The black humor of this fun episode is most engaging, as Strother Martin perfectly captures the naive charm of his stereotypical hayseed loser of a character. What makes it extra special is L.Q. Jones, his frequent screen teammate (especially in Westerns like those of Peckinpah) popping up as the villain in the final reel confrontation.
It's a testament to the longevity of this well-made series that over 50 years later I was still actually moved by this episode, even by the harmless cruelty of fake-doctor Dabbs Greer stealing all of hapless Strother's belongings as he pronounces a medical death sentence on the guy. Richard Boone plays his role bemused throughout, managing to get in his grandiloquent recitations as he delivers the eulogy at Martin's mock funeral, but otherwise relishing the opportunity for comedy.
It's a testament to the longevity of this well-made series that over 50 years later I was still actually moved by this episode, even by the harmless cruelty of fake-doctor Dabbs Greer stealing all of hapless Strother's belongings as he pronounces a medical death sentence on the guy. Richard Boone plays his role bemused throughout, managing to get in his grandiloquent recitations as he delivers the eulogy at Martin's mock funeral, but otherwise relishing the opportunity for comedy.