How to Kill a Friend: The Return of an Old Enemy

Gunsmoke: Old West Stories

In this riveting episode of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon faces a moral and physical challenge when two crooked gamblers, Ben Quarter and Harry Duggan, hire an old friend of Dillon’s, Toque Morlan, to kill him. Dillon and Morlan once rode together, and this unexpected confrontation brings up old memories and questions of loyalty.

Dillon has had enough of the gamblers’ crooked schemes and runs them out of Dodge. However, they return with a hired gun, and it’s none other than Dillon’s old comrade, Toque Morlan. A twisted combination of loyalty and bitterness puts Morlan in Dillon’s path as an adversary, creating a tense showdown between former allies.

As Dillon grapples with the prospect of killing his friend or being killed, the suspense rises, and the inevitable conflict leads to a tragic but gripping conclusion. Will Marshal Dillon survive this encounter, or will old loyalties cost him his life?

Featuring standout performances by William Conrad as Matt Dillon, and Rex Koury’s evocative musical score, this episode is a powerful exploration of friendship, betrayal, and the harsh realities of life in the Old West.

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