Moral Lessons
A fan did not think the show was violent. After all, each person died for a reason, and the episodes came with moral lessons. One fan posted the following on TVParty.com: “The show was shown widely in syndication on local stations after it left the network for most of the mid-late ’60s. I disagree with it being the ‘most’ violent western – most shows of that era contained quite a bit of violence. What seemed to make The Rifleman different was the fact that those who were killed truly deserved it and frequently episodes included a moral lesson – often quoting a biblical passage.”
Moral Lessons
A Dark Show
The Rifleman was a pretty dark show, all things considered. It showed mobs made of cowardly and rather dim farmers. Mark also struggled growing up in an environment as violent as theirs. The young boy was often told to work on his homework or chores, which did not interest him. Mark knew he was going to inherit the rifle, so there did not seem to be any use to studying anyway.
A Dark Show
