The Season 14 finale is a fairly routine revenge story. Frank Reardon is a former lawman whose pregnant, Native American wife was murdered by a gang of contemptible men. Reardon is on a mission to kill everyone involved in his wife's death. Naturally, being a former law enforcement officer means he is a close friend of Matt Dillon. Doc Adams and Kitty Russell also consider Reardon a friend.
The revenge tale is popular in the Westerns genre, and it has been used a few times over the course of Gunsmoke's fourteen seasons to this point. The distinguishing factor in this story is Reardon's lust for vengeance and how it conflicts with his friendship with the Marshal.
When the men Reardon is chasing make their way to Dodge City, Reardon is close behind. Now Marshal Dillon and the people of Dodge become centerstage for the ongoing conflict.
One of the men Reardon is pursuing named Keith had been previously shot by Reardon, but managed to get away and survive. Doc Adams is treating his wound. The Marshal arrests the other two gang members after an altercation in the Dodge City streets.
When Reardon arrives, he asks Matt to release the prisoners to him, but Matt refuses and warns Reardon about attempting to carry out his vengeance in Dodge. The two old friends are both stubborn, and the situation looks to be headed for a showdown. Kitty manages to defuse the tension by giving Reardon a good, old-fashioned tongue lashing.
The wounded Keith watches Reardon from the window in Doc's office. He shoots Reardon in the back and claims it was an act of self-defense. When Festus Haggen locks Keith in the jail, he releases Cane and Lloyd, the two that were previously arrested, because Reardon refuses to make any kind of accusation against them.
If Cane and Lloyd were smart, they would leave Dodge as Marshal Dillon orders, but they aren't, and they don't. Their further actions will lead to the conclusion of the story.
The versatile Steve Ihnat returns for his fifth Gunsmoke appearance as Frank Reardon. Ihnat was great at playing this kind of rugged, weary character. He had done it previously in Season 12's "Noose of Gold," and he would do it again in Season 16's "Jenny." He often played villainous characters, but his performance here helps the viewer sympathize with his anger. At one point, even Doc ponders whether Ihnat's Reardon character deserves much criticism for his actions given the circumstances and the dastardly men that killed his wife and unborn child.
William Bramley is back in a Gunsmoke story again, this time as the treacherous Cane. Bramley made a career out of playing these types of incorrigible characters. Kaz Gara plays Keith in his only Gunsmoke appearance. Brandon Carroll portrays the third member of the gang Reardon is chasing as a man named Lloyd, who is the deserving recipient of a backhand from Marshal Dillon. Lane Bradford, another fairly regular Gunsmoke bad guy, is originally part of the gang, but he does not last long in this story.
This is another installment in the series that offers no big surprises but still manages to maintain the drama and entertain.