taught, by their father, that killing is fine but never on Sunday.

After a brutal killing of two cowboys on the trail and the disregard for a woman in trouble, the two find themselves in Dodge ready to kill Indians. When someone at the Long Branch makes a joke and tells them that the man running the stables is part Cherokee, the two have their first Indian victim.

With characters that was actually more sad than interesting plus the uncomfortable subject matter, this is an episode that will not be on the top of anyone's list. Even when you take it for a spoof on the children's book it was still not an entertaining episode. This is an episode you will watch for a novelty and not for viewing pleasure.

A couple of nomads wander aimlessly towards Dodge City with no purpose, or none that makes any sense. How they have made it this far is a mystery given the fact neither one of them is all there. A lack of skills or ambition, you think would render the two harmless, but in reality they are quite dangerous. There is a different type of evil that exists here. These are two individuals who kill for the sake of it. That makes the episode all the more unnerving.

They have already killed, and plan to keep on killing. Their killings reveal the dark side of humanity, and how one can justify any type of action, no matter how hideous. The theme of murder for the sake of it will be disturbing for some, which caused mixed reviews from various reviewers. Some will not have a taste for the way these serial killers are portrayed. The plot takes a back seat here, as the show's emphasis is directed at the hideousness of two fellow human beings, as we are left shaking our heads at the things nightmares are made of. One could ask the question, why have they not been previously arrested given their propensity for committing evil in the most reckless manner possible? However, I think in this case, accept the show for what it is, and don't worry about a backstory.

The Bobsy Twins is a snide and sarcastic reference to a sweet and uplifting children's book series called The Bobbsey Twins, that began in 1904, and published 72 books in the series, until 1979. The Bobsy Twins were kids, not killers. Unfortunately, when John Meston wrote them up, they took a deadly turn! John Meston wrote for the "adult" Westerns genre. The philosophy of the "adult" Westerns was that the Old West was harsh, mean, and full of criminals, con-artists, bush-whackers, bandits, road agents, serial killers.

Meston did not romanticize the Old West. He wrote 196 of the early episodes of Gunsmoke, and very few have any happy endings. His last screenplay for Gunsmoke was in 1965. Meston was writing scripts for radio shows and television from 1947 to 1975. Meston was nominated once for an Emmy Award.

This story left a lot untold. Merle and Harvey Finney are brothers who came walking hundreds of miles from Boston. How did they survive such a long journey without any money? It would have been interesting if once they confessed to Marshal Dillon as to their most recent killings, they had added a few more. It would make sense that they had probably been killing people all the way from Boston. This episode feels incomplete without a backstory.

In some ways, this story parallels the murder of the Clutter family by a pair of ex-convicts who traveled four hundred miles to rob them, and kill them. This was headline news in 1959. Later it became the book (and movie) In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote.

Morris Ankrum and Ralph Moody play the psychotic brothers. Morris Ankrum was on hundreds of TV shows and movies (277 credits), many of them Westerns. He was also a Judge on many episodes of Perry Mason. Ralph Moody was another veteran actor. He appeared on Gunsmoke five times, also on many Western TV shows, and five times on Perry Mason.

These two old hands deliver an incredible performance as a couple of maniacs who kill people without batting an eye or missing a step. It is just like warming up coffee for them.

The only upside to this episode is an appearance by Richard Chamberlin, who would go on to be the lead in the Dr. Kildare TV series. Chamberlin also became the first actor to play Jason Bourne (in 1988), and he won Golden Globe Awards for his acting in Dr. Kildare, The Thorn Birds, and Shogun.

Those murderous twins were two of the most evil characters Meston ever dreamed up. Disguised somewhat by the strange comical type music in the score of this episode, they would make one's skin crawl. Thankfully, they got their just desserts in the end due to their own stupidity. But yikes!