7.0/10138 votes#1 - The Smiler
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 9/24/1961
A drunk is killed in a saloon brawl with Hoss, and though the man's brother insists there are no hard feelings, he is actually a silver-tongued devil bent on revenge.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/10155 votes#2 - Springtime
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 10/1/1961
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: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/10170 votes#3 - The Honor of Cochise
Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/1961
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: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.2/10144 votes#4 - The Lonely House
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 10/15/1961
Little Joe pays a visit to the widow Lee Bolden, and brings her a bank draft for her husband's investments with Ben. Actually, the investments were losing propositions. Ben just wanted to help out his friend. During his visit, a wounded man stumbles into the house, and Joe recognizes him as Trock, who had just robbed the local bank. Lee Bolden was a nurse to her husband physician, and removes the bullet from Trock. Joe soon learns that Lee is in love with Trock, and that is the only thing standing between him and an early grave.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.9/10139 votes#5 - The Burma Rarity
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/1961
In this comic episode involving a precious emerald and the sweet widow, Clemantine Hawkins who is attracted to Ben, turns the tables on a pair of land swindlers.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.3/10137 votes#6 - Broken Ballad
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 10/29/1961
Adam tries to help a reformed gunman who wants only to live peacefully near Virginia City. Good story without a tidy ending. Pernell's first chance to sing on the series.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.2/10149 votes#7 - The Many Faces of Gideon Flinch
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 11/5/1961
Hoss and Joe become involved when "Bullethead" Burke vows revenge on an old man he claims cheated him in an investment deal.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.5/10138 votes#8 - The Friendship
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 11/12/1961
Joe befriends and takes responsibility for an ex-convict named Danny. Danny loves horses and is not used to people's ways on the outside of jail. Will his rough jailhouse upbringing mar any hopes of friendship?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.0/10128 votes#9 - The Countess
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 11/19/1961
A woman Ben once loved, Lady Chadwick, returns and attempts to trick him into marrying her by ruining his business. Ben says almost losing the Ponderosa will make him and his sons appreciate it more.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.2/10131 votes#10 - The Horse Breaker
Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 11/26/1961
A professional wrangler working for the Cartwrights is paralyzed when thrown by a particularly mean bronco. The woman nursing him was once engaged to the late son of a neighboring rancher out to get Ben.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.5/10147 votes#11 - Day of the Dragon
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 12/3/1961
Joe wins a card game and an unexpected prize...a young lady. She goes to the Ponderosa and serves them, not wanting to be set free. Meanwhile, an army is looking for her and the Cartwrights.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
5.9/10135 votes#12 - The Frenchman
Season 3 Episode 12 - Aired 12/10/1961
An irritating man who boasts of being the reincarnation of French poet Francois Villion shows up causing trouble for the Cartwrights.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.2/10131 votes#13 - The Tin Badge
Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 12/17/1961
Joe accepts the job of temporary sheriff in the town of Rubicon, unaware he is being used to facilitate a scheme involving murder.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.3/10179 votes#14 - Gabrielle
Season 3 Episode 14 - Aired 12/24/1961
In this Christmas story, inspired by Johanna Spyri's "Heidi", Hoss and Joe come across a blind girl whose family has been killed in a wagon wreck, learning later that her grandfather is a bitter hermit who spent 21 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.9/10141 votes#15 - Land Grab
Season 3 Episode 15 - Aired 12/31/1961
The Ponderosa is overrun with settlers bearing phony property deeds, and one of Ben's oldest friends is responsible.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.9/10134 votes#16 - The Tall Stranger
Season 3 Episode 16 - Aired 1/7/1962
Hoss plans to marry Margie, a pretty blonde, but Margie becomes fascinated with a tall, traveling stranger named Mark Connors. Margie marries Mark but soon finds it was far from a match made in heaven.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.0/10147 votes#17 - The Lady from Baltimore
Season 3 Episode 17 - Aired 1/14/1962
An overbearing friend of the family tries to force her daughter into marrying Joe, though she does not love him. The situation grows more complex when Adam stumbles onto the scheme.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/10150 votes#18 - The Ride
Season 3 Episode 18 - Aired 1/21/1962
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: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.2/10144 votes#19 - The Storm
Season 3 Episode 19 - Aired 1/28/1962
Joe plans to marry Laura White, daughter of a man Ben once sailed with, but she is fatally ill. Ben consoles him with words spoken years before, by the father of Adam's mother.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.9/10132 votes#20 - The Auld Sod
Season 3 Episode 20 - Aired 2/4/1962
The Cartwrights pretend the Ponderosa belongs to the town lush, when his aging mother from Ireland arrives.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.5/10141 votes#21 - Gift of Water
Season 3 Episode 21 - Aired 2/11/1962
The Cartwrights dig a well, build a rig and a windmill for a drought-stricken farm family.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.3/10139 votes#22 - The Jackknife
Season 3 Episode 22 - Aired 2/18/1962
Adam gives a second chance to a family man he suspects is one of the rustlers who has been hitting the Ponderosa herds.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.0/10123 votes#23 - The Guilty
Season 3 Episode 23 - Aired 2/25/1962
When Ben fails to prevent the death of a friend's son, Adam and Joe, concerned by their father's depression, attempt to prove there was nothing he could have done.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.2/10154 votes#24 - The Wooing of Abigail Jones
Season 3 Episode 24 - Aired 3/4/1962
In order to keep peace on the ranch, Hoss and Joe try to help ranch hand, Hank Meyers woo the the plain-looking schoolteacher, Abigail Jones. When their first plan backfires, they convince Adam (who doesn't want to get involved) to help and this makes things worse because Abigail believes it is Adam who is wooing her and Hank Meyers believes Adam wants to steal her away.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.3/10131 votes#25 - The Lawmaker
Season 3 Episode 25 - Aired 3/11/1962
Ben supports the appointment of Asa Moran as Virginia City's temporary sheriff, but Moran goes overboard with his authority, jailing Adam in the process and pistol-whipping a Ponderosa hand.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Bonanza Season 3
Every episode of Bonanza Season 3 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Bonanza Season 3!
The High-Sierra adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch while helping the surrounding community.
Genres:WesternAction & AdventureDramaFamily
Network:NBC
Season 3 Ratings Summary
"The Smiler" is the best rated episode of "Bonanza" season 3. It scored 7/10 based on 138 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 9/24/1961. This episode is rated 0.8 points higher than the second-best, "Springtime".