The WORST episodes of The High Chaparral
Every episode of The High Chaparral ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of The High Chaparral!
The show revolved around "Big" John Cannon, a rancher who lived in the Arizona Territory in the 1870s. He ran the ranch with his brother Buck and son Billy Blue. Blue Boy's mother Annalee was killed in the first episode by an Indian arrow, and John Cannon then married Victoria, the daughter of the powerful neighbouring rancher Don Sebastián Montoya, in what is initially a marriage of convenience. His marriage to Victoria Montoya brought her brother Manolito (Henry Darrow) into the picture, and he also came to live with the family. Cameron Mitchell had been offered the part of Buck following an airline flight to Tucson where he had sat next to the series originator and his wife.
#1 - The New Lion of Sonora (1)
Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/19/1971
Gilbert Roland guest stars as the surprise heir to the Montoya ranch in this special two-hour presentation. The sudden, peaceful passing of Don Sebastian Montoya brings his daughter Victoria, his son Manolito, John Cannon and Buck to the Montoya ranch to attend funeral services and to settle estate matters. All are amazed to learn the will leaves the vast Montoya holding to Don Sebastian's ne'er-do-well brother Don Domingo, a charming, irresponsible rascal currently living in Mexico City. Upon his return to the family home to claim his legacy, Domingo shocks the family by announcing he plans to sell the ranch and travel. A series of unexplained raids on his new-found cattle and property serves to uncover a little-known dimension of Don Domingo
#2 - Follow Your Heart
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/4/1968
Ranch foreman Sam Butler returns to his native border town to avenge the death of his daughter. Sam, raised by his adopted father Ben Lynch, learns his daughter has been killed by Lynch's would be gunfighter son, Tom. Reunited with his Mexican wife Trinidad, Sam refuses all advice and vows to kill the boy. John Cannon leads the ranch hands to the border city in an attempt to stop the shoot-out.
Watch Now:Amazon
#3 - The Promised Land
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/25/1968
Don Sebastian Montoya repudiates his promise to sell a small village on his land to tenants after Vaquero obtains the purchase money. Vaquero received the money from a dying friend to buy the village. This matter becomes complicated when he learns the money may have been stolen by his friend and bandit, Miguel Morales.
Watch Now:Amazon#4 - North to Tucson
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/8/1968
When Victoria saves the life of a man injured in a stagecoach plundered by Comancheros, she learns the man has sworn to kill her husband. The injured man, James Forrest, blames John Cannon for the death of his family in the Civil War. The Comancheros, led by Macklin, capture the wandering pair, who are lost in the desert. Victoria again saves Forrest by convincing the bandits he is John Cannon and worth a high ransom.
Watch Now:Amazon#5 - Our Lady of Guadalupe
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/20/1968
Ricardo Montalban guest-stars as a priest who obtains money from the Cannon family, presumably to finance his search for a religious statue, but channels the funds to the poor. Father Sanchez is forced to ride to New Orleans to purchase a fake statue when Victoria persuades John Cannon to provide the needed funds. Buck and Manolito serve as escorts for the priest and his statue. They are joined by Mavis and Gillis, who plot to steal it. When Gillis starts to rob the group, Father Sanchez reveals the statue is phony.
Watch Now:Amazon#6 - Sea of Enemies
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/3/1969
An Army deserter accused of murder takes Billy Blue as hostage. Graham Jessup enlists Billy Blue to help him escape by fabricating a story that he has been mistreated because he is a Negro. Jessup makes Billy his prisoner when the young man hesitates to lead him into forbidden Apache land. The pair are cornered in the forbidden land by a large band of Indians, complicating the rescue efforts of John Cannon, Buck and the cavalry.
#7 - Shadow of the Wind
Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/10/1969
The celebration of a peace treaty with the Indians is cut short for the Cannons by scalp hunters disguised as lawmen. Nickanora, an old friend of Manolito and Victoria, admits he has come from Mexico with Johnny Ringo's gang to scalp Indians for profit. When the gang kills an Indian family, Mano goes after the group alone and is captured. John Cannon and the High Chaparral wranglers locate Manolito, but hesitate to start a gun fight, fearing an approaching Apache war party will be alerted by the shots.
