Bonanza (TV Series) The Weary Willies (1970) User Reviews

Vagabonds

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 8 February 2020]

Richard Thomas wearing a blond wig that looks like it was borrowed from Harpo Marx guest stars in this Bonanza episode. He plays a vagabond type of person just traveling the country. They are called 'Weary Willies' and later on they'd be hoboes, bums, or the homeless.

With only a guitar for a companion Thomas does manage to charm store owner Lonny Chapman's daughter Lee Purcell. Chapman isn't liking what he's seeing with Purcell and Thomas.

Nice episode and if I was her father I'd be concerned too.

VETERANS

[donnamariejones · 10/10 · 25 August 2022]

Excellent episode with Richard Thomas and lee Purcell dealing with veterans from the civil war trying to fit back into society. As someone else said John boy as a civil war veteran with a wig (Dutch boy wig). This episode touches on a concerning topic of veterans fitting back into society after the civil war. This being an important issue even today. I realize it must be tough on men in this situation I didn't realize that far back how veterans were treated poorly And ostracized. Sadly they were treated that way after fighting for our country. I had an uncle who was left for dead when he was fighting for out country and he survived but was catatonic with treatments failing until he was hospitalized and received shock treatment. Do him he was obviously struggling but with the help of treatment and people be who cared he recuperated and was able to lead a productive normal life with a wife and family. So it shows you an example of what These men went through And with the right help be cured and go in with life with the proper treatment physically and mentally.

Not the Best Episode

[timothymitchellboone · 5/10 · 28 June 2023]

I love Bonanza. I grew up in the 60s and 70s, with my Dad a fan of Westerns. He enjoyed Bonanza when he could catch it. I had not seen all episodes myself so a couple of months ago, I decided to watch it from Season 1. I am currently on Season 12. It has been a fun show to watch, some episodes better than others. I enjoy the characters and most storyline.

This episode, however, is one of the worst episodes I've seen. As a previous reviewer stated, this tries to tie the show in with the current events of the 1960s, even though the show is set 100 years earlier. I love that the Cartwrights usually stick up for the underdogs and, even in this episode, it's fine to a point. It's certainly justified when the wrong people are blamed and harassed for a crime they didn't commit, a common theme throughout the show's episodes. But these Weary Willies --- wanderers --- set up camp on other peoples' land, cut down trees to build, and allow others to join, all without asking the owner nor offering anything in return. They are resistant to steady work yet take anything that's offered to them. The Cartwrights are gracious and tell them they can stay for a bit and then the wanderers take advantage of the situation. As if it didn't sound a lot like the hippies of the 60s yet, the leader of the group sings songs more at home in the 1960s than the 1860s. Songs are written by folk/country singer Michael Martin Murphy. Folksy songs, yes, but easily not representative of songs from the 1860s.

This is not meant to deny that the actors did a great job with their characters. It's the storyline that fails with me. I have seen episodes and other shows that try to tie in with current events, and some do it better than others. This is one episode I won't mind if I never see it again.

Hey Willie!

[hogwrassler · 4/10 · 11 November 2022]

In the later seasons, the writers often delved into current day topics. In 1970, the Vietnam War protesters were front and center on the news every night. Rebelling against society was highly respected by some influential media commentators. "The Weary Willies" takes up the subject of a few Civil War veterans trying to avoid living a normal life. Billy (Richard Thomas), Krulak (Kevin Tighe), and Pellemin (Mayf Nutter) descend on Virginia City. They con people into getting handouts from citizens, as Pellemin pretends to have twisted his ankle. General store owner's daughter Angie Colter (lovely Lee Purcell) is taken with Billy and resolves to help, convincing a few friends to do likewise. They camp on Ben's land, cutting down his trees and putting up crude shacks. Then they are joined by a two more Willies, a man and his wife, who is expecting a baby. They seem to come from everywhere.

The Willies are always shown in the best light, as wonderful, decent people. The Virginia City folk who despise them are always shown to be bigots and totally unreasonable. The writers ignore the serious moral and legal questions. When Ben asks why they feel they can cut down trees and put up shacks without permission, Billy tells him that trees die eventually, anyway. And he says they take everything down and leave the land exactly as they found it when they depart. How are they going to put the trees back up. Pellemin tells Ben, "The way I see it, this land isn't doing you any good anyway." So, the Willies are seen as completely justified to trespass, destroy property, and ignore the rights of others. Billy doesn't show up for work when Ben gives a job. And that OK, as this episode believes.

In 1970, the Willies in this episode would be the counterparts to the hippies, druggies, and draft dodgers of that time. Clearly, the writers were trying to curry favor with these groups. And perhaps trying to teach a lesson as to how all people should be allowed to,do their own thing, even if doing their own thing involves being totally irresponsible and violating the rights of everyone else. In 2022, the Willies would be the homeless people who sit on the corner with signs about working for food, when they have no intention of working, only deputing handouts, just like Billy ignoring the job offer in this episode.

Bonanza was at its best when it focused on the family members righting wrongs and defending the Ponderosa. This episode sure isn't that. And it's not very good, either.