Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 2, Episode 10 - The Last Viking - full transcript

Gunnar is a long-lost relative of the Cartwright family. When Gunnar arrives at the Ponderosa, the family takes him in for the evening. Gunnar is the brother to one of Ben Cartwright's late wives, Inger. Unbeknownst to the Cartwri...

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Hey!

Hey, you with the calf!

Where's the Ponderosa?

You're on it.

Ja?

What's your name, bogwright?

My name is Hoss Cartwright.

My... My pa owns this land.

You're
Benjamin Cartwright's boy?



That's right. Can I help you?

How could you help me?

I ain't stuck in the mud.

You're a mountain man,
ain't you?

Why you get that funny hat,
sonny?

I don't think it's funny.

Mister, you're
going to pick that hat up.

Uh, you going to make me
pick up that hat?

You get down off that horse.

Well, big mouth,

what you going to do
to make me?

Hey.

The cow has to get
you out now, my nephew.

Nephew?



I am your Uncle Gunnar.

Long time since you
see me, sonny, ja?

Hi, Uncle Gunnar.

Hey, Pa!

Come see who's come to see us.

What'd you say?

Hello, Benjamin.

How long
since the last time I see you?

20 years?

Hey, you got a touch of snow
around your ears, like me.

Gunnar... Gunnar Borgstrom!

What a wonderful surprise!

What are you doing
around this part of the world?

Oh, I go lots of places.

You know that, Benjamin.

Who are you?

I'm Adam, Uncle Gunnar.

You don't remember me, do you?

Ah, little Adam.

Not anymore.

We got another brother now,
Uncle Gunnar-- Little Joe--

but he's off visiting
some friends--a female friend.

Gunnar, where you headed?

Oh, who knows? Dakota, Canada.

A few compadres follow
this old Swede

to the north
to seek their fortune.

Ah, compadres, eh?

Yeah, men like myself.

Men with no ties, no roots.

We make camp in the mountains.

How come they didn't ride down
with you, Uncle Gunnar?

Because they ain't so sociable
as me--that is why.

I ride all these miles
just to see my relatives.

Uh, maybe my sister's husband
invite me for supper, huh?

Oh, Gunnar, please forgive me.

In all the excitement...
Of course, of course.

You'll have supper with us.

- Come on in.
- Ah, good.

Maybe I'll take a bath,
too, huh?

I think maybe I don't smell
too good at supper.

I eat different from you, ja?

You... You eat a lot,
that's for sure.

I think a pig have better
table manners than me.

But I spent my life
in brazos de Dios,

in the arms of God,
under the stars, like an animal.

You sure been lots of places,
ain't you?

Since I last seen your father,
I been in 26 countries

across five oceans.

26 countries and five oceans.

You hear that, Adam?

I sure did.

That was an Indian lance
you were carrying, wasn't it?

That pig sticker? Ja.

I got that
from a Comanche chief.

He didn't have
no more use for it.

Maybe because he was dead, ja?

You, uh... you fight
the Comanches, Uncle Gunnar?

I fight anybody.

You ought to know that
by now, my nephew.

Uh, Gunnar, you, uh...
you say you, uh...

you fought the Comanches.

Do you ever trade with them?

Well, when we don't fight,
my compadres and I, we trade.

Why you ask?

Oh, I was...
I was just wondering

if you ever ran across
a bunch of, uh,

renegade buffalo hunters--
Comancheros.

Ja, ja, I...
I have heard of them.

Pretty wild bunch, I hear.

They raid
the white settlements,

and then they trade off
the goods to the Comanches.

Is that so?

Maybe... Maybe that's why
they call them Comancheros.

I, uh...
I never seen none of them.

- Buenas tardes.
- Hello.

Ah, there is my compadre.

Buenas tardes, señores.

I thought maybe I'd find you
under this roof, Oso.

What you doing here, Vaca?

It gets very cold
on the mountain sleeping,

and my s-serape is very thin.

I thought maybe, uh...

Oh, we have some extra blankets
you could use.

He don't need none.

