EPISODE: The Boss
Reviewed by Barb
Episode 133, Season 4, airdate May 19, 1963
Guest Stars: Carroll O'Connor, Denver Pyle
Written by: Leo Gordon and Paul Leslie Peil
Directed by: Arthur H. Nadel
In the opening sequence we find Joe helping Mr. Durra load Joe's wagon at Durra's Sawmill. Durra is selling out and tells Joe it is because of an extortion racket that Boss Slayden and his right hand man, Gus Hanna, is perpetrating, charging exorbitant rates and bullying anyone who refuses to pay, burning buildings and other such fun things. Joe is shocked and thoughtful. He starts hauling his lumber toward the Ponderosa when a gang of bullies, lead by Hanna, stops him and threatens him. Joe says it's just chores but Hanna reminds Joe that Ben has a contract with Slayden for hauling anything. Joe is thunderstruck and just drives off. WRONG MOVE, JOE!! He gets shot for his troubles, of course.
Meanwhile, in town, Ben is (coincidentally) in a meeting with all the town shopkeepers and they are discussing this very same subject (how convenient!). Ben has a hard time believing that his good friend, Archie Bunker, would do these awful, nasty things, especially (as it is gleefully pointed out to him) he was responsible for bringing Slayden to Virginia City. The shopkeepers want him to take responsibility for his boo boo and "fix it" without them getting their own snivelly, whining hands dirty.
Ben goes to see Archie, er Slayden about the whole mess and they politely argue. Very halfhearted on Ben's part and very slick on the Boss's part. This is, of course, before Ben's parental ire (equivalent to the wrath of Moses or, say, an Alaskan Grizzly) has been roused. That comes upon returning home (seemingly moments later as the sun is still high in the sky) and finding baby boy on the couch (why the couch? Why is it always the couch and where do the damn bloodstains go? They had better scotch guarding then than they do now!) with a bullet through his shoulder and the Doc tut-tutting over him. Of course Ben goes all angsty, tenderly laying his hand upon that tousled head of hair as the hunk bites his lip adoringly and does his best whipped puppy expression.
Only moments later (again, as the sun is *still* high in the heavens) Ben is once again back in town. He must have been switching Buck off just out of camera range for a fast moving Humvee. He confronts Gus and the slimeball says that Joe got just what he deserved. This, of course, means war.
Enter perky, blonde daughter of Boss Slayden, Karen, complete with airhead looks and wooden acting, who has dropped out of college in San Fran. We get a brief intro to her before Ben storms off to see the Sheriff, whom, it turns out, is Uncle Jesse Duke from Dukes of Hazzard, only he's moonlighting as Ed, the local law. Ed? Ben files charges against Boss and has him thrown in the pokey until the circuit judge can hear the case some six weeks hence. Boss settles in with an evil smile.
The next day (I think) back at the ranch (I've always wanted to say that), dippy, blue-dressed Karen is trying to smooth things over by just saying that everyone just "lost their tempers, that's all!". Her Daddy is just a misunderstood teddy bear. Ben comes back from town (again, I think their must be a transporter involved) and she leaves in a huff when Joe tries to set her straight (looking adorable in a wing back chair trying to read one handed while wearing a sexy black sling on the other arm).
Next through the Ponderosa revolving door is the cowardly head of the shopkeepers association and his whiny friend who are now upset because Ben actually took action like they wanted but now they don't like the consequences. Boss Slayden has suspended all shipping into and out of Virginia City and there has been a spate of panic buying which has cleared the shelves. Ben runs into town (again) to see for himself and, sure enough, stores are closed all over.
Looking like he has eaten a particularly sour lemon, Ben drags his feet over to the jailhouse to talk with Boss Slayden in order to talk with the rat and see if he can come to a compromise. The townspeople are panicking and will starve soon. Slayden thinks he has Ben just where he wants him.
Boss: "You're going to help me, Ben. You're going to withdraw your complaint against me and re-sign your contract. Publicly."
Ben: "Who do you think you are?" (outraged, angry)
Boss: "I thought that was pretty plain . . . I'm the Boss."
Ben is saved from humiliation by Uncle Jesse, who comes in to inform them that the shopkeepers have prevailed on the territorial government to speed things along and send the circuit court judge the next morning.
Next morning, Karen comes out of the courthouse following Joe, who has just testified. She's snarked with him, obviously. The Cartwrights are in turn upset when Slayden gets off with minimal to no arguments from the jury, who (surprise, surprise) are the wimpy, cowardly lot of shopkeepers. It also comes as no surprise that when the shopkeepers ask Slayden to resume his freight hauling he is only too happy to oblige . . . at a 50 percent fee increase.
When the idiotic, half drunk Gus, celebrating the acquittal of his boss, fesses up to Karen that her Dad really is bullying, murderous, treacherous scumbag and really did mean to shoot Joe (although he didn't put it exactly like that) and got off because the shopkeepers were afraid of him then turns around and says "but don't you worry your pretty little head about things like that" (one of the dumbest lines invented by man). She runs off to Daddy to find out the truth for herself. She does, but not in the way she expected. She overhears her Daddy bullying and threatening the head of the shopkeepers association. So, inevitably she and the shopkeeper hook up and run to the Ponderosa.
The town is out of food and the shopkeepers want Ben to save the day. Again. Forget that they hung him out to dry. Ben agrees to help, and puts his life and the lives of his sons on the line. Karen asks if she can stay with the Cartwright because she doesn't want to go back to her Father.
