EPISODE: Desperate Passage

Reviewed by Susan Grote

Episode #277, Season 9, originally aired November 5, 1967

Guest Stars: Tina Louise, Steve Forrest

Written by John Hawkins

Directed by Leon Benson

SUMMARY: 

Note: This was one of several episodes which were filmed on location at Incline Village, in the Lake Tahoe area.

As the story opens, Ben, Joe, Hoss and Candy are leading some horses through a mountainous area when Ben spots a flash of light from the top of one of the foothills. When Ben points out the flashes of light to the other men, Candy helpfully informs us that the light could be signals from either Indians or soldiers (he doesn’t say which he thinks it is, so the comment isn’t all THAT helpful). Ben decides the group should detour to a nearby town, Coulter Corners, in order to find out what’s going on.

Joe and Ben ride into a deserted Coulter Corners. The wind is blowing paper and other debris around the street, providing an appropriately eerie atmosphere. They spot a man who seemingly is just sitting in a chair rocking, ignoring everything around him (that should have been a clue to Ben and Joe that something wasn’t right, but apparently they weren’t wearing their Sherlock Holmes hats that day). Ben rides up to where the man is sitting and cheerfully greets him before he sees the man is dead, killed by an arrow in his chest (The guy just sat there while the Indians attacked? Not the best strategy in the world).  At this point, Ben is joined by Joe, and then Hoss and Candy, who ride up leading the string of horses. Ben informs everyone that the Paiutes are on the warpath again, to which Joe solemnly replies that “suddenly we are a long way from home”.

Ben, Hoss, Joe and Candy then begin to search the town. Hoss and Candy meet up with Ben and Joe at a fountain in the middle of town and tell Ben they have to dig three graves…they found three bodies. Ben replies that they have to dig five graves, because he and Joe found two more bodies in the stable. Suddenly, a strange, metallic sound comes from the jail. Joe says he’ll check it out and rushes off. Not one to let his baby boy put himself in harm’s way alone, Ben yells that they will all check it out and the other three men rush after Joe.

Joe and Candy burst into the jail and find a man locked in one of the cells. He informs the Cartwrights and Candy that he was left behind when the people in the town ran because of the Indians attack, and hid himself under the bed to escape detection. Ben describes one of the bodies they found, and the man confirms it is the sheriff who deserted him to his fate.

As Candy goes to get some water for the man in the cell (who appears to be really strong and vibrant despite going without food and water for four days), Hoss and Joe search the jumbled wreckage in the sheriff’s office for the keys. Hoss finds the keys, and Joe finds a ledger in which the sheriff recorded his arrests. As the man in the cell drinks the water, Joe asks him his name. At first the man in the cell claims he is someone else, but the name he gives doesn’t match the description in the ledge. Joe points out that the man does match the description of Josh Tanner, who was arrested for murder. Tanner admits his identity but claims he didn’t murder anyone (they all say they are innocent, don’t they?).

Ben gives Tanner a choice – he can ride along with them and turn himself into the sheriff in Virginia City, or leave town on his own and take his chances against the Paiutes by himself (not really much of a choice). After the Cartwrights leave the cellblock, Tanner asks Candy about Ben, and Candy tells the man that Ben is fair, honest and an all-around great boss (just never know who might be listening, right Candy?).

Tanner decides to join forces with the Cartwrights, and goes to the local cemetery to help dig graves. Ben tells him to get some food and relieve Joe who is standing guard on a roof top. Tanner points out a gravestone to Ben, which reads “Billy Coulter, murdered by Josh Tanner” (now that’s something you don’t seem much on a tombstone – how someone died and who did it). Tanner tells Ben he killed Billy Coulter in a fair fight, but because Billy’s father “owns” the town (as evidenced by the town’s name of Coulter Corners), he was accused of murder. Ben nods noncommittally and sends Tanner to get some food.

The Cartwrights begin collecting various objects from stores and houses around town. Tanner questions Ben’s honesty to Candy until he realizes that Joe is writing down everything they are taken, right down to some brass buttons. Tanner tells Joe to add a gun and some shells to his “IOU”.  

The group is getting ready to leave when a woman on foot staggers into the town and collapses. Everyone rushes to her and Tanner tells the woman pointedly “You don’t know me, but we’ll help you” (this is a subtle clue for us to ponder). As the woman recovers inside the hotel, she tells Ben her name is Mary Burns and she was on her way to Virginia City to join her husband when she got stuck in Coulters Corner and caught up in the Indian attack. A local man tried to help her to escape by taking her with him in his buckboard, but the Paiutes spotted them. The man pushed her out of the wagon into some rocks (ouch! Bet that left a mark) and then led the Indians away. They caught him and killed him, Mrs. Burns tells Ben tearfully.  As Ben pats Mrs. Burns’ hand sympathetically, Tanner walks in and gives Mrs. Burns a pile of clothes to wear. He again hints strongly that they are strangers (more subtle clues), but wants to help her.

