EPISODE: She Walks In Beauty

Reviewed by Lillian

Season Five - Episode 135 First Air Date: September 22, 1963

Guest Stars: Gena Rowlands, Jeanne Cooper

Written by:  William Stuart

Directed by:  Don McDougall

SUMMARY:

Hoss and Joe are in town loading supplies. Actually, Hoss is doing the loading. Joe is hard at work tipping his hat, flirting with the pretty girls as he tries to recall their names. Every time he picks something up, all he does is dump it on Hoss' pile. He is so busy with the girls, he doesn't even realize that he dumped a barrel on Hoss' foot. Just then, the stage arrives and Joe is excited - apparently they're expecting a letter from Adam. Without looking, he drops another barrel on Hoss' foot. Hoss is massaging his toes and painfully limping. Joe remarks in displeasure:  "If you'd only break down and spend a few dollars, you'd get a pair of boots that fit!" Hoss just looks to heaven and sighs.

There is no letter from Adam on the stage, but a mysteriously veiled woman, dressed in black, disembarks. Hoss and Joe gawk at her. They wonder who she is and why she's all covered up.  Hoss supposes, "She's probably uglier than a mud fence." (HOSSISM)

This woman engages a carriage and drives to a beautiful home. She tells the driver to wait and knocks at the door.  It's the home of Amelia Miller - her sister.  Obviously there is no love lost between these two.  The animosity is thick in the air. Amelia lets her sister in. Reagan asks Amelia for help - Amelia assumes she means money. But Reagan declines monetary assistance - she wants peace and quiet. She wants a home. Amelia scoffs. She is still bitter. This vixen of a sister stole Amelia's beau, Charles, seven years ago and she has never forgiven Reagan this trespass. She is about to kick Reagan out when Reagan insists that Amelia owes her something.  Why? Because "Father always like you best." (SHADES OF LJ FANS!) And so Reagan Miller arrives in Virginia City.

Meanwhile, Ben is reading a telegraph from Adam, who obviously succeeded in his business mission. Hoss wants to read it. Ben insists that he get the horses from the livery. 

Amelia and Reagan are shopping at E. Amos' General Store - selecting fabrics. Seductive Reagan is now dressed modestly. Ben walks in to get his order (HOW CONVENIENT). Amelia asks about his latest enterprise: mining the area above Gunsight. She makes a business proposition - she'd like to invest. He is hesitant, because he doesn't want to be responsible for her losing money. Hoss walks in, sees Reagan and his mouth drops. He hears the angels singing.  He is ga-ga. Amelia picks up on Hoss' reactions and you can see her making calculations regarding the possibilities! Hoss asks permission to come calling on Miss Reagan to take her riding and see the countryside. The boy is hooked!

The courtship has started. Hoss takes Reagan riding, showing off the beauty of Lake Tahoe. They have dinner with Ben an Amelia. After dinner, Hoss talks to Reagan about the future. He wants to know if she is ready to settle down permanently, to grow old together with the right man.  His innocence and purity of thought come shining through during this conversation.

Ben comes over the next morning and invites the Millers to dinner - a sort of welcome home party for Adam who is returning from San Francisco. You can actually see Reagan wince when he mentions this city, but she doesn't miss a beat. She maintains her poise. But as Ben leaves, you can see she is agitated. What does Adam know?

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS.IS INADEQUATE.  ADONIS LACKS ACUITY.  VISION OF GODLINESS IS CLOSE.

Adam walks down the staircase and comes into the great room. He's wearing a black suit, black string tie and white shirt. (BE STILL MY BEATING HEART.) He is introduced to Reagan.  He exudes charm but you can see in his eyes (THOSE GORGEOUS EYES) that he knows exactly who she is. The talk turns to the mining venture and Amelia requests more information. Adam agrees to bring the figures to her at 10:00 the next morning. The ladies go home. Hoss is head over heels in love and Adam sees it.

Adam:  Miss Reagan Miller, huh

Hoss: Yep.  Don't you go get no ideas either, brother, she's all staked out.

Ben and Joe watch this by-play.

