EPISODE: All Ye His Saints

Reviewed By Lynne Coulson

Episode No. 216, Season 7, First aired: December 19^th 1965

Guest Stars: Clint Howard, Leif Erickson

Written by: William Blinn

Directed by: William F Claxton

SUMMARY:

The opening scene has Michael, the six-year-old son of Thorpe, a ranch owner, playing on a swing, and Joe and Hoss riding up, leading a mare. Michael runs over to join them and challenges Hoss to a hand squeezing competition, which Hoss allows the little boy to win. (Really cute scene with Little Joe teasing his big brother about how good the little boy is). Hoss rides over to the barn, leading the mare and Joe lifts Michael up on to his back and they follow Hoss. Michael asks Joe what a Good Samaritan is and Joe wants to know if the boy heard about them in Sunday school. Michael says that his father called the Cartwrights Good Samaritans for loaning them the mare and Joe says that although that’s a nice thing for his father to say, all they are doing is helping out a neighbor.

In the barn, Lijah and Thorpe are up in the hayloft trying to flush out some owls, but they are not having any success. Thorpe climbs down to go and have a closer look at the mare and to get Hoss and Joe some coffee. Thorpe rests his rifle against a stall, but as he walks past it, the gun slips down and discharges, shooting him in the back.

Opening credits.

The doctor and Ben arrive and the doctor tells Ben that this is the worst part of doctoring, the death watch, as he doesn’t expect Thorpe to live. He says it is in God’s hands now. The little boy begs his father not to die and Ben gently leads him away and gets Lijah to put him to bed. Lijah and Michael talk about the boy’s father and Michael is interested when Lijah tells him that God lives up on the mountain and He has the power to save Thorpe.

Hoss and Joe are going to stay the night and Ben and the doctor prepare to leave. Ben finds Joe on the porch and, in one of the most emotional scenes in the whole run of Bonanza, Joe tells Ben of his fears from when he was a little boy. He says that when he was small, he suddenly realized one day that he only had one parent and all his friends had two. He goes on to tell Ben that when his father used to go away on a trip, Joe would worry that he wouldn’t come back and then he’d be all alone. He says that it never happened, but he can still remember how scared he was and so he can only imagine what Michael is going through, when the threat is very real. As he says this, Joe is close to tears, his eyes are very shiny and his chin begins to quiver -- it’s so lovely. (Personally I don’t think Ben makes enough fuss of Joe after this confession, but you can tell that he is very moved). Ben puts his hand on Joe’s shoulder and does his famous rub with the thumb, a real trademark of a Pa/Joe moment. Joe says it’s a pointless story, but Ben tells Joe that there is never any need to apologize for showing compassion.

Once Ben leaves, Michael joins Joe and asks him how far away the mountains are. Joe says they are a long way away and asks why the boy wants to know. Michael says that Lijah told him God lived there and that God is the only one who can help his father. Joe tries to explain that what Lijah said was only a legend, a story, and the little boy returns to bed.

During the night, when both Hoss and Joe are dozing in chairs, Michael sneaks out and rides a mule up to the mountain. On the way the animal goes lame and so the little boy abandons it and continues on foot, calling out to God, as he does so.

Hoss and Joe find that the boy is missing and Lijah tells him that Michael has gone to see God. Joe says he will go after the boy and Hoss is to go into town and get Doc Randall (Doc Martin must have been holidaying in the Bahamas, spending all that money he’s made tending to the Cartwrights LOL). Lijah is to stay with Mr. Thorpe and Hoss says he will ask Roy Coffee for a couple of deputies to help search for Michael.

Joe sets off and is soon at the spot (just at the snow line) where Michael has left the mule. He calls for the boy, and then mounts up and continues the search.

