The Virginian (TV Series) The Wolves Up Front, the Jackals Behind (1966) User Reviews

Randy in love

[pfors-647-501497 · 6/10 · 15 April 2013]

Randy Boone makes the most of his opportunity to play a romantic lead in this otherwise turgid drama that works itself up into a lather but leaves viewer cold. Boone and dewy pre-"Mod Squad" Peggy Lipton are surprisingly compatible lovebirds. Their tender moments buoy episode almost sunk by James Farentino's sulky method acting as her outlaw brother. As the respectable brother, Donnelly Rhodes looks pained, signaling either inner turmoil or uncomfortable Levis. But Rhodes would have his day in the western sun a few years later as the tinhorn who unwisely provokes Robert Redford in the opening scene of the classic "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

Colby family values

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 27 January 2020]

This Virginian episode gives Randy Boone an opportunity to carry an episode. He's left Shiloh and is looking for work and gets hired for a ranch run by the Colby family.

Father Jay C. Flippen and son Donnelly Rhodes and daughter Peggy Lipton run the place. But there's another son James Farentino who is a notorious gunfighter and who returns and he's not welcome by his siblings.

Farentino was the father's favorite and he's bringing trouble back home. Randy Boone does little here but romance Peggy Lipton and pal around with an old friend who works in the livery stable Michael J. Pollard.

Not a bad story, but not one of the better stories.

Good Episode of "The Virginian" Supplemented by Peggy Lipton

[jackbuckley-25095 · 27 March 2020]

I won't summarize the plot of this 1966 episode of "The Virginian" as it can be found elsewhere. Some slight confusion over where this fits in the series' chronology. Randy comments to his pal Georgie Sam that Shiloh Ranch has been taken over by Morgan Starr, replacing former owner Judge Garth. The opening credits show the original inclusion of Lee J. Cobb as Garth. Upon his departure from the show, John Dehner took over as new owner Morgan Starr; however, as mentioned, Cobb still is shown in the opening credits of this episode. I remember the "The Virginian" with Dehner but don't recall if a new intro showed him instead of Cobb. Seems unlikely NBC would've kept showing Cobb in the intro after he left the series. So I'd need to research that. Anyway, the episode is fairly involving, more so than the other reviewers so far have indicated. There perhaps were some slow moments with people just staring at one another, usually done to heighten interpersonal drama, I believe, but this technique wasn't fatal. The episode maintains tension and uncertainty, the finale being especially suspenseful. The credits refer to Peggy Lipton as being "introduced" but I don't know if this literally was her first major appearance on TV or if she was given special promotion as a boost to her future career. She's seen to good advantage, young and quite beautiful. Her acting is subdued but effective, mainly in her romantic scenes with Randy, which are touchingly portrayed, especially at the conclusion. Boone himself, competent throughout the series, is pretty solid in his acting here, far-removed from his usual haunts back in Medicine Bow, with none of the usual cast present. Michael J. Pollard plays his usual simpleton-self, possibly one of the oddest, though still likeable and sympathetic, actors to emerge during that era. I've never been able to account for him. I found "Wolves", then, to be involving enough despite a relatively slight plot, which is helped by some skillful suspense and disagreeable bad guys toward the latter portion, the viewer not knowing how things are going to play out. Overall well-written with good dialogue, helped throughout by the easy-on-the-eyes presence of Miss Lipton.

another filler episode before the season finale

[sandcrab277 · 1/10 · 4 September 2020]

The only shiloh cast member in this episode is randy boone who went to montana to get a mare but meets peggy lipton and falls in love.... then there is donnelly rhodes who plays peggy's father and James farentino is playing a role much like the belligerent person he was in real life as donnelly's outlaw brother ... j.c. flippen plays the father and refuses to believe that farentino is a really bad man that should be locked up ... not a very good episode