In The Far, Far Better Thing, Joe Cartwright and his companion Tuck are entangled in a rivalry for the heart of Lucy Melviney, a naive girl enchanted by romantic tales. As Lucy becomes the prey of abduction by a renegade group from the Paiute tribe, Joe and Tuck seek shelter from the world’s harsh truths. Complications arise when Sharp Tongue, Joe’s childhood friend, emerges as the renegades’ leader. This episode, written by Mort R. Lewis, premiered on January 10, 1965.
You can explore the plot’s intricacies and discover fascinating trivia, or you can watch the complete episode below.
Table of Contents
Watch the Full Episode of The Far, Far Better Thing
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Main Cast
The sixteenth episode of Bonanza’s sixth season showcases several recurring and supporting program members. The episode features the following cast:
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- Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
- Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright
- Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright
- Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright
- Brenda Scott as Lucinda ‘Lucy’ Melviney
- Warren Vanders as Tuck
- Stacy Harris as Martin Melviney
- X Brands as Sharp Tongue
- Jack Big Head as Tall Brave (as Jack Bighead)
- Bill Clark as Paiute Indian (uncredited)
- Betty Endicott as Townswoman (uncredited)
- Bill Hart as Paiute Indian (uncredited)
- Bob LaWandt as Stage Passenger (uncredited)
- Martha Manor as Townswoman (uncredited)
- Victor Romito as Townsman (uncredited)
- Jack Tornek as Cavalryman on Stage (uncredited)
Full Story Line for The Far, Far Better Thing
Ben’s old friend visits the Cartwrights, bringing along his sheltered daughter, Lucinda, whose exposure to the world is mainly through romantic literature. Joe and his friend Tuck soon find themselves competing for Lucinda’s affection. However, their focus changes when they fall into the hands of a group of Paiutes with plans to kidnap Lucinda.
Full Script and Dialogue of The Far, Far Better Thing
JOE: Good morning. BEN: Good morning. JOE: Hey, Tuck. - Howdy, Little Joe, Mr. Cartwright. BEN: Hello, Tuck. JOE: What did you do to your leg? Mm. Oh, I got a new stallion out to my place. Tried to bust him. He blame near busted me. Ha, ha. When are you gonna learn to leave the bad ones to the good riders? Heh. Well, his name fooled me: Mamma's Boy. [LAUGHS] - Mamma's... - Ain't that a name for a horse that's half meanness and another half even meaner? When are you gonna come out and have supper with us? Thanks, but I got a lot of things to do out at the ranch. And, well, can't nothing drag me away till they're done. Come on, there's other things in life besides running that spread of yours. Oh, yeah? Like what? Like having supper with friends, or playing a little poker, dancing with some girls. If you had a spread as big as Tuck's here, you wouldn't have any time for that dancing and poker play. Tuck, come on out, you're always welcome at the Ponderosa. - Thank you. - Really, how's the leg feeling? - Oh, tolerable, tolerable. - Just tolerable, huh? How come you're so spruced up? We're gonna meet some friends of Pa's from back East, Philadelphia. I figure with some of the riffraff running around the street here, I gotta try to make a good impression. Well, the tie don't help that much. JOE: Ha, ha. Thanks a lot. We'll see you. Whoa! [SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY] - Ben! BEN: Ha, ha. - Ben Cartwright, you old... Ha, ha. - Martin, you son of a gun. Ha, ha. - How are you? Good to see you. - Great. You look wonderful. You're wonderful. You look wonderful yourself. This is my... My youngest boy. - Little Joe, this is Mr. Melviney. JOE: Pleasure to meet you. - How are you, son? JOE: Heard about the old days. Lucy, dear. Lucy, this is Ben Cartwright and his son Little Joe. My daughter, Lucinda. Well, Miss Lucinda. What a pleasure. Welcome to Virginia City and to the Ponderosa. It's my pleasure, ma'am. JOE: Let me get the bags for you. - Let me give you a hand. JOE: It's all right, I got it. - Here they are. JOE: These