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The Best Episodes of The Virginian

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

The Best Episodes of The Virginian

The Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming Territory of the 1890s is owned in sequence by Judge Henry Garth, the Grainger brothers, and Colonel Alan MacKenzie. It...

Seasons9

  1. Background image for The Decision
    8.9/10(73 votes)

    #1 - The Decision

    S6:E25

    Age, inexperience and a rekindled conflict with Trampas hinder Dan Porter, an ex-sheriff who exchanged his badge for a job at Shiloh. Emily: Monica Lewis. Deputy: Steve Carlson. Trampas: Doug McClure. Manning: Ben Murphy. Virginian: James Drury. Tasker: Lawrence Dane.

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  2. Background image for Ride a Dark Trail
    8.8/10(128 votes)

    #2 - Ride a Dark Trail

    S2:E1

    The Virginian accidentally comes upon, and is held at gunpoint by, young Lon Mortison (Buzz Martin). The boy had been searching for a gambler who he thinks is responsible for his father's suicide and had already shot and wounded a man who interfered. In order to convince the boy to give himself up, the Virginian recounts in flashback how Trampas first came to Shiloh Ranch. He came seeking revenge on Judge Garth who had been forced to kill Trampas' father (Sonny Tufts) in self-defence. This object lesson serves to get Lon to realize the error of his actions and convince him to surrender to the Sheriff.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  3. Background image for The Handy Man
    8.8/10(81 votes)

    #3 - The Handy Man

    S6:E24

    No description available

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    Writer:Unknown
  4. Background image for The Sins of the Fathers
    8.8/10(74 votes)

    #4 - The Sins of the Fathers

    S8:E22

    No description available

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    Writer:Unknown
  5. Background image for The Accomplice
    8.6/10(448 votes)

    #5 - The Accomplice

    S1:E13

    The Rocky Point Bank is robbed by two men who shoot its President. One of the men is captured and claims Trampas, with whom he has a grudge, was his accomplice -- so Trampas is arrested. His identification as the robber is supported by a spinsterish bank teller, Delia Miller (Bette Davis), who has recognized the real robber and is protecting his identity in order to blackmail him. The Virginian tries to prove Trampas innocent and expose the real criminal by falsifying Delia's story.

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  6. Background image for Long Ride Home
    8.6/10(73 votes)

    #6 - Long Ride Home

    S8:E1

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  8. Background image for The Holocaust
    8.6/10(65 votes)

    #7 - The Holocaust

    S8:E17

    An eastern combine wants to take over the Wyoming cattle market with Shiloh in the middle of their sights. A burned Shiloh and delayed cattle drive leads to a loss on the sale of cattle resulting in all the Shiloh hands being laid off.

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    Writer:Unknown
  9. Background image for The Deadly Past
    8.5/10(66 votes)

    #8 - The Deadly Past

    S6:E2

    Suspense builds as Trampas, a hard-drinking gunslinger and a sheriff's wife search for the person who has sent them death notes. Evans: Darren McGavin. Trampas: Doug McClure. Emily: Mary-Robin Redd. Chris: Linden Chiles. Ned: Bing Russell.

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    Writer:Unknown
  10. Background image for The Lady From Witchita
    8.5/10(70 votes)

    #9 - The Lady From Witchita

    S6:E3

    The accent is on comedy as two ex-barmaids settle on a Medicine Bow ranch, hoping that their past won't catch up with them. Lorna: Joan Collins. Belle: Rose Marie. Trampas: Doug McClure. Kane: Harry Lauter. Grainger: Charles Bickford. Mrs. Graves: Ann Doran. Elizabeth: Sara Lane.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  11. Background image for Star Crossed
    8.5/10(73 votes)

    #10 - Star Crossed

    S6:E4

    Ryker sidesteps the law to help a robbery suspect plagued by a blackmailing Shiloh hand. Hiller: Tom Tryon. Judith: Lisabeth Hush. Barnes: Kiel Martin. Brian: Brian Nash. Sheriff: Ross Elliott.

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    Writer:Unknown
  12. Background image for Jed
    8.5/10(67 votes)

    #11 - Jed

    S6:E17

    Clay tries to prevent a range war between the ranchers and the homesteaders who are blocking their path to market. A hotheaded rancher secretly hires a gunfighter who happens to be an old friend of Trampas, who falls for Abby Keefer (Brenda Scott), a homesteader's daughter.

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    Writer:Unknown
  13. Background image for The Family Man
    8.5/10(72 votes)

    #12 - The Family Man

    S8:E5

    Jim becomes farmhand, midwife and friend to a pregnant teenager whose husband is on the lam from the law. Anna: Darlene Carr. Obie: Frank Webb. Jim: Tim Matheson. Rigby: John Pickard. Trampas: Doug McClure. Sheriff: Ross Elliott. Virginian: James Drury.

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    Director:Joseph Pevney
    Writer:Unknown
  14. Background image for Reckoning
    8.4/10(80 votes)

    #13 - Reckoning

    S6:E1

    On a cattle-buying trip, the Virginian becomes involved in another transaction: freeing Elizabeth from an outlaw (Charles Bronson) with an old score to settle. Virginian: James Drury. Elizabeth: Sara Lane. Eva: Mirian Colon. Frank: Dick Foran. Grainger: Charles Bickford.

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    Writer:Unknown
  15. Background image for A Killer in Town
    8.3/10(102 votes)

    #14 - A Killer in Town

    S2:E4

    A bounty hunter named George Wolfe (Broderick Crawford) comes to Medicine Bow, having been summoned by a now dead informant who told Wolfe a fugitive is in town. Although the informant had left a letter revealing the fugitive's identity in a lock box at the bank it can not be accessed until the circuit judge can return and issue a court order. Trampas, who had accidentally become involved with some felons two years before, thinks he is Wolfe's quarry and Wolfe is suspicious of him. Before matters can come to a head, however, an outbreak of typhoid fever intervenes.