Watch Now:Amazon#8 - No Irish Need Apply
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/17/1969
Against John Cannon's advice, Mano helps Sean McLaren, an Irish miner, and his friends in their strike against dangerous working conditions. McLaren and his friend Scanlon are sentenced to the chain gang for fighting with Cass Gregg, mine superintendent. Mano helps the two escape. John Cannon favors negotiations to improve conditions while McLaren insists sabotage will provide more direct results. When Scanlon is fatally beaten by Gregg, McLaren decides to destroy the mine, and Manolito appears helpless to stop him.
Watch Now:Amazon#9 - The Last Hundred Miles
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/24/1969
Lucien Charot raises his freight prices by having Indian attacks faked against his wagons. John interests an El Paso stage and freight line in extending operations to Tucson with local merchants financing the plan. Charot increases the phony raids and the frightened merchants withdraw from the deal. John then puts his ranch up to guarantee the initial safety of the new line. Victoria joins John for the first ride into Tucson while Charot and his gunmen wait in ambush.
Watch Now:Amazon#10 - The Glory Soldiers
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/31/1969
Manolito leaves the routine of the Cannon Ranch searching excitement and becomes involved with three uniformed musicians. Mano contemplated joining El Lobo, his old bandit friend, until he learns El Lobo has robbed Capt. Ellie Strong and her two followers. He steals money from the bandit to finance Capt. Strong's trip to Tombstone to escape El Lobo and the Mexican authorities, who seek Manolito's capture for petty crimes. Buck takes an interest in Capt. Strong and joins the group. The success of the trip appears questionable when El Lobo, Apaches and Mexican authorities appear.
Watch Now:Amazon#11 - Once on a Day in Spring
Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/14/1969
Victoria, feeling ignored, leaves her husband John but finds little peace of mind at her father's ranch. Manolito joins Victoria at the Montoya Ranch and vies with his father, Don Sebastian Montoya, for the attention of Countess Maria. Victoria objects to the countess until she learns the countess has been through similar quarrels with her own several husbands. Buck persuades John he has taken his wife too much for granted. John finds it difficult to forget ranch work and turn romantic to win Victoria's return.
Watch Now:Amazon#12 - Stinky Flanagan
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/21/1969
A flamboyant Irishman cons Buck into buying a camel, promising it will revolutionize the cattle industry. Cavalry trooper Flanagan misinterprets an order to ""shoe"" his camel Tillie as ""shoot"" and deserts his unit to save the camel's life. Flanagan wears out his welcome at the Cannon Ranch when he cheats at poker, steals Manolito's girl, Pearlita, and admits Tillie can't herd cattle. When Flanagan attempts to escape the Cannon Ranch with Tillie and rejoin the cavalry, he discovers the unit is surrounded by Indians.
Watch Now:Amazon#13 - Bad Day for Bad Men
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/17/1969
Bandits take advantage of Manolito's affinity for a pretty face by absconding with one of his girlfriends and cash, the theft of which threatens the loss of the Cannon ranch. Entrusted with money to buy a huge cattle herd, Manolito is overpowered by Matar and Kyle who head for the border with both the booty and Manolito's fiery girlfriend, Juanita. John Cannon, Buck and Blue and Manolito give chase but it is the feminine wiles of Juanita and Victoria Cannon with which the bandits soon learn they must contend.
#14 - The Forge of Hate
Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/13/1970
Efforts of a young Apache warrior to make peace with the white man are undermined by the belligerence of his long-embittered tribal chief. Determined to ease the ever-present threat of all-out war, youthful Two Pony negotiates a plan for peace with John Cannon whereby the Indian lad is temporarily housed at the High Chaparral to learn the blacksmith trade. His rebellious chieftain, Grey Wolf, thwarts the peace effort by carrying out a series of harassing attacks against Cannon and his herds.
Watch Now:Amazon#15 - To Stand for Something More
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/24/1969
Left in charge of the Chaparral, Blue fails in his first major test of responsibility and then takes drastic steps to redeem himself. In the absence of his father, John Cannon, his Uncle Buck and Manolito, Blue is given full authority to run the ranch only to have their prize stallion stolen by bandits. Hurt by his father's criticism and determined to regain his confidence, Blue faces the bandits alone in his attempt to retrieve the valuable horse.
#16 - The Badge
Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/18/1970
In a flashback sequence, John Cannon and brother Buck retrace their lives of years ago when lawman John captures Buck, who is wanted for bank robbery and murder. En route to town for trial, the brothers are followed by Buck's former partners, who are determined to see that the true story never is known.
