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The Best Episodes of Bonanza

Every episode of Bonanza ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Bonanza!

Binge this in 14d 15h•Peaking at 8.4/10

The High-Sierra adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch while helping the surrounding community.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Bonanza Season 10 Episode 23 - The Wish
    8.4/10(150 votes)

    #1 - The Wish

    S10:E23

    Hoss spends his two-month vacation helping a black family get their farm in shape, and dealing with racism in the neighboring town.

    Director:Michael Landon
    Writer:Michael Landon

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  2. Bonanza Season 5 Episode 12 - Hoss and the Leprechauns
    8.3/10(292 votes)

    #2 - Hoss and the Leprechauns

    S5:E12

    In what is arguably the best comedy of the series, Hoss swears he has seen green elves running around the Ponderosa and a smooth-talking Irishman complicates matters even worse.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Bonanza Season 10 Episode 13 - Mark of Guilt
    8.3/10(131 votes)

    #3 - Mark of Guilt

    S10:E13

    Hop Sing tells Hoss and Candy they can use the ancient Chinese art of fingerprinting to prove Joe is innocent of murder.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Bonanza Season 5 Episode 4 - Twilight Town
    8.2/10(258 votes)

    #4 - Twilight Town

    S5:E4

    Joe is bushwhacked in the desert and awakens to find himself in Martinville, a town that may or may not be populated by ghosts. An errie, surrealistic and well-produced episode.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Bonanza Season 8 Episode 7 - Credit for a Kill
    8.2/10(131 votes)

    #5 - Credit for a Kill

    S8:E7

    Though his friend is badly in need of the reward money, Joe insists it belongs to him, to protect his friend from the dead outlaws' brothers.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Bonanza Season 9 Episode 18 - The Burning Sky
    8.2/10(152 votes)

    #6 - The Burning Sky

    S9:E18

    A cruel, sadistic, alcoholic and racist rancher named Aaron Gore stalks the wife of Ben's friend, whom he has hired as a horse trainer. The woman is a glowingly beautiful Sioux who befriends Mr. Gore's son, whom he regularly beats up. Mr. Gore uses some incredibly vicious means to ensure she regrets ever having anything to do with his son.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Bonanza

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  7. Bonanza Season 9 Episode 28 - To Die in Darkness
    8.2/10(136 votes)

    #7 - To Die in Darkness

    S9:E28

    While the others are away, Ben and Candy are lured by an old friend of Ben's to go somewhere. The ""friend"" traps them in a deep pit. He comes back to give them food, but how long will he be feeling ""generous""?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Bonanza Season 12 Episode 24 - The Stillness Within
    8.2/10(160 votes)

    #8 - The Stillness Within

    S12:E24

    Blinded by an explosion, Joe wallows in self-pity, and at first resists the efforts of a woman trying to teach him to live without sight, not knowing she is also blind.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Bonanza Season 12 Episode 27 - Kingdom of Fear
    8.2/10(130 votes)

    #9 - Kingdom of Fear

    S12:E27

    Ben, Hoss and Joe, along with Candy and a fellow rancher, are jailed on false trespassing charges by a greedy mining tycoon. The despot runs a gold mine (i.e., a thinly-veiled prison camp) and acquires slave labor by pressing phony criminal charges against the unfortunate inmates.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Bonanza Season 14 Episode 10 - The Hidden Enemy
    8.2/10(147 votes)

    #10 - The Hidden Enemy

    S14:E10

    Dr. Will Agar is Virginia City's new town doctor, and brings with him new skills and expertise to treat area residents' health maladies. Only thing is, Dr. Agar is seriously addicted to morphine, and it results in serious trouble for everyone.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Bonanza Season 1 Episode 26 - The Avenger
    8.1/10(321 votes)

    #11 - The Avenger

    S1:E26

    A restaurant owner whom Ben and Adam have confronted over stolen Ponderosa beef ends up dead one night. His daughter, Sally Byrnes runs the cafe and in her resentment, wrongfully accuses Ben and Adam of murdering her father and they are sentenced to hang. A rancher by the name of Hawkins is also jealous of the Cartwrights and has hired his men to stop the town from helping Ben and Adam, ensuring they hang. Hoss and Joe are willing to stop them, but Ben insists they stay within the limits of the law.

    Director:Christian Nyby
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Bonanza Season 3 Episode 27 - The Gamble
    8.1/10(182 votes)

    #12 - The Gamble

    S3:E27

    In the town of Alkali, the Cartwrights are jailed on false charges of robbery and murder, but Joe escapes and returns with an army of Ponderosa hands.

