EPISODE: Commitment At Angelus

Reviewed by Heidi (Netherlands)

Episode #294 – Season 9 – Originally aired on April 7, 1968

Guest stars: Peter Whitney, Marj Dusay, Ken Lynch, Ivan Triesault, Greg Mulleavy, Hal Lynch, Alan Reynolds

Written by: Peter Germano
Directed by: Leon Benson


SUMMARY:

The episode starts with Joe and Candy having a cup of coffee at their camp. Candy throws his coffee on the fire and gets up to check on one of their horses.

“Watch out for that hammerhead,” Joe warns.

Candy walks to the horses. He tries to calm the horses, but when the foreman kneels down to check the foot of the horse, it happens. Hammerhead (the horse) stands on the right hand of Candy, who yells out in pain. Joe comes at once and sees the wound. He puts a bandana around the wound and suggests Candy to go to the doctor. He knows that there is one in Angelus.

Together they ride with the horses to Angelus where they get an unfriendly welcome. Then Joe sees an old friend of his, Steve Ragan. He walks up to him and Steve invites him out to meet his wife Stephanie. But Joe says that he is only passing through and that he has to get horses to the ranch. Then he calls Candy and the two are introduced to each other.

“What happened to your hand?” Steve asks.

“Oh, a horse stood on it,” Candy replies as he walks to the doc’s office.

“See you in the saloon,” Joe calls at him. He and Steve go to the saloon.

Sheriff Garret and his 2 deputies go to the office of the Angelus Mining Company. The deputies are told to wait outside while Garrett goes inside. The lawman tells the mine owner, Hudson, that 10 – 15 cases of dynamite have been stolen and that the guard was been knocked down and tied up. Hudson says then that they must call some men to search around and he will search the mine. But Garrett says that only 5 cases are enough to bring down the lower layers of the mine. The mine owner says then that they must be put extra men at the entrance.

At the saloon, Joe and Steve are talking and drinking. Just as Steve wants to leave, Candy comes in with his hand wrapped up in bandage (POOR POOR CANDY).

“How’s your hand?” Joe asks.

“Hm, it looks like you have to do all the work for me at the ranch”, Candy replies.

Joe offers Steve a job helping him get the horses back to the ranch. At first, Steve wants to stay in Angelus to help the miners who are on strike. But he finally agrees to take one day to help Joe.

After they leave the saloon, one of the miners comes to Steve to talk about the strike. Steve says, “I will help Joe with the horses and be back.”

Steve gets on a horse; the horse prances and throws Steve off his back so that Steve hits his head. At first, Joe kids him about getting on a wild horse and walks to him. Then he sees that his friend is dead. Candy is already sitting on his horse but gets off then.

Stephanie Ragan is at home and is very pleased to see Joe again but isn’t aware of the bad news he brings her. When she sees the serious faces of Joe and Candy, she wants to know what is wrong and Joe tells her that Steve is dead. Stephanie asks how it happened. Joe tells her it was an accident. Another man named Polk is with them, and says that Steve was killed by one of Joe’s horses. Joe tells her that Steve had planned to drive the horses to the ranch with him. Stephanie starts to cry and withdraws to the bedroom. Joe feels guilty.

Over at the mine, Garrett investigates the theft and says that he will look for the cases. The mine owner says, “Don’t look too hard and it will work out just fine for us.”

At the Ragan house, Joe, Candy and Polk are still there. Candy says to Joe that he will wait for him outside. Hudson and Garrett come barging in and hit Polk, knocking him to the ground. Joe draws his revolver but Hudson suggests that Joe return to the Ponderosa. The mine owner says that Steve might have something to do with the stolen dynamite. Then Stephanie walks in and tells them that her husband is dead so they leave. Joe and Stephanie help Polk.

Outside, Candy sees the men leaving the house but he doesn’t trust them at all. Then Garrett comes up to Candy and his horse. The lawman wants to untie the horse but the foreman says, “That’s my horse. Leave him alone.” When Garrett still wants to untie the horse, Candy draws his revolver. Garrett says he wants to clear the area. He gives Joe and Candy 20 minutes to get away from Angelus.

Inside the house, Polk tells Joe what is going on with the miners, but then Cabe, a friend of Steve, orders Joe to go back to “his big ranch”. Joe leaves and Stephanie walks out too. Cabe tells Polk that every house is being searched but they won’t find the dynamite.

Cabe says that dynamite will make sure they don’t have to go into the mine again.

While Joe walks to Candy and the horses, the men look at him like he has a terrible disease.

Joe says to Candy, “We can’t leave town.”

“We have been ordered to leave town,” Candy says.

Joe doesn’t understand it. Candy says that Garrett wants them out of the way because of the trouble with the miners.

Later that day is Steve’s wake. Standing near his coffin, Stephanie says goodbye to her late husband when Joe comes in. He walks towards her. She tells him that Steve talked a lot about him and that she is pregnant but also that she hates him for coming to Angelus. Joe is stunned and starts to cry.

Back home, Joe discusses the whole matter with Ben. Ben wants Joe to stay away from Angelus but Joe desperately wants to go back because Stephanie needs him. Ben shows him a paper which says the Angelus mine is safe. Now Joe really doesn’t understand, because the miners say it isn’t safe. Anyway, he has to go back to help Stephanie. Ben insists that Joe stay at home but knows that he will go. He tells Joe to be careful. Joe agrees. As Joe leaves, Candy gets up to leave too.