#17 - Fiesta
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/20/1970
En route to a bordertown fiesta, Buck invites trouble when he befriends a Mexican boy. Buck encounters Homero Jose, an itinerant promoter whose income comes from fights he stages between friendless Mexican youths for anyone willing to wager on the outcome. Repelled by the sight of 11-year-old Beto being beaten, Buck takes him away in hopes of finding him a new home; but a vengeful Jose takes up their trail, vowing to get the boy back.
#18 - A Good Sound Profit
Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/30/1970
John Cannon faces alienation of family and friends when he maintains his decision to aid a band of revolutionists. John Cannon, seeing a financial windfall in the sale of guns, ammunition and horses to ill-equipped Mexican rebels, negotiates with their leader over strong objections from his Mexican-born wife, Victoria, and her brother, Manolito. Even when Manolito elects to leave the Cannon ranch for good, John continues his profit-making deals despite the reaction of his family.
#19 - Wind
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/9/1970
Returning home from a visit to her father's ranch, Victoria and her escorts Sam and Pedro find infant Joey, the only survivor of an Indian raid on his parent's wagon. When the boy's grandfather, Dan Casement, spared only because he had gone ahead to scout for water, insists on leaving with the child, a concerned Victoria balks, insisting that she can better care of the baby en route to the safety of the Cannon ranch. Relenting, Casement joins them in their slow trek across the desert while Indians stalk them, awaiting the best time to attack.
Watch Now:Amazon#20 - Spokes
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/25/1970
Needing to get away temporarily from the rigors of ranch life, Buck chooses the raucous Fourth of July holiday for the time and the roughest town in the territory for the place Soon after his arrival in Spokes, a lawless community run by tough China Pierce, Buck witnesses a saloon shootout in which Pierce's son Bud is killed by Jones, an old friendless trapper who is seriously wounded. Although it was a fair fight, cowering townspeople refuse to help Jones, so Buck goes to the man's aid and then mounts a vigil to await the inevitable explosive confrontation with Pierce.
#21 - Auld Lang Syne
Season 3 - Episode 24 - Aired 4/10/1970
Buck becomes involved in gold robbery by helping an old Army buddy. A happy reunion between Buck Cannon and Army Sgt. Travis Winslow leads to Buck's hiring as a scout for Winslow and his detachment of men, who are escorting a military gold shipment through Apache country. En route, Buck learns that the Indians are not the only threat.
#22 - Too Many Chiefs
Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/27/1970
Convinced by Victoria that he needs a vacation, John reluctantly leaves Buck, Manolito and Blue in charge of the ranch and returns to an Indian uprising. Victoria convinces John that he needs a break from the rigors of his work. The Cannons take what is intended to be a carefree vacation, leaving the ranch in the eager but inexperienced hands of Buck, Manolito and Blue. John returns to find that the boys have made a few mistakes, not the least of which is the provoking of an all-out Apache uprising.
#23 - The Little Thieves
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/26/1969
Victimized by two amateur but charming teen-aged cattle rustlers, Buck and Manolito make the mistake of trying to reform them. Intent on impressing her outlaw father, Annie Croswell and her friend Bet Roberts steal the horses of Buck and Manolito. Easily tracked and captured by their victims, the two teen-teenagers are given a second chance by being brought to the Cannon Ranch, where it is hoped they can be dissuaded from following the footsteps of Annie's father.
#24 - Alliance
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/12/1969
The Cannon Ranch is threatened by an Indian war when the military sends a bounty hunter after an Apache brave accused of murder. Johnny Ringo reveals to his old friend Manolito that he has been assigned by the cavalry to arrest Keono. Manolito, fearing Ringo may trigger an Indian uprising, insists on accompanying the bounty hunter. Ignoring Manolito's warnings, Ringo gets his man and involves himself and the men of the Chaparral Ranch in a hopelessly one-sided shoot-out with attacking Apaches.
#25 - The Lost Ones
Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/21/1969
Because she once ""magically"" saved the life of an Indian brave, Victoria is forcibly brought to an Apache camp to treat the chief's dying son. In awe of Victoria, who he believes to possess special curative powers since she treated him, Apache brave Nemo demands that she similarly aid the critically wounded son of his tribal chief. Victoria's own life is in the balance when she realizes there is little hope for the injured man.