User Reviews

An old "friend" of Heath's arrives looking for him. It turns out this friend once left Heath and another young man in the desert to die, and the other man did die. The "friend" is shot by a couple deputies and the Barkleys take him in, much to Heath's despair and disapproval, but Jarrod won't let the deputies have the wounded man without checking out what he is wanted for. The town where he is wanted is notorious for being under the rule of a "boss" named Coulter. Heath leaves the ranch to grumble in town. Jarrod goes off to the town where Heath's "friend" is wanted, to find out what is really going on before he has to turn the "friend" over to the law.

Of course, Jarrod is not welcome in the town, and when he is beaten up and does not telegraph home as he promised he would, Nick manages to coerce Heath into going to look for their older brother. Jarrod is just about to get killed when his brothers show up and save him. The choreographed shooting of the bad guy by all three brothers didn't sit well with me - a bit too choreographed - but in the end, Heath learns his "friend" is innocent of the charges against him and has come to repent and beg forgiveness.

Boss Coulter gets his comeuppance - something more gratifying to see today than it was in 1966. Jarrod's thirst for the truth is quenched. Heath comes to understand and forgive and is reunited with the family. Not a brilliant episode, but it does explore newcomer Heath's way of looking at things, how it collides with big brother Jarrod's, and what each one is ready to endure to do what he thinks is right.

This episode mirrors the episode of The Rifleman called Blood Brother. Gil Anders, arrives at Barkley Ranch looking for Heath after many years but is shot down by authorized bounty hunters for murder. As in Blood Brother Lucas finds a man, Stoddard, on the road near death and wanted by licensed vigilantes from Talbot, a town far away. Stoddard needs to see Micah to settle a debt as Anders needs to see Heath to settle a debt. Heath sees him lying in bed near death and says to let him die. Micah sees Stoddard lying there and angrily says let him die.

The family doesn't understand heath's hatred of the man nor does Lucas understand Micah's hatred. Both Lucas and Nick respectively give the dying men a life saving transfusion. All is very much the same plot except Jarrod sends the bounty hunters on their way and sets out to Coreyville to find out why Anders is wanted as it's an hour show. This added plot isn't very satisfying. Lucas is able to send Stoddard's vigilantes away after a showdown agreeing to bring him back if he lives.

We find Anders wronged Heath years ago leaving him stranded and subsequently Stoddard, Micah's best friend, stole his money and eventually lost his wife. Both have nothing but hatred for these men. Both Heath and Micah start to drink, Micah stops tending to business and Heath moves to town. At the end Heath accepts Anders' apology who lives, as he is now a free man and Micah finds Stoddard has made it his last testament to return the money he stole. However he dies. The only difference in the story.

These storylines are repeated over and over but the half hour Rifleman was far superior than the dragged out plot of Hazard into an hour. The acting of Connors, Fix and Devon far exceeds that of Majors, Long and Breck.