Episode 135 - SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY

[Adamant]

Poor Regan. There is a psychological component touched on at the beginning when Regan says Amelia owes her because she was their father's favorite so apparently, Regan is searching for the love her father denied her. And then there's the problem with Amelia's fiancé who fell in love with Regan when she came home from "boarding" school and apparently that's why Amelia is a spinster. Regan likes using men and as Adam said, she "amuses" herself with them, some deep dark desire to have her father-figure love her and then she would be the one to reject him and his love; she is one messed-up woman. I always received the impression that Regan took what she could from men and then moved on to another man--and that is Adam's fear and Ben's, that she would marry Hoss, take what she wanted and then move on to another man breaking his heart and spirit.

[dreamie]

See, I didn't get that impression-that Adam thought she "wasn't good enough to marry", in the respect that she had a promiscuous reputation. I thought his main concern was what was behind the promiscuous reputation: that she was misleading Hoss because she didn't really love him & she wouldn't ultimately be happy with him (thus making him unhappy, too) once she caught him. A case of continually wanting what she didn't have and then not wanting it once she had it because it failed to live up to her expectations.

I agree with this interpretation, but I think Snapdragon isn't that mislead because I think the writers rode a fine line with this one, making more or less an impossible situation with Regan literally never being satisfied. If the same thing had happened with a less outrageous version of her personality Snapdragon would be correct, but that's why we have Regan.

Was inspiration for the title ever revealed? If was taken from the Lord Byron poem, it makes it that much more significant. What Hoss sees versus what Adam knows.

She Walks in Beauty

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_Walks_in_Beauty

[Calamity]

In some ways this ep felt like The Sisters all over again only with Hoss as the one in peril.

[dreamie]

When I was browsing the eppies, I actually remembered this as The Sisters until I read all the discussion. (I've only started watching Bonanza in the last five years, my memorization a little lacking.)

I don't know which one I like better. This one seems darker somehow, even with less death.

[PJudith]

Gena Rowlands, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful women to grace the screen. I thought she actually looked younger and prettier with less make-up when she trying to be "plain and ugly". Yeah like that was ever going to happen.

When she wore the heavy make-up of "the real Regan Miller" she looked older, jaded and weary with life. It was the mask she put on to ensnare men. This episode could've been titled "The Two Regan Millers. That gal was definitely carrying a lot of baggage. It would've been interesting to see her in more episodes.

I agree that Hoss's anger seemed a tad extreme for him. But a lot of it came from being the younger sibling of the older handsome brother. They were six years apart so I doubt if they ever had any real rivalries for the same girl. But Hoss mentioned in ''The Wooing of Abigail Jones how the ladies go for Adam and that "soft soapin poetry o fhis." He knew Adam was always way more comfortable around women. Now Hoss found a woman and it seemed like big brother was going to steal her away.

If it had been any other man kissing Regan I don't think Hoss would've been thatfurious, mad yes,and probably slug the guy once. But it felt like a bigger betrayal coming from his own brother.

I agree that Adam was brave to face Hoss's wrath. I would've told Hop Sing, "Tell Hoss I'll seehim when I get back...from Cleveland."

[littlejoenice]

The only thing I found unusual was Hoss luring his older brother into the bunkhouse just to start a fight with him. It just-- didn't strike me as the Cartwright way. I know early on, there were some episodes with fistfights between the brothers, for instance, A House Divided, or Springtime, but other than that, unless my memory fails, there weren't any other episodes with the Cartwright boys at each other's throats that way.

[patina]

The only thing I found unusual was Hoss luring his older brother into the bunkhouse just to start a fight with him. It just-- didn't strike me as the Cartwright way. I know early on, there were some episodes with fistfights between the brothers, for instance, A House Divided, or Springtime, but other than that, unless my memory fails, there weren't any other episodes with the Cartwright boys at each other's throats that way.

Sure there were.

• The Quest--Joe socks both Adam and Hoss for breaking up his saloon fight with Dave Donovan. Later, back at the ranch, Joe's still spoiling for a fight and Adam offers to give it to him but Ben sends his sons to bed.

• The Courtship--Adam comes up with a plan to out Helen's gambling problem for Hoss to see. Joe's job in the plan is to bring Hoss to the saloon at the right time. In his anger, Hoss knocks both brothers across the saloon.

•The War Comes to Washoe--Joe confronts Adam in the barn while they're doing chores the morning after a party. Joe's taken exception to comments Adam made about the South and, by extension, Morvath. Ben enters the barn in time to stop Joe from swinging a fist at Adam.

• The "Yo' Mama" fight between Adam and Joe in A Rose For Lotta. Fortunately, we didn't have to watch them squabble like that in every episode!

In She Walks in Beauty, Hoss warned Adam that he planned to propose to Regan. Seeing Adam kissing Regan sent Hoss into a temper that simmered until Adam finally returned home.

[Sharry]

I think the fight between Hoss and Adam over Regan is different from all of the other fisticuffs over the years. It was intensely personal for Hoss - which is why I always thought he waited for Adam privately in the bunk house. That seemed Hoss-like to me. I was always bothered by the intensity of it though. Hoss didn't like to hurt anyone. He seemed half out of his mind, which he probably was, when Regan entered the picture.

[littlejoenice]

The only thing I found unusual was Hoss luring his older brother into the bunkhouse just to start a fight with him. It just-- didn't strike me as the Cartwright way. I know early on, there were some episodes with fistfights between the brothers, for instance, A House Divided, or Springtime, but other than that, unless my memory fails, there weren't any other episodes with the Cartwright boys at each other's throats that way.

Sure there were.

• The Quest--Joe socks both Adam and Hoss for breaking up his saloon fight with Dave Donovan. Later, back at the ranch, Joe's still spoiling for a fight and Adam offers to give it to him but Ben sends his sons to bed.

• The Courtship--Adam comes up with a plan to out Helen's gambling problem for Hoss to see. Joe's job in the plan is to bring Hoss to the saloon at the right time. In his anger, Hoss knocks both brothers across the saloon.

•The War Comes to Washoe--Joe confronts Adam in the barn while they're doing chores the morning after a party. Joe's taken exception to comments Adam made about the South and, by extension, Morvath. Ben enters the barn in time to stop Joe from swinging a fist at Adam.

• The "Yo' Mama" fight between Adam and Joe in A Rose For Lotta. Fortunately, we didn't have to watch them squabble like that in every episode!

In She Walks in Beauty, Hoss warned Adam that he planned to propose to Regan. Seeing Adam kissing Regan sent Hoss into a temper that simmered until Adam finally returned home.

I guess my memory did fail! Thanks for the reminder, patina.

[elizabeth]

My thoughts went to Marilyn Monroe, who had died in 1962, and her marriages to hero Joe DiMaggio and intellectual Arthur Miller, marriages which seemed like mis-matches. and they were disasters. For me, this episode was something like "what would you do if your brother wanted to marry Marilyn Monroe?" I agree with Snapdragon in that the female character was too much the heavy in this episode and Hoss too much the innocent. Why does Hoss have to be spared the truth by Adam? Afterall, these are all adults. Maybe it would have been helpful to have her and Hoss play more complicated characters. I like the idea of having Regan appear in more episodes. It is also interesting to wonder what in the world she was up to in San Francisco that she had such a name for herself.