EPISODE: Star Crossed
Reviewed by: Heidi (Netherlands)
Episode: 292 Season: 9 Originally aired: March 10 1968
Guest Stars: Trisha Sterling, William Windom
Written by Thomas Thompson
Directed by William F. Claxton
SUMMARY:
At the Bucket of Blood saloon in Virginia City, Candy and Little Joe are arm-wrestling with Martha as witness. Candy tries to beat Joe but fails to do so. The bartender brings 2 full glasses of beer. He asks if they will ever stop and Joe replies, “Just when Candy admits that I am better.”
“With 2 out of 3, I am satisfied,” answers Candy. He pays for the round. He also puts 5 dollars on the table and says, “This is my last 5 dollars of wages. Let’s do it one more time for the whole game.”
Martha asks, “When are you gonna buy me a drink?”
Joe answers, “As soon as this game is over. Less than a minute.”
Outside the saloon, Laura Pollard arrives. Peering over the doors, she looks inside and then she fixes her hair and dress right near the window of the saloon. She comes then into the saloon, and Candy falls deep in love with her at first sight. (he looks so cute in my opinion!). Immediately, Joe beats him.
Joe is amazed and says, “I have never won so easily from him.” He turns around and now sees Laura also.
Laura walks full of self-confidence further into the saloon and attracts the attention of all present. She approaches the bartender and asks if he has work for her. But he has staff enough and says that she has to go somewhere else. When leaving the saloon, she faints and Candy catches her. Joe goes to get the doctor at once. The bartender gives Candy a glass of water for her and they look each other in the eyes.
At the hotel, Laura eats heartily in the company of Joe and Candy. She stops and Candy says that she must eat. Laura is ashamed because of what happened at the saloon. Joe questions her but Candy steps in by saying that he must let her eat. (Good for Candy). She thanks the boys for their help. Candy asks where she can stay and Joe suggest Mrs. O’Brien’s boardinghouse.
Laura first protests but accepts it anyway.
They walk to the boardinghouse. Mrs. O’Brien receives her with open arms and asks the boys about money for the cost. Candy wants to pay it but discovers then the he doesn’t have any money, to great delight of Joe. Joe gives the money and says he will pay the rest later. Candy reassures Laura and says that everything will be alright. Candy and Laura look at each other, being deeply in love, until Joe reminds Candy that they should be getting back to the ranch. As they are leaving, Mrs. O’Brien says that she wishes that she was a young girl for Joe Cartwright but Laura has only eyes for Candy. But he is only a ranch hand and she better can get a man with money like Joe, Mrs. O’Brien thinks.
At the ranch, Candy asks Ben if he knows of any work for Laura. Joe asks what Ben would have done in their case and his reply is that he would have done the same thing. Candy says that she doesn’t want to accept any handouts and wants to work. Finally Joe and Candy convince Ben to find her work. When Ben is off to bed, Joe looks at a very clearly shy Candy, who also goes to off to sleep then.
Ben finds Laura a job in the shop of Mrs. Burton. Outside the shop, Laura thanks the rancher.
At the boarding house, Candy is repairing a small pistol when Laura and Mrs. O’Brien come into the room. The foreman doesn’t know what to say when he sees Laura in a beautiful dress. Candy gives the pistol back to Mrs. O’Brien, whereafter he takes Laura for a ride in the buggy.
Another afternoon, Candy paces nervously, waving inside and looking into the shop where Laura works. He gestures at her but Laura is very busy. Finally she comes out whereafter Candy tells her he wants to take her for a ride. She does that. At a lake, they stop where they remain.
During a diner, Candy gives Laura an anniversary cake in honor of her birthday.
When Candy takes Laura out to the ranch, a stranger appears at the boardinghouse. The stranger, named Frank Passmore, approaches Mrs. O’Brien about Laura and invites himself in to come inside.
At the ranch, Laura hears a lot of stories about Candy. After that Ben, Hoss and Joe ask if she is going dancing on a Saturday night. Hereafter Laura gets the question if she wants to play checkers with Hoss or play cards with Joe. Ben suggests a long game of chess with him. Candy spoils the game by taking her along for a long nice walk. Joe asks if their foreman is smitten. Ben reacts, laughing, that if he isn’t, he has a good way of hiding it. Hoss challenges Joe to a game of checkers.
