I am a big fan of the original Bonanza series. I have only very recently viewed all the episodes of this great prequel. At first I thought it a bit slow but after watching the whole series again i have changed my mind. I feel that it is realistic. Lots of mud and death. The pilot is incredibly moving when Ben gets the boys to pay their respect one after the other looking at Marie in her coffin. When little Joe tells her to just open her eyes and smile i was very tearful. Powerful stuff. Joaquim is a great episode too...I liked the clash between Ben and Adam over carrying a pistol. Ben is right but Adam has a point to. Throughout the series there should have been more clashes between those two headstrong characters! Both Hoss and little Joe could not have been better characterised. I am sad that it did not make a second series as there was amazing potential . It is so hard to herald an epic television moment such as Bonanza but I strongly feel after careful consideration that Ponderosa came close.