Rick and Raymond Wilson are brothers who have resorted to cattle rustling after involvement in a range war. While their crimes do not warrant hanging, their partner, John Mophet, is facing execution if he is caught. The trio is headed to Mexico, and the journey takes them near Dodge City where Rick and Raymond's parents had lived. The Wilson brothers convince Mophet to stop for a short visit.
When they arrive at the Wilson farmhouse, they learn their mother, Anna, is near death, and their father passed away several months prior. Nell Bronson, a widow that lives nearby, is caring for Anna.
The situation the Wilson brothers find is unexpected. Their mother is not likely to live much longer, and they do not want to leave her. Mophet, on the other hand, knows the longer they are not moving toward the border, the more likely it is they are going to run into trouble.
The situation grows more complicated when Doc Adams arrives to check on Anna Wilson. Now both the Widow Bronson and Doc know the Wilson brothers and Mophet are at the farm. Mophet agrees to spend the night at the farm, but he insists they take Doc and Mrs. Bronson as hostages when they leave to try and ensure safe passage to the border.
Rick also loves a woman named Prudence Bennet, who is a seamstress in Dodge and decides to risk going into town to see her. While he is there, Festus Haggen arrests him. However, when Rick informs Festus they have Doc and Mrs. Bronson at the farm, he lets Rick go.
Fans of classic television and older films will easily recognize actress Lurene Tuttle as the bedridden Wilson matriarch. She frequently guested on the series Perry Mason. She played the Sheriff's wife in the Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho. Tuttle played Buford Pusser's mother in the 1970's film trilogy Walking Tall, which included many other actors that appeared on Gunsmoke over the run of the series. Film composer John Williams was her son-in-law at one time.
This is the final appearance of five for actor Richard Kelton. He plays the Rick Wilson character in this story. A few years following this performance, Kelton died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a strange accident where the trailer on the set of a project in which he was supposed to star was improperly ventilated.
Robert Pratt plays the other Wilson brother, Raymond. Pratt's acting career was abbreviated when he and actor Randolph Mantooth (Emergency!) started a successful multi-media production company. Pratt is also a writer and painter. This episode represents Pratt's only Gunsmoke involvement.
Rockford Files fans will recognize Stuart Margolin, who plays John Mophet in this story. This is the second of three Gunsmoke roles for Margolin.
Claudia Bryar plays Nell Bronson in this story. This is Bryar's second and final Gunsmoke guest role. Bryar frequently appeared in television westerns, as well as numerous appearances in horror films and on classic sitcoms such as The Andy Griffith Show and Leave it To Beaver.
There is not much to recommend about this episode. It appears everyone involved from a production standpoint is operating on autopilot. There is minimal involvement by the regular Gunsmoke stars. Most of the story takes place inside or just outside the Wilson farmhouse. There are no surprises, as it is obvious where the story is headed from the beginning, and the episode is often brooding and slow-paced. There is a mildly interesting dynamic between the "good bad guys" -- the Wilson brothers -- and the "bad bad guy" -- Mophet.
There is a strange story element where a pregnant woman shows up at the farmhouse in labor, and Doc must tend to her. It serves no purpose in the overall story other than to kill some time.
I could never understand why the Mophet character felt the need to hang around the Wilson farm waiting for the brothers to decide to move on. He continually reminds the Wilsons that he is facing a rope if he is caught, while they are only looking at prison time. It makes no sense under the circumstances that he would not go on to Mexico and meet the Wilsons later. It seems likely Mophet might be less of a target on his own. One would think as soon as Mophet realizes the visit is not going to be a quick stop along the way to Mexico he would leave the brothers behind.
(Of course, without the threatening Mophet character, there would have been even less tension and conflict in the story.)
The worst thing about this story is the disgustingly sugary-sweet ending. It is eye-rollingly, facepalm-worthy awful. Be warned.
