8.8/10125 votes#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
- 8.0/1098 votes
#2 - To Make This Place Remember
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 9/25/1963
Judge Garth is convinced to go to Arapaho, Wyoming, by Roseanna Dobie (Joan Blondell), an old friend. Her son is dead and although it is claimed he had died when thrown off a horse, actually, an old friend of the Judge's, rancher/lawyer Frank Sturgis (John Dehner), had led a group of 13 men who had lynched John Dobie for allegedly beating to death a young woman who had rejected his advances. Roseanna (Joan Blondell) claims her son's innocence and demands his name be cleared by an ""after the fact"" trial. To clear their names and consciences, the Judge manages to get Sturgis to be the prosecutor and to participate in a ""trial"" with the 12 others involved in the lynching, including the dead girl's father, as the jury and the Judge as defence attorney.
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/10112 votes
#3 - No Tears for Savannah
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 10/2/1963
In Santa Rita the Virginian meets an old flame, Savannah (Gena Rowlands), who has been seeing a local man, a very jealous Gordie Madden (Robert Colbert). Savannah is accussed of murdering Madden and the Virginian gets Judge Garth to come and defend her. However, the cards are stacked against them as Madden's wealthy father (Everett Sloan) controls the town, including the Sheriff (Stephen McNally), and wants revenge.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.3/1098 votes
#4 - A Killer in Town
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/9/1963
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.
Director: John English
Writer: N/A
- 8.1/10142 votes
#5 - The Evil That Men Do
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 10/16/1963
In cooperaton with a progressive warden, Judge Garth gets a man named Matthew Cordell (Robert Redford), who had been in orphanages or prison most of his life, paroled into his custody to work at Shiloh Ranch for a year as a blacksmith. Cordell who had been mistreated his whole life, remains aloof and has several run-ins with the ranch hands. He saves Betsy Garth's horse and she begins to fall in love with him but he is more interested in Rita Marlow who owns the local dress shop. Trouble occurs when an old prison friend of Cordell's, Deke (Don O'Kelly), arrives and tries to get him to help rob Judge Garth.
Director: Stuart Heisler
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/10103 votes
#6 - It Takes a Big Man
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 10/23/1963
Judge Garth is asked by an old friend, Wade Anders (Lloyd Nolan), to take his eldest son Hank (Chris Robinson) to work as a hand at Shiloh. He wants the son to eventually take over his ranch but Hank has personal problems which make him difficult to handle, especially a hatred for Indians. At Shiloh he has run-ins with Trampas who is acting as foreman while the Virginian is away, and this conflict eventually leads to tragedy and a showdown.
Director: Bernard McEveety
Writer: N/A
- 7.6/1087 votes
#7 - Brother Thaddeus
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 10/30/1963
Former n'er do well Willie Caine (Albert Salmi) is now a monk, Brother Thaddeus. He is involved in establishing a mission and boy's school on property owned by Judge Garth and Trampas and Steve Hill are helping to build the mission. A gang, including a former crony of Thaddeus', robs the train and Sheriff Abbott (Ross Elliott) locks him up as an accomplice. Thaddeus manages to escape and with the help of Trampas sets out to track down the gang and exonnerate himself.
Director: John English
Writer: N/A
- 7.0/1092 votes
#8 - A Portrait of Marie Valonne
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 11/6/1963
After delivering a herd of cattle to New Orleans, the Virginian meets and falls for a mysterious woman, Marie Valonne (Madlyn Rhue). He is attacked and the woman disappears. In his attempts to relocate her he comes into conflict with Johnny Madrid (Mark Richman) who controls some corrupt politicians. Despite the assistance of a local police detective, Dan Bohannon (Skip Homeier), the Virginian is unsuccessful in finding Marie and is only left with her picture.
Director: Earl Bellamy
Writer: Dean Riesner
- 8.2/10122 votes
#9 - Run Quiet
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 11/13/1963
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.
Director: Herschel Daugherty
Writer: Ed Adamson
- 7.5/1094 votes
#10 - Stopover in a Western Town
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 11/27/1963
The well-off Caroline Witman (Joan Freeman) and her Aunt Grace (Lillian Bronson) visit Medicine Bow on their way from San Francisco to New York. Caroline falls in love with the Virginian who generally ignores her but a Shiloh hand, Jefferson Tolliver (Dick York), becomes smitten with her and she encourages Tolliver's advances in order to make the Virginian jealous. Tolliver's ambitions are thwarted by a lack of money and when he catches an unemployed hand rustling cattle, rather than turn him in, he joins him in crime. However, they end up murdering a ranch hand and this eventually leads to a penultimate confrontation between Tolliver and his friend, the Virginian.
Director: Richard L. Bare
Writer: Carey Wilber
- 8.3/1098 votes
#11 - The Fatal Journey
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 12/4/1963
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.
Director: Bernard McEveety
Writer: N/A
- 7.3/1091 votes
#12 - A Time Remembered
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 12/11/1963
Accompanied by her secretary (Melinda Plowman), opera singer Elena (Yvonne DeCarlo) comes to Medicine Bow to perform. Judge Garth recognizes here as someone he knew years before and is clearly attracted to her. A man named Carl Elston arrives in town and is shot by Elena who claims he is a stranger who tried to force his attentions on her. However, Sheriff Abbott (Ross Elliott) discovers evidence that Elena knew Carl, and that he was her manager and husband. The Judge is forced to defend Elena in court and uncover the truth.