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    Director:John English
    Writer:Unknown
  16. Background image for The Fatal Journey
    8.3/10(100 votes)

    #15 - The Fatal Journey

    S2:E11

    After she calls for the President to bring in the army to rid the badlands of outlaws, newspaper editor Molly Wood, the Virginian's love interest, is murdered by four of those outlaws: O'Dell (Steve Ihnat), Horn (John Milford), Denver (Berkeley Harris) and their ruthless leader, Colonel Calhoun (Robert Lansing). The Virginian joins a posse but while the other posse members give up he eventually locates the villains' badlands hideout. He poses as a prison escapee, joins the gang and exacts his revenge.

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    Writer:Unknown
  17. Background image for The Drifter
    8.3/10(124 votes)

    #16 - The Drifter

    S2:E19

    This episode recounts in flashback how the Virginian came to Shiloh Ranch. The Virginian comes to Medicine Bow and first works for Miles Peterson (Leif Erickson) whose spread is run by ranch foreman Hugh Stager (Michael Forest). Stager tries to gain control of the ranch by romancing Peterson's daughter Maria (Mariette Hartley) and plotting to remove Peterson and blame it on Judge Garth. However, he has not reckoned on the Virginian and his growing friendship with Judge Garth.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  18. Background image for First to Thine Own Self
    8.3/10(101 votes)

    #17 - First to Thine Own Self

    S2:E20

    A young drifter named Randy (Randy Boone) camps with Silas (Frank Maxwell) and his young daughter Melanie (Claire Wilcox) near Medicine Bow. Silas reveals he has been mining and that he found gold nuggets. Silas is murdered, the gold stolen and Randy is accused of the crime. He hides out with Melanie who knows him innocent and with help from Betsy Garth and the Virginian is eventually able to expose the real killers.

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    Director:Earl Bellamy
    Writer:Unknown
  19. Background image for The Intruders
    8.3/10(101 votes)

    #18 - The Intruders

    S2:E23

    Judge Garth is hosting a meeting at Shiloh Ranch between a US Army General and the Chief of the Sioux (Iron Eyes Cody) as someone is trying to stir up trouble between the Indians and Army. He manages to send most of the hands away to keep the meeting secret. Four men arrive including Trachsel (Darren McGavin) and the Utah Kid (David Carradine), and they take the remaining residents hostage intent on killing the Sioux Chief when he arrives. However, the criminals did not reckon on the abilities of Judge Garth and Betsy's visiting friend, young Chicago newspaper reporter Eddie Tighe (David Macklin).

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    Director:Unknown
  20. Background image for Another's Footsteps
    8.3/10(120 votes)

    #19 - Another's Footsteps

    S2:E24

    The Virginian's friend, young Dan Grant (Paul Petersen), is killed in a bank robbery. The three robbers escape a posse but the Virginian is more persistent and tracks them to Montana. Two of the robbers are captured and the Virginian tracks the third (Johan Agar) to a farmstead occupied by a young boy and his mother (Sherree North), and suspects the absent husband is the third gunman. As he waits for the husband to return he bonds with the boy and becomes romantically involved with the wife. However, the robber returns and the inevitable showdown occurs.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  21. Background image for Bitter Autumn
    8.3/10(63 votes)

    #20 - Bitter Autumn

    S6:E8

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  22. Background image for A Small Taste of Justice
    8.3/10(68 votes)

    #21 - A Small Taste of Justice

    S6:E14

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  23. Background image for With Help from Ulysses
    8.3/10(69 votes)

    #22 - With Help from Ulysses

    S6:E18

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  24. Background image for Lady at the Bar
    8.3/10(60 votes)

    #23 - Lady at the Bar

    S9:E8

    Trampas is arrested for the murder of a man he argued with over a mine. The law seems primarily interested in wrapping up the trial as quickly as possible so they can go fishing. Trampas's hope lies with his attorney, Frances B. Finch.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  25. Background image for Run Quiet
    8.2/10(124 votes)

    #24 - Run Quiet

    S2:E9

    Steve Hill befriends a dishevelled deaf mute named Judd (Clu Gulager) and convinces the Virginian to gives him a job at Shiloh ranch. Judd is accussed of murdering a gambler, runs off and is befriended by spinster farm owner Ruth Ferris (Gail Kobe). Steve Hill manages to track down Judd, tells him to give himself up and then sets off after the real perpetrators. The murderers try to kill Steve but he is saved by the arrival of Judd who then returns to the waiting Ruth with whom he has fallen in love.

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  26. Background image for Siege
    8.2/10(99 votes)

    #25 - Siege

    S2:E13

    Trampas wins $1,000 at poker in Medicine Bow and heads to his old stomping grounds of Logan, New Mexico to repay several debts. There he has a run in with comancheros, led by Pedro Lopez (Joseph Campanella), who virtually run the town and have the town leaders under their thumb. Trampas discovers that some of the commancheros have murdered his old friends and turns them over to the Marshall (Ron Hayes) to hold for trial. However, Pedro threatens the townsfolk and they cave under and force the marshall to release the murderers. Pedro and his men then come gunning for Trampas.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

Best Episodes Summary

"The Decision" is the best rated episode of "The Virginian". It scored 8.9/10 based on 73 votes. Directed by E. Darrell Hallenbeck and written by Unknown, it aired on 3/13/1968. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Ride a Dark Trail".