When the episode begins, you see a good 'old boy lawman, Marshall Joe Bob Sims (Pat Hingle), with a group of kids. He seems really swell...at first. Soon, however, he shows who he really is...a jerk drunk with power. He arrests Kimble on a trumped up charge and Kimble sees what the Marshall does next--he gets angry and kills a prisoner (Tom Skeritt)! Now the Marshall didn't PLAN on doing it...but he did indeed kill a prisoner he particularly disliked. The question is....does the Marshall know about Kimble seeing the killing? And, what can Kimble do about this? He isn't exactly in a position to raise a stink about the murder...considering he is himself a fugitive. Plus, the Marshall is well loved and respected.
This is a VERY tense episode and Hingle is very good playing the two-faced and sadistic Marshall who loves toying with the lives of his prisoners. It's also well written and entertaining. Some Southerners, on the other hand, might object to the stereotypes and how negatively it portrays them...though it isn't like Hingle is the first mega- jerk you've seen on the show...and they have come from all parts of the States! Well worth seeing...and very brutal compared to the average episode.
This is a VERY tense episode and Hingle is very good playing the two-faced and sadistic Marshall who loves toying with the lives of his prisoners. It's also well written and entertaining. Some Southerners, on the other hand, might object to the stereotypes and how negatively it portrays them...though it isn't like Hingle is the first mega- jerk you've seen on the show...and they have come from all parts of the States! Well worth seeing...and very brutal compared to the average episode.