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The Best Episodes of Bonanza Season 8

Every episode of Bonanza Season 8 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Bonanza Season 8!

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 8 Ratings Summary

"Something Hurt, Something Wild" is the best rated episode of "Bonanza" season 8. It scored 6.9/10 based on 116 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 9/11/1966. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Horse of a Different Hue".

  • Something Hurt, Something Wild
    6.9/10116 votes

    #1 - Something Hurt, Something Wild

    Season 8 Episode 1 - Aired 9/11/1966

    The Cartwrights' friendship with a neighboring rancher is threatened by his mentally unstable daughter.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Horse of a Different Hue
    6.9/1097 votes

    #2 - Horse of a Different Hue

    Season 8 Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/1966

    So the Cartwrights will not be killed, one of Ben's oldest friends must make sure Joe does not win a horse race.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • A Time to Step Down
    7.5/10103 votes

    #3 - A Time to Step Down

    Season 8 Episode 3 - Aired 9/25/1966

    After the Cartwrights put wrangler Dan Tolliver out to pasture, the embittered old man plans to take part in robbing the Ponderosa.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Pursued (1)
    7.2/10104 votes

    #4 - The Pursued (1)

    Season 8 Episode 4 - Aired 10/2/1966

    A Mormon with two wives is badgered by the town's people and then things get much worse.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Pursued (2)
    7.2/1094 votes

    #5 - The Pursued (2)

    Season 8 Episode 5 - Aired 10/9/1966

    As the persecuted party awaits Ben and Hoss' return, Herber is shot and killed. Joe retaliates and shoots Herber's assassin.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • To Bloom for Thee
    6.6/10105 votes

    #6 - To Bloom for Thee

    Season 8 Episode 6 - Aired 10/16/1966

    Hoss is engaged to Carol Attley, a troubled woman with a past darker than he imagines.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Credit for a Kill
    7.8/10110 votes

    #7 - Credit for a Kill

    Season 8 Episode 7 - Aired 10/23/1966

    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: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Four Sisters from Boston
    7.1/10121 votes

    #8 - Four Sisters from Boston

    Season 8 Episode 8 - Aired 10/30/1966

    The Cartwrights come to the rescue of four inexperienced homesteaders, when devious cattle ranchers try to run them off their property.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Old Charlie
    7.5/10102 votes

    #9 - Old Charlie

    Season 8 Episode 9 - Aired 11/6/1966

    A young cowpoke is killed during a fight with Hoss, but the old blowhard who runs the Virginia City stables, takes the credit, placing him in danger from the dead man's brothers.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Ballad of the Ponderosa
    6.6/10101 votes

    #10 - Ballad of the Ponderosa

    Season 8 Episode 10 - Aired 11/13/1966

    A young troubadour, who blames Ben for the death of his father, returns to Virginia City. In one scene, Ben says the young man is welcome to use Adam's guitar.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Oath
    7.4/1099 votes

    #11 - The Oath

    Season 8 Episode 11 - Aired 11/20/1966

    While in another town, on business, Ben runs into a saloon employee who is a big figure, and after he kills an old miner, who has burned down his house, Ben takes him into the sheriff. He is sentenced and hung. Before his departure, Charlie Monahan, has made his half-breed son, Charlie Two, swear an oath to kill Ben. Little Joe is made aware of this and must track him down to prevent him from carrying out his oath against Ben. Charlie Two is unaware that Joe is Ben's son, as they meet on the trail.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • A Real Nice, Friendly Little Town
    7.1/10117 votes

    #12 - A Real Nice, Friendly Little Town

    Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 11/27/1966

    When the woman he was planning to marry is strangled, Joe forces the only suspect to come forward, in a very tense-filled episode.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Bridegroom
    7.2/10109 votes

    #13 - The Bridegroom

    Season 8 Episode 13 - Aired 12/4/1966

    Joe plays matchmaker in this story of a rancher attempting to marry off his supposedly unremarkable daughter.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Tommy
    7.6/10103 votes

    #14 - Tommy

    Season 8 Episode 14 - Aired 12/18/1966

    The Cartwrights protect a woman and her deaf-mute little son from the boy's outlaw stepfather.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • A Christmas Story
    7.0/10137 votes

    #15 - A Christmas Story

    Season 8 Episode 15 - Aired 12/25/1966

    Warbling Andy Walker returns to Virginia City a big success, along with his shifty Uncle Thaddeus.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Ponderosa Explosion
    7.2/10107 votes

    #16 - Ponderosa Explosion

    Season 8 Episode 16 - Aired 1/1/1967

    Two Virginia City old-timers fool Hoss and Joe into raising rabbits, and the Ponderosa is overrun with paws and whiskers.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Justice
    7.0/10108 votes

    #17 - Justice

    Season 8 Episode 17 - Aired 1/8/1967

    When the woman he was planning to marry is strangled, Joe forces the only suspect to come forward.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • A Bride for Buford
    6.9/1092 votes

    #18 - A Bride for Buford

    Season 8 Episode 18 - Aired 1/15/1967

    Dolly Bantree has a crooked manager ""Blackie"", who blackmails Dolly to fleece newly rich miner Buford out of his newfound wealth. Hoss suspects something and gets all duded up to pose as a rich mark to test Dolly.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Black Friday
    7.6/10105 votes

    #19 - Black Friday

    Season 8 Episode 19 - Aired 1/22/1967

    In the town of Chiso, Joe encounters a former Ponderosa cowhand who is now a gunfighter and expecting to be killed on Friday the 13th. John Saxon makes the first of his three appearances in the series, in this episode as Steven Friday.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Unseen Wound
    7.5/10104 votes

    #20 - The Unseen Wound

    Season 8 Episode 20 - Aired 1/29/1967

    Ben discovers that his friend, Sheriff Paul Rowan, is suffering from stress brought on by his wartime experiences.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Journey to Terror
    7.4/10107 votes

    #21 - Journey to Terror

    Season 8 Episode 21 - Aired 2/5/1967

    Joe visits his married friends in Arizona Territory, only to discover the husband has become a criminal and is secretly part of a notorious gang.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Amigo
    7.2/10104 votes

    #22 - Amigo

    Season 8 Episode 22 - Aired 2/12/1967

    A wounded comanchero sides with the Cartwrights when the rest of the gang, led by Captain Fenner, shows up to burn and rob the Ponderosa.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • A Woman in the House
    6.6/1099 votes

    #23 - A Woman in the House

    Season 8 Episode 23 - Aired 2/19/1967

    Mary Wharton, an old friend of the family, comes to live on the Ponderosa with her shiftless husband. When Ben learns Mary is the victim of domestic abuse, he sends Russ packing.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Judgment at Red Creek
    7.6/1095 votes

    #24 - Judgment at Red Creek

    Season 8 Episode 24 - Aired 2/26/1967

    Hoss and Joe have their doubts as to who really robbed a way station, suspecting the two men they captured are innocent.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Joe Cartwright, Detective
    7.5/10111 votes

    #25 - Joe Cartwright, Detective

    Season 8 Episode 25 - Aired 3/5/1967

    Joe becomes fascinated by detective literature and drags Hoss into the picture when he suspects the bank is going to be robbed.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A