EPISODE: The Auld Sod
Reviewed by Ginny
Season 3, Episode # 86, Air date: February 4, 1962
Guest Stars: Cheerio Meredith, James Dunn
Written by Charles Lang
Directed by William Witney
SUMMARY:
The episode starts with the Cartwright brothers arguing in Hop Sing's kitchen about who will clean up the mess. Hop Sing is away, and, as Ben says, the place looks like a pig sty. Hoss and Adam volunteer Joe to do it, and Joe objects that it is always him. Ben says that they will decide in the usual fair way. Now comes the famous Adam and Joe wetting the matches trick, and poor Hoss getting stuck with the clean up. The smug looks on Adam's and Joe's faces and the suspicious look on Hoss' face are priceless.
Next we see Hoss (or his stunt double) struggling to unsnag the well bucket and falling in. Never fear…help arrives in the form of Nellie Lynch. Such stamina! She not only walked all the way out from town, but pulls Hoss out of the well!
The rest of the family arrive home and are stunned by how clean the house is, not to mention the delicious stew simmering on the stove. Joe goes up to his room and is more than stunned to see an elderly lady asleep on his bed. Ben, Adam, and Joe come to the conclusion that she is the one who cleaned the house and made the stew.
Not wanting to wake her to find out who she is, Adam and Joe talk Ben into looking into her suitcase. She wakes, and yells at Ben, calling him a black-hearted scoundrel, stealing from an old lady and hitting him with her walking stick. For good measure, she scolds him for coming into the house with mud on his boots. Ben tells her that he is Ben Cartwright, and those are his sons, and they live there. She then tells them her name is Nellie Lynch. Aha! Ben recognizes the last name and gets a funny look on his face.
In the meantime, Ben looks out the window and sees Hoss riding up. Mrs. Lynch calls out the window, asking Hoss if he found him. Hoss says he hadn't, and gets a sick look on his face when he sees his father in the window.
Mrs. Lynch again swats Ben with the walking stick, and tells him that her Danny lets them getaway with murder, but as long as she's there, they'll toe the line on her son's ranch. Her son's ranch!?! She says of course; she is Danny Lynch's mother, and she came all the way from Ireland to visit her son on his ranch. Three very irate men go downstairs and outside to confront Hoss.
Ben and Adam go looking for Danny Lynch to make him tell his mother the truth, and find him in jail for being drunk. Ben bails him out and takes him to the Ponderosa to tell his mother the truth. Hoss and Adam talk Ben into going along with letting Mrs. Lynch think Danny owns the Ponderosa. What clinches it is Mrs. Lynch's joy at seeing her son again. Ben agrees to go along with it for 2 weeks.
Another great scene is when Ben does a slow burn when "Mr. Lynch" orders him to get out the good brandy, and he allows Ben and the boys to join him in a spot of brandy. A spot to Danny is a water tumbler.
Things go from bad to worse. Danny drinks and gambles away the money his mother gave him to purchase her passage back to Ireland. Danny tries to sell Ben's prize bull to recoup the money. Ben makes Danny tell his mother the truth. Ben promises Mrs. Lynch that he'll see that she gets back home, and she insists that she will repay him. Danny leaves the house, and Mrs. Lynch thinks she will never see him again. They finally find him at a neighbor's, chopping wood to repay his mother. Hoss invites Danny to a farewell party for his mother. Danny says that next time he sees his mother, he'll have her money, or he won't see her at all. Taking the money he earned chopping wood, Danny goes into town to play poker to get the rest. He refuses any whisky, and playing sober, wins.
Meanwhile, back at the party, Mrs. Lynch is missing her son. Ben apologizes for going along with the lie. Mrs. Lynch says she knew the truth all along; that you can't fool a mother, especially an Irish mother. She just starts up the stairs in tears, when in comes a triumphant and sober Danny. He not only recouped her passage, but won enough to return to Ireland with her and open a fish and chips restaurant.
On with the party!
REVIEWS:
“I love the old lady in the episode. She reminds me of a few of my great-aunts…Another great scene is when Ben does a slow burn when "Mr. Lynch" orders him to get out the good brandy, and he allows Ben and the boys to join him in a spot of brandy. A spot to Danny is a water tumbler.” Ginny
“In this scene I can actually feel the heat from Ben LOL! Also, the scene where Ben is telling the boys that the little lady absolutely cannot stay…Oh my gosh -- the look on their faces!! So sweet especially Adam’s! I love it…” Pam
“My favorite part has got to be Adam and Joe wetting their fingers, in order that their matches will burn slower, guaranteeing that poor Hoss will have to do the cleaning. Love the way that Adam winks at Joe and Joe winks back, closing both eyes, ah bless!” Lynne Little Joe forever
“I love how they do the match thing. It’s those little bits of family stuff implying this had been done since they were kids that give the texture to the episodes in with all four Cartwrights. Can't imagine Pa telling Candy, Griff or Jamie to pull straws or match sticks or whatever.” Robin
“I absolutely love the bit at the end, where the boys are musing that they'll kind of miss Danny when he returns to Ireland. Ben, caught up in the sentimental moment, starts to say that he will miss Danny too, then abruptly snaps out of it. "What am I saying?" It's very cute. :)” Helen
“I love Nellie Lynch. She is just a cute, sweet, feisty old woman that you can't help but love. She loves her Danny and the two actors capture that Mother/Son chemistry immediately and bring it to the screen. When I see Nellie Lynch I see the Grandmother the boys never had. They all interact with her in their own special way. All the boys, even Ben's softer side comes out with Nellie Lynch.” Nancy
“This is one of those "feel good" episodes where the rogue is reformed and everyone ends up happy. You just have to grin at the end when Danny and his mother are doing the jig after Danny announces he is going back to Ireland with Mrs. Lynch (don't you love Ben with the derby in this scene!). I think all everyone is rooting for Danny and his mother, and silently cheer when Danny ultimately does the right thing.” Susan Grote
“I'm glad Danny got the money in the end and was going back with his Ma.” Deb
“The scene when Danny and his mother first see each has got to be one of the most moving reunion scenes ever played. No wonder Ben softens up and gives in. That scene made me realize when watching this again that the background music throughout this episode is particularly effective in helping to set the mood - that familiar Irish jig for the joyful times and that almost sad little tune for the poignant moments and disappointments. This episode was one I really wanted to have a happy ending, and even though we were given plenty of clues it was going to turn out all right, there was still the slightest doubt up until the end because of Danny's past behavior, so it was a relief when it did have a happy conclusion.” Sue W.