EPISODE: The Storm
Review by Nancy
Episode #85, Season 3, Air date January 28, 1962
Guest Stars: Frank Overton – Captain Matthew White,
Brooke Hayward – Laura White
Written by: Denne Petticlerc
Directed by: Lewis Allen
SUMMARY:
The first scene opens with Joe and Ben Cartwright greeting their special guests, the Whites -- Capt. Matthew White and his daughter Laura that is -- who have arrived for a visit a day early. Joe is wearing a white shirt, half open, looking mighty fine. Laura shows him an old diary she saved and a flower he gave her twelve years ago to remember him by. Yet Joe is in a hurry; after their brief hello, he dashes off to attend to some appointment in town. Ben makes the fatherly excuse, “Young people these days seem to be so busy all the time,” and they cut out to the Bonanza theme song.
As the next scene opens, Adam, Joe and Hoss ride up, all looking dusty and sweaty from a hard day’s work (one of my favorite ways to experience a Cartwright) and Hoss starts predicting the weather based on his bunions. (Thanks for sharing.) Adam teases Hoss, in his MIB way, and they both dismount, as well as Joe. They notice Laura sewing on the front porch. Hoss tells Joe he doesn’t understand why Joe would be running around like a “lobo wolf” every night when a pretty little thing like Laura is right here. They compare Laura to a “snow flower” -- kind of goofy -- and Joe says “I have some work to do.” Then we see Joe putting some kind of grease on one of the wagon wheels, something I see them do in a lot of episodes. Have you ever seen that wagon fixed? A little innocent flirting occurs, Joe smiles at Laura (sigh) and Laura approaches him to talk. Joe apologizes for last night and Laura makes a comment about how she is sorry things have to change. Then she runs dramatically to the hitching rail, where she almost collapses. Joe jumps to her aid and helps her inside. Ben is inside with Capt. White; the Captain insists that Laura rest and takes her upstairs to bed. Ben tells Joe that Laura has not been feeling well lately and shares with him that Laura is a lot like her deceased mother, “like fine glass”.
Later we see the family sitting at dinner; Ben and Adam invite Capt. White to go hunting. They talk about wolf, bear, panther; lots of wild things up in those Ponderosa woods, I guess. Well, Laura suggests that this might be the perfect time for Joe to show her around the ranch. Matthew White adamantly refuses Laura’s request. Laura pouts, stating, “Why don’t you stop treating me like a child” and runs out of the room and up the stairs. In one of the cornier scenes, you next see Laura lying on the bed crying, asking her father why must he continue to treat her like a child. I don’t know -- maybe having a tantrum, running up the stairs and crying on the bed kind of does remind me of a bad day with my own children.
Well, we see the dark clouds and hear the dum…dum…dum…dum…and a buggy appears on a picturesque road. Next we see Joe and Laura at the old country ranch, really a sound stage with a yucky looking pond. Being on location probably just wasn’t in the budget for this episode. Anyway, they start taking about old times while sitting by the mucky make-shift pond. Joe says, “Gee I was a skinny kid, wasn’t I.” Laura replies, “I didn’t think so.” Joe tells Laura how this ranch will be his some day and his plans to fix it up. “Did you ever see something and know it had to be yours?” Joe asks. Her eyes never leaving Joe’s, Laura tells him yes. Well, they talk some more and Laura sees a flower -- a snow star. Joe offers to pick it for her and ends up in the yucky, mucky pond. He attempts to put the flower in her hair and the rain starts. They run to the cabin and Laura becomes winded as they head inside. Joe recommends that they get out of their wet clothes and he starts a fire. Joe also shares the story of how people believe the ranch is haunted. Laura has this frightful expression on her face (a little overacted) and then we see Joe holding the blanket up, with holes in it, for Laura to undress behind. Oh Joe, ever the gentleman.
They cut to Ben and Capt. White, who is frantic about Laura’s whereabouts. Ben tells his friend not to worry; Adam and Hoss are looking for them and they have probably taken shelter somewhere, maybe the old country ranch. The Captain not so nicely accuses Joe of being “that type -- I’ve seen his likes before,” inferring Joe might be dishonorable with his daughter. Ben comes to his son’s defense. He says something like, “Joe may be young and foolish but he is honest and honorable.” (Love it!)