The little band of travelers and the string of horses finally leave Coulter Corners. As they stop for a moment to rest, Tanner suggests to Hoss the horses would be happier if they could run free. Hoss agrees but says that Pa says to lead the horses, and whatever Pa wants, that’s what they will do (implying that one shouldn’t mess around when Pa gives an order).

Joe is riding out in front of the group, apparently as a scout, and is jumped by a Paiute. A fierce fight ensures, ending up with both Joe and the Indian brave falling into a nearby stream. The fight continues until Joe is able to turn the brave’s knife back on the Indian and kill him (note: you can see the edges of the wet suit that both Joe and the Paiute were wearing under their clothes as they fight in the stream – that water must have been really COLD!).

Wet, out of breath and a bit stunned, Joe staggers across the streambed just as the rest of the group rides up. Ben and Candy rush to the edge of the stream and pull Joe out of the water. Ben anxiously asks his son if he is all right, and Joe breathlessly replied “yeah”.  Then Ben (who apparently loses interest in his son’s welfare rather quickly) asks Joe if there are any other Indians around. Joe laughs a bit and breathlessly replies he was too busy to look but thinks the Paiute he killed was only a scout. Ben spots another flash of light signally from the foothills and points it out to the others, then indicates (wisely) that they better get moving on.

The group makes camp and Tanner comes up to where Ben is throwing dirt on smoldering fires and dropping some of the bits and pieces they collected in town. Tanner finally figures out what Ben is doing: Ben is hoping that any Indians who see the tracks of many horses and find ashes of several fires with buttons and field glasses nearby will think the group is a troop of cavalry and leave them alone. Tanner offers the opinion that this ruse has little chance of working, and Ben agrees but says it is worth a try.

Tanner is standing guard when Mrs. Burns approaches him. The two kiss passionately and it is revealed that Tanner and Mrs. Burns were having an affair in Coulters Corner.

Mrs. Burns insists she can clear Tanner of the murder charge, since she saw Tanner kill Billy Coulter in self-defense when Billy burst into her hotel room with obvious evil intentions. Tanner explains to Mrs. Burns that she can’t tell the truth because doing so would ruin her reputation and her marriage. She says she doesn’t care, but Tanner insists she keep quiet. (Don’t you get it, girl? He was looking for a fling; he doesn’t want to have to end up marrying you!). She agrees reluctantly (at which Tanner looks relieved).

The next day, the band of travelers and horses are crossing a field when a group of Paiutes (who obviously weren’t fooled by Ben’s little trick) attack them. There’s a fierce fight in which many Paiutes are killed but Ben, Hoss, Joe and Candy survive without a scratch (they are very good fighters, I guess). However, during the melee, Tanner (who is apparently NOT a good fighter) is knocked unconscious and Mrs. Burns is stolen away by the Paiutes. Tanner, after he regains consciousness, insists on going after her. Ben tells him no, but Tanner carries on about having to rescue the lady. Ben then tells Tanner that all of them will go after Mrs. Burns, a statement which causes Joe, Hoss and Candy to look at Tanner with smug expressions (they knew Pa wouldn’t let the Indians get away with kidnapping Mrs. Burns; ignoring women in trouble simply isn’t done by the Cartwrights).

Joe and Hoss go on a scouting expedition and watch the Paiute camp from the trees for several moments before returning to Pa, Candy and Tanner. Joe explains that camp has only a small number of Paiute braves in it, and draws a map in the dirt showing where the teepees and rope corral are situated. The men hatch a plan: Candy and Tanner will rescue Mrs. Burns by sneaking into the teepee in which she is being held. They will escape when Joe lets the Paiute horses out of the rope corral, causing distraction and confusion. Hoss will help by leading some of the stallions from their string of horses nearby to attract the Indian’s horses (are all Indian horses female? Didn’t the Paiutes ride any stallions? Or perhaps the Paiutes only rode “gay stallions”?)

***SHIRTLESS JOE ALERT***SHIRTLESS JOE ALERT***SHIRTLESS JOE ALERT***

Joe emerges from the lake behind the Indian teepees and rope corral. His wet pants are clinging tightly to his body, outlining his well-formed legs and thighs. He is shirtless, displaying a tanned and buffed body rippling with muscles. The droplets of water glisten as they trickle down his bronze chiseled chest…er, um, sorry, I got distracted.

