Marshal Micah Torrance in His Cups 

         By Guest Contributor, Ian Sanderson

One of the most poignant episodes of The Rifleman in Season 3, Episode 22, centered around the town marshal, Micah Torrance played by Paul Fix, a renown stage, movie and television actor. The story was unlike any that viewers had seen of the dependable and gentle lawman. 

Mark McCain first noticed the trouble man one morning when he visited the marshal in his office. Micah was very short with the boy and quite irritable. Soon after, he snapped at Lucas McCain, his best friend. In an earlier episode when Micah first met Lucas, it was established that he was one of the best lawmen in the territory. But lost his position due to alcoholism. Lucas gave the luckless man a job on this ranch. Soon, Micah was permitted to become marshal of North Fork. Micah's haunting past soon crept up on him. 

In a testy scene, Micah accused Lucas of undermining his work as town marshal, always stepping in instead of allowing him to do his job. He gave his badge back to Lucas, grabs two bottles of whiskey from the local bar keep, and holed up in an apartment. 

When Lucas goes to visit, he can not believe how far his best friend has regressed. He finds the fallen hero, drunk, unshaven and undressed, wearing nothing but his long underwear.

Enough chit-chat, Micah turns away from Lucas and staggers over to his bed.

  

Standing back up and thirsty for drink, Micah unsteadily heads for his bottle again:

Lucas is beside himself, unable to help the hapless man and left. Later that night, like Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Micah laying on the bed in his union suit, was visited by a ghost like figure from his past.

Without revealing anymore of this story, Chris, I would encourage your viewers to watch this engrossing ABC episode on various choices of streaming services... Ian

Ian: I agree. Thanks very much again for your insightful summary of this captivating story. All the best, Chris