It's all right.

I'll get them.

Oh, you must be a very rich man

to own such a
magnifico hacienda.

You get back to camp,
Vaca, pronto.

And you, Oso--

when are you coming back
to camp, huh?

I go when I am ready, Vaca.

Maybe you like it so much
here with your relatives,

you're going to stay, huh?

Oh, gracias.

I gonna sleep good tonight.

I very much enjoy
meeting you rancheros.

Maybe, eh, primero, Vaca will
meet you again sometime, huh?

- Adios.
- Adios.

I'm... I'm sorry
that one come here.

Oh, that's all right.

I gotta keep a strong hand
on that one.

Well, the food
was good, Benjamin.

I go now.

- So soon?
- Hey, wait a minute.

Hey, Pa, how come he can't stay
in that extra bedroom?

There ain't no use in him going
back out on that mountain.

Well, of course, he can.
He'll sleep the night here.

Oh, no, no.

- I don't, I don't think so, no.
- Oh... of course you will.

- Oh, come on.
- Why, it's cold up there.

We'd, uh... we'd be glad
to have you.

Well, uh, where would I sleep?

Right there,
in that extra bedroom.

You make yourself at home.

There we are.

Well, uh...

all right.

Ah, good.

I, uh... I don't sleep
in a fine house for a long time.

If I snore, you pound
on the door, ja?

Yeah.
- We'll pound hard.

Good night.

Well, that's quite an uncle
we've got, Hoss.

He sure is.

Sure hate to have him
get riled up at me.

You know, he reminds me
of an old Viking.

Yeah.

I'll bet you Uncle Gunnar would
like being called a Viking.

The Vikings were
ruthless raiders and killers.

Not much better
than the Comancheros.

Come on, we got a lot of work
to do tomorrow.

Let's get to bed.

Ja?

Well, Benjamin.

The last time I see you
was at the funeral.

Yes.

Yes, that's right.

She was a good woman,
my sister.

Yes.

She was... a good woman.

A wonderful wife.

We have much fun, Inger and me,
when... when we were young.

And all I had in my mind
was dreams of glory and gold.

It is good to dream
when you are young, Benjamin.

Oh, you can dream
when you're older, too.

Yeah, but now, when the fur
is flying and the iron is hot,

there is no time to dream.

No, the fur was always flying
with you, Gunnar.

I remember you as a boy.

Always had to have a...

a new pot of devil's brew
every day.

Not just as a boy; all the time.

All the time,
I need a good, strong life.

A man's life.

Reap the rewards
and pay the piper when he calls.

That's Gunnar Borgstrom.

You ever... you ever lonely?

Lonely? Lonely for what?

Oh... companionship.

A woman.

I never... never lacked
for the company of women.

But you, uh...
you never got married.

Marry? Gunnar?

I was not cut out for fathering
and farming, Benjamin.

I had to move-- move with
the turn and tide of things--

not sit on my backside
like a Yucatán turtle.

Well, I-I never exactly

considered myself
a Yucatán turtle.

Oh, you ain't, Benjamin,
you ain't.

You got a... a good ranch here;
fine boys.

It's... It's just the Almighty
didn't cut us all

in the shape of plowmen.

You... You can't plant

a roving man's feet
in the earth.

Mm... maybe that's because a...

a roving man doesn't want
to stand still long enough

to take a look at himself.

I ain't a young man now,
Benjamin.

And I got no regrets for the
sins I commit in this world.

I see what I want
and I take it.

And I'm not going out on my back
begging forgiveness from nobody.

Gunnar...

now why did you come here?

I come to see
my sister's boy; my blood.

Maybe... Maybe I don't
get no other chance.

I am tired now, Benjamin.

I... I go to sleep now.

Yeah.

Good night, Gunnar.

Benjamin.

Do you ever dream, Benjamin?

Well... yeah, sometime.

I always have the same dream.

It's night.

Black and velvet, it is.

And there's a warm
August wind blowing.

And it's on a great ship, I am.

And I'm flying with that wind

over a smooth sea,

chasing a wisp of a small boat.

