Description: Season 1, Episode 3
Air Date: October 16, 1959
Plot Summary: An ex-gunslinger, turned town drunk, suddenly finds his luck changing for the better.
Review: With TZ still trying to find its stride, they played it a bit safe with this episode using the popular (at the time) old west theme for a backdrop. We meet the pathetic Mr. Denton who will do anything for some booze including humiliating himself in front of the town and his wannabe girlfriend who they never come out saying is a prostitute...but come on. A traveling salesman, shamelessly named Fate, appears to give Mr. Denton a magic revolver that helps him regain his dignity from the local bullies. This allows Mr. Denton to get his act back together as we learn he was once a great gunslinger who began drinking profusely out of guilt after killing a young kid that challenged him.
Later, another challenger comes calling as word of Mr. Denton's gun skills have spread quickly. An amount of time is implied to have passed, but the episode could have used a better transition since it feels like this is all happening in the same day; hell, maybe it did! Fate once again intervenes and offers Mr. Denton an elixir that he claims will make him the fastest hand in the west for 10 seconds. When the time comes for the duel, Mr. Denton is wary of the fight since it's another kid, but as the two are about to draw, both take a swig out of the magic elixirs and cancel out each other's shot. It's massively contrived, but some doctor appears to instantly claim neither will ever be able to shoot with that hand again. A satisfied Fate wanders off into the night with a creepy grin.
Eh, if the story was more subtle this would have played out much better. I mean, Fate, really? The message would have had more significance as well if the challenger was apart of the episode earlier on rather than the last couple minutes. I think they just went about telling the story in the wrong way while focusing on less important aspects like Mr. Denton's girlfriend and the bullies. The potential was there, but the execution faltered.
The way Denton sang How dry I am was horrible, very painful to the ears. And that bully and that whole part was just like so many other bully scenes from so many shows, movies, etc. And that guy who makes the gun appear and makes Denton shoot it those certain ways, was just a weak Twilight zone oddity compared to so many of them.
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