Flip back to Joe and Laura who are sitting in front of the fire, all cozy. It’s a very sweet scene where Laura says something like, “Joe it’s been a wonderful day, I wish it would never end.” Joe answers with something like, “A wonderful day! First we lose the buggy, then I fall in the pond and then we get rained on. You call that a wonderful day!” Joe then confesses that he can see Laura is not the little girl he knew in New Orleans, saying one of my favorite lines: “You’re not like that, not like that at all.” He kisses her deeply and…..well we never really know, but Ben says Joe is honorable, right?
The next morning is sunny and bright as Joe and Laura walk slowly into the yard and start kissing. Everyone is witness to the episode and Captain Matthew White throws a nutty and punches Joe. Laura has some more goofy lines: “Joe, Joe,” then they cut to Joe visiting Laura in her room. “I came as soon as I heard you weren’t feeling well,” he says. We see the Captain staring disapprovingly at the two of them. Next Ben and Joe are having a heart to heart and Ben tries to explain that Matthew loves Laura very much and is only protecting her. Joe shares with Ben his feelings of love for Laura and how they want to get married. “We both want each other very much.” (Who wouldn’t want yah, LJ!) Ben is very supportive. Love that guy!
Then comes one of my favorite scenes. Joe brings Hoss to the country ranch and asks him to help fix it up. Love the line where (after Joe says he doesn’t want to get Hoss in trouble) Hoss says, “I kind of like trouble; what you got in mind?” Joe tells Hoss how he wants to fix the house up for them to live in after he and Laura are married. Hoss is ecstatic, and responds by picking up Joe and hugging him fiercely then carrying him over the threshold to “Here Comes the Bride.”
Then we flip to Ben who has a special scene with Laura and tells her how grateful he is to have her as a future daughter-in-law and tells her to drink her milk. Then we flip back to Hoss and Joe fixing the house; they are joined by Adam who asks, “I thought you two were looking for strays.” Brushing off the teasing remark, Adam offers his architectural expertise: “I’m the architect in the family, remember.” In no time, the boys have completed the task of fixing up the house. The final touch: a cradle made by Adam, of course.
Then you see Joe and Laura alone in her room. They are innocently talking and necking while Laura is in bed. Laura says, “Tell me again” and Joe replies with that ever famous LJ line, “I love you more than anything else in the world.” Joe tells Laura about the ranch house, and they talk of marriage and having children: “There will be Cartwrights on the Ponderosa for generations.” Sigh.
Next they cut to Ben and Matthew, and we find out that Laura is doomed, that she only has one year to live. Ben’s face is classic angst. The scene ends with Ben saying, “They must know.” (Love LG’s acting in this episode) So the Captain tells Laura – sob -- and Ben tells Joe --- triple sob. Then we hear the dark music again, dum…dum…dum…dum…
Later that night, we see Laura darting out of the kitchen door. Joe goes to check on her and runs all over the house yelling “Laura!” He tells his Pa, “I think I know where she is,” and goes after her. Joe finds her at the country ranch, a.k.a. soon to be Cartwright house, resting in a chair. (How did she ever make it all that way on foot?) He strokes her face and calls gently to her, “Laura.” She awakens to stand and look out at the green valley. I love it when he stands behind her, looking at her sadly and touching her hair. Then she cries out, “Joe, hold me!” (sigh) and he carries her over to the bed. Laura says she’s all turned around inside and tells Joe, “like that flower in the pool (muck pond), you made me part of your life, always…” and Joe whispers grief stricken, “Always...part of my life” as Laura dies.
