The cast and crew didn't think they were near the end, thus this odd Basque people's episode. Matt and Doc had only a handful of lines and the story was goofy but after 600+ shows a few stinkers were inevitable. The family fights are poorly staged and the dialogue is a bit stilted; I'm guessing the writers were tired. I don't remember if Festus was even in this one, but he will be in the last episode (The Sharecroppers) originally aired back in 1975. I started watching Gunsmoke reruns about 5 years ago and I'm excited it's about to "rollover" on Sat on MeTV. Bring back the good old days with Matt philosophizing on Boot Hill, Chester limping, and Miss Kitty looking really hot! Doc looks younger and we'll get to see two shows a day for over four months.
