Bonanza (TV Series) Vendetta (1959) User Reviews

I'll get you if it's the last thing I do!

[mitchrmp · 7/10 · 11 January 2014]

The episode started simple enough. Ben was seeing Little Joe and Adam off while he and Hoss planned to stay behind and run the ranch. But the moment Ben stepped into the bank, things got a lot more complicated. Three brothers (at least I'm assuming they were all brothers) came in to rob the bank. I'm not sure who started shooting first, but when it was over, Ben and one of the outlaw brothers were shot.

Things go from bad to worse when the brother dies in his older brother's arms. Now it's a revenge killing that Carl Morgan is after! The sheriff and his posse go after the Morgan gang, but they are murdered - FIVE dead! The town, who promised to stand behind and help the injured Ben, are not too afraid to do so and in fact blame Ben for all the killing. Because Ben is severely injured, Hoss is on his own to wound up men and protect his father from the Morgan gang.

It's appalling to see that nobody is willing to stand up to Ben except for a town drunk! This is yet another great episode that really explains how bravery and cowardliness can look the same until one is forced to choose their side.

12 dead.

High Noon in Virgina City

[csmith-99615 · 9/10 · 3 February 2020]

I remember watching this episode when I was a kid. A murderous gang was coming into town to kill Ben and all the townsfolk turned tail and ran. I understood that but I remember thinking, the Ponderosa Was The largest ranch in Nevada. Aren't there 50 or so ranch hands employed by the Cartwrights? Evidently not because Hoss ended up fighting the gang alone. And even as the series evolved it seemed that the 4 Cartwights somehow ran a million acre ranch all by themselves. But the focus of this episode was how unwilling decent people are to put themselves in harms way.

"High Noon" turned into "Shootout at Tea Time."

[write_on-74983 · 15 December 2016]

I will keep this simple: if you watched, "High Noon," you will be able to guess what happens in this "Vendetta" episode. Saloon girl with a heart of gold, all of the townsfolk who talked the talk couldn't "walk the walk." The point was made that Ben financially helped someone in town; he saved the life of another. However, where were they when Ben needed him the most? Poor Hoss had to rely upon the town drunkard to help him, just like in "High Noon."

The only difference seems to be that Ben doesn't have a young filly like Gary Cooper had in "High Noon" to try to leave him behind. It goes to show how "friends" really are there for you, doesn't it?

This is one of the better knock-offs of "High Noon," however. And we get to see a young Chuck Bronson.