Fugitive

Ponderosa Episode Review

In which racism is bad.

What Happened

Little Joe makes friends with a girl from the local Indian tribe. While Ben's fine with it, Maggie cautions him not to let his son become a "little savage."

Samuel returns to town, having been hired and fired from a newspaper because of his race. He was able to buy his boss' printing press, however, and Ben encourages him to set up shop in Eagle Station. Naturally, Jack makes himself annoying and hands over a paper with an article about the Fugitive Slave Act.

Since everyone in town knows Samuel is an escaped slave, they all realize it's just a matter of time before someone shows up looking to collect the reward on him. When Hiram Sparks arrives with a Federal warrant and some captives in tow, Ben lies that Samuel is free and hides him on the Ponderosa when Jack spills the truth.

Realizing that he can't hold out forever, Ben suggests to the council that they buy Samuel and then free him. The plan to pay Hiram to go away hits a snag when Margaret hesitates, Jack refuses outright, and Eli admits that he simply doesn't have any of the seven hundred and fifty dollars it would take.

With no other option, Ben mortgages the Ponderosa to Jack in exchange for the money. When Little Joe's new dog gets into the garden, he threatens to go live with his new Indian sister if Ben tries to make him give the puppy back. That gives Ben an idea, and he tells Sparks that he is willing to take Hiram to Samuel.

He leads Hiram straight to the Indian village. As a member of the tribe, he explains, Samuel is outside Hiram's reach.

What We Learned

• Not everyone's a Cartwright.
• Journalism has to be believed.
• Nothing about slavery is fair.
• Pull weeds, leave some garden behind.
• Sometimes two moral principles collide and you have to abide by the higher truth.
• Crazy dog will not learn.
• Strange how the prospect of jail gets a man's attention.
• The Indians are really wise.

What Did I Think?

Racism. Bad. Got. It. What might have been more effective in all this is to balance the melodrama with some focus on Little Joe and his friend. Don't just use him as a get out of jail free card at the end.