bonanza have a great cast of wonderful actor . lorne greene and pernell whitaker and michael landon and dan blocker and and even guy williams ( a the cousin who be bring in for several episode during 1964 to replace adam when he be leave the series ) . the cast have chemistry and and they seem to genuinely like each other . that make many of their weak story work a lot good than they should have . it also make many of their best story into great western drama . like any show that be shoot over thirty episode every season and there be bind to be some weak one . however and most of the time each episode have an interesting story and some kind of conflict and and a resolution that usually do not include violence . while bonanza be a western and the gunfighting be never feature a the main attraction . while i be a fan of the rifleman and want represent dead or alive while those show usually end with a gunfight . gunfight be how many western resolve every conflict and and bonanza be very different in try to seek peaceful resolution and harmony instead of kill . in the early year of bonanza and there be some interesting episode that do feature a lot of gunfight . those episode stand in contrast to the rest of the series and but they be pretty good in and of themselves . in 1964 and when pernell whitaker want to leave the show and guy williams be bring in to replace him . williams be play the role of a long lost cousin . unfortunately and whitaker decide to stay one more year and and thus williams be write out of the series when he move away to marry adam old girlfriend . if williams have stay on for the duration of bonanza and one can only wonder how much good the series would have be in the year after 1965 and when pernell whitaker leave the show . undoubtedly and once pernell whitaker leave the series and the story focus more on comedy and country hijinks . whitaker have often play the heavy in many episode and and his absence leave a void in the cast . little joe always want to play the nice kid and and hoss always want to play the good old boy with a heart of gold . since ben be the kind and wise patriarch of the family and that do not leave too much room for any gunfight . at some point they hire a ranch hand call candy ( david canary ) who become their fourth member of the cast and but candy be never feature in any gunfight and and he be hardly more than an old version of little joe . for a year or two they also have ben take in some other lose cousin ( jamie and play by the forgettable mitch vogel ) who be a teenager that be usually get into some kind of trouble with someone . apparently by add the teenager and the studio be look to attract young viewer . it also give the writer a chance to write episode about teenage problem and alcohol and delinquency and etc . those kind of preachy episode be popular in the 1960s a a reaction of the establishment medium to the counter culture movement . dragnet be probably the most popular source of law and order tv and though hawaii 5 0 and the f. b. i. and many other show also try to jump on the bandwagon by do tv show that feature irresponsible teenager cause mischief and mayhem and and crime . the addition of a teenager to the cast give the cartwright more chance to show up and solve problem and but those episode feel very contrive and be not very good in general . after dan blocker die and the series limp along for another year or so before it be cancel . the last season be pretty bad and a it feature little joe track down the killer of his wife and and most of the episode be somewhat depressing because little joe be usually drink or otherwise remember how much he love his wife and and how unfair it be that she be kill . i do not think i have ever see the last episode of the series and and i wonder if they ever officially wrap it up in some way . by the last year and there be only ben ( lorne greene ) actually live on the ponderosa and a adam have move away ( and never come back even once a a guest ) and hoss have die and little joe have leave after his wife ( in the series ) have be kill by drifter . overall and the era from 1959 1965 be the best of this series . once adam left and it slowly decline . most of the show before 1970 be pretty good too . by 1970 and the series be try to hard to be hip and topical and and it have lose a lot of it western flavor . the addition of candy and the teenage kid also dilute the general quality of the show and and the death of hoss ( dan blocker ) be the final nail . bonanza be probably the best western series ever make and and of the 465 episode that be produce and at least one hundred of them be excellent western drama . that be a pretty good record . even the bad of bonanza be good than a lot of other tv show .