The boy is now approaching the steeper part of the mountain and is scrabbling up the rocks on all fours. He looks up and sees a man, with long hair and a scraggly beard, holding a rifle, standing above him. He falls and bangs his head and when he wakes up, it is night-time and Joe is with him. Joe tells him to sit up slowly and asks how his head feels. Michael tells Joe that it hurts and so Joe says they will let the doctor look at it when they get back home. Michael says he has seen God, but Joe just thinks that the boy is hallucinating because of the bang to his head. Michael insists that he has seen God, and describes him to Joe. Joe says that Michael is old enough to know the difference between the truth and a lie (he is so sweet with the boy) but Michael still insists that he has seen God and that he has to stay and ask Him to save his dad. Joe tries to break it to the boy that God answers all prayers, but sometimes the answer is ‘no’. He then tells Michael that God is not a man living on a mountain, but Michael tells him that the man is standing right behind Joe. When Joe turns round, sure enough, the man is there and he insists on them going to his home. Joe’s rifle is too far away for him to reach it, and so he has to go.

The man tells Joe that he is Tom Caine, and Joe knows that he was responsible for the Summit Ridge massacre. Joe says that he thought the man was dead and he says he was, until Joe came along.

Michael asks why the man shot his father and Caine denies it, saying he doesn’t even know the boy’s father. Caine sends the boy off to get some water and Joe explains why they are there. Caine finds it very amusing that the boy thinks he’s God. Caine says he is a bit like God, as he has the power of life or death over Joe and the boy. He goes on to call Joe a ‘tough kid’, which Joe denies, but Caine says you have to be tough to survive out there. He tells Joe to sit down and he starts drinking, saying it’s his crutch.

Hoss, Lijah and the deputies arrive on the mountain and follow the tracks. They soon realize that there is someone else with Joe and Michael.

Caine gets rather drunk and sends the boy off again, this time for firewood. He tells Joe that he hates kids and Joe says he knows he does. Caine relives what he did at Summit Ridge; he led a raid against an Indian village and they killed everyone there, including women and children. He says it was a case of killing them before they grew up and were able to kill him, but that the government didn’t see it like that, and made Caine an outlaw. He says he lost his wife, his daughter and his farm and ended up living on the mountain. Joe tells him that he doesn’t feel sorry for him and Caine says he doesn’t want pity. Michael returns with the wood. Joe asks for a drink and Caine pours him out one and tells Michael to carry it to Joe, without spilling a drop, and then his father will be all right. Joe tells Caine not to give the boy false hope and Caine tells Michael he’s testing him.

Hoss and the others are still looking for Joe and Hoss calls out, firing his gun. The noise startles Caine and he knocks Joe out with the butt of the gun and then aims it at Joe, but Michael says he can’t do that. Caine agrees and leaves, but Michael follows him, determined to get the man to help his father.

Joe staggers out of the lean-to and calls to Hoss. Joe wants to go with Lijah and Hoss to get the boy back, but Hoss tells him to stay put, as he is not fit enough to go with them.

Eventually, Caine stops and asks the boy why he is following him. Michael says he figures it’s another test, as his father has told him that God tests you to find out if you are worthy or not. Caine says he has passed the test and takes the boy along with him, to another of his hideouts, where he has guns and ammunition.

Caine asks about Michael’s father and Michael says he’s just a regular father, but Caine says he must be special for the boy to go to all this trouble to try and save him. Michael prays and Caine asks why. Michael says to get God to make a miracle happen to save his father’s life.

Caine tells Michael that he isn’t God; he’s a guy on the run, a lost sheep. Michael says that Lijah is his friend and wouldn’t lie to him about God living on the mountain. Just then Hoss and the deputies arrive and Caine shoots at them. Michael tells him it’s Hoss, his friend, but Caine says he’s fighting for his life. Hoss insists on caution, in case Michael gets hit, and they begin to creep up on Caine.

Joe is also trying to get there (suffering as only he can -- beautifully, that is). Caine tries to shoot Joe, but Joe keeps on going and Michael goes running towards him. Caine grabs hold of Michael, but then loses his grip as Lijah throws a knife and hits him in the back. Michael starts crying and says that Lijah has killed God. Caine isn’t dead and he tells Michael the truth. He says he isn’t God and he can’t save his father, but tells the boy that his dad will be all right, because if there is a God, He will care for Michael and his father.

