Penelope

This series was very successful for its first five seasons, and Richard Boone had planned to go out on a high note when the fifth season was completed. For whatever reason, the producers decided otherwise and coerced Boone into a sixth season.

This, then, is one of the resultant shows from that last season. To say that Boone "phoned it in" would be an understatement. Rather than a fine slow-roasted prime rib, medium-rare all the way through, we got sausage. Lawrence Dobkin and Joanna Barnes couldn't save this mis-directed mismash of a production. Such a pity, as it could very well have been far better presented had anyones' hearts actually been into doing so. I enjoyed most every episode from the first five seasons, but watching any of them from Season Six is laborious and they're best forgotten. Unless one is a diehard Boone fan, these are best forgotten.

Paladin was a remarkable character. And the fellow who played him, Richard Boone, was a very talented man.

The summary is a line from the episode titled "Penelope". It is recited by Paladin. The quote is from from the Bible, Proverbs 31. Paladin bestows this quote upon a man - a stranger (Lawrence Dobkin) that has met Paladin in the bar of his hotel - who is deeply in love with his beautiful, younger, wife. The man has been away from his wife (Joanna Barnes) and his home (a ranch) for some time. He is planning to return - unannounced - tomorrow. Before he leaves, he gets drunk and tells Paladin that his wife is the best woman a man could hope to find (to which Paladin responds with the quote mentioned above). The husband also assumes that his wife is so exceptional, she will fall prey to any man with designs on her - and he will have to kill them both.

After the man passes out in the bar, the man's servant comes to tell Paladin that the wife is indeed the object of another man - the foreman - back at the ranch.

Paladin journeys there to tell the wife of her husband's impending arrival. She is miserable without him. She loves him, but believes that, since he has spent so much time away from home, searching for his fortune (a fortune she does not want), her husband does not love her. What she does not realize is that her husband loves her so much that he began his search entirely for her.

The manner in which Paladin manages to get the husband to drive the foreman away without killing him, and to resist the temptation to also challenge Paladin to a duel over his wife, is one befitting Paladin's prowess as a master strategist.

In the end the husband is victorious (he has defended his and his wife's honor without the need to kill) but also crushed (he assumes his wife does not love him). To the husband's astonishment - and profound joy - he discovers his wife, whom he cherishes deeply, cherishes him as well.

His quest accomplished, Paladin takes his leave. But not before bestowing upon husband and wife a recitation of the entire quotation that he mentioned earlier...

"A woman of valor, who can find? Her price is far above rubies. So that he shall have no need of spoil. The heart of her husband safely trust in her, And he shall have no fear of loss of gain. She does him good and not evil, All the days of her life."

Richard Boone was a very talented man.

Paladin looks on as a confused husband decides whether to return to his long-suffering wife.

An episode like this signals clear series exhaustion. The 30-minutes is poorly written, erratically directed, and muddled in upshot, suggesting the writers are running out of ideas. Director McLaglen can't seem to decide whether to play the proceedings as farce or drama. And since there's no action to speak of, there remains precious little to hold viewer interest. Then too, Boone looks somewhat bored, which following 5-years of the same role is probably understandable. I don't like knocking an entry like this. But then, the series did establish a fairly high standard for the Western saturated late-1950's. And I hate to see it losing quality like this. It's likely a good thing the series folded soon after.

In my opinion terrible from beginning to end!! The action of the first ten minutes should be conveyed in much less time. The story has no action at all!! The story has even less point. Joanna Barnes and Lawrence Dobkin guest star!!

The last season and it definitely shows.