John Beck performed brilliantly as Mitch Hansen in the last original episode of Gunsmoke. He and his partner were involved with cattle rustling. His partner rode a bull that became too volatile for his own good; he suffers a horrible gash in his head. Upon reaching Dodge City, Dr. Adams told Mitch Hansen his partner endured a subdural hematoma -- without any hope of living. Even with all the medicine in the world would not help him at all. His partner only had days to live; therefore, he spent whatever time left to enjoy the finer things in Dodge City. Both of them signed up for a $150 contest to determine how long they could withstand the challenge of riding a horse. The only problem: they would be leaving for Montana. The worst part? Hansen's partner was nearing death; his last activity would be to ride the horse before enduring the eternal rest from that type of terminal injury. I would have rated the episode a 14 .... all because of the special circumstances involving the final scene leading up to Hansen's partner dying much too soon in Dodge City .... particularly in 1975.
Review of The Busters