During their walk, Laura says that there is a lot that Candy doesn’t know about her. But he doesn’t want to know it. She says, as argument, that she has no parents. The reaction of Candy is that he doesn’t have them either. He says that it is not good to be alone. She tells him that she worked as a chambermaid in a town and had to get away from all the shooting in the saloons etc. After a kiss, they walk back. Candy brings Laura back to the boardinghouse and helps her out of the buggy. At the door, he sets a date for after church. Laura watches him go whereafter Mrs. O’Brien lets her in. She tells Laura that her cousin is in the living room. Laura goes in and sees Passmore. She asks why he has come and it turns out that Laura stills owes Passmore 500 dollars. But he says that he wants more money from her. Laura says that she doesn’t have anymore. Passmore leaves, telling her that he is her cousin as that is what he told Mrs. O’Brien.
After church, Passmore makes friends with Ben, and Candy asks for permission to take Laura for a ride, which is okay. After Candy and Laura have left, Passmore tells Ben that he was worried when Laura disappeared from home.
During their date, Candy notices that Laura isn’t herself and asks if there is something she wants to tell him. But Laura says there is nothing. Candy says that when things go smoothly and then someone appears from the past to mix things up, things change. He says that it happened to him as well. And then he asks her to do one thing. Laura asks what that is. The answer is Smile! Which she does.
Later on, he shows her the lake. Looking at it, he says that it is a whole new world to him. They sit down. He tells her about his dream which he had since the first time he saw it. But he hasn’t told anyone else as he was afraid that someone would laugh. He tells about a cabin he would build near a canyon. And it is a silly dream to him. But Laura says that it is a beautiful dream and he mustn’t stop dreaming. He wants a home for them together. Then Candy says that he loves her. The feeling is mutual but Laura is still worried.
In the evening, they say goodbye very tenderly. Entering the boardinghouse, Laura hears Passmore saying that he wants to talk to her. He pushes her into a chair and says that he just wanted 500 dollars from her but that was before he talked to Mrs. O’Brien and the Cartwrights. Laura says to leave the Cartwrights out of it but Passmore refuses to listen to her. Passmore says that Candy is not worth a penny but Little Joe is another case. He tells her that in Trail City (where Laura and Passmore come from before they went to Virginia City), the body of a cattle owner was found without a penny on him. Laura says that she killed him out of self-protection. Then Laura understands everything. Passmore decides that Laura will marry Little Joe. Laura is forced to go along with it.
At the Ponderosa, Hoss and Candy are working hard while Joe says that he feels sorry for them. They have to work and sweat all day while he only has to bring in the sacks to town and then he has the while day off. But then Ben spoils it all by saying that he wants Joe back by noon. Of course Joe protests but it doesn’t help him.
Ben asks, “Hoss, how is that new hand of us doing?”
Hoss asks, “You mean Candy?”
“Oh, is that Candy? You know, I haven’t seen him in so long that I wouldn’t recognize him,” Ben answers. Then the rancher turns to Joe and says, “There is someone in town who is a great distraction to Candy. Why don’t you bring her along to the ranch for the lunch?”
Candy starts to smile and Joe agrees. Candy says to Joe that he is seriously about her this time. Joe reassures him that he already knows that. Joe leaves with the buckboard.
Arriving at the ranch, Joe notices that Laura is very quiet and he asks what the matter is. Laura tells Joe that Candy says that he is in love with her. But she is not in love with him, although Candy is nice. Then she starts to cry and Joe takes her into his arms to comfort her. Right at that moment, Candy comes out of the stable with 2 horses and sees Joe with Laura in her arms. He can’t believe his eyes and walks towards the buggy. Joe is giving Laura words of comfort when Candy throws him off the wagon with a great swing. (I had no idea that Candy was so strong but maybe the anger played along in the strength as well!). The boys start to fight. Laura tries to stop them but Candy pushes her away and they keep on fighting. Ben and Hoss come outside and separate the boys. Ben asks what is going on; Joe says to ask Candy but Candy refuses to tell. Laura drives away with the buggy. Candy gets on his horse and leaves the yard. After Joe has gone inside to clean up, Hoss goes after him.
At the boardinghouse, Mrs. O’Brien asks Laura where little Joe is and if they had a fight on their first date. But Laura doesn’t want to talk about it and goes to her room.
