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Reviews
Becker: Subway Story (2004)
Love this episode - Ted Danson is superb. So is Frances Sternhagen
If one were to watch only one episode of Becker, this would be the one. I have seen this one several times, and each time it is amazing. Great acting and well written. Danson does a great job of staying within the character of Becker while taking him to the place where the stereotypical character sheds like an onion to the inner core where he is empathetic. And the empathy occurs even though he could have easily chosen to just be part of the busy herd of people running from place to place and struggling with time pressures. Frances Sternhagen is fantastic as well, and said we just lost her in November of 2023. Frances does a great convincing job of being lost and finally breaking down. Kudos to the writers. Television does not get better than this.
Cheyenne: The Quick and the Deadly (1962)
One of the best in the series
This is one not to miss. I have seen it several times. There is some really great acting in this one and a great cast. The story is ok, but there is something about seeing all these people together doing their best to make a classic in this series that really pulls it off. Like the other reviewer stated, it is sort of complicated, but I do not think too much so. There are a couple of scenes that are outstanding that I do not want to get into too much detail on because I do not want to have to put the spoiler alert on this comment. The interactions between Cheyenne and Gary as well as Gary and Molly are among them. Enjoy!
Cheyenne: Julesburg (1955)
Simply Great!
One of my absolute favorite Cheyenne Episodes. It has everything: Great story, great acting, and I have seen perhaps every episode. Cheyenne is great in this one and some of the themes of his role in the series really start to take off here. Smitty is also great in this episode. Personally, I think they should have kept Smitty and L. Q. Jones. He adds a lot in the episode and various later episodes could have benefited from a long term friend of Cheyenne who adds a great balance of levity and seriousness. I am not saying this for every episode, but at least periodically. This may be my third time around seeing this one, and I am still enjoying it. So enjoy!
Cheyenne: Lone Patrol (1961)
Excellent episode - great writing!
Writing and acting is superb in this one. One would think that some of these people really existed. Characters layered and acted well. Instead of simple stereotypes set up for some of the key actors, there is some depth and surprises, just like real life. Sometimes reality is more complex than a lot of fiction. This straying from typical fiction added to the merit of this episode. I do not want to contain spoilers here, so that is probably as close as I can get to describe it. Definitely worth watching and thinking about. And a young Dawn Wells is in this episode. I have seen quite a few of the Cheyenne episodes and this one would be ranked in the upper tier.
The Virginian: Last Grave at Socorro Creek (1969)
One of the best episodes.
The son is a fabulous actor. And a good script and acting for the Virginian. Ihnat is very good at the villian role and yet his acting makes it like his character really existed. This is the kind of episode that makes the series great. I am not going to get into details. I just want to encourage people to watch this one. Having said that, the ending script is better than usual as well.
The Virginian: Stopover (1969)
Herb Jeffries is fabulous
This is worth watching for Herb Jeffries, who is a great actor here and makes the episode. The directing is also very good. It has a great theme that includes projections of people, their fears, and the inability to really open up to the personality of someone they really do not know. The ending could be a little better and the Virginian's role could have been better. Some of the supporting actors are fabulous. Overall, this is one of the better episodes.
The Virginian: Image of an Outlaw (1968)
A good one - watch it!
This is one of the better episodes of the season. First, whenever Drury and McClure are riding together - it is a good thing. I wish more episodes had them both together more often. The story and acting is very good and entertaining. It makes one wonder how some people may be so close to evil when given the opportunity.
The Virginian: The Crooked Path (1968)
Great story and acting
Sometimes an episode is really good and then the ending is weak. Not this one. I thought the acting by all was very good in this one, it was entertaining and thought provoking. The lead character was more than one dimensional, which was good and also realistic. This is actually one of my favorite episodes. Enjoy.
The Virginian: Bitter Harvest (1967)
I really like this one
Definitely worth watching. I do not want to have a spoiler in this, but it is not too far-fetched. There is a lesson in this one that can apply to life when tensions and emotions are rising to high.
The Virginian: High Stakes (1966)
James Drury is great!
James Drury is great in this espisode. So is Terry Moore and Jack Lord. A good story made great by the actors. Good suspence is included. Well worth watching.