three? - Martin. I can't believe it's been that long since we've seen each other. Oh, it is, Ben. The gray in our hair should prove that. [BEN CHUCKLES] It sure does. TUCK: Hey. You didn't tell me about her. Tuck, I thought you're only interested in meeting horses. Ah... BEN: Martin. - Thank you, Ben. - Thanks, Little Joe. - Didn't have too dusty a trip, did you? No, fine trip all the way. Mr. Cartwright, uh, I'd like to accept that kind invitation of yours for supper, uh, tonight. Oh. Ahem. Well, uh, Tuck, I thought you said that nothing could ever get you away from that ranch of yours. What ranch? In that case, we'll expect you tonight. Yeah. [BEN CHUCKLES] I remember you leaving St. Louis to go back East like it was yesterday. Martin, it can't be 28 years. It is, though, Ben. Ahem. It is. I never thought when I left I'd be corralled in Philadelphia, a place I'd never even heard of. Well, I'm sure glad to see that you've done so well. Yes, I've made some money. The best thing that ever happened to me, though, was meeting Ada there and our having Lucy. That was Ada. Beautiful woman. Yes, she was. All the way. I lost Ada when Lucy was just 5. Ben, you have no idea what it is to raise a child all by yourself. Oh, of course I don't. Heh. Heh, no. You're talking about boys. I mean a woman child. I tell you, Ben, the human female filly is a woman grown down instead of up. She's just as hard to make out as her big sister. Lucy has always been a puzzle to me. Oh, that's because you've spoiled the heck out of her. Only child. A girl. No, that's not what bothers me, Ben. See, Lucy was a sickly child. Spent a good many years in bed. Then had to take it easy for a long time after that. As a result, she found all of her companionship in books instead of in people. Now that she's grown and healthy, she still does. Mostly poetry, romantic novels. Well, you know, young girls and romantic novels go together like strawberries and cream. Yes, but Lucy gets all of her ideas of life out of these books. She hardly ever comes down to bedrock. I thought that out here where you still have to claw some just to stay alive, she might just come down to earth. Then neither of you have read this latest book by Mr. Charles Dickens? No, not me. LUCY: Hmm. Well, I suppose it is understandable. A Tale of Two Cities was only published this year. Probably hasn't reached the Virginia City bookstores yet. The bookstores? Yeah, the bookstores. Miss Lucinda, I'd sure admire to read it. Well, I'd be very happy to lend it to you, as soon as I finish reading it again. [CHUCKLES] Oh, I'm especially fond of Sydney Carton. - Friend of yourn? - Oh, you are silly. Well, he's a person in the book, the hero. A ne'er-do-well, a drunkard who nobly redeems himself. I didn't know a souse... A drunk could be a book hero. Oh. He was a wonderful hero. You see, Sydney Carton was in love with a beautiful woman by the name of Lucie Manette. I bet she ain't any prettier than you are, Miss Lucinda. Thank you. All my friends call me Lucy. I hope you both will. JOE: You've just talked us into it. Tell us more about Lucie, uh... The other one. Well, Lucie Manette was in love with a handsome man by the name of Charles Darnay. But Charles was in prison, and they were just about to execute him. Oh, but Sydney Carton loved Lucie so much, - do you know what he did? - No, tell me. He sneaked into Charles Darnay's cell, drugged him senseless, and took his place in prison and died in his stead. Must have had a pretty nearsighted guard if he couldn't tell the difference. Oh, but they looked alike. Do you know what Sydney Carton said just as they were about to execute him? What his very last words were? No, what were they? - "So long," I guess. - Heh. Oh, nobody ever says "so long" in a book by Mr. Charles Dickens. Well, not when they're about to die, anyway. No, what he said was: It is a far, far better thing I do than anything I have ever done. Isn't that a beautiful epitaph? I'm sorry, I think the whole thing is pretty silly. - What? - Oh, well, the way I look at it, this fellow would've been better off if he just let well enough alone. His rival dies and he has