I mainly wanted to echo the viewpoint that the "family aspect" to this episode is indeed crucial. Not only that, but there's a scene that is actually a real tear-jerker, when father and 9 year old son are reunited at long last, with the son apparently not aware that he's with his Dad. I replayed it several times, and the acting was superb. My eyes actually teared up. How the writer and director were able to introduce this surprise element into the storyline, and have it all neatly wrapped up in a 1/2 hour show involving two gunfighters, is really beyond amazing.
Also, I liked how Paladin and the gunfighter assumed tense, crouching positions when they were squaring off for the gun draw. Usually, you see the gunfighters standing tall, relaxed, loose. It was refreshing to see something different in that regard. Paladin acknowledged that the gunfighter was faster, but he let it be known that he was fast enough himself that he would hurry his opponent's draw, and that if his aim was off by even a quarter inch, he would be dead. Ya gotta love Paladin's psychological war of words with his opponents.
Also, I liked how Paladin and the gunfighter assumed tense, crouching positions when they were squaring off for the gun draw. Usually, you see the gunfighters standing tall, relaxed, loose. It was refreshing to see something different in that regard. Paladin acknowledged that the gunfighter was faster, but he let it be known that he was fast enough himself that he would hurry his opponent's draw, and that if his aim was off by even a quarter inch, he would be dead. Ya gotta love Paladin's psychological war of words with his opponents.