By now Joe is in tears (as am I) and he picks up Michael and goes down to meet Hoss and the deputies, leaving a dead Caine on the mountain (do they have a special clean up squad who take care of all these littered corpses? Maybe Bodies R Us?)

When they get back to the Thorpe ranch, Ben helps Michael down from Joe’s horse and tells the boy that his father wants to see him. The boy runs into the house, into the arms of his father, who is still in bed, but looking a lot better.

Ben tells Joe and Hoss that the doctor had given Thorpe up for dead, but about three hours earlier, he’d come out of the coma. ‘It was a miracle’ says Ben and Joe replies ‘You know I think it was’ and they all gaze up at the mountain.

REVIEWS:

“I like this episode. Love the scene where Joe talks to Pa about his feelings.” Helen

“Wasn't this script originally supposed to be an Adam story? As touching as this tale is told by Joe (and no one can bring a tear to a viewer better than Michael Landon) this story would be even more wrenching told by Adam. Joe had two big brothers watching over him on the Ponderosa, little Adam only had Ben and no home or community….It was interesting that the bad guy was NOT killed by a Cartwright but by Lijah. Another interesting thing, compared to early seasons of Bonanza was the way the Indian was portrayed as a sympathetic human with a gentle and brave heart. And he wasn't killed at the end but included as part of the community and family of Michael.” Robin

“I think this scene works for both of them<Adam and Joe>.  Adam's point of view on it is a bit different than his brother's -- not Joe's remembered terror of losing a loved one when so young, but Adam's terror of losing the only person in his world.” Becky

“Just love Clint Howard in this and he was a cute little kid…Very touching Joe scenes with Michael and Hoss scenes with Michael.  But my favorite scene would have to be the one on the porch with Joe and Pa. What an insight into the LJ character...one that has been an inspiration and definitely mentioned in many a fanfiction. Sadly, it did seem like the director tried to stifle Ben's reaction to Joe. I wonder what would of happened if ML had directed the scene?” Nancy

“I think what makes it more of a Joe scene for me is that Joe knew and loved his mother deeply before she died and so understood the loss of a parent very much and this probably brought back the feelings of when she died and how afraid he was when his father would leave.” Deb

“Perhaps the scene would have been more poignant had it been done with Adam since it would have been out of the norm for him to reveal his emotions, but it is a perfect scene for the very expressive, emotional Joe…Clint Howard was genuine in the part with the sweet innocence and faith of a child.” Peggy

“Ben should have taken Little Joe into his arms and comforted him more... it was an awww moment. Michael is beautiful in this.” Betsy

“I always loved this ep. The scene on the porch between Pa/Joe was always a tear getter. But yup, I think he deserved a hug! I also loved the scenery in this ep (not just LJ running around!-I have some depth you know). The mountains are beautiful. Well ok, Joe is too (I'm not that deep). The whole story line was good and alas, there was a happy ending.” Judy Schneck

 “I like how Caine redeems himself at the end by telling Michael the truth; it was nice they showed that deep down there was a little good in the man. Like many others, my favorite scene is the Ben/Joe on the porch scene.” Sue W.

“I have to admit my favorite parts of this episode are the "Joe hurt and heroic" scenes. After Caine hits Joe with the rifle and leaves, Joe staggers out of the shack, calls to Hoss and then collapses. Hoss is taking care of the injured Joe while Joe is trying to tell Hoss about Caine and Michael. After Hoss concerns Caine and starts shooting, Joe staggers and falls as he makes his way up the mountain to save Michael. Joe is so heroic despite his head injury. I do like these scenes.” Susan Grote

“This is one of my favorite episodes.  Has anyone else noticed that how after a couple years of calling Joe, "Joe", Hoss reverts (probably out of fright for his little brother) to calling him "Little Joe" as he runs up the mountainside into the gunfire.” Ginny

“A lot of you mentioned the part of Ben and LJ scene. I like that one but I also like the ending when Ben tells them when Michael's father has woken up and Hoss and LJ understand what was going on then. And God answers another little boy's prayer. (Big boys too.)” Jan