Inspector Leduque comes from New Orleans to Virginia City to take Ben Cartwright back for a 20 year murder. When Ben declares publicly that he is withdrawing from the Governor's race, the townsfolk are upset not just about this but Little Joe has also been accused of gunning down Leduque's deputy in
Hoss falls prey to the wiles of a beautiful woman with a gambling addiction and refuses to believe she's only interested in his money in spite of Adam's proof to the contrary. Hoss and Little Joe travel to Sacramento to help the widow of an old friend of the Cartwrights. Hoss discovers that the wid
The Cartwrights come to the aid of a Chinese-American stable hand accused of murder. Opposing them is a manipulative mayoral candidate who wants all "foreigners" to leave Virginia City. After Hop Sing is beaten in Virginia City, the Cartwrights realize the prejudice against the Chinese in Californi
Joe and Hoss take their dates to a bizarre traveling carnival and Joe's girlfriend Jennifer disappears. She's abducted by the evil owner, Phillip Reed, and held for one million dollars ransom. Reed's girlfriend Della is jealous of the attractive hostage and spills the beans to Joe. He and Hoss tear
After Joe kills a man in self-defense who tried to set fire to the Ponderosa to clear himself some land, he has to take his lively, feisty, wild, daughter home, and she, and her relatives, are now determined to kill Joe. Joe tries to stop a homesteader he finds starting a fire on the Ponderosa and
Hoss mentors a lonely, mentally challenged man who, with superhuman size and strength, becomes extremely dangerous when angered. These efforts are undermined by a saloon girl who only wants this giant man-child to manipulate him. In one of the local bars in Virginia City, one of the bar girls tells
Adam, Hoss, and new friend Sam Board act as escorts for a wagon train of Quakers who are heading to California to purchase land for their settlement. While Adam falls for the group leader's daughter, Reginia, Board plots to rob the group of its life savings. A wagon train of Quakers from Ohio are p
The Cartwrights construct a grist mill to help neighbor Tom Edwards, a disabled man who bitterly blames Ben for his condition. Tom is being manipulated by hired hand Ezekiel, who's not only cheating him out of his money, but also intends to steal his wife. The Cartwrights' neighbor Tom Edwards has
The Cartwrights take young Billy Allen to the Ponderosa following the death of his mother. Hoss is the only one that is able to penetrate the boy's hostility and bitterness. As the two begin to get close, Billy's father Vance breaks out of prison and comes for the boy. A young boy named Billy Allen
When an Indian saves Ben Cartwright's life from a near fatal knife attack by another Indian, Ben later gives the Indian and his pregnant wife a strip of fertile farming land. Unfortunately the land is next to a very racist farmer and things turn deadly. Ben is ambushed on his own property by the so
Gunnar Borgstrom is the leader of a vicious band called the Commancheros. They burn houses, kill people and steal anything of value. When the Commancheros get to Nevada, Gunnar decides to visit his relatives, the Cartwrights. Meanwhile the gang capture Little Joe and his girlfriend. When Gunnar retu
Adam is bushwhacked by three deserters from the Army who are hiding out on the Ponderosa. When Ben pursues them, he is hindered by a Captain Bolton, the arrogant commander of a military posse who is also after the men. Three army prisoners have escaped Ft Dayton. Mertz still has chains around his w
