This is an odd episode in many ways. I have watched this great show from season 1 episode 1 straight through to here in the last 2-1/2 years ( Since the intro to episode 11 and I gotta say, this is probably the oddest one. It seemed very contrived and offbeat, even for Gunsmoke. (Consider it had Dirty Sally among many other oddballs over the years)
Many seem to complain over the comic episodes like they don't fit but this show has had it's 2-3 comedic episodes every season since the first one. Some were actually funny, others just goofy but this one is not a comic one yet is much stranger than the ones which were.
It's a strange one.
I only wish they had a season's notice to cancellation, but they did make the movies, so there's that. I have one left, and it's been a great run. 634 episodes...