The episode has an interesting message that is relevant even today: it talks about violence in the name of law enforcement and pride. The townspeople of Silverton have an idea of what a sheriff "should" be: a gunslinger who kills his opponents. McCord refuses to play along, and his astonishment that they want him to deliberately put himself in harm's way is well-represented.
Where the episode fails is that they try to get this message across in 30 minutes. Characterization goes by the wayside. One minute Dora is cursing bitterly about her dead husband complaining that McCord is taking the job and getting himself killed for the price of a pack mule. Ten minutes she's telling McCord that he should go out and start gunning down bad guys. Wha?? They toss up her son Tommy as a plot point to representative the "message." McCord almost literally does a "won't someone think of the children?!?" message.
A 60-minute episode could have shown Dora's viewpoint slowly changing, Bill Latigo as a victim of pride with a desire for revenge (he doesn't appear particularly upset that his son is dead after mouthing a platitude or two), and giving the townspeople like Trent a bit more characterization.
So it's got a good message and it gets the point across. But subtle it ain't.moreless
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Episode Summary
McCord is asked to be sheriff in a town where sheriffs don't usually live very long. Three have been shot in the last year.
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Chuck Connors
Captain Jason McCord
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Jim Beck
Bill Tomlin
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Mona Freeman
Dora Kendall
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Quotes
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Dora: So for the price of a mule and some food, you're going to give up your life, too?
McCord: Well, I don't figure it that way.
Dora: Well, you will. Dave Baker was the third sheriff to be killed here in less than a year. They all thought they were too fast to die, even my husband. But they did. And now Joe Latigo's father and some of his friends will be after you. And so will every other gunman looking for a quick reputation. It's one big game, like a turkey shoot. That's all a sheriff is in this town. Just target practice.
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Muhler: Kinda thought there'd be a shooting, Sheriff.
McCord: It takes two guns for that, Muhler. Let's have yours.
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Dora: So for the price of a mule and some food, you're going to give up your life, too?
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DVD's of Seasons 1 and 2 from Timeless Media
05/22/091
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