1970
4 Jan. 1970
It's a Small World
Circus midget and new widower George Marshall struggles to deal with the prejudice of Mr. Flynt, the town's banker, when he refuses to hire him despite Ben's recommendation.
11 Jan. 1970
Danger Road
Ben needs to transport three large timber beams but the local freight company won't do it. When a new independent freight hauler is approached for the job, Ben recognizes "Gunny" Riley, a former soldier in the Mexican war, but on the opposite side. Ben finally puts his differences aside and helps Gunny win a lucrative government contract.
18 Jan. 1970
The Big Jackpot
Candy quits his job at the Ponderosa after inheriting a fortune from an old Indian friend. He takes a job as vice president of a land promotion firm, unaware that the president is defrauding customers by selling barren desert land in lieu of the fertile farmland he promised them. Candy soon finds out and recruits the Cartwrights to expose the fraud.
25 Jan. 1970
The Trouble with Amy
Ben comes to the aid of Amy Wilder, an eccentric old woman and animal hoarder, when a scheming neighbor wants her declared incompetent so he can purchase her home and property.
1 Feb. 1970
The Lady and the Mark
Former Ponderosa ranch hand Chris Keller seeks refuge at his old workplace after con artists stalk him for his $67,000 fortune. While at the Ponderosa, he meets a beautiful young woman who has plans of her own for the money.
8 Feb. 1970
Is There Any Man Here?
The daughter of Ben's friend Harry Carlisle, Jennifer, develops a huge crush for the Cartwright patriarch. Ben notes that Jennifer is the same age as oldest son (and long-since departed Adam), but that doesn't matter. It soon does matter when Jennifer's ex-fiancé, a wealthy banker from San Francisco, shows up demanding to take her back ... or else it will be the end of the Ponderosa!
15 Feb. 1970
The Law and Billy Burgess
A new school is opened in Virginia City, and one of the students is an angry teen-aged boy named Billy Burgess. After a difficult day at school, Billy angrily wishes that his teacher would die. Sure enough, the teacher is found murdered and Billy is fingered as the suspect. Ben, who has been working to counsel the teen and get at the root of his anger, knows the lad is innocent comes to his aid - even if Billy insists that he killed his teacher.
22 Feb. 1970
Long Way to Ogden
A ruthless meat packer named Emit Whitney schemes to monopolize the local cattle industry by buying the rail line that is used to transport the cattle to market, then force the cattle farmers to sell at deeply reduced prices. Ben, championing the smaller farmers and knowing that Whitney could drive many of the Cartwrights' friends out of business, devises a plan to drive Whitney out - even if it means he will lose the Ponderosa if his plan fails.
1 Mar. 1970
Return Engagement
Eleven years after her last stop in Virginia City caused trouble for a young Joe Cartwright, actress Lotta Crabtree returns for another engagement in the Nevada town. This time, it's Hoss who finds himself in the thick of a murder case when he is accused of killing Lotta's co-star during a performance.
8 Mar. 1970
The Gold Mine
Joe helps a young Mexican boy who has suffered from years of abuse by two sadistic slave owners who now want the lad's gold claim and will do anything to get it.
15 Mar. 1970
Decision at Los Robles
While in Los Robles, Mexico, Ben is critically wounded by the town's cruel boss, John Walker. Ben manages to shoot and kill Walker, but now his son - the splitting image of his father - is hellbent on revenge. While Joe tends to his father's care, he tries in vain to embolden the town's residents, who for years have been intimidated into submission by Walker and their cronies. Eventually, Joe's efforts pay off and the Los Robles residents mount a stand against Walker's gang.
29 Mar. 1970
Caution, Easter Bunny Crossing
In the series' only Easter-themed episode, a Quaker woman convinces Hoss to pose as the Easter bunny for the orphanage. While wearing a rabbit costume, Hoss must try to foil the efforts of a bumbling gang that is plotting to loot the Wells Fargo coach.
5 Apr. 1970
The Horse Traders
Meena Calhoun has gotten engaged to bumbling outlaw Virgil Potts, who is now trying to make an honest living in the livery business. Virgil soon finds himself in a heated rivalry with Joe and Hoss, who have opened up a stable of their own.