It always seems to...

to hold
its lead far ahead of me.

And so dark it is.

So dark, I...

I can't make it out.

But somehow I know, I know...

I know I got to catch it.

Vaca, my friend,
did you find El Oso?

Si, I found him...

visiting with his relatives.

Stuffing his face
with good food

while we sit up here
and eat dry bread.

When do we move?

Gunnar say we would
find fat picking here.

Promises, promises.

That's all he does anymore,
promises.

It has been a month since
we have made a good raid.

I trust Gunnar.

He's been
a good leader to us.

Ah! He's an old woman,

warming himself by the fire.

Is that the kind
of leader you want?

I do not care who leads us

just so we raid and get rich.

We will raid, Duzzaq.
I promise you.

And we will get rich, too.

And the first fat goose
we will pluck

will be the Ponderosa.

Morning, Uncle Gunnar.

You sleep good last night?

I sleep good, I sleep good.

That mattress
is chucked plumb full of

real goose feathers, you know.

Goose feathers!

I got off them goose feathers.

I sleep on the floor.

I ain't so used
to goose feathers as you.

I reckon we are getting a little
soft around here at that.

Hey, how about me showing you
around the Ponderosa

before you leave?

We ain't had much of a chance
to get to know each other.

It ain't every day that a man
just finds an uncle.

Sure, sonny, I guess
I got the time.

Maybe I don't come back again
so soon, ja?

Yes, sir, I... I sure would like

for you to meet Little Joe
before you leave, too.

He... He's over at the McClanes,
helping them build a fence.

He ought to be back any time.

Aren't you even gonna
stop work long enough

to have a drink of water?

Carrie, just looking
at you is more refreshing

than anything you've
got in that bucket,

but, uh, I can use
some of that, too.

Your flattery, Little Joe,
is exceeded only by your ability

to build a fence.

Since you walked
all the way out here,

why don't you stay awhile,

let me show you
what I've done?

Oh, I know what you've done.

Uncle Abe has been singing
your praises all morning.

He thinks you're just about
the finest thing there ever was.

And, uh, how about you,
what do you think?

Well, I told you I was glad

you came over
to help out, didn't I?

Mm-hmm.

Is that the only reason
you're glad?

You know it isn't.

It's just that
I want you to know

I think it's wonderful

the way you and your pa
and Adam and Hoss

have helped uncle Abe
and me since we've been here.

Oh, it's pretty easy to help
a man like your uncle,

especially when he's
got a beautiful niece

to say thanks for him.

I think you're a flatterer,
Little Joe, just like your pa.

Thank you, ma'am.
We try to please.

Can't you ever be serious?

You know how proud
we are of your uncle.

He's done a lot more
with this place

than we ever thought possible.

Because you Cartwrights
have helped him, Little Joe.

He was so discouraged
when he came here:

the drought and the wind
and crop failures.

We had such big dreams.

Well, I think his biggest dream
was raising you

after your folks died.

He's done a real fine job.

Hasn't been easy for him.

Sometimes I feel
I've been a burden.

Hey, you better not
let him hear you say that.

He's proud
as a peacock of you...

I'd say with good cause.

I feel guilty about you
working around here so much.

Mm-hmm.

I wouldn't mind becoming

the permanent fence-fixer
around here.

There it is, Uncle Gunnar.

Ain't that the prettiest
little pond you ever saw?

Yeah, this a good place.

A quiet place.

Pretty as a pond I never see.

Uncle Gunnar...

there's something I been wanting
to ask you.

You know, I was just a little
feller when my mother died.

I don't remember much about her.

Pa's tried to tell me
everything he could, but...

well, I... I thought maybe,
you being her brother,

you could...

you could add something to it.

Well, we didn't
get along so good.

I... I was a wild one

and, uh, she didn't
like that so much.

But she had a soft heart,
that girl.

Pa says she sure was pretty.

Great big blue eyes
and blonde hair.

Ah, blonde as the snows
of Dalerner.

But it ain't good
to talk about the dead, sonny.

