Ep 7. The Martinet

In season 3, episode 7 of The Rifleman titled "The Martinet," we see Lucas McCain, a widower, raising his son in the late 1800s in the town of North Fork. Lucas is known throughout the town as a skilled marksman with his trusty rifle, and he often uses it to solve problems and disputes.

In this particular episode, a strict disciplinarian named Andrew Brauer comes to North Fork as the new schoolteacher. Mr. Brauer demands absolute obedience and discipline from his students and has a reputation for being very tough. Lucas initially thinks that Mr. Brauer's strict policies will do the students a lot of good, but as time goes on, he begins to see the negative effects of Mr. Brauer's methods.

Lucas's son, Mark, is one of Mr. Brauer's students, and he is struggling to keep up with the demanding workload and strict rules. When Lucas tries to talk to Mr. Brauer about Mark's struggles, he finds himself at odds with the teacher, who insists that his methods are best.

Things come to a head when Mr. Brauer punishes one of his students, an innocent boy named Billy, so severely that he is left seriously injured. Lucas and the rest of the town are outraged, and Lucas decides that he must take action to put an end to Mr. Brauer's reign of terror over the school.

Lucas challenges Mr. Brauer to a marksmanship contest, with the winner being allowed to decide the fate of the school. If Lucas wins, Mr. Brauer must resign and leave North Fork. If Mr. Brauer wins, he can stay and continue to run the school as he sees fit.

The contest is intense, and both men show off their incredible shooting skills. In the end, Lucas emerges victorious, and Mr. Brauer is forced to leave. Mark and the other students are relieved to have a more lenient schoolteacher, and the town is thankful to Lucas for standing up for what is right.

Overall, "The Martinet" is a powerful episode that explores themes of discipline, authority, and compassion. It shows how dangerous it can be when a person in authority becomes too fixated on discipline and punishment, and how important it is to stand up for what is right even in the face of opposition. With its exciting shooting contest and emotional storyline, this episode is a great example of what makes The Rifleman such a classic western TV show.