User Reviews

Arriving back in town via stagecoach late at night with no one to greet her, Victoria sees son Jarrod is still in his office and heads there but stumbles on the murder of a prostitute as she is passing an alley. She recognizes the murderer as her godson, the son of a retired judge and a law student, and she is thrown into the grief of having to tell the authorities and testify against her godson. But his father the judge will have none of it, has Victoria kidnapped and kept in an asylum for the insane to keep her from testifying. Rescue comes, but the cost for the judge and his son is too high.

Interesting sidelight in this episode - it marks the first appearance of JoAnn Pflug, as a fellow prostitute who is cheerful no matter what as Jarrod (Richard Long) finds her in the murder victim's room where she's come to pick out a dress for her dead friend to wear to her grave. In 1974, Long and Pflug appeared for a week together on the The Match Game, and at the end of the week Pflug asked to be able to kiss Long on camera because he was kind and helpful to her when they filmed this Big Valley episode, a lovely gesture on Pflug's part. This BV episode was Pflug's first work, and ironically the Match Game episode was one of Long's last. He died of heart failure only 3 months later.

I'm in full agreement with the other reviewers. This episode marks one of Barbara Stanwyck's best acting jobs in The Big Valley series. This one is the stuff Greek tragedies are made of.

Victoria Barkley has the misfortune to witness her godson Dan Ferrone murder JoAnn Pflug. Ferrone is the son of very rigid and righteous judge Robert Middleton who has a reputation for great moral rectitude.

Which goes out the window where family is concerned. The worst angels of his nature take charge when he hatches a scheme to kidnap Barbara Stanwyck before she's to testify at the coroner's inquest. After that he gets in deeper and deeper as Stanwyck is held at an insane asylum with a very bad reputation.

Stanwyck and Middleton dominate the story. But I also have to give some credit to Dee J. Thompson for playing a matron who makes nurse Ratched look like Mary Poppins. As an inmate Amzie Strickland has some great scenes as well.

The ending, you have to see if I'm not right about this being a Greek tragedy.

In this exceptional episode, Barbara Stanwyck gives a performance that rivals any that she made in her career. She makes this episode one of my favorites in all the entire run of the series.

When Victoria witnesses a murder of a young saloon girl. She also witnesses the killer that just happens to be her god-son, and the local Judge's son, Buddy Tyrone. The Judge does not want to believe Victoria and will do anything to keep his son from hanging.

When the Judge finds out the truth about the murder he finds a way to place Victoria in a ruthless mental hospital. As the inquest nears, no one has heard a word from Victoria. The Judge's son can escape the charges if Victoria does not testify. But the Judge will find out that his actions will be just as deadly as murder.

There are many good details about this episode. From the acting to the casting- this episode was at the top of the game. One of the best of 'The Big Valley' episodes in the series.

NOTE- you will notice that the mental hospital looks very much like the Barkley house. All the exterior filming of the Barkley House was done in season one. This season two episode shows the house after some wear and make-up.