Boomerang

"Boomerang" is the 39th episode of The Rifleman Season One and the 39th episode overall. Directed by Joseph H. Lewis and written by Arthur Browne, Jr., it aired on June 23, 1959.
==Synopsis==
When a rancher dies after the bank forecloses his property, his son blames banker John Hamilton for his father's death.
==Watch==
==Plot==
Bank president John Hamilton is meeting with drunkard rancher Sam Elder and giving him the news that he will have to foreclose on Sam's ranch. Sam leaves the bank in a rage with his 18-year-old son Tim Elder. Suddenly, Sam collapses in the street and dies. Tim shouts at John that Sam is dead because of him. With Tim now homeless, Lucas gives him a job on the ranch to help him get on his feet.
After Tim works on Lucas's ranch for a bit, they both go into North Fork for some errands. Lucas talks with John Hamilton and convinces him to hold off on putting Sam's ranch up for auction to allow Tim a chance to buy it back himself once he can save enough money. As they get ready to go back to Lucas's ranch, Tim spots John Hamilton and suddenly asks Lucas if he would teach him how to shoot a gun for protection and hunting.
Weeks go by and Tim keeps working on the ranch as Lucas gives Tim regular shooting lessons. One payday, Lucas tells Tim that he should put his money in the bank, which makes Tim angry and he expresses that he feels that John murdered his father. After an intense discussion, Tim reveals that he intends to shoot John and the lessons that Lucas have been giving him will enable him to do so.
The next day, while Lucas is out on the pasture, Hattie Denton arrives on the ranch, and gives Tim two rifles that he had placed an order for when he was in the store doing errands a few weeks prior. He sets off for North Fork by himself with the rifles. Lucas comes back and finds Tim gone, but finds the empty rifle packages, and quickly rides out to North Fork after Tim.
In North Fork, Tim stands outside the bank and calls for John Hamilton. When John comes out, Tim tells him that he is going to kill him right here in the street, just like John killed Tim's father. Tim throws one of the rifles to John, who refuses to pick it up, and Tim prepares to shoot him right as Lucas arrives. Lucas shoots Tim's rifle out of his hands. After an tense confrontation between Lucas and Tim, Lucas tells Tim to watch as he throws Tim's hat high in the air and John Hamilton is able to shoot it several times in the air. With Tim stunned at John's shooting ability, Lucas tells him he taught John how to shoot when the bank opened and John could have killed Tim easily.
In the last scene of the episode, Tim and John reconcile and it is revealed that Tim is living on his father's ranch again, and will work for John until he's 21, after which point the ranch will truly belong to him for good.
==Cast==
===Main===
*Lucas McCain - Chuck Connors
*Mark McCain - Johnny Crawford
===Recurring===
*John Hamilton - Harlan Warde
*Hattie Denton - Hope Summers
===Guests===
*Tim Elder - Lee Kinsolving
*Samuel Elder - Dabbs Greer
Category:Episodes
Category:Season One episodes
Category:Episode pages with completed plot sections