The Virginian: The Captive (1966)
Well worth watching
The story is perhaps a little corny, but the acting pulls it to the top. It is hard to say whether it is far-fetched or not, because it is about another era and things were just not the same back them. The parents are great actors and Charles Bickford holds the screen much like Lee J. Cobb did .
The Virginian: No Drums, No Trumpets (1966)
Great Acting - interesting episode
I rated this perhaps a little higher than I should have, but maybe it will provide some balance. The acting is superb. John Dehner and Leslie Nielsen do a fabulous job here. The storyline is interesting and once again involves some common themes that we see in Westerns but are also important today. I will not get more specific so that this does not need a spoiler alert.
The Virginian: One Spring Like Long Ago (1966)
Worth watching
I did not give this a 10 because the writing could have been better. However, the acting is very good and the themes are very important. Dehner and Bartlett are great in this episode. Randy is good, but I did not find his character that credible. Not Randy's fault, but the writers' fault. Once again, still entertaining and thought provoking on themes that are extremely important.
The Virginian: Harvest of Strangers (1966)
Interesting episode - underrated here
I am trying to give some balance here. The acting is great as usual. The storyline is rather unusual. But it is important how it involves the fears of people - a common theme in Westerns. Well worth watching.
The Virginian: Morgan Starr (1966)
Great episode - Dehner is a great actor too!
I might have had low expectations given some of the reviews here. But I thought it was outstanding. Super acting of course, entertaining, and perhaps a good message as well. Dehner is one of my favorite western actors. And he does not disappoint here.
The Virginian: Legend for a Lawman (1965)
I love this episode
Ford Rainey is fabulous. The main point is fabulous. Also, another great western that delves into the complications of justice, human frailties and strengths. Well directed.
The Virginian: Hideout (1965)
Great acting again and still entertaining
The story is a little far-fetched. However, this episode is entertaining, qnd has great, great acting. Definitely worth watching. Due to the great acting, with the less than perfect story, the characters seem very real.
The Virginian: The Payment (1964)
Lloyd Nolan - super real
This episode is worth watching just to see Lloyd Nolan's great acting. The story is pretty good, but it is the acting that makes it. Clu Gulager is no slouch either. I would say more, but I am trying to avoid spoilers. This is a great episode.
The Virginian: Return a Stranger (1964)
Love it!
Once again, a great episode with great acting, entertainment and a good message. I was thinking today about how much better the world would be now if westerns like this were still being made for TV. We have lost something valuable in the U. S.
The Virginian: The Girl from Yesterday (1964)
Gary Clarke - fantastic
Gary Clarke is superb in this episode. The studio should have done more to keep him. As far as I am concerned the height of this series is with Lee J. Cobb, Doug McClure and James Drury. It never was quite the same afterward, though still very good. I highly recommend this episode.
The Virginian: A Father for Toby (1964)
Rory Calhoun Joanna Moore - need I say more!
Any time these two are in a western, it is a must watch. Great actors. I have seen this one several times and thought I would skip seeing it today when it was aired again. But I started watching it again, and it still was entertaining. A great story about redemption.
Enjoy this one!
The Virginian: Big Image... Little Man (1964)
Entertaining - not want to end
The acting was so great, I did not want it to end. It was well written, well acted and entertaining. It may be a plot from a prior movie, but so what.
This version is with these special actors and it was enjoyable.
The Virginian: Run Quiet (1963)
Perfect episode
The script is fantastic. The actors make it seem very real. Clu and Gary are great. One would think that Clu's character could write thing down for better communication. But who knows? At any rate, this episode has everything. And there is nothing like a great American Western to teach the importance of a good justice system and the importance of being innocent until proven guilty.
The Virginian: A Portrait of Marie Valonne (1963)
Excellent.
Entertaining. Great acting. Intertwined as a work of art. I am not sure why others have not reviewed it as highly. I have seen every Virginian episode and this also deserves a place at the top. As to the concern as to why the Virginian would be so concerned about someone he had a brief encounter with, well, love does interesting things to people. The 19th century relationships are not like more modern ones. It is not that hard to understand.
The Virginian: A Killer in Town (1963)
Fabulous!
This is one of the best episodes. Fantastic writing and acting. Some stereotypes are broken down here and more than one character has something to learn in this one. Crawford is perfect for this part. Once again, this shows the importance of American Westerns as an entertaining and educational format for all of us.