El Toro Grande

While the previous episode of Bonanza (The Last Hunt) was quite good, unfortunately, this episode is a downgrade.

In today's story, Little Joe and Hoss are tasked with purchasing and bringing a (crazy expensive) bull back to the Ponderosa. Throughout the episode, they encounter one roadblock after another-from two men attempting to steal their money, to a rather rambunctious woman who takes every opportunity to throw herself at Little Joe, to a little boy and his family who are oddly protective of the bull, and a tribe of Native Americans seeking food for their starving people. Oh, and let's not forget the sword fight between Little Joe and the jealous woman's fiancé. Sounds like a lot, huh? Oh yes, and Hoss fights a bear. (Whoever was in that bear costume, kudos to them, haha.)

I felt this episode needed to focus on one conflict rather than introducing so many problems at once. By the time the story ended, I was feeling a bit weary-honestly, even relieved.

After Little Joe and Hoss explain their crazy story to Adam, Ben looks over the prized creature and remarks, "That's certainly a lot of bull." Adam sarcastically responds, "Yes sir, it sure is." That pretty much sums up my feelings on this one. Season 1 varied quite a bit in quality, and this episode falls on the lower end of that range.

I do not like this episode. It's just so boring! There are some funny parts in it (my favorite is when Joe and Hoss are discussing their trip in front of Adam), but for the most part it's pretty boring. There are other "bull" stories that are a lot better...

In this episode, Hoss and Little Joe go to Mexico to buy a seed bull for $10,000.00. I cannot even imagine buying any kind of animal for that price! WOW!!! Back then that was like...what? a million dollars or something in today's standards? Anyways, the entire episode is about the boys getting this bull back home.

One of my least favorite episode so far.

Dead: 2

I guess Ben Cartwright can't send Adam on all the missions so Hoss and Little Joe go to old Mexico to purchase a bull from big ranchero Ricardo Cortez. A prize breeding bull but he also comes with a family which includes Juan Gonzalez Gonzalez, Penny Santon and little Alan Roberts who's the bull's mascot. He goes with bull and the parents go with him.

Michael Landon has to fend off the amorous advances of Barbara Luna who is Cortez's daughter. She's scheduled to marry Eduardo Montalban, but she's craving a little something something with Little Joe.

As for Dan Blocker he gets to wrestle and kill a bear to save the prize bull.

This was Ricardo Cortez's farewell performance before retirement in a career that included being Greta Garbo's leading man.

A nice episode with accent on the comic side except for that bear duel.

Slightly boring and predictable, personally, I find the 3rd and 4th seasons to be better than season 1. Joe and Hoss travels to Spanish California to pay USD 10,000 (!) for a bull which Ben wants, As often in the early period, little Joe experiences entanglement with women (this time a Mexican senorita), which he has to duel himself out of, and Hoss' (1,91m tall) super-strengths comes well in hand when fighting a bear. Crooks is also attempting to part them with the purchase amount of the bull before arriving at the ranch in California, significant tension builds up.... Overall good old-fashioned excitement, but personally, I like later seasons better, as well as the iller fated High Chaparral from the same creator (1967), and the Big Valley with Barbara Stanwyck, Lee Majors and Linda Evans. Unfortunately, the American people had settled for Bonanza, the first cowboy-series in color, and were unwilling to see the unique qualities of especially HC. HC was filmed far more frequently on-location, the shooting in Old Tucson really did give HC an authentic western look and epic scale. Bonanza was a studio product to a greater degree during its 435 episodes, only out-gunned by Gunsmoke among the cowboy television shows. Anyhoo; great to see Adam, an important figure until he decided to leave in 1965 due to the series turning into "the little-Joe" hour in the mid-60's... And with Hoss' death in 1972, there were only two leading figures left at the time of termination, of which only Ben lived at Ponderosa, after Little Joe 's wife died (in the series). Adam (Pernell) - first man out - is today the only survivor from the show. Love some of the episodes, though...

Yep I agree with the others here - this show was put together at a Friday Night pool party. Just two of my own observations: First, at the very beginning of the episode, when Ben is in the bank withdrawing $15,000, he and the banker act like he is taking out fifty cents. If this actually happened, it would be cloaked in total secrecy - behind closed doors - and the money would be at best hidden in the clothing or even horse tackle when the brothers left on their trip - from their home, not the town. Instead, the money is broadcast in full volume in both the bank and street alley for all the bad guys to hear. Ben even smiles and nods at one of the loitering crooks as he leaves the bank. Stupid. The second dumb thing was the way the Senorita - who was engaged to another man! - threw herself at Joe and practically demanded, well, "relations". Pretty sad stereotype of Mexican women.