"The Golden Trail" episode of "Laredo" has its share of laughs, but it isn't half as good as the best episodes of the series. The teleplay penned by Gene L. Coon and Bloise N. Coon suffers from predictability. If you've seen enough "Laredo" episodes, you'll have a sneaky suspicion about the payoff. Indeed, the ending is what makes this episode tolerable. Texas Ranger Reese Bennett (Neville Brand of "D.O.A.") has most of this episode to himself after Captain Parmelee (Phil Carey of "The Great Sioux Massacre") dispatches him to pick up a wagon containing a valuable cargo. Captain Parmelee selected Reese especially because he had great faith in his ability to complete a job without botching it like his younger cohorts Chad Cooper and Joe Riley. Trouble is, Parmelee doesn't confide in Reese about the contents of the cargo that he has been assigned to pick up which was shipped out of St. Louis. Riding alone on his own, Reese meets a couple of lawmen at a secret rendezvous, takes charge of the wagon, and ties his horse Cactus to the tailgate. Off sets our hero to Laredo. Before he embarked on this mission, Reese bragged about it like a loudmouth in a Laredo saloon, so that half the state of Texas knows about his mission. Like Reese, they have no idea what he is going to be bringing back to Laredo. What all these people have in common is their sincere belief that the cargo amounts $100-thousand in gold. Inevitably, thieves swarm after Reese. Some of them are old friends, Tom Baker (Tom Reese of "Flaming Star") and Curly (Greg Palmer of "Big Jake"), who have turned to crime, while some are duly elected peace officers, Sheriff Wes Cottrell (Jim Davis of "Dallas"), who decide to put their need above those of the public that they are supposed to protect. At one point, even an Old Timer (Arthur Hunnicutt of "El Dorado") gets the drop on Reese and commandeers his wagon. Basically, "The Golden Trail" qualifies as a road trip oater. The surprise ending caps off this minor adventure, and Chad and Joe show up at the last moment to help Reese out. Naturally, Captain Parmelee is crushed when he learns that a dozen bottles of aged, sipping whiskey, locked up tight in a foot locker style box held in place in the bed of a wagon, have been riddled with bullets. Although Reese salvages one bottle, he breaks it accidentally handing it over to Parmelee. Not the best, "The Golden Trail" is a fair episode.
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