The upsetting sight of Shiloh reduced to a pile of steaming rubble (in a matte painting) is only the beginning of exemplary episode full of emotional upheaval. Expert script by Robert Van Scoyk runs the gamut from desolation and despair to hope and recovery, testing the acting chops of the entire cast of regulars, who come through with flying colors. There's also a climactic shootout at a remote cabin and a twisty whodunit finale. Story's thoughtful statement, very much in keeping with the day's anti-establishment trends, advocates the rights of independent ranchers, who live on the land and are its natural stewards, against the greedy Eastern combines that only seek to exploit. There were a number of fine episodes in season eight, but none better than this one.
4 Reviews
Thought It Was The Last Episode Of Series,Hope Not!
ellenirishellen-629623 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Played last night on StarzencWesterns.All the episodes I've seen prove how great the TV Westerns were,and some excellent actors.Sara Lane is said to have had minimal experience in acting,but she's wonderful.Tim Matheson has that grin he became known for in Animal House,but I'd rather be known for my series work in a quality long-run show like The Virginian amongst such great regulars as James Drury,John & Heannette McIntire (I know she's Ms Nolan,but they were married in real life),Doug McClurg,Clu Gulager,Charlie Bickford to name only a few and the quality guest stars!At first,thought this was going to be how the series concluded,with Shiloh burned to the ground.Glad it wasn't!
Shiloh gets burned
bkoganbing26 November 2020
Anthony Franciosa guest stars in this Virginian story as an eastern representative
of meat packers who want to control the beef market at the raising end as well..
He acts like a representative of the Corleone cattle company making offers that
the ranchers can't refuse.
Of course it's John McIntire and Shiloh that stand in his way and they get the worst treatment meted out including cattle stampeding and the burning of the big house.
There's also treachery among the ranchers themselves as a couple can only see short term gain.
Franciosa sure doesn't look at home on the range. But as an outsider that works in his favor in this part. He was always one of the best around who should have had a bigger career.
Of course it's John McIntire and Shiloh that stand in his way and they get the worst treatment meted out including cattle stampeding and the burning of the big house.
There's also treachery among the ranchers themselves as a couple can only see short term gain.
Franciosa sure doesn't look at home on the range. But as an outsider that works in his favor in this part. He was always one of the best around who should have had a bigger career.
THE END IS NOT YET
CaptWinkie11 September 2023
Trampas/McClure is looking tired and shaggy at the end of 1969. He's been doing this series on a grueling production schedule for seven years plus more than four movies over the same period; he's seen some great western tv shows cancelled- even those with high ratings- and it's likely he's just waiting for it to end so he can go home and spend time with friends and family. Holocaust would have made a stellar final episode, and was likely filmed for that purpose; however...
The Virginian/Drury could have gone on for ten more years. Everyone had worked so hard for so long and got to know each other so well, it was impossible to think of it ending, so they looked around for a way to keep it going...
Enter Stewart Granger. He was a big deal for decades but fell into a bog of a career later in life and was trying to find solid ground in any country. Likely his reputation as a difficult personality kept him from many projects, but in this case that didn't matter, the Virginian had nothing to lose by trying.
Subsequently, the studio finished out the season- kind of awkward after such a perfect ending- but tv stations didn't now have to fill their time slot with another variety show and plans were made to use the shell of the Virginian (just Drury and McClure, plus a frequent supporting character actor, John McLiam) to put Stewart Granger somewhere near the top of his game again.
The result was the ninth season of the Virginian being renamed The Men of Shiloh with Granger taking the "Grainger" spot at the ranch.
Trampas/McClure stayed through the end of the fiscal year 1970- he isn't seen after Spencer Flats, which aired a year after Holocaust- while the Virginian/Drury rode his horse to the bitter end- just as we would have expected from the titular champion of our hearts.
None of us wanted the show to end, or the genre as we knew it. It's violent, it's expensive, the industry has changed- that's what they say. We all watched westerns in our youth: we got hats and boots and guns for Christmas, and as far as ive kept in touch with others, none of us grew up to be bigoted killers. It's important and worth the money, imo, to have role models like Trampas and the Virginian. If we cant yet, then let's enjoy these cowboys for as long as we can.
Ten Stars on Many Levels.
The Virginian/Drury could have gone on for ten more years. Everyone had worked so hard for so long and got to know each other so well, it was impossible to think of it ending, so they looked around for a way to keep it going...
Enter Stewart Granger. He was a big deal for decades but fell into a bog of a career later in life and was trying to find solid ground in any country. Likely his reputation as a difficult personality kept him from many projects, but in this case that didn't matter, the Virginian had nothing to lose by trying.
Subsequently, the studio finished out the season- kind of awkward after such a perfect ending- but tv stations didn't now have to fill their time slot with another variety show and plans were made to use the shell of the Virginian (just Drury and McClure, plus a frequent supporting character actor, John McLiam) to put Stewart Granger somewhere near the top of his game again.
The result was the ninth season of the Virginian being renamed The Men of Shiloh with Granger taking the "Grainger" spot at the ranch.
Trampas/McClure stayed through the end of the fiscal year 1970- he isn't seen after Spencer Flats, which aired a year after Holocaust- while the Virginian/Drury rode his horse to the bitter end- just as we would have expected from the titular champion of our hearts.
None of us wanted the show to end, or the genre as we knew it. It's violent, it's expensive, the industry has changed- that's what they say. We all watched westerns in our youth: we got hats and boots and guns for Christmas, and as far as ive kept in touch with others, none of us grew up to be bigoted killers. It's important and worth the money, imo, to have role models like Trampas and the Virginian. If we cant yet, then let's enjoy these cowboys for as long as we can.
Ten Stars on Many Levels.
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