Gideon the Good

In watching this Bonanza episode it occurs to me that I should not refer to Michael Landon as Little Joe any longer. When Bonanza debuted in 1959 you could call him Little Joe as he was a callow youth. He's a mature man, but he still gets into some nice jackpots. In this one he's merely a witness to a crime.

Arriving in a small town Landon happens to witness the sheriff's wife Terry Moore shoot down someone who as it turns out happens to be her first husband. To protect his wife's good name Sheriff Richard Kiley shoots but only wounds Landon in the leg. After that Landon is a wanted man.

It's only through the good graces and charity of stable boy A. Martinez that Landon is saved and eventually the truth comes out. There's also one great ironic twist at the end.

Kiley is more than the sheriff, he's the town benefactor and savior of sorts. So it takes a lot to stand up to him. A. Martinez is the best one in the cast.