When Newly O'Brien catches a woman trying to steal his horse, he suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a bad family situation. The would-be thief is a woman from "the hill country" named Merry Florene, and she is trying to escape two mean, ornery, abusive half-brothers named Elbert Moses and Roland Daniel.
The characters of Merry Florene, played by Lane Bradbury and Elbert Moses, portrayed by Anthony James -- both very recognizable character actors of the period -- would return in a total of four different Gunsmoke episodes. Victor French, a frequent Gunsmoke guest, portrays the other half-brother, Roland Daniel, who would appear as the same character in one additional Gunsmoke episode with Bradbury and James.
Newly reluctantly takes Merry Florene back to Dodge, and Elbert Moses and Roland Daniel are not far behind.
In Dodge, Newly tries to help Merry Florene. He introduces her to Kitty Russell, Matt Dillon, Doc Adams, and Festus Haggen. (Festus seems a bit smitten with Merry Florene, but she wants no part of his friendship. She does not trust anyone involved in law enforcement, and she only has eyes for Newly.) Newly uses his influence to get her a job working for Mr. Jonas at the General Store. Unfortunately, Merry Florene is still terrified of her half-brothers, and she finds escaping their abusive dominance difficult.
The story primarily concerns Merry Florene trying to establish a place in Dodge while also struggling with her fear of her terrible kinfolk and their influence.
While the episode introduces some tense scenes, it also manages a few light-hearted and humorous moments. The outstanding cast lifts this episode above the average, predictable script they were given. Of note is Dabbs Greer's final performance as Mr. Jonas., and a scene between Kitty Russell and Merry Florene where Kitty reveals several details about her younger years.
Both Dabbs Greer and Victor French would go on to play recurring roles on Little House on the Prairie.
This episode demonstrates what can be achieved using a fairly routine story through superior acting, direction, and script writing.