This seems to be an attempt to recreate the success of the earlier season one episode "Helen of Abajinian", in which Paladin came to the aid of an Armenian wine maker. Only this time the wine maker is Italian. His name is Donatello (Yes, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle) and he is played by Eduardo Cannelli.
Only this time the story is more serious. Donatello is a prize wine maker (Paladin meets him while judging a wine contest) whose vineyards are going to ruined by his next door neighbor, who has discovered oil on his property. He calls on Paladin to get rid of the neighbor (Richard Shannon) but Paldin decides to find a way to mediate instead.
While not as enjoyable as "Helen", this episode has its good points as well, demonstrating how Paladin likes to use reason and compromise to solve problems rather than his gun. Boone doesn't get a lot of help from his co-stars in this one (Shannon comes off as just a little more than an extra, and Cannelli is okay at best) but at least he has a good scene holding a torch over the oil well as he threatens to destroy the well and everything around him.
Only this time the story is more serious. Donatello is a prize wine maker (Paladin meets him while judging a wine contest) whose vineyards are going to ruined by his next door neighbor, who has discovered oil on his property. He calls on Paladin to get rid of the neighbor (Richard Shannon) but Paldin decides to find a way to mediate instead.
While not as enjoyable as "Helen", this episode has its good points as well, demonstrating how Paladin likes to use reason and compromise to solve problems rather than his gun. Boone doesn't get a lot of help from his co-stars in this one (Shannon comes off as just a little more than an extra, and Cannelli is okay at best) but at least he has a good scene holding a torch over the oil well as he threatens to destroy the well and everything around him.