Next morning Ben and the boys, even Joe with his sling, sets off with butchered beef from their own herd (why do they have any left if they constantly give it away??). They tell Karen to stay behind (and do we believe she will do this?). They had been promised help from the shopkeepers but, as expected, they all chickened out except for the head guy. Halfway to Virginia City, guess who should appear for the first time this ep but ADAM! Fresh from some errand or other, but he heard about the trouble here so came arunnin'. A little farther on Hoss decided to rest the horses and pulls them to a stop conveniently in front of an ambush. The shooting commences. Some really nice pics of Joe in these scenes, too.
Is anyone really surprised when Karen shows up and, standing on top of a rock, challenges her father to go ahead and murder everyone before her very eyes. And now, now when we have the makings of a great Shakespearean tragedy, it all goes wrong. The Blue Dress fails in its sacred duty to kill off whatever female form it is currently inhabiting it. Gus goes to shoot Karen but Joe gets him first. Then Karen stands between the Cartwright's and her father and dares Slayden some more. He crumbles. Turns to mush. Love wins out.
In the next scene we see everyone back in town saying good bye to Karen, who is returning to college. All is forgiven, Slayden is a puppy dog and has learned his lesson. Karen leaves and Slayden turns to Ben and sheepishly says in a kind of "awww shucks" kind of way that he should head on over to the jail and get things straightened out, that he's got a lot of "things to put right". Ben is all friendly and offers to walk his naughty scalawag of a friend (who was a murderous, greedy bully until now). All is forgiven and Boss Slayden heads off toward his new life as an upstanding citizen. The closest I can come to this extremely unrealistic ending is Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". This is TV fantasy at its best.
REVIEWS:
“Let's forget attempted murder, arson, extortion, assault and a dozen other offenses. In BonanzaWorld, intentions are everything and good always conquers evil. This was an EXCELLENT ep, right up until the Blue Dress failed in its mission. Then it became the Twilight Zone. Ah well. At least we get the puppy dog eyes and nibbling lip scene on the couch. A definite must see episode just for that scene alone!” Barb
“Good episode, chock-full of great Joe scenes. He gets shot, always good when that happens. Pa gets mad. The whole family gathers together at the end to go after the bad guy. The usual plot, good guy turned bad by greed! Sappy blonde, running away to stay with Ben & the boys. Like I always say, maybe these women weren't so sappy. Who would miss an opportunity to camp with the boys? Love Carol O'Connor in this as "The Boss", a little pre-mafia thing going on?” Nancy
“I love it when Pa is fussing; he's such a terrific father”. Lynne (Little Joe Forever)
“The hurt Joe scene is one of my favorites, especially when Pa hears about his baby boy's latest "owie". If you look closely at the scene where they are riding with Joe in the wagon toward the end, when Adam appears - there's a moment when Lorne dismounts and almost falls, he really stumbles so much so that I said "oh, somebody better catch Pa". I actually moved to reach for the TV! But good ol’ Pernell moves in quickly to steady him.” Gail (bunny bonanza)
“I always wondered how Joe got home. Did Hoss find him and bring him home? And something else that I always wondered about: The guy that shot him claimed he shot Joe in self-defense. So, if he was claiming that, how did he justify just riding off and leaving Joe lying there unconscious? He could have bled to death.” Ginny
“I love the scene when Ben comes home and finds Joe shot. You can see so many emotions crossing Ben's face -- worry, anger, concern, and then tenderness with his son. It's a great Pa/Joe scene! Of course, Joe is stuck having his arm in a sling for the rest of the episode, but that doesn't stop him from killing the bad guys. I always thought that Ben was way too forgiving in this episode. He helps the town a couple of times, even though Virginia City is full of wimps and cowards, and then at the end, he forgives "Boss" Slayden for shooting Joe and trying to kill the rest of them. I'm all for turning the other cheek, but I also think there's a time for some righteous anger!” Susan Grote
“I do like this episode (especially that first Pa/Joe scene), but the sudden transformation of Slayden towards the end bugs me, too. Up until Hanna almost shoots Karen, Slayden is ready to kill the Cartwrights to get his way. Then over the span of less than a minute, he decides to mend his ways - and what's more, before Slayden even gives any real indication of this, way-too-trusting Ben stands up and is ready to lay down his arms and give Slayden the chance to do so! Way too pat and quite unbelievable.” Sue W.
“This WHOLE story is so full of HOLES; it is almost like they wrote it as they went along or were really stoned or never re-read what they had written. It was like there was another half hour that some how got chopped out along the way. They ran out of food in like a week? Didn't these people know how to hunt or have and food in the pantry? And the benevolent Cartwrights were going to slew a cow and ride into town with a wagon load of happy meals? Out of the entire Nevada Territory who should show up in the nick of time: ADAM. "Hi Pa, I was just passing by and figured you were in a shoot out with Archie Bunker!" I can't imagine Ben ever being so forgiving. "Oh that's ok Archie Bunker...so you had one of your evil henchmen back shoot my son...leave him hemorrhaging on the dirt road and then defame him and the entire family...so you tried to use our relationship to mess up the town...so even your own daughter thinks you are a shtunk and you try to kill her and me and my sons (that is twice for Joe, the cutest one) and what the heck. I FORGIVE YOU PALsie Walsie buddy pal!!!" Ben just flings his arm around Archie Bunker and they just stroll off to have him repent. In the first couple of seasons, Ben would have blown that sucker into vulture bait before the first commercial.” Robin