Joe:  Would you look at him, Pa.  He's got the same expression as a steer that's just been pole-axed

Ben: That's probably the expression I had on my face when I was courting your mother

Joe:  He's pretty serious about her

Ben:  Well, it's about time one of you boys started thinking seriously about getting married

Joe:  Pa, are you trying to get rid of me?

Hoss ask Ben to arrange a dinner party the next night - Saturday - to introduce Reagan, and maybe he'll even have an announcement. Ben and Joe congratulate him, slap him on the back and are thoroughly delighted. Adam looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Reagan and Amelia review the evening events at home. Amelia realizes that Adam knows everything about Reagan's sordid past and she is afraid that this knowledge will ruin her business plans. Reagan scoffs, "I have yet to meet the man I can't handle." Amelia wants part of the Ponderosa's profits. Reagan wants Hoss!

Adam delivers the reports to Amelia in the morning and respectfully asks for Reagan. She is in the front yard. He sees her in the garden and says, "This doesn't look like the same Reagan Miller I heard about in San Francisco." She thanks him for not telling Hoss about what he knew. "Don't flatter yourself.  I did it for his sake, not yours," states Adam firmly.

Then she starts pouring it on thick. She is the victim. She did nothing to encourage any of those men. She can't help it if they were attracted to her.

While they are talking, we see Hoss riding on the road toward town.

She continues with her act, playing it to the hilt. "You do understand, don't you Adam? All I ever wanted was to be loved." Adam almost believes her, when she wraps herself around his lips and kisses him lustfully and passionately. 

Hoss sees this embrace. He is seething. He just turns around and leaves. He leaves before he sees Adam push Reagan away and wipe his mouth in disdain.

Adam:  It won't work. A woman who kisses the brother of the man who she is going to marry, the way you just kissed me, well she's talking about a different kind of love. You can't really change what you are, can you?

Reagan has nothing to say, so she just slaps Adam across the face and he walks away.

Amelia and Reagan get ready for the party. Reagan is determined to use her feminine wiles to get Hoss. She'll show Adam who has the last laugh.

A weary Adam comes riding up to the house and Hop Sing comes running out, telling him, "Mr. Hoss wants to see you in bunk house. He very upset about something."  With very deliberate tread, Adam goes to the bunk house.

Adam:  Hop Sing said you wanted to see me

Hoss:   Yeah, where you been?

Adam:  Well, you know where I've been. I've been over at the Miller house to see Miss Amelia

Hoss:   Miss Reagan.  You see her, too, didn't ya, didn't ya?

Adam:  (IN HIS MOST ADAM TONE) You asking me or telling me?

Hoss:   I'm telling you

BAM.POW.SLAM.BANG.BOOM. Hoss punches Adam out and attacks him.

Adam does not raise a fist, except in self-defense. Ben and Joe hear the ruckus and come running in just as Hoss throws Adam across the length of the bunk house.

Ben: What's this about?

Hoss: Ask him.

Hoss storms out the bunk house and Joe runs after him.

Ben:  What's this about? Why were you fighting him?

Adam:  I wasn't fighting him.

Ben:  All right. Why was he fighting you?

Ben comes back to the house and tries to talk some sense into Hoss, but Hoss won't listen. He's in love and that's final. He's going to marry Reagan and as far as he is concerned, her life started as of when they met. The guests start coming and the party begins.

Demure, simple Reagan makes a grand entrance in a very elaborate sequined purple gown. Bare shoulders and deep neckline make a definite impression. Hoss takes her in his arms and they start to dance. He says that he doesn't ever want to talk about what happened that afternoon. "We'll forget it ever happened." She does talk about it, though, making it sound as though Adam made a pass at her. Hoss believes her and tells her it's in the past. Reagan is the belle of the ball dancing with every man in sight. Ben cuts in and invites her outside for a breath of fresh air. He has a heart-to-heart talk with her. He tells her that Hoss' happiness is his only concern.  When she asks him whether he thinks she can make Hoss happy, he says, "No, frankly, I don't."

