The Best Episodes of Bonanza Season 3

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

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   #1 - The Smiler

   S3:E19/24/1961

   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:Unknown

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2. 

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   #2 - Springtime

   S3:E210/1/1961

   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:Unknown

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3. 

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   #3 - The Honor of Cochise

   S3:E310/8/1961

   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:Unknown

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4. 

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   #4 - The Lonely House

   S3:E410/15/1961

   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.

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5. 

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   #5 - The Burma Rarity

   S3:E510/22/1961

   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:Unknown

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6. 

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   #6 - Broken Ballad

   S3:E610/29/1961

   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:Unknown

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7. 

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   #7 - The Many Faces of Gideon Flinch

   S3:E711/5/1961

   Hoss and Joe become involved when "Bullethead" Burke vows revenge on an old man he claims cheated him in an investment deal.

   Director:Robert Altman

   Writer:Robert Vincent Wright

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   Director:Robert Altman

   Writer:Robert Vincent Wright
8. 

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   #8 - The Friendship

   S3:E811/12/1961

   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:Unknown

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9. 

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   #9 - The Countess

   S3:E911/19/1961

   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:Unknown

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10. 

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    #10 - The Horse Breaker

    S3:E1011/26/1961

    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:Unknown

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11. 

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    #11 - Day of the Dragon

    S3:E1112/3/1961

    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:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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12. 

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    #12 - The Frenchman

    S3:E1212/10/1961

    An irritating man who boasts of being the reincarnation of French poet Francois Villion shows up causing trouble for the Cartwrights.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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13. 

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    #13 - The Tin Badge

    S3:E1312/17/1961

    Joe accepts the job of temporary sheriff in the town of Rubicon, unaware he is being used to facilitate a scheme involving murder.

    Director:Unknown

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14. 

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    #14 - Gabrielle

    S3:E1412/24/1961

    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:Unknown

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15. 

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    #15 - Land Grab

    S3:E1512/31/1961

    The Ponderosa is overrun with settlers bearing phony property deeds, and one of Ben's oldest friends is responsible.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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16. 

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    #16 - The Tall Stranger

    S3:E161/7/1962

    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:Unknown

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17. 

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    #17 - The Lady from Baltimore

    S3:E171/14/1962

    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:Unknown

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18. 

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    #18 - The Ride

    S3:E181/21/1962

    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:Unknown

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19. 

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    #19 - The Storm

    S3:E191/28/1962

    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:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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20. 

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    #20 - The Auld Sod

    S3:E202/4/1962

    The Cartwrights pretend the Ponderosa belongs to the town lush, when his aging mother from Ireland arrives.

    Director:Unknown

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21. 

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    #21 - Gift of Water

    S3:E212/11/1962

    The Cartwrights dig a well, build a rig and a windmill for a drought-stricken farm family.

    Director:Unknown

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22. 

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    #22 - The Jackknife

    S3:E222/18/1962

    Adam gives a second chance to a family man he suspects is one of the rustlers who has been hitting the Ponderosa herds.

    Director:Unknown

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23. 

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    #23 - The Guilty

    S3:E232/25/1962

    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:Unknown

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24. 

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    #24 - The Wooing of Abigail Jones

    S3:E243/4/1962

    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:Unknown

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25. 

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    #25 - The Lawmaker

    S3:E253/11/1962

    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:Unknown

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