This episode marks the final appearance of James Garner as Bret Maverick. It was filmed during the previous season but got shelved and didn't air until Season Four. Supposedly, it was intended to be the premiere episode of the show's fourth season.

The character of Shotgun Sparks appears to be a parody of the title character of another Western series airing at the time, Shotgun Slade.

Bart: (to Rumsey) We're what you might call the Maverick poor relations.

Rumsey: (about the empty strongbox) How am I gonna send my poor old mother snuff money?

Sparks: Take your hands off your ears.
Bret: Why?
Sparks: So you can put 'em up.

Bret: On Dasher, on Prancer.
Polly: On Donder, on Blitzen.

Rumsey: You know, Maverick, I been shootin' the locks off express boxes for 20 years. That's the first one that ever shot back at me.

Bart: Bret and I have decided to take an extended tour of the world--to teach stud poker to some of the backward nations.

Amazingly, in his final appearance of the series, James Garner gets slightly less screen time than co-star Jack Kelly. Buddy Ebsen steals the show as a bandit who's constantly robbing the stagecoach line recently inherited by the Maverick brothers.