You-You can't bring nobody back
once they're gone.

No, I reckon you can't.

I guess that's why I want to
know as much about you as I can

before you have to leave.

You want to know about me?

You wouldn't like
what I had to tell.

Maybe I wouldn't.

Then, again, maybe I would.

I think you wouldn't.

Uncle, Gunnar,
what you gonna do in Canada?

Canada?

Yeah. That's where you're
going, ain't it?

Oh, ja, ja, ja.
Ja, I think I go there.

Why don't you stay here with us?

Because I ain't no
Yucatán turtle, that's why.

You ain't no what?

I got to move with the tide
and turn of things,

so I... I don't have
to take a good look at myself.

Ja, this is...

this is a good place, sonny.

It's quiet here.

Well... you fellows
have a good ride?

Sure did, Pa.
I took him out by the lake.

Yeah?

That's a pretty good mud puddle
you got up there, Benjamin.

Hey, what you doing there?

Oh, making a new batch of soap.

We make our own
out of hog lard and lye water.

It's a little bit strong, but
it sure will get you clean.

Well, what did you think
of the Ponderosa?

Well, I think if you work hard,
you can have what you want, too.

Yeah... Gunnar, do you have
what you want?

Ja, I got what I want.

Pa, Hoss and I gotta
get at that hay,

and I think I'll ride
over to McClanes'

and remind little Joe that
he has work around here, too.

Oh, he'll be back pretty soon.

Well, I got to go now, boys.

You got a fine ranch here,
Benjamin, and fine boys.

Well, Gunnar, it was wonderful
seeing you again. Wonderful.

Goddag, Benjamin.

Good-bye, Uncle Gunnar.

Goddag, Adam.

Bye, Uncle Gunnar.

I wish you could have
met Little Joe.

Well, them compadres,

they vamoose without me,
if I don't show up.

And I got to hear
other saddles creaking

besides my own.

Good-bye.

I don't remember giving
no orders to move out.

You didn't give it. I did.

You think you're man enough

to be the padrone
of these Comancheros, Vaca?

Sure, I ain't got no relatives.

What does that mean?

When a man got ties,
he gets soft in the belly.

I ain't got no ties.

No?

These hombres, they eat your
dust all the way from Taos

because they believe
what you tell them.

They begin to wonder now

if what you tell them is
the truth.

When I get ready to strike,
I will tell you.

The Comancheros,
they are beginning to think

maybe you're getting
a yellow streak.

The bear makes a big growl, huh?

But how sharp are your claws?

Is El Oso a man
of strength and power?

Or is he a tired old viejo

who should lie down and die?

I ain't dead yet, Vaca.

Prove it.

The big plunder is down there--
the Ponderosa.

The Ponderosa
would not be easy to loot.

There are too many men there.
It would be dangerous.

I spit on them!

What is danger
to the Comancheros?

I, Efemerno Vaca, I tell you,

we are going to raid
the Ponderosa!

I give the orders here!

Why did you bring us
to this valley, huh? Why?

So we could sit still in
the middle of all this wealth

while you go visiting
your parientes?

There are other ranches
in this valley.

We seen one in the foothills

we could take
with our hands tied.

So you are tired of waiting, ja?

Your blood is hot

and you wait for the word
of your padrone.

Well, I give you that word.

We raid that ranch
in the foothills.

Get the horses
ready to move out!

I hope you're real hungry,
Little Joe,

because I baked an apple pie.

An apple pie, huh?

Don't you like it?

Like it?
It's my favorite dish.

Vamanos, amigos!

Wait.

Oh!

Carrie, wait!

Stop!

Is this your sweetheart,
my little mosquito, huh?

If he ain't, maybe I can
be your sweetheart, huh?

No! No!

What's your name, muchacho?

What's it to you?

I want to put
on your tombstone.

I don't want you to lie
in a grave which is unmarked.

Yeah, well, the name's
Cartwright--Joe Cartwright.

Be sure
to put it in big letters,

so everybody can read it.

You say you got no ties, huh?