Hoss finds Candy in the saloon and goes to sit at his table. Candy wants him to go but Hoss refuses. The foreman complains that Joe is such a ladies man and that’s why he wanted Laura. Hoss suggests that they should hear her side of the story but Candy says that he doesn’t want to see her anymore. Hoss doesn’t believe that and says that Candy has never loved her. Finally he convinces Candy that he should go and see Laura, which he does.
Candy wants to hear the story from Laura at the boardinghouse. She says it was just friendship. Candy asks her if she loves Joe. Laura falls into his arms and says that she always have loved him and never wanted to marry Joe. Candy is deliriously happy but notices that there is still something bothering her. Laura says then that she killed a man in Trail City. Candy wants to hear the whole story and gets to hear it. Candy tells Laura that he and the Cartwrights will protect her and to stay in the room. He leaves and, just as Mrs. O’Brien tells Laura she is going shopping, Passmore comes into the boardinghouse. Mrs. O’Brien leaves Passmore and Laura alone at the boardinghouse so they can talk.
During that time, Ben and Joe arrive in town and Candy runs towards them.
When they are alone, Passmore asks Laura what Candy wanted. He forces her to tell everything but Laura fights back.
Candy tells the Cartwrights everything and they believe her story. Ben sends Candy back to Laura while he and Joe go get the sheriff.
Passmore keeps on threatening Laura and pushes her against the chess table in which a drawer hides the pistol. She gets up and points the gun at him. A fight between them starts and suddenly the pistol goes off, hitting Laura. Meanwhile Candy walks to the boardinghouse to take care of Laura. Just as Passmore wants to leave the boardinghouse, he sees Candy coming and he goes back inside, followed by the foreman. Passmore hides and Candy finds Laura lying on the floor. He takes her into his arms and as she is dying, she says that Passmore will kill him. She sees him coming with a drawn gun. Passmore points his gun at Candy but Candy shoots him down (shooting a few times). Passmore falls down on the floor dead, while still trying to shoot.
As they talk about their mutual dream about the cabin, Laura passes away. (A very tragic scene. I got tears in my eyes watching it.) Candy can’t believe it and he starts to yell and to cry with Laura still in his arms. The Cartwrights come into the boardinghouse, pushing though a couple of people trying to look inside. They see what had happened and Candy is still crying.
Candy stands against a tree and thinks about what he and Laura had talked about their dream. The Cartwrights come to get him and find him near the lake. Ben rides ahead and calls, “Candy!”
At first, there is no reaction but then Candy thinks about how Laura said that he mustn’t stop dreaming. He gets his horse and together with the others, he rides across the ranch.
REVIEWS:
“You can understand Candy's thinking Joe was trying to steal his girl because Candy always seems to lose to Joe, whether in arm-wrestling or "girl wrestling". He saw Joe and Laura in the buckboard and just assumed this was one more "contest" he was going to lose to Joe. He over-reacts, attacking Joe and not wanting to hear Laura's side of the story. As usual, it's level-headed Hoss who makes things right. But then, of course, we know poor Laura is doomed. Anyone who hangs around the Ponderosa long enough will pick up the Cartwright curse!” Susan Grote
“I always enjoyed this episode…seems even Candy had that Cartwright curse of falling for a girl and having her dead by the end of the episode. Tisha Sterling was really beautiful and a good actress. She was the daughter of Robert Sterling and Ann Southern. I really enjoyed the competition between Candy and Joe.” Robin
“Sometimes I think the writers didn't give David Canary the credit that he really deserved. He is a superb actor and came in try to fill the void that Pernell Roberts created. No one could fill PR's shoes; Adam was just too unique; too special. But the Candy character had such extremes of his personality. He was tough, streetwise and yet easygoing and loyal. It's like David D. combined the characters of Adam and Hoss in Candy. Favorite scenes, I have two; the fight scene with Joe and Candy when Joe is trying to comfort Laura and the death scene at the end. It was really touching and well acted by DC.” Nancy
“<<<Official review: Laura is a young woman who needs help>> Okay, that statement right there is enough for me! Joe well knew that his brother, Adam, had been involved with a woman named Laura, who needed help (in the worst way!!), yet he never warned his best friend Candy about getting involved with another helpless/hopeless Laura--geez!!” Eileen "Fluffy" ;o)