Ben: “Where are you going?”

Candy: “Angelus”

Ben: “Have a responsibility there too?”

Candy: “No, not exactly. But I can’t do much work around here so it seems like a nice day for a ride.”

Before Ben can get angry, Candy gives his boyish and charming smile which makes you forget your anger with him.

Joe has ridden a while and Candy rides after him. At a bend in the road, Joe stops and waits for Candy to join him. When Joe wants to send him back to the ranch, Candy says, “I can’t…I quit.” He shows again his charming smile. Together they ride to the town.

The mine owner bribes the state mine inspector with money and although the inspector doesn’t like it, he accepts the money. Garrett tells the mine owner that the miners are getting desperate but the owner says that the miners will work again soon.

Stephanie still is with Polk. He suggests she goes with Joe as he is rich but Stephanie says no.

In the evening, Joe and Candy ride into town. Candy goes to the bar while Joe visits Stephanie. He says that he came back to help her. She suggests that he help the miners instead of her. Joe leaves again.

At the saloon, Candy is having a beer when Garrett and some men come in. Garrett pulls a gun on him. Candy throws the beer into the face of one of the men and hits another with his uninjured hand. Then Candy gets hit on his hurt hand and the men start to beat him up. Joe arrives and steps in, saying he has 2 good hands. Candy gets up and leaves the saloon while Joe holds his revolver pointed at the other men. Outside Candy goes to see the doc again.

The miners on strike hold a meeting, and Joe comes in to help them. Joe hears that the mine isn’t safe and goes to get a mine report from the inspector. Polk hears that the dynamite is in the mine.

Joe and Candy confront Hudson about the mine being unsafe but he denies everything. The two friends want to inspect the mine but the mine owner refuses because the mine is closed due to the strike. Then Joe says that the next day Ben will come to inspect the mine. The mine owner reluctantly gives in and goes with Garrett and Joe and Candy to the mine.

The 4 go in and some dust comes down on them. While going further into the mine, Joe suddenly sees Cabe, Steve’s friend, with dynamite. They start to fight and Joe knocks him down. Cabe hits his head on a railway track. The others come to Joe and see the man lying on the ground. When Joe says that the whole mine is rotten, the mine owner knocks Joe out and Garrett does the same to Candy. 

After a while, Joe wakes up and sees a gun pointed at him. The mine owner holds that gun and says that he will blow up the mine. Then Garrett comes pushing a mine wagon with Candy and Cabe as luggage. He ties up Joe’s hands and feet. The mine owner and Garrett leave laughing after planting the dynamite. At a safe place, they light the dynamite, and then go outside. Candy wakes up slowly in the wagon with Cabe. Joe realizes he is tied up with fuse line. Joe grabs some matches from the pocket of Candy’s vest, lights the fuse line and frees himself. He unties Candy and Cabe. Joe and Candy drag Cabe with them as they try to get out of the mine before it explodes and kills them.

Meanwhile at his office, the mine owner is surprised by a visit from Ben Cartwright. Hudson says that it is always a surprise to see one of his stockholders (in this case, Ben). But Ben asks directly where his son is. He hears that Joe is in the mine doing an inspection. So Ben says that they will do an inspection too and right away. Garrett must come along too. While walking to the mine, the owner tries to tell Ben about the problems he has with the miners but the rancher doesn’t seem to care. Then the mine explodes, and Ben fears Joe is dead. Joe, Candy and Cabe come out in a cloud of dust. Joe yells at Ben to stop the Hudson and Garrett as they had put the dynamite in the mine. Ben shoots a few times and hits Garrett in his knee. 

Before they go back to the ranch, Joe, Ben and Candy meet Stephanie. She and Joe make up and she wants Joe to be the godfather for her and Steve’s baby. He agrees. She watches Joe, Ben and Candy ride away.

REVIEWS:

“Candy gives his boyish and charming smile which makes you forget your anger with him.” Heidi

“This is one of my favorite episodes with Candy. He and Joe  played off of  each other very well and it was one of the few times Candy wasn't wrongly accused of a crime or crossed paths with someone from his past who was  about to commit a crime. I also liked it because it was one of the few times Joe tried to help people, was charming and a woman shot him down and rejected  him. I  remember the uncle telling the pregnant widow that she should marry rich Joe and have her problems solved. She refused. I would love to have had Stephanie back in a later episode. Unlike most of the women in Bonanza she was more realistic to how I thought a pioneer woman would be... tough, independent, clearly in love with her late husband. ... not airheaded ditzy helpless girls.” Robin

“In general, I like this episode. We have Joe full of guilt, fighting for the underdog, and eventually fighting for his life. Candy adds a bit of humor with his quips to lighten the mood. The only scene that makes me cringe a bit is Joe standing by Steve's coffin and beginning to cry. Somehow that quivering lip seems out of place; I would have preferred Joe to be a bit more stoic. I know that purpose was to show how upset Joe was by Stephanie's words, but that reaction always seems a bit wimpy to me.” Susan Grote

“Oh no, it doesn't make me cringe, I love it when Joe cries, and why shouldn't he? He was upset about his friend's death and what the woman said to him.” Little Joe forever Lynne