Prime-grade Maverick of the calibre that made the series a cult favorite. It's tongue-in-cheek the whole way, with no clichéd shoot-out at the end. Instead it's a battle of wits, with one charming rogue against another as the quips fly fast and furious. The only real difference between Bret and Dandy Jim Buckley is that Bret has at least one scruple whereas Dandy was hiding somewhere when the "Thou Shalt Not's" were passed out.
The contest surrounds a crooked horse deal that lands Dandy in jail, with Bret needing to break him out. It doesn't help that the jail resembles Fort Knox or that there are not two but four locked doors separating the prisoner from the street. But Bret is nothing if not resourceful and, of course, drolly amusing, at the same time. But this is really Dandy Jim's episode, showing what an excellent comedic actor Zimbalist Jr. was. Too bad Warner Bros. broke up the duo by casting Zimbalist in the glossy detective series 77 Sunset Strip, where he had to play things straight. Note in the first minute that the beloved Dan Blocker gets a brief walk-on as Hog Nose Hughes, a dead-eye shot even though he doesn't bother to aim. Right away, we know this entry is special, and may be the first one to spoof all the way through, along with a delightfully appropriate very last frame.