#9 - "A Matter of Policy"
SEASON ONE
1965 - 1966
Senator Sparks is due on the morning stage, escorted by Captain Parmalee. Reese wants to impress the Senator. Chad and Joe talk him out of painting the office with red paint bought for the stable, persuading him instead to stake Chad in an all night poker game with the Brannigan brothers, the profits of which will finance a party for the Senator. Meanwhile, the stage carrying Captain Parmalee and the Senator is held up, leaving them to walk to Laredo.
NiteOwl Review: Although there are a few nice moments in this episode, the plan they carry out is so obviously dangerous and asinine, the necessary suspension of disbelief is an onerous task. Not in our top ten.
Just as the Captain and the Senator arrive in town, the Brannigans accuse Chad of cheating and start a brawl which spills out into the street, right at their feet. To make up for this bad first impression, the boys clean the barracks for inspection and arrange for a special breakfast. When the Brannigans disrupt the breakfast, the Senator ends up with egg on his face, literally. He storms out of Laredo threatening to cut Ranger funding. The boys then come up with a truly stupid plan. Reese hires a group of barflies to pose as the Davis gang to kidnap the Senator so the Rangers can save him.
The Senator
Chad convinces acting Capt.
Bennett he can win a pile of
money from the Brannigans
Joe and Chad beaten
senseless by the "fake" gang
Relief when the Senator leaves
When a member of the real gang reports the plan to Tom Davis, he kidnaps the Senator himself to discredit the Rangers. Chad and Joe get the stuffing beaten out of them by the real gang because they think the fight will be a fake. Although they rescue the Senator in the end, the Captain discovers the plan and assigns them a lengthy list of onerous chores.
Original air date Nov 11, 1965
Directed by R.G. Springsteen
Written by Edward J. Lakso

Regular Cast
Neville Brand as Reese Bennett
Peter Brown as Chad Cooper
William Smith as Joe Riley
Phil Carey as Capt. Parmalee

Guest Cast
Robert F. Simon as Sen. Sparks
Charles Gray as Tom Davis
Jon Locke as Giles
Mike Ragan as Hawks
Mickey Finn as Pat Brannigan
I. Stanford Jolley as Jarvis
Chuck Courtney as Pete
Hal Needham as Cole
Gil Perkins as Will Brannigan
Official Peter Brown Fan Site