User Reviews

"Troubled Waters" is an especially interesting "Lone Ranger" episode because the dastardly villain is none other than a woman. "The Lone Ranger" was a television series that espoused the status quo values of society. Crime never paid if former Texas Ranger John Reid had any say in the matter. Usually, the Lone Ranger's antagonists were men. This represented the first time that a woman was the criminal. Not only was she the criminal, she also ridiculed her incompetent male employee and stole money from him. Talk about an unsavory character. Earlier in the series, in the episode "Man of the House," the Masked Man helped a brow-beaten husband confined to the kitchen by his tough talking wife dethrone her. Technically, "Troubled Waters" is the second example of a "Lone Ranger" episode where women sought to usurp the natural order of a patriarchal society by running roughshod over men.

"Troubled Waters" opens innocently enough with the Lone Ranger and Tonto in search of water for both their mounts and themselves. A distant gunshot punctuates the tranquility of the day and our heroes saddle up to investigate the shooting. They encounter a cantankerous old woman in a buggy in the wilderness who predictably mistakes them for bandits. Emmy Bryson (Eula Morgan of "The Snake Pit") is mystified by the Masked Man but accepts his explanation that he isn't a law breaker. She doesn't know who might have fired a gun. The Lone Ranger and Tonto point out that they were looking for water when they heard the gunfire. Emmy tells them that town lays ten miles always, but Tonto observes that they cannot last that long, evidently referring to Silver and Scout, their thirsty horses. Emmy suggests that they see ranch owner Dave Tucker (recurring "Lone Ranger" guest actor Harry Lauter of "Escape from the Planet of the Apes") about water. She drives her buggy back to town and our heroes ride in search of Dave. Dave has been wounded by a bushwhacker and he opens fire on our resourceful protagonists, shooting and levering his Winchester with one hand. He fires at them and then retreats to his ranch to reload and continue the fight.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto pursue Dave to his ranch and the Masked Man distracts Dave by firing shots into the air while Tonto sneaks in the back door and disarms Dave. Dave refuses to believe that the Lone Ranger and Tonto are trying to help him. He insists that they are both trying to kill him and poison his water. The Lone Ranger hands over his six-shooter and this act of bravery convinces Dave that our hero isn't out to harm him. They bandage his wounded arm and he explains that he has been trying to round up his cattle to sell them so that he can make his mortgage payment on the ranch. He adds that Emmy Bryson sold him the ranch and if he doesn't make the payment by tomorrow then he will lose the ranch. The Masked Man and Tonto agree to help Dave round up his scattered livestock and drive them to town. The Lone Ranger rides into town and visits Emmy's café. Moments before he sets foot in the place, Emmy is chewing out her hired man, a loutish looking moron, Jed (Richard Alexander of "A Southern Yankee"), for failing to kill Dave Tucker. The Lone Ranger enters and Emmy sends him over to see a banker about getting Dave's loan extended until he can round up his cattle and sell them. The banker, Rufe Barton (Byron Foulger of "Ride the High Country") warns the Ranger banging at his door that they bank is closed. Eventually, Rufe goes to the door and recognizes the Lone Ranger because the Masked Man helped him out of a jam. Nevertheless, Rufe is reluctant to help Dave out because he received a malicious note from Dave thru Emmy about his money woes. The Lone Ranger informs Rufe that Dave doesn't know that he is sitting on a fortune in oil. Rufe decides to make Dave and loan and the Ranger rides away to give Dave the good news.

No sooner has the Masked Man left Rufe than an unseen killer sticks gun in Rufe's office and guns him down. When the Lone Ranger returns to Dave's ranch, he discovers Tonto laid out in the floor unconscious. As he is nursing Tonto, Dave enters and complains out his fences being cut and his cattle stampeded. The Lone Ranger reveals to Dave that he is a rich man with all the oil on his property. Meanwhile, back in town, a crowd assembles over at the bank and Emmy lets slip in an innocent way that she told the Masked Man to see Rufe at his bank after closing hours. When Dave and our heroes ride into town, the sheriff (Luther Crockett of "Key Largo") tries to arrest them, but the Masked Man, Tonto, and Dave take refuge in Emmy's café after she opens fire on them with the sheriff's six-gun. The sheriff is furious because she fired on his men that were sneaking up behind the Lone Ranger. In the store, our protagonist tangle with big, hulking Jed and the Ranger eventually subdues him and strikes bargain with the sheriff to talk about the situation. Eventually, the truth comes out, largely because Emmy brow-beats Jed into making a confession.

Women were usually depicted in a sympathetic light in "The Lone Ranger," but Emmy Bryson's character represents a major departure from the norm. She is evil through and through, sneaky, and lowdown as a snake's belly. Indeed, "Troubled Waters" is a different kind of "Lone Ranger" episode.

"Troubled Waters" (episode 26) was first aired on television March 9, 1950.

Anyway - As the story goes - Dave Tucker discovers oil on his ranch, but mortgage holder Emmy Bryson intends to make sure that he doesn't secure ownership.