What the previous reviewer found to be a dampener I thought was the crux of this episode. When discussing possible outcomes with Paladin, Tuttle seems to be treating his role as gunslinger as part absurdity, part pressure from the townsfolk to maintain his reputation. His expressed love for his son and his wife would seem to give him a compelling reason to take Paladin's "out" and just go to San Francisco with his family to start over, but his big hangup is that he doesn't feel suited to doing anything else, and that he would have to give up his status as number one. This shows his own lack of confidence about acting in the "normal" world is what really keeps him being a gunfighter and not the pressures, real or imagined, of the morbidly curious townsfolk, etc. A very interesting character study over all.
4 Reviews
Loved this!
Johnny_Hing13 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
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.
Have Gun, Will Stand
zsenorsock29 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This episode begins just great. Paladin rides into town during a pouring rainstorm (the cinematography is just great). He goes into a hotel where he can't seem to get service. So he goes to the restaurant part of the hotel where he's told the place is full up and is suddenly jumped by a two-bit gunman named Kovak (Alan Dexter, who later appeared on "The Richard Boone Show"). Turns out Kovak is holding the place for the morning arrival of Bill Tuttle (Gene Lyons), a notorious gunman whose re-known speed even gives Palladin pause. When Palladin is forced to kill Kovak for trying to shoot him in the back, Tuttle decides he has to kill Palladin for killing one of his men, despite the fact he thought Kovak was a low life.
The two men share a mutual respect for each other. Palladin sees no reason for gun-play, and Tuttle doesn't want to kill Palladin, but he feels if he doesn't people will think he's weak and more punks will show up to take him out. Lyons does an excellent job in a part I would not have imagined him in. He usually plays commissioners ("Ironside") and ambassadors ("Star Trek") and parts like that. Right before they face off, Tuttle's wife (Norma Crane) and his son show up, sending the episode into a death spiral. Now it all becomes about how he lives life on the run and doesn't have a normal life and if he'd only hang up the gun they could live as a family in San Francisco. It's a disappointing turn.
J. Pat O'Malley tries to save things by shooting Tuttle in the back, but its too late and doesn't seem all that motivated. He would later guest on "Ironside" years later with Lyons, who played Ironside's regular police commissioner.
There's lots of action in this, and the beginnings of a great story, but the whole family angle brings this episode down.
The two men share a mutual respect for each other. Palladin sees no reason for gun-play, and Tuttle doesn't want to kill Palladin, but he feels if he doesn't people will think he's weak and more punks will show up to take him out. Lyons does an excellent job in a part I would not have imagined him in. He usually plays commissioners ("Ironside") and ambassadors ("Star Trek") and parts like that. Right before they face off, Tuttle's wife (Norma Crane) and his son show up, sending the episode into a death spiral. Now it all becomes about how he lives life on the run and doesn't have a normal life and if he'd only hang up the gun they could live as a family in San Francisco. It's a disappointing turn.
J. Pat O'Malley tries to save things by shooting Tuttle in the back, but its too late and doesn't seem all that motivated. He would later guest on "Ironside" years later with Lyons, who played Ironside's regular police commissioner.
There's lots of action in this, and the beginnings of a great story, but the whole family angle brings this episode down.
Talky, but with an Interesting Twist
dougdoepke17 April 2012
A rather static, confined episode (a single indoor set) that still manages an interesting twist. Paladin tries to avoid a showdown with notorious gunfighter Tuttle (Lyons) who also happens to be well spoken and with a family. But how can Paladin do it since Tuttle seems determined to kill him despite their civilized talk.
There's a reason for that initial dust-up that's also more contrived than usual. It breaks up the next 20-minutes of talk, unusual for an action series. The twist involves an interesting variation on the sympathetic gunfighter theme, a popular subject of the time. That final gunplay, in my view, harms what would otherwise be an interesting upshot, namely, Tuttle walking away alone, having made an unexpected choice. Had the screenplay developed the plot in a more visually involving, less static way, the entry could have been a real standout.
There's a reason for that initial dust-up that's also more contrived than usual. It breaks up the next 20-minutes of talk, unusual for an action series. The twist involves an interesting variation on the sympathetic gunfighter theme, a popular subject of the time. That final gunplay, in my view, harms what would otherwise be an interesting upshot, namely, Tuttle walking away alone, having made an unexpected choice. Had the screenplay developed the plot in a more visually involving, less static way, the entry could have been a real standout.
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