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mrsjbtoomer
Reviews
Gunsmoke: The Jailer (1966)
Matt and Kitty
This is a remarkably suspenseful episode with a cast worthy of the matinee marquee.
But don't you think --after all Matt and Kitty went through in this high stakes life or death drama-- don't you think Matt could've put a ring on it? Miss Kitty was nothing short of heroic and deserves more.
Gunsmoke: Gentry's Law (1970)
The Steer Metaphor
This average episode is summarized when Marshal Dillon reminds Gentry of the sublime country metaphor that a weak steer is better off than the over-protected brawny steer.
A metaphor for the ages.
Gunsmoke: Kitty Caught (1958)
The Faint is Legit!
Strong women do not faint?
With due respect to the reviewers saying Kitty's Faint was out of character, I suggest their conclusions are not supported by the facts. Let's consider a few facts:
Kitty did not have breakfast the morning of the bank robbery: she and Matt intended to eat after the bank visit. Kitty was denied and declined food and beverage while captive.
Thus Kitty is likely dehydrated and hungry from this unintended fast. Hunger is known to cause weakness, poor concentration and irritability. We saw all of those things in the 29 minutes leading up to The Faint.
Kitty is wearing a snug fitting riding habit per the fashion of the 1850-70s so we can reasonably conclude she is wearing a tightly laced corset. (Remember, the "fainting couch" was invented in the 19th century for women wearing corsets).
Kitty is going on short rest having risen at dawn for a ride and the presumed late night prior at the saloon.
Kitty's fight or flight response has been engaged from the time the robber took custody of her by gunpoint. Perhaps 24 hours or longer. The duration of the threat will cause defense physiology to engage as the body's new normal . A chronic state of stress results and negatively affects the mental, emotional, and physical systems. Kitty's systems were spent.
Kitty is strong. But she, or you or me, will never be strong enough to manipulate physiology. The Faint was legit.
Gunsmoke: Baker's Dozen (1967)
A Sentimental Dawning
Well, I won't call this episode "icky" though perhaps sticky sweet may be apropos. The plight of orphaned infant triplets in late 19th-Century Dodge City had to be dire at best. Splitting up siblings and farmed to foster care seems the most likely fate of the innocents.
This episode made good the face of a community united in purpose for a greater cause. Is this so different from 2019 where we seek collective opportunities to come together, right a wrong, give back?
Aired on Christmas 1967 this show appealed to the dawning of aquaris. Remember? "The harmony and understanding. Sympathy and trust abounding."
So try not to be off-put by the sentiment. Consider the pathos of the time and decide if we are not looking for a little love to steer the stars today. It's not a formulaic Gunsmoke. But departures like this certainly give pause.
Gunsmoke: Bloody Hands (1957)
A New View of Chester
Marshal Dillon's crisis of conscience aligns perfectly with Dennis Weaver's best performance in Season Two as Chester Goode. So often Chester is, to a flaw, a silly flibbertigibbet more like a Baldwin sister from The Waltons than a deputy marshal in Dodge City. In this episode his sensitivity is served-up in passionate soliloquy: a game changer for the Marshal and the viewer. Perhaps there is greater depth to Mr. Goode than the oft seen soft sensitive sidekick that contrasts so well to Mr. Dillion's lawman machismo.
Gunsmoke: Kitty Cornered (1964)
Delightful Banter: Simmering Disdain
Not much in this episode by way of shootouts, horse chases, or outlaws but wow! What a cat fight. Miss Kitty and Stella contentiously engage with such aplomb as to leave the modern (2019) reality TV female rumpus in the kiddie pool. The insults and verbal jibes are quick and sharp, delivered with sparkling smiles. Delightful banter barely conceals the simmering disdain suffered by our dueling saloon proprietors. One could think more than customer patronage is up for grabs in this business woman's battle that was so far ahead of its time.
Taken at face value this is a fun and refreshing Gunsmoke that clearly detours off the formulaic path so familiar to Gunsmoke enthusiasts. I enjoyed it.
Jacqueline Scott's fabulous number, "Big Hearted Stella" delivered in big voice while trotting the Palace runway is not to be missed. Delightful and poignant at once. Bravo!