I have to say that this episode is one of the few shows from season 11 that did not have the entertainment value that we expected. In fact this is one of these episodes that we call a clunker. From suspicious acting to Indian names that are difficult to keep separated, it really never was interesting. It was like they needed an episode with Thad as the lead character and thought we throw in some Indian and makes a show. It did not work.
Making this as simple as I can, the episode begins with an Indian tribal council voting for the death of the former Chief named Two Bears. Two Bears has been accused of killing a man when they found his knife in the back of the dead man. So Two Bears daughter, Sarah, goes to Dodge to get 'white man's help'.
In Dodge, Matt and Festus are out trying to catch horse thieves, so Thad is the only one mind the place when Sarah rides into town. Thad feels sorry for Sarah and rides out to the Indian Reservation to see if he can help.
To make this very long story short, it seems that Two Bears has been set up by some of the younger Indians that want to rid the prairie of the white man. Matt and Thad figure this out and need to get back to the Indian village before the death sentence is carried out on Two Bears. To add suspense to the show, the death sentence will be carried out when the shadow falls below the rock in the death circle (something that was totally odd). We will learn that someone on the Indian council has a secret that he wants hidden.
The story gain no interest whatsoever. Perhaps a lot was due to the almost robotic acting given by many actors in the episode. I know I am going to make die-hard 'Gunsmoke' fans upset but Roger Ewing, as Thad, was not that good of an actor. He was saying the lines instead of acting the lines out. The casting of the Indian was another major blow to the episode. Noah Beery Jr (from the Rockford Files) as John Two-Bears is such a poor cast that it is laughable. The only bright spot was the beautiful France Nuyen as the Indian girl Sarah. When she was on the screen you just could not take your eyes off her.
With the suspicious acting and poor plot this episode never had a chance. It is one of the few shows, in the previous offerings, that was not entertaining in the least. But I guess every show has a clunker every now and then.
Making this as simple as I can, the episode begins with an Indian tribal council voting for the death of the former Chief named Two Bears. Two Bears has been accused of killing a man when they found his knife in the back of the dead man. So Two Bears daughter, Sarah, goes to Dodge to get 'white man's help'.
In Dodge, Matt and Festus are out trying to catch horse thieves, so Thad is the only one mind the place when Sarah rides into town. Thad feels sorry for Sarah and rides out to the Indian Reservation to see if he can help.
To make this very long story short, it seems that Two Bears has been set up by some of the younger Indians that want to rid the prairie of the white man. Matt and Thad figure this out and need to get back to the Indian village before the death sentence is carried out on Two Bears. To add suspense to the show, the death sentence will be carried out when the shadow falls below the rock in the death circle (something that was totally odd). We will learn that someone on the Indian council has a secret that he wants hidden.
The story gain no interest whatsoever. Perhaps a lot was due to the almost robotic acting given by many actors in the episode. I know I am going to make die-hard 'Gunsmoke' fans upset but Roger Ewing, as Thad, was not that good of an actor. He was saying the lines instead of acting the lines out. The casting of the Indian was another major blow to the episode. Noah Beery Jr (from the Rockford Files) as John Two-Bears is such a poor cast that it is laughable. The only bright spot was the beautiful France Nuyen as the Indian girl Sarah. When she was on the screen you just could not take your eyes off her.
With the suspicious acting and poor plot this episode never had a chance. It is one of the few shows, in the previous offerings, that was not entertaining in the least. But I guess every show has a clunker every now and then.