    Director:William Witney
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Bonanza Season 5 Episode 11 - The Legacy
    8.1/10(162 votes)

    #13 - The Legacy

    S5:E11

    Adam, Hoss and Joe mistakenly believe their father was murdered. They split into 3 different directions to confront the supposed killers. In his heart, Ben knows his sons will not act outside the law; but he is not 100% sure that Joe will behave correctly.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Bonanza Season 9 Episode 7 - The Gentle Ones
    8.1/10(133 votes)

    #14 - The Gentle Ones

    S9:E7

    Most people consider Mark Cole a coward, but he does not hesitate to step forward when his brother attempts to break a horse by torturing it.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Bonanza Season 9 Episode 20 - Blood Tie
    8.1/10(125 votes)

    #15 - Blood Tie

    S9:E20

    A band of outlaws enact a scheme to rob the Ponderosa, by tricking Hoss and Little Joe away from the ranch and leaving a wounded Ben alone at home.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Bonanza Season 9 Episode 22 - The Late Ben Cartwright
    8.1/10(125 votes)

    #16 - The Late Ben Cartwright

    S9:E22

    In order to ruin the plans of a corrupt politician, Ben allows everyone to think that an attempt on his life was successful.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Bonanza Season 10 Episode 16 - My Friend, My Enemy
    8.1/10(117 votes)

    #17 - My Friend, My Enemy

    S10:E16

    Only the testimony of an Indian wanted for horse theft can clear Candy of murder.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Bonanza Season 11 Episode 17 - The Trouble with Amy
    8.1/10(125 votes)

    #18 - The Trouble with Amy

    S11:E17

    Ben comes to the aid of Amy Wilder, an eccentric animal lover whose mental competency is questioned when a neighbor declares an interest in her land for mining. The neighbor asks the court for a hearing to have Amy declared senile so he can obtain her land, setting off Ben's race against time to track down Amy's relatives to defend her mental state.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Bonanza Season 14 Episode 1 - Forever
    8.1/10(252 votes)

    #19 - Forever

    S14:E1

    Little Joe finds true love in newcomer Alice Harper. Following a courtship, the two are engaged. Unlike most of the Cartwrights' previous girlfriends, Alice makes it to the altar. Joe and Alice are starting their new life together, and she soon becomes pregnant. All appears well, as Joe and Alice start their new life together in their new home ... until one day Joe is out. Alice's indolent brother owes money to a ruthless businessman and has not yet paid, so they find Alice instead. When she can't pay the debt, they brutally kill her and burn Joe's house down.

    Director:Michael Landon
    Writer:Michael Landon

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  20. Bonanza Season 1 Episode 32 - Death at Dawn
    8.0/10(279 votes)

    #20 - Death at Dawn

    S1:E32

    Virginia City is plagued by organized crime, Sam Bryant and his gang. One of his men, Farmer Perkins, kills a storekeeper, and at his trial, the wife of the store owner is afraid to testify. When Perkins is sentenced to hang, Bryant kidnaps Ben and wants to exchange Ben for Perkins, which leaves Adam with the most difficult decision of his life. A stellar cast.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Bonanza Season 2 Episode 2 - The Mission
    8.0/10(238 votes)

    #21 - The Mission

    S2:E2

    Filmed almost entirely outdoors, this is more like a feature than a series. Captain Pender is looking for a scout to lead him and his company of men across the desert, along with a currency shipment they are carrying to another army fort. Charlie Trent, a former scout and now a drunk, still blames himself for his troops being led to massacre. Hoss sees that this is Charlie's opportunity to redeem himself and win back his honor. Meantime, Captain Pender is having trouble with Cutter, another scout who is a devious and cunning bear of a man, who agreed to lead him across the desert, but Pender lets him go and with Hoss' suggestion, Captain Pender agress to have Charlie be their scout.

    Director:James Neilson
    Writer:Robert E. Thompson

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  22. Bonanza Season 3 Episode 2 - Springtime
    8.0/10(178 votes)

    #22 - Springtime

    S3:E2

    A friend of Ben's (Mr. Milbank) arrives at the Ponderosa at a bad time...when the Cartwright boys are fighting in the mud. Mr. Milbank, who is injured by a flying log during the fight, gives an assignment to each of the three boys. Can they fulfill the assignments, or has Springtime gotten to them all?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Bonanza Season 3 Episode 3 - The Honor of Cochise
    8.0/10(189 votes)

    #23 - The Honor of Cochise

    S3:E3

    The Cartwrights and a bigoted army captain are pinned down by Cochise and his braves, who claim the officer poisoned 30 of their people.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Bonanza Season 3 Episode 18 - The Ride
    8.0/10(171 votes)

    #24 - The Ride

    S3:E18

    Adam races against the clock to prove a man who was once his friend is guilty of robbery and murder and Adam is convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt he is guilty.

    Director:Don McDougall
    Writer:Ward Hawkins

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  25. Bonanza Season 3 Episode 28 - The Crucible
    8.0/10(213 votes)

    #25 - The Crucible

    S3:E28

    Adam is left to die in the desert after two thieves take $5,000 and his horse from him. Near death, he stumbles into an old prospector named Kane who offers to lend him a mule and supplies in exchange for three day's work at his mine. Kane, however, turns out to be a demented madman. He holds Adam prisoner and tortures him to prove his theory that anyone could be driven to kill, even a man as rational as Adam. This is Pernell Robert's favorite episode along with "The Wooing Of Abigail Jones".

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"The Wish" is the best rated episode of "Bonanza". It scored 8.4/10 based on 150 votes. Directed by Michael Landon and written by Michael Landon, it aired on 3/9/1969. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Hoss and the Leprechauns".