User Reviews

Flashback episode that provides about all of The Virginian's back story that viewers would ever get is a moving drama that gains much of its poignancy from Mariette Hartley's achingly heartfelt performance. She plays a rancher's daughter, lonely and isolated, who enters adulthood desperately yearning for a loving marriage and family of her own. The Virginian's sensitivity to her plight creates an emotional current between Drury and Hartley that is deeply affecting. Story's outcome leaves a melancholy aftertaste that haunts the memory. Stereotyped snaky villain Rex Holman, who must hold the TV record for lost gunfights, meets his usual fate in the usual fashion.

If you are any kind of fan of this series, this episode is a must watch. It is all about the Virginian, (Drury) and how he came to Shilo Ranch.

When Drury rides into Medicine Bow, he makes friends with a Peterson Ranch (Shilo rival) hand. The ranch hand is in a bit of trouble with a couple of Shilo ranch hands and he needs some help. The ever clever Drury Instigates a bar brawl to allow his new friend a way out of the bar unharmed, Drury, always honest, winds up with a night in jail for his part in things. It leads to a job at Peterson's and Drury meets the always lovely Mariette Hartley, the owners daughter. Things are heating up between the Judge and Peterson, with the Peterson foreman (Stager) making things worse at every opportunity. As time passes, Drury becomes a problem for Stager across the board. Hartley is engaged to Stager, and Drury easily pulls her away from the manipulative Stager. Meanwhile, things continue to heat up between the two ranches. Stager sees an opportunity and moves to hurry things along by shooting and killing Peterson (Erikson). With Peterson's murder, it puts the ranch in Hartley's hands, and Stager's. Stager takes over the ranch, and implicates Shilo in Peterson's murder. Feeling some newfound courage, thanks to The Virginian, Hartley stands up to Stager to tell him that the ranch is hers and she intends to run it. As things continue to escalate between the two ranches, always with Stager's help. Stager then fires Drury to get him out of the picture all together. Hartley sees Stager's move and stops Stager to keep Drury on. Stager then ambushes Drury right where Peterson was murdered. Drury does not die, but Stager does not know this. Hartley has to take Stager at his word about the Virginian and his departure from the ranch.

Drury is found by Garth who saves his life, and saves the round he was shot with. Drury recovers with a new take on the Judge and Shilo. Drury begins a search for the Sharps rifle and the person who fired it. The search takes him right to a surprised Stager. Drury also implicates Stager in Peterson's murder as well. Things reach the boiling point between the two ranches as well as Drury and Stage, with Hartley right in the middle. So how does it all play out, and take Drury to Shilo?

I'll stop here and suggest that ya get a beverage or two and some snacks. Settle back and watch one of the more important episodes of the series. Enjoy, my friends.

An abandoned ranch house on Shiloh property has James Drury thinking about when he first arrived in the Medicine Bow area. At the time that house belonged to a father and daughter named Peterson played by Leif Erickson and Mariette Hartley.

The Petersons are in a feud with Judge Garth and Shiloh, a feud instigated by the Peterson foreman Michael Forest for his own nefarious purposes. In classic villain tradition he's romancing Hartley as well.

You know the rest as Drury figures out what's going on and acts accordingly.