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The Best Episodes of The Virginian

Every episode of The Virginian ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Virginian!

Binge this in 3d 20h•Peaking at 8.7/10

The Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming Territory of the 1890s is owned in sequence by Judge Henry Garth, the Grainger brothers, and Colonel Alan MacKenzie. It is the setting for a variety of stories, many more

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    The Virginian Season 2 Episode 1 - Ride a Dark Trail
    8.7/10(144 votes)

    #1 - Ride a Dark Trail

    S2:E1

    The Virginian accidentally comes upon, and is held at gunpoint by, young Lon Mortison (Buzz Martin). The boy had been searching for a gambler who he thinks is responsible for his father's suicide and had already shot and wounded a man who interfered. In order to convince the boy to give himself up, the Virginian recounts in flashback how Trampas first came to Shiloh Ranch. He came seeking revenge on Judge Garth who had been forced to kill Trampas' father (Sonny Tufts) in self-defence. This object lesson serves to get Lon to realize the error of his actions and convince him to surrender to the Sheriff.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. The Virginian Season 6 Episode 24 - The Handy Man
    8.7/10(98 votes)

    #2 - The Handy Man

    S6:E24

    No description available

    Director:Abner Biberman
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. The Virginian Season 6 Episode 25 - The Decision
    8.7/10(91 votes)

    #3 - The Decision

    S6:E25

    Age, inexperience and a rekindled conflict with Trampas hinder Dan Porter, an ex-sheriff who exchanged his badge for a job at Shiloh. Emily: Monica Lewis. Deputy: Steve Carlson. Trampas: Doug McClure. Manning: Ben Murphy. Virginian: James Drury. Tasker: Lawrence Dane.

    Director:E. Darrell Hallenbeck
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. The Virginian Season 8 Episode 17 - The Holocaust
    8.7/10(77 votes)

    #4 - The Holocaust

    S8:E17

    An eastern combine wants to take over the Wyoming cattle market with Shiloh in the middle of their sights. A burned Shiloh and delayed cattle drive leads to a loss on the sale of cattle resulting in all the Shiloh hands being laid off.

    Director:Jeannot Szwarc
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The Virginian Season 1 Episode 13 - The Accomplice
    8.6/10(453 votes)

    #5 - The Accomplice

    S1:E13

    The Rocky Point Bank is robbed by two men who shoot its President. One of the men is captured and claims Trampas, with whom he has a grudge, was his accomplice -- so Trampas is arrested. His identification as the robber is supported by a spinsterish bank teller, Delia Miller (Bette Davis), who has recognized the real robber and is protecting his identity in order to blackmail him. The Virginian tries to prove Trampas innocent and expose the real criminal by falsifying Delia's story.

    Director:Unknown
    Writers:Howard Browne, William P. McGivern, Winston Miller

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  6. The Virginian Season 4 Episode 9 - Show Me a Hero
    8.6/10(106 votes)

    #6 - Show Me a Hero

    S4:E9

    While returning to Shiloh Trampas injures his horse saving a man with a runaway team. He is forced to stay a few days in a small town with the man as an old friend arrives to force the town to sign over its gambling rights to him.

    Director:Leon Benson
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Virginian

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  7. The Virginian Season 7 Episode 16 - Last Grave at Socorro Creek
    8.6/10(84 votes)

    #7 - Last Grave at Socorro Creek

    S7:E16

    Investigating the lynching of a friend, the Virginian matches wits with a sadistic killer---and the dead man's vengeful son. Four-Eyes: Steve Ihnat. Virginian: James Drury. Luther: Lonny Chapman. Kate: Ellen McRae. Burden: Kevin Coughlin.

    Director:Leo Penn
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. The Virginian Season 3 Episode 29 - Showdown
    8.5/10(114 votes)

    #8 - Showdown

    S3:E29

    The Virginian is forced to take sides in a bitter dispute between a family of ranchers and two domineering marshals.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. The Virginian Season 5 Episode 15 - Vengeance Trail
    8.5/10(79 votes)

    #9 - Vengeance Trail

    S5:E15

    Stacey is forced to kill a man who tries to rob him. He returns the body to the man's sister who asks Stacey to leave rather than see the Sheriff. She is afraid their younger brother who joins the Shiloh cattle drive will try for revenge.