He tells her that Hoss loves freely, openly, honestly and without reservation. This love that forgives her past actions would never forgive such acts in the future. When she mentions the afternoon incident, she says Hoss understood. To which Ben vehemently responded: "Did he? When Adam came home, Hoss almost killed him!" Just then, Hoss comes out and joins them. Ben excuses himself and returns to his guests.

Reagan tries to tell Hoss that she is not for him. He won't listen. She asks him what happens if she wants to leave the ranch. He says it's not a problem, because his goal, after they are married, is just to make her happy. He says he knows she loves him.

"My love would destroy you,” counters Reagan. “You would have to share it with every other man I'd meet."  She goes away, leaving a heartbroken Hoss alone.

Reagan is on the stage, leaving town.  Hoss is watching from a distance. Adam comes over and stands by his side (MAJOR LEAN VISIBLE).

Hoss:   Hi, Adam.

Adam:  Well, there goes one we'll never forget, huh?

Hoss:   Yeah. (pause) Let's go home

They walk down the street side by side and Hoss puts his hand around Adam's shoulder, drawing him near.

 

REVIEWS:

“When I first saw this episode, I was really frightened that Hoss was going to really hurt Adam.  Did y'all dig that saunter into the bunkhouse ole MIB did?  And that cool "you asking me or telling me" line?  Whoooo BAYBEE!!!  I really like this episode.  It was sort of dark and mysterious.  How come Adam knew all about these wayward women from San Francisco that Hossie always fell for?” Gail (bunny bonanza)

“I concur with others that Adam is way cool (can you tell I live with an eleven year old boy?) when he says, "Are you asking me or telling me?", and then declines to fight back.” Meira

“I can understand why Hoss might have felt thunder-struck when a woman as beautiful as Reagan chose him over Adam and Joe. That's probably why he was so mad at Adam when he thought his older brother was trying to steal her away from him. It's not often Hoss got the pretty girl, and he really resented it when he thought Adam was trying to take away one of the few women who fell for him. But I also thought there must have been an element of doubt in Hoss' mind also. He could have hurt Adam a lot worse than he did in that fight in the bunkhouse. I love the scene with Joe and Pa standing on the porch watching Hoss. There's a real camaraderie between the two of them in that scene -- you sense that the two are "buddies" as well as father and son.” Susan Grote

“IMO I think Adam let Hoss beat him up out of pure guilt; he knows what he done was wrong and that he deserved it. Also I love the part when Ben asked Adam why are you fighting him, assuming he was the one started it; I wonder why he thought that.”  Brenda

“I don't think Adam felt guilty as much as he felt terrible for having to reveal the truth to Hoss... and they always kill the messenger. Adam certainly didn't want his brother to go beat on the slutty woman for being unfaithful to him so, being a gentleman, took the pounding. He knew Hoss was furious and had exploded. I think a lot of this goes back to those early seasons when they were painting Hoss as super strong bear-like giant, wrestling in San Francisco, lifting logs and digging Adam out of mine cave in the Philip Diedeshiemer Story, slinging Joe over his shoulders, lifting the carriage in the Lotta episode. You can almost hear them say "Don't get him angry; he will kill you!" Robin

“I'd prefer to think that Adam knew Hoss had to let out his anger (even though Reagan went after him). Adam wanted to protect Hoss, yet sometimes protecting someone who has blinders on is not all that easy. It is not until later that Hoss realizes the truth and, being the kind fellow that he is, he does put his arm around Adam at the end.  Friends and family, close, once again. As to Pa's reaction, Hoss was taught a long time ago that his size & strength could hurt someone, and he always controlled his anger better than the oldest and the youngest.  You go Hoss!!!!” Miss Maggie

“I wish the writers had given Hoss a chance to love and be loved without manipulation.  They always play on his innocence and inexperience with women. O.K. there is that innocent quality that makes Hoss, Hoss but sometimes that plot just gets old.  Favorite scene would have to be the bunk house.  Adam just takes that beating never hitting Hoss out of anger.  Being his big brother.  Feeling his pain.  The Ben heart-to-heart's always get me too. Ben always gives off that air of fear, like these are my boys, don't cross me.  Hurt them and you hurt me.  Love the protectiveness.” Nancy