12 Apr. 1970
What Are Pardners For?
A pair of Easterners have read tall tales about the Wild West and come to Virginia City to live out their dream - be bank robbers in the tradition of their heroes. Hoss somehow becomes involved with their adventures.
19 Apr. 1970
A Matter of Circumstance
Alone at the Ponderosa while everyone else is away on a cattle drive, Joe suffers a compound fracture in his left arm when he kicked by a horse spooked by a severe thunderstorm. Joe fights to stay conscious and treat his wounds. When he becomes delirious, he fears that gangrene has infected his arm, leaving Joe with a difficult decision: Amputate, or not amputate?
13 Sep. 1970
The Night Virginia City Died
A series of destructive fires has Virginia City residents on edge and anxious to catch the arsonist. But Deputy Clem's new love interest seems to know a lot more about the fires than what she's letting on.
20 Sep. 1970
A Matter of Faith
An orphaned rainmaker named Jamie Hunter comes to Virginia City, hoping to help relieve the drought-stricken area. When Jamie's efforts aren't immediately successful, Ben helps the lad fend off the frustrated ranchers.
27 Sep. 1970
The Weary Willies
The Cartwrights lend their support to The Weary Willies, a group of Civil War veterans who are struggling to re-enter society.
5 Oct. 1970
The Wagon
A murder suspect escapes a prison wagon. Sheriff Price Buchanan, who covets an appointment to Deputy U.S. Marshal, finds an injured Hoss. Buchanan, knowing his career is at risk if he fails his appointed duty, arrests Hoss and plans to substitute him in as his prisoner. Hoss befriends a fellow prisoner named Madge Tucker, whom knows Hoss was falsely arrested. Together, the two scheme to escape the wagon and Buchanan's clutches.
11 Oct. 1970
The Power of Life and Death
The Cartwrights are part of a posse that is after Davis, who shot and killed an Army colonel. When Ben and Joe capture Davis in the desert, they are attacked by a rouge Indian tribe, and Ben is seriously wounded. While Joe crosses the desert on foot to seek medical attention (for his Pa) and the posse (to take Davis into custody), Ben and Davis must set their differences aside to survive their hostile surroundings.
18 Oct. 1970
Gideon the Good
Gideon Yates, a corrupt lawman whose wife had shot her soon-to-be ex-husband in cold blood, tries to silence the murder's only witness - Little Joe Cartwright.
25 Oct. 1970
The Trouble with Trouble
Hoss unwittingly volunteers to be named sheriff of an aptly named town named Trouble. While dealing with problems that one might expect to associate with the town, he must find a way to capture the nefarious Clanton gang.
1 Nov. 1970
Thornton's Account
After Ben is seriously injured in a horse-riding accident far from home, Joe seeks help from valley settlers who are terrified of a corrupt rancher and his foremen. While Ben suffers from recurring nightmares of Joe being unable to help, Joe tries to persuade Thornton to do the right thing.
8 Nov. 1970
The Love Child
Old-school Zach Randolph refuses to make amends with his gravely ill daughter, Etta, because her son had been born out of wedlock. Joe risks his family's friendship with the Randolphs to set the stubborn old man straight.
15 Nov. 1970
El Jefe
The Cartwrights come to the aid of Mexican farmers in the Prince River vicinity, after they were run off the land by a corrupt tycoon wanting to strip mine the area.
22 Nov. 1970
The Luck of Pepper Shannon
A reformed outlaw named Pepper Shannon comes to the Ponderosa seeking a job. Ben agrees to hire him, but has to keep both Pepper and an impressionable Jamie away from each other - a task that's easier said than done.
29 Nov. 1970
The Impostors
Joe and Hoss pose as stagecoach robbers in an effort to track down their stolen money. However, their plans are forced to change after the wife of one of the robbers shows up.
20 Dec. 1970
Honest John
Honest John, a drifter is looking for a nest and hopes to settle on the Ponderosa through his rapport with the newly adopted Jamie. But John's breakthrough with the boy must be weighed against the seamier side of his character.