One of the more dramatic and suspenseful entries in the ANDY GRIFFITH canon. Andy receives a letter from an ex-convict named Luke Comstock whom he sent to jail eleven years earlier for a service station robbery. (Andy shot him in the leg during the holdup, which caused him to go lame.) In the letter Comstock says that he wants to see Andy again in order to "set things straight between us." The phrase is just ambiguous enough to send Barney into a panic, and he organizes a "posse" (consisting of Otis and Gomer) to protect Andy. Comstock's arrival in Mayberry sets the stage for the suspenseful part of the episode, as we wait along with Andy to see what will happen; Earle Hagen's musical score is put to extremely good use during these scenes, which have a palpably foreboding atmosphere. This episode has a hint of film noir as well as a touch of the Shakespearean, with the light/dark, tragi-comic intercutting between Andy's anxious vigil at home and the humorous shenanigans of Barney's "posse." A high point of the episode is the fleeting, intense conversation between Andy and Opie in which the son asks the father whether he is scared. Only an ill-advised piece of comic business towards the end of the episode (Barney and his posse getting hopelessly tangled up in a rope) and an apparent minor continuity error in the script make me fall short of giving this one ten stars.
7 Reviews
There Is a Threat
Hitchcoc6 December 2019
Despite Barney, Gomer, and Otis's shenanigans, the fact is that a man who Andy shot and who went to prison is back. He is an unknown quantity. That tension works really well. We don't know what to expect nor does Andy. The three idiots keep the comedy up. Gomer has no clue about the danger of the gun he is holding, and Otis's willingness to quit is great. Really liked this.
Very Smartly Written and Performed
fairhaven-792797 April 2022
The first half of this classic episode is among the funniest ever written and performed by the cast, particularly Barney and Andy's initial exchange after getting the letter. Kudos to the writers. And Dub Taylor? Where'd he come from?
The second half is actually dramatic and tense, a la "High Noon." Leo Gordon is perfectly cast as Luke, never once cracking a smile.
This one depends more on clever wordplay than slapstick from Barney and Gomer, which elevates the comedy a notch or two above average.
The second half is actually dramatic and tense, a la "High Noon." Leo Gordon is perfectly cast as Luke, never once cracking a smile.
This one depends more on clever wordplay than slapstick from Barney and Gomer, which elevates the comedy a notch or two above average.
Showdown in Mayberry
hellraiser720 May 2019
This is another honorable mention it's basically the show doing "High Noon." I really like how suspenseful the episode is, there really is a tenseness throughout the episode where even the familiar setting of Mayberry offers no comfort. Really like one moment where Andy despite maintaining his usual cool demeanor we see a small crack or two, there was once scene where he takes out a gun and checks it for ammo, contemplating whether he should carry it with him or not. This to me shows how human Andy is, I'd probably go though the same motions and feel the same way, when you get a feeling of doom; Andy is never a person looking for trouble, but trouble may 'be looking for him.
However, this episode shows the heroism in Andy how despite his misgiving feelings, he's willing to face whatever opposition comes his way. Andy's way is sort of the Gandhi approach as Andy is utilizing passive resistance to this showdown, Andy is showing the courage not to fight.
However, to me what really carried this episode is Otis, Barney, and Gomer all three acting as secret service for Andy, though you could say more like "The Three Stooges", it's just hilarious seeing all three together going at things.
One really funny moment is when Otis he is crawling underneath Andy's home for close surveillance and guard, Aunt Bee looks out the window, Otis then tries to maintain his cover by pretending to be a cat ( a really sick one for that manner), but then Aunt Bee drops a flour pot down. I'm not sure if Aunt Bee knew that was Otis or some random stranger but all the same it was funny. But I mainly love how Barney is running the posse and despite how hard he tries as usual can never get it function in working order.
Some of the best scenes are with both Gomer and Barney, my favorite one which is comic gold is seeing Gomer just handle firearms irresponsibly and Barney trying in vain to teach him to use it responsibly, though Barney is probably not the best teacher as he's not very responsible with guns either, as well as Gomer sneaking up on Barney on night watch.
But seeing Barney's inefficient posse just show unlike the whole town on "High Noon" that Mayberry is behind him. A person survives longest with lone bravery and when he/she has friends to always watch his/her back.
Rating: 3 and a half stars
However, this episode shows the heroism in Andy how despite his misgiving feelings, he's willing to face whatever opposition comes his way. Andy's way is sort of the Gandhi approach as Andy is utilizing passive resistance to this showdown, Andy is showing the courage not to fight.
However, to me what really carried this episode is Otis, Barney, and Gomer all three acting as secret service for Andy, though you could say more like "The Three Stooges", it's just hilarious seeing all three together going at things.
One really funny moment is when Otis he is crawling underneath Andy's home for close surveillance and guard, Aunt Bee looks out the window, Otis then tries to maintain his cover by pretending to be a cat ( a really sick one for that manner), but then Aunt Bee drops a flour pot down. I'm not sure if Aunt Bee knew that was Otis or some random stranger but all the same it was funny. But I mainly love how Barney is running the posse and despite how hard he tries as usual can never get it function in working order.
Some of the best scenes are with both Gomer and Barney, my favorite one which is comic gold is seeing Gomer just handle firearms irresponsibly and Barney trying in vain to teach him to use it responsibly, though Barney is probably not the best teacher as he's not very responsible with guns either, as well as Gomer sneaking up on Barney on night watch.
But seeing Barney's inefficient posse just show unlike the whole town on "High Noon" that Mayberry is behind him. A person survives longest with lone bravery and when he/she has friends to always watch his/her back.
Rating: 3 and a half stars
Mayberry's "3 Stooges" create huge laughs
vitoscotti18 April 2022
Barney, Otis,, and Gomer really are terrific together. I really liked Barney jumping back frightened into the Taylor's bush. Gomer stupidly pointing the gun, Otis & Gomer wanting out, then the hilarious knot tieng club finale. Epilogue ok, but how could it match such a funny episode.
This episode has been stuck in my brain since it debuted.
Progger19536 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Sometimes, I have ussues with this show's scrpt being contrived like this one. Why would an Ex-con (that Andy helped put in prison) want to give Andy a present like this to begin with? And make everybody all worried about why he wants to look up Andy.
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