User Reviews

Marshal Burl Masters returns to the Arizona town where he lives to find a gang known as the Apache Brothers has destroyed the place. The people of the town blame Masters for leaving them vulnerable to attack. To make matters worse, Masters' romantic interest, a woman named Willa, left with the gang.

Six months later, Masters finally tracks the Apache Brothers to Dodge City. Shortly after arriving at the Long Branch Saloon, one of the gang walks in, sees Masters, and draws his gun. Masters is faster, and draws his gun and kills the man. We soon learn this marks the third member of the gang Masters has killed. Masters is intent on killing all of the gang, including their leader, a man named Cheeno.

Matt Dillon and Masters are old friends, hence the title of the episode. Masters becomes acquainted with Miss Kitty, Doc Adams, and Festus Haggen as he and Matt reminisce about old times. The Marshal quickly becomes concerned at Masters' presence in Dodge and his plans for going after the remaining gang members.

The Apache Brothers are planning to rob the Dodge City bank. They hatch a plan to lure the Marshal and a posse away from Dodge.

All of these events establish a situation where Masters is doggedly pursuing the gang, while Marshal Dillon is trying to protect Dodge City, and keep Masters from fulfilling his lust for vengeance.

Fritz Weaver, who seemingly had a part in every television show from the late 1950s to 2000, makes his only Gunsmoke appearance as Marshal Burl Masters. His performance here as the driven, tortured Masters stands out.

Over 20 seasons, there are bound to be some themes repeated, and this is the case with this story. The final episode of Season 14 is titled "Exodus 21:22," and it has a lot in common with this story, although many of the specifics are different.

The episode begins in Coulton Arizona with Marshal Burl Masters coming riding back into his town that has been trashed by the Apache Brothers. Seemed the people in town are not happy at all with the Marshal because he suddenly left, on business, right before the Brothers rampage through the town. This causes the townsfolk to tell the Marshal he is not welcomed anymore. Plus he learns that they have taken his girlfriend, Willa, and vows to find and kill every brother.

His travels takes him into Dodge where he is an old friend of Matt Dillon. He has tracked them to an area outside Dodge where they are hiding. When Willa, with her own intentions, comes and tells him where they are located it sets into motion a posse to capture the Apache Brothers. But just as they did in Coulton, Marshal Masters is not going to be taken so easy. He returns to Dodge knowing the brothers will rampage the town. Marshal Masters is bound to get the Brothers no matter how many people he hurts and no regard for justice.

This was actually a very well performed and written episode. The action kept the viewer interesting and the plot was entertaining to the end. A good watch.

A very good story and a lot of action pulled off very well by the three guest stars. English actress Delphi Lawrence plays the torn-between-two-lovers character of Willa very well -- and delivers the goods as a woman thoroughly worn-out by it all even at her comparatively tender age. Fritz Weaver as the vengeful marshal whom Willa traded in for a young hispanic model does well too -- a very versatile actor, having brought his interpretations of several western tough guys to the screen in his time, and adding homicidal paranoia this time. The regulars mostly stand back and let them go through their paces.