User Reviews

A really exciting episode of Bonanza commences when Ron Hayes who used to work for the Ponderosa hides some robbery money at a Ponderosa line shack and then Michael Landon finds him badly wounded.

Landon takes Hayes to the Ponderosa and the doctor and the sheriff is sent for. But before at least the sheriff arrives, Hoss, Little Joe, Candy, the doctor Grandon Rhodes and their temporary cook Eve McVeagh are all taken hostage by the outlaw gang Hayes rode with.

They're led by Richard Jaeckel, one mean customer if there ever as one. His men aren't too long in the brains department. But Jaeckel s a shrewd article.

Jaeckel also brings in Joan Freeman from a neighboring ranch whom Hayes used to keep company with to force him to talk. One of them also kills a deputy sheriff.

McVeagh turns out to be the unknown and underestimated factor here.

Good crackerjack story with lots of tension and a great ensemble assembled.

With nearly 500 Bonanza episodes in the books, this one is a top 5 for sure. The entire story is bolstered through an exceptional performance by Richard Jaekel. He never became the icon that many thought he should have. Some say that, while stocky, his 5'-7" stature held him back, as shorter actors don't seem to demonstrate a dominance like taller ones do. But watch him here. He is given a very meaty part (unlike in The Dirty Dozen), and plays it to the max. His very menacing character creates an atmosphere that you can cut with a knife. While others support the story well, it is Jaekel who steals the show. If you ever wanted to find out what Bonanza is made of, see this episode. This one rivals my favorite, called "The Gamble", made 6 years earlier in 1961.Night of Reckoning is a close second.

It's a wonder Ben Cartwright ever leaves the Ponderosa. Things sure can get bad when he goes away on business. A good cast can't elevate this clichéd oater. A plot twist in the third act is unintentionally funny. Big problem is Richard Jaeckel playing an over the top bad guy. Such performances have hampered too many Westerns (See True Grit Sequel, Rooster Cogburn). What makes this one watchable are performances by Dan Blocker and David Canary. Bringing on Canary was an inspired move for the series. Good action helps reward the viewer sticking with a story more suited for a 30 minute short. Miss Guthrie is enjoyable here.