Director: William Witney
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/1097 votes
#13 - Siege
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 12/18/1963
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1097 votes
#14 - Man of Violence
Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 12/25/1963
Trampas' Uncle Josh (Harry Shannon) is murdered during an holdup by Wismer (Leonard Nimoy) and Judson (William Bryant). On their trail, Trampas is eventually forced to illegally enter Apache territory where the two robbers had made a gold strike. He is joined on his quest by a guide who is after the gold (Michael Pate), a woman (Peggy McCay) who is looking for her husband who it turns out is Judson, and an army doctor who is attempting to escape court martial (DeForest Kelly).
Director: William Witney
Writer: John D. F. Black
- 7.9/1081 votes
#15 - The Invaders
Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 1/1/1964
Rancher Mike Tyrone (Ed Begley) purhases a ranch near Medicine Bow, and moves there with his daughter Margaret (Beverly Owen), and his two sons (Rees Vaughan and James McMullen). Tyrone tries to force surrounding ranchers to sell their spreads, eventually cutting off the water from a local river that the other ranchers use to water their stocks. However, the conflict is ended by an unexpected decision of Margaret Tyrone.
Director: Bernard McEveety
Writer: N/A
- 6.9/1088 votes
#16 - Roar from the Mountain
Season 2 Episode 16 - Aired 1/8/1964
A cougar kills a Shiloh hand and Steve Hill, experienced in hunting these animals, tracks it into the mountains where he comes upon a homestead owned by Nancy Mayhew (Joyce Bulifant) and her husband Charles (Jack Klugman). The Mayhew's have strained relations and it is learned Charles son was killed by the same cougar. Nancy blames this on Charles' cowardice and indicates a romantic interest in Steve, an interest which eventually endangers Steve's life.
Director: Earl Bellamy
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/1089 votes
#17 - The Fortunes of J. Jimerson Jones
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 1/15/1964
J. Jimerson Jones (Pat O'Brien) finds a gold vein and on the way to Chicago to enjoy his fortune, meets Judge Garth and Betsy. In Chicago the Garth's make the acquaintance of young newspaper reporter Eddie Tighe (David Macklin) while Jones meets a middle-aged hotel maid, Maggie Hyeth (Ann Doran). Jones becomes the target of con artists and Betsy the romantic target of Tighe, with generally humorous results.
Director: N/A
Writer: Carey Wilber
- 7.3/1072 votes
#18 - The Thirty Days of Gavin Heath
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 1/22/1964
Former British soldier Gavin Heath (Leo Genn) strikes it rich and returns to Medicine Bow where he had previously lived. Heath is attacked by an apparently rabid dog. Thinking he may only have 30 days to live, Heath is forced to confront his cowardly past.
Director: John Florea
Writer: N/A
- 8.4/10123 votes
#19 - 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 votes
#20 - 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
- 8.1/1099 votes
#21 - A Matter of Destiny
Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 2/19/1964
Robert Gaynor (Peter Graves), a wealthy and somewhat ruthless Chicago meat packer, buys a local ranch and comes to Medicine Bow. He begins romancing, and wins the heart of, Janet Lawrence (Jean Hale) who had been seeing Trampas. Gaynor's methods bring him into conflict with local ranchers. In the end it is up to Trampas to resolve the conflict and save Gaynor from a hired assassin.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.3/10100 votes
#22 - Smile of a Dragon
Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 2/26/1964
Trampas is the sole survivor of a stagecoach robbery but he is wounded and wanders off in a daze. The local Sheriff (Richard Carlson) finds him and accuses him of being one of the robbers, hints the townspeople will lynch him and even tries to kill him. Trampas escapes and takes refuge with Kim Ho (Miyoshi Umeki) who learns of his innocence. Meanwhile Steve Hill heads for the area thinking Trampas is dead. Trampas tries to find the real guilty parties to clear himself and in the end is saved by the arrival of Steve Hill.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Writer: N/A
- 8.4/1097 votes
#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
- 8.3/10116 votes
#24 - Another's Footsteps
Season 2 Episode 24 - Aired 3/11/1964
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/1090 votes
#25 - Rope of Lies
Season 2 Episode 25 - Aired 3/25/1964
A beautiful woman, Alva Lowell (Diana Millay), arrives in Medicine Bow having just bought the Lazy K Ranch and manages to hire a reluctant Steve Hill to be her foreman. A former business partner of Alva's, Jess Carver (Peter Breck), arrives and is killed by Steve, apparently in self-defence. However, Steve is arrested and must go to trial defended by Judge Garth's friend, lawyer Ebberly Packis (Paul Fix).
Director: Herschel Daugherty
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of The Virginian Season 2
Every episode of The Virginian Season 2 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Virginian Season 2!
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
Season 2 Ratings Summary
"Ride a Dark Trail" is the best rated episode of "The Virginian" season 2. 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 is rated 0.8 points higher than the second-best, "To Make This Place Remember".