the girl he's in love with. Apparently, you don't understand this kind of nobility. This... Well, this was an ideal sort of love. Oh, come on, there's a big difference between being noble and being stupid. Listen, if Lucy says something's noble, then it's downright noble. And don't you go saying anything she says is stupid. Look, I'm not arguing with Lucy. I'm arguing with this fellow Dickens, the guy who wrote the book. You taking up for Dickens? - Don't you start weaseling. - Who's weaseling? He ain't here and she is. And if she says something is noble, then it is. And don't say anything she says is silly! JOE: If I wanna say that something is silly that this guy Dickens says, or he's stupid or anything I wanna say, I'm gonna say it, whether it's Dickens or this guy Carton or Napoleon Bonaparte, if I wanna say it. Joseph. Supper's ready. I'm sorry that Adam and Hoss are so late. Of course, they're coming a long way. I can hardly wait to see the sights around here. I'd sure admire to show you myself. It would be an honor. I'm sorry, Tuck, but Lucy already has a guide, me. I'd be delighted to have two such exceptional guides. What do you think you'd like to see? Adam and Hoss are doing some branding down at the South Creek. Oh, no, thank you. I mean, well, I've heard about branding and I don't think I'd enjoy it. Yeah. I don't suppose that'd be too interesting for a young lady. JOE: Huh. - How about Indian's Grief? Yeah, that's a wonderful idea. Just the ticket. - What is it? - Just an old Indian landmark. No, wait a minute, Joe, it's more than just an old Indian landmark. It's the most romantic spot around here. Really? Oh, please tell me about it. Well, the Indians, that is, the Paiutes, believed that a great chief is buried at Indian's Grief, and they mourn him. Because according to their legend, at the very beginning of time, the Great Manitou, that is, the Great Spirit, visited his wrath upon them. And after many men, women and children had died, the medicine man told the chief that the only way the Great Manitou could be appeased would be if the chief sacrificed his eldest son to him. No. Well, the chief prayed to the Great Manitou and asked that he be allowed to take the place of his son. He dressed himself in his finest garments and he mounted his favorite horse, and he rode to the very top of the highest cliff, and he leaped off. What a beautiful story. The Paiutes are very superstitious about Indian's Grief. They never walk around the rocks there. It's taboo. They don't mind white men doing it, but it's sacrilege for a Paiute. Well, Lucy, dear, there's the romantic West you've been looking for. Oh, I can hardly wait to see it. When can we go? - Well... - I think... - Well, if you really wanna go... - Seeing that it was my idea, I'll take you there tomorrow myself. Mm. How about some more cake? - Oh, no. - Not for me. There you are. Oh, sorry we're late. We got held up. Well, come on in and sit down and have something. Hoss and Adam, my two sons, meet our guests, Miss Lucinda Melviney... Hey, country around here is getting prettier all the time. And I'd like you to meet the father of the country, my old friend Mr. Martin Melviney. Happy to meet you, sir. Hoss, Adam. Well, how's the branding coming along? Fine, Pa, if a bunch of renegade Paiutes don't show up. - They around here now? - Well, sort of close by. It seems a few days ago, they killed a couple of fellows and a woman over at Savage Station. Day before yesterday, they killed a man and a little 11-year-old boy out at the Smiths'. ADAM: Apparently, they were all young bucks. One of the men at Smith's recognized the leader. And guess who it was, Joe. - Who? - Your old friend Sharp Tongue. What? Who is Sharp Tongue? He's a... He's an Indian boy I used to go to school with. His father wanted him to learn the ways of the white man. I'm afraid it didn't work out. Why? Was he an evil little boy? No. He was an Injun. I'm afraid children borrow the thinking of their parents. What made it worse, he was a proud Indian. Me? I admired him for it. He did more than that, miss. More than once, Little Joe got beat up defending him. Why, Little