Have Gun Will Travel: The Sixth and Final Season, Vol. 1

At Least It Completes Your Set......
While I am glad to see Have Gun-Will Travel FINALLY completed on professional DVD release; I have to point out the crowning injustice of this set......

Of course, the '2-volume-split' format is a blatant profit-gouge...

BUT, to make matters all the worse; HGWT SEASON SIX IS THE SERIES` SHORTEST (by 6 episodes) SEASON !

I could also point out that behind-the-scenes, Richard Boone had already decided to end the series before season 6 began filming, and thus the episode count was cut to the minimum and the scripts for the latter part of the season were previously-rejected (or to be kind; put on the 'back-burner') stories which were finally used to avoid paying for still more material (as these had already been paid for)....
Thus you get such weak tales as 'Lady Of The Fifth Moon', 'Two Plus One' etc....

Oh, there are highlights; the dramatics of 'The Fifth Bullet' (with Ben Johnson in great character), 'A Place For Abel Hix' (Paladin out...

Review of the first episode "genesis"
The first episode of the season is an extremely interesting and unusual bit of television. It simultaniously provides both the beginning and the possible ending of the title character. Richard Boone plays two parts which are essentially his younger and older self confronting each other. Its well written and quite original.

The Paladin character is a former west point officer and civil war veteran. He is from an important family but falls into disgrace and is eventually paid by his family not to go home. To stay away. He falls into a life of dueling, gambling and mercenary work. The episode shows the character hitting rock bottom in his youth, confronting his mistakes years later and possibly reaching a sort of redemption late in life. Whats so good about
the episode is that explains the character in an allegorical way rather than a literal one. The answers it offers are meaningful answers rather than trivia.

William Conrad both directs and plays a role in...

Paladin Goes Out With a Bang: The Final Season Vol. 1
I highly recommend volume one of season six (the final season) of Have Gun Will Travel (HGWT. What makes this season set so desirable that among it's great video library of stories are five top notch episodes:

Genesis
Memories of Monica
The Predators
Marshal of Sweetwater
A Place For Abel Hix

I would like to comment on a one of these episodes.

"Genesis" tells us the story of the origin of Paladin. The story begins with an intruder that breaks into Paladin's apartment to commit theft or to kill Paladin (it's been a long time since I've seen the episode) to pay off a huge gambling debt. Paladin stops the burglar and asks the burglar why he tried to steal from/kill him. He explains to Paladin that he has accrued a huge gambling debt...which reminds Paladin of a time long ago when he owed a huge gambling debt to Norge (played by William Conrad). Thus begins the meat of the episode...the flashback starts BEFORE Richard Boone's...

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