Hank Mendel is the sheriff of a western recreation town Old Sonora and a father figure to Lassiter, who had an absent father. On the weekends his mom would bring him to Old Sonora. Hank calls Lassiter "Binky," the only person allowed to do so.
In the present, someone is vandalizing Old Sonora. Due to the fact that the town is out of Lassiter's jurisdiction, he hires Shawn and Gus to investigate. Lassiter doesn't tell them it's a recreation town, and they don't realize it until Hank has a gun fight with Stinky Pete and people start applauding. Lassiter leaves them over night with Hank. While camping out, something spooks the horses, and Hank goes to investigate. Shawn and Gus follow, but trip over a dead body, and are almost trampled by the horses, but Hank pushes them out of the way.
Hank, however, is trampled by the horses, getting his leg cut. He's taken to Henry's, but refuses to go to a hospital. He tries to go to work, as Old Sonora hasn't closed for 45 years, but Shawn takes his place as sherriff instead. After discovering that the murdered man was rich corporation owner Frank McBain, the SBPD believe this may give Hank a motive for murder. Hank says McBain only contacted him once, however McBain was using fake names to make it seem like it wasn't him to get a better price.
It is discovered that the weapon used to kill McBain is the same one Hank carries, Lassiter is forced to arrest Hank. He takes Hank into custody, but founds out it wasn't Hank's gun, just one of the same model that killed McBain. They rush off to stop the man with the other gun that's the same as Hank's - Stinky Pete, the reenactment's "bad guy". Pete and Lassiter have a standoff, and Lassiter is quicker than Pete, shooting him. Hank discovers that Pete wanted the gold he found under Old Sonora, but since it's on Hank's land it belongs to Hank. Hank leaves Old Sonora wealthy, and getting married to his former girlfriend Miss Annie.