Joe. What a terribly noble thing to do. Why? He was just my friend. I wish he'd had more friends. Those murders stem all the way back to that little schoolhouse, I'm afraid. It'll probably get worse. It's just not fair that... You should take me to Indian's Grief now. You promised days ago. And here you are, you're just backing down on your promise. Oh. I'm losing my patience with both of you. Well, Lucy, you're gonna have to be patient a little bit longer. Till those renegade Indians are out of this part of the country. It's not safe until then. We got time. You've been here less than a week. [LUCY SCOFFS] Really? You two, you're so silly. Afraid of a few frightened Indians. In James Fenimore Cooper's book, The Last of the Mohicans... Come on, Lucy. Not another book writer. These are not storybook Indians. They're real and they're dangerous. They're not gonna set you up as some great white princess and worship you, no matter what you've read, because these Indians have not read the same books. You don't have... You don't have to be angry with me. That's right. You ain't got no call to rear up and stomp on her like that. Come on, Tuck. We've both seen what renegades do to white women. It's not pretty. We're not going until it's safe. And that's all there is to it. He's right. They ain't playing games. Hey. Come on, are we still friends? Sure we are. I guess I did jump on you a little quick. I'm sorry. - Ready to go? - Yes. Hey, wait a second. Looks like a little stone bruise. He'll be all right tomorrow. Lucy, you'll have to ride with me now. Slow down a minute. My horse has got a gait like a rocking chair. Lucy is gonna be a lot more comfortable back of me. You gotta think of her. Tsk. You know, Tuck, I just don't believe you. You are so noble. You know, you make that fellow Syd Carton look like a tinhorn. [CHUCKLES] I'll tell you what we'll do, though, we'll flip a coin for it. Let me see that there coin. If you can't trust your friends, who can you trust? - Call it in the air. - Heads. [CHUCKLES] Doggone! Little Joe, you just hang on to that there lucky coin. Tuck. Tuck. That's the lame horse. Tuck. Tuck. Any time you're ready. Thank you, Tuck. Thank you. Well, uh... [TUCK & LUCY CHUCKLE] Well, so long. - So long, Little Joe. - See you, Tuck. - See you tomorrow, Lucy. - Bye, Tuck. So long. Do you really think you're being fair to Tuck? - Fair? - Yeah. You know, Tuck's whole life has been the ranch. Ever since he was a boy, before his folks died, that's all he's thought about. Never even had a girl of his own. And all of a sudden, you come along and he falls for you. I like Tuck. I like him very much. Everybody likes Tuck. There's a big difference between like and the way he feels about you. You seem to be very sure that I couldn't learn to return that love. You and Tuck? No, you don't have anything in common. Nothing at all. But it doesn't matter to Tuck, because he loves you. You know, to him, you're not even a girl, you're... You're a princess out of a storybook. Oh, Little Joe, sometimes a girl wants to be treated like a princess. MARTIN: Lucy, dear, why don't you come along with us? We're going out to the Timber Wolf mine. BEN: We sure wish you would. We haven't seen near enough of you. Now I understand you'll be leaving for home in a couple of days. - Going home? MARTIN: I'm sorry. I meant to tell you. We're going to have to leave sooner than we planned. The Timber Wolf people are insisting that I go back East immediately to organize a mining syndicate. I understand, Daddy. All right, dear. Uh, Mr. Cartwright, I hope you'll excuse me. I... I'm really very tired. I... I think I'll just stay here and rest. - Of course. - You take care, dear. Hyah. We'll see you. Well, we're gonna miss you. Thank you. I'll... Well, I'll miss everything. I'm afraid my whole morning's pretty well taken up. I have to deliver some supplies to my brothers down at South Creek. I could stay here a little while with you if you wanted me to. Oh, no, no, please. I think I'll just stay at home and catch up on some reading I have. Well, better be on my way. You sure you don't want me to stay? - No, no, please. - Okay. Well, see