How did last episode of Bonanza end?

Answer 1

The final episode was entitled "The Hunter." Joe is pursued by an insane guy who is determined to kill him. I later read that when this final epidode was filmed, the cast and crew were not yet aware that NBC would pull the plug. As a result, they never had the opportunity to produce a final episode that was worthy of a series that ran for so many years. If you get a chance to view this episode, you'll note that there is not so much as a hint that it's over for Bonanza.

In a Tonight Show appearance, Michael Landon said that if he had been given the chance, he would have written and directed a final episode in which the Cartwrights defend the Ponderosa one last time. I believe he also said that he would have asked Pernell Roberts to return for that episode. (Dan Blocker had died before the final season went into production). However, I cannot believe that Mr. Roberts would have agreed to return.

Thats not how I remember the last episode. In the last episode Little Joe gets married and moves into a cabin with his new bride. One day he returns home to find the cabin burned to the ground and his wife dead. The rest of the show is about Joe hunting down the three men who burned the cabin and killed his wife. He finds them all and kills each one while still maintaining that Cartwright integrity. Thats how I remember the last episode. Bonanza was one of my favorite childhood shows. Saw every episode many times over.

Answer 2

The writers and the rest of the cast and crew did not know that the series would be canceled so there never was really an ending. It's too bad that such a long running program never got to tie up loose ends and let America say goodbye to the beloved characters. The actors also never got a chance to officially close that chapter of their lives.

Answer 3

Titled 'The Hunter', Little Joe is pursued by a homicidal maniac.

Answer 4

Little Joe is persued by a homicidal maniac.