    Director:Thomas Carr
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. The Virginian Season 6 Episode 2 - The Deadly Past
    8.5/10(76 votes)

    #10 - The Deadly Past

    S6:E2

    Suspense builds as Trampas, a hard-drinking gunslinger and a sheriff's wife search for the person who has sent them death notes. Evans: Darren McGavin. Trampas: Doug McClure. Emily: Mary-Robin Redd. Chris: Linden Chiles. Ned: Bing Russell.

    Director:Abner Biberman
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The Virginian Season 8 Episode 22 - The Sins of the Fathers
    8.5/10(91 votes)

    #11 - The Sins of the Fathers

    S8:E22

    The Virginian and Shiloh money are rescued by a lone man who he rewards with a job at Shiloh. He rubs the other men the wrong way, works hard, but is obviously a gunman. Clay Grainger soon realizes who he is but won't let him be fired.

    Director:Walter Doniger
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. The Virginian Season 2 Episode 4 - A Killer in Town
    8.4/10(119 votes)

    #12 - A Killer in Town

    S2:E4

    A bounty hunter named George Wolfe (Broderick Crawford) comes to Medicine Bow, having been summoned by a now dead informant who told Wolfe a fugitive is in town. Although the informant had left a letter revealing the fugitive's identity in a lock box at the bank it can not be accessed until the circuit judge can return and issue a court order. Trampas, who had accidentally become involved with some felons two years before, thinks he is Wolfe's quarry and Wolfe is suspicious of him. Before matters can come to a head, however, an outbreak of typhoid fever intervenes.

    Director:John English
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. The Virginian Season 2 Episode 19 - The Drifter
    8.4/10(141 votes)

    #13 - The Drifter

    S2:E19

    This episode recounts in flashback how the Virginian came to Shiloh Ranch. The Virginian comes to Medicine Bow and first works for Miles Peterson (Leif Erickson) whose spread is run by ranch foreman Hugh Stager (Michael Forest). Stager tries to gain control of the ranch by romancing Peterson's daughter Maria (Mariette Hartley) and plotting to remove Peterson and blame it on Judge Garth. However, he has not reckoned on the Virginian and his growing friendship with Judge Garth.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. The Virginian Season 3 Episode 27 - Farewell to Honesty
    8.4/10(97 votes)

    #14 - Farewell to Honesty

    S3:E27

    A deputized Virginian arrives in the very misnamed Honesty, Wyoming looking for Major Ralph Forrester (Richard Carlson) who had defrauded Judge Garth. However, the local judge is in the Major's pocket and, using the excuse that the Virginian is not a full-time deputy, refuses to let the man be taken back to Medicine Bow. While waiting for Deputy Ryker to arrive, the Major is murdered and the Virginian is accused of the crime. Ryker arrives and with help of a local lawyer, John Harrison (Harold Gould), tries to sort out who the murderer is from amongst a number of suspects including the murdered man's wife (Dorothy Green), a former acquaintance of the Virginian who runs the local saloon and was being blackmailed by the dead man (Kathleen Crowley), and the Major's business partner(Douglas Henderson).

    Director:Leon Benson
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. The Virginian Season 5 Episode 5 - Jacob Was a Plain Man
    8.4/10(86 votes)

    #15 - Jacob Was a Plain Man

    S5:E5

    Jake who can't hear or speak runs after he accidentally kills a man in a bar. He lands at Shiloh where his hard work results in a job. Stacey seeing Jake can't express himself decides to teach him to read and write but puts him in danger.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. The Virginian Season 5 Episode 23 - Doctor Pat
    8.4/10(85 votes)

    #16 - Doctor Pat

    S5:E23

    Dr. Spaulding decides to hire another doctor to help share the load but he is unsure whether the attractive female doctor he is sent will work out. The Virginian takes a strong interest in her and her problems as she tries to adapt.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. The Virginian Season 6 Episode 4 - Star Crossed
    8.4/10(83 votes)

    #17 - Star Crossed

    S6:E4

    Ryker sidesteps the law to help a robbery suspect plagued by a blackmailing Shiloh hand. Hiller: Tom Tryon. Judith: Lisabeth Hush. Barnes: Kiel Martin. Brian: Brian Nash. Sheriff: Ross Elliott.