you later. How you doing, Tuck? [JOE LAUGHING] Oh, don't tell me. Ha-ha-ha. Yeah, I tried to bust Mamma's Boy this morning. That danged horse throwed me again. Ah. Getting tiresome, him stepping on the same foot. - You'd think he'd want some variety. - Ha, ha. I noticed it didn't stop you from courting Lucy, though. Where is Lucy? Well, she's in the house, isn't she? Oh, I figured she's with you. That horse she's been riding is gone. That's funny, she said she was gonna stay around the house and read. One of the hands must have taken her horse. She's probably upstairs reading her romantic stories in some kind of a trance. Hey, Lucy! [JOE WHISTLES] Hey, Lucy! Knowing that girl, she's probably hiding under the furniture, laughing about it. Hey, Lucy, you in the kitchen? What is it? It's a note from Lucy. "When I learned we were going home in a couple of days, I just couldn't leave without seeing Indian's Grief. Don't worry." After the way we warned her. Well, we'll just go fetch her. She's probably sitting up there on that rock by herself. Yeah, if Paiute renegades don't find her first. I'll get the horses. I'll leave a note for Pa, tell him where we're going. JOE: Indian's Grief. [HORSES WHINNY] [ALL YELLING] [SPEAKS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Sharp Tongue. Joe Cartwright. It's been a long time. LUCY: Oh, Tuck, Little Joe! TUCK: Let her be! Let her be! Let her be! I see you've changed your name, Sharp Tongue. Now they call you He Who Scares Women. You used to speak for me, Cartwright. Now you speak against me. I used to speak for the man who was my friend. I don't know you anymore. I have changed. I no longer take insults. I no longer take beatings. I no longer am a boy in the white man's school. So now you spend your life killing innocent people for the insults of ignorant children. I was a child too. You're not a child anymore. You once told me that the ways of the Indian were better and wiser than those of the white man. Is this how you'll prove it? By burning, by murdering. By proving that you're worse than the worst of us. Paiute still better than white man. You'll see. The only thing I'll see is you hanging from the end of a rope. No. I saw this shirt in a dream. When I woke, I made shirt just like in dream. As long as I wear shirt, nothing evil can happen to me. Manitou himself promised it in the dream. Because you were once my friend, now I do more for you, Cartwright, than white man would if he were on the warpath and had Paiute as prisoner. You are free. Go! JOE: She's my woman. He's my friend, as we were friends in school. Let them go too. She is pretty for a white woman. But too small for work. Two times, Cartwright, you try to save me from beating by other boys, and you are beaten with me. I show you I am better than white man. For those two beatings, I give you two lives, yours and one other. Choose. What are you waiting for? Take her with you. Go on. Please. Come on. Oh, Tuck. Go away with him, Lucy. Please. I'll be all right. No. SHARP TONGUE: Go quickly, Cartwright, and do not come back. The next time we meet, remember, I will owe you nothing. Come on, keep moving. Sharp Tongue can always change his mind. LUCY: We can't just leave him there, Little Joe. Stay put and be quiet. What are they doing? It's an old Indian game. He gets a head start, the length of a bow shot. If he can outrun them, he lives. And if not, he dies? [SPEAKS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE] You think you can find your way back? All right, then get going. He can't die now. I love him, Little Joe. I love him. Lucy, listen to me. If you love him, then do what I say. I left a note for Pa. He knows where we are. You'll probably meet him on the way back. Tell him what's happening and tell him to hurry. Now go on. Sharp Tongue! Wait! Since when does Sharp Tongue play woman's sport? I told you the next time we meet, I would kill you. This is woman's sport. My friend's leg is hurt. He can't run. If you want sport worthy of a warrior, let me take his place. Let him go free. And try to kill me if you can. I could always outfight you and outrun you. I