WALKER, TEXAS RANGER
Mustangs
Ned aims at the bottom line. "There's no way I'm gonna
let $800 worth of dog meat mustang blow a $20 million deal."
On the way back to the office, Walker suggests Trivette check out the Travis family and
its ranch while he snoop around in the area. Trivette doesn't believe the Travis family is
involved, but Walker cites his reasons. For instance, he had spotted someone watching them
from behind the curtains of the house.
Back at the Travis ranch, Mitch proudly watches his cattle being loaded up for market.
When Ned approaches, he tells his brother how much he appreciates the veterinarian's
efforts to fatten up the cattle. Ever the bean counter, Ned says he prefers the vet find a
way to "fatten up" beef prices.
A black 4X4 truck with tinted windows pulls up. Ned goes to
meet the driver while Mitch nervously stays by the cattle. Corbin, the driver of the
truck, is one of the thugs who attacked and killed Hank Sweet in the park. Corbin cracks
to Ned how his "kid brother doesn't seem to be with this program." Ned demands
to know what he's doing on the property. Corbin chides him for nervousness, and Ned
counters with the untimely end of Hank Sweet. At the mention of old Hank, Corbin tells Ned
the old man probably had evidence stashed in his house, evidence that would be destroyed
in a fire which would ignite in "about a half an hour." Ned is none too pleased
to be told Corbin's plans for damage control, let alone with the plans themselves. Corbin
smugly tells him, "Your hands are clean. For what you're paying, I'm the invisible
man." Ned looks uneasy as well as guilty. After Corbin and his goons drive off, Ned
looks over at Mitch, who's still standing at the loading ramp and glaring at his brother.
Alone now, Walker drives up to Hank Sweet's place. Not as
well appointed as the Circle Bar T Ranch, Hank's place is neatly kept and modest. An old
dog lies facing the long driveway to the small house. Walker figures the dog is hungry so
he leads him into the house. He finds a T-bone steak in the old refrigerator and tosses it
to the dog. While the dog chaws down on the steak, Walker checks out a filing cabinet in
Hank's office. He finds files of dated records of Hank's efforts as an activist seeking to
preserve the mustangs. The approach of a truck down the driveway distracts both the dog
and Walker. He goes out on the porch to see who's coming.
Corbin and group have arrived to set the fire. However, he spots Walker, who has once
again put a kink in his plans. Without turning around, Corbin speeds the truck in reverse
down the driveway. Then he swerves the truck into a bootlegger J-turn. Walker has jumped
in his truck and engages in high-speed pursuit down the dusty dirt roads.
In the city, Alex is lunching with a businessman. She's curious about an interstate
proposal she's run into during her investigation because it apparently did not exist
officially. She mentions that its passage would involve a right-of-way for the Circle Bar
T ranch, which would end its days as a ranch but would mean profit if the Travis family.
Her source hems and haws, so she reminds him a murder may have resulted from the deal.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Corbin can't shake the pesky Ranger, who keeps up with him
with every swerve he makes. Finally, he plunges the truck into a grove of trees and leads
his two associates out of the truck with their guns drawn. As they take positions pointing
their guns over the hood of the truck, the man who smugly referred to himself as "the
invisible man" plans to make a stand and kill a Texas Ranger.
When Walker's truck bursts into the woods, they exchange gunfire. The rounds zing off the
Walker's truck, so the men run away across a dry creek bed and up a hill. One of Corbin's
men, a guy bringing up the rear, turns to shoot at Walker, whose shot drops him instead.
Corbin and the other hood continue while Walker arrests and interrogates the wounded man.
After Walker orders him to talk or he'd take the full rap for the murder of Hank Sweet,
the injured thug tells Walker that Corbin had killed Hank and the mustangs would be killed
that very afternoon. Corbin, who is still within earshot, shoots his former associate and
kills him, so Walker returns fire. Unfortunately, Walker misses but Corbin doesn't. Shot,
Walker drops and tumbles down the hill into the dry creek bed. Corbin and his sidekick run
back to their truck. Before they leave, Corbin shoots out Walker's tires and radiator and
then disables the radio.
Walker wakes up woozy and tries to struggle to his feet. He realizes the bullet struck and
dented his Ranger badge. He heads back to his truck, sees it's out of commission and
decides to walk back to civilization.
Up on a ridge, he sees a chestnut stallion rearing and pawing the sky. Walker figures it's
Santana, and concludes that the mares must be nearby. He returns to his truck for gloves
and a lariat intending to "borrow" one of the mares. He finds them and some
foals in a clearing. Sneaking through the trees surrounding them, Walker tries to find one
to rope but Santana has the drop on him. Startled by the stallion crashing through the
bushes, Walker swings the rope in the confusion and lassoes Santana himself. Walker hangs
on, only to be dragged over the rough ground by the running horse.
Back at the courthouse, Trivette runs into Alex. He has checked the Travis brothers'
father's will which prohibits the sale or subdivision of the ranch while the horses run
free. Alex explains the land deal that has tempted the Travises: a huge development that
will be called "Mustang Valley."
While Trivette and Alex are discussing his fate, a lathered, furious Santana is playing
serious tug-of-war with Walker. Now back on his feet, Walker intends to make Santana his
mount to take him out of the backcountry.