Hence my very favorite scene: Joe is at the country ranch alone. His eyes scan the room. His face is a mask of grief and pain. His walks over and kneels by the cradle. Ben comes in stating, “Matthew is gone. He understands why you didn’t come see him off. He wanted to say he was sorry.” Joe makes a comment about how Adam did a great job with the cradle as tears form in his eyes. Ben replies, crouching next to where Joe is kneeling and putting his arm around Joe (my favorite line of the show), “Someone said something to me once, when Adam’s mother died -- her father. He said, “Don’t brood, son. Keep a warm spot in your heart for her but don’t carry her on your shoulders for the rest of your life. She wouldn’t have wanted that.” Joe turns his head away from Ben crying. With a reassuring squeeze of Joe’s shoulder, Ben leaves. Ben then steps out to meet Hoss and Adam, shaking his head solemnly. Back in the ranch house, Joe stands and slowly walks toward the fireplace. On the mantle, he spots Laura’s diary which he picks up, opens and finds the flower. He smells it, then smiling and closing the diary, he holds the book lovingly in both hands, bringing it his face. With one last look of angst, Joe turns to leave, meeting Ben on the porch. There Ben states something like, “Fine spring, son; don’t think I’ve ever seen a prettier one.” And the show ends with Pa squeezing Joe’s shoulder again as all the Cartwright’s ride away from the ranch together.
REVIEWS:
“This episode holds a lot of special memories for me so I am honored to have the chance to review it. First it was the very first LJ love story I saw; at the young age of twelve, some thirty years ago. I remember sitting on my bed, watching my little black and white TV as Joe fell in love, almost got married and cried all in the course of an hour. That was the day I truly gave my heart to Little Joe Cartwright. The sweetness of that time still warms my heart.” Nancy
“The scene where Joe is going through the house after Laura dies, always makes me cry. It's just sad. But Pa's line was the best and I still have thought it when I've lost someone. What a Pa!” Judy
“I think this quite a poignant episode. Laura was a bit frail...but with proper care she might have been quite the foil for our Little Joe. Ah, what might have been. I absolutely adored the "brother" scenes. Adam's revealing of the cradle always brings a lump to my throat. Ben is always there picking up the broken pieces and putting them back together again. What a wonderful father he is!” Lillian
“For me it was when Adam is helping to build the extra room. He comes and finds Joe and Hoss working on the house and he knew all along.” Barbara
“This was never one of my favorite episodes. The inconsistency of Joe and Laura being children together in New Orleans 12 years before and Joe calling New Orleans "back home"? I know Bonanza was full of inconsistencies, but this one was just so major and glaring. And I believe someone already mentioned it, how could Laura be so ill and frail and not realize something was wrong with herself? If she was that sheltered, she certainly wasn't ready for marriage.” Ginny
“Hmmmm...did they do the deed or not? I would have to say no, since Pa seemed to have complete trust in his son to be honorable. On the other hand, Adam was already providing a cradle, so maybe big brother knew something Pa didn't??? LOL Guess we will never know.” Leesa
“She was finally with Little Joe, the boy she had dreamed of being with for most of her life...the rain was falling on the roof, he gave her a flower, the night was long, the fire was hot, and so was he!! OH BAYbee!! If they had only had cable tv for a distraction, they might have cooled off....The temptation and the circumstances and the hormones might be more than any one young couple honorable or not, could have dealt with. That is why young people were chaperoned.” Robin
“There's something sweet and innocent about Joe's love for Laura, unlike the other Joe love stories which seem to be full of fire and passion. This episode comes across as a "first love" story. Having said that, Laura is a whiney girl who pouted when she didn't get her way; I never understood what Joe saw in her. Joe and Laura's love is sweet, but I don't see that it would have lasted. She would have driven Joe crazy with her whining and pouting eventually.” Susan Grote
“I liked this show even though I was never convinced she was the right girl for Joe. I always chuckle at the scene where Adam and Hoss are the ones to try and get Joe to take an interest in Laura. And who could not love that scene between Joe and Hoss when Joe tells Hoss that he is gonna get married. That Hoss was so happy!!!! And then Adam comes and surprises them, helping to build the additions to the house. A great brotherly interaction. I loved Adam making the cradle. It showed how much he liked Joe and Laura getting married and how much he would love to be an Uncle. I always thought it was really touching. And the ending with Pa and Joe was a tear jerker for sure.” Deb