Episode
Bonanza: The Hunter
Overview
In what turned out to be the series finale, Little Joe is making a delivery for Ben when he meets Bill Tanner, a psychotic killer that is posing as a soldier he has killed. His delivery wagon stolen and sans supplies, food or water, Joe - whom Tanner has called his ""prey"" - tries to evade the well-stocked madman, who takes sadistic pleasure in his role as a predator.
Details
- Series
- Bonanza
- Season
- Season 14
- Episode
- Episode 16
- Air date
- 1973-01-16
- Runtime
- 49 min
Episode context
The Hunter is Episode 16 in Season 14 of Bonanza. It aired on 1973-01-16. The runtime is 49 min.
Previous / Next
More episodes from this season
Episode 14: The Witness
An elderly business associate of Ben's is killed after a man, posing as Candy, tries to rob her; the woman suffers a fatal heart attack, which - since it happens during the commission of a felony - is considered to be the same as if the assailant had pulled the trigger. The real Candy, who had been assaulted at a hotel by the same man, is held in connection with the old woman's death.
A woman named Kate is the only one who can back up Candy's alibi, but she has left town with her husband, who is the thief. Griff agrees to go after Kate and have her provide a statement. Only thing is, he discovers - as Ben and Joe do later - that she, too, has a past that, if revealed at trial, could do serious harm to Candy's defense.
Meanwhile, Ben is unsure about the young defense attorney's ability to defend Candy, particularly since the state's attorney has a nearly spotless conviction record. But the budding lawyer is determined to play David to the prosecutor's Goliath.
Episode 13: First Love
Jamie becomes friends with the wife of an unpopular schoolmaster, who often browbeats her.
Episode 12: The Bucket Dog
Jamie obtains an Irish setter pup and forms a special bond between dog and man. The dog's owner learns the puppy is at the Ponderosa and arrives to claim it ... so he can put it to sleep (since it was a runt and, according to the master, an inferior example of the breed. The dog is soon in a trial for its life.
Episode 11: The Sound of Sadness
A lonely old man opens his home to two orphan boys but runs into bureaucratic opposition when attempting to adopt them.
Episode 10: The Hidden Enemy
Dr. Will Agar is Virginia City's new town doctor, and brings with him new skills and expertise to treat area residents' health maladies. Only thing is, Dr. Agar is seriously addicted to morphine, and it results in serious trouble for everyone.
Episode 9: Stallion
The moving tale of Little Joe and his beloved black stallion, which Ben purchases for his son as a birthday gift.
Episode 8: The 26th Grave
Mark Twain ruffles dangerous feathers in Virginia City with accusations of claim-jumping and murder.
Episode 7: Ambush at Rio Lobo
Ben and a pregnant woman named Teresa are held hostage by desperate outlaws, who plot to rob a stagecoach and force the two to go along with the scheme.
Episode 6: New Man
In what was essentially the second part of a two-part episode centering on Griff King, the young parolee arrives at the Ponderosa and is hired as a ranch hand. Ben, Joe and the others exercise patience as they tries to help an arrogant, resentful Griff adjust to society and life an honest life.
Episode 5: Riot!
While at the Nevada State Prison to inspect conditions, Ben is taken hostage in a riot. The riot is an attempt by frustrated inmates to expose horrific conditions at the prison. While Joe and Candy plan to resolve the situation, Ben begins a friendship with Griff King (who isn't exactly receptive), and helps communicate the inmates' demands to the warden and state prison board.