One of Marshal Dillon's early deputies. Highly loyal to the marshal but frequently proves inept or indecisive when handling problems without Dillon present. Serves as a source of comic relief.
The protagonist, a middle-aged salesman on a business trip, who is relentlessly pursued and attacked by a mysterious tanker truck across the Mojave Desert, culminating in a fatal cliffside confrontation.
A member of Sledge's gang, Ward disguises himself as a United States Marshal and brings Sledge into the prison as a supposed prisoner. He helps overpower the warden and free the inmates, then fights the gold guards alongside Sledge before being killed in the battle.
Father of the family. He relocates his wife, children, and mother-in-law to a new home to escape grief. In a past flashback, he fails to rescue his eldest daughter Jennifer from a burning car after a crash. In the present timeline, he is electrocuted to death by a radio while bathing.
A once-dominant real estate agent whose career falters when he loses his standing at work and is denied a promised partnership. He turns to cocaine supplied by business associates, regains confidence temporarily, then alienates his wife and son, suffers an overdose, and faces probation and mandatory rehabilitation.
Tom is Mark's father and a pilot who works as a fish spotter for local fishermen. After Mark reports Fog's poaching, Tom helps defeat Fog and his gang, later buys Ben to save him, and eventually becomes a wildlife officer. When Ben escapes and is mistaken for a dangerous bear, Tom hunts him but spares his life after learning he was protecting a new family.
US lunar station astronaut enduring a grueling long-term stay. His colleague Schmidlap regularly ties him up and knocks out his front teeth, prompting the need for relief.
Buck Stevens owns the Thunderstrike satellite and is Tiffany's father. He travels with her and the other passengers on the 747 carrying the computer for the satellite's launch. During the rescue attempt, the lifting balloons break and the plane sinks again with Buck aboard, leaving Tiffany devastated.
Captain Farnsworth is a military officer who joins the search for Anna Brewster-Morgan and Sarah White after their abduction. He participates with the other searchers in making contact with Tokalah and Chief Luta, contributing to the pressure placed on the Lakota during the conflict over the women.
Ellen's husband who killed an Apache woman in revenge and traded for a Comanche scalp, he is captured by Chata's tribe, tortured over coals to psychologically terrorize his companions, and ultimately begs Jess to end his suffering before taking his own life.
Lonnie is a former high-school star athlete who now works as a poorly paid tow-truck driver. After Crystal dies in a burning car and he assaults Harold, he spends four years in prison. Upon release, he crosses several states searching for his sons, nearly kills Harold, then chooses mercy when Bebe returns with the boys.
An insurance salesman whose financial stress and abusive father trigger a cycle of domestic violence. He cheats on his wife, beats her, and denies accountability until legal intervention. Despite repeated apologies and promises to undergo therapy, he escalates to breaking in and assaulting Janis. Ultimately faces legal consequences and seeks reconciliation, driven by fear of disappointing his father and losing his wife.
Dennis Weaver has 78 screen credits in a career dating back to 1951. Signature works include Duel, A Man Called Sledge, Cocaine: One Man's Seduction. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.
