The Virginian TV series (mega!) review

Aaahh, where to start?  The Virginian is my favorite TV show, even more than Star Trek Next Gen.  And here's why (extra credit if you have the patience to read a rambling review).

Background (semi-important)

A few years back, some of my family members were in a classic/pre-Eastwood Westerns phase.  They loved it, and...I tried.  My attempts were episodes from Bonanza, Gunsmoke (many, many episodes), Zorro's Fighting Legion, The Big Valley (part of an episode), High Noon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, etc.  I never warmed up to John Wayne or his characters, so that was no recommendation to the genre.  While I liked Along Came Jones (a comedy) and Wagon Train, neither of them made me a fan of Westerns per se.*

One day Dad got The Virginian season 3 from the library.  We were still watching Wagon Train, and I wasn't excited about starting a new Western series, at its third season, too.  Ironically, S3 ep. 1 introduces my favorite character - and as we later found out, S1 ep. 1 is one of the worst episodes.  Starting with S3 turned out to be a good move; we have watched other seasons in the following order: 4, 1, 2, 5, 9 (partially watched), 6.  Chronology is not a big deal here, though I would recommend starting with S2.

This is one of the few shows our whole (picky?) family enjoys.  6.5 seasons of 90 min. episodes is probably a record of patience/dedication for us, and the fact we are still looking forward to seasons 7 & 8 (when the library gets them) is kind of amazing.  If that weren't enough - I love classic Westerns now!

Characters

The show should be called "Shiloh Ranch."  Close to the respectable town of Medicine-Bow, Wyoming (late 1800s), Shiloh is one of the biggest, most prosperous cattle ranches in the area.

Lee J. Cobb as Judge Garth (L), James Drury
as The Virginian (R). Photo by NBC TV.

"The Virginian" - who goes by no other name - is the ranch's practical, fair-minded foreman.  He does not actually feature in many of the episodes; in fact, he holds onto his reputation as a mysterious drifter, while putting his whole heart and loyalty into his beloved Shiloh.  As long as he believes in Shiloh, he stays there indefinitely, keeping a good watch over the ranch and the growing town.

Another main character is Trampas.  Trampas is the Virginian's top hand, but his frequent witty humor and good-natured swagger don't always win him the bossman's approval.  He's a skilled and dependable cowhand, suffering only from his doubtful success with the pretty girls in town, and the occasional boredom with his day job at Shiloh. Like the Virginian, he has come to adopt the ranch as his home, and he can never bring himself to leave it for good (at least, not for long).

Doug McClure as Trampas
(photo by NBC)

Throughout the series, the cast changes, while the roles remain basically the same.  The stubborn yet conscientious owner of Shiloh is first Judge Garth, then later Morgan Starr, John Grainger (the best IMO), and Clay Grainger (along with his wife Holly).  Judge Garth has a daughter Betsy, who is naive but well-meaning (and loves horses and new dresses); Lizzy Grainger (S5), John's grandaughter, is very similar.  Lizzy's brother Stacey creates a new role as a sort of gentleman-cowboy and dutiful grandson.  There are MANY other great recurring characters, like cowhands Steve, Belden, and Randy, and Sheriff Abbott.  To name a few.  I think we've come to like all  the characters, for different reasons!

The one I left out is lawman Emmett Ryker (mostly S3-S4); he's my very favorite.  Just throwing it out there...

While we're not always fans of guest characters, The Virginian does feature a lot of actors and actresses from back in the day, many of whom we recognize from other Westerns and classic TV shows.  As a Trekkie, I was excited to see Spock, Kirk, and Bones in some of the episodes, and Han Solo also stars in a season 5 episode.

Story

(photo by NBC)

Shows like Gunsmoke and Wagon Train are pretty easy to summarize.  The Virginian, however, being a show on such a big scale with a good diversity of characters/settings, takes just about every classic Western plot you can imagine (and then some) and makes it an episode.  Outlaws, drifters, range disputes, court cases, chase scenes, moral dilemmas, mistaken identity, romance, humor, tragedy, adventure, etc., this show covers a pretty decent bit of subject matter.  On the downside, that means some episodes only have one or two of the main characters in them.  The plus side is that you can watch all these seasons without finding them utterly predictable (there are some repeated plotlines, but they are extraordinarily few).

Given its age and budget, the sets and filming are quite good.  Both Shiloh and Medicine-Bow feel like familiar places you want to go to.  The costumes are often over-the-top (60s influence), but there are glimmerings of historical accuracy.

Speaking of historical accuracy - like Star Trek, The Virginian tries to promote multiculturalism and racial equality.  Unfortunately (also like Star Trek), it falls into the unintentional and woeful trap of stereotypes (not that the white characters are not also stereotyped, but they are less so).  Some people may also view the Shiloh owners' benevolence as unrealistic - well, if you don't believe charitable "capitalists" exist, this is not the show for you.  ;)  There are many avaricious ranchers portrayed, though, and plenty without principles.

The one season I don't recommend to anyone is season 9.  It is a revamped version called "The Men from Shiloh" and pretty cheesy and dreadful compared to The Virginian.  Seriously, avoid it, avoid it.

Returning to the storyline again: what makes it great are the recurring themes.  Honesty, sense of duty, defending people treated unjustly, loyalty (but not blind loyalty), upholding the law, and avoiding bloodshed as much as possible.  Revenge, a big motif in many Westerns, is not as much of a focus for The Virginian's good guys.  The fragility of a "civilized" West and the importance of peace are two of the driving themes, giving you a sense of closure/resolution in the show as a whole, plus a major reason to like the characters.

Content

This is a pretty squeaky-clean Western, even by classic TV standards.  It has its share of gunfights, fistfights, and farming accidents, but there are many episodes focused simply on the story and characters.  There is no cussing to speak of and there's lots of clean, actually funny humor.  Consistency is one of its strengths; there are fewer dumb/cheesy episodes than you typically see in other series.  It could be argued the Wild West is here portrayed as too clean and gentle.  Don't watch it for historical accuracy, then - watch it for the escapism, the old-fashioned characters, and a welcome relief from the many other more gritty Westerns.

So, basically...

...if you want to like old Westerns, then give The Virginian a try.  It won't make you a John Wayne fan, but it will help you appreciate the classic Western tradition, which is what his roles were about.  You just might love this series, too!

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* I wrote these mini reviews a while back:

Bonanza - The plots were lukewarm entertaining.  The characters were not very interesting, and according to my family (who are more informed), most of the romantic interests get killed off.

Gunsmoke - I liked Marshal Matt Dillon a lot.  He is definitely a character with a conscience.  But, as the scriptwriters would have it, there is constant carnage in this series.  Practically every episode involves a nasty shootout and lots of dying, and Matt Dillon, despite his reluctance, is generally in the thick of it.  The plots are very predictable and often involve some lunatic coming to Dodge City.  It all gets old and wearisome.  (In fact, the intro to the series shows a cemetery and/or a shootout--an apt summary.)  A real shame, since the main character is likeable.

Wagon Train - This is the best of these three.  The plots and settings are a tad repetitive, but with a visibly small budget, they still made an effort.  There is less gratuitous violence than in Gunsmoke.  The more you watch it, the more you enjoy it.  I think its main fault is an unusual lack of main characters--there are only two, and sometimes just one, with the focus being more on guest characters.