    Director:Abner Biberman
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. The Virginian Season 6 Episode 17 - Jed
    8.4/10(81 votes)

    #18 - Jed

    S6:E17

    Clay tries to prevent a range war between the ranchers and the homesteaders who are blocking their path to market. A hotheaded rancher secretly hires a gunfighter who happens to be an old friend of Trampas, who falls for Abby Keefer (Brenda Scott), a homesteader's daughter.

    Director:Abner Biberman
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. The Virginian Season 7 Episode 14 - Stopover
    8.4/10(94 votes)

    #19 - Stopover

    S7:E14

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. The Virginian Season 8 Episode 5 - The Family Man
    8.4/10(81 votes)

    #20 - The Family Man

    S8:E5

    Jim becomes farmhand, midwife and friend to a pregnant teenager whose husband is on the lam from the law. Anna: Darlene Carr. Obie: Frank Webb. Jim: Tim Matheson. Rigby: John Pickard. Trampas: Doug McClure. Sheriff: Ross Elliott. Virginian: James Drury.

    Director:Joseph Pevney
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. The Virginian Season 2 Episode 9 - Run Quiet
    8.3/10(143 votes)

    #21 - Run Quiet

    S2:E9

    Steve Hill befriends a dishevelled deaf mute named Judd (Clu Gulager) and convinces the Virginian to gives him a job at Shiloh ranch. Judd is accussed of murdering a gambler, runs off and is befriended by spinster farm owner Ruth Ferris (Gail Kobe). Steve Hill manages to track down Judd, tells him to give himself up and then sets off after the real perpetrators. The murderers try to kill Steve but he is saved by the arrival of Judd who then returns to the waiting Ruth with whom he has fallen in love.

    Director:Herschel Daugherty
    Writer:Ed Adamson

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  22. The Virginian Season 2 Episode 11 - The Fatal Journey
    8.3/10(114 votes)

    #22 - The Fatal Journey

    S2:E11

    After she calls for the President to bring in the army to rid the badlands of outlaws, newspaper editor Molly Wood, the Virginian's love interest, is murdered by four of those outlaws: O'Dell (Steve Ihnat), Horn (John Milford), Denver (Berkeley Harris) and their ruthless leader, Colonel Calhoun (Robert Lansing). The Virginian joins a posse but while the other posse members give up he eventually locates the villains' badlands hideout. He poses as a prison escapee, joins the gang and exacts his revenge.

    Director:Bernard McEveety
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. The Virginian Season 2 Episode 13 - Siege
    8.3/10(116 votes)

    #23 - Siege

    S2:E13

    Trampas wins $1,000 at poker in Medicine Bow and heads to his old stomping grounds of Logan, New Mexico to repay several debts. There he has a run in with comancheros, led by Pedro Lopez (Joseph Campanella), who virtually run the town and have the town leaders under their thumb. Trampas discovers that some of the commancheros have murdered his old friends and turns them over to the Marshall (Ron Hayes) to hold for trial. However, Pedro threatens the townsfolk and they cave under and force the marshall to release the murderers. Pedro and his men then come gunning for Trampas.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. The Virginian Season 2 Episode 20 - First to Thine Own Self
    8.3/10(112 votes)

    #24 - First to Thine Own Self

    S2:E20

    A young drifter named Randy (Randy Boone) camps with Silas (Frank Maxwell) and his young daughter Melanie (Claire Wilcox) near Medicine Bow. Silas reveals he has been mining and that he found gold nuggets. Silas is murdered, the gold stolen and Randy is accused of the crime. He hides out with Melanie who knows him innocent and with help from Betsy Garth and the Virginian is eventually able to expose the real killers.

    Director:Earl Bellamy
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. The Virginian Season 2 Episode 22 - Smile of a Dragon
    8.3/10(119 votes)

    #25 - Smile of a Dragon

    S2:E22

    Trampas is the sole survivor of a stagecoach robbery but he is wounded and wanders off in a daze. The local Sheriff (Richard Carlson) finds him and accuses him of being one of the robbers, hints the townspeople will lynch him and even tries to kill him. Trampas escapes and takes refuge with Kim Ho (Miyoshi Umeki) who learns of his innocence. Meanwhile Steve Hill heads for the area thinking Trampas is dead. Trampas tries to find the real guilty parties to clear himself and in the end is saved by the arrival of Steve Hill.

    Director:Andrew V. McLaglen
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Ride a Dark Trail" is the best rated episode of "The Virginian". It scored 8.7/10 based on 144 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 9/18/1963. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Handy Man".