Bonanza (1959)

Episode Overview

While riding through the wilderness, Joe comes across a shocking scene: a woman fatally shoots a man, but she escapes before he can confirm her identity. He hurries to the nearby town of Black River to inform Sheriff Gideon Yates about the incident. Together, they search for evidence and discover a handkerchief marked with the letter "L." Yates realizes that the killer is his wife Lydia, who had married him before fully divorcing her first husband, Loomis, whom she murdered to keep him quiet. Gideon attempts to convince Joe to leave town, but Joe spots Lydia's photo in a shop window. When Joe stands his ground, Gideon turns violent, trying to kill him and launching a manhunt. With only a young Mexican stable boy who witnessed the shooting on his side, Joe faces Gideon in a dramatic showdown that becomes a highlight of the series.