Kitty Russell is traveling to Dodge City via stagecoach. A young man named Newly O'Brien boards the stage, along with a tougher looking man named Savrin. Gunsmoke fans know all too well that Miss Kitty on a stagecoach usually means trouble, and this story is no exception. The stagecoach is soon hijacked and diverted to a Comanchero hideout.
The leader of the Comancheros is a man named Pedro Manez. Pedro's brother, Juan, was shot and badly injured during a robbery. We soon learn the stagecoach was hijacked because Newly O'Brien was carrying a doctor's bag, and Pedro Manez needs a doctor for his brother. What Manez does not know is O'Brien is not a doctor. He attended medical school for a few months, but he decided to be a gunsmith instead of a doctor.
Newly knows it is vitally important Manez and his men continue to believe he is a doctor. Otherwise, there is no reason to allow Newly and Kitty to live. Newly convinces Manez he needs medical supplies to remove the bullet from his brother, and he knows there is a doctor in Dodge City that can provide the supplies.
Manez allows Newly to travel to Dodge, along with one of the gang named Turner. When the pair reaches Dodge, they meet Festus Haggen and learn Doc Adams and Matt Dillon both left town earlier because of some sort of conflict at a ranch about a mile outside the town. Newly convinces Turner to go to the Long Branch Saloon to wait for Doc's return and have a few drinks while they wait.
Turner conveniently becomes drunk and belligerent. Newly also pretends to be drunk, and Festus jails them. As Turner sleeps off his drunken state, Newly has the opportunity to apprise Festus and Marshal Dillon of the situation with Manez. He and the Marshal develop a plan to resolve the situation.
The most significant aspect of this episode is the introduction of Buck Taylor as Newly O'Brien, a new regular character in the cast. Several notable facts are revealed about Newly's background and why he might want to establish his gunsmith business in Dodge.
Once again, the guest cast for this episode is outstanding. The Pedro Manez role is played by John Saxon, who last appeared in Season 12's "Whispering Tree."
Vito Scotti plays Savrin, the Mexican Comanchero that is one of Manez's men and boards the stagecoach with Kitty and Newly. Scotti played this same type of character a few times in separate roles on various shows. Although he was of Italian descent, he was noted for his ability to play characters of different ethnic origins. He played both a Japanese sailor and a mad scientist with an Eastern European accent on episodes of Gilligan's Island.
William Bramley, who was a frequent Gunsmoke guest and almost always played some type of heavy, is Turner. Paul Picerni makes one of his four Gunsmoke appearances as Ganns, another of the Manez gang. Picerni played in many television shows but was probably best known for his recurring role in The Untouchables television series. Allen Jaffe, who had also appeared with Saxon in "The Whispering Tree" makes another of his ten different Gunsmoke appearances as another one of the Comancheros.
On its own, this is a fairly good story. However, I cannot help but think the Kitty-held-hostage-Matt-to-the-rescue storyline was overused by this point in Gunsmoke history. I must admit the scene where Festus attempts to explain how guns work to Doc, Matt, and Kitty always makes me smile.
The leader of the Comancheros is a man named Pedro Manez. Pedro's brother, Juan, was shot and badly injured during a robbery. We soon learn the stagecoach was hijacked because Newly O'Brien was carrying a doctor's bag, and Pedro Manez needs a doctor for his brother. What Manez does not know is O'Brien is not a doctor. He attended medical school for a few months, but he decided to be a gunsmith instead of a doctor.
Newly knows it is vitally important Manez and his men continue to believe he is a doctor. Otherwise, there is no reason to allow Newly and Kitty to live. Newly convinces Manez he needs medical supplies to remove the bullet from his brother, and he knows there is a doctor in Dodge City that can provide the supplies.
Manez allows Newly to travel to Dodge, along with one of the gang named Turner. When the pair reaches Dodge, they meet Festus Haggen and learn Doc Adams and Matt Dillon both left town earlier because of some sort of conflict at a ranch about a mile outside the town. Newly convinces Turner to go to the Long Branch Saloon to wait for Doc's return and have a few drinks while they wait.
Turner conveniently becomes drunk and belligerent. Newly also pretends to be drunk, and Festus jails them. As Turner sleeps off his drunken state, Newly has the opportunity to apprise Festus and Marshal Dillon of the situation with Manez. He and the Marshal develop a plan to resolve the situation.
The most significant aspect of this episode is the introduction of Buck Taylor as Newly O'Brien, a new regular character in the cast. Several notable facts are revealed about Newly's background and why he might want to establish his gunsmith business in Dodge.
Once again, the guest cast for this episode is outstanding. The Pedro Manez role is played by John Saxon, who last appeared in Season 12's "Whispering Tree."
Vito Scotti plays Savrin, the Mexican Comanchero that is one of Manez's men and boards the stagecoach with Kitty and Newly. Scotti played this same type of character a few times in separate roles on various shows. Although he was of Italian descent, he was noted for his ability to play characters of different ethnic origins. He played both a Japanese sailor and a mad scientist with an Eastern European accent on episodes of Gilligan's Island.
William Bramley, who was a frequent Gunsmoke guest and almost always played some type of heavy, is Turner. Paul Picerni makes one of his four Gunsmoke appearances as Ganns, another of the Manez gang. Picerni played in many television shows but was probably best known for his recurring role in The Untouchables television series. Allen Jaffe, who had also appeared with Saxon in "The Whispering Tree" makes another of his ten different Gunsmoke appearances as another one of the Comancheros.
On its own, this is a fairly good story. However, I cannot help but think the Kitty-held-hostage-Matt-to-the-rescue storyline was overused by this point in Gunsmoke history. I must admit the scene where Festus attempts to explain how guns work to Doc, Matt, and Kitty always makes me smile.
