Once the first of MANY (many..) cues of "Irish Washer Woman" kicks in on the soundtrack, we know that we're watching a somewhat lighter episode, of which the ENDING is not too difficult to predict. But it's a welcome change of pace in the midst of all of the dark, violent shows of Season 8.
Despite its predictability, the script itself-- the Journey through the story from beginning to end---is very well written. Lots of rancorous encounters between the two Irishmen (including a great Saloon brawl, with Richard Jaeckel doing a lot of his own stunt work), plenty of intrigue with a trio of crooks (which includes Robert Mitchum's real-life brother) etc , etc---all of which moves at a quick, energetic pace.
Michael Higgins (a fine actor) is always singing "I'll Take You Home, Kathleen" (his girlfriend back in Ireland's name). If they would have tossed in "My Wild Irish Rose" and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" somewhere along the way (with the aforementioned "Washer Woman"), we would have had the 4 greatest folk hits of the Emerald Isle in one episode. On second thought......
I'm not sure why Richard Jaeckel would be cast as an Irishman, complete with mostly-convincing brogue--- nor, for that matter, why English actor Ben Wright's character Harris speaks with a German accent. But that's the good-old U.S.A. melting pot of the 1870's at work, I guess.
All kidding aside, this is an enjoyable episode with several excellent action scenes and lots of outdoor location footage to boot. Some may complain that the plot is run-of-the-mill, but "Gunsmoke" can't ALWAYS feature complex psychological studies of the human condition....which many modern viewers seem to hold against episodes like this one.
ALSO-- catch the moment near the end--- at 48:28"-- when Michael Higgins stops JUST short of using the "B-word" to refer to his colleen back home in Ireland. I had to chuckle. LR