Ep 17. The Outcast

The Outcast is the seventeenth episode of the first season of the popular western TV show Bonanza. The episode begins with the Cartwrights, the family who own the Ponderosa ranch, finding a runaway wagon with a dead man inside. They also find a young boy named Jamie, who is the only witness to the incident.

Jamie is soon revealed to be an outcast, shunned by the rest of his community due to his association with a notorious outlaw named Sam Devlin. He is hesitant to reveal anything about the incident, fearing that he will be blamed for the murder. However, the Cartwrights promise to protect him and help clear his name.

The family's investigation leads them to discover that the victim was a government agent who was tracking Devlin's activities. Furthermore, Jamie unknowingly met the killer and can identify him. Devlin tries to take advantage of the situation by offering Jamie protection and filling his head with lies about the Cartwrights, but Jamie eventually realizes that he has been deceived.

As the story unfolds, the Cartwrights become increasingly worried about Jamie's safety as the killer is still at large. They decide to take matters into their own hands and use their resources to draw the criminal out into the open. The climax of the episode involves a dramatic showdown between the Cartwrights and the killer, with Jamie's life hanging in the balance.

Throughout the Outcast, the themes of justice and morality are explored. The Cartwrights are committed to doing the right thing, regardless of the cost, and are not swayed by Devlin's attempts to manipulate them. The show also touches on issues of prejudice and social exclusion, as Jamie's status as an outcast is a major factor in the plot.

Overall, The Outcast is an exciting and engaging episode of Bonanza that showcases the strengths of the series. With its tense plot and complex characters, it is a great example of why the show was such a popular and enduring classic of the western genre.