still can. You know the game. You will have no weapon. I know the game. If you get away alive, he lives. But if you don't, he dies too. Go, Cartwright. [SHOUTS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE] - What's going on? JOE: I'm taking your place. - You can't do it. - With that leg, you wouldn't have a chance. Now, get going. [SHARP TONGUE SHOUTS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Whoa. Whoa. Ben, I'm gonna see if Lucy's in her room. Martin. Yes, Ben? Lucy's not in her room. What? According to Little Joe's note here, she was headed for Indian's Grief. And the renegade Paiutes were seen around there. - We'll take that. - Should we get more men? No, there's no time for that. Let's go. JOE: Sharp Tongue. The spirit of the Great Chief will destroy you if you fight on his burial grounds. My shirt will protect me. [SPEAKS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Cartwright. Now I kill you. [BOTH GRUNTING] [GASPS] Joe. You all right, son? You all right? Yeah, Pa, I'm fine. I had to... I had to kill Sharp Tongue. The rest of his braves rode off towards the reservation. Well, without Sharp Tongue, they have no leader, no purpose. - Let's go home. - Little Joe. Thank you, son. Thank you very much. Me too. LUCY: Little Joe. I'm sorry that my foolish, romantic curiosity almost got you killed. But you... You are as noble as Sydney Carton. Maybe you'll know the difference now between living and what you read in storybooks. [BELLS JANGLING] [ALL CHATTERING] Hey, wait, wait, wait, not so fast. Doesn't the best man get a kiss from the bride? Now, what about the ushers? TUCK: You got your kiss back at the wedding. Wait a minute. When you got a gold mine, ain't gonna be chintzy over a couple nuggets, are you? JOE: Ha, ha. TUCK: Yeah. Take your nuggets and make them small. HOSS: Good luck. - Good luck. Thank you, Little Joe. Little Joe, I've learned my lesson. Oh, I'm gonna... I'm gonna be a good wife to him. I'm gonna cook for him, I'm gonna be practical, I'm... I'm gonna even learn to sew and make my own clothes. I know you will. MARTIN: All right, Little Joe, our turn now. JOE: Okay. Little Joe, I'd admire having a word with you. Well, sure, bridegroom. TUCK: Excuse me, honey. What's that? I just want you to know I especially appreciate your saving me. Oh, come on, forget it. On account of you being in love with Lucy yourself. What? I realize you didn't wanna own up to it out there at Indian's Grief. But I know the truth. And I know it took a lot to save the life of a fellow who is in love with your best girl. Who did that? Don't. Listen, you did exactly what that Carton hombre did in that there book of Lucy's. - Are you out of your head? I didn't... - Don't you fret. I ain't gonna tell anybody. Especially Lucy. LUCY: Tuck, come on. Hey, Tuck, that stage is ready. TUCK: Thank you, Mr. Cartwright. - Oh. Tuck, my very best wishes. TUCK: Thank you. MARTIN: Bye, darling. - Pop. - Take good care of her, Tuck. - I will. - Watch your head. LUCY: Okay. MARTIN: There you go. BEN & MARTIN: Bye. - What's the matter, Joe? - Hmm? What's the matter? Pa, I just can't believe it. She's starting to think like him and he's starting to think like her. Well, that's good. They say that compromise is the secret of a happy marriage. Yeah, but they just got married. I mean, can you picture it a year from now? He'll be sitting there reading Dickens and she'll be busting horses. [BOTH LAUGHING]
Behind the Scenes of The Far, Far Better Thing
The episode’s title is inspired by the concluding lines of Charles Dickens’s novel ‘A Tale of Two Cities’: “It is a much better deed that I undertake than any I have ever done before; it is a much better peace that I journey towards, than any, I have ever experienced.”
In a pivotal scene, Sharp Tongue and his men capture Joe and Tuck, leading them toward Lucy’s whereabouts while bringing their horses along. However, a continuity error arises when the group is depicted walking along a rocky ridge without the horses. Yet, in the subsequent scene at Lucy’s location, the horses reappear alongside Joe and Tuck.
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