Anyway, Joe sneaks out of the lake and up to some rocks near where a Paiute brave is standing guard (and doing a very poor job of it) near the rope corral. Meanwhile, Candy and Tanner sneak into the back of the teepee in which Mrs. Burns is being held. They kill the Indian who is sitting in front of the teepee as a guard (also doing a very bad job…these Paiutes need some guard training), then signal Joe. Joe rushes forward and kills the guard near the rope corral. He looks up and spots Hoss in the hills leading a couple of stallions who will presumably attract the mares and gay stallions in the corral. Joe cuts the rope of the corral and the horses start running toward the Cartwright stallions. Candy, Tanner, and Mrs. Burns run out of the teepee and mingle in with the running horses. Joe (whose pants have amazingly almost completely dried by now), jumps on the back of a horse and rides it up the hill. There is mass confusion in the Indian camp and one unfortunate brave starts to give chase. Candy promptly kills him (the brave was probably going to be the next one on guard duty so he was doomed anyway). Candy, Tanner and Mrs. Burns arrive where Ben and Hoss are holding saddled horses and climb on to three of the horses. Joe slips off the back of the horse he was riding, then runs up to Cochise and climbs on. The group rides off after the stampeding mares and gay stallions that are presumably still chasing the Cartwright stallions.

Back in Virginia City, Mrs. Burns’ husband is checking the stage coach arrivals, looking for his wife. The man is distraught (after all, he misplaced his wife…that’s a lot more serious than misplacing one’s keys) and goes to Deputy Clem asking if Clem has any news of his missing wife. Deputy Clem, as usual, doesn’t have a clue. Outside the sheriff’s office, Ben arrives with Tanner and Mrs. Burns in a buckboard. Tanner and Mrs. Burns exchange significant looks (to which Ben is seemingly oblivious) and Tanner tells Mrs. Burns to go find her husband. She reluctantly leaves (figuring out – finally – that Tanner ain’t the marrying kind) and has a joyful reunion with her husband (well, at least Mr. Burns is joyful). Tanner turns himself into Deputy Clem, who offers the opinion that the trials in Coulters Corner were mostly bogus and Tanner should get a new hearing (besides, all the witnesses are dead, right?). Tanner and Mrs. Burns have one last exchange of significant looks, and then Mrs. Burns goes off with her husband while Tanner is led off to jail. Ben looks smugly happy that things turned out all right (as he knew they would).

REVIEWS:

“I like parts of this episode - obviously the shirtless Joe scene is my favorite - but get a little bored by the side story of Tanner's romance with Mrs. Burns. I don't care enough about either one of them to be concerned about whether they get together or not. I also would have liked a little more comfort and concern from Pa when he rescues Joe from the stream. Five seconds of "are you all right" didn't quite seem long enough. But this is a "shirtless Joe" episode, so I watch it often.” Susan Grote

“Also have to agree with you that Pa does not give his baby boy enough TLC after he is nearly killed, bless him. Because of the wet suit, Joe was wearing larger pants and they had belt loops (just something I noticed). The shirtless scene? What can I say that you haven't already covered? It was gorgeous, shirtless and wet, just the best. I wasn't really bothered about the romance, either, but was glad that Tanner wasn't going to be hung for defending himself.” Lynne Little Joe forever

 

“And I feel exactly the same way you do about this episode--I don't care if the couple gets together or not, although I do hope Tanner didn't end up hanging for a murder he may not have committed, and it sounded like Clem didn't think he would. And I also think Pa could have shown Joe a bit more concern when he pulled him from the stream after the fight. But the shirtless scene definitely makes this episode worth watching--wet and shirtless, what more could we ask?!" Leesa

“This episode however is just a little too predictable and doesn't hold my interest too much either, except for the <Joe> scenes above.  Too bad too because all the characters were in this one and they really could have milked the old angst scenes with anyone of the good guys or even the guest star bad ones.” Nancy

“Joe looks mighty good in this episode. Loved his fight scene - I agree, I don't know what Pa was thinking, he could have acted a bit more concerned! LOL In an earlier draft of the script it is a lot different. There is no water during the fight scene and Joe doesn't cross a lake at the end. All's Joe does is wait with the horses while the others do the rescuing - come on!!!!!!!! I much prefer the version they filmed!!” Helen

“One thing that always struck me about this episode is a kind of harsh violence on the part of our heroes that is quite unusual. Usually in Bonanza the only killing done by the Cartwrights happens in obvious self-defense, generally in the heat of a fight of some sort. So in Desperate Passage we might be more likely to see a kinder gentler version of dispatching the Indian guards during the rescue sequence by just knocking them out. But instead, Candy and Joe each sneak up on the unsuspecting braves and thrust a knife into them. Oomph. While their actions are understandable under the circumstances given, it is rather shockingly brutal and intense for Bonanza.” Sue W.