Episode
The Virginian: Dark Destiny
Overview
Steve, Randy and other hands capture two horse rustlers, Frank Conrad (Robert Wilke) and Striker (Edward Faulkner), and kill a third. They also find Conrad's daughter, Billie Jo (Brenda Scott) and she is taken to Shiloh until the court can decide her custody and the rustler's fate. There she nurses Randy Benton who has hurt his back and lost the feeling in his legs. Billie Jo is eventually forced to decide on her future by choosing between helping her father escape and returning to a life on the run, or accepting the kindnesses of the Shiloh crew which promise a better future.
Details
- Series
- The Virginian
- Season
- Season 2
- Episode
- Episode 29
- Air date
- 1964-04-29
Episode context
Dark Destiny is Episode 29 in Season 2 of The Virginian. It aired on 1964-04-29.
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Episode 28: A Bride for Lars
Lars Holstrum (Peter Whitney) is a middle-aged and wealthy rancher friend of Judge Garth's who is about to marry a 20 year old girl. Lars injures his back and Trampas is given the job of traveling to Laramie to pick up the girl, Katia Swenson (Katherine Crawford). On the return trip the two have a series of misadventures revolving around encounters with local Indians, a group of cowpokes, and a mysterious man who has been trailing them from Laramie.
Episode 30: A Man Called Kane
Randy and Betsy explore a cave and find a number of gold coins and a human skeleton, a find which gets wide publicity in the newspapers. Kane (Jeremy Slate) shows up and begins working at Shiloh where he reveals to Randy that he is not only his long lost older brother but also that he is evading the law on charges he claims were false. The publicity also attracts a US Treasury agent, Duggan (Dick Foran), as the coins seem to be a small part of missing Confederate assets. A treasure hunt ensues in which Randy is ultimately forced to decide on his brother's fate.
More episodes from this season
Episode 27: The Long Quest
The Virginian is friends with Mary Ann Martin (Patricia Breslin) and her young son Cricket (Casey Peters) who live near Shiloh ranch. A detective named Corbett (Joseph Campanella) and his client, Judith Holly (Ruta Lee), claim that Cricket is actually Holly's son and that she wants him back. The Virginian attempts to ferret out the truth of the situation in order for Mary Ann to retain custody of the boy. The affair culminates in a series of surprising events at a judicial hearing.
Episode 26: The Secret of Brynmar Hall
Betsy Garth is driven by Randy to Brynmar Hall, a large mansion, where she meets several other old acquaintances and invitees (Brooke Bundy, Tom Skerritt, Mark Goddard). All knew Mildred Brynmar, a young woman who was killed in a fire two years before, and have been invited to the house by Mildred's mother (Jane Wyman). A masked figure spies on the proceedings and several mysterious events occur which culminate in death.
Episode 25: Rope of Lies
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).
Episode 24: Another's Footsteps
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.
Episode 23: The Intruders
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).
Episode 22: Smile of a Dragon
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.
Episode 21: A Matter of Destiny
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.
Episode 20: First to Thine Own Self
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.
Episode 19: The Drifter
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.
Episode 18: The Thirty Days of Gavin Heath
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.