Watching this very first episode of Bonanza reminds one of how the Cartwrights evolved from a very rough and tough family to the patriarchs of the Virginia City/Lake Tahoe area in Nevada territory. It was definitely for the better that this happened because I don't think Bonanza would have lasted had the Cartwrights stayed as they are shown here.
In those first years Lorne Greene and the boys are downright hostile to anyone on Ponderosa land, they are locked in a never ending battle with some of the silver kings in Virginia City. The number one villain is as you would expect George MacReady, just look at the cast list and you'll know.
MacReady hatches a plan to get the Ponderosa timber rights by hiring famous actress Yvonne DeCarlo to drive on to the Ponderosa and break down. After that just let some of the young Cartwright hormones do the rest. Of course it's a young Michael Landon's hormones that go into overdrive. Landon takes DeCarlo back to Virginia City and nearly becomes a captive.
In the earliest Bonanza episodes Little Joe's character is a teenager and over the run of the series we saw him mature most of all. But now he's a wild kid and the others have to rescue him.
In this first episode at the end of the show we hear the Cartwrights sing the theme from Bonanza. I'll bet a lot of you didn't think there were any lyrics.
It was a good beginning, but for the sake of the show the writers did soften the Cartwrights and insured their long run on NBC.