Gunsmoke: Ben Tolliver's Stud (1960)
Season 6, Episode 11
Good Set-Up Undermined by Facile Ending
11 April 2014
Well-acted entry with good set-up. Mean old Jake doesn't like budding romance between hired hand Ben and Jake's winsome daughter Nancy. Plus the two men have a falling out over who owns a valuable stud horse. There's going to be trouble since Jake's mean and headstrong, while boyish Ben's not going to give up either Nancy or the stud horse.

There's some tension since we know a clash is inevitable. Nonetheless, as dislikable as he is, Jake is still Nancy's dad, so what is Ben going to do. For me, the ending is much too contrived and convenient to be believed. The series usually managed more thoughtful endings than this, which is more like an easy-way-out climax than classic Gunsmoke. Oh well, not every entry can wind up a winner.
5 out of 13 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed