From April 1965, The Virginian: The Showdown was an intriguing episode that had good drama and some equally good acting. I’m usually not much of a fan of the shows that feature one member of the Shiloh ranch away from Wyoming, especially when its The Virginian himself, but this was an exception. I was
just never captivated by that character or by James Drury who played the part.
However, Drury was working alongside some good talents, and that upped the game considerably.
Michael Ansara guest starred as Marshall Merle Frome, with Leonard Nimoy as his deputy. The two actually portrayed brothers. Their main antagonists for the ninety minutes included Tom Skerritt as Billy Landers and Edward Faulkner as Tom Landers.
The one main surprise for me that really makes The Virginian: The Showdown a standout and an exception to the rule is that you go through the first hour of the show under the assumption of who the bad guys are and who the good guys are.
