Few character actors, then or now, are more distinctive than the singular Royal Dano. With his grave-yard voice, sad-eyes and soulful demeanor, he made an impact far beyond his slight frame and unruly hair. Here, he plays Seth Tandy, a disillusioned preacher who feels worthless because of a loss of faith. Few could more convincingly enact the part.
The elements of a strong drama are present when the formidable Sam Keeler (Chuck Connors, before The Rifleman) exits the stagecoach vowing to thrash the defenseless Tandy. And thrash him he does. Just count the times Tandy bounces off the wall as ex-prize fighter Keeler entertains his admirer Humbert (Paul Dubov). I like the way the beating is finally stopped by an anonymous cowboy pulling a gun. Having an on-looker participate in the action is rare in these series, and adds a nicely realistic stroke.
However, the impact is undercut by Connors leering, preening, one-dimensional portrayal, along with a poorly staged fist-fight with Dillon. Also, Keeler's motivation for beating Tandy-- namely, that the latter was silent during the entire stage trip-- appears flimsy and unimaginative. I wish Sam Peckinpah had gotten the assignment. Then, we might have gotten something more provocatively plausible-- like eliminating the weakness of a non-fighter from the gene pool, a fitting rationale for a big-mouth bully.