As the years rolled along with Gunsmoke, more and more episodes featured less and less of Matt. Festus would often be the featured character, or maybe Doc, or Kitty, or Newly. A little of this, of course, isn't so bad. It gives the other regulars a chance to show off a little and flush out their characters. But too much of it can leave a viewer feeling a little cheated. After all, if you tune into Gunsmoke, there's a good chance you're hoping to see Matt Dillon.
Which brings me to 'Gunfighter R. I. P.'. In this episode, we see very little of Matt. In fact, we don't see much of Festus or Kitty, either. Doc shows up a little more, but even he's just a bit player. No, this episode is about a couple of strangers to the Gunsmoke world; Darren McGavin's hired gun, Joe Bascome, and France Nuyen's looked down upon angel, Ching Lee. If either actor had turned in a great performance here, this would have been a fine episode, but we were lucky enough to get great work from both.
Doing my best not to spoil anything . . . . the initial script for the episode had called for a different ending, but the nature and quality of the ride these two take the viewer on, simply didn't allow it. So, the ending was altered to . . . . well, like I said, I don't want to spoil anything.
In the long, long run of this series, I can't think of a better episode in which the beloved regulars of Dodge play such small roles. Fortunately, with McGavin and Nuyen, we viewers are in very capable hands.
Which brings me to 'Gunfighter R. I. P.'. In this episode, we see very little of Matt. In fact, we don't see much of Festus or Kitty, either. Doc shows up a little more, but even he's just a bit player. No, this episode is about a couple of strangers to the Gunsmoke world; Darren McGavin's hired gun, Joe Bascome, and France Nuyen's looked down upon angel, Ching Lee. If either actor had turned in a great performance here, this would have been a fine episode, but we were lucky enough to get great work from both.
Doing my best not to spoil anything . . . . the initial script for the episode had called for a different ending, but the nature and quality of the ride these two take the viewer on, simply didn't allow it. So, the ending was altered to . . . . well, like I said, I don't want to spoil anything.
In the long, long run of this series, I can't think of a better episode in which the beloved regulars of Dodge play such small roles. Fortunately, with McGavin and Nuyen, we viewers are in very capable hands.