So maybe we take one of your
relatives for hostage, huh?

I mean, you say you don't
care about them, right?

He ain't no relative of mine.

He say his name Joe Cartwright.

Get up, sonny.

I don't know no Joe Cartwright.

Tie them up.

We take them back to camp.

Andale, pronto!

There's nothing
to be scared of.

They're going to let us
go pretty soon.

No, they won't.

They'll kill us.

Like they killed Uncle Abe
and Mr. Crager.

Carrie, don't start
thinking that way.

If they were going to kill us,

they would have done it
back there.

Come on.

I'm so tired, Joe.

I wish I could sleep.

You like some cafecito?

I'm sorry if you're
not very comfortable.

Save your breath.

You're gonna need it

when half this country
comes looking for us.

Why are they looking for you?

You something special?

Your papa's
a very rich man, huh?

Importante.

Yeah, importante.

Yeah, enough to have the sheriff
and 200 mountain men

down on your back.

I do not think
your papa do that, muchacho.

Your papa got too many
relatives to worry about.

What relatives?

Him.

He's your papa's brother-in-law.

You're a liar.

No, I tell you
the truth, muchacho.

That old bear-- he's your uncle.

He's visiting with your papa

while you were visiting
with your sweetheart.

You sure you don't want
some cafecito?

Get the men
to lighten the wagons.

We move out tomorrow.

I don't want any junk
slowing us down.

Oso... why don't you
tell them who you are, huh?

He said you were my uncle.

Maybe I am.

What difference would it make?

Ask him.

Ask him if he ain't
Gunnar Borgstrom.

Gunnar Borgstrom...

Hose's uncle?

Wait!

No, you ain't no uncle of mine.

You couldn't be.

You're a filthy murderin' skunk.

You got a big mouth,
like your brother Hoss.

I just can't believe it.

He's been talking about you
ever since we were kids.

I don't need any of his talk.

Now, that's right, you don't!

The only thing you need is a box
big enough to bury you in!

I have been
with El Oso a long time.

I see something in his eyes
that ain't been there before.

Like what?

Like pain... where there is
no wound, no blood.

Maybe he's sick.

Si.

With a sickness which drains
a man of his fire.

He's dying, my compadres.

He's dying of conscience
and remorse.

Soon he will crawl into his hole

and shut off the world
behind him.

Then why we not
just wait and see?

Because it is dangerous
to those around him

and because I want to see him
squirm before he dies--

squirm in his belly,
in his heart.

Duzzaq...

find me a culebra.

A snake?

With an angry face
and death in his mouth.

El Oso does not like snake,
you know that.

I know that very well.

We're going to have some fun.

Maybe we watch the big bear
dance tonight.

...Ben!

It's Abe McClane, Pa.

Is he alive?

Just barely.

Come on, let's
get him inside.

Stop it!

Fellow Comancheros,

I bring you His Majesty,
the king of the chamiso bush--

monsieur rattlesnake.

Duzzaq... I bet you
five dollars he goes north

when he comes out of that bag.

And I bet you...

I bet you five dollars
he goes south.

Hey, Duzzaq,

where did you get
that chicken snake?

Hey, don't let him
out of that bag,

or we'll all be dead chickens.

He's no chicken snake!

He's 100% rattler

and he can spit and strike
like the devil.

Duzzaq.

There he goes.

So this Cartwright don't mean
anything to you, huh?

Look at him, my compadres.

Sweating like a stuck pig.

I ain't taking no more orders
from this old woman.

His orders are to protect
his parientes, not us.

From now on,
I give the orders here.

Look like I shoot
the wrong snake.

This snake can strike
like the devil, too.

Drop that gun, hombre.

Now, if there are any more
snakes among the Comancheros,

Gunnar wants to know about them.

No?

All right, then.

Go to sleep.

We move out at dawn.

Pa, you should've seen
that place.

Old man Crager was dead,
everything was ransacked,

looted, busted up...

Was there any sign
of Joe and Carrie?

Only signs of
where he was working, Pa.

