User Reviews

When I do reviews for individual television episodes it's rare that I find someone before me, rarer still to find two people ahead of me in their assessments. This particular episode of Bonanza, Blessed Are They apparently is well remembered by people who viewed it. It is definitely one of the more unusual episodes the series ever had.

A new minister in the person of Robert Brown arrives in Virginia City and right into the middle of a controversy with the whole town buzzing. Two small children, Rory O'Brien and Tracy Stratford are the subject of a custody battle between dueling grandparents, the parents having both died. It was apparently a runaway marriage that didn't please either set of parents. Now they battle over the grandchildren.

Reverend Brown moves in mysterious ways to bring about this settlement, even involving Lorne Greene as a kind of unofficial arbiter. What Greene does in this religious type episode is use the Bible for guidance.

I can't say too much more about Blessed Are They except that the ending will come out of nowhere and that if this were a true story, Virginia City would be the American version of Fatima.

This one will stay with you forever once viewed.

It is no wonder Bonanza made it 12 seasons. How much longer, if Parnell hadn't bailed, and of course, if Blocker had survived.

Dortort was so good at making moral episodes. The variety of scripts, helped make this a legend, now for, 60, yes 60 years.

Most episodes have two or less reviews. I believe I am the ninth here.

If you like tear jerking, crying shows, this is it.

Greene shines, as usual. The biblical aspect, was so special, and is sorely missed today.

The very last scene, is very unusual, and I agree with the one user. It is basically not needed.

It's OK, but the way everything turned out, is great.

As a Christian, I rely on the Word of God to lead me in the right direction. That's why this was such a special episode. A preacher, who at times seems to be struggling in his faith, is presented with a problem of two feuding families. He gets Ben involved (of course).

But just when they are making some headway to end the feud, their children (the daughter of one family married the son of the other) are killed in an accident, leaving their twins (boy and girl) parentless. Ben is granted guardianship and asked to find the children a home.

The way he came about the decision by using the Word of God was sweet and made me tear up. I was all ready to rate this a ten. But the ending ruined this episode. I'm sorry, but we don't need mysterious, unbelievable ways to believe God has helped in this situation. I was very disappointed in this ending. I almost felt like an episode of the Twilight Zone entered the picture at the last minute...

I caught this today on TV Land (possibly the same day as the first reviewer), & it was quite a gripping episode. When the story brought up the twins, I wondered if they were heading toward a certain Biblical story, which they did. But there's a real surprise waiting for you even after the apparent end of the story, so stay tuned all the way to the end.

This episode relies heavily on Biblical references at key points - including the preaching of the Sermon on the Mount, which provides the basis for both the title, and setting up Ben Cartwright's resolution to the custody battle between the feuding families.

This is the type of show that was seen 40 to 45 years ago, but rarely is any more. And TV is poorer for it.

Borden Chase wrote the script. He is also responsible for some James Stewart Westerns and "Red River" scripts, altogether filled with strong characters, fallen villaines who raise to moral heroes. True Bible stories. The same is true for thies story here "Blessed are they" from 1962. It is about the story of King Salomon and the two women who fought for a baby. The king tested both and the one who showed more love and mercy got the child. This Bonanza story is even better, because both families, who fight for the two children were set to reconcile themselves. It is all about reconcilation in the Bible. Even Jesus Christ gave His life that there will be reconcilation between God and mankind, for every single sinner salvation is offered. The Bonanza series from the 60ties and early 70ties are always about morals and often enough about bad people who are corrected and sometimes they even change to become good people. The Cartwrights are there to stand for righteousness, care, charity and many other Christian standards. Sometimes you see the Cartwrights, father and three sons sitting for a dinner and praying. It is clear that this was the way an American should be in the 60ties. Compare this to series of today with their sexuality and immoral behaviour as self-evident example of political correctness and social normality and their inevitable scorn for Christian values then you will know what makes the decline of America.

The feud between the Mahans and the Clarkes had been going on for quite some time. Now it has started to effect the whole town. How did this feud begin? Will it ever end? A son from one family married a daughter of the other family before it all began. They had twins: one girl and one boy. Why does this feud affect the whole town if they are not in these two families? The townspeople asked Ben Cartwright to help negotiate a settlement of the feud. Can he negotiate the feud? The 'new' minister arrives. Will Ben go to the new minister for the answers? The parents of the twins die. How will this tragedy effect the two families? How would you decide to settle problems? Can you solve these problems? Our problems with other people do affect the town in which we live, as they do affect the state, country, and the world. Is there a place to go for instructions in life, especially, to find answers to the difficulties of life? Yes, there is: The Holy Bible. When we spend time in reading and studying the Bible daily and reading it completely through once each year, we will learn the ways of God and how He has given us the examples or the principles to base our daily and life decisions upon. Will the division of the twins, one to each family like King Solomon negotiated for the living baby in the Old Testament, be the correct answer in the rearing of the twins?