For the last show of season 11, it appears that the writers were out of ideas and resorted to one of those 'I'm hurt and hope someone finds me before the credits run' shows that is lacking any interest.
The lack luster story begins when everyone is leaving the Ponderosa on a cattle drive. Joe is staying behind as he waits on the food wagon before setting off with the others. After everyone leaves, Joe has to go to the barn concerning a horse that has become frighten due to area thunder. But while trying to settle the bucking horse, Joe gets knocked down and stomped by the horse's hoofs. Joe is severely injured and unable to get help. Even when the food wagon arrives, they do not find Joe anywhere around so the food wagon leaves to catch-up with the others. Now Joe is all alone as he struggles to survive.
This may have been interesting in a shorter format but having a near hour show made for a very long situation where Joe stumbles from one room to another, all while in pain, waiting for help. The story got old fast. The writer tried to inject some interest when Joe thought about having to amputate a limb - but the damage was already done. It was a 'woe-is-me' episode that ends like so many others in the series.
With all the woeful pain scenes there was little time for dialog in the show. Some people may enjoy the screen performance of Michael Landon but I thought is leaned to over-acting rather a heart-filled performance. But when you have the same type of story told nearly the same way many times during the series run- it is bound to get old. And old it got.
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