Written by Edward J. Lakso Directed by Alexander Singer Guest Cast MALACHI THRONE as Sean Finnegan MORT MILLS as Muldoon KEN LYNCH as John Clayton STUART ANDERSON as Kid Case K. L. SMITH as Tom Fox ROY ROBERTS as Kelly JOHN HARMON as Jonas Kale FRED SCHEIWILLER as Ned BRUCE TODD as Gunter FRED CARSON as Stacy I. STANDFORD JOLLEY as Old Man BUDD PERKINS as Greely

FINNEGAN'S SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS

Sean Finnegan is importing Chicago-style organized crime to Texas.  He gathers a group of outlaws wanted elsewhere, but not in Texas, and schools them in the appropriate rackets and techniques.  The victim of a stage robbery in which a man was murdered reports that Tom Fox, an Oklahoma outlaw was the culprit.  Captain Parmalee sends Chad and Reese to Dry Wells, a town which hasn't had any hold-ups, to see if the Sheriff Gorman has heard anything.  When they ride in, they interrupt two thugs roughing up a shopkeeper who's afraid to press charges.  Sheriff Gorman has disappeared and been replaced with a sheriff picked by Finnegan. When they locate Tom Fox, Reese draws against him and appears to win.  Reese was badly outmatched but unbeknownst to Reese, Finnegan shot Fox because he is now wanted in Texas and therefore unwanted by Finnegan.  Reese, of course, spends the rest of the episode bragging about outdrawing the fastest gun in Oklahoma.

Kelly identifies Tom Fox

The Captain makes a plan

With Chad's help

Chad & Reese arrive in Dry Wells

They rescue the storekeeper.

They find Tom Fox

Chad is incredulous when Tom Fox is killed

Reese replays his gunfight for awe-struck children

Sean Finnegan

His right-hand man Muldoon

Three of his recruits

The new sheriff.

When Chad reports back about the goings-on in Dry Wells, the Captain sends Erik and Joe to infiltrate the gang as Arizona outlaws Zack Johnson and Cherokee Joe.  Chad goes back to let Reese know the plan.  When Joe and Erik ride in, Erik shoots off Reese's hat and Chad makes a show of backing down to give them credibility.  Once accepted by the gang, Erik plants the seeds of dissension by suggesting some big targets not approved by Finnegan.  When Finnegan decides to dispose of Reese, Erik comes up with a plan.  They plant his feet in cement and roll him into a lake in a wagon to drown.  However, they plant Joe inside the wagon with a length of tubing and a barrel of air to keep Reese from drowning until Joe can haul him out.

Chad & Erik as Zack Johnson & Cherokee Joe

Reese is mad when Erik shoots off his hat.

Joe & Erik are welcomed by Finnegan himself.

Reese awaits Chicago-style execution

William Smith wore a similar outfit in Angels Die Hard.  But way different attitude.

Joe hooks Reese up with air.

Joe trying to crack  cement without cracking Reese's shin bone

Reese is wet and not as grateful as you'd expect

While the men are gathered at the scene of Reese's supposed drowning, Erik dupes them into heading off to rob a supposedly unguarded payroll wagon without Finnegan's consent.  Chad and Captain Parmalee spring the trap and most of Finnegan's men end up in jail.  Chad returns to Dry Wells just as the real Zack Johnson and Cherokee Joe arrive.  Muldoon and Finnegan get the drop on Chad, Joe and Erik who end up trussed up in a mine with a burning fuse only moments away from setting off enough dynamite to bury all evidence of foul play.  However, Reese arrives in the nick of time, saving the day, something he's not going to soon let them forget.

The Captain springs the trap.

Finnegan's recruits are caged

The real Johnson & Cherokee

The Rangers in jeopardy

Reese saves the day.

The boys decide that the only fate worse than death is having Reese save your life

NiteOwl Review:  A very good episode as the second season went.  The storyline was balanced to give each of the four about the same screen time and they all brought their own strengths to the story.