Pa, if it was Indians,
they sure didn't leave no sign.

It couldn't have been Indians.

They needed wagons to haul away
as much stuff as they did.

What difference
does it make who it was?!

They've got Joe and Carrie,
haven't they?

It's all right.

Abe, it's-it's Ben Cartwright.

Take it easy now.

Everything's all right.

Ben?

Abe, who was it?

The leader was...

on a... big black horse.

Old man...

w-with a beard...

b-b-big M-Mexican h-h-hat.

Abe... Abe!

Was he carrying an Indian lance?

Pa, it... it just can't be.

Now, Hoss,
it's like Gunnar said--

he was born like an animal
under the stars.

Pa, it just don't make sense.

The other day, up at the lake...

Now, don't try to understand it.

You just can't look
that deep into a man's soul

to see what he's really like.

Let's go get Little Joe.

Adam, get one of the men
to look after Mr. McClane.

Looks like we lost the trail.

This rock's so hard,
nothing'll make a track on it.

Pa, I think
we ought to split up.

I don't know
if that's such a good idea.

Must be a lot of them.

It's the only way
we'll find them, Pa.

Besides that,
it'd be a lot quieter.

All right.

On one condition.

That none of us tries to get Joe
out of there by himself.

And they must've camped

somewhere around here
for the night.

All right,
whoever finds that camp,

we don't do anything about it.

We, We meet on top of that ridge
about an hour from now,

and then we decide what to do.

Agreed?

I hurt my ankle. Keep running.

I can't leave you, Little Joe.

I said keep running!

Now, muchacho.

Carrie!

Carrie! Carrie, it's me, Hoss!

No! Let me go!

Carrie!

Everything's gonna be all right.

Now, where's Joe?

Oh!

Carrie, where is he?

H-He's... dead, Hoss.

He's dead!

What are you talking about?

I saw it.

He shot him.

Carrie, are you sure?

Where'd it happen?

He's back there in some rocks.

Come on.

No, Hoss!

- Carrie, now, you listen to me.
- No!

I ain't gonna leave you here,
and I ain't turning back.

Now, you come on, you hear?!

- Come on now!
- All right.

I used to lay in bed at night,
when I was a little boy,

wondering where
my Uncle Gunnar was,

wondering what he was doing.

I told you you would not like
what I had to tell.

You killed Little Joe.

And uncle or no uncle,
I'm gonna kill you.

Oh, no, Hoss, no!

You stay out of this!

Hoss!

Look, Hoss!

Oh, Joe!

Are you hurt bad, Joe?

Hey, punky...

I thought
they done killed you, boy.

No, not this time.

It was your uncle, Hoss.

Yeah, I know.

He saved our lives.

And then he helped us get away.

I tried to tell you, Hoss.

Amigos!

I'm going to kill you, amigos.

Don't move.

I know the old man pretty well.

When I kill you,
he will die, too.

Vaca!

Don't move, old man!

Don't move!

You move, I-I will kill them.

Take your choice, Vaca.

Them or me.

I just didn't understand,
Uncle Gunnar.

Don't you go getting stuck
in the mud, sonny.

Sometimes it's...

it's not so easy to get out.

Don't talk.

I'm not asking forgiveness
from... from nobody, you hear?

I hear.

What I done,
I done because I wan... wanted.

It's the strength in man.

Yes, sir.

Forgive me, sonny.

For...

Sheriff tells me the
Comancheros have pulled out.

Posse's after them.

Uncle Gunnar liked this place.

Said it was peaceful, quiet.

Said it was a "gud" place.

Eh, I guess that's what he was
always looking for--

peace and quiet.

That little boat that was always
just out of his reach.

What little boat?

Oh... boat he was always
dreaming about.

Pa...

you said that it wasn't possible

for a man to see inside
another man

deep enough to know
what he was really like.

I think I did,
just before he died.

Come on, he-he wouldn't
want us to mourn over him.

No.

No, I reckon he wouldn't,
at that.

He just wasn't
that sort of man, was he?

This has been
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of the NBC Television Network.