Karl Swenson usually played some kind of German character with a thick accent. Swenson was on Gunsmoke nine times. He often played villains, and was especially good at playing unreasonable and crazy characters. He would end his career as town elder Lars Hanson, on Little House on the Prairie.
In Potshots, Swenson plays Dutch Dawkins. Dutch is off the rails crazy. He appears at the Longbranch Saloon, throws fireworks under some horses to laugh and enjoy their fear. When he is confronted, he gives out money and buys drinks for everyone. It is not very clear where Dutch got his money, or why he came to Dodge, except that Dutch wants excitement.
Excitement for Dutch is seeing others in pain, suffering, or getting killed. Dutch was a homicidal maniac by any standards. At one point Chester is gunned down as he is walking down the street with Matt Dillon. Dillon thinks it is some wanted bank robbers that are coming to town, but could it be Dutch?
Dillon stops the bank robbers with Dutch in the middle, laughing and overjoyed to see men getting killed. Eventually Dillon puts Dutch in jail, and he is overjoyed to know there will be a trial, and that he will be a big celebrity for getting people killed. There is no way to qualify Karl Swenson's acting except as totally over the top, ham-fisted overacting. The character is so obnoxious that it is hard to enjoy this episode.