This episode belongs to Jason Evers totally, and he was cast perfectly in the role. Evers was well suited for the part, his resume includes a number of characters similar to Collie Patten...conflicted, troubled, ill-fated characters...he portrayed them extremely well. Evers appeared in three episodes of Gunsmoke, none of which ended well for him.
Although the title of the episode states that Collie Patten is free, nothing could be further from the truth. Collie may have been released from prison after 8 years, but he remains imprisoned within his own hatred and denial, and that hatred is aimed squarely at Matt Dillon. And it's a twisted hatred, where he forgets completely his multiple transgressions and blames only Dillon for his lot in life.
This isn't the first episode of the series with a man holding Dillon responsible for his prison term, as there were a number of these stories over the years. Some ended on a positive note, but most did not. With Jason Evers starring, it's no surprise things don't go well for Collie Patten. Anger and resentment are certainly present, but it's Collie's denial that harms him most. He takes no responsibility for his actions and blames others for his troubles.
The cast is very good, especially Jacqueline Scott as Francie Patton. But all pale in comparison to Evers. As I said, it's his episode and he carries it extremely well. Evers is one of my favorites, and he's just great as Collie Patten. I love the name too...Collie. Again, just great...
In closing I'll say the episode title is more related to the conclusion of the story than its beginning. Not a happy episode whatsoever, but absolutely worthy of praise due to Jason Evers' performance.