Here is the usual excellent and very solid story from outstanding Season One of The Big Valley, which has pretty much the best of everything.
This episode has grown and grown and grown on me through the years.
It cannot be considered one of my very most favorites, but it is certainly climbing the ranks.
It is solidly written with excellent dialogue throughout from Paul Savage, his second of three for the series, all during classic Season One.
The main guest star John Anderson as Matt Bentell is very fine in his believable acting performance, and I almost want to feel sorry for him because he is not a bad man, as you will find out if you watch the story.
This was only the thirteenth episode of the series, and it is already the second guest appearance for John Anderson.
He first appeared ten episodes earlier in story number three, "Boots With My Father's Name."
I also love the usual great Season One background incidental music scores here, and I love the beautiful timber country location shooting.
I love the entire story idea as well.
Really, there is nothing not to like here.
I kind of chuckle and roll my eyes a bit because I have heard of some fans who have a problem with the "harsh" way Victoria treats Heath in this story, as if it is somehow not believable and just a terrible thing.
Of course, Victoria was acting like the usual great mother, and I would say to those fans, "Get over it. It is only a fictional story, and it is quite a good one, just like all of Season One."
I wish they had half scores, because I would have probably more accurately given this one 8.5, but I rounded it up to nine since it is most likely an 8.5 to 9 range episode.
They should score one through twenty stars, so there is a bit more variety to rank the episodes, but you get the idea.
We have a beautiful story here in many, many ways, and there are many beauties out there..