Place for Abel Hix

This would have been a good story, except for Robert Blake and his horrible fake Spanish accent. Blake always seems to be smirking.

The actual story is pretty good, but not original. It seemed like every Western I have ever seen had an episode about a town that did not want to bury a gunslinger or outlaw in the town cemetary.

The twist here is that the retired gunman was killed by the town bigshot (Kevin Hagen), a rich guy with a big mouth who has a reputation for controlling the town with his money, and not with a gun. Palladin exposes the truth about Hagen, the coward who tarnished a better man's reputation.

Average episode, at best. By this time, 5 years into the series, fresh ideas are hard to come by. Here, Paladin gets a hostile reception from townspeople when he tries to determine how old friend and expert gunman Hix was killed in a gunfight. Mexican boy Lauro (Blake) is big help after the man in black is roughed up and had his six-gun stolen by local rowdies. Now Paladin must not only seek justice but also get his gun back.

Episode is really a showcase for the young Blake who makes a fairly convincing Mexican boy. The only suspense comes from a Luke-warm showdown. But that ridiculous "toreador, bull fighting" scene put a big distance between me and the TV screen. In fact, that whole "capture" sequence appears tongue-in-cheek, pretty risky for a drama series. As I say, the series appears to be running out of fresh ideas.

I taught a course examining five episodes of "Have Gun, Will Travel," two years ago; and I would include this episode if I taught it again. Although the conflict involves ambush and vindication of Paladin, Abel Hix's wife, best friend and pastor serve as able reflectors to facilitate yet one more dimension of Paladin's ability to pan for golden ore in loss and suffering, despite the scurvy slime of some craven bully's hubristic power trip. The plot reveals nothing ahead by not disclosing spoilers with foreshadowing clues, which promotes suspense. The writing is memorable, concise and succinct; and Robert Blake provides four surprising twists unique to this episode in contrast with the 224 other episodes over the course of the series. The greatest strength resides, however, in what is not spoken. The most skillful actors do not require language with which to communicate the Human Condition.