EPISODE: The Wish

Reviewed by Lindy

Episode 326 Season 10 Original Airing:   March 9, 1969

Guest Stars: Ossie Davis, George Spell

Written By: Michael Landon

Directed By: Michael Landon

SUMMARY:

On the Tribute to Michael Landon on the Family Channel, they said that this was one of Michael's favorite episodes.

In the beginning Hoss builds up his vacation time. He gets 2 months off. Hoss stops in a store to buy some fishing supplies. This is the first time he comes across John. John steals a candle and runs out the door. Hoss comes across him later. He tells Hoss he stole the candle so he can make a wish. He wishes that his papa was white. John then decides that God must have sent Hoss to him, because Hoss is white, and it'd be too tough of a job to make his papa white. Hoss asks Sam, John’s father, if he will teach him how to farm. Sam agrees to this. Hoss wants to help him get his farm going again. John blows out the candle in front of them and makes a wish. Sam uses Hoss’ gun and goes hunting. He kills supper and it makes him feel really good.

Hoss, John, and Jessie go to town to sell 4 dozen eggs to the store. There are 2 ignorant men that stop the boys. They say that they don't like ni**er food. They take the eggs and start throwing them against a pole. John runs to get Hoss for help. Hoss makes the men give Jessie $2.00 for the eggs. They then go to the Davis place and kill their chickens. Sam decides they will leave town. The 2 men find John sitting alone and hurt him really bad. Hoss sees John and is on the verge of tears. Sam tells Jessie to hitch the team, he is going to town.

Sam won’t let Hoss come with him. Hoss follows anyway. Hoss holds a gun on one of the men to make it even. Sam knocks the one guy out and goes for the other one. He beats both men up. Sam packs up the wagon and they are leaving town. Hoss blames himself for this. Sam tells Hoss that he helped him. He made him see, that he was just as good as white folks. It was so sad, seeing John sitting at his candle at the end of the show crying. He wanted Hoss to go with them. Hoss talked to him and made him feel better. This was a really touching episode.

REVIEWS:

"Though it was a sans Little Joe episode, I truly liked it. It in fact showed the range of talent that Mike had, as well as an awesome job at acting by Dan and the rest of the characters. I remember reading an article how Mike and Dan (as well as Lorne and Pernell) loathed racial prejudice. They incurred it along the way as they toured, and in one case it was in a squad car with police ---somewhere in the south (figures) where the police decided to brag about KKK activities and such. You can imagine Dan and Mike gave those idiots an earful....Though I am sure the Joe character--or Ben for that matter--could have pulled off this episode rather well -- I do admit that Dan was the best choice. Hoss' heart showed as big as his frame in this one!"  Wrangler

"I think what impresses me about "The Wish" is that doesn't quite follow the "formula" usually seen in Bonanza. You expect Hoss to go to town to avenge what was done to little John and his family, but instead, the Ossie Davis character angrily points out to Hoss how this action really shows disrespect to him. I thought that was a great point. Sometimes you can try to "help" too much, and often it's better to let people fight their own battles in their own way, despite how much you want to assist them. I remember seeing an interview with Ossie Davis on the Michael Landon tribute, and Mr. Davis commented how much the script was "ahead of its time" in dealing with race relations when it was written in the early 1970's. This episode also has some very poignant moments. The look on Hoss' face is one of stunned but sudden insight when John tells him that he lights a candle because he wants to get his wish to be white. It's a very heart tugging moment. And the final scene, when the family drives away and leaves the candle burning in the window, offers a powerful symbol." Susan Grote

"This was a heartbreaking episode.  Michael did his dramas so well.  No punches pulled and nothing sugar-coated.  The little boy actor George Spell was really good!" Gail

"This episode makes me a little uncomfortable in how Hoss comes across as a bit condescending towards the family, wanting to fix all their problems, etc. (as we know our Hoss would for anyone in their circumstances, regardless of race).  And I think it's *supposed* to make you uncomfortable - it's one of the points ML is trying to get across.  How true when Hoss makes that frustrated comment at the end about people "that want to help and don't know how".  It's a very potent scene when Sam decides to pack up and move after the chickens are killed. Hoss is upset that Sam isn't willing to fight back, and he's all ready to go fight Sam's battles for him. Sam's words are so powerful when he says "thank you, boss"..."for taking care of ol' Sam and his chillen."  He sure drives the message home when he says to show his boys how the white man always takes care of papa so they'll grow up knowing it's "the white man who is the man."  Ouch. I just love the lighting in the night scenes in this episode." Sue W.

"I loved this episode and agree that it was ahead of it's time. I've always loved Ozzie Davis and thought Dan was wonderful in this one. He can really make me cry! Michael's talent was unbelievable. To quote: (almost!) "They just don't make them like him anymore, I know, I've looked around".  Judy

“I really like this episode. It showed how ignorant people really were to black people years ago. I am so glad things have changed over the years." Lindy

"The review brought back the memories and at a family gathering, we re-discussed our reactions to this particular episode.  My sister's children were very proud of the fact that my parents brought we "older people" up to fight prejudice and that this episode made us question people's inhumanity."  Miss Maggie