The transition when Judge and Betsy left the series did not go smoothly, especially with the addition of the Morgan Starr character, who was not too appealing. The best episodes in Season 4 was the final one, "The Mark of A Man". The Morgan Starr character wasn't featured, and James Drury and Clu Gulagher as The Virginian and Sheriff Ryker anchored the episode. It was also greatly enhanced by the performance of guest star Harold J. Stone. While the ending may be "too Hollywood", it was made believable for me with Stone's standout performance. By the beginning of Season 5, the Morgan Starr character was gone. The character of Jennifer, a "niece" who replaced the Betsy character was also replaced. Also gone was the Randy Benton character, who many questioned why he was added to the cast to begin with. I always wondered if he was related to someone with the power to "find a job" for him.