In the courthouse parking lot, Thelma pulls up next to Trivette. She has tapes she picked
up at Hank's place documenting Travis's intent to kill the mustangs. Trivette asks her if
she's seen Walker. All she saw was the old dog with a T-bone, which is good enough
information to Trivette to indicate Walker had been there. He tells her he wants to go
back out to the Travis place. Thelma is only too pleased to face down the Travises, except
Trivette tries to dissuade her. Her truck is already in gear, so Trivette has no other
choice but to join her.
Walker has his work cut out for him with Santana. After several hard falls, Walker
remembers some childhood advice from his Uncle Ray, who taught him the Native American
ways of doing things. Instead of trying to conquer a horse, Uncle Ray had told him, he
should try to find a way to work with the horse. He fashions a bridle out of the rope and
tells the horse he will release him after he saves the mares. Walker mounts him bareback,
and the furious bucking begins. Soon, though, Ranger and horse are in sync and galloping
off to save the mares.
Ned is supervising preparations with the heavily armed
renegade meat packers. Mitch asks Ned if he feels anything about "this," to
which Ned snaps, "Don't you start in again on me." Mitch tries to stall him, but
Ned is determined. He finally orders the meat packers: "Roll out. Let's get it
done."
Mitch follows Ned to the stable. "This is crazy, Ned.
We don't need to sell the ranch. This is our lives."
"Yours, maybe." Ned drops the saddle onto the horse's back. "Not mine. I'm
sick of the sweat."
Thelma storms up, with Trivette trying to restrain her, and interrupts them. Ned ignores
her and challenges Trivette. The Ranger simply replies he's looking for Walker. Mitch
answers that they hadn't seen him since the two Rangers had been to the ranch together.
Trivette concludes aloud that Walker must be with the horses.
Threatened merely by the presence of Trivette, Ned says, "Unless you have a warrant,
you best get off my ranch. We ain't done nothing." He turns his back and resumes
saddling the horse.
Trivette grimly states his suspicion that Ned is why Hank Sweet was killed. Mitch stares
at Ned. Trivette promises to return with a warrant and asks where the horses are. Ned
snaps, "How would I know where they are?"
However, thanks to the tapes she found at Hank's place, Thelma knows the location of the
horses. She and Trivette head back to her truck, but two ranch hands step in their way.
Trivette demands Ned call off his men. The two goons step aside, allowing them to return
to the truck.
While watching them drive away, Mitch connects the dots and
says Corbin killed the old man. Wilting a little, Ned tells him it was an accident and
finally confesses to his brother. Hank had liquored up one of Ned's men one night, got him
talking and surreptitiously taped the conversation. Then, Hank threatened Ned with the
tapes and various other pieces of evidence.
Mitch isn't satisfied. He asks Ned if he had Hank killed.
Ned tells him things "got out of control." Mitch keeps repeating the question
until Ned finally shouts, "No!" Startled at the force of his voice, the horse
he's been saddling jerks. Mitch suggests they come clean. Then Ned tells him how the
stakes have been raised.
"It's too late for that, Mitch. Corbin said he killed Walker out at Devil's Rock. I
got no choice. Either I go all the way with this or I go to prison." He turns to
mount his horse. "I gotta take care of Thelma and that other Ranger."
Mitch goes ballistic about the possibility of killing more
people. He tries to restrain his brother, but they struggle. Ned backs him up against a
fence rail and punches him in the gut. Mitch crumples to the dust. Ned leads his horse
away while Mitch struggles to his feet.
Finally simpatico, Walker and Santana herd the mares into a grove of trees by a stream.
With shelter and water, he and the horse take off to get the shooters "before they
get us." They meet the outriders for the meat packers, who Walker tells to go away.
Then, Walker and Santana go after the meat packers traveling by truck. They chase after a
pickup truck, but the men standing back in the bed shoot at them. Walker fires his gun at
the truck and hits the gas tank. The men in back bail before the truck explodes into a
fireball.
Walker and Santana gallop after the main truck, the one with the mounted machine gun.
Walker leaps off the horse and lands in the bed of the truck. He tosses another man out,
but Corbin remains. They fight. During the struggle, the back gate opens, and they spill
out the back. The fight continues on the ground. Walker wins quickly.
Trivette and Thelma pull up to the pickup truck Walker has just cleaned out. After they
ask him how he got that far out into the country, he tells them he rode Santana. Thelma
blurts out, "No man can ride Santana," and thinks Walker is fibbing because
Santana is nowhere to be seen.
Ned, carrying a rifle, sneaks up over the top of the ridge
to watch. He raises his rifle to his eye to pick off the Rangers and their helper. He
ignores the thud of approaching hoofbeats. Santana, rearing and snorting and stomping, now
has the drop on Ned. He drops his rifle and cowers while Santana rages over him. Ned
stumbles and rolls down the hill toward the Rangers. Up on the ridge where Ned had planned
to hide, Santana frolics and neighs in triumph.
Trivette and Thelma, with Hank's old dog, stroll through a field. They see Santana's herd
running through the tall grass. Trivette tells her that Mitch Travis, after testifying
against his brother, will keep the ranch the way his father wanted, complete with its
mustang.
Walker rides up on Santana. He sets the wild horse free, but very reluctantly, because
he's become very attached to the horse. But a deal's a deal, so he sets the stallion free
to run again with his mares.
This review and captured pictures is provided solely as a record of James Morrison's work as an actor, and does not intend or imply any infringement of any copyrights or trademark.