This plot has been done countless times before but the difference here is it's not just a who done it. A couple white men are murdered and scalped in Dodge making it look like the work of Indians. Matt's not so sure but the townfolk are. They're ready to organize a posse and go out and find some Indians to kill. (Racism is the subject of many Gunsmoke episodes) Not to give the ending away but at the end we have Matt, an Indian chief and an old mountain man, each giving their version of morality . Can't imagine that happening in any other TV western. That's what sets Gunsmoke apart from other series.
5 Reviews
Edgy Gunsmoke episode
mlowry-2916424 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Gritty performance by the venerable Denver Pyle. His only daughter (a half breed) is assaulted and murdered by three white men and he seeks revenge on the three assailants.
This episode touches on a few things: Justice, honor, duty, revenge and war with the Indians. Also, like other Gunsmoke episodes it skirts around issues of racism and even rape (you have to assume the daughter was raped before she was murdered). It does that without saying the actual words of course.
A great script with excellent performances by Pyle and Arness in this one. Definitely worth watching.
This episode touches on a few things: Justice, honor, duty, revenge and war with the Indians. Also, like other Gunsmoke episodes it skirts around issues of racism and even rape (you have to assume the daughter was raped before she was murdered). It does that without saying the actual words of course.
A great script with excellent performances by Pyle and Arness in this one. Definitely worth watching.
A killing in Dodge may lead to an Indian uprising
kfo949420 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This episode begins with three men Willy Scroggs, Harve Foster and George Hewitt drinking in the Long Branch. When the three men are about to go home you can tell that something in their life is uncomfortable. But each assures the other that things are fine as they split up. That is when Willy Scroggs is stabbed and scalped appearing to be the work of Indians.
The townsfolk now start an uproar about Indians. They even want to get a posse together and head for the Indian Nation to revenge the death. And the only clue that Marshal Dillon has is that Quint saw Caleb Nash, an old mountain man that stays in the Indian nation, along the same road that evening.
It will not be long before George Hewitt is killed and Matt learns from his wife that George, Harve and Willie had went hunting two weeks ago. Matt will ride down to the Indian Nations with Caleb to find Chief Buffalo Calf. There is where Matt will finally get the real story about why someone is killing in Dodge. Plus Matt will reveal the killer and the reasons for the murders. But will it be enough to stop the outrage in Dodge.
There is a lot going on in this episode and this review only scratches the main plot. So be prepared for many other sub-plots and stories connected to this program. It was not the most entertaining show but one that will leave you with a powerful message at the end. Good watch.
The townsfolk now start an uproar about Indians. They even want to get a posse together and head for the Indian Nation to revenge the death. And the only clue that Marshal Dillon has is that Quint saw Caleb Nash, an old mountain man that stays in the Indian nation, along the same road that evening.
It will not be long before George Hewitt is killed and Matt learns from his wife that George, Harve and Willie had went hunting two weeks ago. Matt will ride down to the Indian Nations with Caleb to find Chief Buffalo Calf. There is where Matt will finally get the real story about why someone is killing in Dodge. Plus Matt will reveal the killer and the reasons for the murders. But will it be enough to stop the outrage in Dodge.
There is a lot going on in this episode and this review only scratches the main plot. So be prepared for many other sub-plots and stories connected to this program. It was not the most entertaining show but one that will leave you with a powerful message at the end. Good watch.
Another Powerful middle-of-the-run Episode. Dark and disturbing.
lrrap14 April 2021
This one REALLY holds up well. Beautifully written and paced, directed and acted. ALSO-- the cinematography and DEEP, DENSE Lighting is especially impressive (check the scene when the terror-stricken James Anderson is walking along the boardwalk at night..fabulous stuff).
Re: Denver Pyle...as good as he is, I frankly get tired of seeing him in so many shows from this period. But he's REALLY impressive in this one; the big scene with Matt, Denver, and Michael Pate as "Buffalo Calf" (a name which slightly undermines the super intensity of this scene) is Edge-of-Your-Seat drama, with Matt caught in the middle, and the sordid facts about the savage, methodical killings in Dodge gradually unfolding.
This is one of the great scenes of the entire series; the following (and final) scene, cool as it is, almost comes as a dramatic let-down after the big encounter between Matt, Denver, and Michael Pate.
Dark, intense, and disturbing...first-rate in every way...except maybe one: Arthur Batanides "good-ole-boy" Southern-fried ACCENT comes and goes; it's very heavy (and a tad phony) in the beginning, but in the scene when he's hiding in the locked store and Matt visits him, his accent is TOTALLY missing. Director Harris had his hands full with so many things in this episode..which he pulled off brilliantly....so I guess we should just ignore the accent thing. LR.
Re: Denver Pyle...as good as he is, I frankly get tired of seeing him in so many shows from this period. But he's REALLY impressive in this one; the big scene with Matt, Denver, and Michael Pate as "Buffalo Calf" (a name which slightly undermines the super intensity of this scene) is Edge-of-Your-Seat drama, with Matt caught in the middle, and the sordid facts about the savage, methodical killings in Dodge gradually unfolding.
This is one of the great scenes of the entire series; the following (and final) scene, cool as it is, almost comes as a dramatic let-down after the big encounter between Matt, Denver, and Michael Pate.
Dark, intense, and disturbing...first-rate in every way...except maybe one: Arthur Batanides "good-ole-boy" Southern-fried ACCENT comes and goes; it's very heavy (and a tad phony) in the beginning, but in the scene when he's hiding in the locked store and Matt visits him, his accent is TOTALLY missing. Director Harris had his hands full with so many things in this episode..which he pulled off brilliantly....so I guess we should just ignore the accent thing. LR.
Complex and interesting story. A classic
adness24 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This is a classic. A lot of Gunsmoke plots in this period deal with blind prejudice against Indians, and are basically commentaries on the ongoing civil rights and desegregation battles going on in the US at the time ( with Indians as stand ins for blacks). This one mixes in a complex plot about white men trying to cover up their own murder ( and implied rape) of an Indian girl. An old mountain man who has become close with the Comanche via his wife takes revenge for the murder, mimicking an Indian killing , but without realizing how his actions will cause the citizens of Dodge to endanger the Comanche. The Dodge residents seek retribution themselves for the presumably unprovoked Indian killings the town is experiencing, and threaten to kill every Indian they find. Prejudice, vengeance, and whether the law of the white man or the law of the indian and mountain man should govern are the underlying issues., and the conflict is very real. Matt of course has the answer and prevails more through sheer force of logic, personality and will than his gun.
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