User Reviews

This has to be one of the worst episodes of this show ever to reach the air. In this episode the Ponderosa is visited by a family traveling circus act; in this case a trapeze act. The family is led by Caesar Romero as the younger brother of the real strength in the family; his older sister. The older sister doesn't perform; and if this were a believable story neither would Romero. He doesn't cut the figure of a trapeze performer, and he's clearly to old. We're asked to believe that Ben's time at sea put him on liberty in Milano, Italy in a alley, where Caesar says his bacon in a street fight. Some how this man winds up in Nevada and has a much younger female member of his troupe that he has the hots for. The girl he's interested in is already a love interest of one of the younger members of his troupe. Romero manipulate this man to become jealous of Little Joe. This man challenges Little Joe to a duel. Joe chooses fists as his weapon and proceeds to beat the stuffing out of challenger. Now conveniently Little Joe has insisted the duel be a secret and be carried out in the woods. After Joe leaves he opponent beaten and laying on the ground, someone stabs his opponent; attempting to kill him; and of course he uses Joe's knife. Since no one can prove Joe didn't do it; he's arrested. Ben becomes suspicious and arranges for Hoss, who is in another city, to come back an pretend to be a witness of the crime. He approaches the man Ben suspects, Caesar Romero's character, and tells him he witnessed the dirty deed. Naturally this causes Romero to give away his guilt. When he's approached, he makes his escape by climbing up to his trapeze; and begins attempting a difficult trick. Why anyone would escape this way is not explained. For some reason another of the performers climbs up and works with him on the this trick. While up there Romero has a heart attack and falls to his death. This story could have been written by a 5th grader. I'm amazed a adult was paid for this ridiculous script.