8.8/10125 votesLoading...#1 - Ride a Dark Trail
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 9/18/1963
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.8/1078 votesLoading...#2 - The Handy Man
Season 6 Episode 24 - Aired 3/6/1968
No description available
Director: Abner Biberman
Writer: N/A
8.8/1071 votesLoading...#3 - The Decision
Season 6 Episode 25 - Aired 3/13/1968
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.
Director: E. Darrell Hallenbeck
Writer: N/A
8.8/1072 votesLoading...#4 - The Sins of the Fathers
Season 8 Episode 22 - Aired 3/4/1970
No description available
Director: Walter Doniger
Writer: N/A
8.7/1067 votesLoading...#5 - Last Grave at Socorro Creek
Season 7 Episode 16 - Aired 1/22/1969
Investigating the lynching of a friend, the Virginian matches wits with a sadistic killer---and the dead man's vengeful son. Four-Eyes: Steve Ihnat. Virginian: James Drury. Luther: Lonny Chapman. Kate: Ellen McRae. Burden: Kevin Coughlin.
Director: Leo Penn
Writer: N/A
8.7/1064 votesLoading...#6 - The Holocaust
Season 8 Episode 17 - Aired 1/28/1970
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.
Director: Jeannot Szwarc
Writer: N/A
8.6/10445 votesLoading...#7 - The Accomplice
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 12/19/1962
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: Winston Miller, Howard Browne, William P. McGivern
8.6/1067 votesLoading...#8 - Vengeance Trail
Season 5 Episode 15 - Aired 1/4/1967
Stacey is forced to kill a man who tries to rob him. He returns the body to the man's sister who asks Stacey to leave rather than see the Sheriff. She is afraid their younger brother who joins the Shiloh cattle drive will try for revenge.
Director: Thomas Carr
Writer: N/A
8.6/1072 votesLoading...#9 - Long Ride Home
Season 8 Episode 1 - Aired 9/17/1969
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.5/10106 votesLoading...
#10 - Big Image . . . Little Man
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 10/28/1964
Millionaire Paul Leland (Linden Chiles) treats everyone like dirt and ends up in the desert after getting shoved off a train by a disgruntled employee. He is found and taken on by the Virginian and Shiloh crew who are driving a herd of cattle to Seattle. Leland has several run-ins with the crew as well as former employees met along the way but in the end becomes a better man for his tribulations.
Director: William Witney
Writer: Carey Wilber
8.5/1096 votesLoading...#11 - Showdown
Season 3 Episode 29 - Aired 4/14/1965
The Virginian is forced to take sides in a bitter dispute between a family of ranchers and two domineering marshals.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/1090 votesLoading...#12 - Show Me a Hero
Season 4 Episode 9 - Aired 11/17/1965
While returning to Shiloh Trampas injures his horse saving a man with a runaway team. He is forced to stay a few days in a small town with the man as an old friend arrives to force the town to sign over its gambling rights to him.
Director: Leon Benson
Writer: N/A
8.5/1091 votesLoading...#13 - Ride a Cock-Horse to Laramie Cross
Season 4 Episode 23 - Aired 2/23/1966
Trampas becomes knight errant when he takes on two children trying to reach their mother in Laramie. They are being chased by a group of outlaws who want to return them to Mexico. A woman he adds on the way makes it feel like a family.
Director: Anton Leader
Writer: Clair Huffaker
8.5/1069 votesLoading...#14 - Jacob Was a Plain Man
Season 5 Episode 5 - Aired 10/12/1966
Jake who can't hear or speak runs after he accidentally kills a man in a bar. He lands at Shiloh where his hard work results in a job. Stacey seeing Jake can't express himself decides to teach him to read and write but puts him in danger.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/1072 votesLoading...#15 - Doctor Pat
Season 5 Episode 23 - Aired 3/1/1967
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/1065 votesLoading...#16 - The Deadly Past
Season 6 Episode 2 - Aired 9/20/1967
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.
Director: Abner Biberman
Writer: N/A
8.5/1070 votesLoading...#17 - Star Crossed
Season 6 Episode 4 - Aired 10/4/1967
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.
Director: Abner Biberman
Writer: N/A
8.5/1066 votesLoading...#18 - Jed
Season 6 Episode 17 - Aired 1/10/1968
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.
Director: Abner Biberman
Writer: N/A
8.5/1077 votesLoading...- 8.5/1071 votesLoading...
#20 - The Family Man
Season 8 Episode 5 - Aired 10/15/1969
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.
Director: Joseph Pevney
Writer: N/A
- 8.4/10123 votesLoading...
#21 - The Drifter
Season 2 Episode 19 - Aired 1/29/1964
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.4/1098 votesLoading...
#22 - First to Thine Own Self
Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 2/12/1964
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.
Director: Earl Bellamy
Writer: N/A
- 8.4/1097 votesLoading...
#23 - The Intruders
Season 2 Episode 23 - Aired 3/4/1964
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).
Director: N/A
Writer: Dean Riesner
8.4/1084 votesLoading...#24 - Farewell to Honesty
Season 3 Episode 27 - Aired 3/24/1965
A deputized Virginian arrives in the very misnamed Honesty, Wyoming looking for Major Ralph Forrester (Richard Carlson) who had defrauded Judge Garth. However, the local judge is in the Major's pocket and, using the excuse that the Virginian is not a full-time deputy, refuses to let the man be taken back to Medicine Bow. While waiting for Deputy Ryker to arrive, the Major is murdered and the Virginian is accused of the crime. Ryker arrives and with help of a local lawyer, John Harrison (Harold Gould), tries to sort out who the murderer is from amongst a number of suspects including the murdered man's wife (Dorothy Green), a former acquaintance of the Virginian who runs the local saloon and was being blackmailed by the dead man (Kathleen Crowley), and the Major's business partner(Douglas Henderson).
Director: Leon Benson
Writer: N/A
8.4/1082 votesLoading...#25 - A Little Learning
Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 9/29/1965
After release from prison, Bert Kramer (Bruce Dern) comes to Medicine Bow to find his estranged wife who is the new school teacher, Martha Perry (Susan Oliver). A Shiloh hand, Rafe Simmons (Albert Salmi), tells the Virginian he is quitting. He goes to town, get a job in the harness shop and gets Martha to teach him to read. Bert Kramer arrives in town and is spotted by Emmett Ryker who recognizes him as a hired gun. Rumours are spread that Rafe and the schoolteacher are having an affair. A local barber, Cal Beeson (Harry Townes), who has had a run in with Rafe, and Bert Kramer plot together to ambush the harness shop worker. However, Rafe manages to get the upper hand. In a struggle over a gun, Bert is killed but Rafe is cleared by the actions of the Virginian and Martha who get Beeson's young son to own up to the plot.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
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 Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming Territory of the 1890s is owned in sequence by Judge Henry Garth, the Grainger brothers, and Colonel Alan MacKenzie. It...
Genres:WesternDrama
Network:NBC
Best Episodes Summary
"Ride a Dark Trail" is the best rated episode of "The Virginian". It scored 8.8/10 based on 125 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 9/18/1963. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Handy Man".