Bonanza (TV Series) The Gift (1961) User Reviews

The ending is sad

[mitchrmp · 10/10 · 10 August 2014]

This is another one of my favorite episodes.

At the beginning, Little Joe is missing. He had gone off to get a special gift - a horse - for his father. But raiding killed many men and Ben and his sons needed to go find him.

Emeliano and Little Joe worked so hard to try to save this horse. He was so special, in fact, that Emeliano would rather die then see something happen to his horse.

After the unthinkable happens, Little Joe continues on with the gift for his father. But more tragedy strikes. I always cry at the end of this one right along with Joe. It's so special to see the father-son moment in such a unique and un-mocho way. Ben loved his sons more than anything. Nothing would ever stop him from going when one needed him, and likewise. Little Joe's failure to give his father the gift was heart-breaking...But it's like Ben said - he had the best gift in his arms...

Went Through the Desert on a Horse With No Name.

[bfreedman-07716 · 10/10 · 11 March 2021]

One of best episodes. Minimal humor in this one but all sorts of action, drama and tears. Embraces and transcends the established Bonanza themes of honor and family. Jim Davis and particularly Martin Landau both deliver memorable guest performances.

The great white horse

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 10 July 2020]

On a trip to Arizona Michael Landon gets sidetracked buying a white horse as a gift for Lorne Greene's birthday. Landon and Martin Landau fall into the clutches of comanchero chief Jim Davis who really fancies the horse. So in fact does Landau.

The rest of the Cartwrights are looking for Landon on the desert. All the characters meet a destiny on said desert.

Good guest star performances from Landau and Davis.

so awful, it's a must-see...

[grizzledgeezer · 1/10 · 27 April 2013]

"The Gift" is one of those overwrought, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink episodes that litter the TV-Western universe.

For starters, when Little Joe doesn't show up with his birthday present for Pa, the mischpocke runs off after him. What will happen to the Ponderosa if they're all killed? Oh, wait... This is Television Land. Such things don't happen there.

There's lots of "bad" to go round, but the worst is Martin Landau's impersonation of a vaquero with a valuable white horse. Not only is Landau unconvincing -- he is not a generally convincing actor, and his Oscar seems more the product of Tim Burton's direction than anything else -- but his death scene (at 33:30) has to be one of the lowest-of-the-low points in the history of TV "drama". (Really. This is in no way an exaggeration.) How Blocker and Green could have watched it without breaking into uncontrolled laughter is hard to fathom. But Green -- a massive canned ham in his own right -- was probably oblivious to such horrifyingly overwrought acting.

"The Gift" should be returned for a refund. Or at least store credit.